Owner: The tumtum tree URL:http://the-tum-tum-tree.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:02:02 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A blog by an artsy craftsy, penny pinching, party planning, fashion finding, playdating, stay at home mommy who loves all things cute! Site statistics:Click here
Where the line blurs....... 2008-04-20 18:41:42 It looks as though something awful has happened in lily's dollhouse. Talk about make-believe imitating life. The tiny plastic people leave their toys on the floor, throw their blankets off the bed and knock over furniture, too lazy to do anything about the growing chaos. At first sight it looks as though the place has been burglarized in the middle of the night- door kicked in, parents lying unconscience on the floor, tables and chairs overturned. I pointed this out to Brian who got a small kick out of the idea. Today, I turned the house around so that all the clutter lay well hidden. If only real-life were as effortless.
Some ideas to make your life easier 2008-04-20 18:41:17 This looks great for mommies on the go. You could feed your child without a messy open container. Either in the backseat on a long car ride, a picnic or just for everyday feeding. Whatever. Thought I'd give it a shout out. You can buy it here.This looked so useful too! I know my daughter has (perhaps literally) a million stuffed animals. I don't have any room for them and I can't bring myself to give them away so they are constantly encroching on the order of things. This product will take care of two birds with one stone. Soft seating/stuffed animal storage. Comes in different sizes and colors. Buy them here. Read more:ideas
Spring Picnic 2008-04-20 18:41:04 Today was the warmest day of the year (so far). We didn't have any grand plans so we spent the afternoon eating a picnic lunch in the backyard. Molly enjoyed the outdoors, spellbound by all the sights and sounds she doesn't experience indoors.We had fried chicken and french fries. Lily of course ate one bite and didn't want anymore, requested an apple, ate five bites then said she was full. Ugh. We finished the lunch by adorning our hair with flowers and throwing the apple to the birds. Read more:Spring
, Picnic
Martha Finds: Simple fixes for simple foibles 2008-04-20 18:40:55 Got chocolate milk stains? Try this.Okay, I didn't mean to get your hopes up if you thought I had some remedy for chocolate milk stains (insidious aren't they). But this is a neat way to cover them up.Embellish a solid-colored shirt with bright butterflies in flight -- and conceal stains at the same time. Have your child choose the fabric; iron it to one side of fusible webbing. Trace the butterfly template onto the fusible-webbing side, and cut out. Remove paper backing, and iron the shape on top of the stain. Use several sizes and vary fabrics for a decorative effect or to cover multiple stains.Got crayon crumbles? Try this!This is such a fantastic idea! Not only do you use the last bits of crayon that were annoying you at the bottom of the crayon box BUT it can also be a fun activity fo Read more:Martha
Picture this skirt....on me! 2008-04-20 18:40:04 I thought these photo skirt
s were interesting. I haven't ever seen anything like them. Perhaps they are too expensive to manufacture? Their price tag would indicate as much, but pretty none-the-less. It's like desktop wallpaper for your legs. Read more:Picture
Tea for Two 2008-04-20 18:39:52 Lily and her grandmother have certain rituals that my mother has initiated and I think it's adorable. Now retired, she comes over every week day to spend time with the girls. Around three o'clock she and lily gather around a tray and have their afternoon tea. Lily has fully embraced the idea. She sips the hot tea and gets excited when drinking in unison. Abi, knowing of this daily routine, gave my mother two antique teacups from her grandmother's collection. Since I'm not very poetic, I took some pictures of their new/old serveware, proving just how cute a spectacle they can be. Lily also finished off the crown jewel of her Easter basket- A chocolate egg with a tiny marshmellow peep inside. Pretty clever.
"T"ea is for Today! 2008-04-20 18:39:39 In keeping with today's tea theme I included these unique finds for every tea connoisseur.Buy these adorable rings here!And if you saw Marie Antoinette and wondered if they still make those blossoming flowers in a cup of tea, I'll have you know....they do! Buy them here! Read more:Today
Tired of your boring brown car seat 2008-04-20 18:38:58 For some reason or another I've gotten stuck with boring
ho-hum car seats. Beige, navy, teddy bear print. If it's boring it gravitates to my car. I've always wanted to buy a new more interesting one but can't justify the cost of the designer brands on the market. If you're in the same boat as me you HAVE to check out these covers made with fabric from some of your favorite designers at purlsoho. Available in infant and toddler sizes. Also if you don't mind spending the extra pocket change, they offer Nollie car seat covers (see blue and brown seat)- extra customized/extra expensive.
I don't have a boy but if I did.... 2008-04-20 18:38:42 Although I don't have a boy I thought these were the cutest casual thing.But since I have a girl I had to include these adorable aprons as well. All items can be bought here!
April Showers bring May flowers. 2008-04-20 18:38:18 Last week we had a couple really gorgeous days. Lily and I spend the afternoon planting tomato and mint seeds. Mint seeds for summer mojitos. Tomatoes for....well, do you ever need a reason to plant plump juicy tomatoes? I haven't successfully grown any since I was eleven but I think this year will be different.Lily enjoyed sprinkling the seeds, no so much the digging. She enjoyed using the sprinkler to water the seeds but got a little carried away and watered the front porch, sidewalk and shirt she was wearing. It's one of those hobbies that teach patience. The package said that it will take 74 days to mature. I figure that means we'll have tomatoes by July. Seems a little long. The mint leaves will mature in 21 days. At least I'll be saving $3 on the quarter ounce of mint leaves our loca Read more:April
, Showers
, April Showers
Abi Rocks!!!! 2008-04-20 18:37:31 I've been so lucky with so many awesome free finds that have fallen in my lap (see previous freecycle post) Another fabulous find- these shoes!! My friend, Abi has been emptying her grandmother's home for its upcoming sale. In the process, I've gotten so many really cool (and some not so cool, i.e. antique tampons) antiques from her grandmother's home. Her latest trip yielded these cool vintage shoes in their original vintage boxes in surprisingly good condition. My feet being two sizes smaller than her's, Abi was not able to reap the benefit of these and gave them to me instead. And I have to say, her grandmother, aside from being a packrat had some good taste.Abi & I at a wedding (Not my best pic. A little toothy for my taste.) But Abi looks great as always. Read more:Rocks
If I could wear busted tees, I'd wear these. 2008-04-20 18:37:09 If I were a teenager again, I think I'd wear a different busted tee for every day of the week. Since I'm not I can only fantasize and perhaps influence other teens with my 30 years of perspective.Here are my top 10.Okay, I wouldn't go for the fellatio reference but OMG this brings back memories- Legend of Zelda, hot summers crammed into my sister's sweaty bedroom huddled over a 13" tv and broken nintendo box. Why did everyone try to blow into the cartridge? It rarely worked.I would have. I really would have.This is so Brian and I. Our approach to interacting with children- be as matter-of-fact and literal as you can.After seeing "Smart People" last night I thought this would be appropriate.Altering reality engenders hilarity.I'm seriously considering getting this one for Brian. Partially b
A few products to brighten your weekend. 2008-04-20 18:36:25 These are just the cutest vintagey suitcases for kids. Look chic while visiting Grandma. Although you don't need to be a parent to think they're just gorgeous. Better yet, they range from $6 -$10! You can buy them here.Introducing the Defendius Door Chain. Perhaps by the time you did get to opening the door, those kids trying to sell their fund raising magazines or Sunday missionaries might get impatient and move on. Security indeed! Buy it here. (although I think it's temporarily sold out.)I thought this simple product was cute. I guess it takes me 15 seconds to cut a banana while this would take me 5. That's 10 seconds saved each day....times 365 days....equals one hour! Assuming of course, I eat bananas everyday (i hate bananas) but I think lily would get a kick out of using it. Would h
Now, they look *forward* to drying off! 2008-04-20 18:36:11 Lily and her best friend Gracie (picture of the week April 5th) have matching hooded flower towels, store-bought from "The Children's Place". Her mother, my friend Abi, had the foresight to buy two so that neither little girl would want the other's. They were a HIT. Both Lily and Gracie love them. I liked the idea so much that I decided to make some of my own. I started out with lofty goals. I planned to make 6-7 for each girl. Well, that never happened but at least I didn't "throw in the towel" altogether. I did manage to make two a piece- a duck and a bunny (as well as a blue doggie for Gracie's brother). Not too bad. Dressing up never gets boring and better yet, it makes them look forward to drying
off:)(To right) Lily at her weekly swimming lesson, swimming with only ONE back floaty! I
Freecycle Rocks!!!!!!! 2008-04-20 18:35:48 Did I ever mention how much I love, love, love freecycle? I know freecycle isn't news to anyone but I just have to shout to the rooftops about my latest conquest (see left). Yes, I got this for FREE! I had driven all over the place, Wal-mart, Target, Toys'r'us. I even went down to the local consignment shop. Everything was either more than I intended to spend, too small or too cheap looking. On a lark, I sent out a freecycle post and within a couple minutes a nice woman had emailed me about a bike that was sitting in her attic, never used. (one caveat, I've been disappointed before by freecycle, I didn't get my hopes up) But when I pulled up to the door, I was breathtaken. Reproduction vintage Radio Flyer tricycle, pristine condition. Oh, it was better than I had thought possible, complete Read more:Rocks
Chef Lily 2008-04-20 18:35:38 The Young Chef's Academy class went great, despite the fact that lily seemed drawn to the baby toys more than the actual cooking. In spirit of our theme (the letter U) we baked "U"psidedown sticky buns and "U"limate fruit dip. But she actually ate what we made so anything that ends with her eating gets an A in my book.Here's a little info about Young Chef's. They have locations nationwide and are a great place for kids to learn the basics of cooking while interacting with other 'young chef's';) They offer weekly classes for kids ages 3 to 13+.From their website: Young Chefs® Academy is a unique culinary experience which offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. Each visit to Young Chefs® Academy is a new experience with fresh month
Vintage bike, today's price! 2008-04-20 18:35:26 Do you love vintage bicycles but hate the $2000+ price
tag that comes with reproductions? Me too! I've searched ebay as well but rarely do they have one in *pristine* condition and when they do....stand back....it's everyone for themselves. A literal feeding frenzy, forget bargains. I've recently found something I thought didn't exist- Vintage
y looking bicycles, today's prices....here!Granted, they are NOT reproductions. They offer the *look* of a vintage bicycle with white-wall tires and solid colors. The above bicycle is my favorite from their site. Imagine this with a wicker basket on front filled with a bouquet of flowers. Good enough for me:)With 24" cruisers starting at $120, you have to give them a look-see!!
Tie her hair up in ribbons and bows. Sign her letters with X's and O's 2008-04-20 18:34:34 This is a simple, cheap way to really cutsify an outfit. Thanks to Chocolate on my Cranium for the idea.Ribbon Headband TutorialMaterials:2 elastic pony-tail holders36 inches Ribbon (or longer)Fray Check (or clear nail polish)Step 1: Cut at least one yard of ribbon and put fray check on the cut ends so the ribbon doesn't fray.Step 2: Interlace the two pony-tail holders as shown in the pictures. Then measure the pony-tail holders from end to end by stretching lightly. You don't want to stretch them tight or the headband will be too tight and pull back off the head. Mine had a stretch of 4 inches.Step 3: Now for some math. Yikes! Measure around your head or your daughter's head to find the overall measurement. Subtract the pony-tail stretch measurement from that. This gives you the total amo
When picking your nose is not just okay, it's fun! 2008-04-20 18:34:13 I saw Design Mom post the animal cups a couple months ago but since then I've found more options. Perhaps they came before the animal noses but I thought they were still postworthy. Great for birthday parties! Even adult parties! You can buy the people noses here! And you can buy the animal noses here!I think I'm going to buy these for lily's birthday party but not mention anything and let the guests discover the fun on their own.
Mmmm Sunday Baklava. 2008-04-20 18:33:15 We spent Sunday
quietly indoors. I had some phyllo dough that was reaching its expiration date so Lily and I made my favorite dessert (next to tiramisu) baklava! Mmmm. It came out all oouey gooey but golden and crispy. Yum! If the picture inspires you, here's the recipe we used: yum! bakalava. One tip! Don't forgot to cut the pieces before you put them in the oven. I didn't and the tops got a little broken up when I carved them into triangles. Another thing, I let them sit on a dry paper towel before I put them in the cupcake wrappers to soak up the excess honey sauce. Also, the recipe calls for you to start the honey sauce after you make the baklava. I suggest you make it before. If you pour the sauce on hot it will soak to the bottom of the pan and make everything soggy. Read more:Baklava
Where crafty and chic intersect 2008-04-20 18:32:48 I was never one of those girls who had a different handbag for every day of the week. I had one handbag and it was my favorite. I used it for everything and then say five months down the road I fell in love with another bag that became my new favorite. But recently, I've started to become a 'collector' not only of bags but shoes. I don't know what's come over me. At any rate, my new must-have bag is this. It's by Sommer Designs and is priced at $75. The fabric is Amy Butler and since I can't afford to spend $75 on a handbag I'm going to attempt to make this. I'll be ordering the fabric tomorrow and whenever I finish I'll post my result. But for those of you who have a little more spare change in their coin purse, you might want to take a look at some of her other designs. It's eye candy fo
Oilcloth is cool. Who knew? 2008-04-20 18:32:30 I've found these great bags made out of ever-kitchy oil cloth. The best part- their price! Cheap, cheap, CHEAP! I'm thinking they'd be good for a trip to the Farmer's Market or the swimming pool or some kind of art show downtown where everyone can envy it.An excerpt from a conversation that followed 2 minutes after the above paragraph.Brian: "Can I use the computer to check my fantasy baseball?!"Me: "Ugh! Hold on. I'm right in the middle of a post!"Brian: "About what?"Me: "OILCLOTH BAGS OKAY!"
See if you can...."flip that clip!" 2008-04-20 18:32:15 These books are great for a coffee table memory of your baby's first steps, a bride's first dance or a high dive attempt. Just upload your clip to flipclips.com Use up to 150 pages (roughly 30 seconds)! Choose from a range of sizes and custom-cover options. The smallest flip books, 3 1/2 by 2 inches, are perfect party favors and can be slipped into muslin drawstring bags. Prices range from $9 to $20.
Let's all go to the Carnival....down the hall. 2008-04-20 18:31:29 I like these. It gives you the opportunity to add pattern and color to a monotone kids room. And if your walls are already filled you can hang these from your windows. They look so sweet and whimsical.Of course, I refuse to purchase them. Instead I'm going to attempt to do this on my own. I think it will be a FABULOUS way of using my discarded scraps! They look simple enough. But I'm sort of backlogged with projects so when I get around to it, I'll post my result.If you're more practical. You can purchase them at Mahar Goods. Read more:Carnival
If I ever win the lottery....... 2008-04-20 18:31:08 Wouldn't you love to build a house like this? One question, how on earth would you keep the moths out? You'd have a blanket of insect wings coating all the light fixtures by the end of your first evening. I once opened my kitchen door for but a minute to let out a waft of smoke from the stove and had to deal with 3 very hair-raising ones that had a knack for terrorizing my daughter all night. Still, I've always loved the idea of integrating the outdoors with the indoors. Moths be DAMNED! Love it.
Look fashionable while sporting a black eye;) 2008-04-21 09:17:08 Step back into the fifties with these *cool* vintage ice bags. Good for headaches, backaches and booboos. Just like grandma used to have....but with better fabric! Look fashionable while sporting a black eye;) You can buy them here!
Pretty things for my car 2008-04-21 08:09:40 When you learn to sew it is both a boon and a burden. Suddenly all those cute things
you might have bought without any physical effort other than typing in your credit card number become 70% cheaper if you sew it yourself. Case in point- my previous car seat cover post. After looking at all those yummy fabrics I got jealous and dreamt of having one myself. The price was a little steep for me to sink a chunk of my very limited capital into, so I sifted through the simplicity stacks and found pattern 4636. Whatja think? Lily was so excited to sit in it she barely let me put on the final touches. I've been thinking about making one for Molly but I'll have to cut my own pattern for an infant version with hood. Now that I finally got my cigarette lighter fixed, the new seat will go nice with my Read more:Pretty
It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away. 2008-04-22 16:23:13 To celebrate earth day I met Brian on his lunchbreak and had a picnic out on the riverfront (well, okay Earth Day might have been coincidental) BUT we did throw away our garbage after we were done. I noted that leaving our trash *might* give the hoards of elementary school children with their white plastic bags something to do but Brian was too lily-livered. As far as earth days go I think this one was near the top. The weather was great! Sunny, not too hot, not too cold....maybe a tad breezy but still pretty close to perfect. And the trees were GORGEOUSO!! The brightest blossoms I think I've *ever* seen. Brian enjoyed his surprise 'fantasy baseball' tee and I took a lot of photos with our mouths full of Panera....but kept those out of the blog. No one needs to see that.
Fetching florals, feathers and field sparrows for your spring coif. 2008-04-22 10:47:27 After reading an Oh happy day! post. I felt inspired to peruse etsy in search of some lovely hairpieces appropriate for adorning your coif in that spring sunlight. Here are some of my fetching finds. Just click on the picture to be taken directly to the selling url. Enjoy:)
A place to hang your heart. 2008-04-24 09:27:42 These are just the most charming hangers. Picture a child's white linen dress hanging from their shoulders. You can buy them here.
Recommend Site To A Friend
