Blurb.com

Today is day one of being off on maternity leave and I am trying to check off a few 'to do' items before this baby of mine makes an appearance or I can't move around much longer.  Number one on my list - organize our pictures from our California trip back in November.  I decided to try out Blurb.com an online photo book software as I read it is more cost efficient and since we had so many photos I knew we'd be adding a few pages to a standard book.  I have used Shutterfly, the regular apple photobook software and MyPublisher and I found Blurb really easy and a good bit cheaper as well.  There are great text options to use with Blurb which we didn't use this time around but my creative juices are flowing with future uses for this great feature.  Looking forward to receiving our book in the mail soon.

So day one - success, one thing off the list!  Check out our finished photobook below, it may take a few minutes to load.

CAL-I-FORN-I-A by November 2011 - Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Cambria,
Pacific Coastal Hwy, Monterey, San Francisco | Make Your Own Book

Stumped

Quite a while ago I was out shopping and came across this cute ceramic owl. I fell in love with it and had to have it, thinking to myself this would be so cute one day in our nursery. It sat on my vanity for a good long time before making its move into our almost completed nursery. So when my husband and I found out we were expecting and my brain started to envision the space it seemed natural to go with a more rustic, outdoorsy feel – organic and fresh so to say. (See my inspiration post to get a feel for the whole room.) When we were at the cottage over the summer I noticed a stack of tree stumps my father-in-law had started when he had to cut down a birch tree. I immediately thought to myself one of those stumps would make a really neat side table in the babies room and rather then spend the money on a store bought stump I figured I must be able to come up with something myself... and so my project began!

Tree Stump Table – how to:

Pick a stump, any stump – Whether you have access to trees which have been cut down or can solicit someone to help you locate a suitable stump you’ll obviously want your stump to be fairly flat so it sits properly.

Sand off initial dirt and other gunk found outdoors.

Place in direct sunlight to dry out.

Once all moisture appears to be gone bring inside to dry out as well.

Depending on the type of wood you use you may either choose to remove the bark completely or sand the first few layers down. Since we choice a birch tree I wanted to sand the initial layers off so not to lose the “birchy” finish.
 
We choice to white wash the whole log so as to give it a more whitey/grey look rather than golden brown look. We simply watered down white paint and layered until we achieved the look we wanted.

We were going to cover the stump with an epoxy which you pour over a surface and it provides a thick shiny layer but in the end we decided to go a more natural route and simply seal the service with a high gloss stain. The result is a glossy and finished but still very natural look.

Some may choose to have their table sit flush on the floor but we wanted a little height and therefore added small legs which can be found at Ikea. These are great if your stump or floor are a little crooked as you can adjust the height on various legs to allow the table to sit straight.

All in all a simple project with a terrific outcome. Happy DIYing!

Sometimes you need a little inspiration

So we're making way in the nursery these days, but there is still so much to do. We have the bones of the room in place - crib, dresser etc. so I thought before I include before and after pictures I'd let you in on a few items which have inspired me thus far. I very much hope to complete this project soon but I probably have a few more weeks of chipping away at it here and there; it's too bad this whole pregnancy thing makes you exhausted!

I'd love to hear your feedback and be sure check back for DIY instructions as well as where I found stuff which will be coming soon.  But for now, a little inspiration...

This ain't your old lady brooch fetish

I've been busy over Christmas working on a new project involving many, many brooches.  Brooch bouquets are a unique alternative to the traditional bridal bouquet and they are becoming increasingly popular especially in your downtown/urban settings as many brides are looking for ways to be unconventional, hip and trendy - the whole old/new is all the rage here. 

I got the request for a custom order of a brooch bouquet back in November which didn't leave me much time especially for a project I have never tackled before.  It did require a lot of searching for good brooches and many hours of wiring and arranging - for sure a time consuming project - but in the end I am quite pleased with the result and am excited to see photos of what it looks like with the bridal gown.

For anyone thinking this would make a great DIY project let me give you a few pointers which I wish I could have found in all my internet research.

1. This is not an easy throw it together project - if you lack patience or are on a time crunch stay away!
2. All of the websites I looked at said to individually wrap each brooch in floral tape - this was a sticky mess which I aborted early on.  I couldn't get the clusters to stay together the way I wanted to and the end result was very heavy.  My suggestion - cut a small Styrofoam ball in half and attach a handle to the base.  Cluster through the ball allowing the circle to form your structure.  You can build on the original structure this way for a layered effect if you like however I really love the tightly woven look so I went with this option.
3. If you are going the purchase route remember brooches are expensive and since this is such a time consuming project the cost of making something like this is quite high.  Purchase in advance to allow adequate time for the creation for the bouquet and have a swatch of your dress ready to give out as well, this is very helpful in terms of brooch selection.

I always find the end result rewarding when it comes to custom orders but I am especially excited this time around as this will most likely be my last order before baby Potter arrives - I'll have to figure out how to manage the whole beading, small bits, wires and other not so baby friendly objects once I get used to being a mum.  In the meantime I am pumped to get back to nesting in our nursery - before and after pictures coming soon!

Christmas Salutation

Merry Christmas from the Potter clan!

As we reflect upon another year, we are as always amazed at how quickly time flies but very grateful for the wonderful year it has been.  As you probably know, we are also especially excited for the advent of a new year this time around as come March we will also be welcoming our first little Potter to the family!

We recently returned from a wonderful trip to the California coast which was a real treat for us as we drove up the coast from L.A. to San Francisco where Brett attended a conference and presented a paper.   Our trip began in Los Angeles with a tour of the Warner Brothers Studio, and a great visit with our hospitable expatriate friends the Anizor family.  We then headed north and spent a fantastic few days in the small beachside town of Cambria, exploring Hearst Castle, checking out the beautiful and massive elephant seals and combing the stretch of beach along the Pacific Coast highway.  Finally we wrapped up our trip and spent four days in San Francisco exploring this unique (and very hilly, especially for a pregnant woman!) city from top to bottom.

As of December 8^th Brett completed his course work of his PhD program at the University of Toronto and in January will be moving into his comprehensive exams which is about 8 months of studying and test taking.  We are quite excited about this transition as it means Brett’s schedule will be very flexible and he will have the unique opportunity of being home with Andrea and the baby over the course of the year.  This also means he is very close to entering his thesis stage which he is very excited about!

This year Andrea has been busy in the world of external relations at Tyndale planning many events and is now preparing for her maternity leave in February.  Her little family at Tyndale has been a wonderful support through the many days of morning sickness and doctor visits.  Baby Potter has become the center of Andrea’s attention for the past seven months but she has still be busy with her many custom orders of jewelry and other accessories, and she is excited about where the world of motherhood may take her over the next year.

And of course we can’t forget our Boston Terrier pups Lily and Sprout who are as energetic and hilarious as always. We are eager to see how they transition when the baby arrives and are looking forward to many more beach walks with a stroller in tow.

This Christmas we are so grateful for the little life growing inside Andrea and look forward to the new adventures which are to come in 2012!

Peace to you this Christmas season and all the best in the year to come!

Love,

Brett, Andrea & Baby Potter

(Lily & Sprout)