{Everyday Inspiration} Cardboard Man...

Yep, it's true- I am married to a man who loves Halloween. While I'm scrambling around putting last minute touches on Sayer's costume & really haven't dealt much with my own, Chris has been finished with his costume for days. He has even worn it all day at hutch studio (where he makes all sorts of cool cardboard & recycled treasures)! He's a master with cardboard and his whole outfit is made from recycled polyfil boxes. Each year I think he outdoes his last Halloween costume. This guys just gets better with age I tell ya. He actually just started his own blog this week that you may want to check out ... he's always making something noteworthy.

About an hour after I originally posted this, Chris came home and told me that he had made a mustache & belt. So, I had to add more photos. Something tells me that he may just start wearing cardboard outfits now- which is great because I go through lots of boxes of polyfil.   Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend (& Halloween prep if you celebrate)! Will be back soon with more Halloween goodness....

{Fabric Friday} what's in the box?

There was a lovely package at my door yesterday from purlsoho. It's one of my favorite fabric stores and it's always a good day when I get to open a box with their logo on the top. I have been ordering lots of little batches of fabric lately from all sorts of places and thought I would share two of the new stashes that I received this week (more to come next week).

I liked how this stack looked together. It seems like a winter bundle. I'm stocking up on my Michael Miller organic fleece & sherpa (for my plush slug antennae). There is also some Alexander Henry for Home- Carolina black & Bebe along with some Cloud9 beyond the Sea Urchin. I have specific klt:plans for all of these. 

These two fabrics just called out to me. I have some ideas of how to use them- but nothing specific. The orange one is from Anthropology Fabrics and the fabric with text is from the Kumiko Fujita Collection- Yuwa fabrics. 

My plan is to start cutting into this big stack this weekend. Happy Fabric Friday! What are your plans this weekend? 

{Store Feature} Fawn & Forest...

fawn&forest 

wish list: ferm living molecule building set, brave space tetrad flat book shelf, I love dirt by Jennifer Ward, early rider's lite series  

Did I get your attention? - Pretty wonderful stuff, huh? One of my favorite online stores is fawn&forest for a long list of reasons. I have been wanting to write this feature for quite a while now & I'm excited to share the wonderfulness with you today. 

I remember the day I got my first email from Summer about having my work in her store. Her enthusiasm and humor was infectious. I was in the last few months of being pregnant with Sayer and in sort of an overwhelmed space to say the least. I wasn't sure of how much I could commit to as far as klt:production, given I hadn't had a baby before. But what I did know, is that I wanted to work with this cool woman! The store was scheduled to open in about 6 months from when she contacted me so I felt safe to tell her that she could count on me. In that 6 + months, she was the mosts supportive and nurturing email friend (still is). For those of you that are moms, you might remember that those first few months of having a baby are very surreal. Summer had one little boy at the time and offered up advice and support in those times when I wasn't sure up from down. So for that fact alone, fawn&forest has a soft spot in my heart. But when I saw the store launch for the first time- I was hooked! The combination of modern & handmade designs is stunning! I continue to marvel all that f&f has to offer. To this day, f&f has the biggest selection of klt:works products anywhere and I truly adore working with them. Some of Sayer's biggest purchases have come from them as well - thanks to clever little trade & discount deals. It seriously is my "go to" store for special items.

tested & loved f&f items:

Oeuf Classic Crib Conversion Kit-  We just adore this crib as a toddler bed- great conversion!

DwellStudio fitted sheet-  Of course, all things DwellStudio are fun. 

Offi Capsule Chair & Tiki Stool - They don't carry these same items anymore- but all Offi furniture is awesome. (capsule chair in blue in the right corner of the room- green tiki stool near the books on the left)

Little Heros Green Soaring Star Cape-  This is such a sweet cape. I got it for Sayer last year for his 2yr birthday. (in the room photo on the far right - hanging on the rack- next to the offi chair)

Mutsy Highchair- All Mutsy is wonderful. They don't have this particular high chair anymore, but we are still using it! It adjusts to a regular chair. -Smart purchase...

Fatboy Junior Beanbag Chair-  This was handy when Sayer was a baby too- one of those purchases that last for a long time. 

But the love doesn't stop there. Summer & Danny have 3 sweet fawns in their Portland forest that they call home, Eliot, Owen, & Isac (who just arrived this Summer) . They are fellow NW dwellers which only makes me connect with them more. Summer sent me these photos of her little fawns enjoying some klt:goodies and I can't help but smile. The top pictures shows both Eliot & Owen in a vintage klt:owl tee that seems to have gotten lots of love. The bottom photos are of Owen with his tiny owl tank & his slug lovey. If I remember correctly, Eliot came up with a very cool name for the slug that just might work as a book character someday.

I feel so lucky to work with this lovely couple and to watch both f&f and their family grow. Ok, so why post this today of all days? Well, Summer and I are both Project Runway fans- we sort of cyberly watch it together. Tonight is the finale- so I felt like it was just the right time. I can't think of a better way to watch Project Runway- but to shop at fawn&forest while you are watching....

{Good Read} where children sleep....

When I first read about the book, Where Children Sleep,  I immediately pre-ordered myself a copy. It arrived last week and it's as beautiful as it is real. James Mollison photographed children's bedrooms around the world, from sixteen countries including the US, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, Japan, China and Nepal. His interest in this idea came from his acknowledgment of the importance of his own room growing up and he wanted to document how circumstances & different social situations would affect where a child sleeps. There is both a picture of the child and the child's sleeping space/room, plus a little description of the child, which I think is genius. I find the juxtaposition of both, extremely intriguing and effective. This book is written with the age groups 9-13 years old in mind. 

"I hope this book will help children think about inequality, within and between societies around the world." says Mollison in his introduction.

These are only a few of the rooms- I just wanted to give you a peek. The idea of where children sleep appeals to two sides of me. Being that I make decor for children's rooms, there is a curiosity about how and where different children live- what children find comforting. But before I started klt:works I worked for years in social services. I taught in a juvenile detention, worked with at risk youth, and found jobs for people with significant disabilities. I have had the opportunity to see the diversity in how youth live in just the small town that I call home. This book embodies so much that I am interested in. I also look forward to sharing it with Sayer when he is older. A definite "Good Read".

{cool things } for kiddo ...

There is a gem of a little shop that I want to share with you - that chances are, you have already  heard of. It is called The Pajama Squid and I have been virtually cruising through it again lately. Tiffany is the owner of this cleverly curated shop and I have had the joy of getting to know her over the last year. She throws herself into everything she sets out to do and you can see that in The Pajama Squid. Her products are selected with love and respect - I know this first hand because she carries a few klt:works owl plushies. Tiffany eloquently posted on her blog yesterday that she is moving on to a new and exciting adventure. What does that mean? Well, currently many things are on sale right now & will continue to go on sale until her little shop is empty. The Pajama Squid is filled with cool items along with a great selection of books, I might add. You should definitely go check it out! Here are 6 of my favorite things in her shop.

Floating Ducks - Sayer has this "mommy & baby duck" & it's a favorite bathtub toy.

Geemo - I have my eye on this... 

Ollie Owl Plush  - Ok, so I had to include the owls that I make.... *smile*

This is New York - I love these books! We have this one, Paris, London, & San Francisco. -Great illustrations...

Fireman Wooden Bowling Set - I have been eying this set ever since I was pregnant. -Wonderful!

Black Bruno Racing Car - And these are pretty fantastic too. I hope to get one for Sayer for his third birthday coming up.

It wasn't easy for me to narrow it down to six, let me tell ya. While it's sad to hear that The Pajama Squid will be closing, I can't wait to see what Tiffany has up her sleeve. I'm sure it will be spectacular (& delicious)! This gal is one to watch. In the meantime, I will enjoy her shop for as long as I can, along with her beautiful new blog.

{Music Monday} dark & creepy ...

Are you having a hard time getting into the Halloween Spirit? Well, just listen to a little Dead Man's Bones, and that should help. I saw this video last year and was really intrigued with it. Click here to check out a short documentary about the Dead Man's Bones tour last Fall. The band's philosophy and the way they incorporated various children's choirs on tour is really cool. Happy {Halloweenish} Music Monday!
{image via here}

{Inspiration} costumes...

The clock is ticking- there is only one more week to get costumes figured out & made.  I feel a little pressure to makes something wonderfully creative for Sayer, yet I haven't started anything. Over the years, Chris has made some really elaborate costumes for himself. I guess you could say that Halloween is one of his favorite holidays. While I completely love dreaming & making up costumes, ever since I started klt:works, I've been too busy sewing things for orders.  But now that Sayer is in the mix... it is just that much more interesting & important to figure it all out. 

Sayer's went as "Plankton" from Sponge Bob for his first Halloween. Chris dreamed it up, and I made it. It was pretty simple and comfortable for him to wear and he seemed to like it. The first time he saw himself in the mirror with the hat, he was really scared though...

Last year Chris made these really cool robot costumes for the two of them to wear. We hadn't really anticipated (because S is our only child & we are new to this parent thing) that he may not want to wear a box. The full costume was finally worn once we went to grandma & grandpa's house, but it was sort of a dramatic evening. Sayer is in a little parade with his grandma during the day and traditionally has worn a hodge pod of past halloween costumes that my mom had made us as a kid. This year he is all set to be a fireman for that little parade. He LOVES his fireman hat, coat, and boots - he wears them even when it isn't Halloween. So we are guaranteed that he will wear it and be comfortable and warm. However, he did suggest a few interesting ideas for costumes that I am debating whether I should try to make.  There is such a strong tradition of making costumes between Chris & I, that I feel the need to whip something up. I do work well under pressure... so I guess time will tell what gets created and what doesn't. I even got out all of my vintage patterns that were used when I was a kid, just to inspire me. What are you going to be for Halloween? Do you have a favorite costume from when you were a kiddo?

*If you find you are in need of some costume inspiration too, pop on over to Modern Kiddo for an awesome Halloween parade here.