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a storybook themed baby shower, part 1

a storybook themed baby shower, part 1

A while back we had the privilege of welcoming a new nephew into the family, and we celebrated with a storybook themed baby shower! His mama loves reading, so we thought a party filled with children’s books would be a perfect way to welcome the little man to the world.
 Babies and books – love them both! Since this was a storybook themed baby shower was for a baby boy, I used lots of neutrals (“vintagey” colors), whites and blues, and scattered stars and vintage books about liberally – and I think it all came together beautifully.DSC_0002We split up the hostessing duties a bit – I got to hostess at our home and provide the decor and drinks, my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law took care of the food.
A shower for a baby boy - with a storybook theme! Most of the decor were things that I either already had, we had in the shop and tweaked a little, free printable from Pinterest or that I made just for the occasion {children’s book page pinwheels and pennant “BABY” banner! And an adorable table runner from vintage children’s book pages, too – so cute.}A shower for a baby boy - with a storybook theme!We went with a simple color scheme – white, light {and a little dark} blue, kraft brown and vintage papers. The colors were a perfect backdrop for the children’s books, and played well together. :) I used a mix of vintage and new(er) linens, a variety of mixed metals and some wild grasses instead of of flowers. Stacks of vintage books (of course!) in brown and blues came into play, too.
A shower for a baby boy - with a storybook theme! I was delighted with how my table runner turned out! My mom has a knack for finding gorgeous old children’s books, some of which are sadly too worn to be enjoyed by our children. I used the pages with colored illustrations, arranged the pages a few times until I was happy with how the colors looked together, and secured them in placed with some double-sided tape. Super cute! (it was inspired by this table runner)A shower for a baby boy - with a storybook theme! | the Path Les TraveledFramed quotes from children's books were a perfect touch at this storybook themed baby shower. | the Path Less TraveledOne of the details I loved adding to this party were the framed storybook quotes and artwork. I found several through Pinterest, and a few through a basic web search – all were free, and when placed in frames I already had, made a fun addition to the shower. And the new mama enjoyed keeping a few for the little guy, too!Framed book quotes for a shower for a baby boy - with a storybook theme! | the Path Less Traveled

 

Stay tuned for more party photos, including more decor, the super darling and delicious food (all storybook themed!) and the guest of honor!

shop items featured:

the office, version 1.0

the office, version 1.0

If you’ve been following along with us on Facebook for a while, you might have heard that we have a new office space! Before I show it to you though, I thought you might like to see where we moved from {before we moved to what was our first “new” office :)}. I promise it won’t take too long!DSC_0024 When we first moved into this house back in 2011 {hard to believe it has been that long already!} our shop was just starting to really picked up momentum and make its value felt, and John kindly set up our “guest” room as a work room for me to putter around in and fill orders. Little did we that the shop would quickly grown beyond what this small room could handle!DSC_0026 Having a space to work in that wasn’t our kitchen table or our bedroom made “the Path Less Traveled” seem much more of a reality, that the thing I was doing during the kiddos’ nap time and in the evenings was an actual business, and not just me playing with the sewing machine. And it was also great{!} to have a place where I could leave a project out past mealtime or bedtime, and close the door when I wanted to keep little hands from helping.DSC_0027

Having the pretty prints from Katie Daisy and Lindsay Letters {and some vintage ones as well} and photos of our babies and John was a way that I kept my spirit refreshed when things got a bit hectic. Also, this room is one of the bedrooms in the house that gets the best light – I found that the combination of pretty things and lots of natural light was essential for me to deal with stress! {have you found the same to be true for you?}

little helper in the office | the Path Less TraveleldAnd the office usually looked a bit more like this: well used, full of projects, orders to filled and little “helpers” {and this photo of Olivia shows just how long ago it was since our office was in this room!}.

Coming soon – photos of where we moved this office too! {it was the kids’ room I showed you here}

 

humble, joy-filled, God-dependent mothering

humble, joy-filled, God-dependent mothering

One of my friends texted me the other day asking how I was doing with emotionally, if I was feeling the “Baby Blues”. I hadn’t taken time recently to think about it – too much has been going on!
Once I took the time to think, though, I realized that I am doing okay – if I’m not tired. When I’m tired my emotions rise to just below the surface and almost anything can cause tears or “shortness”. Especially when both babies are being needy at the same time.

I found this blog post this afternoon about mothering that really spoke to my heart and I wanted to share a part of it.

“Motherhood … laughs in the face of our competence and confidence we try so hard to feel and have in a society that tells us we can do anything we want and do it good.

Motherhood can make a wimp out of us. Out of me.

…Don’t make motherhood an idol. Or motherhood your identity. If you do, you have failed at the calling you think you have and the fruit you thought you would reap, will devastate you.

But the truth is, … when you get into it all, you find it just doesn’t mix with a self-seeking heart. … It’s easy to lose our hearts to the glitter of a self-important career and forget that there are hearts under our charge that need our unconditional love and acceptance and training — AND IT’S WORTH IT.

I want to RISE TO THE CHALLENGE to the hardest career I could have ever chosen. Yep, I will probably have to tell myself this each and everyday. Not because I don’t LOVE every single one of my children, and not because I don’t love motherhood, but because it’s hard. And though I typically love a good challenge, this motherhood stuff goes beyond that. I can’t do it without God.

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?


To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up


I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone
-“Lead Me” by Sanctus Real “

 It’s so true. Having Emma was an entirely new experience in relying on God, but it didn’t wear me out. Having Ian and Emma? It’s driving me to my knees.
I want to give them and John “the best of my life” but I can’t do it. Not by myself.

yesterday evening

yesterday evening

“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

-Laura Ingalls Wilder


Yesterday evening was a quiet time, just the four of us enjoying playing and being together. John sent me outside to take a walk after Emma was down. He stayed with Ian, and I took a stack of letters to the mail box.
It was a bit sticky outside (it seems to hardly ever be dry during July/August), but cool enough to be pleasant. And so pretty.
I’m so glad John told me to go out.
There is something about being out of doors that is refreshing for me. And John knows this.

As I walked I decided that when I get old I want to be the old lady on the street who has the garden that is overflowing with a profusion of old-fashioned flowers.
I want to spend my time tending it, being with my family, building into their lives and the lives of the younger women around me. 
I want to wear the slightly funky but ever so lady-like clothes.
I want to have pretty dishes to use everyday, especially when others stop in for coffee and something sweet.
In my old age I want to celebrate and enjoy the simple and sweet things that make up the days.
And if it is going to happen I need to cultivate that contentment and joy now.


a summer sunday morning

a summer sunday morning

The tree outside our window.

This blog post by Ann Voskamp spoke to me, especially these lines:
“The most enchanting days never cost a thing, only that you pay attention.
I slow down and open the eyes wide and dig deep into the pocket of me.

I’m thinking now is worth all I have.”

Ian is wearing a romper/faux suit that Mimi gave him at the shower and Emma is wearing a romper that Grammie bought while she was here. They looked so cute!

Emma wanted her picture taken, but wasn’t quite so sure about smiling.

just hangin’ out

just hangin’ out

Today is Baby #2’s due date. And we’re just hangin’ out, waiting.

Yesterday, to keep myself occupied (and my mind off of the fact that I wasn’t in labor), I pulled out some of the fabric that I bought back in March, and finally turned the green and pink pieces into a summery dress/tunic top for Emma. She is wearing it today and loving it!

Today, as long as the sewing machine is out, I might finish up a few more of the sewing projects I’ve been meaning to get to. Emma might get some new clothes out of it, and it will help the time to pass! :)

quote to ponder

quote to ponder

I finished reading A Life That Says Welcome yesterday, just in time to return it to the library. :) It has been a good book, encouraging and thought provoking.

As she wrapped up the book Karen Ehman said,
“I need to keep a quiet heart. To trust that if God has allowed an interruption in my day, it serves a purpose. To believe that the time to finish what work I thought needed to be done will be given. To accept that He is diverting me from my “plan A” to His greater plan.” -chp. 10

That can be so true of me, too. I may not have the “drop-in” visitors to show hospitality to that she was talking about, but I do have a little one and a husband who need me to show them love by serving them. Even when I just want some time to myself.

"nesting"

"nesting"

I suppose I am officially in the “nesting” stage of pregnancy. Projects that I have been meaning to get done for, well, for a long time are getting crossed of the list. It’s so nice to see some of these things get done! On Friday evening I finally finished the bed skirt for our bed. (You can see how over on the market blog)

We had a bed skirt that came with our duvet cover, but it was the kind that has a flat sheet-like panel that is supposed to be laid in between your boxspring and your mattress.
The bed frame that John made for us has side rails and a solid piece under the mattress (no boxspring), and I really didn’t want to hide the beautiful side rails by hanging the bed skirt over them. So I just folded it up and put it away for later. Maybe we’d have a guest bed that could use it?
John also made the bed nice and high so that we could store our suitcases and so on under it. Which has been just great (they’re not in our closets!) but also a bit of an eyesore (at least to me. maybe no one else noticed?).
I pulled out the bed skirt and started to try to figure out how to make it work. I figured out something that would use Velcro on the inside of the rails, but then got sidetracked and put it away again.

So, on Friday I finally finished the project that I had started about two years ago as I was setting up our home after the wedding. Ta da! So much tidier looking!

hospitality and books from the library

hospitality and books from the library

I borrowed these two books from our local library, and have been enjoying them. The first one is very elegant with lots of gorgeous photos and creative ideas of how to entertain in an impressive way. It has ideas for the types of dinner parties that you send engraved invitations for. Beautiful.
The second book is all about Christian hospitality, how it starts in the heart and is translated through your home and attitudes. The author reiterates over and over that hospitality is about ministering to others rather than impressing them. What a contrast!
It has been good to look at the two books side by side, comparing the two concepts of entertaining.
I whole heartedly agree with Karen Ehman in her ideas of entertaining, but it is nice to remember also that hospitality involves showing honor to others by preparing a beautiful setting a meal just for them.