MONOGRAM ART DIY

This little piece of art is so easy to make. It takes no skill set, whatsoever! I wanted to make something mostly black and white, with a tiny pop of color for Elliott's room. I love the way it looks next to the horse! And of course, since it's an "E" Elliott couldn't be more thrilled about it. To make your own, check out the full tutorial over here on Momtastic

WE LOVE: LES MADELEINES

This little french bakery has everything going for it. It's quaint, well located and delicious. I think most people go for the desserts - and I don't blame them. They are amazing! But we also love their lunch menu. My favorite is the sesame chicken salad wrap with edamame. It is so, so good. And you really can't go wrong with anything made on their fresh baked bread. The whole menu is incredible! That pastry right there is a coconut eclair. Yeah. I know. And can I just say, I love neon signs. I want one pretty badly. It is kind of a shame though that all of those wires have to show. But I still love them. If you are in the area, stop by Les Madeleines. And take us with you! You won't be sorry.

BIKE BELL MAKEOVER DIY

Elliott has been asking for a bell for his scooter for forever. And frankly, I was sick of hearing about it. Ha! I found this really ugly "I love my bike" bell with the plan of painting over the ugly. Turns out, the ugly part was a sticker! So after removing it and cleaning it, I decided to spruce up the plain white with some dots. I love how it turned out! More importantly Elliott loves it. Even though the dots didn't go anywhere after I rubbed them, I still added a little bit of sealant just to be sure. I think it would be the perfect bell to paint like a donut too. Wouldn't that be cute? You can find a similar bell here. But trust me, the one I bought was even uglier. 

AROUND HERE

This weekend, we made the best of the last day of Summer. We went to the park, we skipped rocks in a creek, and we had a movie night (E.T. Elliott watching Elliott. How cute is that?) as if school hadn't started and bed time didn't matter. That last one is more of a reflection of bad parenting. But you get the idea. Even though the park was fun and the creek was magical, my favorite part of this weekend was something simple. We have been working with Elliott to learn how to spell his name for the last while, but without success. Then last night, out of nowhere, he did it! He spelled his name with out any help whatsoever! He says they have been practicing at school too, which would explain his lack of interest when I try and teach him when he gets home. No matter where he learned it, I am thrilled! People misspell his name all the time. When I named him, I thought I was giving him a "classic" name. One that wouldn't be misspelled or mispronounced his whole life (like my name!) but one that wasn't super common either. But ever since he was born, people misspell it. Sorry, kid. I thought I was doing you a favor. But now that he knows how to spell his name, he can correct it when it is misspelled! It's' all about the small triumphs, people. So for anyone who is interested, here is proof:
Hope your week is off to a great start!

FRINGY PENCILS DIY

I guess I have been on a pencil revamp kick lately. I made these just for my daily use and I have been loving them. They would be awesome to have at a party that might be in need of some pretty pencils (hello, game night!) Make them in any colors to match your party decor, or make a rainbow of them and keep them for yourself! Either way they are super easy to make and a lot of fun to use. You can see the full tutorial over here on Momtastic.