the boys' room.

aka {the fraternity}.

aka {where the wild things are}.

i gave you a tour of the nursery, so here's a little look into the boys room.  i'm proud of the boys' room and its been a long work-in-progress.  i've been adding to the room for over a year and i still don't feel like its quiet to the finish line.  but sometimes tweaking over time is the best method for me...i have to try things out and then decide how to change them up.

of course there is a pennant on the door...obsessed, i tell you.

now, this room was inspired by a layout in the Land of Nod catalog.  in fact, we had some paint color matched to a Mythic paint sample we ordered from Land of Nod.  then i found sheets, comforters, throw blankets {at Target, of course!} to mimic some of the colors and layering from the catalog.

my super crafty mom made the chevron valances for us.  just like in eden's room.

my dad even got in on the project.  

parents rock.

this dresser is from the nursery at our old house and i finally changed out the knobs.  of course, now i wish i did different knobs, but these will do.  pretty sure the boys do.not.care.  inside the drawers are always a disaster.  truth.

the shelves hold some special things that don't have another home right now.  this whole wall is so-so...it looks ok, but i'd like to add more interest...

the locker bins hold lots of junk!  usually if the boys have something that we don't want little sister to get or if they get a trinket somewhere, i tell them they can keep it in their bin.  then, periodically we have to go through the bin and decide what to keep and what to throw out.

i recently made this art out of paint chips.  i originally wanted photos in these frames, but i didn't have the right size on hand.  i decided something that i don't need to update or switch out would be good in these frames.  so...i cut up paint chips and pasted them onto cardstock and framed them.  easy. 

this is my favorite corner of the room.  we don't use the chair a lot and it takes up a lot of space, but there isn't another place in our house for it right now.  at bedtime if the boys ask us to sit in their room for a few minutes, or if we are telling a story, we will use the chair.  maybe it won't be in there forever.  the bookshelf was made by my grandpa and my dad and then assembled and stained by my dad.  its great!

more pennant, a world map, and their names.

my sneaky helper.

we really lucked out on these Room & Board bunks we found on craigslist!  the storage drawers underneath are a life saver and the quality is awesome.  the boys love them.  of course, bunk beds are not easy to make - the sheets and blankets are a pain.  {here's a realistic approach to making bunks} but we are easy going about that - making beds isn't a priority around here...yet.  also, i don't think bunk beds are a "forever" solution.  when the boys are big they are probably not going to want to be bunked.

the final little corner of the room.  their chalkboards/corkboards.

props to my husband who has to do lots of the dirty work when it comes to re-doing any room.  we did the majority of this makeover in a 48 hour period when i was 5 months pregnant.  enough said.  he did a lot.  the walls and ceiling of this old room were pretty damaged and by the time he was done with joint compound and a sander, they looked brand new.

i'm sure i'll be making small changes in this room...i'll keep you posted.

{un}crafty - easy kids art.

its not always easy to get the kids painting.  trust me {i know}.  as a stay at home mom, making the mess of painting with little kids can sometimes be the last thing you want to do.  but its ok to let go of that fear and help your kids create something they are proud of and had fun making.  it doesn't have to be a {huge} mess!

supplies you need:

garbage bags

acrylic paints {kids crayola paints work great}

paint brushes {or foam brushes, or old sponges}

paper plates

canvases {cardboard, paper - anything to else to frame}

i cut open a garbage bag so it lays flat to cover our table and pour paints onto a paper plate for each child.

then i let the kids use paint brushes and old sponges to make a masterpiece.  we used small canvases i had on hand, but any piece of cardstock or paper would work in a frame.

kids love to be creative and with the paper plates and garbage bag, my only clean up is washing out and paintbrushes or sponges i want to keep.  easy.

 this particular project was painting canvases to hang in baby sister's room.  she was about to arrive and the boys wanted to make something special for her brand new nursery.  its probably the most special part of her room!

let your kids create something for a new sibling, grandparents, or neighbors who are sure to love the special gift!

happy {un}crafting!

{un}crafty - fabric flower pom poms.

every craft you see her is do-able by everybody.  no skill or special tool needed {just patience and a little me-time}.  this is the tutorial i followed to make the pom poms in my sweet little daughter's room.

i call it a nursery, but i hope she loves the room for a long time!  after my best friend, mollie, and i completed these poms poms {long hours and late nights pre-baby!}, i joked that eden has to have these somewhere at her wedding.  kidding-not-kidding.

supplies you need:

paper lanterns, styrofoam balls, or anything else that you want to use for your pom pom {consider size and shape when you choose your object}

fabric {iron our your fabric - doesn't have to be perfect}

scissors

circle pattern {trace a circle on a cereal box or piece of cardstock}

pencil

hot glue gun 

iron

use your circle pattern, trace with a pencil, cut out with a scissors...just keep going.

then glue those circle to the lantern over and over again until you get the finished product!

mine were originally paper lanterns with a wire in the top, so i tied ribbons on and hung them from hooks in the ceiling.

happy {un}crafting!

*photo credits: mollybaileyphotography.com

eden's baby girl nursery.

its one year later, but i'm sharing the nursery we decorated for eden.  happily, one year later, i still like it and i think eden does, too.  part of my vision for the nursery was something that would still look good when she is no longer a baby.  i also wanted something not-too-girly, but i'm not sure that was accomplished.  its pretty girly, glitzy, and a little glam.

i guess i really love pennant/banners because i have them everywhere in her room!  i got a big block of scrapbooking paper from Michael's and made a template for a pennant shape i liked out of cardboard.  then i traced the shape onto all different patterns of paper.  i cut them out with a pinking scissors, punched little holes and just used yarn from wal-mart to string them together.  adding some little ribbons on the end is a cute little detail.

above eden's ikea crib {which we have really loved}, i hung her glitter letters from rose mille from another banner with more pennants.  we hung some knobs from anthropologie to tie the yarn onto.  then i did a big bunch of ribbons from each.  pretty.  

i took a thrift store frame and spray painted it and added chicken wire.  we can hang cards or hair clips.  i made the canvases by covering some old art with fabric and cutting out paper, then glueing it to the fabric in the shape of a peacock and the eiffel tower.  classy, right?  easy.  the biggest project {one of them} were the pom poms.  they took forever.  and ever.  

lucky for me, i have awesome friends who helped me complete these.  my sister found the tutorial and i knew i wanted to make them for eden's room, but i didn't think through how {totally} huge they were going to be!  i found paper lanterns for cheap that were bigger than i wanted, but i thought that would be ok.  then i bought some cotton broadcloth from a textiles outlet, cut {about a million} circles out of it, hot glued them to the lanterns - voila!  giant poms.  i like them and they look good in her room, but i would opt for small styrofoam balls next time.

one of my favorite parts of her room are her little ikea shelves that hang behind her door.  they are full of special things: art by her brothers, photos, special keepsakes - even a card of "wishes for baby" that i framed from her baby shower {baby shower post with photos coming sometime soon!}.

eden's room is fun and special.  the boys have a fun and special room, too {which has been a loooong work-in-progress} and i will share that soon.  its fun to make the nursery a place that both you and your child will love {mamas spend a lot of time in there!}.

to see more about how we created this nursery, visit our family blog.

for a more details list of sources for items in this room, email me :

jilleiselt@gmail.com

*photo credits: mollybaileyphotography.com

how i cured my baby's cradle cap.

news flash: i'm not a doctor.  so, this post is my opinion and my own experience, nothing more.  but maybe if it worked for us, it could work for you, too.

my two youngest have had cradle cap.  it showed up at just a few weeks old for both of them and was most noticeable right after a bath or the day after a bath when their skin was very flaky. with the benny, i used baby oil and tried to kick it that way.  it improved, but seemed to persist.  i'm sure its different for each child.

with my baby, i used California Baby "tea tree & lavender" Shampoo and Bodywash.  i bought it at Target.  i had heard that tea tree oil was supposed to help with cradle cap, so i thought we could give it a try.

first, i used a little olive oil while she soaked in her puj tub in the kitchen sink.  i held the oil in my hands for a minute to warm it up.  then i rubbed it onto her scalp and let it sit while i scrubbed her up a little and we played with ducky.  then i took our little scrub brush and really went after her scalp, gently giving it a good exfoliation.  you could also just gently scrub with your fingers.  the brush is the one the hospital gave us, its super soft but still good for gentle scrubbing.  then i applied a dime's worth of the California Baby shampoo (smells so good!) and scrubbed again.  the soap got super bubbly and foamy and i let it sit a bit longer before carefully rinsing her head.

after a couple times of this process - her cradle cap was g.o.n.e.  i was super excited because benny's lingered so long.  and that was it {no more problems with cradle cap for this baby}!

the story of this blog.

this blog started with a couple good intentions {to encourage moms: you don't have to be perfect; to be an outlet for me: creative; and to share some easy projects: un-crafty, if you will}.  it hasn't always stayed true to it purpose.  when we went through something hard, it felt like a place to share some of our trials and tears and joy.  this blog is about the everyday for a mom and i've sometimes maybe shared too much about my everyday.  i'm coming back to this blog after a long break and a lot of thought.  its going to be a place of encouragement, moving forward, fun, and joy - the way i try to live each day.  of course bit about life will be sprinkled in, too.

i have projects to share and you don't have to have skill to do them.  i have no skill.  just an urge to be crafty every-now-and-then.

i have three awesome kids so i'm sporadic at posting, crafting, {and showering}.  but, i will do my best to keep things updated.

who knows where life {or this silly blog} may take us...if there is one thing i've learned in the last couple years, its that God has us on a journey {and i'm happy to follow}.

my {super fun and silly} family.

Our girl turned ONE!

We had a little party at my parents house.  Here's a peek at the fun.  And the cutest one year old ever. 

We had fun that day and its been such a great year with our little Eden.  She is so much fun and we're just looking forward to more!

On another note, I've been away from this blog forever, but I'm just feeling like getting back into it...stay tuned.