{charmed earth}

The Lifestyle blog of Katie Storms.: something simple, something sweet, something styled.

31 July 2012

{something new} letting go project 365

I've got a new project coming up. The official start date isn't set just yet, but I've been getting in the mood start something fresh and organized. This is the start: I call it the my Goodbye-Box. Once it's in the box, I have to let it go. Right now, it's in a small corner of my studio waiting for a yard sale or goodwill.

What are you doing this summer to let go and add some organization to your world?

30 July 2012

{something baby} week by week

One Week: So many early mornings and late nights with Mama in the nursery.
Two Weeks: Penelope loves being swaddled in the morning light.
Three Weeks: Such easy, sweet naps. Or milk comas.
Four Weeks: Wearing vintage family pajamas just after a bath with  her Grammy.
Five Weeks: After some mad crying and a bath, she finally rests.
Six Weeks: Penelope is loving laughter and smiles.
Seven Weeks: This was one of our best mornings yet--no tears, no screams, just smiles, songs, and snuggles.
Eight Weeks: I remember she had to get her two month shots this day. She cried so hard. I just held her, sang to her, and told her everything would be ok.
Nine Weeks: We visited Grammy and Nonno to prepare for her Aunt Lissa's wedding. She's wearing one of her favorite striped onesies and an Etsy headband from Aunt Lissa
Ten Weeks: We ended our stay in Kansas City. This bright morning we were calm, waiting for rain.
Eleven Weeks: A real, true smile. Just dancing and singing some Lady Gaga.
Twelve Weeks: After a very long car ride, Penelope made her first trip to the beach. She loves the sand and the ocean.
I can't believe my Penelope Belle is already 12 weeks old! I've been snapping a photo every week, adding text with Phonto. I've also been working on a special photo each month. And I'll share that project in May!

xo.

18 July 2012

{something blueberry and peach} cheesecake from scratch


My friend Mary posted this delightful blueberry peach cheesecake on Facebook. And Johnny really wanted a slice the moment he saw it. So Penelope and I braved the heat yesterday: we picked up ingredients at Trader Joe's, came home, turned on the oven, and baked.

Johnny loved the surprise. He's not sharing it with anyone but me, and it's even more wonderful after it's cooled in the fridge overnight. I think my sister Lissa would love to steal a slice if she lived here:) It's quite sinful.

xo.


17 July 2012

{something routine} we're home

We've been away for what seems like months helping my sister work on her wedding. She's officially married now! I'll post some pics of the big day when we get a preview from the real deal photographer. Right now, Pea and I are just happy to be back at our normal routine of napping, walking, story-timing, and even a little baking.

xo
katie

12 July 2012

{something anthropologie} restyle gift bag

Before.
After.
One of my favorite art mediums, if you can call it a medium, is washi tape. I bought a few rolls a few months ago to use with upcycled notebooks and art journals. And I keep finding more and more ways to use the tape. I am pretty sure it will always be one of my art staples from now on.

For Lissa's shower gift, I realized that I didn't have any boxes to wrap the mugs inside. And I didn't want to go to the store to buy a cheesy wedding gift bag. Then I remembered that I always have a stash of Anthropologie bags that I never throw away. And I only use them for special gifts. But I felt kind of weird giving her a bag with wedding gifts not from Anthropologie.

I quickly realized that a strip of bright polka dot washi tape was the perfect width to cover the branding. It makes the gift have it's own original flair, it's classy, and it's very economical. Make sure you use a washi tape with a deisgn and darker color. I don't think a solid pastel would cover the branding.

Why didn't I think of this sooner? I feel bad about it, but from now on, I think I'm always going to get a bag when I shop there. I was making sure to use my own bags, but this is just too fun. I can have one store I get the bag from, can't I?

11 July 2012

{something mr. and mrs.} DIY shower gift


One of my favorite parts about getting married is the registry. I always say I want to register every year. I just love home "stuff." I, of course, bought my sister Lissa  a few items off of her registry at Crate and Barrel. But I also crafted a few DIY gifts: a handmade apron sewn from a vintage quilt top, golden animal wine corks, personalized magnets, and mr. and mrs. mugs.


The mugs are some of my favorites. I don't know why I didn't think of them before. Any bride and groom should love them. You can find my DIY for the mugs here. I haven't posted the wine cork DIY yet. Hopefully I will one day soon this summer.

xo

10 July 2012

{something wedding} my sister is getting married

This is Lissa with the DIY wine glass.

This week, Penelope and I are home, in Kansas City, for over a week, to complete the last minute details for my sister Lissa's wedding. I am pretty sure the car ride from St. Louis--just me and a crying Penelope Belle--was the longest ride of my life.

I'm currently writing this post on my mom's iPad, wondering if I should buy one for myself when the tax free weekend rolls around in August. Any thoughts?!

The other night we celebrated with some bachelorette activities. And this week it's a lot of printing and DIY. My favorite DIY for the bachelorette party was the wine glass I made for Lissa with Sharpies. I was hoping they would stick like Sharpie ink sticks on coffee mugs. But it didn't work out. Next time, I'll be sure to use my trusted porcelain pen. And I will be sure to take better pictures. Having a newborn and working on a wedding feels like mission impossible. Check back later this week for some more wedding ideas and pics.

 xo.

05 July 2012

{something liked} some DIY favorites

Sometimes when you get an idea, it kind of feels like a bummer when you see someone else had the exact same idea. I was trying to think of a quick post idea, and I realized that there are a lot of DIY projects I'd like to tackle...by next summer.

I pinned a few of them, but I wanted to keep them lined up here on the blog. Elsie had the same idea. Her pins are July 4th inspired more than mine. Mine are just summer inspiration.

Enjoy.


This DIY mesh bag at Design*Sponge is breathtaking. It really puts a contemporary twist on a modern summer essential. I really want to ask my mom to help me sew one...after my sister's wedding.


Elsie posted these awesome DIY shorts from Say Yes To Hoboken. I've had my eye on the gray AG jeans with white polka dots at Athropologie for months. But I refuse to buy such cute {and expensive} jeans right after having my baby girl. This DIY is the perfect solution. I'm wondering what would happen if I used a bleach pen to create the dots.


This journal cover from A Beautiful Mess is a DIY I want to create before summer ends. I'm thinking it will either be a cover for my new school planner or my polished writer's notebook.


 I adore these handwritten recipes as tea towels at Spoonflower Blog. I think they would make the perfect wedding gift for anyone special. It's for sure on my list of things for Penelope's hope chest! They would be perfect to set on the counter all summer long underneath baken cookies or the cutting board for our watermelon.


This last DIY from Brixton Life is the perfect game I want to create for Penelope. My hope is that I can create a few sets for her that are age appropriate. The first set will be basic shapes and colors. But then I want it to get more complex and detailed like this owl one I found. My ultimate goal is to design my own. I'll be thinking about that.

So since I don't really have the time to sit and create, I wanted to at least sit and accumulate. Do you have any favorite DIY projects collected in a list for summer days?

xo

04 July 2012

{something sparkler} happy july 4th


Hello, friends. Happy 4th of July! We're just hanging out trying to stay cool this year. I baked some Rolo brownies, Johnny's trying to lull the baby to sleep, and I'm hoping I can burn a few sparklers leftover from last year. Maybe we'll see some fireworks from our deck tonight.

xo

03 July 2012

{something pretty} a farm photo shoot


Last weekend, Johnny and I went out of town. Again. With Penelope. We've traveled more this summer than any summer. I've posted pics of these two cuties before--Will and Gabbie, our dear friends' babies.


When I thought about another trip for Johnny to golf all day long, I just knew I had to fit in something creative for myself. So I offered to snap some more pics of these two. Will said I needed to take pictures of Penelope with my camera. And he's right. This shoot is far better than any shoot I've set up for her so far. It helps when someone else gets the kids ready. All I had to do was snap away.


Will and Gabbie live out on the farm. It's corn season {their corn is delicious!}, it's sunny outside, and there are tons of trucks and tractors to pose with. I can't wait to take some pictures of Penelope here when she gets a little older. I'm thinking in retrospect that a picture of her in the combine wheel below would be super cute right now. We're headed that way again this summer. I must not forget.


xo
katie