Lily Jane

For the Children: Bonpoint

Such darling newborn outfits from the French boutique, Bonpoint.  If money were no object I would buy one of these for my new niece (who is almost here!) and one for my own little bun.  And then I would take pictures of them both all day long.

Entertaining Inspiration: Three Drinks

 

 

This trio drink dispenser is officially on my wish list.  It would be perfect for a small buffet table.  And packs a pretty beautiful punch, doesn't it?  I'd fill it with Strawberry Agua Fresca, Blueberry Lemonade and this Grapefruit and Mint Cooler.  Hope you're having a lovely Monday!

From the Kitchen: BLT + Egg Sandwich

Ever since our garden gave us its first ripe tomato on Sunday, I can't stop thinking about how much I love and want to eat tomatoes.  An openface sandwich with homemade mayonnaise, tomatoes and salt is pretty hard to beat.  But this recipe I found in the new magazine, Kinfolk, takes it to a whole new level by adding bacon (what isn't better with bacon?), a fried egg, and tomatoes that were roasted the day before.  Mmmm...I can already tell I'm going to be fantasizing about this until our garden gives us another juicy red jewel.

{via kinfolk - find the recipe for Overnight Tomatoes in the back pages}

DIY: Paper String Lights

These paper cubes for string lights are the greatest little DIY.  Aren't they beautiful?  They'd look great strung up just about anywhere, indoor or out (on a dry evening, of course).  And they're made from paper.  You already have everything for this project in your house!  That makes them even more awesome.

{via wit & whistle via design crush}

Decorating with Rocking Chairs

 

 

Since Brady and the new baby (I like to call him Bambino for now) will be sharing a room, I've had to rearrange the furniture to make space for the crib.  It's a big room and they both fit just fine.  But the armchair-style rocker that's been in there since Brady was born looks gigantic squeezed into its little corner now.  With so much furniture, I'm in the market for a rocking chair with a smaller profile.  One that can either go in the boys' room or even in the master bedroom, where Bambino will be spending his evenings for his first few months of life.  I'm liking the looks of these.  Do you have a rocker in your home?  What are your favorite modern options?

{clockwise from top left: eames knockoff rocker; risom rocker; wikkelso rocker; mid-century rocker}

For the Children: Book Worm

For all my bibliophiles who are raising children to love books, too.  I hope you have a cozy place to read together in. Have a happy Monday!

{01. Kevin the Caterpillar ; 02. Cashmere Cotton Throws ; 03. Glasses on a Stick; 04. A Bad Case of Stripes ; 05. Paper Clip Bookmark ; 06. ABC Canvas Floor Pillows}

Illustrated: Garden Pickings

I'd like to start sharing more of my illustrations with you here on the blog.  So, I'm starting up a new project: a weekly illustration to be shared with you on Fridays of something from my week.  This week was the first week that our garden really started to produce things.  After last year's "learning garden" it's so nice to be able to have a little harvest.  I'm really loving gardening; it's so rewarding.  There were a few peppers ready to be picked, a couple of fat cucumbers (not illustrated) and one lonely radish.  The radishes had a hard time in my garden for some reason...

Most everything we planted are things we're familiar with, so we'll be sure to eat it all.  But there are a few new varieties.  My dears, have you ever heard of a giant marconi pepper?  I don't believe I've ever had one before and I'm curious what to do with it.  Any suggestions?  

Have a lovely weekend!  I hope it's full of little, fun surprises.

From the Kitchen: Blueberry Cupcakes

When I went to the Farmer's Market a few days ago and saw that blueberries were for sale, I got a little bit excited and bought a big carton.  Not quite enough to make jam with (that's on the agenda for next week) but enough to want to cook something.  This recipe for Blueberry Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream looks divine.

Drizzling juice from blueberry preserves over the frosting is such a pretty final touch.  What are your favorite blueberry recipes?  

{via always with butter}

5 Things to Do with the Kids in August

I can sense change coming (perhaps its all the sales and catalogues that come in the mail about now...) and it makes me want to squeeze every last drop out of summer.  After all, even though school starts for some at the end of August, the sun doesn't rest a bit the whole month through.  If you're like me and still want to make the most of the hot weather but don't know quite what to do here are 5 summery activities to keep you and the little ones busy.

We'll also be continuing a bit of what we've been doing all summer: running through the sprinklers, drawing with chalk, digging in the dirt, and going on walks through the neighborhood and to the park.  What else do you like to do in the summer?  Are there things you'd like to squeeze in before the breezes start to cool?

What I'm Working on: The New Site

I have exciting news to share today: Lily Jane Stationery has a brand new website.  For some time I've been wanting to create a clean, beautiful site to house my shop.  I had to learn some coding but with a little bit of time, a whole lot of google and a trip to the library, it's all come together so nicely.  Hop on over and have a look.  While you're there, it's the perfect time to sign up for the mailing list yet, if you haven't already.  A new issue will be mailed out soon with sneak previews of fall products and an exclusive discount code.