Summer, I am so over you...

via Let Us Read and Let Us Dance

There is not a single part of me that wants to be outside anymore. Pull the curtains, crank up the air conditioning, bring me a hot tea - I want to stay indoors and pretend it's October.  I've never been a summer person, but this year I'm really over it. You could blame the multiple days of over 100 degree temperature or the fact that I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, but whatever it is I am seriously hating summer right now. And knowing I'm not the only one makes me feel so much better....

from EW's "Why We Hate Summer":

''I enjoy being indoors. I enjoy laying on couches, snacking, and reading (watching TV). Summer sucks because it is the only season when, if I want to do this in the middle of a gorgeous day, people (my children) look at me like I'm a disgusting person. Well, guess what? It's 90 degrees out there, it's 68 degrees in here, and this episode of The Bachelorette isn't going to watch itself.'' 

Adam Scott
Parks and Recreation

''The heat makes me lethargic, so goodbye gym, goodbye waking up before noon, goodbye enthusiasm for anything. But I'd have to say the worst part of summer is swampy Spanx.'' 

Whitney Cummings
Comedian

''The reason I think summer is terrible: I'm British. As a people, we cannot handle even the most moderate heat, either physically or emotionally. We were brought up believing that summer is for French people, with their outdoor lunches, sunglasses, and crunchy vegetables.''  John Oliver
The Daily Show

Playrooms

Are there really homes with playrooms like these? If so, when can I move in?
All images courtesy of potterybarnkids

Lorenzo Duran

Have you seen the intricately craved artworks by the Spanish artist Lorenzo Duran? Under the name Naturayarte, he and his family not only create these lovely little pieces, but use leaves as their medium. Yep, real leaves. I think these pieces are just divine and their frailty and smallness just makes that much more beautiful.

{all images via the artist's website: Naturayarte}

Keepsake Name Prints

These keepsake name prints by InkTreePress are perfect. Perfect for any nursery or children's room, the perfect welcome baby gift, a perfect way to preserve the moment.

InkTreePress allows you to select custom colors and descriptive details of the birth day or night- it takes this print a step beyond simple personalization. The result is a beautiful instant captured on paper!

All images courtesy of InkTreePress

Reason to love rain (#7)

 

via Random tea house

North Carolina needs a serious downpour right now - it is so darn hot. We get the occasional and brief rainstorm, but it only contributes to the humidity. At least for that second it rains - it looks pretty from the inside of my window (though I really need it to start feeling cool on the outside of the window too...)

 via These are a few of my favourite things...

 "Attempt at Flight" by 'Lilyas

via vi.sualize.us

via i am bittersweet

 

"Raindrops on the window" by Shooz

Summer Peach

Some summertime Peach Cobbler courtesy of Country Living....
Ingredients

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) light brown sugar
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon(s) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/3 teaspoon(s) salt
6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup(s) (plus 1 tablespoon per recipe) heavy cream
2 1/4 pound(s) peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon(s) cornstarch


Directions
1.Combine the flour, brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in 3/4 cup cream to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour, up to overnight.
2.Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain half of the liquid; toss in the cornstarch. Transfer to a 10-inch round cast-iron skillet.
3.Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 1 1/2-inch rounds. Top the fruit mixture with the rounds without overlapping. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown and the fruit is bubbling in the center -- about 25 minutes. Serve warm. Make 8 servings.

Sarah's Summer House

I have posted about designer Sarah Richardson before. I love the HGTV show Sarah's House, so it logically follows that I would be a big fan of Sarah's Summer House as well.

In this program, Richardson walks us through the renovation/redesign of her own cottage on a Canadian lake. I could imagine this premise could be completely annoying if her design ideas were not so inspiring and the creative process of both Richardson and her team were less entertaining. However, I found myself really interested in how she was going to tackle what was once her husband's all pine-planked bachelor vacation haven into a getaway for her family and guests.....I was definitely not disappointed.

All images courtesy of HGTV

Neat Pins

The etsy shop PinksandNeedles specializes in these handcrafted pins and pincushions. They are art in miniature.

I like the idea of a personalized set for your favorite quilter/crafter. What an incredibly lovely gift made just for them.

Images courtesy of pinksandneedles

Atsuyo et Akiko + Winnie the Pooh

I know that Lorelei just posted about her love of the classic Winnie the Pooh and the new movie, but I could not resist sharing my own Pooh find. Over on the blog Dilly Dallas I discovered the adorable shop Atsuyo et Akiko and I love what they are doing with the classic honey-loving bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Seriously, aren't those pillows just the cutest?

Sum-sum-summertime!

Image courtesy of Babble

This "Kid's Car Wash" at Child's Garden preschool in Covedale, Ohio makes me smile.

illustrated nursery

 from "The Laidlaw Reader Primer, First year--First Half"

 by Herman Dressel, M. Madilene Veverka, and May Robbins. 

Illustrated by Mabel B. Hill and Hazel Fraze

via katinthecupboard

I still have a lot to do in terms of putting together an actual nursery nook, but that is not stopping me from finding ideas everywhere. 

For example, I can not get enough of illustrated nurseries and picture book bedrooms. There are so many sweet touches to found (like the fabric chair in the image above or the striped curtains in "Goodnight Moon") that I find inspiring (though I have to be careful not to incorporate all of them and make the baby dizzy with color and pattern!) Here are some of my favorites:

In the bedroom below, I obviously love the view of sail boats outside the window (though I can't make that happen in my house...), but I also love the star ceiling, the little vases of flowers, and the animal shaped chair:

 from "Wonderful Story Book" by Margaret Wise Brown

illustrated by J. P. Miller via try-whistling-this

"Yes" and "please" to a patterned wallpaper, touches of the lightest, whitest blue, and a beautifully stenciled dresser:

via miriana (via This are a few of my favourite things...)

I think the  following picture confirms that I'm a sucker for sailboats and rocking horses and toy drums:

"The Indoor Noisy Book" by Margaret Wise Brown

illustrated by Leonard Weisgard via krakencrafts

Aside from the presence of the toys mentioned above, I love this image for the huge open window (and view!), the packed mini-bookcase, the kid-size table, and the yellow. I do have a soft spot for some well-used yellow:

"Words" by Selma Lola Chambers

illustrated by Gertrude Elliott via try-whistling-this

Pooh

Image courtesy logoi.com

This Friday, "Winnie the Pooh" is back on the big screen. There is something sweet and lovely always about that 'silly old bear'. I do appreciate Disney's adaptation of the Milne stories (especially the fact they are respectful of the pacing and tender whimsy of the literary version), but I am a fanatic admirer of the E.H. Shepard illustrations.

The Shepard line drawings capture childhood imaginings and all of their gentle silliness, kindness and wonder. They are truly classic and, in my opinion, among the very best in children's book art.

Image courtesy of fortunecity
 

Image courtesy of BibliOdyssey

Image courtesy of BibliOdyssey

Image courtesy of childillustration.blogspot.com

 The following illustration is my favorite:

" He nodded and went out ...and in a moment I heard Winnie-the-Pooh
– bump, bump, bump – going up the stairs behind him."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 159 of Winnie-the-Pooh and comprises a full-page illustration in the published volume. It represents one of the iconic images of Winnie-the-Pooh and comes from the final chapter in which Christopher Robin gives a Pooh party, and we say good-bye. " 

Image courtesy of BibliOdyssey

Chappaquiddick Sunset