We did it! We survived Elliot’s first year on planet Earth. More importantly, HE survived it! It’s hard to find the sum of all the wonderful, trying and super sappy emotional moments that made this year what it was, but here’s my honest take on the whole parenthood club. (disclaimer: I’ve only been a parent for 366 days, so I still have a LOT to learn)
1. No matter how much you plan and prepare, you’re still not ready…not even remotely for what that tiny bundle of joy brings to your life. One day I mentioned to Nick “it’s hard to imagine the life we had before E ” and his response was “No, it’s not, it was CLEAN”…so very, very true.
2. There’s something to be grateful for at every stage (or at least you better think of that way so you don’t completely lose your mind while sleep deprived) For example, newborns sleep and snuggle all the time, but when they cry, you have no freaking clue what’s making them upset. By the time they reach 6 months old, you have a pretty good idea what’s wrong when they cry, but they’re mobile and that’s a whole other can of worms…just practice gratitude and remember that these moments are so fleeting…so very very fleeting…moving onto number 3 because I feel the sappy coming on…
3. Breastfeeding is an art. I’ve never been so frustrated in all my life. If cows and giraffes and every other mammal on the planet just latches naturally, what the heck is wrong with humans?!?! It took us a good 6 weeks to get the hang of things, was totally worth it in the end, but it was NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING like what I thought it would be.
4. You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t…and now that you’re a parent, you’ll probably feel this way for your ENTIRE LIFE. Everything you read on vaccination, peanut butter, and solid foods is conflicting. I half-way blame the internet for all the information / misinformation / mass confusion that surrounds these decisions. Things must have been WAY easier for previous generations.
5. Safety = $$$ BIG $$$ I’m willing to bet my parents rarely had me buckled in the backseat, in fact I was probably in the front seat, front facing, without any type of restraint. (Do school buses have seat belts yet?) Granted we’ve come a long way in the 30 something years since I was born, but I had no idea how fast I could drop coin on safety features. Extra cushion for side-impact, count us in!
6. You have a whole new appreciation for your parents. Cliche, I know, but here’s when it clicked for me…
While, making jellyfish out of paper lanterns for his first birthday, I snapped this expression of “awe.” I sent the photo to my dear mother-in-law and her response was “feels great when you get it right.” How many times did my parents think they were getting it “right” and I told them they had it all “wrong?” Gotta wrap this post up before the waterworks turn on…
Sweet boy, where did the time go?
Wise Old Bird
May 27, 2014
Found this anniversary card from Granny J to my Papa while cleaning out my studio. Unsure of the year, but I love this Meyer- Gasters watercolor
Mother’s Day
May 12, 2014
Well he finally got his hands in paint and by the looks of it, he liked it. First Mother’s Day gift and you can bet it’s skipping the fridge and going right to my studio wall.
8.5 x 11 finger paint on cardstock by EJD
Nick and Elliot also started a book for me. Instead of cards for birthdays, Mother’s Day, etc. they’ll add to the book…love!
So blessed!
Another little baby is on the way for our family! These two lovebirds are expecting a baby girl in June and gave me a little wall space to play with…
Alan loves music and I think the Jimi Hendrix quote is especially perfect for a baby girl (not just because I got to finally paint a unicorn, but yeah!)
Can’t wait to meet my sweet little niece!
Throwback Thursday – A Spiral Perm was kind of a Big Deal
April 10, 2014
circa 1989 – typed on a word processor – (which was also kind of a big deal)
Elliot’s First Portrait
October 23, 2013
Just a quick gesture sketch of the sleeping babe…of course he had to move before I could finish his little fingers or tidy up his features. 
The first of many I suspect.
Meet the New Boss
September 4, 2013
Elliot James took over FLYoung Studio on August 4th, 2013. Weighing in at just 7lbs 14 ounces, and “standing” a mere 20.5 inches tall, he has effectively taken charge of day-to-day production. Things have slowed a bit during this transitional time (on behalf of the new boss-man, we apologize) Frankly, he makes a habit of sleeping on the job and taking multiple lunch breaks throughout the day, while making us work the graveyard shift.
All that aside, we think he’s pretty cute and inspiring, so we’ll let him keep his post for now. Oh and in case you missed it, he was awake long enough to commission a photo session with Diana Daley.
Maternity Shoot with Diana Daley Photography
July 16, 2013
Some days I have to pinch myself for being so lucky to live and work in this artist filled town! There is more inspiration to be found in Savannah, than time to execute the ideas that are generated from mingling with so many exceptional artists. My friend Diana Daley represents one of these artists. Not only does she have mad skills with her camera, she truly loves what she does with every fiber of her being, and it radiates through her photography.
So why did I want a maternity shoot? Well…I may never do this again, so I better capture this time while it’s here…and let’s face it…pregnancy and the swollen feet and the extra 40 pounds and the morning sickness…and the mood swings…(you get the idea) isn’t all that glamorous. So to feel pretty for a day and celebrate the miracle that all this hard work is cooking up, is well worth it! Thank you Diana for your professionalism, your friendship, and for these awesome photos!
P.S. Can’t wait to see the outtakes!
Mural Painting 101 – Under the Sea Themed Nursery
June 7, 2013
People always assume my house is covered with murals. The fact is, I’m usually painting a wall for someone else and I’m quite indecisive when it comes to my own decor. That said, I have dreamed of the day I would get to design and paint my own nursery, and the time has finally come! I thought I’d document some of the process in case in of you DIY folk out there would like to try your hand. And yes, I’m fully aware that you can buy a vinyl decal these days, slap it on the wall and voila…but where’s the fun in that? This technique will show you how to take a simple sketch, blow it up, and transfer it to the wall. All you’ll need is a pencil, some paper, painters tape, acrylic paint, good brushes, and a steady hand.
Since our nursery was already blue, I decided long before we found out we were having a boy that rather than repaint the whole room, we’d go with an Under the Sea theme. (some of you may recall a similar project I worked on a few years back…click!) Our nursery is small, so I wanted a focal point over the crib, and decided an Octopus would be fun to paint…
I sketched a few options with my favorite color scheme (blue and yellow-green with accents of red-orange) and chose the version with the white undersides to balance out the white in his sailor cap.
Next I scanned my tiny sketch into photoshop and printed him out to scale on regular letter sized paper. In the past, I’ve been known to free-hand a mural or two, but in the interest of keeping my proportions and minimizing the amount of touch ups needed, an enlarged template is never a bad idea.
Yep, that’s my big ole belly making a cameo.
After putting all the pieces back together with tape, I flipped over the template and used the side of my pencil to roughly apply graphite to the black lines visible through the paper…
It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact it’s best if you go a little outside the lines here. The more graphite applied, the better it will transfer to your wall.
Next, tape your template to the wall using painters tape. You can move it around until you get it just where you want it…
I measured our crib and marked the height with those little pieces of painters tape to make sure that Ocho (yes, that’s his name) would be properly placed without being cut off.
Next, I took my pencil and traced over the black lines, applying medium pressure. This will transfer that messy graphite to your wall. Before you remove your template completely, be sure to sneak a peek and make sure that all of your lines transferred nicely.
The lines will be faint, but they are there! Those little white spots are patched holes where we had nails from other artwork prior to making this the mural wall. To save myself from touching up blue paint, I strategically placed Ocho’s arms in the areas where the holes were.
Now it’s time to prime…and prime some more….and some more after that…and some more after that. Trust me, you don’t want to skip this step if you’re planning on painting a colored wall. It will save you LOTS of time in the long run. I used Killz low VOC primer that we had on hand from another project. (with windows open for good ventilation of course)
Now that you’ve laid quite the foundation, it’s time to start painting the fun stuff. I always paint from the background to the foreground.
I kept my sketch of Ocho nearby for reference. Oh and I won’t lie…yellow-green, though one of my favorite colors, usually requires many, many coats for a nice opaque layer…this green took 4 coats to cover well…I’d probably still be applying coats if I hadn’t primed!
Here he is! Spots and all! I’m really happy with how he turned out! He’s bright (no pastels for my baby) and he’s the perfect size for over the crib…measuring roughly 3 feet tall by 4.5 feet wide. I won’t lie, he was definitely time consuming…roughly 20 hrs, start to finish, but totally worth it!
The best part? He’s completely custom for our lil man.
I’m sure I’ll be adding some additional features to his room as time goes on, but for now, this is about all I have in me…(and standing on a ladder probably isn’t too terribly safe for a pregnant woman anyway)
I’d love to see some pics of your own DIY murals, and hope this little tutorial gives you a few tips to help you create something really spectacular!
My sweet cousin Rebecca is getting married this year and I have the honor of standing in her wedding. I hosted a bridal shower back in December and wanted to share some of the handmade details with you. While I still struggle with my baking skills (I spilled an entire tray of cupcake batter in my preheated oven, total mess!) I relish any opportunity to get crafty with pretty little things. Here goes…
I started with paper rosettes, constructed with sturdy papers found at World Market. For a tutorial on how to make these super easy gems, see my guest blog for Be@Home.
Next, I printed the lettering onto card stock, used a circular punch to keep them uniform, and adhered them to the rosettes with a dab of hot glue.
The finished piece reads “Love is Sweet,” though my photo doesn’t do it justice.
To compliment the custom banner, I cut corners and purchased these hanging decorations from Party City.
I had the most fun designing her custom shower invitations. Her wedding flowers will incorporate yellow calla lilies and daisies, so I painted a simple floral swag to adorn the invitations. (I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hooked on custom florals!)
In lieu of a guestbook, I painted the couple’s wedding monogram on a keepsake box, and had guests write their “Advice for the Bride” onto little wooden hearts. It may look fancy but all you need to recreate this monogram are some letters printed on paper, a sheet of carbon paper to trace the letters onto your surface, a good brush, and a little bit of paint! If you don’t have a sturdy hand, make your monogram with larger block style letters. For the last little detail, I used a scrap piece of handmade paper to line the inside of the box.
I thought long and hard about favors. I have received so many favors in the past that just get tossed in a drawer and long forgotten, so I wanted guests to have something they could actually use. My solution was to print coordinating Thank You notes and bundle them with scrap ribbon I had in the studio.
Last but not least, the spread! I purchased the little sugar flowers from Sweet Edibles to dress up the cupcakes. The cake stand in the middle was a “I can’t stop myself purchase” from our local Humane Society Thrift Shop (seriously, $4 and all I had to do was change out the ribbon!) The vintage embroidered tablecloth came from my friend and expert vintage scout, April Joy’s shop The Mint Green Tag Sale.
Pam, Mother-of-the-Bride, Sierra, Robin, and Elizabeth
The glowing Bride-to-Be and me!
We’re already hard at work with details for the Big Day, so be sure to check back for more handmade wedding goodness!
FLYoung Studio 