Miranda Makes a Blog

new blog address!

2010-04-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

Hi! I have moved over to Squarespace! Please visit me at www.mirandamakesablog.com. See you over there!

little pirate

2010-04-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

Today was Privateer Day in Fells Point. Fiona didn't seem to take much notice of everyone else's interesting attire, but she sure did look cute in her bandana.

sleeping

2010-04-07T10:05:00.001-07:00

This photo reminds me of Hyphen by Jenny Saville... except not as creepy. ;)

easter

2010-04-04T19:12:00.001-07:00

The hunt!
...And the baskets!

Hope you all had a fun day with your families!

birdwatching bags!

2010-03-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Since Fiona's party and birthday crown had a bird theme, I just had to make birdwatching bags for the big kids! Each messenger bag contains a birdwatching book, a small sketch book, a colored pencil and a little bag of birdseed.

I was just a tiny bit worried that these wouldn't be cool enough for the big kids, but I was wrong! They loved it! Each went through the book pointing out birds they've seen before and drawing birds in their sketchbooks! I was so happy!

The babies each received a small tote bag with a board book in it: In My Nest by Sara Gillingham. The illustrator is Lorena Siminovich. Check out the rest of her illustrations. So cute!

the party

2010-03-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

Fiona was totally into the excited energy of the day and I think she actually realized that it was all for her! She's such a social little thing. She crawled around talking to everyone and taking in everything around her.

The party really went perfectly and when everyone left and the house was quiet again, I felt so lucky that my little girl has so many people in her life who love her. Then, we took a nap.

the crown

2010-03-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

You might remember that I made Fiona a crown for her six month birthday. I liked it, but it wasn't quite right. So here is Fiona's official Birthday Crown! My family loves birds, and they are such metaphorical animals, so it just felt right that her first birthday have a bird theme.

Over the next couple days, I'll post about the party and the gift bags! Come back to check them out!

happy first birthday, fiona!

2010-03-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby girl. We all love you so very much.

more spring merriment

2010-03-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that Elijah no longer finds his birthday crown itchy and has spent a good portion of each day wearing it. Today he declared on the way to the playground, "Daddy, please promise that you will not let anyone else wear my birthday crown. Only kids born on Halloween can be the Halloween King. Oh, but if there is another kid who was born on Halloween, they can wear it." Yes, sir.

preparing for ONE!

2010-03-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Fiona is turning one on the 28th and there has been much preparing around here. I think all this crafting in the name of making her first birthday special is really just me trying to keep busy so I don't think about it! One whole year old? Already?

Such a lovely little girl.

fiona laughing

2010-03-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day. You're Welcome.

the thrifting goddess strikes again

2010-03-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

Goodwill: $8

I love the typography on this print. At the bottom it says it's printed by Permild & Rosengreen. There are a ton of great prints on their website. I just wish I could read Danish.

Goodwill has been very good to my walls lately.

outside!

2010-03-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

All of us have been thoroughly enjoying this new weather. Just in time, because I think we were all *this close* to losing our minds.

bat wings

2010-03-06T08:17:00.001-08:00

Elijah had been envisioning these bat wings for a couple weeks and we finally got around to making them. They turned out pretty awesome.

my corner office

2010-02-19T14:32:00.001-08:00

For the past five years, working from home meant working on a laptop on the couch, but with the purchase of a new desktop, a place to put it was in order. Our rowhouse is an ever-evolving experiment in shared space.

journal

2010-02-13T11:58:00.001-08:00

Elijah made his mom a journal for her birthday. We used a moleskine journal and my stash of vintage wrapping paper. All we did was cut out rectangles and use some clear contact paper to adhere it to the journal. Easy peasy!

save the date!

2010-02-10T20:45:00.001-08:00

Kimmie had the great idea to use vintage park posters as inspiration for her save the dates! Um... yes, please. They were super-fun to design and I think they turned out great.

more snow pictures. because i can't help myself...

2010-02-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

(Photos by Sheldon)

a birthday blizzard!

2010-02-06T08:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Sheldon! The biggest gift was what I'm sure will come to be known in future years as the blizzard of twenty-ten.

Elijah made Daddy a very special bookmark with a drawing of "Daddy with a shirt on that's too small, that's why you see his belly button." Love it.

The key-holder was a gift from me. At a holiday art market Sheldon and I went to at the Creative Alliance this past Christmas, we had seen these really awesome metal key holders with maps and cityscapes on them. (Anyone know who makes those? I couldn't find a website.) We loved them, but they were a bit out of our price-range, so when I saw this key-holder (50% off!) at a local shop, I was so excited! It had a kind of cheesy restaurant sign in it, so I replaced that with the map we used to get around Edinburgh when we got married! Perfect!

kimmie & jason's blustery day

2010-01-24T16:56:00.000-08:00

Engagement photos of the happy couple... on the windiest day of the year!

the thrifting goddess smiled down on me

2010-01-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

Goodwill. $15.

Updated on Feb. 11th: I replaced the photo I initially posted of this piece with photos of it hung in my house. These pictures do it more justice than the one in the original post! I really am still in shock over this find. It's like it was made specifically for my home.

a birthday apron

2010-01-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

For my mom's birthday, I made her an apron. How cute is that veggie fabric? And so appropriate, considering she's vegan!

happy new year!

2010-01-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a year full of hugging and kissing, dancing and singing, rocking and rolling, laughing and talking, playing and dreaming... and making, of course!

let it snow!

2009-12-21T19:56:00.001-08:00

Fiona experienced her first blizzard. White stuff! Everywhere!

Elijah reveled in the sanctioned "fighting." Snowballs! Made just for throwing! At other people!

Sheldon took long walks in the snow and cooked warm meals in the kitchen.

As for me, I made an owl.

another square

2009-12-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this little knitted mushroom I bought at the Merry Mart, made by Amu Bleu, I made a matching square to add to my growing collection that will be turned into baby blocks in time for Christmas.

aMuse signage

2009-12-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited this new sign has been printed and is now parked outside the Fells Point store!

Head over to the new aMuse blog to enter a giveaway for a Quadrilla set. While photographing it for the post, I kinda decided I need one, So beautiful!

introducing the aMuse blog!

2009-12-04T12:24:00.001-08:00

The aMuse blog launched this week and they are planning a giveaway for next week. Stop by and leave a comment with a suggestion for what the giveaway should be!

I'm so excited to be blogging over there too. It's great to find myself doing work for a company I really believe in. The toys they carry are the kind I am thrilled to have in my home... I'm just a little picky ;)... and the owners' dedication to serving our community is amazing.

To learn a little more about aMuse, you can go to the "About Us" section on the blog (here), or visit their website

black friday

2009-11-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

In an effort to make rather than shop, I've started my holiday gift-making! I plan to make these squares out of felt (have I mentioned how much I love felt? here and here) over the next month and turn them into baby blocks in time for Fiona's first Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations! I am a sucker for the excited energy this time of year and can't wait to share it with my little girl.

cupcakes!

2009-11-23T14:30:00.001-08:00

Saturday was Kimmie and Jason's engagement party. We made these cute cupcakes to help celebrate. Her wedding colors are navy and white, but navy is pretty much impossible to make with icing, right?

All the festivities are getting me VERY excited for this wedding to happen already! Alas, it's not until next summer. I'm also so honored to be one of Kimmie's bridesmaids. What a wonderful thing to be a part of! I can't wait!

farewell, my lovely umbrella stand

2009-11-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Fiona is *this close* to crawling, and we need to make some big changes in the name of baby-proofing. One of those changes is replacing my beloved umbrella stand with a much more baby-friendly basket of scarves, gloves and hats.

Now, what to do with the death-trap that is our antique sewing machine?

I'd also like to thank everyone for the thoughtful emails, calls and even a card! in the mail! in response to my last post. Fiona is a lucky lady to have so many people out there thinking of her. xoxo

together

2009-11-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've gone back and forth about what should be included in this blog. I know that I want to talk about family and crafts. It's fun to share the fun things that we do and things I've made. But, what about the not so fun stuff? I don't think that will ever be the focus, but when I brought the flags I made to the hospital and tied them on the crib in the room that Sheldon, Fiona and I would be staying in for 48 hours, I thought I should share it.

Fiona was born with a hemangioma on her right shoulder. At first it was small but within a couple months, it grew fairly large. It's about 2.5 inches across. About 3 months ago, the surface started ulcerating. The ulceration is pretty large and has become a big problem.

First, we just applied neosporin and a band-aid. When it continued to worsen, we started using a special dressing; duoderm. When the ulceration continued getting bigger and deeper, we had 2 laser treatments done. Nothing has helped, so now we have resorted to using propranolol.

We just got back from our 48 hour hospital stay where she was given the medication and monitored. The next step is just continuing the meds at home and watching the ulceration and hemangioma. Others have had a lot of luck with this treatment.

I just absolutely hate that my baby daughter may be on the propranolol for months, but having gone through all other options with no improvement, there wasn't really an alternative. She can't just have an open wound on her back... We couldn't care less about the cosmetic aspect.

This has been really difficult, but everything is ok. She hasn't shown any side effects and the medication seems to be working.

Anyway, I hope to capture on the blog how much all of this means to me. The family traditions and making things that hopefully show my family and friends how much I love them. I hope that these flags will be used in years to come and remind all of us that no matter what we did, we did it as a family. No matter where we were, we were there together. And, even though it's kind of silly to attribute all of that to these little flags, it helps.

I am so, so grateful that I have this family to celebrate with, but also to be with when things aren't going perfectly. I am just SO GRATEFUL.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this wasn't oversharing.

elijah's birthday, part two

2009-11-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Since making Fiona's birthday crown (seen here), I couldn't wait to make Elijah's. You got a sneak peak in this post. Well, Elijah's crown puts Fiona's to shame. I just love it. I want to make crowns and capes all day long! Unfortunately, Elijah found his crown itchy (it's made out of wool felt), so I will be making a lining for it in time for his next birthday. Or, maybe I'll just use that as an excuse to make ANOTHER crown!

I also made new flags. The last ones I made for Fiona's 6 months birthday were kind of thrown together last minute, so I wanted to make new ones. They needed to look pretty in the house, but not be too girly, so hopefully these are more gender neutral.

There's a lot going on around here, so it's been hard to blog as regularly as I would like. Both family-wise and work-wise, I have been crazy busy. But, there will be some exciting things coming soon to show for it!

happy birthday elijah!

2009-11-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Elijah turned five on Halloween. Inspired by the reversible cape over on Katie Did, I made Elijah one with Batman on one side and "The Halloween King" (said in a spooky voice) on the other. He was so cute switching back and forth between the two all morning. The other part of the surprise was that his beloved baby sister would be dressing as Batgirl (!) for Halloween.

I so look forward to the day that Fiona has special things that spark her imagination like Elijah does. Elijah loves Batman and All Things Spooky. What will Fiona love? I can't wait to find out...

I loved making these capes. It was really fun cutting out and hand sewing all of the felt parts. You can sit on the couch! And sew! At the same time!

Check back later in the week for more craftiness surrounding Elijah's birthday!

fiona's montessori basket

2009-10-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Being Fiona's first teacher is a lot of pressure, but what I'm realizing is that the most natural thing to do is often the right thing to do. Putting together this little basket of goodies took about ten minutes. I just gathered objects I already had in my home, put them in a basket, and sat Fiona down next to it! There is nothing sweeter than watching my little girl play enthusiastically with a piece of lace. I love thinking of all the babies before her who also played with Mama's wooden spoon.

I was spurred into action by Finnian's treasure basket, but I am also a Montessori kid myself with a shelf full of references I inherited from my Montessori-certified dad.

Fiona's basket has pieces of felt, jersey, two types of lace, a small corduroy bag, a wooden spoon, a metal spoon, and a glass jar of sesame seeds.

Who needs toys that blink lights, play music, vibrate and spin? Not my baby, she has a bit of felt to keep her occupied. And when the basket of goodies loses it's luster, we go for a walk.

kimmie & jason

2009-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kimmie and Jason on their engagement! I am just bursting with happiness for them. I made them this pillow and hope it will remind them of this exciting time in years to come... as if THIS wasn't enough of a reminder:

Nice work, Jason.

sitting up like a big girl

2009-10-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Behold, internet, Fiona now sits up. She's been sitting for a couple of weeks now and is quite proud of herself. I can imagine her saying, "Mama, why have I not been featured on your blog sitting up like a big girl? Hmm?"

She is sitting on vintage feedsack fabric I bought at a flea market. Now, what should I make out of it?

preparing...

2009-10-13T10:14:00.001-07:00

Fall is here. And with it, my favorite little boy's birthday. He's not so little anymore, really. Elijah is turning FIVE years old this Halloween. When I met him he was just a baby, only nine months old. I should probably stop there because I am already tearing up, and I haven't even written anything emotional yet.

There wasn't much blogging last week, but there was a lot of crafting. Over the next two weeks, I'll post it all, but here is a little peak of what I've been up to. Preparing for Elijah's birthday, Halloween and Fall! Some projects are done, some are in progress, and some I haven't even started. So much to do!

aMuse!

2009-10-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the Fells Point Festival, but what I was most excited about was the debut of the new aMuse signage I designed for them. I love it!

You may remember my post about Fiona's favorite toys. Those were all bought at aMuse. Fiona loves the toys AND the sales girl, Kim, who is expecting her own little one in just a couple months. So exciting!

another clutch

2009-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

This clutch was made for my friend Kimmie's birthday. It's similar to the last clutch, but a little larger, no ruffle and a wrist strap added. I think it's so cute! I do think I might have to make one for myself. I love how this style showcases the button. There are so many to choose from...

I have a ridiculously large collection, and it makes me ridiculously happy...

6 months old and eating bananas!

2009-09-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

Fiona was very curious when it came to the bananas, but I wouldn't say she was exactly hungry. Either way, she had a great time and LOVES her new highchair! So, the first family party I've thrown as a mother was a success. That's some kind of milestone, right? I think I kinda like this being a mom thing.

I really love the ideas in The Creative Family, by Amanda Blake Soule of SouleMama. Her thoughts about creating special family traditions for holidays and birthdays really inspired me. The handmade felt crown and bunting (shown in yesterday's post) are both based on projects found in her book.

the scene is set

2009-09-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Fiona's 6 month birthday! I had a small impromptu birthday celebration for her yesterday that called for some last minute shopping and crafting. So, I went a little overboard... That's what new moms do best, right? Go overboard?

Come back tomorrow to see the birthday girl eating banana! My little girl is growing up...

lulu's apartment

2009-09-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

While I was in NYC visiting Lulu, I made sure to take some pictures of her apartment to share with all of you. I just love all of the clever details throughout. Living in a small space forces brutal editing and Lulu has done this beautifully. Everything has a spot.

While I was there we saw The September Issue. It was great and Anna Wintour was exactly how she has been portrayed in books, movies, ect. No surprises there. Lulu treated me to a massage at her favorite spa, Element, which was amazing, and of course, plenty of good food!

A few pictures of the visit...

little clutch

2009-09-21T17:11:00.001-07:00

I made this clutch as a gift for my friend Lulu. (whose very chic NYC apartment you'll see tomorrow!) It's based on the clutch in Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. I added a ruffle and made the button loop out of fabric rather than elastic to make it more formal. The fabric was purchased from Purl Soho. The designer is Alexander Henry. According to the ladies at Purl, it may be out of print. Good thing I bought like a zillion yards.

twenty-six!

2009-09-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

I turned twenty-six on Friday. It was a day filled with family, friends, walks, books and overeating... all my favorite things! A special shout-out to my mom, since she had a little something to do with the whole me being born thing. This is my first birthday with my little girl and I can really say I have never felt so whole and full (and not just from the food). What a wonderful life I have.

The cards above were made by the two special guys in my life: Elijah and... Clinton Portis? Can someone tell my husband that he's been replaced by a much richer man? Thanks.

(Books above: Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair, Blogging for Bliss, by Tara Frey, Handmade Home, by Amanda Blake Soule, It Sucked and Then I Cried, by Heather B. Armstrong, Handmade Nation, by Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl, That's Why We Don't Eat Animals, by Ruby Roth and Mothering Magazine)

color story

2009-09-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

This was meant to be a strictly home post, but with a little creature as adorable as Fiona around, is it any wonder every photoshoot turns into a Fiona documentary?

So, My previous home posts have highlighted the more schizophrenic side of my home, color-wise. Today's photos are of my bedroom. Look! I can narrow my color palette! The bench was featured as a DIY on design*sponge a couple years ago.

vintage dress

2009-09-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

I bought this dress at Goodwill for $6.50. (Yes, I have a Goodwill problem.) I brought it home and it fits my dress form perfectly! What that means for me is that it fit me... a couple years ago... and (cough, cough) pounds ago. Alter the dress or alter myself? Maybe I'll hold out for next summer.

fiona's favorites

2009-09-11T19:03:00.001-07:00

It's so fun to start discovering Fiona's own preferences. She's her own little person! These are her two favorite toys. The rainbow rattle is made by PLAN toys. It's so pretty and you know how I feel about LOTS. OF. COLORS. TOGETHER. The carrot is made by HABA and I just stuck it inside an Oball. It made it easier to grip when she was littler, and now she likes to attempt to pull the carrot out... with her one tooth. :)

I bought all the toys at aMuse.

grateful

2009-09-11T17:44:00.001-07:00

Today, I am especially mindful of how lucky we are to live in a country that's free.

fiona at the playground

2009-09-09T19:35:00.001-07:00

We went to a playground over the weekend and it was so thrilling that my little baby, who is not so little anymore, enjoyed herself so much! She giggled loudly on the swing and the slide. I am absolutely addicted to her laughter and plan to find every swing and slide in the state for her to experience. Her giggles fill me up and I don't know how I ever survived without that lovely little sound. My sweet baby girl.

bento box!

2009-09-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

I am not much of a cook. I blame my mother. The joke is that my mom doesn't cook, she "combines."

My mom and I put together a cute little lunch today in our bento boxes. Wraps, fruit, nuts, crackers and almond butter. The corn salsa in the small orange container is from Trader Joe's. If you haven't tried it, you must.

So, cooking may not be our thing... but, making food look pretty? That we can do.

bathing baby

2009-09-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Goodwill, again! Asymmetrical, leopard print bathing suit: 40 cents, Vintage sheets: $2

home by color

2009-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't have any plan when I started decorating our home. I just bought things I liked. I never expected it to turn out... like a rainbow exploded. But, I love it and the ridiculous amount of color makes me very happy.

new portfolio

2009-08-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

www.mirandamakes.com has my updated portfolio available for download! Take a look!

vintage barbie bedspread

2009-08-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel just a little bit smug when the latest Pottery Barn Kids catalog came in the mail. See, they have a new vintage-style Barbie line of bedding and I just happen to have the real thing. From the 60's. I'm the winner.

g is for granola

2009-08-28T11:08:00.001-07:00

Since becoming a mom, I have become infinitely more granola. I refer to this process as the granolification of Miranda. And it's serious. Anyway, next step is cloth diapering. It starts today. I bought gDiapers this morning, and in an effort to not get overwhelmed, I'm starting with disposable inserts. Fiona seems skeptical.

morning walk

2009-08-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

home

2009-08-26T08:23:00.001-07:00

A new vase for the "yellow section." Goodwill: $1.25

a new bag!

2009-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Another project made out of the vintage clothing quilt!

website

2009-08-16T12:07:00.001-07:00

My pdf portfolio is now available on my website!

fiona & friends

2009-08-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

Babies in the park. (Grace, Fiona, Anna, Richie, Charlie)

new portfolio pictures

2009-08-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

I am looking to pick up some freelance design work, so I took new pictures for my pdf portfolio.

All the images will soon be available to check out on my new WEBSITE (!) which will be up and running within the next couple weeks!

www.mirandamakes.com

what's old is new

2009-08-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is the top layer of a quilt my late Grandmother made using my aunts old clothes from the 70's. There are endless uses for those fabric squares. Being baby obsessed, of course I made a baby block! I like how these clothes have impacted four generations. My Aunt wore them, Grandi turned them into a quilt, I tore them apart and sewed them back together, and now the youngest member of our family has a 'new' toy.

50s sheets

2009-08-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

Vintage sheets! I couldn't resist buying these at the last flea market. How cute are those dancing couples?

orla tote

2009-08-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

Many months ago I bought an Orla Kiely tablecloth from target. I have made so many things out of it, I'm afraid everything in my home will soon be painted 'orla!' I made this tote by using rows of the flowers as the straps.

birth announcement

2009-07-20T05:01:00.000-07:00