NEW In the Shop

You guys... I'm so excited to share my new holiday items with you! How about some throw pillows to add a little Christmas joy to your annual decor? You know how I like to change things up with a good throw pillow. It's like an instant makeover for under $50.00.

Also, I'm pretty sure that winter has hit almost everywhere except Texas. If you and your littles are already bundling up in layer after layer (insert jealous grimace here) then a southwestern print knit cowl for your little may be just what's needed to keep the cold at bay. I gotta tell ya, this thing is so cozy I just might make one for myself. Nothing makes me colder than a cold neck and since mine is almost equal in length to a giraffe, I've gotta keep that thing wrapped up.

Are you getting that holiday giddiness yet? Or are you already dreading it? xo

Arrgh...

Shiver me timbers! It's National Talk Like A Pirate Day. In honor of this great holiday I will be forced to wear stripes (possibly a patch), say things like "walk the plank" and "swab the deck Matey" and possibly make some piratey crafts with my boys while munching on Pirate's Booty. Possibly.

pirate hat craft via handmade charlotte

bath time might be a repeat of this...

and we might make little pirate drawings like these from MerMag

Quick joke I'll be forced to tell:  "Have you heard there's a new pirate movie coming out?..... Yeah, it's rated Arrrhh." Tell me Matey - arggh you going to celebrate? xo

ohoy ship wallpaper via fine little day

Happy Labor Day

Ahh, Labor Day weekend. The holiday that ushers in the promise of Fall and cooler temps. Yeah, I'll roll with that! 

Weekends at the Fish house are becoming all about family fun and home DIYs. This weekend, roller skating and karaoke.  What did you do over the weekend? xo

*image above taken by Fish Fotography: my SIL in her rad rental skates.

Happy Fourth of July

And a huge thanks to the many men, women and children who make amazing sacrifices every day to keep our freedom intact! Here's to apple pies, slip 'n slides, hotdogs and those beautiful stars and stripes. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Fourth of July

When it comes celebrating the fourth in the States, nothing is more tried and true than the red, white and blue. Well, that and fireworks. Front yards are covered in flags. And nearly every backyard is filled with the laughter of children, water works, sparklers and the smell of barbecue grills. Hotdogs to be exact. Here are a few last minute crafts with tin cans that can be done in minutes...

windsocks to adorn the porch via random thoughts of a supermom.

stilts covered in stars via spoonful.

luminaries to light the night sky via crafts for all seasons.

containers for silverware, flowers, napkins, breadsticks and maybe a sparkler or 50.

For more fun, stack up some tin cans and grab a ball for a few rounds of backyard bowling. How will you celebrate the 4th? xo

vintage image source

Last Minute Valentine's

Since I've been lying in the bed for the past three days, I'm trying to make the best use of my time by making some quick and easy little Valentine gifts.

With just a few markers (I think fabric markers work best - no bleeding) I've decorated some clothespins for gift toppers...

And while I personally have never been drawn to the foam crafts/stickers, they're great for quick garland and gift tags. I scored a box of 150 at Target for $1.00.

Inexpensive items like foam, felt, pipe cleaners and poster board are some key elements to making big impact without hurting the budget. I've found some quick and easy ideas via the web for felt pins and flower rings that I adore.  But my all time fave is from Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst, who did an amazing 20 in 20 Valentine project 2 years ago that still inspires the pants off of me! 

For more last minute ideas you can check out my Pinterest Holiday board. Happy Love Day! xo

Goodbye 2012

Wow. As I type this I can't believe another year has come and gone. My babies are getting bigger by the minute and as much as I would like to stop time, I know that their growing up is inevitable. For now, the only thing freezing is my hiney! It is cold up in the mid-west. It has snow all day today and I am loving it. 

I'll be back New Year's Day with a look ahead at 2013. I can not thank you all enough for supporting Pure and Noble and reading this little blog of mine. You guys are seriously the best. Big mooey mackers (movie style kisses) to all! xoxo

People Be Skippin'

It's Fall. One better - it's November. The month that contains my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving. Many just try to gloss over this glorious day. Don't let them do that. Fully soak this one in. Give yourself time to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. Enjoy your family. Enjoy a good meal prepared by loving hands. Enjoy laughter. Enjoy football or whatever tradition there may be for you and yours. But don't let it slip by.

I fully intend to live this holiday to the fullest - taking nothing for granted. I am working on a few crafts, wrestling with my boys, sweeping and raking leaves, wearing boots and scarves, and preparing for a new tradition that reminds me to be thankful year round.

 golden acorns via stacy winters

pinecones via cake events blog

(last year's thanksgiving tree)

(PS - that first image is actually from a wedding - do you die? If I could make my Thanksgiving table and surroundings that dreamy, I'm pretty sure it would be heaven on earth. For more amazing shots from that breath-taking wedding go here. You will be so thankful you did!) xo

Happy Halloween

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (RRR) for a holiday announcement... Happy Halloween! Here's a spooky peak into our October festivities... (lots of fake tattoos and dressing up.)

(The double dose of spooky skulls were seen at a dollar store in East Dallas. Scary. They had rows and rows of candles, many of them a bit scary! What in the world?)

Hope your Halloween is full of belly laughs and candy. What are your littles dressing up as this year? Do you dress up too? xo

*prints above: rabbit via tumblr, crescent via sweet thing

Trick or Treat

Please excuse the crappy photo and focus on the message. I penned this little festive ditty on my dining room wall as a part of our Halloween decor. I think this could be the best treat all year long and it's what I want to teach my littles that Halloween is really all about! xo

We've Been "BOO"ed

The hubs opened our front door Saturday morning to find a message on our door that read, "We've been BOO'ed!" We found a little jack-o-lantern bucket with treats to eat, to wear and to decorate our home. So fun.  I love this idea. Kind of like May Day baskets in October. Genius. 

Here's our version of the "Boo" poem.

You can bet that this will become a new Halloween tradition for the Fish Family!

Do you and your family have any fun Fall or Halloween traditions? xo

RRR: Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th! Why not recycle some of that old Christmas garland and make your own sparklers?

fireproof sparkler DIY

Hope you and yours enjoy lots of yummy apple pie, ice cream and hot dogs as you celebrate our independence and freedoms we so often take for granted. xo

Memorial Monday

freedom via clickin moms

Hey friends. Today I am so humbled as I think about all that our service men and women (and families) give up for our freedom. It brings me to my knees. May we always remember and be forever grateful for all that they do...

flag via apartment therapy

flag via design sponge

vintage via tumblr

flag via tired and true

flag via style like u

Thank you. xo

The Best Easter Crafts... Ever.

via b:kids

Since Easter is right around the corner and I still feel awful, I thought I'd take a little break from Mommy Style and give you some Easter ideas that are floating around the blogosphere. In my humble opinion, these are the most delightful and creative crafts I've ever found for Easter. Ever.

Bunny pouch via Mer Mag

felt easter egg pouches via small wonders

no-bake cookies via last minute mel 

(because Easter isn't all about bunnies, I intend to use these treats to talk about the Good Shepherd.)

puppets via the purl bee

(my youngest has taken a liking to puppets recently. I think he needs one of these in his basket!)

water beads via MPMK

(a nice alternative to stuffing those eggs with candy)

craft paper easter eggs via You Are My Fave

(a great Easter gift for teachers and/or friends)

Ed Emberley book via MPMK

(how awesome would it be to decorate those paper easter eggs above with some of these fun fingerprint drawings? simple and sweet personalization.)

glow in the dark easter egg hunt via raising little disciples

(what a great idea to add some extra fun and talk about how Jesus' light extinguishes the darkness.)

countdown via the true confessions of mrs. olson

(yeah, I'm late on this one, but it's never too late to show your little how cool Jesus is, right?)

Go get yourself some Easter fun homies. xo