We’ve been living in the new-old house about 6 weeks now. That’s given me time to work on some projects, get the main decor up in the house, and F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. put the last of my boxes up in the attic. With no boxes sitting around anymore, it finally feels like we are settled in. At home. And wow, does that ever feel good!
I am able to just be at home most of my days, without running what felt like a million different places each week… My kids are able to be on a normal schedule, take normal naps (not just in the car running to and fro), and does that ever make for happy children. They held up very well through the busyness of restoring the house, but now that we’re settled, they are just so happy. Sweet babies. I’m so glad life is a little more normal for them again.
Getting settled in… Sure, there are so many little fun details to add so many different places, but the main house is set up. Ever so fun. Seriously, ever so fun. I’m like a little kid in a playhouse, I tell you. :)
I’ll get an idea and then can hardly sleep until it’s acted upon and up on my wall or wherever it’s supposed to be. Husband laughs at me, because we’re very opposite. I get an idea, I act on it within minutes if possible; he gets an idea, he stores it away for the future. :) It’s good, we balance each other out, and he keeps me from overworking!
This week I’m having time for fun little side projects. And somewhere I got an idea to make silhouettes of my girls for a certain room that was lacking an eye-catcher. And I couldn’t stop smiling, because I saw the finished product in my head and thought it would be soo stinkin’ cute!
So I took some pictures of the process, just in case it turned out. And I’ll let you judge. I’m the mother of the silhouette children here, so my opinion is completely and unashamedly biased. :)
I took a side profile picture of both of them, put it on the computer, then enlarged it to the size I wanted. Then I traced the head shape onto copy paper…
Zoe is at the age where she is wanting to be involved in every project I do. Sometimes it’s a little much, but I really want her to learn to love to do creative things, and she’s only going to learn that if I let her work with me and make it a fun time…
Olivia doesn’t want to be outdone by her big sister. Even though she is disaster in a 12-month old body when it comes to stuff like this. :)
Then traced it onto black cardstock paper…
Then glued it onto these canvas boards. They come 3 in a pack for $6 at Walmart. I used the flat instead of the raised canvas because they were cheaper.
Nailed these tacks on the back to hang it on the wall, and wound wire around them. Added two on the bottom as well so the whole mat will stand out from the wall and give it more of a 3-D look.
But then it needed a little edging. The wall is colored, but the white mat board against the wall needed a little “umph” to let it make the statement I was looking for. I looked in my messy attic piles of boxes but I didn’t have 2 – 11 X 14 frames to put them in. And I’m trying to decorate my house with not spending much money at all, so I didn’t want to spend $30 to buy the frames…
So I just taped the edges and painted about 1/3” on the sides and bottom to give it sort of a framed look.
And put them in the Candy Shop bathroom – it’s the one the girls use. We call it that because of the colors – so many people have walked in and said, “Oh, this looks like a vintage candy shop!” We chose the tile because I wanted a more vintage-y look in there with the clawfoot tub. This room was a mere shell that was part of the laundry room… Before & after pictures another time!
Zoe – age two. Love this so so much. Her open mouth makes it look like she views the world while gaping. Her tousled hair…
Olivia, age one. Little tiny nose. Little tiny head. Little hair forever falling down across her eyes.
Can you say darling?? I stood in the bathroom with my hand over my heart after they were hung, making all sorts of ooo-ing and aaaa-ing noises. :)
Zoe’s finished product. She wanted it right up there with the big girls.
Slay me, oh, slay me!
Silhouettes of my two girls are more than I can take in cuteness levels!
Button-nose girlies, do you know how much I love you? Your silhouettes are darling, but YOU are what makes them darling!
And perhaps one day you’ll stand with your hand over your heart, being slain by the cuteness levels of one and two year old silhouetes, thanking me for these heirlooms. 
–clarita
oh! oh! oh! i am slain, too! those are precious!
Really, really love silhouettes!! And I love the way you did these!! So classic!
wow. they turned out really good. i love them. very creative, unique, and simple.
That is SOOOOOO adorable!!!!! I love it!!!
Absolutely adorable. You have a gift!
I remember doing this in kindergarten. . . My mom probably still has it. . . I wonder where it is!
they are SO DEAR!! What precious little girls, and what a neat idea! Your bathroom looks so cool and restful! we had a bathtub like that growing up and we always thought it be so wonderful to have a modern shower-tub. What I wouldn’t give for that thing now…
oh, and did you make the paper flower thingys?
Those are darling! Wow.
Those are sooo cute! I bet it was fun making them too~
I am totally slain! Now I have to do that too – that would be perfect in the kids room. I’m so happy you mentioned the canvases at walmart cause I need some for another project and I was pretty sure they were more expensive than that at the craft store. Honestly I have so many projects I want to do I make lists so that I don’t forget them – right now with a new baby doing one a week is a major accomplishment – we’re just trying to get stuff put away and curtains hung over here.
LOVE IT! i think you will find copycats of this project popping up in the future, on various blogs. I love the shape of a little girls’ profile. Abbi’s could so fit right in with yours, and I never thot of perserving it!
priceless! what a treasure those things are, and will be for many years to come, o, exceedingly creative one!!:O)
this is awesome! the bathroom is adorable. so you.
FUN to chat with you again this morning!!!
What a GENIUS idea! You have inspired me! I wish I had your creativity. http://mnmdayton.blogspot.com/
Your decorating style absolutely inspires me.:) Such a great idea, and so beautifully done!
This is a ga-reat idea! Love it!
I have to admit that I secretly thought to myself, ‘those little girls must not splash half as much as the kids here at my house or the prescious decor would NEVER survive!’
….now this really makes me ready to see the rest of your house! =) Pleeeease……!
Such a neat and creative idea! Darling!!
This is just one example of why I love reading your blog! Your creativity intrigues me; I love the way you allowed Zoe to be involved. And the paper flower “thingies”, they are adorable! Thanks for letting us into your world, Clarita!
I’m loving this! I can’t wait to see more! ( :
You are an inspiration! MJ
so beautiful~
i love those pom pom things hanging up too. did you make them also?
such fun, creative, cool decor!
@mlt10202002 – @justcallmeM – @dilafila – @Elizabethmarie_1 – @Carsonsmom2 – @ma_an_pa – @fruitloops115 – @foreveranoatneygirl – @WasabiBek – @myall4christ81 – @shellElynn – @clearlyhis – @idreamovtravel – @maryjunemiller –
Thanks you guys – it was just sooo fun! :)
@Hutch5 –
@im_so_blessed –
the pompoms thing I did not make. my mother-in-law picked them up at a yard sale for me years ago. :) Jenny Kauffman makes gorgeous paper flowers though!
@totallycherished –
You know – our tub isn’t hooked up yet, and I never once thought of water damage! The silhouettes may change locations in the future!!
@RICHK1200 – having a baby definitely slows down projects, I know! Keep hanging on to those lists, one day you’ll cross it off! :) I say that because I do the very same thing with my want-to-do projects! But I cannot wait to see pictures of your house… I hope you do a little open house online or something. :)
wow! You did an awesome job on those silhouettes! I remember I was about 4 when my mom took me and my brothers and sister down to jc penny were they had someone come to town to do those.
I love your decorating as well! It looks great!
You’re right–that is so stinkin’ cute! Wow.
Oh, so incredibly CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to take a bath in that tub! :) BTW, I wished SO BADLY you could have been at FFE last weekend. You are one of the people I really, really wanted to meet!
wow!!!!!!!!! shannon told me to check them out this weekend. so i came home and had to look ASAP! i LOVE this look. i saw this awhile ago on a blog somewhere, bu ti really like yours even better. “Someday” i want to try this- and when i do- you will get all the credit! you are just super super talented, girl.
SO adorable. I want them in my bathroom. Move over, Martha Stewart.
@baileyandme – hey, you even used exclamation points. :) i love this look too – so simple and clean looking. not a lot of fuss and fluff. i think especially with having children i’m going more for a simple look. but that may change. you know, our style always evolves. :)
@smilesbymiles – i wanted to meet you so badly too… :( you were one of my top list of people!
Not sure how I missed this post but ever soooo cute. I remember doing this as school projects and wish I would still have them. LOVE your ideas.
@lifeisadance – </pi’ll have to ask jenny for a demo post on how they’re done! :)