Honest To Nod

Giant Geometric Wall Shamrock

Well, I had to do it.  Here's the St. Patrick's Day version of my Giant Geometric Wall Heart that I made for Valentine's Day.  Green is my favorite color, so I think this guy is going to stay on my dining room wall for quite a while.  Plus, it should bring me some good luck to have a giant shamrock in my home, right?

For this shamrock, you'll need 10 pieces of scrapbook paper.  I used mint, forest green and metallic gold.  You simply cut each piece of paper into 6" squares and then cut those squares diagonally to make triangles.  Each piece of 12" scrapbook paper will give you 8 triangles.  To make the shamrock shape, you will be making 3 hearts (like my giant geometric heart) and then adding a stem that is 3" wide.  I attached the triangle to the wall using glue dots.  I tried double stick tape, but with the texture of my walls, it didn't want to hold well.

It goes perfectly with my Green and Gold Geometric Pillow.  I am really loving this mint and gold combo for St. Patrick's Day.

What do you think about my "go big or go home" holiday decorations?  I'm having fun with it, would you put up something this big on your wall?  If you do decorate for St. Patrick's day, what does it look like?

Post by Jeran: Oleander and Palm

Ombre Veggie Tray for St. Patrick's Day

Want a festive and healthy St. Patrick's Day snack? Bite-sized green veggies served up in a monochromatic array will delight even the littlest leprechauns. Collect a variety of crunchy green vegetables: cucumber, celery, broccoli, green pepper, sugar snap peas and zucchini. A simple rectangle platter lets the veggies be the star of the show. We love the versatile Large Cuatro Platter from CB2.com.

To create the Ombre Veggie Tray clean and cut the veggies as desired and arrange on a tray from lightest to darkest. Serve with your favorite veggie dip or hummus.

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

st. patrick's day play date

 

 

I love thinking of activities for play dates and even building them around a theme, if we have the time to plan that out.  A little goes a long way and the extra preparation makes the time fun and special.  Some years ago, we had a play date on St. Patrick’s Day with my cousin and her children. They came bearing St. Patrick’s Day decor and Irish potato candy (recipe courtesy of Baked Bree).  The “potatoes” were delicious and were wrinkled and dimpled just like real potatoes!  Part of the afternoon was filled with a simple craft―punched hearts in different shades and patterns of green along with little bits of ribbon that the kids glued together as shamrocks.  A little lunch, dessert, play time and craft time–all in all, a splendid time!

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine

You can see her work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

Houseplant Help

I love having lots of plants in our house, but I don’t have the best track record keeping them alive.  Every spring, I fill my house with plants, only to have most of them heading for the trash bin by the end of summer. This time around, I’ve been reading up on indoor gardening and have even started selecting plants based on hardiness. I’m especially encouraged by articles about plants that seem to thrive under any conditions. Surely, I can make keep a few of those alive.

Here are a few of the articles I’ve found most helpful:

• 5 Hard-to-Kill Houseplants
• Indoor House Plants
• Simple Tips for Raising Indoor Plants
• Houseplants for the Forgetful Gardener
• 10 Tips for the Black Thumb
• Plants I Can’t Kill
• Overlooked Plants That Can Survive the Dark

Here are a few more scenes of green in my own home:

Post by Julee : Warm Hot Chocolate

a game to remember

This is a great first memory game for a toddler or preschooler.  The game consists of wooden tiles with stylized pictures of animals in bold and appealing colors.  I like how the tiles are substantial and made of wood, thus easy for little hands to handle and flip over.  What's nice is that they are durable enough to pass on to someone else after Avery and Nate outgrow them!

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine

You can see her work and read about her two young children's first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

Easy Shamrock Hair Clip

With St. Patrick’s Day just a few weeks away, our easy shamrock hair clip is the perfect last-minute craft. This project takes just moments to assemble and is sure to bring good luck (or at least keep pinching fingers away)!

You will need our free shamrock template printable, sturdy green cardstock of your choice (we used a scrap piece of American Crafts Glitter Paper) an alligator clip, tape, green marker and scissors.

TO MAKE: Download our free Shamrock Template. Cut out a shamrock to make a pattern. Trace shamrock pattern onto green paper. Cut out. If necessary, color the edges of your shamrock with a green marker to give a polished look. Using tape, secure the alligator clip to the green shamrock with the flat side touching the shamrock to provide a smooth surface for the cardstock to lie against.

Special thanks to our darling model, Ava, and her Supermom Tara!

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Leprechaun Handprint Cards

We are lucky that one set of grandparents are right here in Phoenix with us, but my husband’s parents live up in Wyoming. We get to see them only a couple times a year, and so I thought it would be fun to send them a little St. Patrick’s Day surprise. I had my little leprechaun’s help me make these hand print cards that I know Grandma is going to love.

Print and download our free template which includes a nameplate so Grandma can identify those handprints. Using a foam brush, cover each child’s hand with green craft paint and stamp it onto the cut cards. Miss Modette’s hand (she is not quite two) was the most difficult to stamp (obviously!), so I had a few extra cards ready to go and then picked my favorite.

If you have more than one little leprechaun, tape the cards together leaving a very small space between them so you can easily fold them up accordion style. Mail in a size A7 envelope.

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Create a Dreamy Nautical Room

For this room, I was inspired by these dreamy nautical images. I love the idea of dressing up a classical nautical look with soft shapes, delicate lines and vintage details.

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Try it for yourself!

Clockwise from top left:

Achievement Banner Flags, $2.95 each

Anchor Girl Pillow, $24

Oh Buoy Flag Throw Pillow, $24

Sea the Sea Calling Canvas Wall Art, $99

Dew Drop Table Lamp and Shade, $109

Sail the Ocean Blooms Banner, $79.95

Chalk with the Animals, $24.95

Good Read Book Caddy, $149

Little Twigs Wall Mirror, $219

Preppy Polka Dot Bedding, $29-$129

By Anna Passadori 

Anna develops and designs exclusive product for The Land of Nod. She hails from the west coast and has traveled the world to source product. She loves anything Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola or stripes! (So, if anyone can get a photo of Sofia Coppola wearing a striped outfit by Marc Jacobs, please send it along.)

Lilac Love

Fifth Avenue Pendant / Scallop Mirror / Love London Print / Bebop Bunny

Hello Love / Brass Bunny / Love Print / Bebop Kitty

Dream City Print / Sequin Heart Pillows / White Andersen Crib / Tulip Festival Bedding 

Silver Lamps / Monarch Dresser (with Handpicked Knobs) / Milo Glider

Streamline Nightstand / Ribbon Cutting Rug / X Marks the Bookcase / Purple Pouf

Register for these great nursery items at LandofNod.com

Post by Joni: Lay Baby Lay

Cheesy Puff Pastry Twists

We have these twisty, cheesy bread sticks at our grocery store. They are yummy and addictive, buttery and crumbly. The kids love them and I love them. Looking at the package I note that they are imported from Switzerland – go figure! But they are expensive and buying bread sticks that travel the Atlantic to get to me does seem excessive.

While I can’t replicate them exactly, I can make a puff pastry version. If there’s one thing I love it’s puff pastry. Not only is it a buttery indulgence, but it’s also readily available at the grocery store. I made these cheesy puff pastry twists for Classic Play and thought I’d share them with you as well. I made them with the kids – easy, fun and oh so yummy! Have them as a snack, serve them at a cocktail party along with these or with some tomato soup. Enjoy!

Cheesy Puff Pastry Twists

Ingredients

• 1 box of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed. Ours comes in two sheets, already rolled out and with parchment around it. You need two sheets that are the same size.
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
• 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Gently unroll one puff pastry sheet onto baking sheet.
3. Whisk egg and brush the egg wash on the rectangle of puff pastry dough (only on one side) and reserve the leftover egg wash.
4. Mix together the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, basil, chili and garlic and sprinkle mixture over the egg washed rectangle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Carefully brush the egg wash on the other rectangle of puff pastry dough.
6. Place the other half of the pastry (egg side down) on top of the cheese mixture and press the two halves together using your hands or roll lightly with the rolling pin. Gently press edges to seal.
7. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 1/2 inch strips.
8. Working one at a time, gently twist each strip and lay on the baking sheet making sure to press down the ends so that they don't curl when baking. When all of the strips have been twisted and placed on the baking sheet, lightly brush each twist with the remaining egg wash.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the twists are golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and serve warm or cooled.

Post by Giulia Doyle : Audrey's