Inspired Nursery: Curious & Smart

Nursery Features:

Penguin Classic Book Set | Bla Bla Kids Bird Mobile | Land of Nod Glider | Sarah Jane "Be" Prints | Wooden Ball Wall Clock | Wooden Toy Binoculars | Orange Striped Dwell Studio Rug | Dwell Studio Wooden Crib | House Shaped Wall Shelf | World is my Oyster globe | Nature Walk Wee Wander Fabric | Sarah Jane Giraffe Print | Navy Printed Satchel | Yellow Polka Bed Sheets | Bentwood Pendant | Canvas Storage "Stuff" bag | Dangerous Book for Boys |

I'm starting a new segment of the blog! I'm always rounding up nursery decor in my mind, and with my own kids' rooms in constant flux, I thought it would be fun to share with you inspired nursery themes that incoorporate my wall art and/or fabric.

I love these colors for boys. So fresh, and not so traditional, but still a classic.

I'm so excited to share more nursery ideas. Stay tuned for more!

xo

Sarah

Message to the Mamas.

So, I hit rock bottom the other day, and I needed to illustrate it. Can you relate?

I'm trying some new art. And I want to know what you think. Could you use some art for YOU? I think you've earned it.

I'm constantly making art for these awesome kids of ours. But sometimes us Mama's (rockstar Mama's at that!) need some inspiration too.

Prettier Dishes. Forget about the tidy kitchen. No more need to apologize when guests come.

To purchase before your mother-in-law comes over, click here.

Now, go be a Mom.

Love ya,

Sarah

PDF Olympic Valentines

It's that time of year, where I get to figure out what I'm going to design for my kids for valentines. And this year, with THREE kids who have parties...and multiple parties....I'm keeping it simple but still super special.

Valentines Day is during the Winter Olympics...not something that has ever happened since my kids have had a school valentines party....and it will be the only one in their elementary school career! So, I decided to create something just for the occasion.

A super easy project....4 cards per print out, a chocolate gold coin that you can tape onto the back of the flat card, or attach to some ribbon for a fashionable goal medal!

A sure WIN this year. Feel free to download, and share the olympic love!

Happy Valentines Day!

xoxoxoxo (extra hugs and kisses:) Sarah

Do you have a room to show?

Here at Sarah Jane Studios, we LOVE getting inspired by children's spaces. I'm still finishing putting together my own kid's spaces (it takes forever it seems to get it "just" right!) and so we love it when you show us your magical rooms.

Are you designing a space or redesigning a space and are willing to make it photo worthy and blog about it? We are interested in working with Mama's who have well designed spaces in mind. Shoot us a little "hello" and we'd love to work with you and contribute to your little one's room!

Here are some recent shots of Finn's room that his mom emailed me just this week.

{Print Shown: Take Me For a Walk}

I just love how this room works together. I especially love seeing boy rooms!

Check out more of his amazing room here. 

And if you are wanting to work with us, again, please send us a message! We are looking forward to showing off more creative spaces!

xo

Sarah Jane

Wee Wander Blog Tour: Twin Quilt Pattern

The projects are rolling in for the Wee Wander Blog Tour, and I'm so excited to share this twin quilt tutorial.

This is a super great FAT QUARTER project, that uses a single fat quarter stack of all my Wee Wander Prints. Emily Carr of Simple Girl Simple Life put this tutorial together, and you can see it here.

I love this quilt, and how all the prints go so well together. We even used the border print and it makes for such a magical, simple quilt!

Ella has this on her bed, and she loves to stare at all the pictures every night. It's SO hard it seems to get a decent picture of a large quilt! I've not yet mastered that!

Here is a collection of the fabrics so you can get a closer look:

CLICK HERE to visit Emily's Blog with the FULL PATTERN DOWNLOAD

GIVEAWAY: Smart Creative Style course!

What would you give to work with a team of creative minds to help you find your own personal creative style? So many of us have a creative vision, but do you feel your branding and style is strong and uniquely yours? Today I'm offering a scholarship to a fantastic course called SMART CREATIVE STYLE aimed at helping creatives find their creative voice.

Many of you know Monica Lee, of Smart Creative Women. If you don't, you'll love her after visiting her site where she interviews creative women who have SO much to offer. She's got an entire archive of people in textile, paper, fashion and home design that she interviews and gets right to the bottom of what they do, and how they do it. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. And the site offers tips and advice from some pretty amazing artists and designers.

I've known Monica for 2 years, and she continues to impress. She's a wealth of knowledge,and she's an amazing coach!

I'm giving away ONE SCHOLARSHIP to this 6 week program (worth $440!!)

Here's what it's all about(from the site):

Your “creative style” is who you are visually and aesthetically. It also in your products and messaging. There is no doubt that we are in a world that is becoming more and more visual, and it’s more important than ever to have  your style nailed down. You don’t want to look like anyone else and why should you?

Trust me, it is all too easy to get caught up in the visual clutter and to lose your way, falling out of sync with who you truly are. We veer off course. This is your time to define or redefine your style, business and branding.

The world is dying for you to be authentic. But up until now, no one is encouraging you to take the time and figure out HOW to tap into your authenticity or your creative style. They just say you NEED it but don’t offer the HOW.

Smart Creative Style is a

6 week e-course

where you will you nail your look, your branding and your messaging down. Each week offers visual and sensory exercises because as a creative person, you LEARN and DISCOVER differently.

To win this scholarship, here's what you need to do: 

1) Leave a comment below telling Monica why you need this course

(optional)

2) Share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or Pinterest and mention any links below (one for each entry)

3) Come back Friday morning, Feb. 7th to see the lucky winner!

Thanks Monica for this great offer. I can't wait to find out who will get this free ticket!

COMMENTS CLOSED: Winner: #50 Tori

Be sure to check out the course....so worth it! xo

Chapter Books for the Younger Kids

A couple years back, I created a list of chapter books that were suitable for very small children to have read to them. We are big readers in our house!  If you were to come over right now, you'd see bookshelves everywhere. And we could use more....there are books on the couch, the coffee table, the kids' beds, and even on the kitchen counter.

My husband started reading chapter books to the kids when they were as young as age 3. But we found it difficult to find advanced books that were suitable for children who weren't even in kindergarten yet!

So, we visited with our librarian, asked other parents, and put together a list.

And it was so helpful for so many! We had over 110 comments of other parents pitching in their ideas. It's been a long while, but we thought we'd put that list in a single printable PDF  for you to bring with you to the library:

It's a 5 page document full of awesome titles. It's been so helpful to have on hand!

Or, you can just view the list below! 

CHAPTER BOOKS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (Ages 4-8 for read-aloud)

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken

A Secret Zoo

Adventures of a South Pole Pig

Alice in wonderland by Lewis Carroll

 Animal Stories by Thornton Burgess

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Because of Wynn Dixie by Kate diCamillo

Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey

Castle in the Attic

Catwings books by Ursula K. LeGuin

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Dear Hound by Jill Murphy

Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine

Elves and Fairies Annie R. Rentoul and Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Emily’s Runaway Imagination Beverly Cleary

Enid Blyton Goodnight Stories

Famous Five by Enid Blyton

Far Flung Adventures series

Freddy Anniversary Collection by Walter Brooks

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Geronimo Stilton

Grandma’s Attic by Arleta Richardson

Grayson by Lynne Cox

Half Magic by Edward Eager
Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynn Reid Banks

Halibut Jackson by David Lucas

Hank the Cowdog series

Henry Huggins books by Beverly Cleary

Horrible Harry series

How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Humphrey the Hamster series

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James Herriot Treasury for Children

Junie B Jones Series by Barbara Park

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Little Women Louisa May Alcott

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards

Matilda Roald Dahl

Mercy Watson series by Kate diCamillo

Milly-Molly-Mandy Joyce Lankester Brisley

Mr. Poppers Penguins

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet

Nancy Drew mysteries

No Flying in the House by Betty Brock

Paddington Bear by Michael Bond

Peter Pan J.M. Barrie

Pippi Longstocking Astrid Lindgren

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess in Black

Ralph S. Mouse books by Beverly Cleary

Ramona books by Beverly Cleary

Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black

Swiss Family Robinson Johann D. Wyss

Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo

The Adventures of Olga da Polga By Michael Bond

The Alfie Books by Shirley Hughes

The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

The Boxcar Children Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

The Cricket in Times Square George Seldon

The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi

The Fairy Rebel

The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Happy Hollisters

The Henry books by DB Johnson

The Light Princess, The George MacDonald Treasury

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Littles by John Peterson

The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate diCamillo

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

The Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

The Ordinary Princess

The Ordinary Princess By M.M. Kaye

The Penderwicks

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett       

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

The Worst Witch series

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

Trixie Belden mysteries

Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne

Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum

Thanks for all your input, and happy reading!!

365 Sketches

The interesting thing about drawing is that it requires a lot of what I don't seem to have a lot of right now:

1. Two hands. You only need to draw with one, but the other hand steadies your paper. Something I'd never thought of before I had children.

2. A pencil. Preferably one that doesn't get stolen from the child you are sitting with.

3. Creativity. Well, yes folks. It takes a wandering mind to go places that create magic. The places where I can put feelings onto paper. My mind wanders plenty....but lately it's because I'm drifting off to sleep while making pancakes. Not exactly productive.

4. Time. As much as I like to draw stick figures, I just don't get a thrill out of it. Sketching something doesn't take hours, but it does take longer than 2 minutes...and if I had that in my day I'd take a shower instead:)

But, all that being said, I don't feel human without putting to paper how I feel about my children, childhood and what I see in my head. It's amazing that with all the sleep deprivation right now (yes he's almost 6 months and yes he's still making a zombie out of me!) There are still hints of life in my right brain. It's not where I want it to be, and that's OK because baby making is #1 on my list of my best creations. But I've decided to try and sketch as much as I can. Make myself even. It's like exercise (which I'm lousy at)...it requires blocking out bits of time and making it happen. At least with 4 kids at home. 

And with being in the middle of creative deadlines right now, sketching keeps my brain from thinking there isn't anything in there. When you are only getting 4-5 hours of sleep in 2-3 intervals, there really isn't much in there:) It helps me realize that maybe I actually do think about more than just what I'm making (or not making) for dinner.

So, 365 Drawings...I'm ready for you. It might take me 3 years, but I'm determined to put pencil to paper more. It's my magic time.

PS: You can keep up with my INSTAGRAM drawings here.