introducing all aflutter 3.0

All Aflutter was first born 15 years ago as a wedding design business.. The name was initially meant to reference the hearts of couples as they're preparing to marry; the excitement of planning the big event and everything that goes along with it. With sweet irony, I met my husband and one of my forever besties as a direct result. Life then led me in another direction for a bit, as it so often does. As my own little family grew, I was compelled to resurrect All Aflutter with new meaning, to exemplify the pace and rhythm of our lives with two sweet boys who are always on the move + the way I feel about all of my boys (yep, the dog is s dude too, I’m completely outnumbered). They make my heart go pitter-patter each and every day in their own way. And now, as my guys get older and more independent, I’m ready to take on yet another venture; one where I hope to help my clients’ special people feel extra loved + excited and send their hearts aflutter as well. I guess this name and I are meant to be together, for better or worse and in good times and bad.

I can’t wait to get to know all of you! In the meantime, here are a few things I’m loving this week. xo

1. I’ve been searching for a great everyday pair of studs and not only are these sweet and beautiful, they’re handmade by a gorgeous childhood friend. I can’t wait to see them in real life. / 2. This book is adorable and the perfect gift for any aspiring vet in your life. /3. I’m making this as I work and the smell is torture. I usually make cheater chicken soup, so I’m really excited for the real deal. / 4. I can’t wait to blow some kiddo minds with an NA version of this for my guys on Halloween.

halloween 2020 reboot

I love Halloween. I mean, I’m kind of a scrooge about getting myself dressed up, but the kids’ costumes, the spooky decorations and the over-the-top excitement is super magical. Plus I love candy. I can’t help it. My guys have been talking about Halloween since Memorial Day, but I think traditional trick-or-treating might fall into the 2020 Reboot category; the part where we approach strangers and ask them to hand us stuff from inside their house is probably not going to cut it this year. Or the version where kids all dip their sticky paws into the same giant candy bowl. Sooo, I’m thinking about alternatives. With all of the disappointment in the past months, it feels more important than ever to take any opportunity to try to blow the kids’ minds and Halloween is a no brainer. Here are a few ideas for creating festive fun for any size group and I’d love to hear yours, too. An amazing byproduct of these crazy times is the insanely creative things people have come up with to get around doing things like we “usually” do.

+ Stuff tiny treasures into cute vending machine pods or eggs + scatter them in your yard or along the walk

+ Create a spooky scavenger hunt and have the kids search for their goodies

+ Jam all of the loot into a Halloween piñata

+ Conspire with neighbors or friends to create a trunk or treat event (wowee, I had no idea this was a thing before social distancing existed, but it’s super creative)

+ Host an outdoor party with your germ peeps and hand out over-the-top goodie bags

+ Organize a sweet parade in your neighborhood or a park with buddies

There are some ideas below for festive loot that would be a hit for any shin-dig you choose. Whatever you decide to do this year, remember to revel in the magic of the parts of Halloween that aren't #canceled; the awesome costumes, spooky decorations and whatever gathering feels right with friends or family. Old school trick-or-treating will inevitably return, so enjoy doing something different for this round and be safe. xo

here we go again

So, in a time when most working mamas around the world are tearing their hair out and staying up nights trying to figure out how to make it all work under the most challenging possible conditions, I have decided to start a new little business. Wah? Yeah, it’s questionable maybe. But while I’m tethered to my kitchen trying to be useful to my sweet homeschooling boys in 15 minute increments, I miss terribly the creativity, connection and sense of purpose of my “normal’ life, working in the studio, volunteering and even just toting my guys from one activity to the next. So I’m creating it for myself. It’s not going to change the world or anything, but it might bring some smiles and make a few people feel extra special, which I think we could all use about now, right?! So stick with me for a bit here and see what I’m cooking up. In the meantime, you can see a few of the things I learned about and am loving this week below. And find a way today to make someone smile. xo

1. My big guy and I had an awesome doodle session with this adorable book (we love the whole series) // 2. The most amazing sticker subscription I could ever imagine brought me right back to 1982 in the best way possible // 3. Our old fur baby being held hostage on a google meeting // 4. These were so dangerously delicious I almost threw them away to save myself // xo

dino soup

Pop quiz! What do motherhood, food poisoning, Key West, birthday parties and lots and lots of moving boxes all have in common?! What's that? Hmm, good guess, but it's actually a trick question;  it's really just a laundry list of lame excuses for my radio silence... sorry. It's been a busy few weeks here, seemingly for everyone we know. Must be the changing of the seasons and anticipation of summer. For us, it's the impending move (less than 2 weeks away!! What?! It has been a while, huh?) coupled with a few other distractions that have kept us spinning. Anyway. Enough excuses. I'm here now.

There are countless reasons why I'm bursting with excitement about the house being finished (and a few things that bring a little tear to my eye), but by far the most significant is the desire to get back to my life. It's been really interesting and sometimes refreshing to have something else on which to focus my attention for these (gulp) 8 months, but it's been to the detriment of many other [much more important] things in my life, namely my sweet boys. I'm not proud to admit that taking on what was for big chinks of time a full-time job with no extra childcare left me staring frantically at the computer or on the phone with the contractor while my babies were flailing, sort of desperate for attention. It's tough. I've always had the utmost respect for mamas who are able to divide their brain between work and their children. It's a growing interest of mine to find out more about how some mamas are able to gracefully stoke both passions simultaneously (much more on that coming soon...). I am seemingly not one of those moms. Maybe it takes practice.

So, in a two-fold attempt to entertain my boys and finish what I need to get done, I went to the best place I know to find awesome projects (talk about creative mamas multitasking) and made my guys a Bean Box. I picked up a plastic bin + 2 bags of dry pinto beans. The rest you just make up with whatever you have lying around; spoons, cups, animals, balls, sticks. Both boys love it and it's a great way for me to get dinner cooking or check a few emails [almost] guilt-free while they play contentedly alongside... Today's we had Dino Soup. Recipe to follow. Now hang up + hug your babies. xo

Recipe:

1 plastic tub, cardboard box, mixing bowl or other shallow vessel
2 or more bags of dried beans, we used pinto
Cups
Spoons
Shovels
Animals + dinosaurs
Cars + trucks
Guys

Mix all ingredients well. Leave your need for tidiness and spotless floors behind. Enjoy.

What are some of your favorite activities + projects for kiddos?

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time to weigh in

Quick! Grey or walnut? The kitchen will have a wall of white cabinets, but we want to make the island a different color to create some interest and to help marry it to the dining + living spaces. The grey is airy + bright + serene, but painted cabinets are naturally a bit less durable. The walnut is rich + modern + warm and is better able to withstand a drive-by Tonka trucking, but might look heavy in the middle of our bright room... What do you think? The cabinet maker is waiting. No pressure... xo

Traditional Kitchen by Manchester Kitchen & Bath Designers New England Design Works

Traditional Kitchen by Palo Alto Architects & Designers FGY Architects