BIC Pens and Pencils Giveaway Winner

Well, we are back in school. You? I have to admit that first grade has been more of an adjustment than I expected. I hope I get smarter at it quickly!
We are enjoying the long Labor Day weekend (a much easier morning routine, thank goodness!) but I wanted to pop in and announce the winner of the BIC giveaway:

arnts1ta said...


"I always loved getting Lisa Frank folders, stickers, pencils and pens for back to school when I was in elementary school. Those always bring back great memories for me!"

Several of you mentioned Lisa Frank, as well as a new box of crayons, and one of my favorites, composition books!

arnts 1 ta, please contact me so I can arrange for your colorful BIC school supplies to be delivered!

Hope the rest of you are having a great weekend!

Sewing: Dirndl Skirt with a Stitched Polka Dot Apron

Are you ready for this variation on a theme? I kind of love it! This is Tess's birthday party skirt. A Dirndl Skirt with a stitched polka dot apron.

I couldn't resist this idea when I was working on her party invitation. It looks so festive. I used the Riley Blake Designs chevron print in yellow for the skirt, and came up with a new variation on the Dirndl Skirt Apron--a flat apron (the original two versions are gathered), which makes the perfect canvas for embellishing. I added piping to the apron too for a little bit extra. 

The skirt is 72" of fabric--more than three times her little waist measurement! I love it extra full like this. I found the felt at my local Joann and from this beautiful Etsy shop.

I am adding instructions for this flat apron variation and the stitched polka dot embellishment to my Dirndl Skirt pattern, which you may find in my Etsy shop.

Birthdays are so much fun!

Design: hooray! Chevron Dot Party Invitation (Printables)

I had been planning to make a feminine version of the Chevron Dot "oh baby! oh boy!" printables since creating the originals because I had some requests and thought it would be fun. Then when I started thinking about Tess's birthday party I thought why not use it for this? So simple and graphic and colorful! A bit easier too than coming up with something from scratch.

So here we have the Chevron Dot Party Printables in shades of coral (pretty darn close to Pantone's "Tangerine Tango"), pink, yellow, grey and orange. I love this combination. So sherbet-y.

Instead of "oh baby! oh boy!" the feminine version of the baby shower invitation reads "oh baby! oh bliss!"  I love the word, and the name, "Bliss," and doesn't that describe the arrival of a new baby? The party invitation (which I'm also updating in the original aqua version) reads "hooray!" I added the "for two!" to the inside for Tess's party but the space is blank on the printable file so it would work for any age.

I was going to really simplify for this party but now I keep thinking of other fun things that could be done with this. Isn't that always how it goes?

If you are interested in the printables they can be found here in my Etsy shop.

Review: BIC Pens and Pencils for Back-to-School (Giveaway)

BIC sent me some of the new stationery products they've released for the back-to-school rush to supplies.  Ball pens in a variety of colors and styles, mechanical pencils with colorful barrels and chrome accents, and erasers with contoured grips (which are also PVC-free--great!). I couldn't help but smile when I opened the box. I always loved shopping for back-to-school.

I loved picking out the pens and pencils, selecting a notebook, wondering if I could persuade my mother to pay more for the style I really loved. Granted there weren't as many options then. I distinctly remember buying a Big Chief tablet to go to grade school. Do you remember those? I think they faded away sometime in the 1990s...but I remember them so fondly. And I believe I went to grade school with a cardboard pencil box. Pretty different from all the plastic ones filling bins in the seasonal aisles. (I found a fun tin one for Audrey.)

There are so many options now. It must be hard to pick for those of you shopping for serious supplies. My girls' list is pretty short and simple so we aren't there yet. There weren't any pens on the list for instance, and mechanical pencils (such as the colorful ones pictured above) are a bit too advanced (strange for a generation using iPads, but anyway...).

But my girls loved coloring with this bright assortment! I am going to drop them in a zippered pouch for when they need a quiet distraction. And I personally am partial to a very smooth writing instrument, so I love the BIC Velocity, which claims to be the "smoothest pen in the universe." Wow. I can't vouch for that, but it was fun to write with, especially in lime green.

I think if my girls were in the higher grades it would be great to think about different colored inks to go with different subjects. Anything to make it more interesting and help them feel better prepared. Or perhaps there could be a rainbow of these pens stashed in a Trapper Keeper notebook so they could pick a color according to mood. Do they still make Trapper Keepers? They were very cool back in my school days.

What were your favorite school supplies? What do you love to purchase for your school-going children today? Leave me a comment and let me know and you'll be entered to win a a set of colorful BIC supplies for your school goers--or you! (U.S. residents only) BIC will be sending one reader:

• BIC Velocity^® Bold Fashion Ball Pen, 8-Pack
• BIC Cristal^® Bold Fashion Ball Pen, 10-pack
• BU3 Grip Fashion Ball Pen, 8-pack
• BIC Erasers, 4-pack
• BIC Atlantis^® Fashion Mechanical Pencil, 4-pack
• BIC Clic Matic^® Mechanical Pencil in Fashion Colors, 4-pack

To enter please leave me a comment below (multiple entries possible):

1. Tell me which school supplies make you feel sentimental. Which do you remember being excited about? What do you enjoy purchasing for your children?
2. Which of these fun new BIC colors would you choose to write with?
3. Follow/Subscribe to Aesthetic Nest and let me know.
4. Like Aesthetic Nest on Facebook (here) and let me know.

This giveaway is open for entries until midnight, Tuesday, August 28th and then I'll pick a random winner. Good luck!

Sewing: Angel Sleeve Blouse and Skirt in Liberty of London

 

I think my Scarlett is looking a bit like the southern belle at this moment: sun-drenched and gazing out from a columned porch. The light has been especially golden lately. I am loving all the ocher tones. Summer leaning towards Fall...

And I love this easy, pretty ensemble. The Angel Sleeve Blouse may be my favorite option in the Angel Sleeve Dress pattern! It's so perfect with a simple gathered skirt. And I think it's a great look for a more grown up girl. 

 

I made this blouse with a Liberty of London print I love--"Nancy Ann" in Tana Lawn. I can't get enough of the tiny strawberries and flower bunches in all the right colors, including a great chartreuse-y green. The skirt is one I made Scarlett to wear to Tess's birthday party last year. (I don't include a full tutorial for the skirt in my Angel Sleeve Dress and Blouse pattern because it is so basic, but I do include a brief run down of how to figure the measurements for cutting and how to sew it, just in case.)

If only I could sew faster! I would love to make a lot more of these, but not at the expense of the other things on my list! It's so difficult to prioritize sometimes, but I'm working on it...

If your children are off to school this week I wish you luck, and if you've got more time, I hope it's well-spent. We have one more week of summer field trips before it's back-to-school, and I'm looking forward to both!

(The post introducing this Angel Sleeve Dress and Blouse, including the contrasting panel version Tess is wearing above, can be found here. And the pattern can be found here in my Etsy shop.)