Beloved, Boisterous, Boy Blanket

     Last week, my most favorite package ever arrived.  Ok... maybe it's tied with the package my mom sent last year on Chris and mine's anniversary that was our wedding invitation matted beautifully and placed in a gorgeous frame.  These two packages are now tied for first place.  (Although that juicer, Mom, has definitely gotten a lot of use in the 6 weeks that I've had it!)  Aren't moms the best?  They have a knack for knowing what you need... Unfortunately, I'm the type of person who will trudge through the inconvenience of make-shift and half-broken kitchen tools for YEARS before I take the effort to buy what I really need.  It took me a YEAR to discover that garlic presses existed instead of painstakingly mincing each little garlic clove 3 times a week!  THEN... it took me another 3 years to realize... fresh garlic really does not taste that much better than the pre-minced garlic in a jar that I can buy at Walmart.  That's right...I no longer use fresh garlic in my recipes.  Those of you who just sucked in a shocked breath of air... are no longer invited to dinner at my house.  YOU deal with stinky garlic hands for days, and then we'll talk. 
     But I digress (what?  me?  never!).  Last week, Holden's toddler blanket arrived in the mail!  The idea of his blanket has been spinning around in my head for months now.  I started out in May knowing only that I did NOT want a toddler bedding set from Babies R Us or Target or anywhere.  I did NOT want a bedding set...  I hunted through all of them and realized that the designers who are currently designing toddler bedding make me want to vomit.  If you currently have a toddler bedding set in your house, and you invite me over, I promise to keep my vomit down.  (I know, I'm very considerate that way.)  Overall, I am NOT a fan of room sets, bedding sets, or anything that says, "let's pick one theme and painstakingly match and repeat it throughout the room so that your head will spin!  If you're a fan of such things, I still like you.  I'm sure you're a wonderful person.  I just don't like your decorating style.  I'm not going to punch you in the face over it, I'll just punch you in my head.  You'd probably say the same thing about my decorating style, so we're even. 
     Knowing that I wanted something unique and non-cheesy, I turned to etsy to find a suitable toddler blanket.  Etsy is pretty much where I always turn if I want to find something unique and special.  If you don't know about etsy... umm, where have you BEEN?!  Etsy is a magical fairyland of original, handmade items and fabulous vintage finds.  I stumbled across this shop:  SirBubbadoo
Unfortunately, she's on vacation right now (hmmm... she went on vacation right after she made Holden's blanket... was I too much work?!...naaaah).  Anyways, you can check out some of her products by looking at her Sold Items.  Doesn't she have the brightest, most cheerful, and modern stuff?  I love it!  I also love her shop name.  SirBubbadoo is her little boy's nickname.  How cute is that?!  She also calls him The Bub, and King Bub.  I love it.  Chris' nickname from his family is actually Bub, or Bubby.  (Uh oh... I wasn't supposed to announce that to the world, was I?)  His sisters and parents still call him Bub sometimes.  I think it's so sweet.  Kristina, the shop owner, also has a Blog where she's always sharing new projects she's working on.  Look here for some of her other custom quilt projects.  Oh wait... not yet!  Holden's quilt takes up the first two entries... Check it out!

Wait for it....

Wait for it...

Just wait a minute...

Patience is a virtue...



Ta Da! 

     So these pictures really do not do this quilt justice.  The colors and patterns are just gorgeous in person!  It's hard to capture how great it is on camera.  (Or maybe it's just hard for someone with absolutely zero photography skills... sigh...)
     Also, Chris didn't get home until it was dark out, so the picture of him holding the quilt uses indoor, artificial lighting. (gasp!) It was the best we could do. 
     Look at the soft minky Kristina used on the back side of the quilt.  I love it!  Holden is going to be snuggling up with this blanket for a long time.  I realize he won't be in a toddler-sized bed forever, but still, this blanket will be perfect for trips away and movie nights on the couch.  Even when he decides it's too immature for his little grown-up eight year-old self, I will seal it away in a zip loc and capture his sweet preschool scent forever.  When he is embarassed at my mere presence in the world and thinks he has lost all use for me, I will sneak away and smell this blanket, and remember a time when I was one of his heros -- when he wanted to do everything I was doing, and he couldn't survive one day without me. 

     Let me say a few more things about this quilt.  Kristina at SirBubbadoo is a genius with fabrics.  I came to her, thinking I'd just pick one cute patterned fabric and have her make a solid blanket for me.  She immediately had a ton of ideas to offer just in case I wanted something a bit different.  She gave me loads of pictures and examples, and then, when I picked a fabric I really loved -- the bright elephants in a row -- she miraculously paired it with the most beautiful, brightly-colored, cheerfully-patterned fabrics to go with it.  I looked at her selection and thought, "how did you read my mind?!"  Kristina is so fun to work with because she LOVES what she does.  She gets super excited about new ideas and she is so committed to making sure her customers are happy with the finished product.  She really listens, but not only that, she's the perfect guide to help you figure out what you really want.  I will definitely go back to SirBubbadoo for any other special children's blankets I might need.  If you're looking for something unique and special, please check her out.  You will not be disappointed! 
     I can't wait to get Holden's room finished and see this blanket in its place of glory on Holden's toddler bed.  Speaking of Holden's room, our big hold-up has been Chris building built-in bookshelves and a window seat.  He is doing an amazing job!  When your work takes you out of town or takes up 14 hours a day... that doesn't really leave a lot of time to work on projects at home.  Thankfully, Chris is mostly home for the next 6 weeks, so hopefully we'll have a finished room to show you by Septemberish?  Until then, I'm going to be doing some sneak peaks of items we're using in his room.  Stay tuned... it's going to be fun!
     Now go smell your toddler, and appreciate how much they need you at this time in their lives.  Someday, you will miss how much your children used to need you.... (These are wise words from all the wise mothers I know.)