DIY fitted crib sheet for Alma Mini crib

This week my mom and I worked on making a plethora of things for the arrival of my baby. We don't know the sex of this little one, so I wanted something neutral for the bedding. Added to this desire was the fact that the baby will be sharing a room with me and my husband, so unfortunately, coming up with a complete nursery scheme would not do.

I felt a little guilty leaving JoAnn Fabrics with a bundle of mostly blue fabrics, but I just couldn't say no to them. I also thought they would look great with the orange walls and gray crib. My final selection? Blue gingham, flannel pinstripe, and Peter Rabbit fabric—which I also purchased in brown because I loved it so much. Actually, I'm not quite sure if it's actually Peter Rabbit, but it is definitely little bunnies in little clothes, so I'm going with it.

My mom surging the edges before I put the elastic around the bottom.

To make the sheets for the crib mattress, we started with the gingham, so that we could count squares in order to have the placement right. We ended up with a piece of fabric that was 29" x 46". After placing it on the mattress wrong side up, we pinned the corners.

After pinning the corners, my mom sewed a straight seam along the pins. We then cut the excess fabric off, leaving 1/4' of fabric after the seams. You can then surge the edges if you like. After that, it was my turn to sew on the elastic. We cut a 60" piece and then pinned it in alternating places. The first pin goes at the 9" mark, then 21" after the first pin, then 9", then 21" inches. Following still? You then match the pins on the elastic with the corners of the sheets, and stretch as you sew. This ensures that you use your elastic evenly around the edge of the sheet.

Here you can see the crib in all it's loveliness. In case you can't tell, I put the blue Peter Rabbit sheets on first. Our crib is the BloomBaby Alma Urban Folding Crib from Modern Nursery. I can't wait to snuggle our new little baby in there! If you buy this crib, you can just follow our pattern for making your own delightful sheets, or you can modify my vague instructions (sorry!) and still make your own!

...And thanks Mom and Dad S for the amazing crib. Can't wait until you get to see it!

Spritzdekor

Such a splashy pop of colors, don't you think? Spritzdekor is a special technique of decorating everyday glassware such as cake platters, vases, and butter dishes. This expressive dinnerware reached it's zenith during the heyday of the Weimar Republic, but it's seemingly promising life was abruptly cut short when the Nazi's took power in 1933. (credit here)

Little is known about Spritzdekor other than the above, but there is no denying its intriguing beauty and fascinating designs—perfect for any modern or eclectic interior.

Food | Leeks

I have found something delicious, and although I am probably the last person in all the earth to have discovered this marvelous vegetable, but will nonetheless share my enthusiasm for leeks as if I were the first to have stumbled upon it.

I first used leeks in a potato leek soup. To be honest, I only decided to try it when I read an article about them from David Lebovitz, that highlighted their best qualities, including—what I was most interested in—their affordability. I was delightfully surprised to find that their flavor is much more subtle than onions. The aroma that filled my house was not the choking, let's open the window type of smell, as is often the case with onions, but was actually quite pleasant. Their flavor is the same way.

Want tips on how to clean leeks from Apartment Therapy?
What about David's potato-leek soup recipe that got me hooked? To cut down on the cost even more, forgo the white pepper unless you already have it, and just use black.

Even if you don't want to try a soup recipe—after all, summer is nearing, which means soup season is saying goodbye—I would still recommend following the above recipe link for great tips on preparing leeks. It's a fantastic introduction to this delightful vegetable. And seriously, leeks not only taste good, but are so beautiful. It was really fun and very aesthetically pleasing to prepare.

Enjoy!