Enjoying the Small Things

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Our Home Learning Classroom

August 25, 2020 By Kelle

Our Home Learning Classroom

I picked up the kids’ textbooks and laptops from school this morning, my lone car sitting in an almost empty parking lot that is usually a bustling carline this time of year filled with teachers and students finding their places during the first week of school characterized by nothing less than electric anticipation. It took me a minute to recognize the face of the masked assistant who took my paperwork from the window and passed two laptops and two large bags filled with text books and materials that have been carefully organized by teachers. I’m sure the school staff is weary of replying to all the obligatory comments–“This is so weird,” “I’ve never seen the school so quiet!,” “2020, eh?“–but I couldn’t help myself: “I can’t wait until we’re all together again,” I mumbled. “You guys are working so hard. Thank you. We miss you all!” And then I drove away and cried.

It is what it is, and we will make the best of it. We have chosen the option to stay home, following the kids’ regular curriculum online. We opted out of a full live virtual experience because my kids will tap out with that much screen time. Everything is fluid though, and we have the option to change plans if our current situation isn’t working. We look forward to our kids being back in their classrooms with their friends when we feel enough has been worked out for them to safely and comfortably do so in a setting that doesn’t cause them stress. My heart goes out to all the teachers and administrators working so hard right now to fit a square peg in a round hole. Our teachers are heroes, and we fully support them and can’t wait to hug them.

So what do we do with these moldy old 2020 lemons? We make the best damn lemonade we can. I’m pouring all the love and attention I can into supporting my kids’ at home learning, and it begins with a designated space–a learning home base, if you will. The kids will probably move around several times throughout the day, and Lainey will probably do a lot of her work in her bedroom; but I wanted a central area where the little ones can at least begin their school day in a spot where I can easily supervise them. The kids used my office a lot last for e-learning last year, but I had to kick them out so many times when I needed my own space. When we were in Michigan, I started thinking about where we could set up desks and build an affordable classroom (especially since this is temporary). I pulled up photos of my dining room, realizing there’s a wall nook that would probably work really well for an extended desk. My neighbor ran over and measured the space for me, and before we even left Michigan, I started ordering things to build my dream learning space. I called my sister who is an amazing decorator, space planner and D.I.Y. genius. She had built a similar desk in her house to the one I envisioned. Within an hour, she sent me links to modern classroom art for the wall, helped me decide on some chairs, and we created a story board for inspiration.

Before:

And After,
Our beloved new at-home learning space:

My favorite thing about this space is how inexpensive it was to create. I had seen some inspiration online for similar desks that called for pricier drawer units as bases and expensive butcher block for the workspace top, but we created this desk in a matter of hours for a little over $100. The cube units are the exact height of a desk and are $30 each (drawer cubes are $10), and the desk top is a $45 15-inch wide formica project panel I bought and had cut at Home Depot. It’s cut into two halves (you can see the seam in the middle) just so I could manage getting it into my car alone.

Wooden Folder Holders

The textured brick wallpaper is peel-and-stick–a great temporary way to jazz up a gallery wall. And the upholstered chairs came in a set of two for $100. I love them.

Wall Art: Green Chalkboard (I’m so excited about writing with chalk, I actually bought my favorite teacher item–a chalk holder!), “Together We Will See It Through” Oxford Pennant, Vintage School Supplies Sign, Red School Clock

 

The storage cubes hold all of their supplies and books, one cube unit for each kid. And of course, I had to display all of the school supply delights that make me so happy, out in the open–freshly sharpened pencils, new crayons, markers, erasers…oh my.

The room still functions perfectly as a dining room with plenty of room between the two spaces.

I love this new space and what it’s done for our school morale–the kids are excited to start, organizing their supplies in their drawers and making plans for who will sit where.

And I love that we’re not all crammed in my office and that I can keep an eye on them from the main area of the house. We still have plenty of quiet spaces they can move to if they need a little more privacy. But I love that we’ve created a collaborative learning space as much like their real classroom as possible–and that we did it for very little $$!

We got this. And we are going to learn so much from all of this year’s lessons. We are not putting unrealistic pressure on ourselves. We know that more than anything, our kids need love and reassurance right now. We can do that.

For all those starting school in whatever way, shape or form that works for you, we’re in this together. And for our beloved teachers who are working harder than they ever have and are just as sad as we are for what things look like right now, thank you.

***********************

Sources all in one place:

Cube Storage Unit
Cube Storage Drawers
Set of Two Chairs
Chalkboard
Red School Clock
Oxford Pennant Flag
Vintage School Supplies Sign
Wooden Folder Holders
Peel-and-Stick Textured White Brick Wallpaper

Filed Under: Home

Yes You Can – Oxford Pennant Collaboration

August 27, 2019 By Kelle

Yes You Can – Oxford Pennant Collaboration

Early this year, I reached out to one of my favorite companies with an idea for a custom piece for Nella’s room and the possibility of turning it into something bigger I could share with you. It was fueled by my love for clean, colorful design but more so the message I want Nella to hear over and over–that she is not limited by a disability, and that her dreams in life are answered by the anthem of three powerful words: Yes. You. Can.

The company I approached is Oxford Pennant, a Buffalo shop I’ve been following for a few years now–obsessed with their aesthetic, products (made in the U.S.!), and creative passion behind their marketing. I also knew the owner had a niece with Down syndrome.

One banner snowballed into an entire collaboration–the first product collaboration I’ve ever done, and I could not be more thrilled with everything it turned out to be. A portion of the proceeds of every sale in this collaboration will benefit Ruby’s Rainbow, but the inclusive empowering messages are for us all…

Yes You Can.

Everyone’s Invited…

…and I Like You Just the Way You Are.

I was in Buffalo this past weekend for a fun launch event at the Oxford Pennant Shop, and can I just say, BUFFALO! You SLAYED me! What a fun, creative city with the warmest people. Buffalo’s 21 Connect also came to celebrate with us–a portion of the evening’s sales benefitting their continued mission to provide education about Down syndrome and support to families in the Buffalo community.

I brought home the banner that started it all and wasted no time in getting it hung in Nella’s room.

In a little over 24 hours in Buffalo, I got the full behind-the-scenes tour of Oxford Pennant and learned more about the story behind their company and the wonderful creative people who are part of it–all which made me even more proud to have my name next to theirs in these products I cannot wait to see out in the world.

There’s something for everyone in this collaboration…which is exactly what these products are about: Celebrating everything, everyone.

Shop the entire Kelle Hampton x Oxford Pennant collaboration, and when your banners and pennants and sweatshirts and patches are out there in the world, tag me in the pictures!

I love seeing these messages in your homes, knowing you’re loving something we made.
Can you buy everything in the collaboration online? YES YOU CAN!
Can you buy kid sizes AND adult sizes? YES YOU CAN!
Can you buy from another country? YES YOU CAN!
Can you help a passionate young adult with Down syndrome achieve their college dreams by shopping? YES YOU CAN!

So many yeses. xo

And the hugest thanks to my wonderful friends at Oxford Pennant for making these so beautiful.

Filed Under: Down Syndrome, Fashion, Home, Parenting

The Never Used Household Items We Thought We Had to Have

January 11, 2019 By Kelle

The Never Used Household Items We Thought We Had to Have

In digging through my cluttered appliance cabinet the other morning to reach the crumb-covered blender to make Dash a smoothie, I gave a little “hey there” nod to the pile of other crumb-covered appliances I thought were absolute kitchen necessities back when I was establishing myself as a homemaker, in the great homemaker-establishing ritual of creating a wedding registry. At the time, I considered toast, crackers & cheese and Ramen noodles perfectly good meals, but put a wedding registration barcode scanning gun in my hand, and suddenly I’m Martha Stewart. I need a panini maker and a fruit spiralizer and a really good bread maker because I’m going to bake bread every day. In fact, I’m going to grind my own wheat. I’m going to make my own ravioli noodles and definitely serve soup in those little mini cocottes because I’m going to be married and then I’m going to be a mom, and married moms serve soup in cocottes (no they don’t). My entire wedding registration is a perfect representation of the domestic idealism that has tripped me up sometimes, but I’m not necessarily mad about it. Domestic dreaming triggers a euphoric little burst of dopamine for me, as perusing through a Williams Sonoma catalogue will demonstrate–even if I never actually get to making that cinnamon-dusted, 3-tiered cake in the shape of a sand castle. I find comfort in the idea of my domestic possibilities.

Perhaps there’s no greater representation of my homemaker dream ridiculousness though than The Embosser. I came across it in the glossy catalogue pages for a fancy stationery company shortly after our wedding, and when I saw it I knew–screw the bread machine, The Embosser was the thing that was going to take me to a new level of Homemaker. The Embosser was a heavy silver handheld press that was custom designed with your last name initial and whatever phrase you chose to set you apart as a family; and with a simple squeeze of its handles, you could turn paper, foil labels–anything into a personalized seal. I couldn’t order it fast enough, and in my true impulsive no-time-to-think-this-through urgency, I typed the first thing I could think of for the phrase that was going to encircle our initial and represent us a family. You ready for this? LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. What can I say, it was the year of the framed plaque, and my truths came from the aisles of Homegoods, But here’s the best part. I couldn’t even get the phrase right. I ordered it to say LAUGH, LOVE, LIVE.

So I patiently waited two weeks for The Embosser to arrive, ordering gold foil labels and making plans for all that I would emboss in the meantime. And that’s when the idea came…an epiphany I was sure was my greatest one yet.

I was going to emboss…our toilet paper. That’s right, toilet paper. I was going to learn how to fold the end of our toilet paper roll into one of those fancy little origami triangles like the Ritz Carlton, and then I was going to take it up a notch by embossing the triangle with the Hampton Homemaker seal.

Our parties would never be the same. Our guests were going to feel so pampered when they stepped into our bathroom, sat down on our toilet and reached to wipe only to pause with recognition at our hospitable detail and the oh so important reminder to LAUGH! LOVE! LIVE!

Do I really need to tell you about the result of this purchase? The sustainability of this great idea? The Embosser dream lasted all of one party when I realized that after someone used the restroom, I had to run in to refold and emboss the toilet paper again for the next guest. And that was the end of The Embosser.

I found it recently–tucked in a drawer with a stack of thank you notes I never sent and the attachment tool likely to some kitchen appliance I thought I needed but never use. There will always be a little Martha Stewart inside of me, and I’ll never stop tearing out pages of intricately braided pie crusts in her magazine for inspiration. But I know where I comfortably stand when it comes to making my house a home, and it doesn’t involve embossed toilet paper.

Do you know what my most used kitchen tools are? Two small things I never thought I’d need but use almost every day…this counter scraper and these herb scissors. There you go, wedding registry women. You’re welcome. And three things I never purchased but are still on my list…a huge dutch oven (are the LeCreuset really worth it?), a KitchenAid mixer and a cordless Dyson Animal because so many people have told me it’s life changing when it comes to keeping your car clean.

Have any household tools you thought you couldn’t live without that are now covered in dust? An unexpected household item that became your favorite thing? Do tell.

Filed Under: Home, Uncategorized

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