Bananasauras Rex

How pretty and smart is this dryer-sheet alternative? These are 4" x 4" sachets filled with pure blue/grey French lavender. Throw them in the dryer to lightly scent your linens or lingerie or levis. Each sachet lasts for 10-15 loads and they're sold in packets of three for $6 — that's as little as .13¢ a load. Not bad. Even better, they're made from vintage tablecloths in pretty patterns.



From the same etsy shop, I also love the MamaGoToMarket bag. It has an accordion-fold base that allows it to sit flat for loading and unloading. I like what the product description says: It holds a little less than paper, way more than plastic. This bag is built for endurance but it’s so cute that it won’t embarrass you at the library, the beach or the gym. MamaGoToMarket Bags are strong and flexible — able to carry a heavy load and look great doing it. Not unlike Mama herself.

Nicole Hill Photography

Good news for New Yorkers! One of my favorite photographers — and the artistic mind behind the excellent blog A Little Sussy — will be in New York for a few days and is available for photo shoots. The collage above is a tiny sampling of Nicole's work. Pretty, right? And you also have to check out the photo shoot here.

If New York doesn't work for you, you're still in luck. Nicole says, "If there are about 5 families (or children of families) who will book sessions over a weekend, I will travel anywhere. So grab your friends and fly me out!"

Little Black Book of Style

From time to time I've mentioned my adoration of the Project Runway series — far and away my favorite of the reality shows. I've also mentioned my respect/crush for Tim Gunn and his new show Guide to Style. But frankly, in all my love for Project Runway, I haven't given Nina Garcia, one the judges, much thought.

So when I heard about her new book, The Little Black Book of Style, I thought it was time to give Nina some dedicated attention. That. And the fact that, like I mentioned, I'm really trying to step it up in my daily dressing and I thought this book might help.

And it does help! Things I like about the book: It's beautifully printed. There are fantastic illustrations by Ruben Toledo throughout, making it a pleasure to read. Her description of growing up in Columbia with fashion-forward parents. Her discourse about the difference between fashion and style. Her chapter on inspiration — a list of classic movies to watch and what to watch for. Lots of helpful advice and it's pretty enough to leave on the coffee table.

Mostly, I love getting a better idea of how someone who loves fashion and has studied fashion, thinks about fashion. Something about becoming a mother makes many women want to improve their wardrobe, this book offers some great advice to do just that.

Update: Want even more info on Nina's book? I just noticed that the super-smart Girl con Queso wrote about the same book last week.

Least Likely 2 Breed

Do you have any friends that kind of surprised you when they decided to become mothers? The kind of friends that are a little irreverent? A little rebellious? The kind of friends that make excellent — if a-typical — mothers, even though they would never admit it?

Well. I have friends like that. And now I have the perfect product line to give them as gifts. Three all natural body balms made by Least Likely 2 Breed. There's the Bad Ass Booty Balm for your baby's little sensitive behind. There's the Tough Titties Nipple Rub, because no matter what the well-meaning lactation consultant tells you, even if you're doing it correctly, nursing can be curl-your-toes painful for weeks and weeks. And there's a third balm with such an edgy name that I can't even mention it here on my oh-so-G-rated blog.

In addition to the bad-girl attitude, you'll love this company for what they choose to put in their products and even more for what they leave out. Check out the ingredient lists and feel confident that these products are good for your baby and good for you.

Book of the Week: Freight Train

My friend Rebecca is really, really good at acknowledging birthdays. Knowing I collect Caldecott books, this year she sent me Freight Train, by Donald Crews. It arrived in an Amazon box and when I opened it, I could tell just from the cover it was my new favorite book. Why? Because the freight train's cars are red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple. That's why.

I also love that's it's simultaneously in Spanish and English. I also love that the pictures are simple and clean and styled. There is one picture in the middle of the book of the train in motion that should be framed and hung in every busy child's home.

Freight Train has proved a hit with my 2 year old and the pictures are interesting enough that my older kids have been curious to read it as well. A beautiful book both to read and to display.

Available here.

Dejarnette

Katherine, the artist behind the Dejarnette line of jewelry wrote to me about her Mon Amour necklace, knowing it's something a mother would love. But a mother is a woman first. And frankly, most women would love any of Katherine's creations. Her jewelry is stunning.




For example, this Highest Number necklace.



And this Blowing Bubbles necklace.



And yes, the Mon Amour necklace she originally wrote to me about. You send in a photo. You pick from one of 5 backgrounds. And Katherine makes the necklace just for you. And if you really, really want one, I've got good news. Enter monamour at checkout and you'll get 20% off this lovely necklace.

Moolka

Beachy recently sent me a link to Moolka, an online store that carries the best of the European toys. It's a lovely site and a lovely sight. Question: Why does everything Euro seem so cool? Some of my favorite picks:


This perfectly proportioned Sheep Music Box from Lana Organics.


These Garden Stamps by Djeco.


This HedgeHog Pulltoy by Scratch. And the Children's Aprons by Furnis, pictured above.

Porch Makeover

After reading this article from Blueprint in the spring, I was inspired. A porch makeover is just the thing to make our funny little rental a happier place. Here's what we did to freshen things up:


1) The door:
- Removed the screen door
- Painted the door handle and knocker silver
- Painted the door the perfect shade of green

2) The landscaping:
- Removed all the overgrown shrubs.
- Transplanted better looking plants from crowded parts of the sideyard to the front. I especially love the holly to the left of the porch.




3) The details:
- We replaced our ancient, spiderwebby, light fixture with one from Ikea. It's beautiful. Plus it hangs lower and adds more welcoming light as you approach the house. Ben did the wiring himself.
- We replaced our mailbox with a shiny, red, Swedish one.
- We installed a new doorbell.
- We installed a new house number.



- We added terra cotta pots with combinations of red flowers. Here it is mid-September and the begonias are still trying to hang on. But Betty is doing her best to kill them off. We'll replace the summer flowers with fall mums this weekend.

This was a great project. I love how the green and red details look against the dark grey of the paneling. The green door adds about a thousand gallons of personality. And now we get to say, "It's the house with the green door," when we're giving directions.

You can see even more photos here.

Also. Here is the "before" shot on the day the shrubs were taken out:

PB Teen Finds

Two things caught my eye in the most recent PB Teen catalog:

1) Wirework Letters, $15 each. Displaying one on a shelf or in an office could be cool. More than one looks like overkill to me.

2) Curtains with Pleated bottoms. Umm. School-girl preppy for window wear? Love it.

Jiinkinkids

The artist behind Jiinkinkids created a line of "adoption art" in honor of the little girl she is adopting from China. Sweet, soft images. Printed on stretched matte canvas.

And in case you're curious, Jiinkin is a Mongolian word that means “real, true, actual, authentic & genuine.”

Thanks to Debbie Wickham for the link.

Tom's Shoes

I've got a great new reason to go shoe shopping: Tom's Shoes. Tom, is the tall, bearded fellow in the group photo and he created a line of good-looking, really comfortable (so I hear) shoes. And best of all. Everyone single time someone buys a pair of shoes, Tom donates another pair to a child in need. Buy one. Give one. You can read about it here.





Shoes for babies, men and women. And like I said, they're good-looking too.

Thanks Joslyn!

Giveaway Winner — Backpack & $100 Giftcard from Land's End

Four Hundred and Ninety Eight. That's a lot of entries. Clearly, everyone is the mood to do some shopping. Thank you to all 498 of you for entering the Giveaway. The winner — the lucky one who will be shopping with a Land's End giftcard — is:

Tania who said, "I've been a devotee of Land's End since 1989 - LOVE their stuff, especially for my kids. I'd be thrilled to win this one!"

Congratulations Tania!! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send your info to Land's End right away.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Thank you to Land's End. Hooray for Giveaways!

Goodbye Zanne!

I'm so sad to see Zanne go. What an excellent Guest Mom she has been. Every post full of beautiful pictures and great ideas. I loved getting a glimpse of the artistic life she is creating for herself — a barn converted into a studio, more than one website, a sewing group — the stuff of a thinking, happy mind.

Zanne, I'll be keeping tabs on you at your awesome blog. Thank you for your hard work. Please come back anytime!

Seriously. Don't touch my belly.

I saw this knowing shirt by Molly Anna and want to buy one for every pregnant woman I know. From the product description:

"Maternity Wardrobe $2,408
Nursery Furniture $1,317
Touching my Belly $5
Some things money can't buy.
For everything else, you need cold hard cash."

I mean how sick are you of random strangers touching your belly?

via GoodyBlog

Afternoon Tea Jackets

Oh my goodness. How I love these tea jackets by Robin's Egg Pink! They remind of something that stylish Nie Nie would buy for her lovely daughters if it was ever chilly in Arizona.

Keep in Touch — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Ciao Bellas!!!!

I have to admit, I'm not so good at keeping in touch. It's one of the reasons I started blogging. I couldn't keep up with the letters, phone calls and emails. I feel so bad about it. I am lucky enough to have friends and family who, after not seeing or talking to for months or years, we are able to visit like it was yesterday when we last saw each other. So I try to give peeks into my life for my family and friends through my blog.

My best friend called me one day (she lives 3000 miles away) and suggested we start a blog together. So we did. It's starting slowly (busy lives...), but it is gathering momentum and allows us to "see" each other on a more regular basis.

Even though I'm not so good at it anymore, I still love old fashioned letters in the mail or a postcard. I still do write the occasional note, so I gather up pieces and kits of stationary here and there, and sometimes I make my own. Enjoy these print, stationary and letter links and think about your friend you haven't talked to in a while and give them a call, write them a note, or send them an email.

{freshly}blended - Nicole's overview of the Stationary Show in May contains wonderful images of notes, cards and paper.

I love these from skinny happy labels from Every Jot and Tittle


Annacote

{Paper Relics}

at Orange Button

Linda & Harriet


Pearl & Marmalade


Posh Peacock


Studio Olivine

pepperinapress

I've really enjoyed blogging with you this week, and I hope you will keep in touch and visit me (please say hi!) at my blog: ZanneStars, and if you live in the Western MA area, come take a class at LuckyStitches! and make something.

Random Giveaway: Land's End Backpack & $100 Giftcard

Goodness gracious! I feel great today. The red mailbox for our front porch arrived. The weather is fantastic. My mom is in town taking care of brand-new Petrea. My friend Linda gave me two vintage stools for me new office. Life is good.

And life is good for you too! Because I've got a great giveaway for this weekend. Leave a comment on this post to enter your name for a Cordura Zip Top Backpack and $100 Giftcard — both from Land's End!!



This backpack is fantastic. Super-well-made. With at least a dozen features, like padded shoulder straps, side pockets for water bottles or school supplies, and an MP3/CD player pouch with a cord port. It was designed to fit ages 7 and up and Land's End proclaims it as their "toughest pack". It retails for $39.50 and of course, it comes with the famous Land's End promise: Guaranteed. Period.

The one up for grabs in this Giveaway is magenta, but with the aforementioned guarantee, I'm sure you can exchange it for whatever color you love most of the five available.



The backpack would make a really nice prize on its own. But because I like to host extra-fabulous giveaways, Land's End is throwing in a $100 Giftcard to sweeten the deal. $100 to spend however you like on the fine Land's End merchandise of your choice.

If it were my $100 giftcard, I would be most tempted by:


This kid's Down Vest — only $25! — in ten colors. I could choose five different ones for each of my kids, and only have to pay for one.


Or these Wellington Boots available in seven colors.


Or this insulated Canvas Field Jacket. Perfect for apple picking.


Or this furry hat and gloves.

Am I craving cool weather or what? Now that school is in full swing and you've had a chance to evaluate your household's wardrobes and school gear, I'm sure you've got a list of items you need to pick up. So enter this Giveaway and if you win, it will be so lovely to let Land's End pick up the tab. Happy weekend, everybody.

Thank you Land's End!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, September 24th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Sarah Jane

I have a new illustrator crush. Her name is Sarah Jane. She blogs here and you can see her work here. From what I understand, she's about to open an etsy shop next month where she'll sell cards and prints of her artwork. I can't wait! I can't imagine a nursery or playroom that wouldn't be improved by adding one of her pictures. Those elephants. That little girl reading. Exquisite.

Bugaboo Video

Did everyone already see the Bugaboo Bee movie? (The Bee is the latest stroller by Bugaboo.) The movie is interesting and pretty to watch — I appreciate when a company takes the time to make their promotions beautiful. Plus the message makes it across: from the movie it's easy to see the Bee is lightweight, easy to use, and very maneuver-able. I like the color options.

Trivia bit: I hear the dance was choreographed by the same guy who does the Scrubs dances. Nice work Scrubs dance guy.

Holiday Cards — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Bonjour! Bonjour!

Are you thinking about them yet? I've been thinking about them since June. Well probably earlier. I know, I know, it's not even Halloween, but if I don't think about it now, we'll be making these the week before New Years, when I'd really like to mail them early in December, this year, for once...

I used to make my own holiday cards. It started in college, when I was but a poor college student, yet I had plenty of art supplies, paper and fabric scraps, glitter and metallic paint around. I've made them just about every year, until I became pregnant. Now, with my 2.5 year old babe, I really want us to make cards again, with her. I used to make ornaments that would go in the cards (sorry...can you believe NO pictures, what was I thinking?), but with 100+ people on my list, I've had to re-think the card thing while being a mom, starting a business and just trying to keep the laundry done and well..you know.

It's on my wish list this year, that our family sit down and make cards together. Izzy is at the point where the glue or paint or glitter won't end up in her mouth (ok, maybe her hair, but we can do punk for a few days, that's ok). Plus, with the nights getting cooler, we'll be inside after dinner, and art is a fun family thing for us. I've started going through our art supply stash (we've been trying to use what we have, not buy more of things we don't really need), it's huge with an artist/painter/printmaker/sculptor Dad and me with paper, fabric, buttons, yarn etc. and wondering what are we going to do?

So...I've been snooping around on the world wide web (one of my favorite past times, I love information....) and thought I'd share some link love:


Pop-Up Card tutorial

Plant Prints
Painting with Leaves
Printing with Leaves
This could be fun with glitter or metallic paint or great color combos. Evergreen trees, poinsettia leaves, pinecones, small branches.


We've been painting beads, but this could probably translate to wooden shapes that could be glued or strung to the card and perfect for mailing.


we could make our own envelopes out of our art


We will add in a family photo (one's like these always prompt a call from a few family members :-). We like to keep in touch, and maybe this year we'll write a letter to our family and friends.

Don't want to make your own, or just don't have the time to make 100s of cards? Some of these seemed pretty cool:


Did you know that you could order cards through the United States Postal System? I had no idea.


And I've always been inspired by the MOMA Holiday Cards


Next to handmade cards, I love receiving photo cards. These from tinyprints.com are tasty.

And maybe we'll make this in January when it's time to put the cards away...

Ask Design Mom: Where to Find Ric Rac

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
I am redoing my daughters room so she can share with her new baby brother. l wanted to sew rick rack trim onto a white crib bumper (like they used to carry at PB Kids). I need some specific colors to match the new quilt I'm making for my daughter's bed and can hardly find any ric-rac anywhere and no color selection. Any ideas? -CW

Design Mom Answer:
Hi CW. Congratulations on the new baby! I'm so glad you've got a project involving rick rack. In fact, what project isn't improved by rick rack? One online source for trimmings that was highly recommended to me is Farber Trimming Corp. But their website is not the easiest to use. You can find the basic ric rac link here. Then you have to download their rick rack color card to see the colors and varieties available. I can't tell if there are minimum yardage requirements.

Their vast selection is featured in the photo at top. The left shows all the different thicknesses. Apparently, each width is available in the colors in the right two columns. That's a lot of choices. And when it come to ric rac, choice is good.

Just looking for a little bit of rick rack? JKM sells prepackaged ric rac and quite a few colors here.

Letterpress Posters by Nurseryworks

More great posters to inspire your nursery.

These were designed for the Nurseryworks poster collection by Onethread. They are produced letterpress, printed in limited editions of 250. Each one is numbered. The posters come in a clean, contemporary, white-laquered frames. 16 x 20 inches.

The caterpillar one is my favorite.

Arrgh!

Arrgh! Me Hearties.

As Zanne, this week's delightful Guest Mom, mentioned in her last post, it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Outside of Halloween and Christmas, you couldn't come up with a holiday that my children would like more than this. If your house has the same strong feelings about pirates, and talking like a pirate just isn't enough, be sure to visit 826 Valencia, where you can find everything you need to feel really authentically pirate-ish.

Like designer glass eyes and message bottles and eye patches. While you're there, you should probably also get to know Captain Rick.

Lunch — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Bonjour! Bonjour!

Meals are a big deal at our house. We have every breakfast and dinner together as a family, then lunch where ever we may be (work, school, out and about). Now that we live in a remote "hood", lunches must be packed. Running to the deli for a sandwich could consume at least 45 minutes of the day (that's just the commute, not allowing time to relax and enjoy), and well, that's just no fun.

I usually make a sandwich for Rob, an eggplant or roasted tomato spread with yummy cheese, lettuce and any veggies in season, and put them on a piece of lavash bread, then roll them up and place them in a reusable container. I'll make a little salad (or have some left from the night before), and pop that into another container. Crackers or pretzels go in another container, and then 2 pieces of fruit. With winter coming, I'll start making big batches of soups to freeze in single servings for lunches. The soup will go in a handy, super dandy thermos to stay warm.

For Izzy's lunch at school, I usually make her an avocado or garbanzo bean pita (small pitas with either item mashed inside - it's a HUGE hit!), and I have a bunch of these AWESOME containers from The Container Store:


in which will go beans and avocado or cheese and crackers, applesauce, yogurt, fresh raw veggies and fresh fruit. Sometimes an extra snack goes in for the trip home, she is so busy during her day, she doesn't know she's hungry until she gets in the car. (and that's no fun — driving with a hungry child...) She also has a thermos, for her warm soups and other lunches (tortellinis, wild rice and veggies, couscous and roasted tomatoes...yummmm)

Do you know about the Bento Lunchbox Craze (It's not crazy....)?

It appeals to me for a couple of reasons:
1. The containers call out my inner collector. I WANT THEM ALL. Ok not quite all of them...
2. The serving size is appropriate! Not massive, but wonderful bites of healthy food (if that's what you put in them:-)
3. They are small to carry! The don't take up a lot of room in your bag, back pack.
4. You can be super creative:

This one is to celebrate today, September 19th, Talk Like A Pirate Day (how come this wasn't on my calendar?)


Here's another Pirate themed lunch.





The boxes can be fun, like these from JBOX.com:





Bento Links:
Kitchen Cow
Were Rabbits
Adventures in Bento Making
Bento Yum

Then there is Laptop Lunches.
If eating PB&J is your thing and not cute rice and seaweed, here's another option for Bento boxes. The program is pretty cool. They have sets you can buy, or just the components, and a book to get you started. I love organized things like this.

Ok, last, but not least. The lunch box.


available at HapaCulture.com


available at LunchBoxes.com


available at LunchBoxes.com


available at LunchBoxes.com where they also have a horses, farm and dinosaur versions!

Have a great lunch! I am now so inspired and hungry, we are making a trip to the grocery store for some lunch goodies. Enjoy!

Silicone Accessories

I keep visiting modern-twist to admire their silicone placemats and coasters.

Creative Spaces — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Bonjour! Bonjour!


I've just finished making this wonderful chicken soup. I roasted up a bunch of heirloom tomatoes and garlic (after looking at this article on Instructables.com), covered them with rosemary, put them into some chicken broth with onions and even more garlic. The head cold is much better. ahhh Now I can think clearly (at least I think so).

We are in the process of putting a new roof on our house. While doing this we uncovered (of course!!!!) more work, and we're losing this, but adding that. This means we are losing Izzy's playroom. It's ok, the improvements are wonderful, but what to do with all those TOYS?


Here's a shot without toys, during the early stages of demo. It was a really great space, shelves lined the walls, room for everything!


Here's a hole in the ceiling/roof, looking out to my husbands studio (barn).

We decided to move her playroom into a room that we weren't using very well. It's a bigger space than her first playroom, with better light, and will be warmer in the winter (have to think about those things in New England...). There is still a ton of work that needs to be done to make it even closer to "her" space, like pack up some books and move some shelves.


She does have a corner now with a big yellow chair (it was her great grandma's), a reading light (from Pearl River), and a bookshelf of books, puzzles and toys.


A dress up bucket with a mirror (that has yet to be hung...but it will be!!!).

She loves the room, she says it is "Beautiful Mom, I LOVE it" and has corrected me when I call it her playroom, "No Mom, it's my studio". OF COURSE IT IS!!!

Rob has his studio in the barn, I have my studio upstairs, why wouldn't Izzy have her studio too. Funny though, when she called it that, I really started thinking about it differently. I thought about my studio, where everything has it's place determined by it's use (ok - it wouldn't seem like that if you were to walk in this very minute....but really things do have their place...promise.) I now think about how I can arrange her toys, musical instruments, art supplies, books, costumes, blocks and more, so she can use them, put them back (***key) and remember where they are. I'm looking for a work table and a few chairs, shelving with a few drawers, fun containers to hold/organize those small things. All of these grand ideas on a frugal budget. I know we can do it, through hand-me-downs, tag sales, craigslist, freecycle and IKEA (oh...IKEA! - have you all seen this: ikea hacker).


I think this wallpaper from Graham & Brown would be awesome on a wall. We tape up Izzy's art on the stairway wall right now, and will still keep that as her gallery, but I think we will also have it hanging in her studio.


I love these decals from Mimi Lou at Kindergallery.


I love this Caleb's room in Cookie Magazine. I really love the climbing wall.


I'm liking this Trofast Storage System from Ikea. Pull out drawers and I can choose colors other than white or add doors.



Iz would get a kick out of these mini poofs from Zac & Zoe. The characters are super sweet.



And how fun would it be to have a shelf like this! Also from Zac & Zoe .


Oh my gosh - there is just so much cool stuff I'm loving at Zac & Zoe. Like this table with cushions — handmade!


Oh - and this mille fiore rug.

Ok, I could link forever, but I'd love to hear what you all have done for fun spaces in your homes (or what's on your wish list) for your kids.

School Supplies by Working Class Studio

The Savannah College of Art & Design started Working Class Studio as part of their curriculum. It's the smartest thing. Each quarter students are selected as interns to work in the Studio and produce actual products that are sold nationwide. This provides real, practical experience for their students and helps them build up a portfolio so they can land a great job after graduation. The design coming out of Working Class studio is excellent. I'm a big fan.

For this year's fall season, they launched a Back-to-Campus Collection that's being marketed at Barnes and Noble. Nine journals, two pencil pouches, a sketchbook and a canvas messenger bag. All designed by students for students. Definitely worth a trip to Barnes and Noble to check them out.

I know they were designed for students, but they're pretty enough for moms as well.

Getting Cozy — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Bonjour! Bonjour!

I'm a bit under the weather. I've got a head cold to beat the bandit, so if I seem scattered, well, now you know why! Anyway, I've been drinking tea, cup after cup, loaded with honey and lemon. I stopped drinking coffee years ago, when slowing down to 1/2 a cup of decaf sent my tummy in a spin. I do miss having coffee, but I enjoy tea more.

My most favorite place to buy tea is Java Joe in Brooklyn. Rosie can come up with a blend that would make my heart sing. I can walk into the shop and lift open a jar and the smell of the different blends would make me want to hurry home, brew a cup, and sit with a good book.


Guy Degreene Teapot

I don't have a tea pot. I'm hoping to change that soon. I've been noticing tea pots more and more when visiting friends. From the modern, to the retro, traditional and Asian. I love them all.

But what I'm really loving are the teapot cozies. (Because I really want to make one for the teapot I don't have yet...)


I love this one that Bella Dia made. (more photos found here) It makes me happy.


This one from syko uses buttons (my favorite things...)


This one from delightfulknits reminds me to get cozy just in time for fall.

This is a great tutorial for turning a wool hat into a tea cozy.

My Favorite Tea Sites:
Mighty Leaf (I'm hooked on their Vanilla Bean)
Adagio Teas
The Republic of Tea
Tea Forte

Win A Subscription to ELIZA Magazine from Sk*rt!

There is a new up-and-coming fashion magazine out there. It’s called Eliza.

Beautifully shot. Beautifully printed. An excellent addition to your collection. And since it is such an up-and-coming periodical, we thought a free, year-long subscription to Eliza would be a great way to draw your attention to the sk*rt Up-and-Coming section. The section where stylemakers, divas and mavens decide what is worthy of the sk*rt Popular section.

Think you can spot a good link when you see one? Then you (yes you!) can be a sk*rt stylemaker, a sk*rt diva, a sk*rt maven too. All you have to do is go to the Up-and-Coming section and scroll through the pages, all the while keeping watch for the best of the best links. Then click “love-it” and show that your opinion counts.

To enter your name for the free subscription to Eliza, just share your point-of-view with fellow sk*rt users by voting for at least 10 items in the Up-and-Coming section by this Saturday, September 22nd. Then send us an email to: sharethelove@sk-rt.com and let us know you entered. Be sure to include your sk*rt username so we know it’s you. We’ll announce the winner next week.

Happy voting you trendmakers. And if you can’t wait to see if you won, get your own subscription to Eliza here.

PhotoMojo

The lovely Maya Papaya sent me a link to her post about Photojojo. Maya says, "I love Photojojo; I wish their emails came to me every day. Twice a day would be even better!"

Photojojo is an email newsletter that features unique projects to make with your photos. You can browse through some of their brilliant ideas from their Archive link. For example, here's a link on how to make the perfect-bound journals pictured above.

This is such a brilliant thing to know about. I would love to see some stats on the number of pictures being taken today compared to even a decade ago — digital cameras have changed our lives. It's nice to see ideas of what to do with all those images.

Alphabet Poster by Standard Motion

Standard Motion, a design studio in Brooklyn, just came out with this Alphabet Poster. The images are hand-drawn and so appealing — just check out the pirate if you don't believe me. For the nursery. The family room. The classroom. Love it.

Bonjour Bonjour!! — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Bonjour Bonjour!!

I'm not French. Far from it. This is the way my mom and I greet each other on the phone. The start of a usually lengthy, but uplifting and funny conversation that lasts an hour or so, and seems the right way to greet you. So...Bonjour Bonjour!!!. I'm more than thrilled and feel wonderful having been asked to share a week with you. Thanks so much for having me and I look forward to sitting with you, a cup of tea and having some fun conversations!

Design and Mom have been words that have been in my life always. Grandmother artists, a mom who made life wonderful by gardening, sewing, decorating and mothering. My grandmothers (my mom's mom and dad's step mom) were wonderful exposing me to the arts and style and fashion.



Grammy (Dad's step mom), lived with PopPop in their really big house filled with wonderful antiques and rugs and furniture from their travels all over the world. Grammy would always come home with a piece of jewelry, clothing or scarf that she would pull out of a special drawer during one of my regular visits. Years later, after PopPop and Grammy retired to New England, she shared her needlework with me. We'd go to her favorite stitch shop and we'd find a project to work on, needlepoint, cross stitch or embroidery. I don't know where any of these are now, lost in some move at some point in my life (and boy, have I moved...), but the things that I learned are invaluable and the memories even more priceless.

I have tons of wonderful memories about the fun times with Grammy and PopPop, I feel so lucky. I always laugh out loud though, when I remember the morning I woke up to Grammy making pancakes. I was thrilled. I sat down to the table and she put the plate of blueberry pancakes in front of me. She poured the syrup, I was starving. I looked down, and my pancakes were covered with syrup and tons of black ants. I was a little speechless, but able to tell her about the ants. She took the plate over to the sink, and scraped the ants off the pancakes. Scooped the ants out of the syrup, then covered my pancakes in new syrup. She placed the plate back down in front of me. I thanked her, then looked down at my plate. My parents always taught me to eat what was put in front of me, and knowing that my grandparents were sticklers for manners, I tried my best to scoot all the ant legs I could find over to the side of the plate. I ate every last drop. I don't think I ate for another day or two.

Mom's mom - Grammie - would take me to lunch at the fancy restaurant in town where they would have fashion shows during lunch. Fur coats to spring dresses, I don't think I missed a season for years. She lived with Grandpa in a wonderful old farmhouse. I loved their house. A yellow kitchen with black and yellow floors, a greenish dining room, wonderful velvet couches in the living room, and a crazy deep shag red rug on the stairs and the hallway upstairs. She was only a few minutes away so we visited often, sometimes spending the night (the house was haunted!). She loved to paint, flowers and landscapes, her paintings now fill the homes of her children. She also had subscriptions to fashion magazines. The one I remember most was W. It was bigger than all the rest, the pictures were HUGE! Perfect for tearing out and putting on my wall. I'd get the mail from the mailbox, and there they would all be. I would beg her to let me take them home, beg her. She'd pull out a pile of magazines she was finished with and find me a bag I could carry them home in.



Grammie and Grandpa were quite the characters (aren't all grandparents?). I planted trees with Grandpa in his gardens (he was a dairy farmer), and Grammie always wore the best clothes. These wonderful suits, blouses and Ferragamo shoes, all in a cedar closet that smelled wonderful. I spent many hours exploring her closets, loving all the different fabrics and shiny buttons. All this while she baked sticky buns and ginger snaps, filling the house with a smell that will always trigger Dot and Reg memories.

Mom, well mom could give Martha a run for her money, and still can. Her thumb is so green, the Hulk would be jealous. Mom taught me how to sew, put a brush in my hand, and bought me a box of 64 crayons when I got my first report card.



I started making my own clothes when I was 7. I never looked back. I made lots of clothes. I would spend all of my allowance on fabric and patterns. When I graduated from high school, Dad took me to the local sew shop and I spent most of my savings on a serger, so I could make clothes even faster. I went to school and studied fashion design, and kept sewing. I've recently launched LuckyStitches, a sewing lounge, to get more people sewing. Knowing the basics can take one far in life, I believe, and I want people to be inspired to make things, make memories, so I'm sure to offer classes that moms and dads can take with their kids, together. You know the saying, "A family that sews together..."

Now that I'm a mom (still kind of surreal and yet amazingly wonderful after 2.5 years), I appreciate even more my connection with my mom and grandmothers and the other amazing members of my family (my great dad, many wonderful aunts and uncles and cousins). I hope, yet also know, that I will provide my 2 year old with experiences that will open her heart and soul to art, history, relationships and so much more. It's already happening. We read and tell stories, old and new, we draw and paint and build things, we cook and clean, and among my favorites, we sew together. We don't sit side by side at sewing machines (yet), but she hands me tools from my sewing kit, she picks out fabrics for her skirts and decides which buttons to use, I even ask her to choose the thread color. She's got a sewing kit, and I've given her part of my vintage button collection to sort and get to know, and I've even found a stash of fabric scraps in her closet.



Here are some (there are so many!) of my favorite sites inspiring creative connections:
LizetteGreco
SouleMama
Angry Chicken
DIY Kids
scrumdilly-do
Kids Craft Weekly
House on Hill Road

Welcome Zanne!

What a great weekend! My kids had Thursday and Friday off from school making for a four-day break. The two main events: getting my new office space up and running and clearing out the garage — I've got about 30 things listed on Freecycle and Craigs List and another 10 to go. There is something so satisfying about clearing things out.

Although the office is functioning, it's not 100% put together. I'll make my second attempt at ordering Flor tiles today. And there are a couple of other minor projects and decorating details I'd like to add before I share pictures of the new space. But overall, I'm very pleased.



I'm also very pleased to welcome this week's Guest Mom: Zanne Blair! We have twinner last names, but as far as we know, we're not related. Although we might as well be, because we're clearly kindred spirits. Zanne and I have never met, but we've exchanged a few emails, and I knew right away that she would make an excellent Guest Mom — she's both highly creative and is highly comfortable on-line. So comfortable, that you can find her at LuckyStitches, at the soon-to-launch Chez Etoiles, and at her excellent blog, Zanne Stars.

Because I'm sometimes a dork about pronunciation, one of the first questions I asked her was: Is it Zanne as in Crane? Or Zanne as in Van? And in case you're also curious, it's Van. You should also know that Zanne was formerly an Art Director in NYC as well, and now proudly works as a seamstress in western Massachusetts. Very cool.

Zanne, I have two things to tell you. One, I love getting to see photos of you — your hair is too fantastic for words. Two, Welcome to Design Mom! We're all so glad you're here.

Argington Furniture

The Argington booth at the Gift Show was beautiful. Their furniture and philosophy are beautiful. I was especially taken with the Fundy play table.

Sold at Design Public.

Gingham and Chenille

I am fully aware that we are in the middle of September, but this summery little girl's dress by The Baby Gardner is too wonderful not to share. Maybe when winter gets cold and dreary we can come back and look at this and look forward to summer. It comes with a matching hat too!

Giveaway Winner — 10 Signed Copies of The Lonely Moose

It's Friday. A wonderful day to announce Giveaway winners. And what a cool Giveaway it was. The 10 winners who will receive a signed copy of The Lonely Moose by John Segal are:

1) Sara who said, "This looks so great! I'd love to win!"

2) Ryan and Brittany who said, "someday I will win, I can feel it, someday."

3) Christine who said, "I have a good feeling I'm going to win this one..."

4) Thyen Party of Four who said, "Moose wander through our yard often — it would be so fun to have a great story in our shelves too :) (btw - we live in Northern Maine :) )"

5) Daisy who said, "Finally."

6) andrea scher who said, "so happy to know about john's books!"

7) Amy who said, "I love his illustrations in Musicians of Bremen. We would love to add another of his books to our collection! And with a signed bookplate no less. Very cool!"

8) karina who said, "my daughter's stuffed moose never leaves her nine-month-old hands. she would love this book."

9) Megan who said, "So exciting. I love his books, I'm in on this one."

10) nancy who said, "Oh, pick me! My son loves it when I read to him. BTW, his dad's nickname is "Moose" — so this would be perfect!


Congratulations you lucky ladies!! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send your info to John Segal right away.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Thank you to John Segal. For anyone who didn't win, I hope you'll still request your FREE hand-colored and signed bookplate, just send an email to Mr. Segal: johnsegal [at] mac.com

Happy Weekend!

Giveaway Reminder — 10 Signed Copies of The Lonely Moose

It's not too late! You have until tonight (Thursday 9/13) at midnight pst to enter your name for one of 10 signed copies of The Lonely Moose, by author/illustrator John Segal! Just leave a comment on that post. You can also receive a FREE, hand-colored, signed bookplate — read more on the Giveaway post!

Mini Harvest

We planted a small garden this year. Our first since moving to New York. Although it's kind of a random assortment of vegetables — cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, some kind of hot peppers, and lots of herbs — it has been wonderful to watch it grow and have the kids help me tend it.

I can't say we were dedicated gardeners. Weeding and watering happened sporadically at best and we never did add any fertilizer. But the earth of New York is apparently made to grow things. And we have a handy little harvest despite the neglect.

Handy enough that I keep needing to give baskets of vegetables away. But I had to take a picture first because the little harvest looks so yummy and wholesome sitting there on the kitchen counter.

2500 Pairs of Ryka Shoes Just for You

Have you heard about this? It's pretty freaking awesome. Ryka, the company that makes running shoes for women — and only for women — is giving away 50 pairs of shoes EVERY DAY for 50 days. 2500 shoes. For free. For you.

It's called the Good for Your Sole Giveaway. And it is well named. This is how it works: you register here. Fast. Super easy. Once you're registered, your name is in the drawing. If you tell a friend and they register, your name goes in again. If you tell 5 more friends, your name goes in 5 more times. Etc.

It started September 5th and it ends October 25th. That means at least 400 pairs have already been given away — but you could still win one of 2100!! These are the 3 different styles they are giving away (you can read more about them by clicking on their links here):



And Ryka makes great shoes! Currently, I run in this pair and they are a delight. Don't miss out. Get into the Giveaway and win yourself a pair of shoes!

Baby Spaces

This is a new-to-me product that I think is smart. When I'm putting together a room, I love to cut out the footprints of the furniture I'm planning to use and then arrange them and rearrange them to find the best floorplan. But making the templates is a huge pain in the neck. Especially if you don't have a lot of workspace. Or access to oversize paper. Other times I've tried to tape off the shapes onto the floor, but then I can't move them around easily.



So when I saw this product: pre-cut-out templates in standard sizes of every piece of furniture you'd need in a nursery, I thought it was brilliant. A really great gift for a new mom. In fact, my sister-in-law Liz and my brother Jared are expecting their first baby and they just bought their first house — perfect timing for something like this.

FYI: The company that makes Baby Spaces also makes templates for other rooms in the house.

Random Giveaway: The Lonely Moose

If you've been reading Design Mom from the beginning, you know I'm a fan of John Segal, the acclaimed children's book author and illustrator. It turns out that John keeps writing and drawing, and I keep liking his work and wanting to tell people about it. In fact, John's latest book, The Lonely Moose, just came out. He sent me an email about it — mentioning this particular story was 15 years in the making — and we both agreed that some celebrating was in order. So John is giving away TEN SIGNED COPIES of THE LONELY MOOSE in today's Giveaway!!!



Ten signed copies = Ten winners!! Ten winners = good odds!!

We just received our copy of The Lonely Moose over the weekend and my kids LOVE it. Ralph, who takes great pride in being able to identify the work of his favorite authors and illustrators, studied it particularly and proclaimed it a hit. The story of an unlikely friendship is sweet, and as usual, Mr. Segal's illustrations are enchanting. But my kids aren't the only fans. The Society of Illustrators picked The Lonely Moose as one it's Best Picture Books of the Year! Nice.

I'll be honest, one of my favorite parts of having exchanged emails with John, is having signed bookplates to place in our copies of his books. And John Segal understands this fact. He knows how cool it is to have a signed copy of a book. So. To make this Giveaway extra-super-special, here is Mr. Segal's generous offer: If any Design Mom Reader writes an email to John (johnsegal [at] mac.com) and includes a mailing address, Mr. Segal will personally send them a FREE SIGNED BOOKPLATE that can be placed in their own copy of The Lonely Moose.



You read correctly: ANY Design Mom Reader. Which means everyone can be a winner on this Giveaway. And you should know that it's not just any old bookplate. It's darling and John handcolors each one. Plus, you can specify to whom you would like Mr. Segal to inscribe the book plate. For example, "To Ralph, Maude, Olive, Oscar & Betty" or, "To the 2nd grade class at East Elementary." (You can read more about the free bookplates here.)



As an additional FYI: I know that the last time I posted about John Segal, and he offered up Carrot Soup bookplates, they were super popular. If you missed your chance, it's not too late. Carrot Soup and The Reluctant Dragon book plates are still available.

Wouldn't it make a fun surprise for your children/nieces/nephews/neighbors — you could pick up a copy of The Lonely Moose, write to John for your free signed bookplate and put them together as a really lovely gift. Who wouldn't love such special addition to their library?!

Thank you John Segal!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Thursday, September 13th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Letterboxing

Last week I mentioned an end-of-summer adventure I was going to try with my kids: letterboxing. I've received a bunch of questions about letterboxing, so here is my rudimentary explanation of what it is:

People all over the world put together boxes containing a blank book, a pen, a rubber stamp and an ink pad. They hide the water-proof box in public place (like a park) and then post clues on how to find it on the internet. Letterboxers look up the clues and search out the book, stamping their own books with the stamp they find and making a mark with their own stamp in the letterbox's book. I hear there are over 20,000 boxes hidden in North America alone. (You can find lots more information at letterboxing.org. This article was especially helpful.)

I was supposed to go with three friends, Marianne, Amanda and Jana — my local letterboxing experts. But I was slow to get the kids up and going that day and we missed our chance to meet them. (Next time girls! Really.) So that my kids wouldn't collapse from disappointment, we ended up letterboxing on our own. And we're hooked!!



We packed a letterboxing kit before we left:
stamps
ink pads
blank book
pen
a canvas bag to carry our kit

Luckily, I had all of this on hand. If letterboxing had required a trip to the store that day, I'm afraid it wouldn't have happened. Apparently, many letterboxers prefer to make their own stamp — just the kind of project I love — but was glad I had these pretty insect ones on hand for our first try.



We found the box after following all the clues — which happened to lead us on an in-depth walk around one of our favorite parks. We stamped our book, and made some notes and added a green leaf and a red leaf to our book as reminders that our adventure was at the end of summer and start of fall. We put a snail stamp into the letterbox's book (because we were so slow to find it) and our thumbprints as well.

We especially loved realizing there was a letterbox hidden in a place we already knew and loved. And further realizing there were probably letterboxes at many of our favorite haunts. For our family, I can imagine this being a perfect Sunday afternoon hobby.

Escama Studios

I only have a few more items from the Gift Show that I want to share with you and this is one of them. There was definitely an eco vibe at the show this year and one of my favorite eco-minded products was the handbags from Escama Studios. Hand crocheted in Brazil with 100% post-consumer pulltabs.

That's right. 100%.

There are 6 different handbag styles. Each one with very nice proportions. Perfect for your hip friend who is a hippie at heart.

Ask Design Mom: Day Planners

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
I was wondering if you've ever featured fashionable daily planners on your website? My planner is an academic year one so I'm looking to purchase a new one and can't seem to find something that will contain my to-do lists and schedule without being huge and bulky. Any thoughts? Thanks, Liz

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Liz. The search for the perfect planner system is a worthy quest. At different stages of my life, different planners have worked for me. So I'll suggest a few different choices.



I think a good next-stage-planner-after-an-academic-planner are these desk agendas from Hable Construction. First, they're gorgeous. Second, they're not too big or heavy — very portable. Third, they have the same basic features that make up an academic planner, just upgraded quite a bit.


If you're craving a full on planner system — including training and lots of accessories and refillable binders — FranklinCovey is my go to. Investing in this system is like buying a whole new type-A personality.



For a refillable planner system that's a little less intense and oh-so-chic, try Kate Spade. You can see her binders here and her refillable pages here.


Lately, a simple book full of lined pages is just right for me. I'm a fan of these notebooks by Cavellini.



On a super budget? When I was at Staples getting the kids' school supplies I picked up this little number for $1.99. Fits in your handbag. Calendar at front and lined pages. The paper is thin, but for under $2.00 it's totally doable. Spine comes in navy, brown or green.

Good luck in your planner search, Liz!

top image from getty

The Art Farmer

A great source for wall art in a hurry. The Art Farmer sells large, hand-printed canvases stretched over 1 1/2 inch frames — ready for hanging. Too many great ones to name them all, but I'll mention the ones that are really speaking to me today: the bicycle, the bear, three fishes, and sock monkey. Search their offerings by artist or subject.

I've seen a display of a dozen or so of these canvases and they really are terrific. They would work in all sorts of settings, and many seem like a perfect fit for a child's room.

Bloom Baby

I can't decide which I like better: the Stylewood Rocker or the Plexistyle Rocker. Both available in lots of colors. Both from Bloom.

Giveaway Winner — Blue Poppy Jewelry

Wasn't that a fantastic Giveaway? Jewelry is such a treat. The lucky winner of the gorgeous pieces from Blue Poppy is:
Jus who said, "those blue circle earrings are fantastic!"

Congratulations Justyn! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll forward your info to Blue Poppy.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Blue Poppy Jewelry. And thanks for reading. Watch for another really great Giveaway tomorrow — with LOTS of winners.

Giveaway Reminder — Blue Poppy Jewelry

Don't forget! You have until tonight (Monday 9/10) at midnight to enter your name for three beautiful pieces of jewelry from Blue Poppy. Just leave a comment on that post.

Tippicanu

I'm not sure who the designer is behind the children's clothing line Tippicanu, but I love his/her vision of what childhood could look like. For sizes 1 to 6.

Sk*rt Podcast

Check it out! Stephanie Roberts from ListenShare interviewed the Founders of Sk*rt for the People Powering Business podcast series. Hear what we (me, Girl con Queso and Laurie of Upside Up) had to say about the sk*rt launch, sk*rt users and the future of sk*rt! You can find the podcast here.

And while I'm on the subject of sk*rt, I highly recommend you head on over to the Up-and-Coming section — there are so many cool links that need your vote to move to the front page. Don't hold back my friends. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Are you new to my blog and have no idea what sk*rt is? Well. Get ready to add some new awesomeness to your life. You can see one my posts about sk*rt here. Or, see the sk*rt FAQs page and the Getting Started with sk*rt page.

Thank you Kyran!

I hope everyone had the chance to read Kyran's Jewelry series last week. Each post was thoughtful and beautiful and just a treat for the soul. How lucky are we to have such a talented woman visit with us.

Thank you, Kyran. I hope you'll come back as a Guest Mom again soon. In the meantime, I'll be keeping up with you at Notes to Self.

Random Giveaway: Blue Poppy Jewelry

I just arrived home from the paint store. And what do you know — two packages were waiting for me on the front porch. One package was all about a fantastic Giveaway I'll be hosting next week. And the other, was all about the fantastic Giveaway I'm hosting today!

Not that long ago, I posted about Blue Poppy Jewelry, and the feedback from Design Mom Readers was universal: the jewelry is hands down gorgeous. So how delighted was I when Blue Poppy offered up three amazing items to be won by one lucky lady? Leave a comment on this post to enter your name for a Three-Wishes Necklace, Spoon Earrings and (my favorite!) a pair of Circle Earrings from Blue Poppy Jewelry!!


The Three Wishes Necklace ($56) strikes just right balance between bold and graceful. The pendant was handcrafted then cast in sterling silver and strung on a 16" sterling silver bead chain. This necklace would draw just the right amount of attention from your adoring fans/friends/neighbors.


The Spoon Earrings ($56) were created in honor of the Grandmother of the two beautiful sisters behind Blue Poppy, to "embody the spirit of tangible and intangible gifts handed down through the generations." What a beautiful sentiment. What beautiful earrings.


The Circle Earrings ($34), are (like I already said) my favorite. Having now seen them in person, I can promise they are as delightful as can be. They are tiny and delicate and precious. Earrings you could wear anywhere, anytime. With just a hint of sparkle.

And while they're not up part of the prize package, there are other gorgeous pieces available at Blue Poppy as well:


Like the stunning Leaf Necklace.


And the perfectly named Motherhood Necklace.

So many pretty things. It's a treat just to admire them. I sure am loving the Giveaway today. It seems especially fitting considering the Jewelry Box Series of posts, by our lovely Guest Mom Kyran Pittman, that we've all been enjoying this week. Hooray for jewelry — a little bit of pretty you can carry with you the whole day.

Thank you Blue Poppy!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, September 10th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Fashion Week

It's a sign.

First I met the lovely and gracious Chloe from Project Runway at BlogHer. She was a sweetheart to speak with. And she said Tim Gunn is really as wonderful as he seems. (Side note: did anyone see the premiere of Mr. Gunn's new show last night. He is a genius. The show was great.)



Then. I received an unexpected invitation to the Terexov show at Fashion Week. Never heard of Terexov? Neither had I. But of course I jumped at the chance to go to the show. Who wouldn't? He's a young Russian designer and his work is beautiful. The show last night featured his Spring '08 line. I couldn't find pictures, but you can see the Spring '07 line here.



I have to say I loved being there and immediately started scheming about how to attend more shows during Fashion Week. I found the whole experience absolutely fascinating and completely inspiring.

So it's a sign. It's time for Design Mom to step it up in the fashion department. Not on the blog so much as in real life. But first, I think I should buy this:

Full Circle — by Guest Mom Kyran Pittman

As Gabrielle mentioned in her sweet introduction, she, her sk-rt colleagues and I shared a memorable and intimate meal together this summer, bonding over the stories of how we fell in love with our husbands. Each of us spoke in turn about the twining paths that led us toward our mates and our children, toward ourselves as we are now. Our happily ever afters. No one budged from the table until the last tale was told, in full. We might have been sitting around a fire under the stars instead of at a table covered with half-eaten sushi in a trendy Chicago restaurant.

Listening to the others, I was profoundly reminded of one of my core beliefs and values: every single person has a Story, unlike any other, and yet, like all of ours in some way.

For this last post in the Jewelry Box series, I have a couple of more stories to tell. I have loved sitting around this virtual fire with you, going through my treasures, hearing about your own. Some of you have already come over to Notes to Self. I hope I will be hearing more from you. (Also, if your Mom works at William Morris, please have her call me, anytime). Let's get started.



This labradorite bracelet and matching earrings logically belong back at the opening of this series, with my everyday jewelry, but the story that goes with them belongs here at the end. That is, at the beginning.

“Fortune favors the bold,” he said to me
12 hours and 2,500 miles later, as I sat on the edge
of his hotel bed trying to make him understand why it
could never work out between us. Thinking he should at
least eat something before he had to go back to
Arkansas forever, I had brought him a bucket of
southern fried chicken, from an American franchise
that had opened next to a really good fish and chips
shop.

“I love you,” I told him, as he sniffed the chicken
skeptically and set it aside. “But I just can’t be
with you.”

from "Southern Man", offblog essay

That conversation took place just below Signal Hill, a granite cliff that flanks the entrance to the city of St. John's, Newfoundland's capital.

Signal Hill is one of the world's most beautiful places. The granite is flecked with pink, which the sunlight picks up and reflects back. The base of the cliffs is often enshrouded in mist. And then there is the sea, 180 degrees of it, the north Atlantic stretching out forever. As Patrick describes it, "It may not be the very end of the world, but you could hit it with a rock from there."

A number of significant moments in mine and Patrick's story took place there. When we were many thousands of miles apart, and I didn't know if I would ever see him again, I would drive up there at night to look at the moon, and take solace in the notion that he might be looking up at it also, from where ever he was.

Labradorite is an exquisite stone. It really does shimmer like the northern lights. This set goes beautifully with my Superhero necklace. The bracelet and earrings came from the giftshop in the old fortress on top of Signal Hill. (I tried in vain to locate the name of the designer in time for this series, but the gift shop is run by a department of the federal government. Suffice to say, you will have to go there in person and pick something out for yourself. It will be well worth it, I promise.)

The borders you must cross to get to Mexico
are nothing compared to the borders
you've crossed to get to where you are.

Going toward yourself is
the longest journey of all.

There are instruments to help you
get to San Miguel de Allende.
But the southbound bird winging
its way south without map or compass
holds within its heart some knowing
unknown even to itself.

from "To Kyran in Full Flight," An Island in the
Sky, Selected Poetry of Al Pittman, Breakwater Books,
2003

My father was a poet — a complicated, difficult, and marvelous man. He died in 2001, in Newfoundland, before I could get to his hospital bed. When I went back to his apartment to begin the long and lonesome task of sorting through his personal papers, I saw this pendant hanging on a nail. It is the prow of a Beothuk native boat, presented to him at the opening of an interpretative center dedicated to Newfoundland's extinct aboriginal people. He wore it constantly in his last years. I walked over to where it hung and put it over my head. It stayed around my neck for as long as I needed it to those first couple of years after he died. You can read a poem I wrote about him here.

Leaving the island and my family behind was the hardest thing I have ever done. I wish I could have had a crystal ball at the time to tell me how much I would come to love it here in Little Rock.

But I probably wouldn't have believed it. When I first got here, after we completely ran out of money in Mexico, I thought I had landed on another planet. The desert around San Miguel felt more like my rugged island home than the lush Arkansas vegetation that obscured the horizon and seemed to close in on me. Little Rock's downtown in the late nineties was a ghost town outside of business hours, and we were staying with Patrick's parents in a suburb. Happily ever after was looking pretty grim.

Like two people in an arranged marriage, Little Rock and I both changed and grew, and came to love each other. We live in a beautiful historic neighborhood, lined with Craftsman homes and old oak trees, and dotted with cafes, shops and restaurants. The downtown has undergone a major revival. The arts scene—always vibrant here, but definitely under the radar—is becoming more and more visible. And we have an amazing community of friends, particularly the girlfriends who came into my life after I became a mom. They are my support system and surrogate family. I still have single and childless friends I adore, but honestly, those relationships take more work. My mom friends understand how to carry on a conversation through multiple interruptions, why you sometimes have to back out of a plan at the last minute, how you can love a child or husband with every breath in your body one minute and be plotting your escape the next.

Here are two bosom friends' bosoms, bedecked with jewelry from Little Rock artisans.



Missy is an independent clothing designer, mom to three girls, and wife to one of the all-time good guys. She is a raving beauty and a hill of fun. I fell in love with this necklace right away. My recent obsession with owls is threatening to overtake my Virgin Guadalupe fixation. I recognized its maker immediately. Working Thread jewelry is suddenly cropping up everywhere in our circle, and no wonder. Go have a look for yourself at her exquisite creations.



Bridget is one of the moms who makes the world go round. Mom to grade school twins and a toddler, she is married to a fabulously talented painter and sculptor. I think she single-handedly runs the PTA at the twins' school. If Bridget has a plan, it is best you get on board early, because either way, it's going to happen. These handstamped tags are created by Joella Peck. Most of my momfriends have them, stamped with their childrens' names.

It took me a little while to track down Joella, during which time I looked high and low all over the internet. Joella's are the far and away the best out there. She gets the depth of the stamp, the letter spacing, the cut of the metal just right. When I spoke with her by phone, I was floored to discover she didn't have an etsy shop yet. She sells her tags through a local boutique, also without an online storefront as of this writing. You want Joella's tags. You need them. She said you can email her at joellapeck(at)yahoo(dot)com and find out how to get them. Also, tell her I said, "etsy, etsy, etsy."



One last Little Rock piece by an independent artist, my son. You better believe I wear it, too. If you've ever been presented with a childmade piece of jewelry, you'll love Billy Collin's poem, The Lanyard.



Finally, we come back to the place where it all begins. We were married ten years ago this September. We were engaged—where else—on Signal Hill. I proposed. I thought it was the least I could do to honor this man who had pursued me so faithfully and determinedly up and down the length of the continent. And he gave me a ring a few weeks later! The engagement stone is a chrome tourmaline, a very clunky name for a beautiful gem. We bought it as a loose stone. To me, it looks how you think emeralds are supposed to, but never quite do. It was custom set in white gold with tiny diamonds in a channel on each side. The band is also white gold. I wanted the simplest, narrowest one we could find, and I often wear it by itself. I was thinking of a lyric of Liz Phair, who sort of introduced us (I would have to take over the Design Mom for the next year to tell you): "I won't decorate my love for you."

Happily ever after is not a static condition, a destination you arrive at and stay. Happily ever after is a series of stops along the way. It is a view glimpsed as you fly by on your way to where it is you think you are headed. It is a moment.

When our last son was born, the sun was
setting outside the delivery room. I felt no pain. I
had no fear. Patrick stood at my side, holding my
hand, his golden hair haloed by the dying sky. Our
eyes burned into each other. We could have been the
only two people in the room, in this marriage. But we
weren’t. This birth would add to all that was already
between and behind us, binding us and holding us,
sometimes against our will.

He squeezed my hand, hard, and with everything I had,
I bore down and pushed.

from "Ring of Fire", offblog essay

FreeCycling

I've been wanting to try freecycling since I first heard about it and I finally did it this week! Go to the Freecycle site. Find a local group by putting in your town's name. Then quickly register. It took a whole of 5 minutes to sign-up and post my first two items: a scanner and laser printer. Both were picked up yesterday.

I love knowing they are going to people who will put them to good use right away — instead of sitting in my garage for months and months gathering dust until I remember to take a load of goods to the Salvation Army. Freecycling seems like an especially good option for items that probably wouldn't fetch much if you tried to sell them on Craigs List/Ebay. And unlike Craigs List/Ebay, I didn't feel like I had to "sell" the items. You know: look up similar items to see how much they are selling for, list all the features and benefits of the products, etc. Because the items are given away for free, there's no research or spin.

Also, I love that in addition to offering items, Freecycle users can post "Wanted" items too, so fellow Freecyclers can hook them up. I tell you, I've got big plans for clearing out my house.

Book of the Week: the Prince's Bedtime

Laurie M from Reading Barefoot introduced me to Barefoot Books recently and I think I'm their new biggest fan. Things I love about the Barefoot collection:

• Excellent illustration. I especially love the sewn pieces by Clare Beaton. — really great details.
• Not at the chain stores. It's nice to know there are still independent booksellers.
• Great stories. We've seen 6 or 8 books from Barefoot so far, in age ranges from baby through 10, and my kids have loved each one.

But I think the Barefoot book that has been getting the most attention at my house is The Prince's Bedtime, written by Joanne Oppenheim and illustrated by Miriam Latimer. My toddler likes the rhyme-y-ness off it. My oldest likes the cleverness of it. And I love the drawings. The King and Queen look for assistance from all sorts of people to help the Prince fall asleep, but it's the kindly old woman who know just the trick.

Ask Design Mom: Hip Laptop Bags

Ask Design Mom Question:
After spending hours googling decent looking laptop bags for hip, young, mom/businesswomen (I've decided those bag-makers don't think we exist) I'm turning to you! Any ideas? :) Thanks, Britney

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Britney. It just so happens that sitting in front of me is a laptop bag (the one pictured above) that I've been very impressed with. I acquired it at the BlogHer conference from an AOL booth. It's made by Casauri. The colors are very now — especially the orange lining. And it's designed specifically for laptops, with a special padded pocket inside. There is also plenty of room and compartments for all the other gear that hip, young, mom/businesswomen carry. I can't find this particular bag on their website, but they have other good options.

It's not overly feminine, but the structure, size and placement of straps indicate female and make it carry like a shoulder bag and not like a briefcase. Enough so that my husband wouldn't carry it.




Another option would be to use the thick felt laptop sleeves made by Red Maloo. I saw these in the latest issue of Blueprint. They look super cool and would allow you to use a wide variety of bags. For example, I think a laptop in a laptop sleeve would look lovely emerging from one of these beauties by Aster+Sage.



Good luck Britney. I hope that helps.

Playing Dress Up, Playing Grown Up — by Guest Mom Kyran Pittman

I hinted in my introduction to this series that I don't put much thought into what I wear. The exception to this is special occasions, for which I love to play dress up. Invite me to a party, and I pull out all the stops. Out come the hot rollers, the dresses of satin lame, the crazy high heels and, of course, the bling.



Here are two favorite cocktail rings. The amethyst is a vintage piece. The crystal rose is from Banana Republic, one of the very few pieces I have ever purchased for myself.



Here is another, also vintage. I like to offset the daintyness of the rose and bring out the goth look of the marcasite by wearing it with black, slightly punk outfits. For a Valentine's party last year, I wore this ring with a black short sleeve blouse, black satin pencil skirt, black ankle boots and my hair curled and pinned rockabilly style. The faded pink rose lent just the right touch of softness to all the rock and roll, and the medal of the Virgin Mary that I safety-pinned to my breast pocket hopefully telegraphed irony.

At least one person got it. My friend Peggy was there that night, and she complimented me on my get-up, saying that she appreciated that my party ensembles aren't intended to be a statement about me. Rather, they are a statement about what the occasion means to me. She understood it perfectly: any celebration with the people I love is a red carpet moment.



I remembered that brief, but intimate, conversation as I put on my pearls the afternoon of Peggy's memorial service, several months later. She was as rock and roll as they come, and our ten-year acquaintance went back to my waitressing days in an infamous local bar. After the service, we milled around the sidewalk in the hot summer sun, all of us in our Sunday best. Everyone looked lost and uncertain, shaken at having lost someone our own age. Where are the grown ups? I felt like asking. Surely, they aren't us.

The pearls were a surprise Christmas gift from my husband, several years ago, when he was still with his band. He had secretly saved for them all year out of gig money. Whenever I put them on, I instantly feel more calm, poised and mature. Less Scarlett and more Melanie. I also always feel a little pang that I don't have a daughter to whom they will pass.

My husband had now fathered three sons,
including his first from his previous marriage. His
only sibling, his brother, had one child, also male.
Since gender is determined by the father’s
chromosomes, I decided to do a little digging around
the paternal family tree. A discussion with my
father-in-law revealed that there hadn’t been a female
born into my husband’s line since around the time of
the Civil War. Apparently, the family lost the recipe
for girls somewhere on the wagon trail between
Virginia and Arkansas.

"Boy
Crazy"

Maybe they will be "something borrowed" for a daughter-in-law-to-be, on her wedding day. Family weddings are the penultimate special occasion. The last I attended was my favorite cousin's big day, one year ago.

Erika was a bridesmaid in my first
wedding, for which I adorned her and her counterparts
in shiny green satin, puffed sleeves and other fine
couture details, to ensure I would not be the only
fool with a giant bow planted squarely on my ass. She
and my sister are the only members of that original
nuptial back-up group who still speak to me today.
Such is the bond of blood.

"Family
Ties"

My Dad used to tell a story, similar to mine about the funeral (but funnier, because it was set at a wedding reception) where he found himself wondering where all the old people were. I guess most of us feel sometimes like we are play-acting at being our elders. Time sneaks up. It was surreal to be at Erika's wedding, watching young cousins play as we did when our aunts and uncles were still getting married.



I wore this lovely vintage enameled set. One of my uncles thought it was from my grandmother's collection. It isn't, but I love it because it looks just like something she'd wear, gracing some occasion with all her easy charm, style and self-assurance. Or so it seemed.

Maybe she, too, sometimes felt like she was still just a little girl playing dress-up.

Shinzi Katoh Water Bottles

First day of school today. I just sent everybody off on the bus. And now I'll spend the rest of the day trying to not worry. I just hope they have a wonderful day. And love their teachers.

School-related supplies are still on my mind. I'm looking for small-size refillable water bottles to pack in lunch boxes. I really like these aluminum ones by Shinzi Katoh. In fact, I like pretty much everything on this site — don't miss the lunchboxes, cutting boards, placemats. . .) Stateside, Molla Space carries a few. I'm also going to check out my local Japanese grocery store to see if they stock any really lovely choices.

Balinese Umbrellas

Another gift show find that's been on my mind. These umbrellas by Zen Zen make me want to throw a party. Can't you just picture a great lawn with a dozen (or two) of these in assorted sizes and colors?

They also seem like they would make a good princess hideaway — maybe hang one from the ceiling and attach some sheer fabric that falls to the floor. Instant fairy tale.

From what I understand, Zen Zen is strictly wholesale. I'm still looking for a source where you can buy these retail.

Signature Pieces — by Guest Mom Kyran Pittman

I thought a good place to start would be with baubles I wear so frequently they have become familiar among friends, family and acquaintances — signature pieces, if you will. Pictured here are the rings I wear nearly every single day on my left hand (my right hand is uncommitted to any particular ring, always open to whimsy). On the ring finger is a sneak preview of my wedding set, which I will describe in more detail later in the week. On my middle finger is the sterling and marcasite ring that was one of my paternal grandmother's "everyday" rings. Her name was Mary Margaret Leonard Pittman. She was a published memoirist and poet, under the pen name Len Margaret, and she wrote the most gorgeous letters. Here is an excerpt of one to my aunt and uncle describing the day she moved out of the riverfront home she and my grandfather had shared before his death.

“I thought I would die the evening I
left... it was in late fall. The valley was bursting
with color. Time to pick autumn leaves to press and
place them in the big brown jar in front of the
fireplace. I had given the hens and rooster away.
Freckles was on the back seat of the car, wagging his
tail and in his dog’s mind thought it was another
great adventure like crossing the river in the canoe
or scattering ducklings from their nest in the reeds.
I went back to spend three summers on the river after
that. It was different... One learns to deal with the
past in his or her own way. There’s no way to describe
that.”

—"Not
Far Behind"

She was an elegant, witty, wise and beautiful woman well into her eighties. She would have been a great blogger!

I believe the ring came from England. Marcasite was all the rage in Victorian times, but to me, this has a 1930's, Art Deco look. I really like the way the remaining stones gleam, and I love the shape of the ring, a kind of oval cross that extends almost up to my knuckle. Most of the tiny stones are missing. I took it to my jeweler to see about getting them replaced and he noted that each one had been individually mounted, a level of craftmanship not often seen in modern marcasite jewelry. He told me that to replace the missing stones would cost more than the ring was worth; that you would only do it for sentimental reasons. I keep it on my list of things to do someday.

Ruby Lane has a few lovely vintage marcasite pieces, very reasonably priced, although I've never had any experience buying from them.



I wear these hammered bottle-cap earrings several times a week, and they always attract a comment. They came from San Miguel de Allende, the beautiful colonial town nestled in the Sierra Madres, where my husband and I first lived together. We met on the internet, back in the old days, when it was practically unheard of—the scandal! I was in Newfoundland, my homeland, and he was in Little Rock. I didn't know how to pronounce Arkansas. I thought it was somehow connected to Kansas. Like North and South Dakota. Kansas and Ar-Kansas.

I tease Patrick that he was savvy enough to know that I probably wouldn't run off to Arkansas with him, sight unseen, but that I might be lured to Mexico. The truth is that he sold everything he owned, packed his baby blue '64 Comet, and went into self-imposed exile after this episode in our tangled courtship:

The first time I attempted to come to the
United States to see Patrick, I was turned back at the
border. It was a wretched autumn day in 1995, shortly
before my twenty-sixth birthday. I was travelling on a
one way ticket, I had no cash, no job, and no idea how
long I expected to stay. It hadn't occurred to either
of us that these circumstances would raise an eyebrow
with anyone. As the immigration officer at the Toronto
airport verified them, my hands and voice shook. Not
because I was making any effort to deceive him, but
because I was the middle of coming completely unglued.

—"Tempest-tost"

San Miguel is full of artisan wares, from fine art to funky, but we were too poor to buy anything while there. These came into my life years later, through a friend who found them in a Little Rock boutique and had to buy them for me. I have a bit of an obsession with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Sadly, the shop no longer carries them. I get asked about them so much, I went looking for a source online. There is a lot of bottlecap jewelry out there, but Goldie Garcia's look most similar to mine.

Mine are made with pop bottle caps, but I've seen a beer cap version as well! Sacred and profane.



I'll close today's post with a treasure from my more recent past, my superhero necklace by sometime Design Mom guest mom and all-time superhero Andrea Scher.



Mine are "earth," but the colors remind me of the treasures that wash up on the rocky north Atlantic coastline of my girlhood, glass and stone tumbled smooth by the relentless churning of the sea.

These were a going away gift from a very dear friend, on the eve of my trip to Ireland last winter to read poems in a traveling literary festival.

We had a mad bus ride back to the hotel
pub. Imagine fifty or so Irish and Newfoundland
writers, musicians and entourage barreling down the
twisting road together. It was the Mad Hatter’s tea
party on wheels.

—Tuesday
morning, February 27

I never travel without them. They came in a little pouch, with a lovely warranty that all manner of wonderful things would soon come to the wearer.

And so they have.

Offi Kids Furniture

We're in the middle of some house changes — moving my office from the basement, and making the basement into a playroom. So I've been pondering what I'd like to see happen in the new playspace.

I remembered these colorful pieces by Offi. Very cute. And made of foam. Soft, lightweight, but incredibly strong. I don't know if I'll go this direction, but I do love me some stripes.

Fall Issue of Small Magazine

The fall issue of Small Magazine is out. If you're unfamiliar with Small, it's an online magazine featuring beautiful products for the young kid set (think 5 and under). The magazine is beautifully shot. This is the 3rd edition and I find I really look forward to clicking through the pages.

Jewelry Box — by Guest Mom Kyran Pittman

Think of this as the disclaimer at the front of a book or a movie, the fine print: I am in no way an authority on design. I am a writer, a poet, and a mom to three boys, ages eight, six and three. Our home, a century-old foursquare in Little Rock, Arkansas, is furnished with a random assortment of other people’s castoffs. My wardrobe is nearly as haphazard. My husband is a talented freelance graphic designer, but…you know the old saying about the physician’s family going undoctored?

In short, any resemblance I bear to design bloggers living or dead is not only sheerly coincidental, but downright ludicrous. Also, small persons may be harmed in the production of this guest spot. It depends on whether they persist in jumping off the furniture while I am trying to write.

The truth is, I am more often tuned to the frequency of interior life than exterior. Part of it is constitutional. I am highly intuitive, and barely functional at the sensate level. I can walk into a room and pick up on a subtle undercurrent of tension between two people, but not be able to recollect what color either was wearing five minutes after I leave. And part of it is historical. I have lost or let go of nearly all my personal possessions twice in my life; once in a house fire, and once through divorce. I find it difficult to invest much, literally or spiritually, in material objects. It’s not that I don’t appreciate or covet them, it’s just that I am wary of getting attached.

The exception to this is jewelry. Jewelry, I love with abandon. Here's why:

• Jewelry is portable. You can run away to Mexico or escape a burning house with it. Take my word for it.

• Jewelry is intimate. It touches you where only lovers do, the lobe of your ear, the hollow of your throat. Or it grasps the base of your finger, encircles your wrist, like your own child.

• Jewelry is symbolic. It says I promise, I remember, I do.

• Jewelry has a spirit, a life of its own. Over time, something of you passes into it, and something of it, into you. I firmly believe that the meaningful pieces come and go of their own accord. I wrote a little about that here, when a special necklace of mine decided it was time to move on.

• Finally—and most compelling to me—jewelry tells a story. In particular, it tells women's stories, stories passed down along a matriarchal line. When I glance down at my hand, I see my own grandmother's hand, clad in her signature marcasite ring she left me. I am reminded of all that I have inherited from that great lady, my father's mother, Mary: her dimpled smile, her gift with words, her deep connection with nature, her fabulous fruitcake recipes. As a girl, I loved to rummage through my mother's white leather jewelry box. Every object in it had its own story and meaning, from the sterling bracelet from which hung a charm with my own name, to exotic looking costume beads, to the solitaire ring with the empty claws, from which her engagement diamond had loosed and disappeared one day into the shag of our carpets, never to be found. In that box, was a priceless treasure and legacy: my mother's life story.

I am so honored that Gabrielle has allowed me to come and share with you some of the stories found in my own jewelry box. Like special books that begin with an illuminated letter, each piece starts with design. Let's open the lid together, and take a look inside.

Hello Kyran!

Happy Tuesday! It was a wonderful long weekend. School starts tomorrow and it's the perfect day for one last adventure before we're back to a regular schedule. Luckily, we were invited to go Letter Boxing this morning — just the kind of adventure we're looking for. We've never tried this before and we're curious and excited. We leave in a little bit, but while we're gone you can enjoy the very first guest post of Kyran Pittman.

Kyran is a talented writer and sensitive soul I met at BlogHer. On the last evening of the conference, Kyran, Girl con Queso, Upside Up and myself stayed up late into the night at a wonderful restaurant sharing our stories of meeting and marrying our dear husbands. That lovely meal was enough for me to know I really like Kyran. And since that night, I've been having a delightful time getting to know her better through Notes to Self, her excellent blog. I highly recommend you pay it a visit. So that you can get to know her better as well, here is the text from her blog "about" page:

I am a thirty-something poet, essayist, dreamworker, episcopalian, mother to three golden sons and wife to my soulmate Patrick. I come from Newfoundland and I live in the American south, so I never lack for material. I am often asked how I got here. I wake up every single morning of my life asking the same question. All I know is that in 1995 I met my husband on the internet and emmigrated the following year. Before it was even fashionable. You could say I am a mail-order bride. This blog is my memorandum of selfhood, dispatches written in the shadow of two cultural monoliths: Motherhood and America. Oh, and my name is pronounced Keer-rin. It is a boy's name; the Newfoundland spelling of a lunatic Irish saint who wandered around naked with a cow. That is what people like me did before there was blogging. He was a bogger.

Another fun Kyran factoid: she recently published in Good Housekeeping — you can read her essay here. Welcome Kyran. We're so glad you're here!