Vacation Week Two

The week is slipping by at ultra-light-speed. Here's a quick catch-up on what we've done since I last reported:

Friday
We BBQ'd at Jared & Liz's house in the Avenues where we loved meeting handsome baby Hank! Liz really knows how to put a menu together. Jared really knows how to work the BBQ. And their house is gorgeous. We miss them in New York but think that Salt Lake City is lucky to have them.

After dinner we went to the park to see the Muppet Movie/Blog Meetup. The movie was as charming as I remembered. But. It was only a tiny bit charming compared to the lovely bloggers that came by our blanket to say Hello. What fun! Thank you for coming ladies!! It was a delight to meet you and I was sad the movie started so soon and cut off our happy conversation.

Saturday
We took off on a road trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This was our first visit to Steamboat Springs and both Ben and I were tempted to relocate immediately. I almost had myself convinced that I love to snow ski because the little chalets were so appealing.

We met our super-cool Sabey cousins at the hotel and after a quick dip in the pool headed to the Steamboat Springs Rodeo. Can you think of a better Saturday night activity than bucking broncos, barrel racing and bull riding? My hometown is a rodeo town but I hadn't been to one in over a decade. I loved it so much. It made me crazy homesick.

Sunday
The whole clan of cousins hiked to a gorgeous waterfall near Steamboat and held a family-version of our typical church meetings there on the mountain. Then we all talked and talked and talked until everybody absolutely had to drive away to get home in time to start the new work week. Sadly, I could have used another week of non-stop conversation with the Sabeys to take the edge off my Sabey cravings. Happily, they make a very compelling argument for moving to Denver. Maybe we'll end up as neighbors. . .

When we said good bye, we knew there was a 9 hour drive to St. George ahead of us. So we made plans to stop at Green River, Utah for the night. A good halfway spot. At Green River I discovered something about myself: It doesn't matter how expensive the hotel is, what brand it is, or what amenities it offers. If it's new, then I like it. Period. We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express that was so new that I swear I could still recognize the scent of construction and we were contented and beyond with our stay.

I even took a camera-phone photo of the toiletries because the packaging was well designed and I wanted to somehow let the hotel know that I appreciated the effort. I'll try to post it next week.

Monday through Thursday
When we woke up in Green River we at a yummy breakfast at the hotel and headed straight to St. George, Utah. My beloved hometown.

By Monday, we were such weary travelers that we have done nothing since arriving here but swim, eat and sleep — and fill every available second with cousins.

It was fun to see where Josh and Erin live — what a great house! It was also fun to discover that St. George now boasts an In-N-Out Burger. And as always, it's satisfying to have lots of good discussions with the Urquharts. I think my only official outing has been a trip to the local Target. It's my favorite — so well stocked! so well staffed!

We drive to Las Vegas tomorrow morning to catch our plane. It has been a wonderful trip. It will be good to be home.

Fantastic vintage sign photo from the St. George flickr pool.

Creamies

We fly home to New York tomorrow. It has been a wonderful trip. Many Creamies were consumed. I can't decide which is my favorite: banana or chocolate covered mint.

Salt Lake Blog Meetup/Movie Night at the Park!

If you are still up for some kind of blog-a-licious meetup (I totally am), here's the plan. We'll be hanging out in Salt Lake City all day today — we're super excited to meet Handsome Hank! After dinner, we're going to head to Lindsey Gardens to see an outdoor screening of The Muppet Movie.

The show starts at dusk — sometime around 9:00 pm. If you're up for it, come to the park early and we can all hang out. If I remember to, I'll put a helium balloon by our blanket so you can find us in case it's crowded. It will probably be a red balloon. But who knows. Maybe I'll go wild and splurge on a mylar.

We (read: Me, Ben Blair, Liz and Jared Stanley, plus 6 kids) plan to get there between 7:30 and 8:00 and would absolutely, positively love to meet you — even if you can't stay for the movie.

Here's the park address:
Lindsey Gardens
9th Avenue & "M" Street
Salt Lake City

You can find out more of the outdoor screening here.

Wish You Were Here

Oh my goodness. This has been such a fun-filled, jam-packed week. We're loving it. Here's the rundown so far:

Monday
-Visited local wildlife at a zoo made especially for injured animals. Saw two bald eagles — as majestic as we Americans like to think.
-Picniked at the park with Grandma & Grandpa Mac.
-Visited our transplanted New York friends, the Fjelsteds, in their gorgeous new home. I'm now in search of a photographer to document their fabulous abode so everybody can get a sneak peek. Just amazing.
-Slipped and slid on a gigantic painting tarp with nephew Ben.
-Rock climbed at the local climbing gym in Logan.
-Went ga ga over gourmet shave ice made by Salem. My favorite flavor was Georgia Peach. I'd heard stories about how good Salem's shave ice was. My expectations were high and I wasn't disappointed. I'm craving one right now.
-And since shave ice wasn't sugary enough, we topped off the evening with one of Grandma Mac's specialties, shaum torte with fresh peaches and freshly whipped cream. It's officially my favorite dessert.

Tuesday
-Worked on a paper sphere art project with Grandma Mac. Can't wait to share this! But left my camera cord in New York, so details will come later.
-Visited Gigi (my Grandma Lucille), canoed, swam in the pond and fed the horses at Uncle Gary's and Aunt Janet's homestead in Grantsville. This was my second visit and I am still amazed (will always be amazed) at how they made their own bit of Eden in the desert. Probably the most inspiring property I've ever seen.

Wednesday
-Slept in.
-Hung out with nieces Amber and Kristen and Sophie.
-Toured the Dismantling Geneva photography exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art with sister-in-law Traci. (Don't miss it if you're in Provo, or a Utah Valley native. Chris Dunker's work is gorgeous and thoughtful and fascinating.)
-Explored a bit of the Harris Fine Arts Building at BYU because Ralph wanted to see "where the students work."
-Devoured ice cream treats from the Creamery. Maude tried her first malt.
-Swam at Grandma and Grandpa Blair's condo pool.
-Enjoyed dinner with old friends — the Spencers and the Higginbothams — on Grandma's patio. The sandwiches were from Kneaders. The chips were from Doritos. The drinks were from Shasta. Could have hung out for hours and hours longer than we did.
-Loved a late-night screening of Batman: The Dark Knight. Have you seen it yet? Go now.

Thursday — Pioneer Day here in Utah, a state holiday!!
-Spent the day with Blair relatives. Including swim lessons with Brother-in-law Dell, discussions about the Black Power protest at the 1968 Olympics with Sister-in-law Margaret, political discussions with Sister-in-law Jenette and baby due date guesses with niece Kaila. A full four boxes of Krispy Kremes were consumed. As well as half of Costco's deli department.
-We ended the day at the Faulconer's world famous Pig Roast (see the great invite shown at the top). Featuring a giant roasted pig. Plus a live band. Plus fireworks. Plus all the Provo glitterati. We were the absolutely last guests to leave. Our gracious hosts, Kacy and Christian, were afraid we intended to sleep over.

And now it's Friday. I'll tell you about Friday in the next post.

Cache Valley

I'm hanging out in idyllic Cache Valley for a couple of days. The views from my mom's house are lovely. It's not too hot. There are lots of mountains. Locally made ice cream is plentiful. And it's really green. Why in the world don't we all live here?

I'm working on a San Francisco recap post. In case it takes me awhile, here is the super fast summary: Jordan and Paul have a great apartment in a great location. They are excellent hosts and kept the fridge stocked with Henry Weinhardt's Rootbeer (my favorite kind and difficult to find in New York). Baby Moses is the best baby ever — very expressive and very happy to be alive. San Francisco is easy to love. The Alltop/Kirtsy party was red hot super chic. The Haus Party rocked the house. The Community Keynote at BlogHer was THE conference highlight. My kirtsy peeps are the best sort of people to attend a conference with.

I arrived in Salt Lake City last night exhausted and without a voice. And very, very happy. Happy from a great weekend and extra happy to see my family.

Posting will be off and on over the next two weeks as I make my way from Logan to Salt Lake City to Provo to Moab to St. George. Basically, I'll post whenever I can borrow Ben Blair's laptop. Happy July!

Auf Wiedersehen! — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

Look at that, just 1 week guest blogging on Design Mom and the paparazzi SWARMED around me when I showed up at Berlin Fashion Week. It was total craziness.



Alright, not really.



What a week! Berlin! Design Mom! It's been fabulous! Thank you all for such awesome comments this week. You've shared great ideas, books, websites. You've said the nicest things. It's been so fun chatting with you all from across the Atlantic. Thank you!

Please come travel with me through Paris next week! I promise it will be beautiful and tasty. And definitely drop by This Week for Dinner regularly to share your weekly menus and recipes, and get great dinner ideas…mostly from the other readers, who never fail to inspire me in my daily, usually-semi-successful quest to make dinner.

Danke! Auf Wiedersehen!

5-Minute Make-Up — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

I like looking nice, doing makeup, hair, all that girly stuff. But I usually have just enough time to throw my hair into a ponytail and run out the door. Needless to say I have mastered the art of 5-minute makeup. And I love the products I use, so here you go!

Step 1: Conceal
The biggest reason I put any makeup on in the first place is to cover up red spots/blemishes and make myself look less tired. There are a few products I use for this “conceal” step that do just that.



1. Concealer. Bare Escentuals Bisque Multi-tasker (you’ll use a different color than bisque if your skin is darker than mine) with the Bare Escentuals Concealer Brush. I apply the multi-tasker directly to my trouble spots and then blend out with the brush. Using a brush is key with concealer. It’s worth the extra investment.



2. Loose Powder or Bronzer. I use a light bronzer. Just a little bit all over to blend the rest of my face in with the spots I’ve concealed (I apply a little more to the temple/top of my cheek bone area). My favorite bronzer is from Stila. If you don’t want any sparkle, just get a loose powder 2 shades darker than your skin. If you don’t want to bronze, just use a loose powder matched to your skin tone.



3. Cream concealer on eyes. This is my FAVORITE makeup trick. I always apply a cream concealer or foundation (whatever I happen to have on hand) to my eyelids. It covers up all those little veins, makes you look more awake, and helps eye shadow go on smoothly and stay put. When I apply, I spread a little to under my eyes as well.

Step 2: Cheeks & Eyes



1. The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick is the best thing ever. I use the the Bronze Shimmer brick for my cheeks and eyes. Just brush a bit on my cheeks (right on the apples and brush straight back towards the tops of your ears). On my eyes, I use the darkest shade in my crease, the lightest shade right under my brow, and the shade closest to the lightest shade on the lid. Here’s a picture of my well-loved Shimmer Brick to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.



Normally I stop here, but if I want to look even more awake, I will throw on some mascara. But I HATE mascara, so that hardly ever happens. When I do wear it, my favorite is the Everything Mascara by Bobbi Brown.



Oh, and I do curl my eyelashes. Make sure you start curling at the base of the lash, and then curl it about three times, moving up the lash. If you just curl once near the base, you’ll get a funny lash crease.

Step 3: Lips
I almost always skip step 3. But my favorite quick lip trick is the Shimmer Stick from Origins. It doubles as a pencil & lipstick, doesn’t feel to heavy on and looks great. Lucky Penny is my favorite color.



Please feel free to share your favorite makeup trick or product!

Diaper & Wipes Case — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

This is one of my all-time favorite mommy “gadgets” so I just HAD to share it with you. My friend Marie’ made this diaper/wipes case for me and I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. I am not kidding when I say I was using a brown lunch bag to carry a few diapers and a wipes case in my purse before I received this beautiful gift.

So, how can you get one of your very own? Well, they do sell similar products like this at Babies R Us. But if you are crafty, you can really make something cute, and patterns are popping up everywhere. For inspiration, here are other cases Marie’ has made. And my artist-friend Melissa made this seriously stunning “poopy clutch” based on a Martha Stewart pattern for something completely different. Talk about creative.

Regardless of how you get your hands on one of these puppies, you’ll be glad you did.

Children’s Books — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

How can I not share my favorite children’s books on Design Mom? I think it would be a crime!



Don & Audrey Wood books are so wonderful. The stories are fantastic, the illustrations even more so. Here’s a quick list:
King Bidgood’s In the Bathtub
Heckedy Peg
Elbert’s Bad Word
The Napping House



Chris Van Allsburg is my other favorite picture book author. Again, beautiful stories & illustrations. And seriously, why does The Polar Express make me cry EVERY TIME? It’s killer.



For your adolescent daughters out there, the Anne of Green Gables series is a must read. I read all of these books when I was young and loved every minute of it. (Yes, I wanted to be Anne. I even memorized the Lady of Shalott by Tennyson. Geeky, yes. But cute, too.)



Okay, I’m not trying to be clichéd or trendy here, but the Harry Potter Books are my most favorite EVER. For those of you who HAVE read Harry, you can just stop reading here. For those of you have have NOT read Harry…please bear with me.

I know how you feel. I was reluctant, perhaps beligerent, in the beginning. I finally gave in and read Book 1. To be honest, I wasn’t much impressed. But I thought Book 2 was worth a second chance. Again, not so into it, but it did make me want to see what would happen next. By the end of the 3rd book I was HOOKED. I had to go to the bookstore THAT DAY to get number 4. They were that awesome and only got better.

So, go buy the books and get busy. In fact, here are the links so you don’t have any excuses: Books 1-6 & Book 7.

Open Up that Golden Gate. California, Here I Come!

The last load of laundry is in the dryer, ready to be packed. We head to JFK in a couple of hours. Whoo Hoo! I'm using all powers available to me (prayer, meditation, positive thinking, candy) to psych up for this day of travel. : ) As you might remember from an earlier post, I'll be spending the next few days in San Francisco at the BlogHer conference. And then I'll meet up with Ben and the kiddies in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

I'm super excited for my San Fran visit. I can't wait to hang out with Jordan and Paul and Mighty Moses. See their new apartment. Walk around the city. Eat out. Window shop. Scheme about our blogs. Party with my kirtsy gals. See old and new friends.

These are the things it was especially fun to pack up for the conference:



Two new dresses from Shabby Apple. The Cleopatra and The Marseilles. Cute right?



My brand new iPhone. It is a thing of beauty. Since I don't use a laptop, I'm hoping this lovely little piece of technology will satisfy my internet cravings while I'm away from my desk.

I'm sure those of you traveling to BlogHer this year are packing up similarly fun items — and feeling the thinness of your pocketbooks as well. There's no denying traveling to a conference is expensive. Registration, airfare, wardrobe updates. Happily, super-fly HP totally gets this. So they came up with an amazing program this year. HP is offering a $250 BlogHer scholarship to someone who reads this blog. (They have done the same thing on many other blogs this year, and I'm delighted to get to participate.)

This is how it works: if you're heading to BlogHer this year, leave a comment and you're entered to win a $250 check from HP to cover some of your expenses — to help you "recoup" some of the costs. Fantastic! Easy, peasy and super generous. $250 could cover your own new phone, or your own new dresses, or even go towards a new HP Touchsmart PC. So leave a comment, any comment (and maybe give a shout out to HP for their generosity) and I'll randomly pick a winner on Monday. How's that for a send-off?

Have a great weekend — I'll miss you! Jane Maynard, our lovely Guest Mom, will finish off the week with lots of great posts. And I'll be back with a report on Monday. If you're heading to San Francisco, please do say Hello!

10 Minutes a Day — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

A few months ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a private book signing with Maria Shriver thanks to Silicon Valley Moms Blog. Maria spoke with us about her new book Just Who Will You Be? and then signed our books and spoke with us each individually. You can read more about my experience here, but I will quickly say that it was AWESOME. I seriously came home giddy that night…just ask Nate.


One of the biggest things that hit me from the book and that evening with Maria Shriver was this: Take 10 minutes each day for yourself, alone. Do anything you want in those 10 minutes, but make sure you take them. I love this sage advice and it is something I try to remember each day.

It’s easier for some of us to take this daily 10 minutes than others, whether due to time contraints or personality traits. Regardless, EVERYONE should make an effort to do this, especially you busy moms out there. Maria told us that one morning recently her 10 minutes was just sitting on her closet floor alone. See, it really can be anytime anywhere!

Here are a few things I do to find alone time during the day:

- Lunch. I eat my lunch alone every day. Sometimes that means I eat super early or super late, depending on nap schedules. But if I don’t have lunch alone, by the time Nate comes home at night I am fit to be tied. Seriously.


- I just planted my first garden. It’s a simple perennial flower garden with a blueberry bush. Nothing fancy. I thought I would hate having to tend to my garden each day, but I’ve found it to be a relaxing time. More often than not, Cate is helping me, and those times are fun. But when I am alone watering it is a great time for pondering and relaxing.

- Take a bath. Okay, friends, you have to go buy this bath pillow. I found it at Cost Plus World Market recently and used it for the first time last week. I thought I might never get out of the tub. It ROCKS, in a calm and relaxing way of course.

- Other favorites of mine: give myself a facial, read books, read my magazines that go untouched month after month.


Promise me you’ll take Maria’s advice to heart. Refueling your inner self is key. Not only will you be able to give more to the people and activities you love, but you’ll simply be happier. Let’s end with having you all share your techniques or favorite ways to spend 10 minutes alone each day.

My Favorite Things: Framing Fun Stuff — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

As I was getting my act together for this guest mom gig, I realized that I’ve framed a few interesting items over the years. Thought I’d share my favorites with you. (Pssst…they’re super affordable too!)




Vintage Flash Cards.
I found these vintage flashcards in an antique store in Solana Beach, CA years ago. As soon as I saw them I knew they needed to be hanging on my wall. That store has since stopped carrying them, but if you frequent antique stores, keep an eye out for me — and for yourself, of course!




Art Museum Post Cards
This is CHEAP and EASY. I bought a bunch of postcards from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I then framed my favorites in cheap black 5X7 frames. Simply tape the post card to a 5X7 piece of black paper, pop it in the frame and you’re done! Since you end up with a bunch of small frames, you can arrange them on your wall in interesting ways or use as filler with bigger frames.



Fabric.
This is not the most original idea, but I still love it. Framed fabric. I recently put these frames together for my girls’ bedroom. I went with similar patterns and textures but in three different colors. You could come up with all kinds of combinations!

I need to give a quick shout out to Jonathan & Hannah from FabrixAndMore.org. They have access to high-quality fabric samples that they collect and distribute for FREE every month. You can’t believe how much STUFF they get. That’s where I found these great fabrics. If you’re in the Bay Area, check it out. If you’re not, I recommend going out and trying to get your hands on samples wherever you live! Think of the fun you could have…

Mighty Haus

Did you see what I saw on kirtsy today? The super strong duo of Mighty Goods and Mighty Junior is now a trifecta — Mighty Haus was just unveiled! A daily shopping blog (a clever and witty and just-right shopping blog) that focuses on items for your home. Items like this Paper Potter that I want to own right this minute. Fantastic. Three cheers to Maggie Mason and Melissa Summers on the launch!

Do you know what else is happening on kirtsy this week? A super cool Kirtsy Loves Video Games Giveaway! You have until Saturday night at midnight to get your comments in over at the kirtsy blog. Then. Four Winners will each receive $150 worth of yummy, portable, Nintendo awesomeness. You know you want to get on this. Because you totally wanted to dress up as Ms. Pac Man in the fourth grade and couldn't make it happen. And this will make it all better.

Great Kids’ Room Finds — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

My two sweet girls have a super sweet bedroom. I thought I’d quickly share my top finds for their space.

Play Mat.
Love this play mat from Ikea. It’s super cute in a boy or girl room, doesn’t slide around and is only $14.99!! You can’t beat it.


Table & Chairs.
Santa brought Cate a table and chair set two years ago. He asked me to do some research and I found ChildrensTablesandChairs.com. Their stuff is cute, high quality and not much more expensive than Target or Wal-Mart. Santa was very pleased. He gave Cate this set in cherry.


Toddler Bedding.
I am SUPER excited about this find. If you’ve ever shopped for bedding for a toddler bed, you feel my pain. Everything is, well, cheeeee-zeeee. Wandering around Marshalls one day I found the perfect solution. Throw blankets! They’re just the right size, and you can find some really pretty patterns. Plus, if you’re lucky like me, you’ll find a matching sham! Throw in a white toddler sheet set from Babies R Us and you’re set!

Namaste — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

No matter how many yoga classes I go to, I still feel dumb saying “Namaste” at the end. Oh, and the time the teacher made us roar like lions. Yeah, that didn’t feel silly at all.

Seriously, though, I LOVE YOGA for many reasons. I don’t have to run. I’m a yuppie, so it fits. Just kidding. There are so many benefits – increased flexibility, better sleeping, improved stamina, better breathing, improved balance (which is a bonus when you’re a clutz). Yoga is the best.


Yoga on the beach at Cape Cod. That’s me on the right…I’m willing to post this picture because my tush isn’t facing the camera…sorry to cousin & sis-in-law, but they do have cute tushies.

If you haven’t ever done yoga, give it a try! Anyone can do it – I promise! My advice is to find a good beginner class. The best thing I ever did for my yoga practice was take a class geared specifically for beginners who had never done yoga before. The class laid a very strong foundation that I draw on to this day.

Off the yoga soapbox, Jane! Tell us your yoga faves!



FAVORITE YOGA WEBSITE: Yoga Today.
Yoga Today provides a FREE 1-hour yoga class EVERY DAY. And the classes are high quality. You can even sync it up to your iTunes as a podcast. Love it.



FAVORITE YOGA CLOTHES: Ahtleta.
Every time I get my Athleta catalog in the mail I really wish I had planted a money tree in my new garden. I would be the best looking yogi this side of the Mississippi.



FAVORITE YOGA MATS: Gaiam.
These mats are TOO cute. You can even pick one up on your next trip to Target. One other mat tip…Marshalls usually has cute yoga mats at GREAT prices. You might have to dig through a few messy piles, but it’s worth it!

Stitch It Kits

These stitch-it kits are super charming. Raccoon or Snail by egg press. You can find them at the Curiosity Shoppe. Each one is hand-screenprinted on two pieces of canvas, complete with sewing instructions and name tag. Cut out the pieces, sew them together, stuff with the filling of your choice and cuddle up!

Know what else is charming? Enkay just listed Design Mom at spot 21 on her list of the Top Female Bloggers. Thanks Enkay! I'm honored to be listed among such great company.

Work-at-Home-Mom Office — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

I’m what they call a “work-at-home-mom.” (I take some issue with this phrase…all moms “work-at-home,” but I won’t get into THAT right now…) Anyway, since I spend so much time at my computer, I need my workspace to be a welcoming place. I already have a serious procrastination problem…if my desk was a corner of the kitchen table or the back of closet, I would never get anything done!


We just moved to a new apartment with a hugemongous living room. We put my desk on one side of the room and I am LOVING it. I initially thought I would hate having my work area in our living space, but for so many reasons it is really wonderful. Since it is out where everyone can see, I have to keep it looking ship-shape.

I LOVE my little office area. Every time I look over at it from the couch it makes me happy. Here’s why…

My desk is the BJÖRKUDDEN kitchen table from Ikea. It’s huge. Which is awesome. You’ll never go back to a wimpy little desk again!



I love the wall space where I sit. I hung a few of my favorite pieces of art, a lovely calendar from Good on Paper, and a classy letter bin from Pottery Barn. Oh, and the clock. Don’t you love that clock? (From Ikea.)


Having my office in the common area forces me to stay organized and tidy. Fortunately I don’t have many files or paperwork to deal with, so a simple mug holding my pens and a box to throw “junk” in works (box from PB). If I need more storage space then I need less stuff!


My greatest office love is my Mac. I love everything about it, especially my 23-inch widescreen display. Pure heaven for a designer.



There is only one serious downfall in my little WAHM office. The chair. It’s awful. It’s starting to fall apart and my back has about as many knots as, well, something that has lots of knots. I HATE THE CHAIR.

If you have any ideas for a supportive, comfortable but super-cute, not-too-big chair, please share! Or tell us about your favorite part of your workspace…whether it’s in an office, a kitchen, a school, wherever!

Winner — Tretorn Shoes

Thank you to everyone for participating in the Tretorn Shoes-for-the-Family Giveaway! Congratulations to the lucky winner: Summer who said, "I love the children's boots!."

Yay for Summer! Please send me an email and I'll get your info to the sponsor right away. And a big thanks to Tretorn!!

Welcome Jane!

I'm back from Girls Camp. It was awesome. Super awesome. I really want to write up a report (ask me about the Official Camp Dance!). But first I'm excited to introduce you to our latest and greatest Guest Mom. Meet Jane Maynard. She's a graphic designer and lover of menus and she has all sorts of rad things she's planning to share with us this week. Jane, please tell us a little bit about yourself.



Hi Everybody! Here’s a little peak into my world. And since it feels weird writing about myself, I’ll just pretend you’ve asked me to fill out a form. I like filling out forms.

Name:
Jane Maynard

What do you do?:
Mother to two beautiful daughters (a 3-year-old and a 7-month-old); wife to a smart, cool surfer dude of a husband; freelance graphic designer in my “free time” (mom’s have free time?); blogger at This Week for Dinner, and contributing blogger on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Where do you live?
Recently moved to the Bay Area from San Diego (love both places bunches). Despite what is turning out be a very long stint in CA, I’m really an East Coast girl at heart, specifically New Jersey and Boston.

Anything else?
I’ve never eaten flavored chips — Cheetos, Doritos, BBQ potato chips, nothin’. This claim is currently under investigation since I’ve fallen in love with Kettle Salt & Ground Black Pepper potato chips. But I maintain that these chips do NOT fall into the “flavored” category. I love reading, laughing, eating (cannoli especially), music-ing, photograph-ing, yoga-ing, family-ing. I’m the ultimate procrastinator. And I love life.

Oh…and I am currently gallivanting around Berlin! And on Friday I head to Paris. (Side note: my life is normally not so exciting.)

Now that you know me, I can’t wait to get to know you! And hopefully you’ll enjoy my ramblings this week. Please leave lots of comments and I look forward to hanging out on Design Mom!

See You on Monday!

I hope you've enjoyed some of my picks from the archives this week while I've been at Girls Camp. And if the archives bored you, then I hope you enjoyed some of my Guest Picks at Mighty Junior this week. And if my picks at Mighty Junior bored you, then I'll take solace knowing there's always cool new content at kirtsy to fill your day with internet loveliness.

I'll be back on Monday with some fresh new posts. Lots of mosquito bites. And my fill of teenage girl drama. One last reminder: you have until Sunday night at midnight to enter the Tretorn Family Shoe Giveaway. Have a great weekend!

kisses, Gabrielle

vintage camping illustration via the shabee chick

From the Archive: Potholder Rugs

I've posted before about the potholder rugs made by Crispina. But I had never actually seen one in real life. Until the gift show. And I have to say, they are even more wonderful in person. In fact, the Crispina booth was possibly my favorite of the whole show. Crispina products are thick with color and texture and beauty.

The photo above shows 3 rugs folded and stacked, resting on a yellow rug that's covering the floor. I can't say "thick" enough when describing these cozy rugs. And apparently, with a quick phone call, they can make a rug in colors perfectly suited to your decor.



And it's clear that when they talk eco or earth friendly, they are the real deal. The materials in everything they make have had a previous life. Their products are literally, and visibly-to-the-naked-eye recycled. In the purest sense of the word.



I especially love the bed they had set up in the booth. It was impossibly welcoming. And not just because I was Gift-Show-tired. Can you see the orange and yellow pieced blanket with circles? I couldn't stop touching it. And all those cozy pillows.

There's something a bit untidy about the edges and construction that make Crispina products seem especially family friendly. Life with kids is, in fact, untidy. But with products like these, untidy looks pretty great.

Originally posted August 30, 2007. My sister Jordan recently sent me an email about the great Crispina potholder rugs — I was so glad for the reminder! I've liked them for long enough that I should really save my pennies and buy one.

From the Archive: Stone Barns

Last weekend, we took the kids and met some friends at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills — about 30 minutes outside the city. Housed on the stunning grounds of what was once a Rockefeller farm, Stone Barns is a working farm attempting to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm not exaggerating when I talk about the grounds. They're spectacular. And there is a generous courtyard where the kids could run free.

After some initial exploring we ate lunch at the Blue Hill Café. Everything they serve is grown on the grounds or purchased from nearby farms. It's the best lunch I've had in ages. We just devoured everything. I haven't had a backyard garden for years, and I was surprised how good fresh-from-the-farm salad greens taste.

When lunch was finished, we hiked and hiked and hiked and hiked. The kids loved it. We hiked to a lake to search for turtles. We dared Ralph to dunk his head in the very cold water — and he took the dare. We searched out the pigs and gave them water. We saw picturesque views of rolling farmland with cattle grazing. It was one of those outings that was great for the kids and great for the parents. No lines, no hurrying, no shushing.

In addition to roaming free around the farm, you can take gardening classes, cooking classes or guided tours. On my next trip, I'd really like to hit the Weekly Farm Market. And if I can remember to make reservations two months in advance, I'd love to go to dinner with Ben at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Originally posted April 26, 2007.

From the Archive: Book of the Week — My Father's Dragon

My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett

I know I did a dragon book last time, but it reminded me of this one and this one is awesome. Such a great story: an alley cat convinces a little boy to stow away on a ship and rescue a young dragon. Pretty much a can't miss with any child. I love this book as an introduction to reading chapter books aloud at bedtime. The plot is not too hard to follow, the language is fairly simple and there are lots of really great illustrations to aid the imagination.

There are 3 books in the series. The volume we have has all 3. All three are good, but the first is best.

My sister-in-law Traci sent this book, along with a recording she made of the book being read aloud. We have listened to it on roadtrips a hundred times. And read the book as a bedtime story a hundred more. A really thoughtful gift.

A must have for any child's library. Good price on the 3 story volume here.

Originally published on September 14, 2006. A perfect summer read aloud book for school age kids!

From the Archive: Rock Climbing Birthday Report

I realize I never reported on Maude's birthday party, so here's a little recap:

The party favors turned out wonderfully. My original vision was wide-mouth Nalgene bottles that I could fill with rock candy and a bandana. The final version was a variation of this, but still very cute — and coordinated with the invitations.

I picked up the water bottles at Target. I liked their sporty straps, but the mouths were too narrow to stuff the favors into. No biggie, the kids just received an empty water-bottle with their other favors on the way out the door.


I found an excellent online source on the rock candy, but because I didn't order until the last minute, I couldn't get the candy delivered in time with out paying more than the candy was worth in shipping charges, so I used Gold Nugget Bubble Gum instead and repackaged it as Rock Bubble Gum.


Instead of bandanas, I packaged up bags of 5 sticks ofsidewalk chalk renamed as Climbing Chalk. And I attached the chalk and gum together with carabiners picked up in the Target sporting goods department. So each child went home with chalk, bubble gum, a carabiner, and a water bottle.

Two hours before the party started, the climbing gym called and said they had to shut down for the day because of a gas leak.

I'm not kidding.

Alternative plans had to be made. And fast.

If you're dying for details, I wrote up all the drama in my latest post at NY Metro Parents.

Originally posted March 30, 2007.

From the Archive: Advice from Holly of Decor8

I really appreciated what Holly had to say at Decor 8 about taking some time to decorate your house:

"It seems like so many of us are buying things we see on blogs or that our friends like, that we're forgetting to cherish what we already have and just mix stuff in. Some homes are starting to look like people had no real history in them, like they just gutted and did a fresh slate makeover.

You can look at their pad and pick out everything you see, crediting it to this or that store, or as something you've spotted a hundred times already in blogsville. Unless you are 18, you shouldn't feel like you have to start from scratch. Look at Domino magazine as a perfect example. What makes the homes featured in their pages so envied? They feature real homes that were built over time. It's a good lesson for us, decorating shouldn't be an overnight process."

The post then referred to a house that was a good example of designed-over-time — a house tour on Apartment Therapy of a lovely home in Portland belonging to someone named Alicia. You can see the house tour photos here. Or see them as a slideshow here.

Originally posted on February 23, 2007.

From the Archive: The Little Red Lighthouse

On Friday I loaded up the kids and we went on a hunt for the Little Red Light House.

A dear friend, Rebecca, gave us the book (about an actual lighthouse here in New York that was dwarfed as the George Washington Bridge was built) not long after we moved here. We love the book and have always wanted to visit the lighthouse — we even attempted to find it once a couple of years ago — but our attempt was rained out. Hooray that Friday was our lucky day.



I swear, it was like the cosmic forces all combined to help us have the perfect outing. The weather was fantastic — with a nice breeze coming off the water. It's a bit of hike, but there was plenty of shade and the kids were great sports and helped push the stoller. We packed a simple picnic and ate lunch at the lighthouse. We had the park absolutely to ourselves. Climbed around on the rocks. Dipped our toes in the Hudson River. Admired the cliffs across the water in New Jersey. Threw pebbles into the river.

My favorite part: on the hike back we discovered the path was lined with wild raspberries. They were yummy. And I kept laughing as we ate them because they were such an unexpected surprise.

lighthouse photo (and directions on how to get there) from Kathryn

Originally posted on July 16, 2007.

From the Archive: Hanneby Mobiles

We've already discussed my love of mobiles. How happy was I to see the amazing selection designed by Hanneby. Go browse and be happy.

via clemantine (nice find!)

Originally posted October 26, 2006. Two years later and I'm still completely in love with these clever mobiles. That pregnant Mommy is just too wonderful. The expectant hen as well.

From the Archive: Bubbilicious

Note from Design Mom: Hey! It's July 8th 2008. Which means today is the two year anniversary of this little blog. Happy blog birthday to me! For today's archive post, how about I republish my very first blog post ever:




The kids and I had a perfect summer moment in the backyard this afternoon with a bubble wand. I love the new wands available. When I was a kid, it was just a little bottle with a tiny wand and it took lots of practice to actually get bubbles to blow through the little hole. Now there are a million different wands in cute shapes (ours is a ladybug). Just wave and go. Even my toddlers can manage it.

I would love to give bubble wands as a party favor at a BBQ or outdoor summer event. But I don't want to give out a plastic wand. I want a wand made of metal with a wooden handle and maybe an oversize jewel-like bead at the end of the handle. I could put the bubble solution in pretty bottles or even vintage canning jars with a cool label. Someone should manufacture these and sell them at Smith and Hawken or in the Sundance catalog.

This post was originally published on July 8, 2006.

From the Archive: Sketch Swap

Have your kids do this instead of their homework.

What it is: you go to the site and make a sketch. (It doesn't have to be a good sketch. Mine was a profile of an elephant.) Then you click "submit sketch" and you get someone else's sketch in return. The two best parts are 1) you can't erase and 2) you get to watch the sketch you receive being drawn. So genius.

Someone compared it to fortune cookies, and for me it's true. I wonder who will receive the elephant?

Originally posted September 29, 2006. It's a perfect summer-boredom-buster!

From the archive: Rose's Lime Syrup

After reading The Jolly Porter's post on drive-inns, my burger cravings have been in full-gear. Drive-inn options in the New York metro area are basically non-existent. I have to head upstate about an hour and a half before I hit a good one. And even then, their offering never quite lives up to my daydreams of a Ripples Lime Freeze.

And so, I've taken to making Lime Freezes at home. Vanilla ice cream, Sprite and Rose's Lime Syrup make a pretty close approximation to the genuine article. Bonus for me: the bottles are so pretty to have in the pantry.

Originally posted on August 1, 2006. Also. Very much looking forward to enjoying a genuine Ripples' Lime Freeze in a couple of weeks. Yay for summer ice cream concoctions!

Gone Fishing

I'm on my way to Girls Camp this very morning — looking forward to stretching my tent-pitching muscles. I'll be posting from my archives all week so that you still have something interesting (hopefully) to greet you if you stop by.

And if antique posts aren't exciting enough, I've also been invited to be a Guest Poster this week over at the super-cool shopping blog Mighty Junior — edited by the talented power-house duo of Melissa Summers and Maggie Mason. How fun is that!?

I sent over a whole bunch of picks right before the holiday weekend. All really wonderful items that I haven't yet featured on Design Mom. So I hope you pay Mighty Junior a visit and check it out and say hello.

Also. Wouldn't it be amazing if camping meant sleeping in the lovely tent featured above? Makes me want to colonize something. Here's a peek of the inside:



Tent photos via poppytalk. Tent by Tentsmiths.

Happy Independence Day!

Look how cute these magnet six packs are! Designed by Kate Grenier and made from recycled bottle caps. A set for Democrats. A set for Republicans. Or. If you're feeling bipartisan, go with the American Collection.

Today's Blair Family Plans: parades, bbqs and fireworks. I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July! God Bless America!!

PS — remember, you have a whole week to enter the Tretorn Family Shoe Giveaway.

Random Giveaway — Tretorn Shoes for the Family

It's the 4th of July tomorrow. Which is wonderful. I LOVE July 4th! And I think we should celebrate our freedom with some new shoes. Because being able to walk around — when you want, where you want, in whatever shoes you want — is a lovely way to model independence. So how about new shoes for the whole family? A pair for Dad. A pair for Mom. And a pair for your child. All sponsored by Tretorn!



That's right. The winner will receive 3 pairs of shoes from Tretorn. And the winner gets to pick which pairs and which sizes. And it's going to be kind of a big job choosing those 3 pairs of shoes. Because Tretorn carries all sorts of really good-looking options. Check out the men's shoes. And the women's line. And the adorable children's sneakers and boots.





Why is Tretorn feeling so generous and All-American? Well. It's because in addition to the 4th of July, they are also celebrating the opening of their new shop in SoHo — yay Tretorn! It's located on 150 Spring Street, and I for one am dying to pay it a visit. If only so I can see this lovely pair of boots in person.

Thank you Tretorn!

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

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, July 13th to enter this giveaway. (I know that's super, extra long for one of my Giveaways. But I'll be at camp all next week and won't be ready to announce a winner until the 14th. So I thought: why not have an extra-long 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 on Monday, July 14th.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Stubby Pencil Studio

Do art supplies make your mouth water? Mine too.

I recommend a visit to Stubby Pencil Studio where you will find a well-put-together collection of some of the prettiest pencils around. Apparently, every single product carried by Stubby Pencil is sustainable or recycled or in some other way eco. And while that is completely admirable, in reality, I just like the pencils because they're so gorgeous. And rainbow-y.

Funny Food Day

Knowing this summer was going to kick me in the pants, what with Girls Camp and BlogHer and a family vacation to Utah and on and on, I arranged for a friend, home from college for the summer, to be the family nanny/mother's helper/babysitter/what have you. Her name is Lisette. And she is wonderful. We've made a big calendar of projects and adventures for this summer, and Lisette is helping me make it happen.

On the schedule for yesterday was Funny Food Day (my kids were inspired after seeing the fine food work featured here.) Lisette orchestrated the whole thing and my kids were beyond happy with the results. Fruit Faces in the morning. Weiner Dogs around lunch time. And Crazy Cupcakes in the afternoon.




The thing that surprised me the most about this day was that my kids were as content and happily worn out at the end of the day as if we'd spent the whole time at the park. There was hardly a stitch of fighting and they were creatively engaged the entire day. Funny Food Day was a huge hit! Who knew?




I also want to note that one of the funnest parts was testing out our brand spanking new pocket camera — the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120. It's a sleek little number and I'm loving how clear the images came out, especially considering they were shot at low-resolution.



The memory card arrived in the mail today and I look forward to testing out the camera at high-resolution as well. And experimenting with all the features. According to the instruction booklet, there's one setting where the camera will automatically take the shot when it senses a smile — I'm so curious to try it!

Target Dresses

Three versatile dresses at Target that caught my eye. The flattering, knit dress by Mossimo, $20. The super-sweet smocked, cap-sleeve dress by Mossimo, $23. And the classic Andrea wrap dress by Isaac Mizrahi, $45.

Cute right? Although I don't think my cleavage could sustain the one on the left — I'd have to wear it with another layer.

A Practical Compendium of Random Things

One of my favorite internet stops lately is D. Sharp's Journal (and etsy shop, and studio). When I visit her sites, I am treated to lovelies like:




this collection of tickets (a kirtsy feature), this magical paper birthday crown (also a kirtsy feature — geez, kirtsy is so darn cool), and this completely charming homemade bird feeder. I especially enjoy her "I love" series of badges in the left margin of her blog. So clever. So pretty.

It's Like A Grown Up Backyard Fort

Spotted on kirtsy. I keep coming back to stare at this 140sf retreat designed by architect Jeffrey S. Broadhurst. So much of it is appealing to me — especially the fact that it's completely off the grid. It looks like the perfect place to take a break from your inbox and enjoy the view.



On a related note. I will be taking my own break from my inbox next week when I head up to Whaley Lake to direct the annual Girls Camp — attended by the teenage girls in my church that live in the Bronx and Westchester. Can't wait! Hiking, canoeing, skits, crafts, sleeping in a tent. What's not to love? I'll be posting favorites from my archives all next week — no internet allowed at Camp Liahona.

via the stylefiles. via materialicious.

Fall Down Tree

Couldn't you just plan a whole enterprise around this cat? Her name is Penelope and apparently she's a night owl. And what about Mr. E. L. Phunt? And Rocky the Rooster? Basically, I want one of each of everything Adam and Jill Record create. The laundry, the dreaming children, the Humpty Dumpty who had a great fall. Maybe just one to hang over the bed. Maybe a series on the playroom wall. (Yo. What's with all the talent? Photography too? Save some creativity for the rest of us, guys.)




Bonus: very reasonable prices for prints of these tempting animals. All available at Fall Down Tree.

Irma Niekum

In one of their recent newsletters, Craftsbury Kids featured a new-to-me artist, Irma Niekum. I immediately gave my heart to her little birdy party favors. Designed and hand-sewn by Irma herself from wool felt. They are the sort of creature that would be lovely to leave on your friend's doorstep accompanied by a little note. Or maybe used to top off a beribboned box.

Harmonie Intérieure

Fantastic oversize wall sticks by Harmonie Intérieure. And lots more on their site.

Cupcake Party!

Lucky me. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a luncheon at Tavern on the Green. Tavern on the Green is practically a New York institution. It's a classic restaurant right in the middle of Central Park. Kind of old school and proper. It's a favorite place to take your mother on Mother's Day. And I had never been before. So I was delighted by the invitation, and the chance to see the famed fabric-covered-garden-lamps that I'd heard all about (they are charming by the way).

But even more fun than the location, was the fact that the gathering was all about cupcakes. For reals. A whole bunch of ladies in summer party dresses, eating a whole bunch of cupcakes at Tavern on the Green. How girly is that?

The purpose of the event was to get the word out about a noble cause: Cancer Care for Kids. What an organization! Any family, finding themselves dealing with cancer, can call this non-profit group and get real, free, professional support for their children — including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help. And to raise money for this important group, Duncan Hines is sponsoring a huge National Bake Sale Contest — with proceeds going directly to Cancer Care for Kids.

You can find more contest info here, but the basic 411 is: host a bake sale in your school/neighborhood/community center/etc, donate the proceeds to Cancer Care for Kids, let Duncan Hines know about it, and possibly win some cool prizes. Awesome!



In the Tavern Garden, some adorable girls from a high school in Long Island were hosting a bake sale just for party attendees. And I have to say, there were so many pretty ones, and they looked so lovely there on display, that I bought an entire tray. (Isn't it nice to have a bunch of kids that I can use as an excuse to buy sweets?) There's just something about cupcakes. I can't get enough.



For party favors, we were sent home with a box of Duncan Hines yet-to-be-released Decadent Carrot Cake (it launches July 8th, you can see it pictured at the top). Carrot Cake is beloved at our house — yummy. And a darling book, Hey There, Cupcake! by Clare Crespo — a creative cooking genius and one of the contest judges. Clare attended the luncheon as well, and taught us how to make these adorable cupcake hamburgers (directions on page 56 of her great book).



Yay for great organizations! Yay for cupcakes!

cupcake images via Nichelle