The Last Day of the Year

It's snowing. Not enough to prevent us from leaving the house. But enough that we don't want to. So we're staying cozy, making use of some of our Christmas gifts, and waiting for Ben Blair to get off work.

First, Maude made cupcakes. To line the cupcake trays, she used these unbleached, kraft colored papers I spied on the bottom shelf of the baking aisle at Stop & Shop. A nice discovery to happen upon.



Then, we topped the warm cupcakes with Magical Rhubarb Sauce from our neighbors — Liz and David Dibble — a couple we adore. Dave is a talented artist and animator at Blue Sky Studios (the company that made the Ice Age movies). Plus Ralph takes art lessons from him. Liz is working on a graduate degree in dance. She has promised to help me learn Beyoncé's Single Ladies moves.



The rhubarb sauce is delicious.



Next, we'll make a batch of hot cocoa with the goodies that Laura sent. Pretty little mugs in chocolate brown. Enough for the whole family. I love how the rings on the mugs sit low. So chic. She even included wood-handled peppermint spoons for stirring.

Throughout the day, I continue to mess around with my new camera.

Tonight we'll make party food, play with the wii — more World Tour, more Despereaux, more Backyard Football — and hang out with family. If the kids can manage to stay awake, we'll bang pots and pans on the porch to ring in 2009.

This is how the Blairs are spending the last day of 2008.

Thank you Notes

If I'm going to be writing really good thank you notes in 2009, I'll need to start with really good stationery. Like these sweet, simple Hello cards from Sarah Jane.

What's Next

Do you get as excited about goals and New Years Resolutions as my family does? Jordan is thinking about her list. Jared and Liz are thinking about their lists too. No doubt the rest of my non-blogging siblings also have goals on their minds.

I'm right there with them, working on my own list for 2009. I'm also looking at the calendar and thinking about what's coming whether I make a list or not. For example:

In January, the Stanley siblings and spouses are taking a trip to Mexico. 10 days. No kids. We are going to Tulum. There are no words to describe how much I'm looking forward to this trip. Coolest part — this trip is a treat from my brother Jared. May you all have little brothers as generous as mine.

In February, I'll be heading to Houston to speak at and participate in the Mom 2.0 Summit. Hopefully, you're coming too. Because I'd love to meet you.

In March, I'll be at SXSW. Partying with the kirtsy girls. Possibly even introducing our new book. Plus I'll be making a trip to Boulder for the very high-tech wedding of Gwen Bell.

Other things on my mind:
- I've started a long overdue site redesign for Design Mom. Thinking about this a lot. A lot. A lot.
- For Christmas, Ben Blair gave me my first real camera. A Canon 50D. I want to learn to use it well.
- Josh & Erin sent us the much-talked-about-book In Defense of Food. I hope it will be a starting point for better eating in our home.
- I'd like to start some kind of regular exercise program. I have no idea what this will be. But it's embarrassing how little exercise I currently get.
- For much of my adult life I wrote really good thank you notes. But then I stopped. Maybe 2009 will be my thank you note comeback.

What's on your mind for 2009?

Lovely calendar from Orange Beautiful. Spotted on Decor8's yummy and useful calendar roundup.

Between Christmas & New Years

Ben Blair is back at work today, but it still feels like it's vacation because the kids are out of school. We're mostly hanging out in our pjs and playing Guitar Hero (thanks Grandma and Grandpa Blair!). Ralph, Maude and Olive like to play base, while I play guitar. Oscar likes to hold either guitar, just because he looks so cool. We find ourselves humming Livin' on a Prayer and Beat It as we go about our chores.

I have been feeling that urge to do physical, non-computer work. So on Saturday, we ripped up the carpet on the stairs. A task which I've been wanting to do, but putting off, since the day we started renting this home 3 years ago. The carpet was old and gross and it should not make me this happy to see the bare wood on the steps, but it does. If I had accomplished nothing in 2008 except getting rid of that awful carpet, I would be good with that.

Today, I was still feeling the urge for more physical work, so I put Christmas away. Earlier than I had intended, but I'm still pleased. I'll leave the wreath and the outside lights up for awhile yet, but everything else is packed up and boxed. And now I'm looking toward what's next.

image here

Grandma Daisy

Ben Blair took the big kids to a movie (Bedtime Stories) and the little ones are asleep. Which means I have a quiet house all to myself (lovely) and I'm using the momentary silence to reflect on the life of my Grandma Daisy. She passed away a couple of days ago — on December 23rd. Technically, it was kidney failure. But mostly, it was old age.

Grandma Daisy was a wonderful woman. Tall. Regal. In my memories she's always wearing purple with long strands of gorgeous grey pearls. And glasses on a chain. Incredibly hard-working — she retired when she was 89. Italian. My family grew up eating her version of focaccia — we call it figasa and it's a staple in our family recipes.

Daisy had an unsentimental streak a mile wide. An example: she was insistent that no burial or funeral services be held on her behalf. Which means her children and grand-children are having to figure how and when to mourn her on their own terms. As you can imagine, there have been lots of emails and phonecalls and stories exchanged over the last couple of weeks.

A second example. When I found myself nearly engaged and pondering what I wanted my wedding ring to look like, I called Grandma and asked if I could please have a piece of jade from her rock collection, with the idea that I would take it to a jewelry designer and have something wonderful made. Both Grandpa Ralph and Grandma Daisy had collected and polished rocks as a hobby, and I knew she had some beautiful pieces of unpolished jade sitting in their workshop.

Daisy did send her prettiest piece of apple jade. And a gorgeous oval jade ring set in silver that she designed and made herself. Also. She sent her wedding ring. Because (remember that unsentimental streak) Grandpa Ralph had died a couple of years earlier and "the ring wasn't doing her any good anymore."

The ring is a small diamond (I have zero knowledge about carats or cuts or clarity or things like that — I never actually went shopping for a wedding ring and still know nothing about them) set in platinum with delicate cutwork in the metal. I loved it instantly and all plans for jade rings immediately went out the window as I adopted Daisy's wedding ring as my own. I couldn't believe how lucky I was.

My father died almost a dozen years ago. So I'm not mourning for his loss right now. But I am mourning for my uncle Mark's loss. His father died. His brother died — his only sibling. And now his mother. I remember the feeling of orphan-ness I felt at my father's death. And was completely surprised by. Because I was 22 and thought the whole orphan-concept should no longer apply. I'm betting Uncle Mark is feeling pretty orphaned right now. Even though he's been more caretaker, less child, for many years.

The thing I keep thinking about the most, is how hard it must have been to be Grandma Daisy, raising a stepchild during the 40's and 50's — when there were no books or support groups to offer advice. And when nobody really even talked about such things. The basic story: Grandpa Ralph and Grandma Rudi married young, had my father and divorced shortly afterward. Grandpa Ralph took custody of my father and then married Daisy and had another son, my uncle Mark. My father was raised by Daisy and Ralph with his brother Mark. But my father would spend the summers with his birth mother, Grandma Rudi — who lived a couple of towns away and also went on to re-marry and have more children.

Seriously, I can't imagine how awkward and painful that whole situation must have been. For my father, for sure. But also for Daisy — the new wife and step-mother — in particular. I'm so grateful to her for doing her best to do right by my father, even though it was hard. He grew to be a hard-working, capable man who raised 8 hardworking, capable children. So, yay for Daisy!

I still have that pretty piece of apple jade. Sometimes, I think I'm almost as unsentimental as Grandma Daisy, but maybe the time has come to make something lovely from it.

You can read Daisy's obituary here.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve activities are in full swing at the Blair house. Ham is slowing shredding on the stove. Snowball cookies are being rolled. Presents are being wrapped. Costumes for our Nativity Re-enactment are being gathered. I can hardly wait to see the kids faces tomorrow morning.

No doubt your home is just as busy and festive. And how wonderful is that? Merry Christmas to you and yours!

kisses, Gabrielle

image source

Nativity

In lieu of the usual live Nativity Pageant at my church Christmas party this year, our congregation tried something new. The kids put on the nativity one Sunday with no audience and with staging happening in rooms all over our church building. A few parents with good photography skills followed the kids around and took lots of stills. Then, the amazing Travis S. put the pics together into a video.

The video debuted during the Christmas party and it's just about the sweetest thing you've ever seen. Costumes, props and general direction are by the incomparable Jennifer Darger. Narration is by Travis's talented daughter Scout.

3-Gift-Guideline at Real Simple

Feel like you're giving your kids too much this year? Too little? You can read about the 3-Gift-Guideline I use in a post I wrote for Real Simple.

photo from Real Simple Photo Galleries

Tulle Tutorial

Many readers have asked for more concrete directions on how to make the no-sew tutu, so here's a more detailed post with photo directions.

Cut elastic to waist size and pin together with a safety pin or a few stitches. Cut lengths of tulle from a 6-inch-wide tulle ribbon roll. Fold the tulle piece in half and then thread the ends through itself around the elastic. To demonstrate, I'm using a spare piece of elastic and a spare piece of ribbon, but this is the exact same technique you would use with a strip of tulle.


Start with your band of elastic and piece of ribbon or tulle. Fold your piece of ribbon in half, place the loop end under the elastic.


Pick of the loose ends of the ribbon. Pull them over the elastic and through the loop end of the ribbon.


Pull the loose ends of the ribbon to tighten it around the elastic. And then repeat with additional pieces of ribbon and tulle until the tutu is as full as you'd like. Yay!

For the tutu pictured at the top, we used an entire roll of champagne colored shimmer tulle (25 yards). It provided 33 lengths (about 2 feet long each) to tie to the waist band. We also used 3 rolls of ribbon in peach, cream and sage green. They provided 11 lengths each and were attached between the tulle pieces for accents. The materials were under $5 total.

Another note about this project. You can make the tutu any length you like, by using longer or shorter pieces of tulle. Also. If I'd had another roll of the tulle, I would have used it and made the tutu twice as full.

More Homemade Christmas 2008

Olive has been working on gifts for her siblings over the weekend. She's especially happy with the headbands she made for Maude and Betty. We think the creamy-colored one will coordinate perfectly with the tutu Ralph made. I'm super happy with them too. And already have plans to borrow them.




Materials: we bought a 3-pack of black headbands at Target for about $3. We bought fake flowers, for $3 to $4 per stem, and coordinating ribbon for $1 per roll from Michaels. Each headband will use between 1 and 2 yards of ribbon. Total materials for 3 headbands was less than $20. Just for comparison, a similar headband, like this darling one at CrewCuts is $16.50.



To make: wrap the head band in ribbon using a hot glue gun to attach. We had the best luck keeping the ribbon smooth by starting it at each end of the headband and meeting where the flower would be placed. Once the headband is completely covered in ribbon, it's time to add the flower.



Pull the flower off of it's stem, and trim the remaining plastic so that the bottom of the flower is flat. In front of a mirror, put on the headband and move the flower around until you're happy with placement. Mark where your want to place the flower with a pencil (the pencil mark will be covered by the flower). Attach the flower with hot glue. Done.



This is an incredibly fast project. And the headbands turned out beautifully. The fake flowers we bought each came with a large bloom and a small bloom. We didn't want the small blooms to go to waste, so as an afterthought, we glued them to small barrettes. Cute.



For Ralph, Olive made chocolate-chip-cookies-in-a-jar. For Oscar, Olive is going to do something cool with pencils — I'll try to post pics soon. To see more gifts my kids made, you can go here.

Winner — Cirque du Soleil Wintuck Tickets

Wow. The countdown to Christmas is really here. We have a few more errands to run. A few more gifts to make. Lots of things to wrap. Wednesday we're going to the Train Show at the Botanical Gardens. This afternoon, Olive and I are spending the day window-shopping with a few friends and their daughters. We'll hit the holiday boutiques at Grand Central. Takashimaya. The Windows at Bergdorfs.

Promise not to laugh? We put up a second Christmas tree last night. Our first one was so sad and dead I kept getting depressed every time I walked by. So Ben Blair brought home a fresh one and we decorated it last night. It happens to have the crookedest trunk ever, and took some pruning and propping to get it upright, but it turned out wonderfully. And smells so good. Best decision ever.

But you're not reading this post to get a report on my weekend. You're reading this to find out who won the Wintuck Tickets. So let's get to it. A happy congratulations go to: Kage who said, "Design Mom, it's time for me to win. It is definitely time.

Hooray for Kage! Please email me and I'll put you in touch with the sponsor right away. Thank you all so much for participating. And a special thank you to Cirque du Soleil Wintuk for sponsoring the Giveaway.

Real Simple Blogathon

Since Thanksgiving, Real Simple has been hosting a fantastic Holiday Blogathon, featuring holiday tips and ideas from all over the interwebs. For those of you with holiday parties on your calendar, check out my Blogathon post with suggestions for true, last-minute hostess gifts.

Want even more of me? Check out my post on Cookie's Nesting blog about how to keep your houseplants nice and cozy.

Baby's Breath

Spotted on kirtsy. This blog post featuring photos of Baby's Breath is beautiful. So simple and so winter-y. I especially heart the bouquet.

Clothing Deals for Last-Minute Shoppers

At our house, each child receives something to read, something to play with and something to wear for Christmas. Santa is still working on the "something to wear" part. I think I'll send him to Peek...Aren't You Curious and Oeuf. Both are having terrific sales.



At Peek, I found things like great-looking sweatshirts, hoodies and jackets in the $20 range — marked down from $78. And lots of beautiful skirts on sale too! Find their selection for Baby, Girls and Boys on sale here.



Oeuf offers some of my very favorite items for babies and toddlers. Including all sorts of gorgeous knits — clothes and accessories with detail and personality. And everything is currently 30% off (through January 2nd) with coupon code: DCOEUF.



Shouldn't every child own a Hug Me Sweater with built-in mittens? In colors for girls and boys.

Wintuk Giveaway

One last pre-Christmas Giveaway! You can win 4 tickets to Cirque Du Soleil's Wintuk at Madison Square Garden.

I'm such a fan of Cirque. I remember the first time I attended a show, I started getting weepy because it was just so beautiful. The acrobatics and feats are amazing and daring and exciting. But mostly, I'm in awe that there are people in the world that can create something so pretty and interesting.



The 4 tickets are for December 28th at 2:00 — the perfect winter-break activity! The show is sure to psyche you up for a few more months of beautiful winter and get you craving snow. Guess what else? You can get 25% off ticket purchases through December 19th with the code: ONE2ONE. Tickets range from $52 to 105 — so be sure to take advantage of that generous discount!



If you'll be in New York on the 28th. Or know someone else who will be. You'll want to win these tickets. Happy Commenting. Happy Winter. Thank you, Wintuk!

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Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, December 21st to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday, December 22nd.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

12 Days of Christmas

For the first time this year, my family is delivering Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts to another family. The basic idea: consider a family that might need a little extra cheer this year. Then, starting on December 14th, for 12 days you anonymously deliver a small gift to that family, representing each day from the song. Then. On Christmas Day, you deliver the last gift in person — and if you're the caroling sort of family, you could sing the song as well.

My parents used to have my siblings do this when I was growing up, and I was reminded about it when I read my sister Rachel's post earlier this month. We loved it as children. And my kids are having a terrific time with it this year. There's something so magical about giving secret gifts.

Here's what we've given so far this year, and some alternate ideas as well from my sister and other sources. Note: I'm not too picky about how closely the gift ties in to the song. At the end of the day, it's fun to receive any small gift.

1st A partridge in a pear tree
We gave a small basket of beautiful pears. Pear flavored Jones soda would be cute as well.

2nd Two Turtle Doves
We gave two Dove chocolate bars, small bird ornaments would also work

3rd Three French Hens
We delivered a hot breakfast with 3 slices of French Toast. I also love the idea of 3 rolls of French wired ribbon or French milled soap.




4th Four Calling Birds
We took pics of yesterday's gift — we found some some small bird themed kitchen towels and a scrubber on sale at Target and paired them with pom pom birds from Martha's craft kit. Stationery (as in calling cards), or a bird call whistle would also be perfect.

5th Five Golden Rings
We're delivering this today — 5 round, gold, candles. Growing up, we always gave a can of pineapple rings. Five round ornaments — ball or snowflakes — would be good. Or even five gold bangles.

6th Six Geese a Laying
We're not sure what we're doing for this one. I like my sister's ideas for a breakfast cookbook and quiche. Or maybe we'll deliver a half dozen eggs. Another way to go is to pretend "laying" means sleeping and give a sleep mask or pillow or something rest related.

7th Seven Swans a Swimming
We're giving 7 bath fizzy balls.

8th Eight Maids a Milking
If we can find one, I'd like to deliver a bottle of fresh, local milk. Alternatively, I like the idea of hot cocoa and a mug.

9th Nine Ladies Dancing
We're thinking a DVD of the Nutcracker ballet.

10th Ten Lords a Leaping
The kids want to give an actual lordly looking Nutcracker for this one. Cozy socks or slippers is another good idea.

11th Eleven Pipers Piping
I found a snowglobe with 2 angels trumpeting. We plan to use that.

12th Twelve Drummers Drumming
A Christmas CD

Next year, to make things even easier, I'm thinking I'll buy a collection of 12 Days ornaments (like these gorgeous ones from Land of Nod that I linked to earlier) and deliver one each day.

One more note: when I take on something like this, I like to consider my strengths and weaknesses. I knew my biggest challenge would be having to load up all the kids each day to make the delivery. So to solve it, we chose to give to a widow down the street, so that my kids can make deliveries by foot.

Does your family do The Twelve Days of Christmas? What are your best 12-Days ideas?

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

Saturday night Ben Blair and I saw I've Loved You So Long. It was beautiful. And I keep thinking about it. You can see the trailer here.

Homemade Sibling Gifts 2008

This is the third year that my kids are making gifts for each other. It's turned into one of our best family traditions — requiring more thinking and time than is ideal, but my kids LOVE it. As I've mentioned in years past, I prefer the gifts to be usable and practical.

For 2 year old Betty, who has lately become obsessed with all things ballerina, Ralph made a tutu. My friend Jill gave me this idea and it is such a great project (thank you Jill)! It's virtually no-sew.

Cut elastic to waist size and stitch together — that's the only needle and thread required. Then cut lengths of tulle from a 6-inch-wide tulle ribbon roll. Fold the tulle piece in half and then thread the ends through itself around the elastic. And that's it. You just keep repeating till the elastic is covered.



We used an entire roll of champagne colored shimmer tulle (25 yards). It was on sale for $3 at Michaels and provided 33 lengths (about 2 feet long each) to tie to the waist band. We also used 3 rolls of ribbon in peach, cream and sage green. They were .50 cents, also from Michaels. They provided 11 lengths each and were attached between the tulle pieces for accents. We already had elastic, so the whole cost for the tutu was $4.50. And it turned out beautifully. I think Betty is going to be beside herself with joy when she opens this.

Another note about this great project. You can make the tutu any length you like, by using longer or shorter pieces of tulle. So this same idea could work for an older girl as well. Also. If I'd had another roll of the tulle, I would have used it and made the tutu twice as full. (I've posted more specific directions and photos here.)




For Oscar, Ralph decoupaged a bucket to corral his matchbox cars. We used a bucket we already had, plus modge podge and sponge brushes in our art supply stock. So the only cost on this one was .69 cents for a piece of car-themed scrapbook paper. I heart decoupaging. It breathes new life into all sorts of things.

A super simple project. We first cut wide strips of the paper the same height as the bucket. We put a layer of modge podge on the bucket, added the paper strips, and coated the tops with more modge podge. We did 3 top layers of modge podge, waiting between each for the last coat to mostly dry.

I have it on good authority that Santa is putting a pack of cars into Oscar's stocking, so he'll be excited to put this bucket to use immediately.




Ralph used fabric markers and stencils to customize knapsacks for Maude and Olive. They'll use the knapsacks to carry their shoes/clothes to dance class and gymnastics class. Very straightforward. Just place the template on the fabric, color in with fabric markers, and set with a hot iron. We had all the supplies for this project, so it was a freebie. Ralph was the most happy about and proud of this particular gift.



For her sibling gifts, Maude made tie-dye t-shirts. A project that doesn't take much time and provides really satisfying results. We adapted instructions from here and here with t-shirts found for about $5 each at Old Navy and Target.

Tie-dying is addictive. If we hadn't run out of dye, I think we would have started coloring boxers and undershirts next. Maude is so pleased with how the shirts turned out she can hardly stand to keep them a secret.

Olive will put together her gifts this weekend. We're not sure exactly what she's making, but some of the ideas on the list are: ribbon belts, embellished headbands, baseball caps with vintage scout patches found on ebay, decoupaged wood blocks, and homemade hair conditioner. She also likes the idea of taking a photo portrait of each sibling and then framing it to display on their nightstand.

You can see more of what we made this year here. You can see what we made in past years here and here and here and here. What do you like to do for sibling gifts?

Mini Cake Stand

I know it's sold out, but I'm still coveting this little Scallop Cupcake Stand from Whitney Smith Pottery. Dear Whitney, please make more. Thank you.

Found via Say Yes.

Party Dress

I have a couple of events this month that require an appropriate dress — something a little festive and a little sparkly. So I said to myself: why not try one from one of my terrific sponsors? Like the silk Delaney dress from Alleanza. I love the fabric — just enough shimmer. And the cut is so flattering.

Fa La La La Lots of Prizes

More good news! — kirtsy's latest contest was just posted. And it's HOT! Over $550 worth of goodies. From two of my favorite companies. Check it out:

First of all, Serena & Lily is offering up a $150 Gift Certificate to their gorgeous home goods shop. You probably know them for their baby bedding, but their line is so chic and sophisticated, that grown-ups everywhere begged and pleaded for them to expand their line. And they did. They now offer all sorts of gorgeous home items. And I covet the whole collection.

To sweeten the deal, check this out: for only the 2nd time in the entire history of the company, Serena & Lily is having a sale. Right now, you can get 30% off all their delicious bedding. And it truly is delicious. You'll want to eat it for breakfast. And sleep in it. All at the same time.

Second of all, All About Cute, an internet hotspot full of lovely items for you and your best friends, is offering up an Orla Kiely Bundle of treats retailing over $400.00! How deluxe is that?

The winner of this kirtsy Fa La La La Giveaway will receive an Orla Kiely Boulevard large zip wallet, an Orla Kiely Dreamsicle orange angora sweater (winner chooses her size, of course), and a $50.00 Gift Certificate to All About Cute, that she can spend as she pleases. I can picture it now. You'll be sporting your hot new sweater while pulling your hot new wallet out of your handbag, so that you can spend your hot little gift certificate.

And you can make that $50 feel like $100. Because from now through the end of the year, everything at the All About Cute site is 50% off. Just use the code: holiday.

It's super easy to enter. Just leave a comment on the kirtsy blog post, or over on kirtsy. Yay!

Modern Dollhouse

Some of the modern dollhouses out there are astronomically expensive. Here's an alternative. This pretty one at Petit Flaneur is adorable. And its price is much more reasonable.



Thanks for the link, Linda from Maine.

Catalog Christmas Tree

Jill of Blue Poppy Jewelry sent me pics of the Christmas tree she fashioned out of catalogs this year. Built around an over-turned wire tomato trellis. Things I can learn from this: celebrating Christmas should not require a major output of cash. And. The transformative power of twinkle lights should not be underestimated.

Locks of Love

Last week, 9 year old Maude had her hair cut off and donated to Locks of Love — a program that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. When the stylist was finished and Maude stood up, she said, "I'm a whole new girl."

How great that we can reinvent ourselves with something as simple as a haircut. Or even some new lipgloss. And. How great to have kids at an age where they can consider the needs of others.

Winners! Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Event

Oh. My. Word. That was so much fun! I can't thank you enough for celebrating Christmas with me. And for your enthusiastic comments. And for helping spread the world. What would I do without you?

Are you so curious about who won? Me too! So let's get it announced already:

1st Day. *Shannon who said: Oh, lovely! I need a new camera!
You win the Sony Digital Camera from Staples.

2nd Day. Andrea who said: I love their "Believe" campaign and would sure love to score this!
You win the Eight $20 Giftcards from Macy.

3rd Day. Kris who said: I know a little boy and a big boy who would love this.
You win the Remote Control Helicopter.

4th Day. Desiree who said: We'd love to go - we live here and have never been - how bad is that!
You win Four Tickets to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

5th Day. Chantal who said: Enter me!!!
You win Pickled-Tink Charm Bracelet.

6th Day. Power-Glider who said: Love the way these would do sunny-side up.
You win the Mini-Set of Scanpan Cookware.

7th Day. Two Winners!
Moxie Sinclair who said: librarian love.
And.
Rosie and Derek who said: Oh oh oh, these look so cool! Hope this is my lucky number. Thanks for the chance to win!
You both win a Great Big Square Book from Inkubook.

8th Day. Courtney at splashing grace who said: how super cool are those!
You win a pair of Forever Young Cufflinks by Jacqueline Sanchez.

9th Day. Two Winners!
Sara who said: I'm in!
And.
chksngr who said: Beautiful Boxes. Its a shame to have to put them away.
You both win Signature Ornament Storage Boxes from Sterling Pear.

10th Day. anna jo who said: um, are you serious?! this could be very, very bad... but oh so good! :)
You win a $150 Store Credit at Sweet Tooth Fairy.

11th Day. Tonya who said: Will it print pics of the necklace? LOL, great giveaway, both are great prizes!
You win a Flashbulb Necklace and HP All-in-one Printer from Shutter Sisters.

12th Day. Jenni who said: ooooohhhh, nice!
You win Two Baby Boxes from Hable Construction.

Bonus 13th Giveaway
An extra big thank you goes out to everyone who helped spread the word. Virtual hugs to you and you and you. The winner of the bonus spread-the-word Giveaway is...

Vanessa who said: just posted it. dont you love the land of nod, wish they have store locations or do they? i am going to go look...
You win a Selection of Letterpress Stationery from Sweetbeets.

Congratulations to all you wonderful peeps! Please email me at the address listed on my blog, and let me know that you know you won. I'll get your name to the sponsor asap. And hopefully, you'll have your goodies by Christmas. Which reminds me. A special thanks goes to the 13 wonderful sponsors. Yay for Giveaways!

Didn't win? It's all good. I'll announce some other fun stuff later today.

Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Event

It's the 12th day of the 12th month. And to celebrate, I've got 12 different Giveaways. Twelve awesome Giveaways. From 12 fantastic vendors. It's the Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Event!

To find the Giveaways, you can click on the pics above, or go ahead and scroll down to find each one in number order. To enter the Giveaways, just leave a comment on the Giveaway post you're interested in. One entry per Giveaway per person, please. You can enter Giveaways through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.



Bonus 13th Giveaway

A little reminder. Anyone who helps me spread the word about this Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Event by linking back to Design Mom, is automatically entered into a Bonus 13th Giveaway. Where one lucky winner will receive a Selection of Gorgeous Letterpress Stationery from Sweetbeets Etsy Shop. A collection worth $75. Did I mention these cards are gorgeous?

Eco-friendly materials. Original illustrations. Great options for baby showers and birthday parties. I heart Sweetbeets.

Also. I'd like to give a great big thank you and virtual hug to everyone who has already helped spread the news. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Thank you for reading!

kisses,
Gabrielle

12th Day - Hable Construction Giveaway

On the 12th Day of Christmas there was a Set of Two Baby Boxes from Hable Construction.

These bags have been on my wish list since I saw them at the gift show earlier this year. Just the right size to carry with you on your errands. Or. They'd look great as storage catchalls in any room in the house. The winner gets to pick 2 Baby Boxes, from four different styles: rose checker, lagoon checker, sweet pea bead and espresso bead — pick two of the same or mix and match. Lucky you!

If you aren't familiar with Habel Construction, I urge to go check out their wares. Browsing their site always makes me feel cheerful. Habel's Baby Boxes retail for $98 each.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

11th Day - Shutter Sisters Giveaway

On the 11th Day of Christmas there was a Flash Bulb Necklace and HP Photo Printer from Shutter Sisters.

Shutter Sisters is one of my favorite sites to visit when I'm seeking creative inspiration. Started by a group of talented female photographers, it's a place where you can learn about photography and share your stories with fellow sisters. For example, you can find helpful info on how to get that perfect holiday photo of your kids in their Great Greetings series (yes, please!).



The winner of this Giveaway will receive a gorgeous Flashbulb Necklace — created through a collaboration between Shutter Sisters and Blue Poppy Jewelry. Plus. Shutter Sisters is including an HP Wireless All-in-One Printer as part of the prize. Wow! Shutter Sisters loves how HP is supporting professional and amateur photographers alike — with helpful links like Free Print Projects. The Flashbulb Necklace retails for $52. The HP Printer retails for $199.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

10th Day - Sweet Tooth Fairy Giveaway

On the 10th Day of Christmas there was a $150 Store Credit at The Sweet Tooth Fairy Bake Shop.

Brownies. Birthday Cakes. Cookies. Cupcakes. As pretty as they are delicious. The winner of this Giveaway will receive $150 of store credit, to spend as they please at The Sweet Tooth Fairy. She could order a dozen chocolate cupcakes one week. And then a dozen frosted sugar cookies the next. Followed by more cupcakes of course. She could share the sweets with friends. Or not.

Something it's important to know: The Sweet Tooth Fairy ships goodies all across the country. So no matter where you live, you can take part in the sugar rush. For more pics of their pretty goods, take a peek at the Sweet Tooth Fairy flickr stream.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

9th Day - Sterling Pear Giveaway

On the 9th Day of Christmas there were Two Signature Ornament Storage Boxes from Sterling Pear. For 2 lucky winners.

Last Christmas, I carefully packed away my ornaments in one of these beauties. And it was such a pleasure. A pleasure only beat out by unpacking them this year and finding each ornament happily nestled in individual compartments. Compartments lined in satin. No shattered glass. No yellowed paper. These storage boxes are sturdy and well-made. And two winners will each receive one when they're randomly picked in this Giveaway. The Signature Storage Boxes retail for $149, but are currently on sale for $99.

Bonus! Design Mom readers can save 15% on Sterling Pear purchases by using the coupon code "DESIGNMOM08" through the end of the year (12/31/08).

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

8th Day - Cufflinks from JacQueline Sanchez

On the 8th Day of Christmas there was a Set of Forever Young Cufflinks from JacQueline Sanchez.

I gave Ben Blair a pair of these in red last year. They were a hit. These cufflinks, and the whole lego-inspired Forever Young line, are finely made. Delightfully handsome. And will encourage all the kids in the neighborhood to think your husband is one of the "cool dads." The winner gets to pick from 15(!) available colors, each set in sterling silver. Go check them out — and then tell us in the comments which color is your fave. The perfect surprise to hide in your honey's stocking. Forever Young cufflinks retail for $150 per pair.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

7th Day - Inkubook Giveaway

On the 7th Day of Christmas there were Two Great Big Square Books from Inkubook.
A recurring question I receive is: what's a good way to archive all the photos I've been taking? In response, I love to recommend a good book-making service. Inkubook is one of those services. They have lots of different formats and sizes to choose from. Great prices. And a whole slew of book ideas to help you get started. What will you make? A family album? A keepsake from a wedding? A cookbook?


Two winners of this Giveaway will each receive a code to make a Free Great Big Square Book — Inkubook's biggest and highest quality offering. It's professionally printed on 100 lb. archival-quality silk paper. It's only available in hardcover, and it's customizable on both the front and the back. Valued at $79 each with up to 120 pages. Plus. Because Inkubook loves Design Mom Readers they're offering Free Shipping through December 31st when you use this code: DMFSHP1231.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

6th Day - Scanpan Giveaway

On the 6th Day of Christmas there was a Mini Set of Scanpan Cookware.

Made in Denmark, Scanpan is the first producer of nonstick cookware that is certified PFOA free, so it’s safe for you and the earth. But all that seems unimportant once you see the pretty, shiny lids. (Isn't cookware beautiful?) Are there recipes you avoid because you hate cleaning the pan afterwards? Me too. But Scanpan swears all that stickiness is a thing of the past.

Apparently, the Scanpan surface is one of the hardest materials on earth — on the scale that measures hardness, diamonds come in with a perfect 10, and Scanpan classic comes in at 9.5. There is no tool in your kitchen that could damage or destroy the surface. And it can't be scraped away. The winner of this Giveaway will win 3 pieces of Scanpan — an 8" frying pan, a wok and an 11" sauté pan. This Scanpan mini set has a retail value over $300.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

5th Day - Pickeled Tink Charm Bracelet

On the 5th Day of Christmas there was a deluxe Charm Bracelet from Pickled Tink.

Aren't these charms adorable? Such great color! Such great patterns! The happy winner of this Giveaway is about to have her Christmas wishes granted. She'll win a Bracelet with 10 Charms of her choice. Which is fantastic. Because everyone knows that the more charms a charm bracelet has, the more charming it is. Right? Pickled Tink was created by a mom who loves wearing items with her kid's initials — how great to create a business on such a fun premise — Yay for moms! The Bracelet with 10 Charms retails for $180.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

4th Day - Radio City Christmas Spectacular Giveaway

On the 4th Day of Christmas there were Four Tix to Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular.

This one is especially for my New York peeps or for anyone that will be in New York over Christmas. Or hey. If you know someone in New York, you could also win these, and then send your New York friends a gift. Anyway. Here's your chance to take the fam to the famed Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. It's got the Rockettes. It's got Santa. It's even got a really lovely live Nativity. I haven't met a person that saw this show and didn't like it.

The 4 tickets are for December 26th at 4:00. You know you'll be bored then. Maybe a little blue that there are no more presents to open. Won't it be wonderful to have the show to look forward to? Guess what else? You can get 25% off ticket purchases through December 19th with the code: ONE2ONE. Tickets range from $52 to 105 — so that's a nice discount!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

3rd Day - Remote Control Helicoptor Giveaway

On the 3rd Day of Christmas there was a Remote Controlled Model Helicopter.

Your kids will LOVE this! Who wouldn't? Whenever we see remote-controlled airplanes at the park, my kids aways go crazy. And I keep making a mental note to try one out. From what I hear, the The ultra-micro CX Helicopter is the perfect model to get started. It's small and light and can even fly indoors. It comes fully assembled. Flight tested. And ready to go right out of the box. It even comes with 8 AA batteries — 4 for the transmitter and 4 for the charger. If your family (like mine) is curious about model airplanes, this site is a good place to start. The helicopter retails for about $169.99.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

2nd Day - Macy's Giveaway

On the 2nd Day of Christmas there was $160 worth of Macy's Gift Cards.

I don't know if there's another store that knows Christmas like Macy's does. This is what they've got going down right now: Macy's Believe — for every letter to Santa that is placed in the special letterbox in every Macy's store, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation. So cool! Your kids write a letter to Santa and raise money at the same time.

Best of all, to thank Design Mom Readers for participating and helping get the word out, Macy's is offering Eight(!) $20 Gift Cards to One lucky winner. That means one of you will be All. Set. Up! You'll be handing out giftcards to your kids' teachers. To the mailman. To your hair stylist. To your sister. Or maybe you'll take all Eight Cards to Macy's and buy yourself some new boots. It's completely up to you. Whatever you decide, it will feel really good to have Eight Macy's Gift Cards in your pocket.

One more thing: Macy's just decided to extend their employee's Friends and Family discount to Design Mom Readers. Whoo Hoo! You can download the Flyer-with-coupon here. Good for in-store and online purchases through December 15th.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

1st Day - Sony Digital Camera from Staples Giveaway

On the 1st Day of Christmas there was a Sony Digital Camera from Staples.

Staples wants to make shopping this month both easy (as in Staples Easy) and fun. So. Through December 24th, 10,000 lucky Staples customers will win their entire purchase (up to $5,000) for FREE! How great is that? Staples is super excited about the big Gift It For Free Sweepstakes and have made a whole series of awesome videos to promote it.

Plus. To show us they mean business about giving away stuff for free, Staples has offered up a Sony Digital Camera for today's first Giveaway. This is the exact camera I use most and I love it. It's the Sony W120 Digital Camera. And it comes in pink, silver, blue and black (I have silver). It's the best point and shoot I've used. You can find your own at any Staples location. The camera retails for $199.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. One entry per person, please. You can enter through Monday, December 15th at midnight PST.

Book of the Week — Charlie Harper. For the Toddler Set.

On Tuesday, I was at Old Navy looking for a white shirt for Maude to wear to her band concert that night. And what should I happen upon but a whole collection of Charlie Harper goodies. Surprise. And delight.

I want Santa to bring Charley Harper's ABCs and 123s to 2 year old Betty this year. But I'm also having a crush on his Flash Cards/Floor Puzzle. His Memory Game. And especially on his gorgeous Coloring Book — only $6.95 — something I think older kids would like as well.

Cookie's Holiday Ideas

I just finished writing my weekly post for Cookie Magazine's Nesting Blog. It will be live soon and I'll be sure to link to it when it is. Something else I've been loving at Cookie this month? Their Holiday Idea Index. All sorts of great links and inspiration. Like this post on stocking stuffers.

Advent Calendars

One way the blogosphere really shines in December, is when it shows off a new crop of advent calendar ideas. A few worth noting:

An adorable advent garland at Jessica Prague — designed by the talented Candice Stringham.
A textured, textile advent creation at Pretty Swank.
And this one spotted on kirtsy. A simple solution in festive colors. By someone who speaks French.

Blessing Angels

When I saw these sweet Blessing Angels by Lori Portka, I thought of a dozen people I know who would be delighted to receive their own little hand-written wish, held by a hand-papered, one-of-a-kind creation.

Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways

I've got some news. Some big news. This Friday, December 12th, I'm having a super-wonderful-over-the-top-holiday-celebration here on Design Mom. A Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration. Which sounds kind of vague, but is actually really straightforward.

12 amazing Giveaways. On December 12th. It's Twelve Days of Christmas!

Be here on Friday for your chance to enter 12 separate Giveaways. Each one featuring things you'll love. Things you'll want. But you'll need to act fast. Because the Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways will only be active through Monday.



Bonus Giveaway: I've put this event together kind of at the last minute. And I need your help to (please) spread the word. Blog about this event and link back to this announcement or to Design Mom, and you'll be automatically entered into a bonus 13th Giveaway. As in lucky number 13.

How will I know you've linked back? I'll be watching Technorati for anyone who links back and helps promote this Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Event. What's the prize for the bonus 13th Giveaway? You'll have to wait until Friday to find out — but you know it will be awesome.

Gorgeous 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments from Land of Nod.

Ask Design Mom: Stocking Display

Ask Design Mom Question:
Dear Designmom, I was wondering if you had any fun ideas of where and how to hang up stockings. I have no fireplace or cute mantel. (sigh.) Do you have any suggestions? — Allison

Design Mom Answer:
I feel your pain, Allison. I too have a fireplace-less home. In fact, over the last decade, I've lived in a series of 3 fireplace-less homes, and I've solved the where-to-hang-the-stockings-question a few different ways.



1) Right now, our stocking are hung in a row over the piano — using very small nails. They look great! And if you don't have a piano, this would work just as well over an entry table.

2) In years past, I've used the banister on the stairs for a stocking display. If you have an open stair case, this is a wonderful solution. Just use pretty ribbon to tie the stockings along the length of the hand rail. Bonus: it's easy to the the spacing nice and even by using every other opening in the banister.

3) My friend uses the side of a tall bookcase to hang her stockings in a vertical row and it looks fantastic.

4) I think Christmas Stockings hung from the footboard of a bed are just about the most charming things ever.

5) Last idea: when I was about 5 years old, my family was living in a small apartment while we built a home. I remember watching my mom hang our stockings from the ceiling. And thought is was wonderful.

What about you Design Mom Readers? Where do you hang your stockings?

Help Save Hand-Made

Friends. I know you're busy with your holiday projects and errands, but I ask you to please join with me in taking a few minutes to help out thousands of our peers who are about to be put out of business.

In short, because of some well-meaning, but mis-guided legislation, hand-made toys (like the gorgeous wooden teethers at Little Alouette) — and all hand-made items for children — are about to become illegal. Which sounds like an exaggeration, but isn't.

The ladies at Cool Mom Picks have written up an excellent post detailing the situation. Please go read all about it. And then do this:

-Find your congress person and senators and write a letter like the sample here, particularly if they serve on the consumer protection subcommittee.
-Send a letter directly to the CPSC.
-Join the Handmade Toy Alliance and check out their proposed changes to the act which make a whole lot of sense.
-Spread the word to everyone you know who cares about helping the little guy, particularly in today's economy.

Note: I just used the sample letter to send an email to my Congressman. The whole thing took less than 3 minutes. You can do it!

The Marketplace

Have you checked out The Marketplace lately? Fabulous deals can be found. 15%, 20%, even 30% off from your favorite small vendors. Find all sorts of wonderful gifts and holiday goods — at a discount. Like the adorable gift tags at Cotton Idea Studio. Yay for The Marketplace!

Plus. This just in: All About Cute is offering 50% off(!) for the rest of the month — just use the code: holiday.

The Nutcracker

Saturday night we went to The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, performed by the New York City Ballet.

We won tickets a couple of months ago at a Scout Fundraising Auction, and had been looking forward to this eagerly. We had 4 tickets and debated whether one parent should take the 3 oldest kids, or 2 parents should take 2 kids and decided on the latter, so it was date night with Olive, Maude, Ben Blair and me.




Dinner first. Followed by the Nutcracker, with fourth row orchestra seats (oooh la la!). Then we bundled into our coats and walked out of the theater. . . into a light snow fall. At which point we started using words like magical and lucky and amazing.

It's hard to beat silk party dresses, ballet and a snowy December night in the city. It plum wore my girls out.

Spoonflower

And now I can die happy. I just discovered Spoonflower. A website where you can design and print your own textiles. The brilliant parts: No minimum order. $18 per yard. Printed on quality quilting-weight cotton from Moda. And fast turnaround — I've heard less than two weeks is not unusual.

In theory, I could develop a line of textiles (which I've been dreaming of doing for over a decade) for a startup cost of hundreds instead of thousands of dollars.

To see some of the wonderful textiles that have been created via Spoonflower, take a spin through their flickr stream. The design pictured above is called Bloom In Red, by Rachel of Balanced Crafts. Which reminds me, don't miss the Spoonflower blog — you can place your votes for "fabric of the week."

Thank you very much for the link, Laurie. I'm off to daydream about fabrics for the rest of the day.

Vanilla-licious Gifts

Last year, my friend and kirtsy partner Laurie, told me all about how she made vanilla extract as gifts for friends and neighbors. I thought: brilliant! and quickly made a note to try it out in 2008. Then. I got an email from Laura yesterday, (she's another friend and kirtsy partner). Turns out she spent Saturday night with her lady friends making vanilla extract, vanilla sugar and vanilla almonds. Delish. Not only that, she also emailed full photo instructions, including sources. Score!

Which is a sign of course: I am meant to make vanilla-y things this year. And I'll share the instructions here. In case you'd like to join me. I should note. Laura was quick to point out that the mastermind behind this project is Lisa of Laundry Tree. Thank you Lisa! And now, notes and recipes in Lisa's words:



Vanilla Extract Recipe
We found great recipes at both Instructables and Andrea's Recipes. Some recipes call for Everclear. We used Svedka and Smirnoff vodkas.

16-ounce jar or bottle with tight-fitting lid
16 ounces vodka, top-shelf brands not required
6 vanilla beans

Cut the six vanilla beans in half lengthwise, leaving about 1 inch connected at one end. Put the beans into the jar and pour in the 16 ounces of vodka. Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place for about 8 weeks. Give it a gentle shake about once a week.



Vanilla Sugar Recipe
From Food Network. We used spent beans from making vanilla. Dry them a couple of days before adding them to the sugar.

1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as you would regular, granulated sugar.



Spiced Nuts Recipe
From Cooks.com. We substituted vanilla for water. Also, we recommend only 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice — 1 tbsp. is too much).

1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tsp. water
4 c. mixed nuts (or all pecans)
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Combine egg white and water, add nuts and toss to coat. Combine sugar, pumpkin spice. Toss in mixture. Place in single layer on slightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and cool on wax paper and break up large clusters.



Design Mom Note: It seems to me, that any one of these items — the sugar, the vanilla, the almonds — would make a lovely singular gift. But in Houston, it's genetically impossible not to be over-the-top generous. So these ladies packaged up all 3 items in one bag — and threw in some homemade lip balm for good measure. (I'm exhausted just typing it.) To my friends and neighbors, if I manage to get some vanilla made, please don't be offended if it's vanilla and vanilla only. : )

Edit: It gets even better! Lisa just sent me the pdf links where you can download the beautiful labels she designed. Is she the bestest friend ever or what?!:
Vanilla Extract Label
Almond Label
Sugar Label

Links to Other Sources
Vanilla beans
Amber bottles
Gusseted poly bags (outer)
Reclosable bags (inner)
Brown satin ribbon (outer):
Pink ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Labels

More Inspiration

There's nothing like the holidays to help you get your make on. I've been getting links and emails right and left showcasing some of the gorgeous gifts and decorations being created or planned this month. Like this Gingerbread House sent in by an expat in London. Lindsey has big plans to make this with her daughter. She found the recipe and instructions at BBC Good Food. I am swooning over the steeply sloping roof.



My friend Jill hosted a Christmas Party last week and took the opportunity to deck. the. halls. I was especially drooling over her flower arrangements. Which were all over the house. Gorgeous! And such a great idea to fill the vases with pine boughs. (Note to self: learn from Jill — you can never be too generous with roses.)



What about you? Are you getting your make on this year?

Christmas Clothes

So Friday morning was spent antique-ing. Then Friday night was spent getting the kids Christmas Outfits put together.

Most years this doesn't happen till mid-December. Or even Christmas Eve. But this year, we had tickets to the Nutcracker for Saturday the 6th, and I wanted the kids' clothes ready to go by then. Because other than church, the Nutcracker is pretty much the only other event this month that requires something festive and a bit formal. I'm very happy with the results — the whole family looked great this weekend in greys and silvers, blacks and reds.





Ralph just needed a tie. Maude needed the whole shebang — dress, tights, shoes. Olive also needed everything. Betty had a great dress, but it was too summery, so we added a red turtleneck beneath. Oscar's red shirt from last year still fit fine. He just needed some new pants.

Sources. Oscar's grey, pin-striped pants and red socks from Place. Betty's black and white damask print dress from Shabby Apple. Betty's red, ruffled turtleneck from Place. Betty's tights, plus tweed-and-patent maryjanes from Target. Maude's silver silk dress from CrewCuts (amazing markdowns!). Maude's plaid tights and velvet flats from Target. Olive's plaid silk dress from Gymboree. Olive's tights and shoes from Target. Ralph's red tie from CrewCuts — was $30, now under $10.

Antique-ing

Friday morning, my friend Kathryn and I had a window shopping date in Tarrytown, NY. We started with hot cocoa (topped with whip cream, of course) and hot almond croissants at Chiboust, because the store she wanted to show me — Pretty Funny Antiques — wasn't quite open yet.

The croissant was so good, that I started to have low expectations for the antique shop. This was unwise. Because the shop was amazing. Picturesque. Delightful. It filled my mental inspiration well to overflowing. And then some.

It's one of those shops where the owners understand how to edit the collection down to just the very best. And most of all, how to display items to their best advantage. So as a customer, every time you turn a corner or walk into a new room you either catch or breath or giggle like a school girl.


Great displays from far away.

And great detail close up. I had to buy two of the green and silver stars. They were absolutely irresistible.

Plus. When I whipped out my camera, they didn't mind a bit. Which means I get to share some of the beauty right here on this blog. Also. They don't seem to have a website, but I did find some photos of the shop on flickr.


Aren't these cloth-strip balls wonderful? A pretty baby/toddler gift.

I thought this was such a smart way to display a pretty rug for sale — mental note if I ever need to sell a rug. Other mental note to me: do not start selling rugs, please. Focus.

Winner — Klutz Giveaway

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is looking forward to this wonderful new week. Happily, I get to start my day picking a winner for the great big Klutz Giveaway.

A happy congratulations go to: kathryn c. who said, "What a great prize! We love Klutz, especially in the winter!"

Hooray for Kathryn C! Please email me with your shipping address and I'll put you in touch with the sponsor right away. Thank you all so much for participating. And a special thank you to Klutz for sponsoring the Giveaway.

Of Note.

1) You can find my two most recent posts at Cookie Magazine's Nesting blog — one featuring wire laundry baskets, one featuring custom collage art by Janey Garnet. Both are don't miss finds.

2) Last chance notice:



You can enter the One Laptop Per Child Giveaway at Kirtsy through Sunday 12/7 — just leave a comment and you could win one of FOUR laptops. Sweet! There are a little over 100 entries so far, with four life-changing computers up for grabs — that's really good odds! So get those comments in ASAP. Such a great cause!

3) You can enter the super-generous Klutz Giveaway through Sunday 12/7 as well. Seven Klutz books plus a $50 Visa Giftcard. Fab!

Christmas Cards

Last night, while chatting with my friend Laura about Christmas cards, I came to a decision. The Blairs are going to rock it old school this year.

No family photo. No essay or family update. Just a beautiful card. Signed with an actual pen. And if I'm up for it, a short, hand-written personal note as well (short as in one sentence or so).



Some years we're up for something more elaborate. Some years we skip cards altogether. But for those years where time is crunched (like this year) I don't think there's any shame in going with classic, tried and true, holiday correspondence. A beautiful card to add a little cheer to someone's home, and a short note to say hello.

Now. Off to pick up some gorgeous cards. I like these by Lexie Sullivan.

DJ Earworm

A few weeks ago I was able to attend the Idea Conference here in NY. The speaker line-up was over-the-top interesting. One of them was DJ Earworm — a master of mashups. I came home with his CD and it caught the imagination of my family instantly.

The kids first loved United State of Pop. It's a mashup of the top songs of 2007, and when we listened to it for the first time, it was fun to see their faces light up as they recognized bits and pieces from songs they'd heard before.

Currently, the whole family is loving his newest work, a mashup of Beyoncé and Tom Petty called If I Were A Free Fallin' Boy.



You can see a great clip of DJ Earworm speaking at the Idea Conference here.

Playful Learning

Another site it was a treat to discover at Monday night's Hands On Kirtsy was Playful Learning. The site itself is full of beautiful imagery, so it's a delight to visit. And the content is fantastic. Real and usable learning activities you can do with your kids.

Mariah Breuel, a mother and educator, has crafted the site with pointed purpose to showcase: learning experiences that promote positive family interactions.



This idea detailing "A Popcorn Kind of Day" seemed especially appropriate for the upcoming months of being holed up in the house. And I'm also enchanted by the concept of a "name chest" from the "Learning Family Names" link. I look forward to more exploration!

Stuck Labels

I love the first day back at my computer after I've been away for meetings and business. It feels good to get caught up and find out what I missed while I was gone.

For example, did you see that my sister Jordan of Oh Happy Day launched a new line of labels? I want one of each adorable sheet. And their arrival came just in time — I can use them to label the little bottles and packaging I've been planning for friends-and-neighbors gifts this year.

BeepBeep Thermal

Poor neglected Oscar. His cold-weather wear has been sorely lacking. Long-sleeves almost non-existent in his closet. So how happy was I to see him cozied up in this adorable, very warm top? It's thermal — made to help keep hold of his body warmth.

And Oscar is in love with the little car appliqué. He likes to drop his chin to his chest so he can check it out and then discourse about it. You can find your own BeepBeep tee, and all sorts of really cute things, at Cheeky and Swank.

Laidback Home

It's been kind of a whirlwind few days. The kirtsy girls came to town on Monday. We all stayed together at the Hudson Hotel. We hosted a Hands on Kirtsy session that night. Awesome. Met oodles of interesting people. Then followed it up with a Meetup. See Gwen Bell's pics here. On Tuesday we made a field trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hung out with Jesse Engle and Aaron of Tomorrow Pants. Amassed chocolate. And more chocolate. This morning — Wednesday — it was business meetings back in the city. And then I dropped off the crew at LaGuardia this afternoon. And now I'm home. In reporting mode.



One of the people I was lucky to meet at the Hands on Kirtsy session is Tina Shoulders — designer and brain behind Laidback Home. Gorgeous pillows. Hip totes. From textiles she designs herself.

And my addiction for/crush on textile designers continues...

Winners — Thankful For Creative Women Giveaway

I've got good news and bad news. Bad news: I'm almost 3 days late in getting this announced. Good news: there are 11 lucky winners of the I'm Thankful For Creative Women Giveaway! And here they are:

1) Celeste who said: Lovely, lovely stuff—thanks so much.
You win a wipes case from Made by Angie.

2) Chloe's Mom who said: Have we told you lately how thankful we are for design mom?
You win a Birth Necklace Square — with up to two pendants — from Julian and Co.

3) sherri who said: Oh my word, this is the giveaway of all, merci beaucoups for the opportunity
You win one large bag from Wet Happened

4) Liz - Whimsy Floral who said: I think I speak for all of us when I say we're all equally grateful for you! This blog enriches my life!
You win a wipes case from Made by Angie.

5) Jolly Mom who said: Pick me pretty please : )
You win a Tiny-Tales kit from Tiny Tales.

6) Karin Blunck Webb who said: You've got me hooked on your site. U R Amazing!!
You win a cape from Ellie Bellie Kids.

7) Alli Forsyth who said: What a nice post....and a great giveaway!!
You win a babysitter notes from Tiny Tales.

8) mama2hunans who said: Those mommy calling cards would be great! I am forever giving out my phone number on the back of receipts. Tacky!
You win 100 mommy calling cards from Sophie & Spice.

9) aaraena who said: My brother is having a baby and I really hope I win one if these cute lil baby things.
You win a plush blanket from Mairzey Dotes.

10) molly who said: umm yeah... I'll take it al!
You win a tutu from Ellie Bellie Kids.

11) Jenny who said: Oh man, you always have the best stuff! I'd be tickled with any of them.
You win one medium bag from Wet Happened.

Congratulations to all you lovely ladies! Thanks and gratitude and good cheer all around. And special thanks to the 7 wonderful sponsors.

Didn't win? Don't be bummed. You can still enter the Klutz Giveaway through Sunday night, 12/7.

Paper Water Bottle

Have you seen or heard about this? BrandImage has invented a water bottle made from paper. I know I'm not an "eco-blog" but this kind of innovative idea absolutely interests me. I love when I see good problem solving — or even attempts at good problem solving.

link sent in by Design Mom Reader Damaris P. Thanks, Damaris!

Etsy Stockings

Inspired by the stocking photos and ideas I posted about last year, I have been putting together a collection of assorted stockings. And I feel like the collection is taking shape nicely.

Three etsy stockings I bought over the weekend: a super-bargain-vintage-felt stocking with braiding and jingle bells. A beautiful linen stocking made from fabric repurposed from a dress by xoelle. And a red floral stocking by Ahna Holder.

The Best Sort of Recycling

It's easy to appreciate the sort of recycling that's doesn't require something to be sent back to a plant to be processed. The sort of recycling when someone actually remakes or reuses something that they own or have access to.

My sister-in-law Liz featured a great example yesterday. A talented girl named Mari remakes big, old tees into something new and beautiful. Fantastic, right?

Random Giveaway — Klutz Prize Package

I've got a super generous Giveaway this week. And it's from one of my favorite companies. One lucky winner will basically have their Christmas shopping done for them. Because they'll receive a collection of Seven Klutz Activity Books, plus a $50 Visa Gift Card. Something for everyone — girls, boys, all ages. Take a look at the prize package:


Window Art
Perfect for those too-cold-to-be-outside days.
Thumb Doodles
The sort of art project everyone can do and love.


Paper Fashions Fancy
It's like paper dolls on steroids.
Short Stuffs
For the little ones — create your own no-sew animals.


Battery Science
Remember chemistry sets? This is even more fun.
Velvet Art
Because no house is complete with a Velvet Elvis.


The Encyclopedia of Immaturity
Ralph really wants this one — a good pick for any curious kid in the 9-12 range.

Plus. A $50 Visa Gift Card. So you can pick out even more klutz titles at your local craft or book store.

That's almost $200 worth of Klutz goodies! As I said before, Klutz is one of my favorite companies. Their kits and instructions are well written and clear. Easy to follow with great photography. The materials are quality. And they seem to understand how kids think and what kids like.

All craft kits/books are not created equal. I've found Klutz products to be consistently excellent. Plus, my kids LOVE Klutz books. We own at least a dozen. The potholder kit. The paper airplane book. The castle building cards. Klutz products are my no fail gift for birthdays and holidays.

For those of you who don't win, Klutz is offering a pretty fantastic parting gift: you can get Free Shipping plus a Free copy of their award winning Activity Book when you spend $50! The activity book is called “The Only Coloring, Puzzle, Game, Dot-to Dot Activity Book You'll Ever Need." It's valued at $14.95 and will be added to your shopping cart once you hit the $50 mark. This offer is only available for a limited time, so don't miss out.

Happy Commenting. Happy December. Thank you, Klutz!

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Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, December 7th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday, December 8th.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving day and Thanksgiving weekend were satisfying. For the first time, we had a Thanksgiving dinner with just our family. No cousins, neighbors, Aunts or Uncles. I don't know that we'll do this from now on, but there was something simple and lovely about it. We're a big group even with nobody else there, so the table still felt full and overflowing. And because I wasn't hostessing, I could give the kids more attention. Teach them how to make pie crust and put together the stuffing.



The other part of Thanksgiving that I loved was the productivity factor. I think I've mentioned I'm a productivity junkie, and this weekend was a total fix. I don't think I stepped into my office once. Instead, we did things like rake the leaves, get the house in shape for Christmas. Decorate the tree. Make our first batch of snowball cookies. And see James Bond.

Because we were away from family this year, I was afraid we'd all feel some homesickness. Happily, we did lots of video-talking with cousins over skype — even my parents in Russia. I'm thankful for skype.

What did you do over the weekend that you loved?

Welcome December

Hello! I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was lovely. I was happy today to wake up and greet December. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a really good month. And the goodness starts today.

In just a few hours, I'll be picking up the Kirtsy Girls at the airport and we'll get down to business with any last-minute preparations for tonight. I hope you will be able to make it. Here are the details again in case you need a reminder:

Hands On Kirtsy
It's a Social Media 101 class for beginners. And it's free.
Monday, December 1, 2008
6:00 to 8:00 PM
Hudson Hotel, in the Studio
356 West 58th Street, New York

Kirtsy Meetup
Because we love hanging out with our NY peeps! Seriously, come by and say Hello. I'd love to meet you.
Monday, December 1, 2009
Hudson Bar
8:00 till you go home
356 West 58th Street, New York

Pretty felt ornaments at Crate & Barrel.