Holiday Giveaway #4 — All About Cute

Giveaway number four is sponsored by All About Cute. And you will probably go nutso over the adorable prize. I totally did. You could win an Orla Kiely hand bag — which retails for $165. The winner gets to pick from three patterns: Multistem, Tiny Teacup, and (my favorite) 3 Color stem. All 3 are gorgeous. But the red one would really brighten up your winter.




All About Cute is all about sourcing the most adorable accessories and clothing they can find — great colors, fun patterns. Take a few minutes to browse their website and you will for sure find something you want to add to your own Christmas wishlist.

Leave a comment to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Find out more about Holiday Giveaway Week here.

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Congratulations to Priscilla! You are the lucky winner. Happy holidays!

Holiday Giveaway #3 — IdeaPaint

Giveaway three is sponsored by IdeaPaint. What in the world is IdeaPaint? It's pretty much awesome:

IdeaPaint is a single-coat, roller-applied paint that can turn any “paintable” surface into a dry-erase surface. How fun is that?! You could use it in the kitchen as a replacement for bulletin boards, or inside kitchen cabinets to write grocery lists or recipes. You could use it in a child’s room/playroom to create a blank canvas. You could use in the office to create a new surface for the top of a desk. You could use it on bathroom walls... And the list goes on and on.

The prize is IdeaPaint’s 50-square-foot kit. Which retails for $175. Plus. The winner gets to select the color they would like.




Leave a comment to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow. And just out of curiosity, here's a question: What would you use your IdeaPaint for?

Find out more about Holiday Giveaway Week here.

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Congratulations to Emily! You are the lucky winner. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Giveaway #2 — Ida Pearle

Giveaway number two is sponsored by artist, Ida Pearle. Ida is offering a matted name print, a signed book, and set of alphabet cards — with a total value of $155. Ida is a New York city based collage artist who makes art for children. Her work is beloved by children and parents everywhere. Including me.




-The Alphabet Cards are printed on a heavy card stock at 6.5 x 6.5 inches, and hand assembled and packaged. You could base an entire nursery/bedroom around these. They are fantastic.



-The Custom Name Prints are based on the series of images from the Alphabet Cards and you can choose your favorite image, customize the skin tone and hair color to match that of your child (so great!!), and add their name. They are available matted or framed (the winner will receive a matted version).

-A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play is Ida Pearle's first book, and features a new set of images based on Action Verbs. It's been chosen by Universities across the country as a 'best of 2008' for Literacy in Early Childhood.




Bonus: You can get 10% off the alphabet cards and name prints through Sunday the 6th — hurry! Use the code: DesignMom

Leave a comment to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Find out more about Holiday Giveaway Week here.

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Congratulations to Amy! You're the lucky winner. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Giveaway #1 — Stubby Pencil Studio

The first Giveaway is sponsored by Stubby Pencil Studio — my favorite source for eco-friendly art/school/office supplies. And not just eco-friendly. They stock really beautiful, unusual, and hard to find products that you will love. Stubby Pencil is offering a $150 shopping spree (plus free shipping). Yay! The winner will be able to pick out whatever she likes. Art supplies are my favorite things to find in Christmas Stockings. I'll bet your kids would love receiving Smencils as much as mine.



Bonus: Design Mom Readers can used discount code: DMHOL10 for 10% off orders thru 12/31/09. Love it.

Leave a comment to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Find out more about Holiday Giveaway Week here.

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Congratulations to {april kennedy}! You are the lucky winner. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Giveaway Week 2009

Holiday Giveaway Week starts today!! That's Monday, November 30th — and will last through Friday, December 4th.

Each day there will several Giveaways. You will have 24 hours to enter each one. Winners will be announced the next day. The red banner above will be at the top of each Giveaway post.

It's going to be fantastic. The sponsors are amazing. The prizes are amazing. Check in everyday. And please do spread the word. Because this is going to be fun.

One more thing, if you're a winner and I don't hear from you within 24 hours of the announcement, then bummer, I'll need to choose another recipient. So sad. (FYI: you don't need a blog to enter, but you do need to give me some way to contact you — if your comment name links to a blog or website, that works for contact info. Or. If you don't have a blog/site, you can leave your email address in the comment.)

Woot! Can't wait to get started. Watch for the 1st Giveaway in a few minutes...

Goodbye November

Good morning, friends! How was your Thanksgiving break? I enjoyed every little bit of mine. It wasn't intentional, but I was offline from mid-Wednesday till Sunday night. Four days. And I kind of loved it. Doesn't it feel good to take a break from the interwebs once in awhile?




Thanksgiving Day dawned sunny and bright. We started ours with a Turkey Trot hosted by the Charles Family. Followed by homemade donuts, a la Liz Charles, that melted in the mouth.




The day ended with a viewing of Fantastic Mr. Fox which is so good you will not believe it.

The middle of the day was mostly filled with mashed potatoes and gravy and nieces and nephews. Exactly how it should be.

November was wonderful. But I'm really excited that tomorrow is December. Are you with me?

Gift Guide: Junior Project Runway

A few weeks ago, in the span of about an hour, I received 3 separate links to 3 great fashion design products. I took it as a sign — at least one of my kids will be receiving a fashion-themed gift under the tree. If you have budding fashionistas at your house, let me recommend:

1) Shailie by Style Paige
I love this. Shailie is made up of a life-size, kid-size dress form (in an adorable polka dot print, with fab wooden detailing) and kits full of "pieces" (bodices, sleeves, skirt pieces, sashes, and trims) that can be styled and restyled, attached and detached, to create an endless stream of custom dressups. Seriously so cool.

The Shailie Starter Kit comes in a big box like this:




And it has everything you need to get started — the dress form, the brilliant velcro-ized top and skirt (this is what all the "pieces" attach to), lots of fabric pieces to help you create some runway magic — even a padded, wrap-around "closet" to store the fabric pieces.

If you want to add to the starter kit, there are additional dress kits available. Here's the prom kit:




Friends. There is no sewing required. For reals. Find the Shailie Starter Kit here.

2) Hokey Croquis Sketchbook
When your aspiring fashion designer has advanced past "dress-up" stage. Introduce them to the Hokey Croquis sketchbook. Each page has body form outlines ready to be filled in and detailed — with room in the margins for trim pieces and fabric swatches. This should be a required school supply for fashion design majors.



Here's a photos of the a Hokey Croquis sketch sheet in use:



3) Fashion Playtes
You design it. They make it. You wear it. The Fashion Playtes website will take you through an easy click design process. Pick your basic garment. Choose size and color. Then customize the details. Save it to your "collection" or order it and it will be produced just as you designed it. Love it.

Unassisted Birth Story — from Erin Charpentier

I'm not quite sure how to begin Thomas's birth story. I'll begin by saying that in a million years, I never would have imagined his birth like this. But also, in a million years, I would never change a thing.

I called my doula at about 5:30pm on a Friday to update her and let her know that I was contracting some, but they were very, very mild. I started timing contractions, just out of curiosity. They were ten minutes apart and less than a minute in duration. I ate dinner, gave my toddler Luke his bath and got him ready for bed. My contractions were still ten minutes apart and while they were definitely noticeable, they still felt like they could fizzle. At 9, I called my doula, and followed her instructions — 30 minutes of knee to chest on the floor, and a bath for 30 minutes. At this point, I knew I was in labor, but I didn't see myself having a baby until the next morning, like around 7 or 8

At 11, I got up and filled up the bathtub, thinking I'd get in there again and relax. I got a glass of water, checked my email, and did a few other things with contractions still ten minutes apart. At 11:40, I was hit with a hard contraction that felt like my pelvis was splitting. Four minutes later, I had another. I called my doula at 11:48, and she said she'd leave and meet me at the hospital. I woke up Shane and called my midwife's emergency number, then called my mom to tell her to come over to watch Luke. I sent an email to my girls at 11:55 saying I was in labor. I hit send, started to type up one more email, and was hit with such a hard, fierce contraction that I went right to my hands and knees.

In the midst of it, I started to bear down and felt something between my legs. I don't know what went through my head at this time, but I automatically reached down and felt. This is the part where I wish I could say that I kept it together, but what I felt was not what I expected. I expected either nothing or a head. What I felt was like a water balloon, and I knew it was not a head, and my hand came up covered in blood. I started screaming for Shane, who was downstairs putting in his contacts. I asked him what he saw, and he said it was something, but it wasn't a head. I panicked. I yelled at him to call 911, then looked up as Luke appeared at the top of the stairs saying, MAMA!? I said, Mommy's okay!! Then jumped up and started to head downstairs, my goal to get to the bathroom. Shane was on the phone with 911.

I made it four steps down to the landing, when I was hit with another powerful contraction. I gripped the railing, looked down, and saw his head, at which point it hit me that my water hadn't broken, so what I felt first had to be the amniotic sac. I dropped into a squat, and his head came out the rest of the way. Luke was in the kitchen, peering down the stairs with tears in his eyes, so in the midst of this all, I was assuring him that everything was okay. I cupped my hands around the baby's head and his body corkscrewed out of me and into my hands without pushing any more.

The sac was still intact (yes, he was born in the caul, and I think that is the coolest thing EVER), so I used my thumbnail to slit the sac open, at which point the fluid broke all over my legs. I peeked between his legs and shouted up to Shane that it was a boy, then told Luke that he had a new baby brother. I brought him up to my chest, rubbed his back and said, "C'mon baby, cry for mama," and he gave me a loud cry. He was the cleanest baby I have ever seen because he was inside the completely clear amniotic fluid the entire time.



At this point, we heard a knock on the door — it was a volunteer firefighter who lives around the corner and jumped in his truck when he heard the dispatch. I should mention that this poor guy had to be younger than me and looked like he was vaguely wondering what in the world he walked into... Next thing I knew, I looked up and there were five firefighters standing in my kitchen staring down at me. Did I mention that I was completely naked? Oh yeah.

Next, two female EMTs came in, and I swear, choirs of angels sang at this point. One immediately shouted for someone to get me a blanket, while the other asked for a clean dry towel for the baby. They talked to me and helped me rub him to get him to pink up. I held tight to Thomas this entire time. The EMTs asked if I could walk up to the kitchen to get on the stretcher, and I said, Uhh, I just gave birth to a baby on the stairs, I think I can handle this.

I carried Thomas up the stairs with me and climbed on the stretcher. They got me a gown and found a little hat for Thomas, but let me lay him skin to skin with me before covering us up with warm blankets. They wheeled us outside, at which point, I realized that there were more fire fighters in the front yard and that both the ambulance and the firetruck had the lights going. They put me in the ambulance, and shortly after, my parents pulled up, both freaked out at the scene.

When we all got to the hospital, my doula ran over and gave me a hug and a kiss and said she couldn't believe it and joked that she warned me how quickly second labors can turn. I delivered the placenta and started nursing Thomas while the midwife stitched me up. My wonderful, amazing doula fed me bites of a chicken sandwich and it all started to sink in. Shortly after, my friend Beth called, and I filled her in on the whole story so she could tell everyone that this email, sent at 1:41, was not a joke:

"Its a boy, you guys. He was born on the stairs before we could even leave. No I'm not kidding!! Someone call Beth in case she's still on standby. We are at the hospital now."

There's more, so much more, but this is already so long. I've told this story more times than I can even remember, but the truth is, I like telling it. It was wild and crazy and a little bit scary at times and our first birth photos were taken with my iPhone. Still, it's so special to me. This was how Thomas John came into the world, and I wouldn't have had him any other way.



July 18th, 12:02AM (the 911 dispatcher had this on the transcript as the time that Shane told her the baby was out) 7lbs, 110z 20 inches long

From Erin Charpentier of School Teacher By Day. Superhero by Night. Note — this was edited for length. You can find the complete version here. Images by Beth Fletcher Photography.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Adoption Story — from Sylvia Updegraff

That’s me.
Son Jin Shil, K80-2834. My first mug.

I was a Korean orphan until at 6 months, woosh!, I landed at LAX where my mom greeted me and promptly tucked me under her arm as she ran to catch her connecting flight back to Utah.

And now my new family: a Korean, a Korean older brother, a white dad, and a Latina mom, living in a middle-class lily white town in Utah.

Life was so good to me. The only time I ever remember being teased was in 3rd grade when a boy on my bus called me a chink. “What’s a chink?” I asked my brother later that day. Neither of us could figure it out so we shrugged it off. Junior high and high school involved a series of painfully awkward moments and braided belts, but mostly good stuff. “If you dare move out of Pleasant Grove,” I’d threaten my dad, “I’m moving in with Sarah because I have to graduate here with my friends!” Of course I wanted to be skinnier, and prettier, and more popular. Of course I wondered why the zit gods were always waving their wands over me. Of course I hated looking in the mirror for half my teenage existence. But who doesn’t? I suppose this is where I see that I wasn’t an adolescent struggling because of my Korean-ness; I was an adolescent struggling because of my adolescent-ness.

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These are the gifts my parents gave me: Unconditional love. Validation of my existence. Unequivocal inclusion into their lives, hearts, and ancestry. Their heritage was my heritage. My slobber was their slobber. It was never denying, though. You can’t really hide the fact that a white dude and Latina lady can’t make a Korean pop out. I always knew I was adopted, and I always knew I was Korean. But they made me feel pretty, and normal.

They made me feel like a person. “That brown skin is so beautiful.” “Eeesh, those teeth are going to cost me a fortune at the orthodontist’s!” “Good thing you didn’t inherit our genes for big rear ends.” It was just always truthful, honest, accepting.

And then affectionate. “You are wonderful.” “You amaze me.” “We’re so lucky.”

They made me feel two things: human, and loved.

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Their success wasn’t a formula of You’re-45%-Korean-and-25%-Latina-and-30%-White. It wasn’t a careful gameplan filled with Korean heritage camps and annual kimchi tastings at July 4th celebrations. It wasn’t about making me feel Korean, or American, or Latina. They never put me on a pedestal, or tore me down, or made me feel radically different or painfully invisible. They wove a seamless cloak of homemade tamales and Korean maps and slip 'n slides, not to teach me lessons in culture, but to live life.

They taught me to be Me. Sylvia. A person, just like them, and just like everyone else on this planet.

They taught me to be every part of myself—my long fingers, my slanted eyes, my penchant for mashed potatoes, their child. There was no classifying of parts. Only inclusion.

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My 4th baby is still baking away inside me, and I want for him what I want for my older three: self-love. Whether or not this will include a study in their half-Korean heritage is up in the air: if I’ve learned anything, it’s that every kid is unbelieveably different, and they’ll all have their own needs. How I meet those needs is TBD; I’ll have to see how the cards play out. I only hope that I can help them to understand that they are a gift from God above. That I am awed and thankful for them. That I like them, and that I love them.

Any mom can hope to do that, adopted or biological.

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God bless my parents for the life they gave me. God bless them for giving me love, and food, and a family.

Mostly, God bless them for always making sure I knew that I was the blessing.

And that, I know, is the key to their success.



From Sylvia Updegraff of Life as Five.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Custom Crib

Very cool. A time lapse video of a DIY crib being built. And the light-up S E X Y in the living room is all kinds of awesome.

Gift Guide: Cool Games & Toys You Might Not Know About

So many cool new games and toys on the market. Here are 5 of my favorites:

1) Family Time Together Games by Hallmark.
So glad to see these in stores! I was able to see prototypes when I visited Hallmark Headquarters. The games were darling concepts and even better as real live products. My favorites: a cute container of sticks with Charades ideas, a MASH fortune telling game (remember playing this as a kid? M for mansion, A for apartment, S for Shack...), and Tucker the Tick-Tack-Toe puppy. You can find these games in Hallmark stores.



2) Booyah! by Olivia.
It's a new cardgame that puts adults and kids on the same playing field — because it's all about luck.

3) Swinxs.
This I haven't tried, but it looks awesome. Basically, it's a screen-free game console. Totally portable. That engages kids in physical, creative play with games like musical chairs, tag and relay, by using its voice, sounds and colors. Swinxs talks and explains games, recognizes players and even referees. I watched the video about Swinxs and now I totally want one.

4) Sedarahc ("suh-DARE-ic")
A new spin on a classic old stand-by, Sedarahc is charades with a twist — spelled backwards and played in reverse. Sedarahc is fast-paced, fun competition that’s an absolute riot with families and kids. Instead of the usual, where one person acts out words for the team to guess, Sedarahc is the reverse — so the team acts out words together for one person to guess. Get a $5 off coupon by clicking here.

5) Blurt Builds.
The Webster's Game of Word Racing includes 300 cards, which have 1800 clues at 2 playing levels. This special edition includes a Junior version for ages 7-9, as well as the regular version.


Other toy related links that might help you in your holiday shopping/giving/traveling:

1) Check out Kid Crave for lots of ideas over lots of categories.
2) Baby Plays will let you rent toys for your vacation — will have them waiting at your destination. So that you don't have to fill a suitcase with Legos and My Little Ponies.
3) Goody Blog, by Parents Magazine, featured 5 huge weeks of the best toys of 2009. You can find the links here.

Ask Design Mom — Having Another Child

Ask-Design-Mom-Questions:
I have a strong yearning for another child and am looking for an infallible way to decide whether to take the plunge (just joking, I know it’s a leap of faith, but am looking for advice from people who might know about these things). What factors would do you take into consideration upon deciding whether to have another child? Thanks for taking the time to answer. — Sarah

Hi Gabrielle. I would like to have a big family as well. I'm married almost 2 years and we are looking to start our family in a year or so. A few questions: How far apart are your children in age? Did you plan to have so many children? Did you plan to have them x amount of years apart? Thanks. — Venessa

Design Mom Answer: These are such worthy questions. Thank you for sending them, Sarah and Venessa. The answer to how many kids you should have and how they should be spaced is, of course, super personal. And everyone reading has a different opinion and answer.

I'll share what my basic plan was. And hopefully readers will let you know how they've come to their family-size decisions as well. I need to make very clear: this was our plan. I'm not advocating it to anyone else. Period.

When I married at 21, I talked with Ben Blair about a basic plan. We both came from big families and wanted lots of kids. I wanted to be done bearing children by 35 — the age many risks increase. (Edit: apparently 35-as-riskier is a bit of a myth — but I didn't know that at 21.) So I thought: let's have our 1st at 23 (when we're done with school) and then have one every other year at 25, 27, 29, 31. And if we want more, we can have #6 at 33 and #7 at 35. Done and done.

How it really happened: we had our first at 23, our 2nd at 24, our 3rd at 27, our 4th at 30 and 5th at 31. Number 6 is due when I'm 35.

Basically, as soon as we made the plan we discovered we had no control over the plan. Very few of us are lucky enough to conceive or adopt exactly when and where we want to. And very few of us have such an ordered life and are wise enough that the plans we make at 21 still make sense at 31.

Bottom line: feel free to make a plan, but get really comfortable with the idea that the plan might not work. Some people (including me) find praying helps them feel settled about the decisions they make for their family. Others depend on counsel from friends and loved ones. Ultimately, I hope you'll feel confident that you can know what's best for your family.

Dear Readers, how about you? How many kids do you want to have? Are you done? How do you decide when to add more children to your families?

Ask Design Mom — Homemade Gifts Kids can Make

Ask-Design-Mom-Question: I was inspired by your site to have my children make gifts for one another this year. I was trying to find your previous posts about the gifts you have made in the past, but I was only able to find one. I would love it if you could gather all of these ideas in one place. Thanks in advance. — Kristin

Design Mom Answer: Thanks for the question, Kristin. I've actually been getting lots of similar requests — readers wanting to know what we've made in the past, and what we're making this year. I'll start with a short explanation — four years ago, based on the artsy-craftsy tendencies of my kids, we decided that the siblings would make each other gifts for Christmas. It's become a fun tradition. One the whole family looks forward to. You can read my original post about it here.



What our plans are for this year:
Note: these plans are subject to change depending on my whims. Or if a better idea falls in my lap.

Ralph is making —
-Jump Ropes for Maude and Olive
The girls want to learn double-dutch, so we'll be happy to have two long jump-ropes to add to the family sports equipment.
-Blurb Photo Books for Oscar and Betty

Maude is making —
-A Night Light Cover for Oscar and Betty's room
-A Sketch Book with a Decoupaged Cover for Ralph
-Legwarmers for Olive (inspired by the comments on this post)



Olive is making —
Olive will be using potato stamps (a la Martha Stewart) and fabric ink to customize...
-Boxers for Ralph
-A hoodie for Maude
-A t-shirt for Oscar
-A t-shirt dress for Betty



Oscar and Betty are making —
Not sure yet, but I'm thinking about these darling cakes in a jar — both Oscar and Betty love helping in the kitchen, so this might be a perfect fit. They could give an individual jar to each sibling.

Links to what we've made in past years:
- Tutu, decoupaged bucket for matchbox cars, after-school bags, tiedye tees
- Flower headbands
- Wool mittens from recycled sweaters, embellished dragon mittens, sculpey bracelets, bibs, snowglobes and romper stompers made from cans 

- Bubble bath, circle loom scarf
- Ribbon barrettes, painted t-shirt
- Bean bags, heating pad, hand chalk (for gymnastics), iPod cover

I hope you find these links and ideas helpful. What about you Dear Readers? Do your kids make gifts for their siblings? What are they making this year?

Nine Times Three

Oh happy day! Ben Blair is back. Plus it's Thanksgiving week. I'm in such a great mood, I am not even kidding you.

I've got some fun stuff planned for the days ahead.

1) I'm working on some gift-guides — hoping to have the first one posted today. Right now, the topics are:
-Cool Games & Toys You Might Not Know About
-Original Art
-Neat Stuff I've Been Meaning to Share
-Calendars for 2010
-Darling Things
-Junior Project Runway

2) Next week, starting on Monday, I'll be hosting my annual Holiday Giveaway Week. Which will be huge. And so full of great prizes you won't want to miss it.

3) It's Monday. Monday = Ask-Design-Mom questions.

So stick around. Design Mom will be right back.

PS — I've been making do with a combo of my regular clothes and some old maternity pieces in my closet, but I'm getting too big to keep messing around at this point. So I chose my first new maternity clothes: a top, skirt and pant from Nine Times Three. I posted about them like two years ago — and now I have a real reason to actually try the clothes. I'm pretty excited about it. I really dig the collar on that top.

Cardstore Giveaway — Two Winners!

Today's Giveaway has perfect timing. Cardstore is offering 2 winners each a $100 gift certificate good towards Holiday Cards and Invitations. Lovely. I know cards are on your mind. Because it's late November. And because our clever Guest Aunt Lyndsey has been showcasing beautiful stationery selections all week. And now two of you will be able to order your holiday cards for free!



I think you'll love Cardstore's vast selection. Tons of greeting cards. Tons of photo cards. Tons of invitations. You'll find exactly what you need. Leave a comment on this post and you're entered to win. Have a fantastic weekend! I'll announce two winners next week.

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Congratulations to Shay and Melanie! You are the lucky winners. I hope you have a great time picking out your holiday cards.

Oscar + Betty + New Clothes = Rad

This post is for Ben Blair. Who is out of town. And missed the darling-ness that was Oscar and Betty dressed for preschool this morning.

Ben, these clothes arrived from Toobydoo yesterday. I probably should have saved them until Christmas and put them under the tree, but they were too cute to wait even a minute more in those (admittedly stylish) boxes.

Also. You don't have to believe me, but I did not pose either one. I pulled out the camera and they were instantly in rockstar mode.



I love all the details. The leather zipper pull. The fringe on the skirt. The ruffled cuffs and collar on the blouse.

A Paper Holiday: Best of the Press — by Guest Aunt "Papergirl" Lyndsey

Hello again friends! Today’s my last day posting here on Design Mom, so I thought I’d go out with a bang. I’m a major sucker for anything letterpress, so here’s a little roundup of some of the cards that have really caught my eye this holiday season.

The awesome holiday postcard, pictured at top, is a chic alternative to your typical folding card. Parrott Design Studio prints these using vintage wood type and hand-mixed ink onto the recycled chipboard card; the back is printed with an old-fashioned postcard graphic to add a little extra fun to your seasonal greeting.



I also love the luxe designs of Hammerpress. They’ve got plenty of multi-faceted holiday cards, saying everything from “Happy New Year!” to “Feliz Navidad” to “Merry Christmas.” This Hanukkah card is simple and pretty with its one-tone color, but still has a fun holiday design.

Egg Press has always been one of my favorite stationery companies — their cards are so colorful and fun. Love this offset printed Peace card with a letterpressed message inside.



Delphine Studio offers a bunch of great holiday cards, but this stunning polar bear card takes the cake. The detail is amazing – and best of all, you could send it any time throughout the winter, not just for a holiday.



I’m also a fan of this sweet and simple snowflake card from 12fifteen — gorgeous. I’d almost want to keep this one for myself and display it with my Christmas decorations!



To close, just wanted to leave you with this festive, cute owl greeting from Short Stack Press — I really do hope your holidays are a hoot!

I hope I’ve made your holiday card shopping a little easier this week!

Swing by The Stationery Place any time for extra inspiration and stationery ideas. Even in the midst of all the holiday craziness, don’t forget to focus on the true meaning of the season no matter what you’re celebrating — and be sure to send a stylish, well-designed card to let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them.

Here’s to a happy, healthy and chic Christmas and New Year! xoxo

Find more from Lyndsey at The Stationery Place.

Spread the Word about Alt

Have you heard about Alt? It's possible — because I posted about it a couple of weeks ago. Basically, Altitude Design Summit is the first conference geared toward Design Blogs and Lifestyle Sites. And it's going to be amazing. It's happening the same weekend as the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City — which means attendees will be able to go back and forth between the two events — and fit in some (free!) world class skiing in their spare time. : )

The speaker list is pretty fantastic — Design*Sponge and OhJoy! just signed on — and the list of superstars grows all the time. But Alt needs your help spreading the word about the awesomeness. So they made a simple plan:

Spread the Word About Alt and You Could Win Big

There are lots of social media forums out there. And alt knows everybody has a favorite. So they made this easy for you. There are 4 prizes and 3 ways to win them:

1) Follow @altsummit on Twitter plus tweet something about the conference — please include this link to the Alt website: http://www.altitudesummit.com — and you're entered to win prize number 1: Your very own copy of the gorgeous, brand new book, InStyle's New Secrets of Style. Plus. A super easy to use Peek handheld email device (in fashionable cherry red, of course). For those of you who think design = fashion & style.



2) If you're a Facebook Fan of Alt Summit you're in luck. We'll pick the winner of prize number two among our list of fans: an InPlace Organization Kit designed by Peter Walsh — plus a copy of Peter's book, Enough Already! Easy peasy. For those of you who feel design = organization.

3) Post an Alt Button on your blog or website (you can grab one here), or write a post where you link to the Alt Website and you're entered to win prize number 3: a Neat Receipts scanner for Mac. For those of you who think design = a clean desk.



You can enter all 3 ways or you can enter 1 way. Or you can even pick your 2 favorite ways. But. If you do steps 1-3, you're automatically entered to win the Huge Grandprize #4, a photography lovers package which includes:

- A Free Agent Go storage device (for Mac) so you can back up and store all those big photo files.

- An Eye Fi photocard for your camera, so you can automatically upload your photos.

- A 1 year pro-account with Flickr, so you can easily share all those photos.

For those of you who think design = beautiful images.



That's over $500 in prize-a-licious prizes. And it's so easy to enter. So let's get the word out!

Two more Alt things:
1) Find more info by checking the Alt Blog and subscribing to the Alt Newsletter.
2) There's a substantial early bird discount that ends on Friday (this Friday!) — $100 off your registration. If you're thinking of attending, grab your registration quick!

A Paper Holiday: Eco-Friendly — By Guest Aunt "Papergirl" Lyndsey

Hello friends! I’m back and ready with a slew of new and different holiday cards to inspire your imagination. Today, let’s talk about being green.

Of course, when I say “green,” I don’t mean your holiday cards need to be printed in forest or lime green ink – I mean finding an eco-friendly card solution! We all know how important it is to protect our environment even in little ways, and a great way to contribute is by sending green holiday cards this year.

I adore the woodgrain cards and gift tags by Night Owl Paper Goods (pictured above). This is a real wooden card, made from eco-friendly sustainably harvested yellow birch — and each one comes with a 100% recycled kraft envelope. They’re easy to write on in either pen or pencil, and are so unique and classy.



Another option for a green holiday card is this beautiful letterpressed card from Smock Paper. Smock Paper is powered by wind energy and prints all their stationery on paper made from sustainable, renewable bamboo — they’re actually the first company in the US to do so! This innovative artisan paper is the result of tons of research and work, and it shows.

Fugu Fugu Press is a letterpress studio based in my hometown of Pasadena, Calif., and they have a delightful little holiday offering this year. Fugu Fugu’s cards are printed on recycled white paper using soy-based inks, like this cute reindeer-bear.



Bird Dog Press is another eco-friendly company — their cards are printed on tree-less and post-consumer paper — some of which is even plant-able, so cool! — with soy ink, and they utilize alternative energy. Love this kraft paper card with metallic ink.



Of course, the greenest way to send holiday cards is to skip sending paper altogether — I DO love getting snail mail, but if you’re in a pinch [or run out of time] you’re still sure to show some style by using Paperless Post. You personalize a digital card, and your recipient receives an email link to digitally open a swanky envelope and read the card. Even on a computer screen, the stationery looks luxe and beautiful. I think it’s a great, quick way to send a nice card.

See how easy it is to be eco-chic this holiday? Be back soon with some of my all-time favorite holiday cards… xoxo

Find more from Lyndsey at The Stationery Place.

Childbirth Story from Amber Johnson

Hadley Johnson's Stork Report

On May 25, 2004, my daughter Hurricane Hadley graced the world with her presence. Her birth...and subsequent life have been a WILD ride (and I'm not just talkin' about them thar stir-ups....)

Monday, May 24th, 2004 — More than one week before Hadley's due date. Busy making final preps on our brand new house until late. Husband Jamie is incredibly stressed with projects at work and yearns to skip out. His final words to Hadley before bedtime: "If you come tomorrow, I'll buy you a car when you're 16." Daddy's final lesson before becoming a parent: be careful what you wish for. It may actually come true.

Tuesday, May 25th-1, 3, 5 and 6 a.m. — As usual, Amber waddles to the potty.

7 a.m. — Waddles to the bathroom. Discovers something unusually wet — her water possibly broke! Calls the doc who tells them to come in. Jamie rejoices about starting his two-week "vacation." The reality of his car pledge later hits him with great force.

9 a.m. — Meet with the doc. Performs various tests. Bag of waters is ruptured with a leak but is not broken. Evil woman sends Amber and Jamie home.

10 a.m. — Amber and Jamie go on long walk (a.k.a. waddle), hoping to kick things into motion. Steady leak continues but no real progress.

11:45 a.m. — Decide to grab a sandwich at Einstein Bagels. After eating, Amber blows her nose. Suddenly, the flood gates open. In very public booth #3 at Einstein's. At lunchtime. Amber hisses at Jamie to discreetly grab her some napkins to cleanup. Jamie obliges and brings back two napkins, not understanding that bag of waters is in actuality, plural. Meaning many.

12:30 p.m. — After operation "Cleanup in Booth 3," Amber casually strolls (a.k.a. waddles with soaked pants) to the Jeep. They rush to the hospital. Jamie drops her off with a grocery bag of personal items. He proceeds to park the car and bring in the suitcase.

12:45 p.m. — As Amber stealthily walks up to the nurse's station, she notes her appearance: soaked black sweats, unruly hair and a Wal-Mart bag for luggage: White Trash Incarnate. Jamie arrives with the rest of the luggage, announcing to the nurses: "Has anyone seen a strawberry-blonde with wet pants?" They chortle delightfully, later avowing his statement will go down as the funniest entrance in Birthing Center History. What a crackup.

1 p.m.-5 p.m. — Amber put on Pitocin (also known as "Pit") to induce labor. Later discovers it is actually the "pits." Light contractions begin but she can barely feel them and spends the afternoon watching Dr. Phil and Oprah with Jamie. Wonders what all those wimpy women have been whining about for centuries re: the "pains of childbirth."

5:30 p.m. — Discovers what those "wimpy women" were talking about. The hard way. Now wonders why women would knowingly choose to do this multiple times.

6 p.m. — Excruciating Pain Con't. Jamie compares Amber to Jekyl and Hyde. Cracking jokes and delightful…until the contractions hit. Jamie does a fabulous job as coach. Is instrumental in helping Amber Hyde maintain her composure.

7 p.m. — Amber's best friend Mimi the Epidural Lady arrives. About 7 excruciating contractions later than requested. Amber practices the Miracle of Forgiveness. But not until after the drug kicks in.

7:30 p.m. — Amber is a new woman and plays the waiting game until full dilation. Jamie and Amber have a delightful time talking travel with the doc and nurse. Amber ponders the mysteries of life i.e. why anyone would chose not to get an epidural. Equates it to the lunacy of climbing Everest without oxygen.

10:15 p.m. — Starts pushing. Ouch.

11:05 p.m. — Everest attained. With oxygen. But the views are nonetheless spectacular! Beautiful Hadley arrives pretty and pink. Mom Amber now understanding why women do this multiple times. Dad Jamie still worried about that new car he owes his obedient daughter.... And thus began our tale of living "Happily Ever After!" (or would that be sleepless?)

From Amber of Crazy Bloggin' Canuck and Mile High Mamas. Amber is 1 of 5 semi-finalist bloggers in Microsoft Office's Winter Games Contest — you should totally go vote for her!
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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Reflection on Motherhood from Miranda Anderson

When my six-month-old Milo was only 4 weeks new I took a few minutes to reflect on his arrival. I am so glad that I did. I posted it on my blog back then, and thought it would be fun to share with you:

Friday May 29th, 2009
One month and I can't even remember what it was like to not be a mom. The process of becoming a parent is fascinating and progressive. I remember back last May when Dave and I decided to begin preparing to have a baby. Our preparations included eating healthy and exercising to be in optimal shape, ensuring our daily, weekly, and monthly habits were intact and would not be lost in the whirlwind of a new child. Also, observing solid financial practices to allow for a comfortable transition to parenthood with all the necessary accoutrements. After a couple months we were ready, and I was pregnant. The look on Dave's face when I told him reflected the excitement, anticipation and joy that we shared at that moment, and through the remaining 34 weeks of pregnancy.

Pregnancy. Now there is an interesting process. Mine was full of new feelings, white and tan foods (like cheerios and bagels...daily for 16 weeks!), weight gain, wiggles in my belly, trips to the bathroom, Dave saying "thank you for carrying our baby," counting down the days until the next appointment and doppler, long walks, borrowed maternity clothes and wondering and waiting and waiting. I have never felt more unlike myself than I did while I was pregnant...until, all of the sudden (somewhere between weeks 20-30) I was pregnant, and I couldn't remember being anything else!

Then, at around midnight on April 30th, I awoke for a usual trip to the bathroom and I noticed a crampy feeling in my belly. Convinced that the beginning of labor would be somewhat more spectacular, I spent the next hour eating a snack, doing dishes, and taking a bath to see if these contractions would subside. When they had increased in intensity and frequency I woke Dave up and told him that we may be on our way to having a baby. I called the OB, who said to spend a few hours at home to make sure labor was real, so Dave and I watched A League of Their Own in bed, made sure the bags were indeed packed, then returned our library books and DVDs on the way to the hospital at 4 am.

After 1 hour of triage and a monitored strip showing contractions 3 minutes apart, I was admitted...I was having a baby! We walked the halls for a little while, pausing to squat against the wall and relax during contractions. I found that method not quite as comfortable as I wanted, so I opted for a hot bath in my room's jacuzzi tub. Dave sat next to me on the floor and coached me through each contraction. He held my hand and timed 30 seconds from the start of each so he could tell me when it wasn't going to get any worse. I sipped iced cranberry juice and nibbled graham crackers to maintain hydration and energy over the following 8 hours. Because I had a natural delivery, I was unencumbered by tubes and lines and was able to move around freely, which became less and less important as contractions intensified.

Labor was a dance of forced relaxation in the bathtub, on the birthing ball and side lying on the bed. About 10 am I was dilated to 6 cm and though contractions were painful, I realized that this pain meant progress. At 12 pm I was 8 cm and I felt fatigued but focused. At 1 pm when I was only 8.5 cm we decided to break the fore bag to allow a little more pressure for dilation. When Julie, the midwife, broke the bag we discovered that there was meconium in the water...and for the first time I felt anxious about the process. My concern for Milo's welfare was overwhelming. I was ready to get him quickly, and safely into my arms.

Instead of increased frequency of contractions, after breaking the water mine spread out to every 5 minutes. We needed to find a good position for direct pressure. Turns out the right position was sitting on the toilet, not a very relaxing or comfortable place to experience the most painful and intense contractions of the whole labor. Dave's role as labor coach became vital as I struggled through transition. I was able to close my eyes and listen to him encouraging me to relax every muscle and envision myself floating...just floating through the pain.

Finally, around 2 pm the contractions didn't just peak with pain, but with an overwhelming feeling to push. I felt weak and shaky but excited to be approaching the time in the labor when I could DO something rather than using all of my energy NOT DOING ANYTHING. Every muscle in my body went into those pushes, first sitting on the birthing stool, then lying up in the bed. Pushing was fun! Contractions stopped hurting and spread out to allow some rest. I have never put more physical effort into anything else...ever.

After about 30 minutes I could see Milo's head. After 29 more minutes I pushed my last push. When little, conehead, purple Milo shrieked with vigor my still worried heart settled and the specialists who had been called in case of meconium aspiration quietly left the room. Then I held my son for the first time. He was slimy, wiggly, warm, swollen, tiny, and PERFECT. I counted ten little fingers and ten little toes. He opened up those huge eyes and looked around his new world. Dave cut the cord, took some photos and then snuggled up close to Milo and me. Over the next hour I nursed Milo and talked with Dave as the midwife and OB repaired my battle wounds.

It was amazing how fast we went from two to three, and how incredibly natural the transition. I have heard that there is no way to prepare for being a parent, but somehow even in those first moments I felt like my whole life was preparation, and this was what I was made for.

I love watching Dave as a dad. He is so excited to spend time with Milo, even if it's just holding him while he sleeps. Having my husband become a father adds a whole new dimension to our relationship. I didn't know I could love him more, but I do. Every day for the last month Dave and I have been blessed to care for our little miracle. He eats, squeaks, sleeps, stretches, grunts, snuggles, and learns as he looks around with his wide eyes. I have found my joy in life, and it is being a wife and mother. Nothing could be better.

From Miranda of Mr. Milo Goes to Washington.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Say Hello to the Kirtsy Book

It's a big week, friends. So big that all I want to do is blog about the bigness. And so big that I am finding it hard to squeeze in blogging time. Which is just how it goes, isn't it? In this post I'll just cover 2 of the big things.

1) Ben Blair is out of town.
Sunday through Sunday. And the bed's too big without him.

2) The Kirtsy Book is here.
It's really here. Laura Mayes (you may know her as Girl Con Queso) conceived of the idea one billion years ago. And started working on it day and night. At some point I stopped asking her about it because I thought she might cry. Then suddenly: the book exists.



And my oh my. In true Kirtsy fashion, it is gorgeous. Full of wonderfulness from cover to cover. Featuring over 100 of your favorite bloggers and writers. I can't believe I get to be included in such an illustrious bunch.

You will love this book. I promise. You can pick up your own copy of Kirtsy Takes a Bow here. Or (bonus!) get a signed copy by ordering directly from Bright Sky Press.

Need more convincing? Watch this trailer for the book:



The trailer was made by brilliant author Katherine Center. She wrote the introduction essay for the book — and it's her voice reading her essay in the video. That's just the kind of cool the Kirtsy Book inspires.

Want to celebrate? There are 8 (and counting) Kirtsy Book parties happening around the country. The first one happens in Houston tonight. And then the celebration starts traveling around the country. Yay! It's even coming to Denver!! You can find all the info here.

A Paper Holiday: Photo Cards — by Guest Aunt "PaperGirl" Lyndsey

I love getting holiday cards. As a kid I’d pore relentlessly over the hundred Christmas cards my mom received each year, studying family photos, analyzing card layouts and even reading every word of those oft-criticized Christmas letters (some people hate them, but I love ‘em!). I think there’s something so fun about getting to catch up, via snail mail, with long-lost family and friends each holiday season.

However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten a little more picky in my holiday card taste. Sure, I still love receiving and reading cards — but it’s like a little Christmas bonus gift if the card is designed well and piques my creative interest. It really doesn’t take THAT much more effort or money to pick out a cute, well-made holiday card — but I think it definitely makes the recipient appreciate your coolness factor a little more!

I’m here this week to show you how easy it can be to find a great-looking, contemporary holiday card — one that will look way better than the ones you pick up from Costco :) We’ll start out trying to stick close to the norm — cards that make it easy to include family photos.

The card at the top of the post is from the HelloandCo — love the way the snowflake border blends into the photo! You’ll learn pretty quick with me that I’m a huge fan of the handmade, crafty movement — how about ordering cards off of etsy this year? Your cards are sure to be unique, plus, you’ll be supporting a DIYer!



-I also love this card from Hello!Lucky — they’ll print your photo directly onto the card for super-high quality.

-I’m kinda obsessed with letterpress (in fact, you’ll see many more letterpress cards pop up in my other posts this week), so here’s a great letterpressed card from Armato Design that allows you to easily attach your favorite photo.



-Tiny Prints is another good place to go if you can’t bear the thought of a holiday card without a printed photo.

-And just for good measure, one more printed photo card from the etsy world. I love the non-cheesy religious message of this card from Lille Barn Too.

Hope you’re feeling inspired already! I’ll be back soon with some more holiday card ideas. xoxo

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Note from Design Mom:
Lindsey will be Guest Posting here this week (our second Guest Aunt!) with some fantastic ideas for Holiday Cards. Turns out knowing and loving stationery and cards is her special expertise. You can find more yummy paper goods at Lindsey's blog, The Stationery Place. Lindsey, we're glad you're here!

Ask Design Mom — Embroidery on Stockings

Ask Design Mom Question:
I've made felt stockings for Christmas and want to embroider our names on the top. Any suggestions for how to do this without an embroidery machine?? I want a chic style (I think I have the ability to do a satin stitch on my machine though...) Thank you so much. — Carissa R



Design Mom Answer:
Sounds like fun! I haven't personally done much embroidery since my tween years in the 4-H, but I've noticed a couple of inspiring embroidery images on my sister Jordan's blog. I'm not sure that they are the styles you have in mind, but both the ribbon embroidery and the negative space embroidery seem super chic to me.

What do you suggest, Dear Readers? Any embroidery experts out there that can offer advice, ideas or source links?

Fruit & veggie image here. Hello image here.

Ask Design Mom — First Christmas Present

Ask Design Mom Question:
So, here is my dilemma. Because of when my baby is due — and the latest date my doctor will let me go before inducing — the little guy's first Christmas will be when he is at most a few weeks old and at least, 3 days old. So what to do? What kind of gifts do you get for a brand new baby? I, of course, want it to be special since it will be his first Christmas but it seems silly to buy a bunch of stuff that he will be too young to use or even know exists. Any feedback you or the readers could give would be great! Thanks. — Jennifer

Design Mom Answer:
Early Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby, Jennifer! How exciting. I think many mothers with babies born in December stress about the closeness of the birthday and the holidays. I don't blame them — it's a lot to think about in one month.

But for this first Christmas, you're super lucky. I agree that it's "silly to buy a bunch of stuff that he will be too young to use or even know exists." Instead think "heirloom" and look for something more commemorative that he'll appreciate when he's older. For example, when the new millenium was coming, I had two babies and wanted to give them both something to mark the event. For Ralph, I had a sterling silver yo-yo engraved with an R. For Maude, I had a sterling silver star-shaped pendant engraved with her name and "2000." My thinking was that they'll be able to tell their grandkids they were alive (just barely) when the new millenium arrived — and pull out their souvenirs to make the story more interesting. : )



Julian & Co. just introduced a product that might be perfect for this. It's a 6-sided pendant that can be engraved on each side — and further used as a wax seal imprinter. Very cool. You can read more about it here.

What about you Dear Readers? What would you do to celebrate a newborn's first Christmas?

Ask Design Mom — Dinner Help

Ask Design Mom Question:
Dear Design Mom, dinnertime and menu making is my nemesis. How do you handle your dinner planning? — Margo

Design Mom Answer:
Oh Margo. This is a question I should be asking. Dinner is my nemesis too! Tonight we ate spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread — so exotic. I have a few suggestions, but I'll mostly leave this to my Dear Readers, who no doubt will give you excellent advice.

1) Look for blogs and websites that post weekly menus. My lovely sister-in-law Erin posts hers occasionally (all menu links are in her sidebar). And there are other great menu sites as well.

2) Look for recipe books that focus on fast or simple dinners. Martha Stewart just published one called Dinner at Home. Her company sent me a copy and the first recipe I tried was #3:

Roast Salmon and Potatoes
Mustard-Herb Butter
Haricots Verts with Tapenade

We used green beans instead of Haricots Verts and skipped the Tapenade, but otherwise, made it as directed and it was a big winner with the whole family. Plus, it really was easy and fast. Plus also, since it's a Martha Stewart book, it's really beautiful to look at.

Dear Readers, how do you handle meal-planning, menus and dinner ideas?

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Note from Design Mom:
Hey Friends! My inbox is still crazy full of Ask-Design-Mom questions. So instead of waiting a few months and then hosting another Ask-Design-Mom-Week, I thought I'd try dedicating Mondays to your questions. If I get feedback that no one is into it, I'll definitely rethink. — kisses, Gabrielle

Tiny Sprouts Giveaway

Another generous Giveaway today — from Tiny Sprouts. Where the lucky winner will receive a whole lotta goodies. (As in $486 worth!) Take a look at the list of prizes:

-Grow With Me Chart
-Take Me Home Outfit & Blanket
-Hand Embroidered Hand Prints
-Crayon Tote
-Nightgown & Booties set

Plus.
-A $200 gift certificate to Tiny Sprouts — to pick out whatever you'd like. For you. Or for a friend. (But it's okay if it's for you.)



How sweet are those goodies? How sweet is that hand embroidery? And don't you just want to eat that baby right up? Leave a comment on this post and you're entered to win. I'll announce a winner next week.

Suggestion: while you're waiting to see who wins, you can get your fill of newborn eye candy by browsing the Tiny Sprouts site. If you see something you love, type in designmom09 to get 10% off of your purchases through November. Sweeet!

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Congratulations to Aaron and Karrie! You are the lucky winner. Won't it be so fun for you to receive your big box of goodies? Happy shopping.

Book of the Week: Archie & The Pirates

Marc Rosenthal — who I became a fan of when I discovered Phooey! — sent my kids his latest book, Archie and the Pirates, a few weeks ago.




It is adorable. Resourceful Archie finds himself stranded on an island but doesn't despair. He cleverly uses what he finds to make a trim little house, all the while making friends with the locals — even an intimidating tiger. All is well. Until the Pirates arrive...



Along with the book, Marc sent an Island-Survival-Kit — a small bag filled with bandaids, a snack and Archie's favorite recipes. I'm such a fan of smart, creative marketing solutions. I thought the Survival Guide was brilliant.

How I Spent Yesterday

Before Noon:
-Clean the house.
-Shower and get pretty.
-Entertain Oscar & Betty.



Noon - 3:00:
-Welcome the crew from DECA to our lovely home — director Kyle and cameramen Josh and Dave.
-Work with the crew rearranging furniture and displays to make our home even more lovely (at least from certain camera angles).
-Run a couple of errands while the crew gets the lighting and cameras set up.



3:00 - 4:00:
-Ben Blair picks up Chez Jose quesadillas for everybody (thanks for the meal, DECA).
-Ralph, Maude & Olive get home from school.




4:00 - 7:00:
-Participate in what will ultimately be a 60-second online spot showing how my family uses the new HP Touchsmart Printer.
-Ralph is assigned to get behind-the-scenes photos for this post.



7:00 - 8:00:
-The crew clears all the equipment out.
-I try to talk Ben Blair into picking up more quesadillas from Chez Jose because I'm hungry again. And those quesadillas are good. Dam good.

You can find more of Ralph's photos here.

Also. Corey from Life With Little Ones posted an interview of me last week — it's part of her Inspirational Interviews Series. And I was honored to be included. Not related to yesterday at all. But I've been meaning to tell you and I keep forgetting...

Crewcuts Catalog

Did you see the cover of the latest Crewcuts catalog?

I am in love. For your next family pictures, promise me you'll fly to Chile and pose the shots in a red row boat in the middle of a snowy forest. Then cross your heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in your eye.

The stylists have outdone themselves with this catalog. Every shot is delightful. And the clothes. The clothes!

24 Little Doors

Oh look! A little tiny advent calendar. A Christmas celebration for your desk. From Pinkerton Design. Order it now so you'll have it in time for December 1st. (Don't you just love advent calendars? What is it about the little doors?)

On Roots — by Juli Fraga

Before my mother adopted me in 1974, I came to her via letter, delivered by the postal service, along with a picture on a black and white Polaroid. My three month history was less than 500 words. I came to her as “Sun Ok Park,” but she named me “Juliann.” I traveled the ocean waters all the way from Seoul with a social worker to meet her, and was placed in her arms at the airport. She met me in Kansas City, Kansas. This was our beginning.

I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska right in the center of America. Omaha is a predominately white community, thus there weren’t many other Asian or Asian American children in my neighborhood let alone any other adoptees. My brother (also an adoptee, but not my biological brother) and I attended a small Catholic school where we were the only Asian American students, and not only that, we weren’t even Catholic and our mother was divorced. Talk about not fitting in.

My adopted parents are white. At an early age I recall my mother talking on the phone saying, “people always look at me when I go out with Juli because we look different.” As a small child I could not make cognitive sense of these words, but I felt what she was saying.

A well-known psychologist in the area of transracial adoption once talked about the concept of honorary white privilege — fitting in because one is the adopted child of white parents. Growing up, I did not feel anything honorary about this process. I felt invisible. I was envious of those who could say they had “their Mom’s eyes,” or “their Dad’s nose.” I’ve always felt like a branch without its tree. I’ve always wanted roots.

****

It is Saturday, December 15, 2007. I am getting ready for a friend’s birthday party, and am decorating gingerbread cookies. I notice that I feel nauseous. “I couldn’t possibly be pregnant, could I?” To ease my mind, I decide to take a quick pregnancy test. It is positive. I call my husband and say, “You have to come home because we are going to have a baby!” And so our journey begins.

I have a relatively smooth pregnancy. At 19 weeks we find out we are having a little girl and at 20 weeks I take a trip to Australia to see a close girlfriend. Realizing this is the last international trip for awhile, I enjoy every minute of it. Each night I read all sorts of magazines. I do a lot of eating, shopping and site seeing during the day.

I share the journey of pregnancy with close girlfriends. We exchange stories about pregnancy woes, preparing for our babies, and career and identity changes. In July, three of my closet friends throw me a wonderful shower. We make a special bracelet for the baby. My dear friend Susana travels from Hawai’i with her daughter, Josephine, and seeing her before the baby’s arrival feels complete. As someone who has no known biological family and no sister, Susana is an older sister to me and her daughter a niece.

Around week 36, I begin to feel very uncomfortable. As a petite woman I can feel the baby’s feet kicking the top of my rib cage. This is not a comfortable feeling. I go on maternity leave two weeks early and hope the baby arrives early. I go to acupuncture to try and induce labor. My due date comes and still no baby.

Stephen and I take long walks to try and induce labor. We also go out to a few of our favorite kid-unfriendly restaurants knowing we won’t be returning for awhile. It feels like cramming for finals — trying to get in all the adult freedom and fun before the big day.

It is August 23, 2008, my husband and I are at UCSF hospital in San Francisco. After over 36 hours of labor, two shots of morphine, pitocin, antibiotics for an infection in my amniotic fluid, she arrives via c-section on August 24 — 8 lbs, 6 oz. Lucy Park Fraga. This is our beginning.

Lucy is my first known biological relative. It’s the first time I can look at someone and see a physical resemblance to myself. I will take Lucy with me when I go to Korea. I will go to retrace my own geographical roots, and to fill in some of the gaps to my story.

From Juli Fraga of All About Cute.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Birth Story from Michelle Jammes

There are few pictures of me pregnant and with good reason. I fell into that category of not happy pregnant people. My pregnancy came as a surprise two weeks after my 30th birthday and it did not suit me one bit. All those tales of a glow and energy and life inside you.....hmmmm. How about brittle hair, sciatica, heartburn, pinched nerves, morning sickness for 16+ weeks so bad that you would have given a million dollars to eat just one little saltine cracker. : )

Well, the big due date neared and Emma was clearly not interested in coming out. She never dropped and my cervix never even dilated. Since I had high levels of amniotic fluids and ‘gestational hypertension,’ (which in hindsight I believe was just “white coat syndrome”), my doctor didn’t want me to go past my due date of Sept 24th. On the night of the 24th I would be induced and on the 25th I would have my baby girl.

The designated night rolls around and we check into the hospital. I was a little upset that I would be missing Project Runway but quickly remembered that they show back to back episodes and I could catch up next week. (Priorities!) The nurse came in to explain the procedure. At midnight they would give me the first of possibly many suppositories to get my cervix soft and dilated. That would be followed by pitocin to induce labor and by this time tomorrow I would have my baby. Simple enough. The nurse even jokingly told me to turn off the TV as tonight would be my last night of proper sleep.

So I complied. Like Cinderella awaiting the stroke of midnight, I lay back and let the beeping and flickering lights of the stat machine lull me to sleep. At some point, I became focused on one particular number on this machine. I knew the numbers should stay in the range of 150-200. Anything lower than 150 was cause for concern. 150, 130, 120. Two nurses come in and in a calm manner tell to me lie on my right side and try not to move. They explained how sometimes the monitors shift or the baby moves out of range. I think to myself, 'I was just laying the wrong way', but within 5 minutes, like a scene from a movie, the lights are on and the room is filled with more nurses. There is a doctor and my anesthesiologist is back.

The numbers are low, 130, 120, 90, 80. They are not going up. After being prodded with what felt like an entire forearm, they inform me they have just called my doctor and that there is no time to induce. "Do you understand?” one nurse asks me. I think I must have looked perplexed but I knew quite well what was going on. I recognized this scene from so many movies where the doc tells the husband "I can do this procedure in my sleep, I can have the baby out in less than 8 minutes. All will be fine". So Hollywood told me all would be well and honestly I wasn't afraid. I actually secretly wanted a c-section and hoped my doctor would tell me that I HAD to have one. I went in at 1 am and by 1:15 she was out.

I did feel pain. A lot of pressure is the only way to describe it. It is as if someone is squeezing your organs. It took longer for them to sew me up than to take her out. I remember wanting to just pass out or throw up but that I needed to hear her cry. I wanted to see her, but could only make out a fleeting image of a pink, wrinkly, piglet-like creature being whisked away to be cleaned. I felt assured as the nurses joked that I had a "big baby". Emma Adela was 8 lbs 13 oz. and 21.4 inches long.

For some people I guess motherhood comes naturally, but for me it took a while. I can honestly say I didn't have an immediate connection with her. Once they handed her to me I remember thinking to myself, "Hey kid, I guess we are stuck with each other." I never had dreams of being a mother — I was always playing the big sister with my dolls. I loved, and still do love, all animals. I brake for squirrels and will get out of my car to help a turtle cross the road. To be handed this little human being who needed me more than anything or anyone ever did was both daunting and numbing. You can't just leave food and water out for this person or take a holiday from them. I knew I had to push forward for this person and embrace this new phase in my life.



As they handed her to me I quietly mourned that part of my life that I would never be able to return to. But with the passing of each day I cannot imagine a life without her. I cry each day at her advancements and feel a sense of comfort to know that she is because I am.

Emma turned one almost a month ago. The year just flew by and Emma is such a wonderful little person. She has such a joy for life that I feel blessed to be able to see the world through new eyes now, and in a way, be a child all over again.

From Michelle Jammes.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Paper Crafts

I like the idea of a Christmas Tree full of these winter-y creatures. Or maybe place setting name cards made from these little owls. By Mibo Studio. You can download and print your own.

A Love Song

Awwww. Drew loves Lynette. How sweet is this?

Moose

Going through my email this morning I found this image. A moose light. It made me happy. Doesn't it seem like a good fit for a house in Colorado? What do you think. Would this work in any of the rooms in your house? From Atelier Abigail Ahern.

For the Holidays

Look at the dress we found for Betty at Target on Saturday. So luxe looking, no? I love the peter pan collar — I put Betty's hair up when she wore the dress to show it off. I'm impressed with the lining, considering the price. And it was a bargain. If you have a toddler-size girl running around your house right now, you should go buy one right this minute. Before they run out.

The Best Boring Weekend Ever

We did not do anything special this weekend, but I was telling Ben Blair that it felt like the best weekend ever. And then I figured out it was because my energy was up — from like 15% to 60% — which feels amazing. We did laundry! We did the grocery shopping! We put away Halloween! We went to Target! We went on a date! We were on time to church!

Isn't that a wonderful thing? To feel better after feeling crummy for so long? I hope your weekend was equally lovely.

PS — Did you see this cute picture that Liz took of my pregnant sister, Jordan? It reminded me that I need to think of a way to document this pregnancy. I've never taken preggie photos before, but I want some this time around. Because I'm pretty sure it's my last.

PPS — Don't miss Stephmodo's adorable new family photos (including the one pictured above).

PPPS — In the next post, I have to show you the wonderful thing we bought at Target.

PPPPS — Did you guys love Ask-Design-Mom-Week as much as I did? So many great questions! (Some of Friday's posts were just published today.) I always mean to make it a weekly feature, but I generally forget. I'll try to make it happen this time...

Ask Design Mom Week — Baby Names

Question:
I'm wondering about baby names. I love love love your kids names and wonder where you got them. Is there a story behind each one or are they just favorites? Also, do you have any favorite resources for baby name finding? Ideas for baby #6? Thanks! — Sarah

photo credit here

Answer:
For Ben Blair and I, baby names have sometimes come easily and sometimes taken forever to decide. What we look for: well-recognized names (not invented ones), easy to pronounce, possibly fallen out of fashion — so that they're relatively unusual. If they have family connection, that's even better. Our baby name stories in brief:

-During my first pregnancy, once we knew it was a boy, he was instantly Ralph Wallace Blair. Ralph is my dad's dad. Wallace is Ben's dad's dad (and Ben's middle name). We really liked the name Ralph. And my father passed away while I was pregnant with Ralph, so we like honoring his family.

-Once Ralph was picked, we felt like our future kids' names should fit with it — maybe come from the same time or generation. We decided on the name Maude at a family funeral on Ben's side of the family, where we discovered it on two family gravestones (Ben's great grandmother and great aunt). At the last minute we added Emma as a middle name, because there was some nervousness that the name Maude would be too unusual. So she's Maude Emma Blair. (Sometimes we regret the Emma. It's a little random.)

-The name Olive we found in a book. It was the name of the mother of a great man (can not remember for the life of me what the book was). I could imagine two old ladies named Maude and Olive playing canasta at a card table and I knew it fit. Olive's full name is Olive Jean Blair. Jean is my mother's middle name and a popular name on Ben's side of the family as well.

-Oscar was suggested by our friends. It was on their short list, but they ended up not using it. The full name is Oscar Stanley Groberg Blair. (Stanley is my maiden name. Groberg is Ben's Mom's maiden name.) Once, someone (mis)heard the name and said, wow, Oscar and Grover? You guys must really love Sesame Street.

-I have no memory of where or when we decided on the name Betty. But we deliberately did not give her a middle name. Because Betty Blair sounds so great — like the name of the alter ego of a superhero.

-We don't know what we're naming baby #6. We've decided we won't even think about it till we know if it's a boy or a girl. Any suggestions?

I'd love to hear your name stories, Dear Readers. How do you come up with names? What are your favorite name sources?

Ask Design Mom Week — 6-Year-Old Birthday Party Ideas

Question:
My niece is turning 6 next year and I'd like to plan a birthday party for her. Do you have any suggestions for party plans? I'd like to know! — love, Priscilia


Answer:
What a nice Aunt! Here are links to some of the favorite parties I've hosted or posted about over the last few years. Any of these could be adapted for a 6-year-old.

-Round & Round Circles Party (you could also make this a polka-dot party)
-Young Einsteins Science Party
-Spa Day or Yoga Party
-Adventure Rock-Climbing Party
-Les Petites Chefs Cooking Party

How about you, Dear Readers, what are your favorite birthday themes?

Ask Design Mom Week — Playroom Mats

Question:
Have you ever put together a play room for an infant learning to crawl and walk? I'm looking for something for the floor. I've been looking at Jigsaw Mats but wondered if you've ever come across anything a little nicer looking. Thanks. — Sarah



Answer:
Fun to put together a playroom! Those jigsaw mats look cute, but I think an easy upgrade would be Flor tiles. They come in dozens and dozens of patterns, thicknesses and colors. And they are designed to be easy to care for. In fact, with some of Flor's options, if you have a spill, you can just pick up the individual tile and run it under the sink. Nice.

In the Room To Grow article I designed for Parents Magazine, we used Flor's circular rug kits and they were adorable.

Dear Readers, what do you like on your playroom floor?

Ask Design Mom Week — Teacher Gifts

Question:
I need help with an idea! I'm on the PTA hospitality committee and we do Christmas gifts for all the teachers and staff (about 70 people — men and women). We are struggling to come up with an idea for this year — our budget is very limited (about $200 - TOTAL). In the past we've done: homemade caramel apples, white chocolate popcorn, Christmas potpourri.... Do you have any craft or cooking ideas for us? — Thanks, Cherie'




Answer:
Hi Cherie! Here's the first thing to come to my mind. Last Christmas, my friends Laura and Lisa made homemade vanilla extract (you know, like you'd use in baking) and packaged it in charming little bottles. I've been wanting to try the same idea for ages! In addition to vanilla extract, they also made vanilla sugar, vanilla almonds and lip gloss too. You can find more photos and instructions (and label pdfs!) here. Between those 4 ideas, hopefully everyone on your list will be covered. But if not, I'm sure my super smart readers will have tons more suggestions.

Dear Readers, what would you do if you were Cherie and needed to find gifts (on a limited budget) for teachers and staff at your school?

Polarn O. Pyret Giveaway

Another amazing Giveaway today. And it's perfectly timed for the season. It's a pretty good bet that sometime in the last couple of weeks, you've considered your children's (or your own) winter wear. Will you be skiing this year? Will there be snow? Do his snow boots still fit? Has she outgrown her coat? Are there mittens missing?

Well, today, the Swedish company Polarn O. Pyret (that's a mouthful, I know) will be setting you up. The winner will get to pick out any outerwear top and any outerwear bottom from their site. Or. Any outerwear “all-in-one” — like a snowsuit or bunting. The top and bottom can be any combo that the winner chooses. A fleece and ski pants for instance, or a winter jacket and snowboarder pants. You'll basically be getting about $200 in outerwear. Pretty rad, right?



People. The Swedes are serious about dressing their kids appropriately for the weather and this earnestness is represented by Polarn O. Pyret's outerwear. Where all kinds of attention has been paid to the little details, ensuring that kids stay warm and dry. Also, their winter outerwear is so function and performance driven that it is not only great for the playground but also for the ski slopes.

Take at look at the site and daydream about what you'll pick out if you win. If Polarn O. Pyret is new-to-you, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how design-driven the company is. Just leave a comment and you're entered to win. I'll post a winner on Monday, November 9th.

UPDATE BONUS: Polarn O. Pyret has offered a generous 30% off, plus free shipping on orders of $100 or more. Exclusively for Design Mom Readers. Sweet! Just use the promo code: DMPOP

Yay for winter prep!

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

Congratulations, Mary! You are the lucky winner. Happy shopping.

Ask Design Mom Week — Family Christmas Gift

Question:
My husband's family always draws names for gift giving. This year we are gifting to his sister's family; they have six kids and a total of eight people. (Which made me think of you ;)). I'm wondering if you know of any good gift ideas that the whole family could enjoy, or perhaps a something we could get for each family member that wouldn't break the bank. The kids range in age from 3-14. Thanks! — Lynnette



Answer:
Another great question. My family picks names as well. One of the favorite gifts we've ever received was a collection of Nativity Dress-ups my sister put together from thrift store finds. It's awesome. And really good for a wide range of ages. You can see my post about it here.

Dear Readers, I'm sure you have tons of good suggestions for Lynnette. What do you like to give for "family" gifts?

Ask Design Mom Week — Blogging Advice

Question:
I just started my own blog this month! It looks boring, I have no followers, and I feel left out of the "Blogging Circle." Can you give me some tips on how to make my blog better? — Tanya



Answer:
Thanks for the question, Tanya. I'll start by saying, you're not alone. I think I get questions along these lines more than any others. How do I grow my blog? How do I get sponsors? How do I change my header? How do I decide on a blog topic?

But I confess, I don't answer as often as I'd like. For a few reasons. One, the answers are long. Long enough that people teach multiple classes and hold multi-day conferences to try to cover the answers adequately. Two, because I try (I can't say I always succeed) to limit this blog to topics at the intersection of design and motherhood. Three, because bummer for me, in a given week, I'm only able to respond to about 20% of my email. If that.

But since it is Ask-Design-Mom-Week, I thought I'd at least take a minute to say: it's not too late. You can still get into the blogging and social media scene. You can still start a site. You can still participate. You can still build something new. You can still grow what you've created.

If you feel like you've missed the boat, you haven't. If you feel like you're not in the club, it's a false perception. Period. This whole scene is still new enough that people are reinventing it everyday. Starting from scratch. Coming up with new and brilliant interpretations of how this whole thing could work. Just yesterday, I received an email from two friends who have started a new blog. It's called the Sweeterie and it's different than anything I've seen before. A super smart, simple concept. And it's beautiful. And I have no doubt it will grow. What will it grow into? Who knows. We'll find out in a couple of years.

Can I promise that your audience will grow super fast? Nope. Most audiences don't. There are a few instant successes, but most people that are doing this for a living, built their audiences slowly over several years. Just like any small business. Are there techniques to help you jumpstart growing your community? For sure. And that's why people attend conferences (like Alt and Mom2Summit — two conferences that Kirtsy plans the programming and panels for). To find out the best ideas and most effective ways to work in this space.

But the advice you'll hear most often, every time the topic of growing your audience comes up, is: comment and participate. Get out there. Comment on the blogs you like, big and small. If there's a blog party or Mr. Linky, try it out. If you see people mentioning NaBloPoMo, click the link and find out what it is. If you see buttons for a conference, ask about it. The more you explore, the more likely you'll find the perfect social media fit for you.

Dear Readers, what advice would you add to this topic?

Ask Design Mom Week — Christmas Tree Decor

Question:
I'm in a new house, new life and looking ahead to the holidays, I realized that our decade plus years of marriage/college/med school/residency tree decor might be in need of a slight makeover this year. I'm just looking for ideas — new, old, swanky, homestyle, yadda, yadda. Any advice or pictures to find, etc.? Thanks! — Stacey



Answer:
Love this question, Stacey. People have strong opinions about Christmas Trees: They should have the same decorations each year — it's tradition! They should be filled with ornaments made by children! They should be flocked! Flocked trees should be outlawed! They should change themes every year! Only fresh trees count! If it's not pre-lit, I won't use it!

Feel free to have whatever opinions you prefer for your own tree. It seems to be such a personal, emotional thing. Depending on some mix of childhood memories, current marketing schemes and adult expectations. And there's no right answer. Just know this, when you put lots of twinkling lights and pretty baubles on a tree. In your living room. And turn the house lights low. It's bound to be beautiful.

But if you're really wanting a change this year, Stacey, this is what I'd recommend. Hit the holiday aisle at your favorite store (let's say Target) and find an ornament you love the best. Your very favorite one. And then build a tree around it.

If it's a white feathered bird, then you could do the whole tree in birds and nests and white accents. If your favorite ornament is a gold glittery ball. Why not go gold all the way. Gold ornaments. Gold snowflakes. Gold ribbon. If you're starting from scratch, focusing on one color will definitely give you the biggest impact for the least amount of money. (I love the ornament pictured from Crate & Barrel.)

Looking for more inspiration? Martha has dozens of Christmas Tree ideas here.

What about you, Dear Readers? Any opinions on Christmas Tree decor?

Ask Design Mom Week — Christmas Card Sources

Question:
-Do you know where I can find Christmas cards that have a religious message but that are also arty and contemporary looking? I love the tasteful designs at Tiny Prints, Paper Source, etc. but haven’t been able to find any that are religious. Any suggestions? — Renee

-Do you have any good resources for great looking, unique holiday photo cards? The options at Walmart/Snapfish/etc just aren't cutting it. Thanks! — Megan



Answer:
The two questions above are just a sample of the dozens of emails I've been receiving along these lines. Apparently, everyone is looking for pretty holiday cards. And happily there are tons of great sources out there.

1) Have you visited Paper Culture yet? They offer a great contemporary selection. And get this, they will stuff, address and send your cards for the cost of postage. Nice.

2) How about Hello Lucky? Really fun designs and a really easy service to use.

3) Personally, I prefer sending a great looking folding card, and then slipping a loose photo inside. Yesterday, I received an unexpected care package from Cambria Cove (how did they know I was feeling so crummy?) and it included a box of these and these. Aren't they great?

4) Here's another one. If you are looking for a less-known, but still great source, try Legacy Digital Design. They offer designs available in Photoshop/PSE format for all those DIY types for a super low price of 1.99 per design. Just add your own text and photo(s) and you're done.

5) Cardstore also has an extensive collection. I really like this one. And as with most of these online card stores, you can personalize the offerings with whatever message you prefer (here's your chance to add that religious message, Renee).

And really, there are dozens more great options — I mean, I haven't even delved into etsy yet, for goodness sake. : )

Dear Readers, where are you finding/printing your Holiday Cards this year?

We Interrupt Ask-Design-Mom-Week...

Hello Friends! Sorry to interrupt all of your awesome questions (I just published 4 more right below this post) but I have a few little announcements I wanted to pass along.

1) Have you signed up for Hands On Small Business yet? There are (free!) classes happening in 20 cities around the country. Taught by social media experts. If you're an entrepreneur, a small business person, or someone trying to make a little cash online — I highly recommend you get yourself to one of these sessions. They're sponsored by Office Live and hosted by Kirtsy and they are really, really good. You can find more info here.

I'll be attending tomorrow night's class here in Denver. (If you come to tomorrow's class, I hope you'll say hello!)

2) The Altitude Design Summit is getting bigger and better by the minute. In fact, the first Alt Design Summit newsletter went out today. You should totally subscribe to keep up with the latest news and announcements. Bonus: after receiving a truckload of emails that the early bird cut-off was too soon, Alt has extended the deadline. Woot! Anyone who registers before November 20th can still get $100 off their registration.



3) Speaking of design, I saw the gorgeous book pictured above on new-to-me blog Azul Azul. Isn't it the greatest thing ever?

4) Because of all the fantastic Ask-Design-Mom-Questions, I've decided to push back on today's weekly pregnancy posts. But watch for more next Wednesday. Same bat time. Same bat channel.

5) I (finally) posted a winner for the super generous Trifle Shoppe Giveaway. You can find it at the bottom of the post here. And watch for another great giveaway tomorrow.

6) I know it's totally not cool that I've been posting so late in the day this week. Just a crazy week. No good excuses. Thanks for reading despite the craziness. : )

Ask Design Mom Week — Book Binding Service

Question:
I am looking for an inexpensive way to print and bind books. Is there a website you have used and would recommend? Or an easy do it yourself technique? All the best to you and your family. — Becca




Answer:
For sure, Becca. This is actually a great time for people like you and I, who might want to get one or two books bound — but not necessarily a thousand. There are several online sources that provide such a service. Most are designed for uploading and showcasing photographs. But there's no reason you can't use them for showcasing writing or drawings as well. And in my opinion, they're all surprisingly economical — not that long ago it was very expensive to get a single book bound.

The service I'm most familiar with is Blurb. (You can see their samples in the photos above.) And I know my sister-in-law, had good luck printing a book with Shutterfly. If you prefer the handmade route, I recommend looking up a local class. It is very satisfying (but not necessarily easy) to bind your own book.

Dear Readers, do you have a favorite book-printing service?

Ask Design Mom Week — Thanksgiving Invitations

Question:
I was hoping you might have some ideas on cute handmade Thanksgiving invitations. If you can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it! Thanks for all the great ideas. — Christine B



Answer:
Oooh. Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever sent out Thanksgiving invitations. But now I'm loving the idea. How much fun to receive an actual invitation — instead of text message confirming your attendance. : )

Having never sent Thanksgiving Invitations, I can't say that I have a ton of good sources at my finger tips. But I do remember seeing the cute invitations above, designed by Good On Paper, on Anh Mihn's blog last year. They're not handmade, but they are fantastic.

Dear Readers, how about you? What are the prettiest handmade Thanksgiving Invitations you've spotted?

Ask Design Mom Week — Journals

Question:
I'm looking for a journal that's appropriate for kids. Any good ideas? Thanks. — Kathryn



Answer:
Great question. The favorite kids journal at our house is called This Is Me. It's full of great prompter questions. Lots of space for drawings or pasting in ticket stubs. And it has a handy little pocket at the back for tucking away keepsakes.

Also, I haven't tried these myself, but I think the Between You & Me journals look good too. Inside each are fun, non-sappy, sometimes humorous questions. Give them to the people you love and they are returned with handwritten responses.

Want more ideas? One of my recent guest moms wrote a terrific round-up of all sorts of journals.

Dear Readers, do your kids have a favorite journal?

Ask Design Mom Week — Legwarmers

Question:
My daughter Rosie has just started kindergarten, and her school requires uniforms (white tops + navy or khaki bottoms or dresses). Of course she prefers skirts and dresses or jumpers, but all the ones we have are above the knee, and she complains her legs get chilly. In my school uniform days, cable-knit knee socks were the norm, but I've got my heart set on finding her some sweet scrunchy legwarmers, preferably in cream or navy — not sure wild colors would be uniform-approved. Have you seen any darling school-day legwarmers recently? Thanks!! — Amanda T.



Answer:
Legwarmers! Love the question, but I don't have a ready answer. For baby-size, there are several options (like the leggies pictured from Oeuf). And I remember my last 3 pairs of grown-up-size legwarmers were purchased at a dance supply store, H&M and Target. But I don't remember seeing kid-size legwarmers lately. So I'll turn this question over to my Dear Readers.

Dear Readers, have you seen any great sources for school-kid legwarmers?

Ask Design Mom Week — Family Pictures

Question:
What is your advice for taking a great family picture? (Note: I do not wish to have a statuesque portrait of my toddler and newborn in khaki and white on the beach — this is a real family picture. So lets keep it real.) Thanks. — Leslie



Answer:
Loving all these questions! And this is no exception, Leslie. We should probably turn to a photographer to answer this one, but I'll do my best.

1) Take the time to find a great photographer. Look through portfolios. Keep your eye open for someone who's style you like. I love my family photos by Candace Stringham. I love Jared & Liz's family photos by Jonathon Canlas. I love my portrait by Justin Hackworth. And I love Nie's family photos by Blue Lily. But all have very different styles.

2) Once you've scheduled a date with a photographer, take some time to think about what you want. Talk over your ideas and plans with the photographer. Or look to them for guidance. You may want to discuss whether or not you need a photo stylist. Here's a post I wrote about getting ready for our Central Park photo shoot.

3) As far as family photo trends go, this is what I've observed: 10 or 15 years ago it was all about matching denim shirts. (Awesome!) Then. DSLR cameras became more afforable and thus widespread. Suddenly, everyone was a photographer. And family photos trended to candid, up close shots — photographed by your best friend or neighbor. What's happening now? A more editorial style — as if the family photo is being shot for your favorite magazine.

My main advice for right this minute: feel free to pick a color scheme, but you don't need to wear matching shirts. Unless you're going for this look. Which is admittedly rad (I'm #7).

What about you, Dear Readers? What do you do to ensure great family photos?

Ask Design Mom Week — Online Fabric Sources

Question:
I'm looking for a fun print fabric to use to bolster some window boxes, but am disappointed in the choices at the chain fabric stores. Any suggestions for online fabric stores that are affordable? Thanks — Lauren



Answer:
Great question, Lauren. This is another popular topic that comes up frequently. From what I can tell, the online fabric sources that seem to have the most fans and best collections are:

1) Purl Fabrics. You can browse fabric by company, style or designer. Their collection of reproduction 1800's fabrics is excellent. The japanese fabrics are so tempting, you'll buy now and come up with the appropriate project later. They also stock knitting supplies, books, and notions. Plus, a really lovely goods and a smart crafting blog: The Purl Bee.

2) Repro Depot. It's my sister Jordan's favorite online fabric source. She's mentioned them multiple times. You can read her Repro Depot posts here.

3) Spoonflower. If you really can't find any fabric you love, Spoonflower will print your very own designs for very reasonable prices.

What about you, Dear Readers? Any other online fabric sources you know and love?

PS — Some of this answer was taken from one of my previous posts.

Ask Design Mom Week — Holiday Card Display

Question:
I have been looking online everywhere. Do you know the metal alligator clip stands with multiple clips that form a tree like shape when cards are hung on it? I remember seeing them in a catalog from last season but was too late to purchase and am hoping to get a jump on it this year. Thanks for any shopping help! — Amy



Answer:
Dear Readers, do you know exactly what Amy is looking for? Do you know a source? Please share. In the meantime, Amy, take a look at this aluminum multi-clip hanger from Muji. They offer 3 different versions and they're made to hang accessories in your closet. But wouldn't they work well for holiday cards?

Ask Design Mom Week — Salt & Pepper Shakers

Question:
I am in the market for salt and pepper shakers. I'm looking for something small and preferably not in the shape of a little person or animal (wink). I figured you would have a great recommendation for something stylish and chic. If they make "chic" for the salt and pepper crowd. Thanks. — Cari



Answer:
Ooooh. Salt & Pepper shakers. I haven't shopped for these in at least a decade. Fun to think about new ones! If you're looking for small and not-kitchy, my first instinct is to stop in at a place like DWR or the Conran Shop.

I like a classic diner shape, like the one pictured. But I just stopped by DWR and found these little silver ones. Chic, no?

What about you Dear Readers? Seen any great salt & pepper sets lately? Please leave a link in the comments.

Ask Design Mom Week — Stroller Advice

Question:
I am pregnant with my first and am doing a lot of stroller research. There are so many to choose from. Cost is an issue with me but I don't want a cheap one that will fall apart. I like the idea of having one for newborn to toddler that can be converted into a double stroller. Any advice? Many thanks! — Meghan



Answer:
So smart to be doing your research, Meghan. The first thought that comes to mind, is that it makes a big difference if you're a city dweller or living in suburbia. You'll use your stroller differently, and want different features, depending on your location. (My current stroller is the Micralite Toro, pictured. We love it, but it wouldn't have worked for us at all about a few years back — I had completely different needs.)

The second thought that comes to mind, is that you're not alone. I actually get a lot of stroller questions. And I see the topic discussed around the interwebs pretty regularly. In fact, a week or so ago I heard about a new site called Stroller Source. They don't actually sell strollers — so that they can remain non-biased. But they have tons of research and comparison information. They're like the Good Samaritans of the stroller world. Stroller Source would be a really good place to start.

What about you Dear Readers? What kind of stroller advice would you like to offer?

Ask Design Mom Week — Thanksgiving Prep

Question:
I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year. Any tips to make it less stressful? — Rebecca



Answer:
Great question! There are a few things I like to do in late October or early November to help my Thanksgiving prep.

1) Get my kitchen knives sharpened. Your guests will likely be helping you in the kitchen. You won't want them using crummy tools.

2) Take inventory of your dinnerware/china and utensils. Do you have enough place settings for all your guests? Have you lost a few random spoons over the last year? (Spoons are notorious for getting thrown out with yogurt cups or lost in the sandbox.) If you have any gaps to fill in, this is the time to place your orders. I'll be adding more silverware this year — my preferred pattern is Old Denmark by Yamazaki.

3) Ask guests if there are any particular foods or recipes that will make or break Thanksgiving for them and add those recipes to your menu. For example, personally, I have a particular veggie dip that I'm totally homesick for if I don't get a bite at Thanksgiving.

What about you Dear Readers? What are your best tips for preparing for Thanksgiving?

Ask Design Mom Week

Friends! My inbox is overflowing with brilliant questions. Time for another installment of Ask-Design-Mom-Week.

How does it work? I'll post several questions each day of this week in separate posts. I'll answer some and leave others for your clever responses. And hopefully, we'll all learn a little something new. Lovely.

Yay! Ask-Design-Mom-Week is always so much fun.