Long Weekend

Hello Friends. I'm taking tomorrow and Monday off. We've got cousins coming to town, and Labor Day to celebrate, and some back to school preparations to complete. I'll be back Tuesday, September 4th with the Lovely Kyran from Notes to Self visiting as Guest Mom. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a few fun links:

Your Momma
A new company that features only products made by Moms. Moms are the best multi-taskers.

Mimi Lou Wall Art by Zoe B
I like this take on wall and furniture decals. You can see their ideas to get inspired here.

Glitz Design
A new line of scrapbooking papers and accessories that's getting a lot of attention. Extra bonus: the founder of Glitz is a friend of my friend: the super-cool Liz of Backward's Attraction.

Hey Peanut
An online shop with clothes just for baby and toddler boys.

Mama Merit Badges
Don't you know a mom who deserves a merit badge?

Street Mining
Love this mention by Swiss Miss about people getting together and exploring the streets of New York. (Thanks, Laurie!)

Six-Word-Memoirs
"He wore dresses. This caused messes." Read the six word memoirs at Smith Mag. Or even better, submit your own.

Lego Desk
Yep. Made entirely from Legos. Personally, I interact with Legos on a daily basis and can't help notice links like this.

Happy weekend, everybody!

Crispina

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

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



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



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

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

Design Mom was Hatched in the Hive

There are three places in the country that I feel completely at home. New York. California. And most of all, Utah. It's where I grew up. It's where I went to college. It's where I met my husband and married. It's where my first two babies were born. The beehive state is a beautiful place.

If you're a Utah fan as well. (Who isn't?) You'll love the daily blog Your Heart Out — dedicated to all things cool in Salt Lake City, the hippest town in the Mountain West. My sister Jordan turned me on to the site when it was just born and I was an instant fan. The writing is excellent and the site design is flawless. Bonus: it gives me a Utah fix when I'm feeling homesick.



And today I was blushing as I checked in at Your Heart Out. Because they wrote up the nicest little interview featuring yours truly. So here's a big thank you to the ladies responsible for the lovely site. I'm honored. Especially considering the talented women that have already been featured, like Abby of Kate Spade fame and Rachel from beloved Darlybird. (You can click the "hatched in the hive" category to see all the interviews.)

Your Heart Out, you totally made my day.

Giveaway Winner — 3 Go Slings from Puj Baby

Hooray! Another great Giveaway completed. Such a satisfying feeling. And now the best part: announcing the three winners of the three Go Slings from Puj Baby!!

1) Korrin who said, "Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please pick me I would love one."

2) Kelly who said, "heavens that's a lot of competition. i hope i win... they are all so beautiful."

3) Lisa V. Clark who said, "I really need one of these. Did I mention this is my 5th baby? Don't I get special consideration?"

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Puj Baby. And thanks for reading. I heart this lovely Design Mom community.

One more from Mélange

I don't remember seeing these at the show, but I just noticed them when I was linking to the Mélange site on the last post. Check out their hammocks. So pretty. I think I want to spend my last days of summer in one of these.

Giveaway Reminder — 3 Go Slings from Puj Baby

Don't forget! You have until tonight (Wednesday) at midnight to enter your name for one of three Go Slings from Puj Baby. Just leave a comment on that post.


And speaking of three, I forgot to tell you about the birthday celebration this weekend. The lovely and talented Erin (my sister-in-law) baked three cakes — that's right, three! — for the big party. Her son Colin, and my Olive and Ralph all share a birthday weekend and lucky for me, we live close enough to celebrate together.

The cakes were both delicious and beautiful. I loved how she used fondant for the Barbie dress. It drapes like fabric. And I especially loved that my assignment for the party was to simply show up with ice cream. Thank you Erin!

Mélange Knitted Creatures

Another company I loved chatting with at the Gift Show was Mélange. I had noticed and loved their knitted holiday items last year, so I spent a bit more time this year getting to know their products. I couldn't help myself and took lots of pictures of their pillows and these fantastic sea creatures. The red blowfish is too funny.

Blue Poppy Jewelry

Tracey, one of the super-talents I met at BlogHer, and an all around really wonderful person, just told me about a new jewelry line called Blue Poppy. Beautiful, subtle pieces that I'm just delighted to share with you.




These earrings — hand-tinted marble inlaid with drops of sterling — are my favorite. I can imagine wearing them everyday and never getting tired of them.

More School Supplies

Spotted these at Old Navy. Composition books, spiral notebooks, 2 pocket folders, journals. My kids don't need them, but I couldn't pass them up. I'll put them in the school-supplies bin and eventually they'll be used for something. (I was too hurried taking pictures and didn't remove the shrinkwrap, so they look a bit faded. Oops.)

Random Giveaway: 3 Go Slings by PUJ

Oh baby! I love this giveaway. Multiple winners. Three to be exact. Which means multiple happy people when they find out they've won. Which is great. Happy people are great. Enter your comment and be one of three happy people to win A GO SLING OF YOUR CHOICE FROM PUJ.



It's clear to me from the comments in the recent bouncer giveaway, that pretty much everyone who reads this blog is expecting. Or related to someone who is expecting. So you for sure want to get in on this Giveaway. Because these slings are gorgeous. And if you don't want to keep one for yourself, you'll give it as a gift and win yourself a friend for life.

Mothers-in-the-know have very strong opinions about slings. With good reason. If you love your sling, you'll use it like crazy. If you don't love your sling, it's just more baby gear to pile in the closet. Go Slings are pretty new to the sling scene. But clearly they're contenders. Check this short and helpful video to see how easy these slings are to use:



And even if I disregard the ease-of-use, I'm a Go-Sling fan just because of the gorgeous fabric and pattern combinations — machine washable, I should add.



But the thing I love the very most of all: having held a Go Sling in my hand, I can tell you that they fold up to practically nothing, and could easily keep your other handbag contents company without getting in the way.



Happy people, get commenting. Three chances to win is some good odds.

Thank you Puj!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Wednesday, August 29th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Fleurville

Another Gift Show find. I fell in love with the diaper bags offered by Fleurville. These are the kinds of bags to pick up for your friends who are ultra-stylish plus ultra-organized. Or who wish they were. There are convenient compartments for every conceivable thing you could carry in a diaper bag and features you don't even know you need until you have a baby.



Plus they totally get the diaper bag equation (as the baby grows, you carry less stuff). They offer their bags in smaller sizes too for when you no longer need a full-on diaper bag.


Fleurville's latest line, Re-Run, is made from recycled water bottles. How great is that? And extra bonus, the media pockets are lined with fleece, so you don't scratch the surface of your ipod or camera or phone. So smart. And the Re-Run is offered in a super-cool stroller bag option as well.


In addition to dozens of Mom bags, they also offer the DJ Bag — the preferred bag for Dad. Manly. But with all the requisite pockets.



Once you're hooked on the Fleurville lifestyle, you can continue loving their products as your kids move into school age — check out their very sturdy, well-designed backpacks/messenger bags and their lunch paks too. Great company. Great products.

Kids Factory

Design Mom Reader, Debra, mentioned in the comments of this post that she found lots of inspirational photos of childrens' rooms at this site. I checked it out and I'm so glad I did. Wonderful, wonderful photos. The site is in Dutch, but the pictures don't need translation. Note: click the "baby & kinderkamers" link near the bottom to find the most photos.

Thank you for the tip, Debra!

Readymech Paper Toys

Erin sent me a link to this genius site.

From the website: Readymechs are free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5"x11" page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.

I predict my school-age kids will have hours and hours of fun with this.

Joslyn's Renewed Ranch

Hey Friends. It's been awhile, and I think it's time for another family friendly home tour. Over the weekend, Joslyn T. (author of the new-to-me and really pretty blog Simply Lovely) sent me a couple shots of her kids' rooms. The photos are fantastic. So I begged for more and she kindly obliged with a flickr slide show of her home. I'm including a few shots on this post, but I highly recommend you take the full tour here.




Joslyn seems to have a special talent for putting together compositions. On dressers, on side tables, on bookshelves — I love when my eyes have a pretty place to rest.



The decorating job is inspiring. It's a great example of a really seamless job of making the house feel true to it's mid-century roots while keeping it fresh and up-to-date. Beautiful, beautiful home. Thanks for sharing, Joslyn.

Modern Design Deck

I just received an email from Still Room Studio. They are offering these amazing prints from their Modern Design Deck in their etsy shop. Wouldn't you love to see a series of these lined up in your living room? Or maybe just one, framed with a heavy mat, hung over your nightstand. Having them in your home would be like giving your kids a history of design class.

Good Bye Debra

I loved having Debra of Twisted Silver with us last week as a Guest Mom. Her stories bring smiles and her generosity (read: sponsoring a $400 Giveaway) is clearly amazing. It was fun to get to know her and I look forward to keeping up with her at the Twisted Silver blog. Thank you Debra!!

Giveaway Winner — Twisted Silver Jewelry

So many entries! And I'm not surprised a bit. Who wouldn't want a major jewelry overhaul? Thank you for entering the $400 Twisted Silver Giveaway. Today's randomly picked winner is:

Robin K who said, "Wow! I'm definitely in!"

Congratulations, Robin K! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll forward your info to Twisted Silver.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Twisted Silver. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned for another great Giveaway on Tuesday.

Giveaway Reminder — $400 at Twisted Jewelry

You have until midnight on Sunday 8/26 to enter your comment for $400 worth of Twisted Jewelry — a necklace, a necklace/belt, a bracelet, 2 pairs of earrings and a $100 gift certificate!!. Just leave your comment on that post. Good luck to all!

Baby Bear Shop

High design meets pure organic ingredients. This line of products for baby and mama look fantastic! I can't wait to try some. Developed by a designer-turned-mom-turned-skincare-guru.


I especially love the packing on the "All The Better To Kiss You With" organic lip balm.

From their website:
Our products are 99.9% organic, have 100% natural ingredients, contain no artificial anything and are free of common allergens. There are no artificial colors or fragrances, no synthetic preservatives, no genetically-modified ingredients, and have absolutely no parabens. Only the safest, highest-quality organic or wild-crafted essential oils are used, and therefore all of the products are safe for children and adults, and are helpful in soothing eczema and other allergy conditions.

Because our commitment to health and well-being extends beyond the skin, Baby Bear Shop only uses recyclable packaging for their products. We are 100% cruelty-free; never tested on animals. We believe that every day is a new chance to make the best choices for our children, their future and the world we live in.

Sounds like a great company.

Wonder Pets

Two year old Oscar's media diet is currently about 45% Wiggles, 5% Teletubbies and 50% WonderPets. Of the three, my far and away favorite is the WonderPets. I think it's charming. Go to the Noggin WonderPets page. Scroll down to the TV and click on the caterpillar. Then, prepare yourself to hear the greatest lyrics ever:

They grow a real snug pupa.
A pupa? Supa-Dupa!

You can't beat that my friends. You can't beat that.

Bonus Noggin trivia: Ralph attended tennis camp last week with the daughter of the Voice of Moose A Moose.

This Weekend and Last Weekend

August is a big month at our house. This weekend Olive and Ralph both have birthdays — no big parties this year, but lots of fun plans to celebrate. Then Ben starts his new job at New Paltz on Monday!



Last weekend was also super-festive. Friday night, High School Musical 2 premiered, which was the anticipated event of the summer by the elementary school faction at our house. We had the cousins over for a big party. Pizza, rootbeer floats, plus red and white snacks for movie watching. Red and white? East High Wildcat school colors, of course!



Then, Ben and I celebrated our wedding anniversary on Sunday. Actually. We celebrated Saturday night by visiting the Apple store and picking up one of these. Sadly it's still sitting in its box because I haven't set aside an evening to make the switch from old, sad, 6-year-old-dinosaur computer to new, super-fast, shiny one. It's hard to find a whole unscheduled evening.



Because Ben is a professor he got a discount on the new computer plus a free Ipod Nano. Which works out conveniently for this weekend. The Nano will be a perfect birthday gift for Ralph, who is turning 10. In fact, we picked out the green one just for him. We're going to pre-load it with some of his favorite songs before we wrap it up.

Yeah for Birthdays! Yeah for Anniversaries! Yeah for Apple! Yeah for Candy!

The Club and The List — by Guest Mom Debra Mitchell

This week at Design Mom has been great fun. I was hooked just as soon as I heard the name of the blog — and as I've said before, "design" and "mom" are two of my favorite topics in the world!

With Summer wrapping up and kids heading back to school, I am having mixed feelings again. I love the quiet house and focus time, but I also love the action of a full house with kids coming and going, and an open schedule that could take us anywhere!

I used to look at women in "The Club" (that's what I call the group of stay-at-home mothers once all of her kids are in school) and think of the limitless possibilities the extra time gave them. I was sure I'd have the entire house organized and redecorated, and would be well on my way to a life of leisurely sitting by the pool, taking classes, and lunches with the ladies — it seemed like so much time.

A few years into "The Club" and my list is still there but with completely different content. Design has taken me somewhere totally unexpected! Design has led me into business, and economics, and web science and development, and so much more. I am loving every step. But still, the most fulfilling part of my life is the "Mom" part. I am thrilled to hear that someone loves my jewelry but at the end of the day it wouldn't mean a thing if I didn't hear "I love you" from my family.

So with that in mind, and priorities in line, my eyes open to the new "list" ahead of me. Ooooh, I wonder where it will take me next :)

Thanks for welcoming me in to this Design Mom world of yours. Gabrielle, you and your readers have been so kind as I have shared my very personal life stories. I have also thoroughly enjoyed hearing all of the fun comments about the jewelry (I wish you could all win)! I will be in withdrawals next week for sure, but will be keeping close touch. What a great place.

Image from Getty

Javis Davis Custom Bedding

I get lots of emails about bedding. Specifically, about where to find good-looking bedding for children. Well, I just heard from Javis Davis and I'm adding them to my mental list of great bedding sources.

They offer a super-speedy custom bedding service. Customers can pick from their extensive collection of fabrics and Javis Davis will sew up a duvet cover, pillow shams, crib bumpers, bed skirts, throw pillows, moses basket linens, crib sheets, baby blankets, shower curtains — pretty much anything you can conceive of — and deliver it in 5 to 14 days.

Ahhh. The beauty of custom design. If the examples they showcase aren't quite your style, it's no problem. You can have a set made just to your specifications. For example, my sister is craving baby items inspired by this photo:



She could go through the Javis Davis fabrics and come up with something really simple and neutral for her baby bedding. I'm having fun going through their collection myself and designing bedding sets in my head. . .

I like these fabrics especially:


1) mosaic fabric


2) lime dot fabric


3) bird seed fabric


4) sutton square fabric

Random Giveaway: $400 at Twisted Silver Jewelry

I think I should warn you: it's a really big Giveaway today. Really big. You may want to grip your mouse a little harder to keep to stable. Or practice some deep breathing excercises. Our Guest Mom this week, Debra Mitchell, is having so much fun hanging out at the Design Mom blog that she wanted her company, Twisted Silver Jewelry, to sponsor a Giveaway. She started picking out pieces and almost couldn't stop. And now, one lucky winner will receive $400 in GOODS FROM TWISTED SILVER JEWELRY!



The winner will receive:
-Diva Necklace, $50
-Hepburn Earrings, $50
-Rope Bracelet, $50
-Horse Bit Convertible Belt/Necklace, $120
-Bongo Earrings ,$30
-Plus. A $100 Twisted Silver Gift Certificate to spend as she pleases!!!

I'm not even joking.

Can you believe how pretty these pieces are? Winning this would be like getting a complete jewelry makeover. And new jewelry is such a smart way to try out new looks, to reinvent yourself or refresh a tired wardrobe. Debra knows it's kind of a bummer that there can only be one winner, so she put together four fabulous deals that any Design Mom Reader can take advantage of to get their Twisted fix:

1) $20 off on ANY Twisted product.


That includes the Beatnik Bracelet which sells for $30. Heavy duty chain, wonderful oversized clasp, and the Twisted Disc that they are known for. You will love wearing it!


$20 off also includes the Knot Ring which sells for $40. This is the ring for you if you like making a fashion statement. Large heavy duty band and design in antiqued brass. Debra says this ring might as well be glued to her finger!


2) $75.00 off KEY Necklace
The Key Necklace sells for $150. And it's all about Recycle*Re-use*Re-invent. This authentic vintage skeleton key was a forgotten treasure, gathering dust until it was surrounded by this fabulous design of brass, silver, resin, and wood. This piece is classic Twisted Silver, boutique jewelry at its fine/funkiest!


3) $50.00 off TRINKET Necklace
The Trinket Necklace sells for $110. Oh the charms of Summer. . . Winter, Spring, Fall, and every vacation in between. This necklace is truly collected, no two are exactly alike. Add your own charms and the necklace just gets better and better.


4) $30 off BUBBLES Bracelet
The Bubbles Bracelet sells for $60. Hand forged brass design with wonderful chunky brass chain and fun swivel clasp- topped off with a signature Twisted disc. People have offered to buy this one right off Debra's write!

So many deals. Some many baubles. Too much fun! Twisted Silver bends over frontwards and backwards to not only create what their customers consider to be the most desirable jewelry, but also provide unsurpassed quality and service. They are a wonderful company to do business with.

Thank you Debra. Thank you Twisted Silver!

EDIT:
I've been getting lots of inquiries about how to take advantage of the discounts. Here are instructions:
Click on the discount link in the text of this post (like where is says: $30 off BUBBLES Bracelet). The discount is with you then and will follow you until you end your transaction. When you enter your purchase, it will show up at check out, reflected on the total. If you'd like to use more than one discount, you'll just need to make separate transactions. Any questions? Just email the very helpful Debra at: twistedsilver [at] comcast [dot[ net

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Sunday, August 26th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Goody Bag from Little Scholastic

A while back, my two-year-old Oscar and I were invited to a launch party for Little Scholastic Books. I was really looking forward to the one-on-one outing with Mr. Oscar, but as it turned out, my husband was out of town that day and I had no luck coordinating child care for the other 4 kids. So we missed out. And we were totally bummed.

I sent our hostess an email letting her know we couldn't make it and she quickly replied, promising to send Oscar a goody bag from the party anyway. I'm not sure what I was expecting (dum-dum pops? trinkets from Oriental Trading?), but I was surprised and delighted when the goody bag arrived — a darling red canvas tote overflowing with colorful books. Books full of textures that my 2 youngest can't keep their hands off of. My two favorites are The Tiny Tadpole and Colors.




Thanks for the books Esther. Oscar (and Betty too) loves them!

Jordan's Etsy Shop

My sister Jordan is getting ready to launch an online shop of her favorite things. While we wait for the big launch, we can get a sneak preview by checking out her etsy shop. She's carrying screen-printed gift tags, her famous lemon-head invites and cookie labels.

Jordan has impeccable taste and I can't wait to see the shop.

Home Depot Drama — by Guest Mom Debra Mitchell

With school quickly approaching I am having flashbacks from a traumatic school related incident that happened in the Spring. When summer hit, I thought I had put this crazy experience behind me, but no. I guess I just finally need to deal with it, what better way than share it.

To explain what a big deal this was to me, until this incident happened, Home Depot was one of my favorite design inspiration spots. I love utilitarian hardware, and obscure and random findings. But I will never go back after this experience. Also, this might just be the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me — so you may not want to read it. On the other hand, feel free to enjoy a chuckle at my expense.

Ok. So I was in charge of buying supplies for the 4th grade Gold Rush (panning for gold) activity. That included buying 200 lbs of sand and 100 lbs of pebbles. I went to Home Depot and put in my cart the bags of sand and pebbles with the help of a red vest employee. At the same time I was working on getting the final touches to my website and was in the middle of a phone conference with 3 other people. Phone to my ear, it all went very smoothly through checkout — until I pushed my cart out. At the exit, there was a 1" raised area on the ground, where the pavement didn’t match up. Normally a shopping cart just bumps right over it, but I found out too late that 300lbs doesn’t just bump over anything.

This is what happened: my cart hit the (1”) wall, causing the sand and pebbles to shift to the front of the cart, causing the back wheels to lift off the ground.

So I stood there, phone still at my ear sounding as natural as I could while bracing, and holding on to the 300lbs that was soon going to go flipping out of the cart. At the same time, I am desperately trying to catch the attention of anyone that would come and help me hold on to the cart — but the 2 men in line near me just stood there with gaping mouths. I could almost see the thought bubbles over their heads saying “Wow, that shopping cart is going to flip over any second.” But no one helped! And then just as I expected, the last bag flipped forward, causing the weight to shift again, this time with such force it took the cart out of my hands. Then. . .

(This is the unbelievable part. And I risk causing some of you to think that I am not telling the truth, in fact it even made my husband, a physicist/engineer, take an academic look at it, but now all he can say is how“impressed” he is by the physics of it all.) As the cart flipped forward, one of the bottom wheels grabbed me right between the legs — lifting. The next thing I knew I was in the air. And like it goes with situations like this, everything went in slow motion, and I saw my own thought bubbles as I distinctly remember myself thinking, “My feet aren’t on the ground, I wonder what will happen next?”

At that point I’m not sure if I flipped over or just catapulted over the cart, but I was over the cart one way or another. Bruised legs and 6 feet from my purse and phone (which I should never have been on in the first place) as the 2 men continued to stand there — probably trying to believe what just happened. FINALLY someone came to help, quickly trying to get me out, I noticed. And there I stood shaking and disoriented in the parking lot, heart beating so fast. I did find my way home but I was amazed that almost an hour later my heart was still beating hard. I have since been so thankful that it wasn’t 7 years ago when I most certainly would have had a child in the seat in the cart!)

So there it is in black and white. I’m relaxing already. I think I am ready to move on.

Kenana Knitted Creatures

Another amazing find from the Gift Show. I love these knitted creatures by the Kenana group. The subtle colors. The gotta-touch-it texture. I think the owls are my favorite. Each toy is made with home spun wool, dyed with natural plant dye, and knitted by a huge group of women in Kenya. Each piece is signed by the woman who knitted it.

From their website: The Kenana Knitters group enables its workers to directly benefit from their efforts and create a self-sufficient community. With your purchases, we have been able to increase employment drastically in both Kenya and the United States, provide full physicals and ongoing medical treatment for each knitter and their families. We have even begun construction on a school located within the farm boundaries.


This lovely lady is named Gloria. She's the heart behind the whole project — working like crazy and even refusing a salary. See the light glow behind her head? It's because she's a saint. NBC did a segment about the whole project that can be viewed here.

Kenana sells wholesale or you can buy directly from them on their site.

School Supplies

Check out some of my favorite school supplies this year.

For Mom:
Track down the happy patterns of Vera Bradley by Lifeguard Press. Pencils, folders, notebooks, binders, clipboards, compositions books — all styled up just for you. Find a store near you here.






For Kids:
Head to your nearest office supply super-store and scope out the great patterns from Dickies for Yak Pak and J S McFee for U-Create. We had great luck at Staples this year. Ralph is using a camo Dickies composition book. Olive picked out 2-pocket folders in The Prints Charming line.



I can't vouch for the quality, but I also noticed and crushed on the Dickies backpacks.

Charms — by Guest Mom Debra Mitchell

A fun surprise a few weeks ago: my daughter Kaija (10), niece Sophie (10), and I went to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit family that includes their girl cousins. The surprise part was that I had no idea how beautiful and interesting it is there! My sister, Dixie, moved there recently and her family has loved it, but since I have never been to The South, the stereotypes (want them or not), were really all I had to go on. What was hard for me to understand was why had I never heard how incredibly lush and lovely it is there?! The charms of the South definitely outweigh any negatives.

Charm #1: We loved seeing the neat little town of Hot Springs, there must be at least 10 actual Bath Houses in a row. Most of them are under renovation, but what a trip it was to go inside and see how they operate. Do you know that people in the 1800’s would travel across the world to go to those healing baths. Syphilis was a big reason they would go — can you imagine?!

Charm #2: If you ever happen to be in this neck of the woods make sure you go to the best amusement park I have ever been to — besides Disneyland. It is called Magic Springs. A good variety f fun rides. Lots of shade. Short lines. Good food. All of the girls had a great day, and so did the parents!

Charm #3: Of course we went to Graceland — a highlight for me since I love Elvis! Wow. To see those incredible costumes up close — he really had unique and fantastic personal style — although the home décor made me giggle. (Come on Elvis, The Jungle Room, what were you thinking?) My niece Sophie was cute, she made sure to pack her “Elvis Pants” a fantastic pair of silver lamé stretch pants, and then when the camera came out she transformed into a 10 year old version of Girl Elvis with the wiggle hips and snear. I think we may all be joining the Elvis Fan Club now!



But the best charm of all was seeing those cousins after being apart for a whole year! The 5 girls were glued to the hip the whole week, reconnected again. The joy of summer! What fun, unexpected surprises have you had this summer?

Giveaway Winner — Oopsy Daisy Baby Pettiskirts

Those pettiskirts are just too tempting! Half the fun is picturing a little girl you love light up at the chance to prance around in one. Thank you for entering the Oopsy Daisy Baby Giveaway. Today there are two randomly picked winners:

1. Michelle who said, "I need this!"

2. Erica who said, "I've been coveting these darlings for a looong time...please be me..PLEASE!

Congratulations, Ladies! Please email me from the link on my blog with your pettiskirt choice (size and color) plus shipping address and I'll forward your info to Oopsy Daisy Baby.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Oopsy Daisy Baby. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned for another great Giveaway on Thursday.

Polka Dot Cupcake

How do you suppose one would go about making a cupcake like this? Smooth (but not perfect) rounded top. Polka dots of varied sizes. I saw it in a catalog here and I think I'm in love.

Giveaway Reminder — Oopsy Daisy Baby Pettiskirts

You have until midnight tonight (Tuesday 8/21) to enter your comment for One of Two Pettiskirts from Oopsy Daisy Baby — winners' choice of course. Just leave your comment on that post. I hope you win!

Modern-Twist

My NY Gift Show reports are coming to you bit by bit. One of my very favorite discoveries at the show were these collapsible storage pockets by modern-twist. Pretty shape, pretty textiles, pretty practical. They also make tiny ones (see below) for jewelry — or maybe a special place to keep your tooth for the toothfairy.

Egg by susan Lazar

Another new-to-me line I saw at the gift show is Egg by Susan Lazar. These are the kind of baby clothes that really appeal to me — simple and beautiful and well-made. I especially love the hats and (though I'm not much of a horoscope reader) the astrological blankets.

From Good to Great Summer — by Guest Mom Debra Mitchell

I love summer. The kids are home, and now that they are big (10, 13, & 17yrs) even the house stays clean. I love the freedom of no school. Although they don’t beg to take outings with me the way they use to, and are going in different directions (jobs, swim team, football practice), we have a lot more relaxed time together than during the school year.

This summer went from being good to great when we adopted a little Shih Tzu. 12 lbs and 3 years old. My sweet daughter Kaija (10) finally convinced dad that she needed a dog — it took almost 10 years! This dog was worth the wait.

We adopted through the Toy Breed Rescue in the Bay Area in CA. Humphrey was rescued by these good people from a horrid puppy mill in Missouri. The rescuers brought as many as they could back to California after touring this decrepit and soon to be shut down mill. These dogs were in wall to wall rabbit hutches, dirty and confined there day after day, fed only enough to keep them alive. They were rescued, cleaned, spayed/neutered, caught up on shots and micro-chipped. Finally, with so much care, Toy Breed Rescue “interrogated” potential owners — doing their best to find just the right loving home for the dogs — all for the love of these little animals! They are such kind hearted company. I am so glad there are people like that in this world!

It comes as no surprise to me that the perfect dog for our family came from such a situation — with a rough past. As I was thinking about it, it is the same way I design. I am most inspired by the obscure or forgotten things in life. Hidden treasure really drives me. To roughly quote Vivienne Westwood: "by simply paying attention to something will bring out its beauty.” So yes, Humphrey, our hidden treasure, was just waiting for us!

Humphrey is such a sweet dog — quickly learning how to walk on a leash, and house trained almost immediately. He follows me everywhere I go, and sits at my feet as I work. He’s learning to play and is even sitting on the kids laps. This small, bowlegged bundle of fur has made quite an impact on us. He just wants to make us happy and fit in. Which he has!

I would love to hear what hidden treasures turned your summer from good to great!

Random Giveaway: Oopsy Daisy Baby

Hot Giveaway today!! In fact, I think this is the first Giveaway that Design Mom Readers have actually requested. It's a Giveaway for all those girly girls you know. The 5 year old princesses. The 7 years divas. The 3 year old prima-donnas. Enter your comment on this post and you could win one of TWO PETTISKIRTS FROM OOPSY DAISY BABY!





Two pettiskirts. Two winners. And each winner gets to pick their favorite one from the dozen+ skirts they offer. These are the very same pettiskirts I posted about a couple of weeks ago — the fantastic pettiskirts that look almost too luscious to exist.

The Girly Girl Pettiskirt is a huge favorite amongst fans of the Oopsy Daisy line. And be aware: not all pettiskirts are created equal. These pettiskirts feature the finest details, handmade embellishments and custom ribbons. Looking for even more girly-girliness? Oopsy Daisy Baby also makes pettiskirts for dolls, which can be custom made to match the skirts.

Although they're show stealers for sure, it's not only about pettiskirts at Oopsy Daisy Baby. Check out some great finds from the rest of their collection:


Chenille Pantaloons from their vintage chenille line. I have a full-on crush on these pants.


Daisy Dress with Knickers and Cloche hat from their gorgeous christening collection.


White Top with Girly Edges and Blue Rosettes.

Oopsy Daisy Baby was founded six years ago when designer Daphne Henderson embarked on a quest to create unique, timeless, heirloom-quality clothing for children. She pairs vintage chenilles, lace, nylon chiffons and cottons to create a new twist on old favorites. And how lucky for us that she does!

Thank you Oopsy Daisy Baby!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Tuesday, August 21st to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Wednesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Cowboys & Indians Lunchbox

Back-to-School is on my mind, so expect lots of school-themed posts for the next little while. In the market for new lunch gear? I love these classic metal lunchboxes (with matching thermos!) from Barn Dandy. Available in 4 retro patterns.

Twisted Design Mom — by Guest Mom Debra Mitchell

First of all I’d like to say how much I am enjoying this site. It has only been a few weeks for me but I thoroughly love the things being shared here — like the childrens' video clips and the great fashion pieces. I especially love the moms that join in the conversation and make it such an interesting and ever changing site! Thanks for sharing.

A couple weeks ago Gabrielle wrote a post about Twisted Silver — my jewelry line. I was overwhelmed at how quickly people responded to it that I wrote to Gabrielle and asked her a bit more about her site. I knew it was an active and popular blog but had no idea that she has over 50,000 visitors a month! I can sure see why. I have loved meeting and helping Design Mom readers that responded to the Twisted Silver post and it will be fun to meet a lot more of you. I am so happy to have found you!

I thought I'd start my week of posts by sharing a few of my favorite sources:

Online Boutiques
orghipchick. This is a no fail boutique for me. I can ALWAYS find just the right thing!


TopShop.


Swimwear
Pearl Swimwear. Better than any picture can ever show you — you just have to wear it to believe! Amazing quality


Vacation Spots
Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California.
Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Home Décor
CB2. Smart. Modern. Super clean lines. And just my style!



Magazine
Eliza. Newly launched.

Welcome Debbie

It's always a delight to introduce and welcome a Guest Mom or Dad. And today is no exception. Please welcome Debra Mitchell to Design Mom! I met Debra through email. She sent me a link to her jewelry site and blog.I loved her work and wrote a post about it here. We exchanged a few emails and it was clear that she would be a terrific Guest Mom.

Here is the bio from Debra's website:
“My ideas and inspiration come from the most unexpected places, from mailrooms to hardware stores to memories of my grandmother’s jewelry box. I can’t stay in one place for too long. Change and surprise drive my creativity.”

With a college degree in fashion and a career as a Fashion Coordinator, Debra (now a wife and mother of 3) put all things fashion on hold to raise a family, "The best use of my efforts by far!" But when her children were in school full time, "I started creating again, and this time it led me from silverware wind chimes to jewelry...who knew?!" So Twisted Silver was born!

Twisted Silver pieces which are often selected to be a part of GRAMMY and other prominent events, are adored by a distinctive group of celebrities, regularly featured in a variety of popular style publications, network program events, and a favorite of the popular Style Network show” How do I Look”! "The bottom line is that I create jewelry that can be worn in a variety of ways, good quality jewelry that I love, and I am so happy that others love to wear it too!”

Welcome Debra!! We're so glad you're here.

PS — If you subscribed at Twisted Silver after reading the earlier post and received the free pair of lithe earrings, Debra would love to hear how you like them. And if you didn’t, it isn’t too late. Debra is still sending them out, so go and get a pair! Just visit Twisted Silver and a subscriber box will pop up after about a minute.

Ask Design Mom: Spa Birthday Party

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hello Gabrielle. I have a passion for throwing parties. I've been asked to plan a birthday party for my god-daughter who will be turning 8 this month. The theme is "spa". I've been online to find creative ways to decorate a backyard. Do have some suggestions or know of any links that I could go to to get ideas. Thanks, Party Diva



Answer:
A spa party sounds delightful! Martha Stewart Kids featured a Spa Slumber Party back in 2004. It was darling and I've had it mentally filed away in case one of my kids is interested at some point. Luckily, Martha has a description online here. Lots of cute ideas to spark your own!

Ask Design Mom: Good-Looking 3-Ring Binders

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Dear Design Mom. I just installed beautiful open shelving in my kitchen and they are fabulous except for one thing: My recipe and design binders. They are huge black 3 ring monstrosities and I have been trying to find really cute/modern/funky binders to switch to. I use paper protectors so when I am using a recipe or changing out a design idea I can just slip them out so 3 rings is a must. Can you help me? Cherilee




Answer:
Thanks for the great question, Cherilee. One of my favorite places to find good-looking office supplies (or in your case, kitchen supplies!) is See Jane Work. They offer patterned binders and solid binders that look great. And I love these little clips to use as labels.

One other tip: because it's back-to-school time, keep your eyes peeled at stores like Target and Staples for interesting binders in their seasonal school supply sections.

Ask Design Mom: European Toys

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Dear Design Mom. I have a question for you. My friend has all these darling hanging toys in her kids' toy room that she got in Europe. They are animals, clowns, an airplane, etc., made of wood and fabric, and hanging from a long, very springy spring, attached to the ceiling. When you pull gently down, they bounce in a darling, mesmerizing way! She has collected them over the years on her trips to Europe, but I've been trying to find this type of toy online, without any success. Do you know where I can find these? Thanks for your help! Adri Murdock



Answer:
They sound adorable, Adri! I don't believe I've seen the exact toys you're refering to, but I do have 3 European toy sources that I'll share and maybe they'll lead you to the right place.

1) Vilac
This is a great source for French toys. So many adorable things — like the yellow ride-on roadster above. I saw the actual roadster, but in red, at the gift show and immediately fell head over heals. The site is mostly in French.

2) Erzi
A terrific website for German wooden toys. The site is all in German.

3) Wooden Toys Shop
Some of my favorite European toys are from the Czech Republic. This is a good source.

What about you Design Mom Readers? Has anyone else seen the cute toys Adri is referring to?

Giveaway Winner — FranklinCovey Handbag and Binder

I love how popular this Giveaway was! 603 comments? I guess it's no surprise that women crave lovely things.Thank you for entering the FranklinCovey Handbag and Binder Giveaway. Today's randomly picked lucky winner is: Nicole Coleman who said, "Yummy!

Congratulations, Nicole! Please email me from the link on my blog and I'll forward your info to FranklinCovey.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to FranklinCovey. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned for another great Giveaway on Monday.

Ask Design Mom: Twin-size Bedding for Kids

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Gabrielle. I am getting my son Zane a kids bed (twin) and am having a really hard time finding a store with cool, non-cheesy selections for sheets/blanket. Any suggestions?

I am looking for some solid colors and no funky prints or characters (dots would be okay or stripes) and I don't want to pay a ton. I am striking out at Ikea, Target, Pottery Barn and all the traditional sources I thought would work. Wondered if you might know some secret places. Thanks, Liz






Answer:
Great question, Liz! Bedding can be tricky. There are tons of awesome prints out right now from great design firms. But they're generally pretty funky or very retro modern. If you're looking for basic solids or stripes or simple patterns, sometimes the best place to start is middle America. Check out Lands End, JcPenney, Kohls — the kind of stores that are trying to appeal to the widest audience. They often try to keep their offering pretty neutral. Tip: don't just search their "kids" section which is usually filled with character-themed kitsch. Search the general "sheets" section instead and watch for patterns available in twin.

The pictures above are all 100% cotton from JcPenney. Each option is available in lots of color choices.

Once you've got your sheets and bedspread squared away, you can always add pillows or a throw blanket in a funkier pattern from a specialty store like Modern Basics or Pixel Organics or Nurseryworks — or even make your own.

A few things of Note

It's the one year anniversary of Darlybird! I'm such a Darlybird fan. For those of you new to Design Mom, Darlybird sponsored my very first Giveaway. So I'm ready to celebrate! You can join the fun: enter happydarly in the coupon code field of the checkout screen and Design Mom Readers will receive 20% off their entire order! Sale ends August 20th, so shop early for the best selection.


And I've got another discount for you as well. Remember those darling baby announcements I posted about from Handsome Devil Press? Well they've also offered Design Mom Readers a discount. Type in coupon code designmom at check out and get 10% off any of their cards.


Also. You know how I can't stop talking about sk*rt? Well I'm not the only one. ComputerWorld wrote an article about sk*rt and dozens of sites have reviewed sk*rt as well. (We're tracking out publicity on our delicious page.) I'm so dang excited! I hope you're enjoying sk*rt as much as I am. Use it to find cool links and promote the blogs and websites you love!

And don't miss the latest sk*rt contest to win loot from The Silly Wagon. It's easy to enter and ends tomorrow. Find the details here.


Last but not least. In case you missed it, there is a Giveaway going on here at Design Mom right this minute. You could win a gorgeous, red handbag and planner binder from FranklinCovey valued at $240. Just leave a comment on that post.

Ask Design Mom: School Supply Labels

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
My daughter is starting kindergarten this fall, and I am looking for a cool way to label her backpack, jacket, etc. I was thinking of maybe having some fabric tags/labels printed that I could iron or stick on. Do you have any good sources or any other great ideas? Thanks! Lindsey Rutter



Answer:
So fun, Lindsey — kindergarten preparations are the best! I have a great suggestion for labels. I recently received an email from Mabel's Labels and their product looks terrific. From what I hear, they withstand the dishwasher, microwave, laundry and hard-wearing children. They also offer durable labels just for shoes and clothes. You can get a combo pack of their labels here.

Ask Design Mom: Nursery Design Inspiration

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Gabrielle. My name is Jill and I am also in New York. I have a 2 year old and am due with a second in October. I have decided to redo my nursery with a modern design. Do you know of any good sites that show completed modern nurseries or of someone in NY that can help me with it but not charge me a fortune. Thanks, Jill



Answer:
Smart question, Jill. And congratulations on your upcoming new addition. There are lots of place I go to find excellent Nursery Decor inspiration — modern, traditional or just plain cool. Hopefully some of them will inspire you as well.

1) Apartment Therapy Nursery regularly features nursery tours of readers' homes.

2) The Cookie Nesting blog also features nursery/home tours. Their two most recent tours of Elizabeth Dunker Gothenburgs's home (the photo above) and Esther Veereschild's home are both super-inspiring.

3) If you can get your hands on some now-out-of-print copies of Martha Stewart Baby or Kids, they consistently featured gorgeous nurseries. Some photos may be available on the Martha Stewart website. Or, my sister Jordan posted instructions on how to order back issues here.

4) Request catalogs or visit websites of companies that offer great home products for children. ModernSeed, Ikea and NurseryWorks have photos of fantastic nurseries.

5) Browse flickr for great ideas.

Ask Design Mom: Rocking Chair Fabric

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Design Mom. I’m a new Mom & a photographer so your site is just wonderful for me to browse through. My baby is already a year old and I haven’t found the perfect fabric rocking chair for her room that’s worth the chunk of money. Any suggestions??? Cheers, Heather Walker



Answer:
Hi Heather! I don't know if you've attempted shopping for fabric online, but I highly recommend it. Try Repro Depot and Purl Soho which I posted about here. Or Warm Biscuit, which I posted about here. And of course, any excuse to get your hands on some Amy Butler textiles (like those in the above photo) is a good excuse.

Ask Design Mom: Painting the Bannister

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hey Gabrielle. A quick question...I can't decide whether or not to have the builders paint the bannister on the stairs all white, or have them stain the wood on the hand rail to match our wood floors and only paint the spindles white. I've seen pictures of both and just can't decide which way I like better. So, I wanted to ask you what you think. What would you do if this were your house? Thanks for any advice!! Leslie



Answer:
Hi Leslie. Fun question! I'm with you. I've seen bannisters in two-tone and bannisters in all white and both can look fantastic. But if you're asking what I would do personally, here is my answer: if the rest of the woodwork in the house is white (the floor boards and window frames) I would go all white on the bannister — I'm craving visual simplicity these days.

But I'll be honest. I could really go either way. Consider the state of the wood, if it's beautiful then show it off. If it's not, cover it with a coat of paint. If the bannister itself is good-looking, it's hard to go wrong.

photo from Getty

Ask Design Mom: Couples Baby Shower Ideas

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Gabrielle. I’m a new reader of your blog and look forward to visiting it each day. Im in a bit of a creative rut as it relates to a baby shower I’m planning and hosting at our house. At the honoree’s request, it will be a couples shower in the evening with no games. Do you have any suggestions for ways we can set it apart from a typical baby shower and make it stand out? Thanks! Cara

Answer:
Great question, Cara! I'll ponder some good ideas, and while I ponder, maybe some Design Mom Readers will chime in with their own good ideas.

Random Giveaway: Handbag and Day Planner from Franklin Covey

I've got an extra good Giveaway today. And just in time for all you women out there who are getting your act together for the new school year. You want to be more organized. You want to upgrade your style. Well, the winner of this Giveaway can do both — with their brand new HANDBAG and coordinating PLANNER COVER from FranklinCovey!!




These two gorgeous items (don't you just LOVE that buckle detailing!) are from the Her Point of View line and they don't even hit stores or the FranklinCovey website until August 21st. So here's a big internet high-five because we're getting the exclusive product preview before everyone else. This tote is luxe. Full-grain, oil-tanned leather with magnetic closure. And a flexible body makes it comfortable to carry. Retail value: $149.00. The binder shares the same impressive details and retails for $89.95. Total giveaway value: $240.00!!

Take a look inside:



My FranklinCovey love affair goes way back. I was already a planner addict as a sophomore in high school. I even worked at a FranklinCovey store in Orange County, CA for the summer after my freshman year of college. And I know their products are quality. The leather is gorgeous. The construction is impeccable. But when FranklinCovey inquired about a Giveaway and mentioned their totes, my eyebrows were raised. Handbags? Seriously? And then I checked out their selection and was super-impressed. Check it out and be impressed yourself.

Although originally designed to simply coordinate with and house their planners, their totes have evolved to fit much, much more. There are pockets to hold cell-phones, keys, pens, lap-tops, wallets, even diapers. I hear many customers are drawn to the totes without even purchasing the binder or organizing systems. I can see why the handbags have become so popular. Here are some of my favorite picks from their collection:


Charlotte Tote in willow.


Marbella Tote in blush.


Her Point of View Hobo in hot cider.

In addition to giving away the handbag and planner binder, FranklinCovey would also like to offer Design Mom Readers 10% off any FranklinCovey Tote! Just enter 18010 at check-out to receive the discount. FranklinCovey's philosophy has always been to help customers stay organized — good to know they do it with such style.

Thank you FranklinCovey!

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

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Thursday, August 16th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Voting is Serious Business Contest at sk*rt

I think I forgot to tell you about another fab contest at sk*rt. It's super easy to enter. Just click “Love It” on at least 10 items in the Up-and-Coming section and at least 5 items in the Popular section. Then email sk*rt and let them know you’re a voting expert. (You can find the details, contest dates and where to email at the sk*rt blog.) Three winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 21st and will each win a $25 Gift Certificates from The Silly Wagon!

What will you buy with your $25? A mobile giraffe? A Zutano stripey jacket? Felt sugar cookies? Whatever you choose, you’ve sure to have a great time browsing The Silly Wagon's excellent collection. Get more information here.

Ask Design Mom: Sideboard

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Design Mom, I live in a large 1-bedroom Manhattan apartment with a huge (for New York—100 square feet) kitchen. Although I am not currently working in the field, I have been trained as a professional chef and I have quite a bit of kitchen “stuff.” My husband and I are going to be moving to a new apartment across town in a few weeks, and while the new apartment will be a bit larger and have two bedrooms, the kitchen in TINY (60 square feet). I have lived in tiny apartments with tiny kitchens, and I really should be able to handle this, but I can’t stand the idea of any kitchen “stuff” spilling out into our living room. I have been thinking about a nice buffet or sideboard to keep it hidden, the only problem is that I am on a budget, and don’t know where to begin to look for a sideboard that would look nice, but have a large amount of storage capacity. Thanks, Julia



Answer:
Thanks for the challenging question, Julia. When I'm looking for good-looking furniture on a budget I start as the usual suspects: Ikea. Pier One. Target online. CB2. Then move to the next pricing tier and check out places like Room and Board and Restoration Hardware. I'll try and see what I can find, and in the meantime, hopefully Design Mom Readers will chime in with some excellent sources.

Ask Design Mom: Alphabet Decorating

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Dear Design Mom, I am in the midst of finishing my basement, and want to decorate it with the letter T (our initial) and b&w pics of the fam. I want to find some cool letters and need to know where to look. I don't want to just buy all of them, as I would like this to sort of be a collection. What I need, are ideas of where to look. You have to know oh wise one! — R




Answer:
I love this question! The challenge of where to hunt is really at the heart of putting together any collection. As far as alphabet letters go, I have a few recommendations:

1) Seek out any flea markets or antique fairs within driving distance of your home. Make it a weekend hobby.

2) Troll ebay regularly.

3) Check the home sections of stores like TJ Maxx and Ross.

4) Let your friends and family know about your collection. When they spot the letter T for sale as they go about their business, they'll pick it up for you.

5) If opportunities for hunting are few and far between, some surefire sources to start your collection are Anthropologie and Gauge. Tip: Gauge is expanding their product line and will have a new website up in a couple weeks, so check back for even more options.

My last advice: be patient. Great collections often come together over years.

Ask Design Mom: Too Many Paint Colors?

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Gabrielle. I have a design question. How many different colors can you paint a house? We may want to sell in the future, so i don't want a perspective buyer to think we live in a box of crayons. Here is the color scheme right now:
living room, dining nook, kitchen, hallways - khaki/beige
office - periwinkle blue
master bedroom - green
master bathroom - light brown (like cappuccino)
guest bathroom - off white

We are about to start painting the last bedroom (a guest room) and I was thinking a light yellow. But I don't know if that is too much. I am between light yellow which I think will look fabulous or the khaki/beige color we painted the rest of the house. Insights? Opinions? Many thanks! — Nicole



Answer:
Hi Nicole. Thanks for your great question. My answer is this: DESIGN YOUR HOUSE FOR YOUR FAMILY(!) and not for some imaginary future buyer. Especially when we're talking about cosmetic choices like paint that can be easily changed. Clearly you are loving the light yellow, so I say go for it! There's no hard and fast rule about how may colors you should have in your interior. Trends come and go. Do what will inspire and please your family. Your plan of having one paint color throughout all the family areas and personalized color in the bedrooms/bathrooms is terrific. Go with it. Life is short. Don't wait to make your house the happiest place you can make it.

Make your own very cool paint chip holder via design verb.

Ask Design Mom: Kitchen Light Fixture

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hello! I'm hoping you can help me. We have a cape cod style home that has kind of a cottage/woodsey feel. Our kitchen cabinets are simple and painted Cotton Whisper white. We have butcher block countertops and use an old
dining room table for our kitchen table. I have been trying to find a light fixture that will go with our style and not exceed $200(ish) for over said table. Any thoughts of where to look? The light over our kitchen sink was bought for $9 on eBay (milk glass, aged brass... perfect.) Currently I troll eBay- keyword vintage ceiling light & Bellacor. Thanks much, Tracy Chrenka

Answer:
Aaah. Vintage lighting. What a fun thing to hunt for! Obviously, your ebay searches are a super-smart place to start. There are also online vendors who specialize in selling vintage lighting — not reproductions, but actual period lighting. Google is your fastest way to find them. VintageLighting.com and Eagle-Emporium.com are two that offer restored/refurbished fixtures. Let vendors know what you're looking for and they'll email you when something comes into their stock that you might like.

Ask Design Mom: Baby Sling

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Design Mom. I am going to be a first time mom next month, and I have really enjoyed your blog. I wanted to know if you have any recommendations on baby slings. I currently have the Moby Wrap, but it's a bit cumbersome to put on. I would like something a little easier to take on and off especially at night and with a newborn. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks, Maryann

Answer:
Smart question, Maryann. At first glance, the uninitiated might assume that a sling is a sling is a sling. But it turns out there are dozens of different options that appeal to and work for all sorts of different people.


For example, check out the gorgeous fabric choices at Puj Baby.

I'll be at the annual Gift Fair all day today, but I'll leave this question for helpful Design Mom Readers to answer. Guaranteed they'll have some strong opinions about what works and what doesn't.

Knit Kit

Last Friday my daughter Maude and I went to Tania's house for a knitting lesson. It was a great lesson and Maude kept her hands busy over the weekend working on her practice piece. Tania recommended the Klutz Knitting Kit as an excellent resource for instructions and kid friendly patterns and I agree with her 100%. It was a huge help when we couldn't ask questions of Tania directly. I continue to be a huge a Klutz fan.

Thank you Rachel!

Monday came and went and I didn't get a chance to thank Rachel, our fantastic Guest Mom of last week. Don't you just love the way she thinks? I was hoping to get to know her better and I totally did. In fact. I found out we graduated from the same university with the same degree. Very cool!

Thank you, Rachel for the fabulous posts, the good ideas, and the pretty pictures. I'll be visiting Black Eiffel often. It's a blog that I consistently find inspiration from.

Ask Design Mom: Tea Pots

Ask-Design-Mom-Question: Dear Design Mom, I'm searching for a few good tea pots/sets... I think I might start a collection...but first need one to start my tea drinking. I'm in love with going to tea houses... love the herbal teas. Thought I'd bring that ambiance into my home. I've been browsing online and haven't found any I'm in love with. Plus...I'm not sure what I should look for in a tea pot... to find a really good quality one...that doesen't just look pretty...thought I want that too. Thank you much! Cheers, Stephanie



Answer:
A teapot collection sounds so charming, Stephanie! Thanks for your question. Currently, the tea pots I admire most when I spot them as I shop are the small cast iron Japanese pots. So pretty. And nicely weighted. They're not hard to find. This site has dozens or I even saw some at Filene's Basement the other day that were fantastic.



Not feeling the Japanesey vibe? This pale yellow Copco Teakettle by Micheal Graves is too charming for words.

Ask Design Mom: Round Rug

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Dear Design Mom, I love your site and your style. I have a question for you. I decorate in a minimalist style in my apartment. I have very hard lines in my furniture and shelving and décor, and want something circular to compliment these lines. Therefore I have been continuously in search of a large ROUND area rug. The only round rugs I’ve found that are similar to my decorating style have been at Ikea but they are of such poor quality and shed like a German shepherd. Do you have any suggestions? Oh, and P.S. I don’t have a huge budget either. Thanks for any help you can give! — Aubrey

Answer:
Fun question, Aubrey! I love your concept of the round rug complimenting the hard lines in your decor. One great source for rugs, that I first saw featured on Decor8 is Company C. They don't have too many choices in round, but I loved this one.

On the other hand, a search of Round Rugs at Home Decorators Collection produces 902 options. They have an extensive collection of wool rugs in every conceivable price range. I initially checked them out when their catalog showed up in my mailbox, but haven't as yet purchased anything from them. (If anyone reading this has bought from this company, I'd love to hear about your experience.) Here are some of my favorite patterns they offer available in round:


Sakura


Crete


Woodstock

Ask Design Mom: Maternity Gift Ideas

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Dear Design Mom, a close friend is newly pregnant (5 weeks) after fertility problems. I want to do something special for her, but not being a mom myself I need some ideas. I don't really want to get her a gift for the baby yet (I'll do that at the shower), but rather I'm looking for a gift for her. Something more specific to pregnancy than a spa gift certificate. I read about lollipops that help with morning sickness or a belly cream. If it happens to be helpful and fabulous all the better. Any ideas as someone who has been there? Thank you. Abbie


Answer:
Hello Abbie. I love your question! What a thoughtful friend you are. There are dozens of things that make for good maternity gifts and I'm sure Design Mom Readers will have many terrific ideas. But I'll start us off with a gift that I loved receiving early in my pregnancy: baby name books. My personal favorite is Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.

Ask Design Mom: Sleeper Chairs

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
Hi Design-Mom. Let me first say that I am a huge convert of yours! I read your site every morning with a cup of coffee — once the kids are off to school. Many thanks. My question concerns sleeper chairs. You see, we really need another bedroom but with all the other things that need to be done on our beloved old Victorian the bedroom is not a remodel priority. However due to snoring, we need another sleeping option. I have tried to look for sleeper chairs or loveseats with great lines (not overstuffed with huge arms) but the chair has eluded me. Any suggestions of a furniture line to look at? — Sleepless in Portland, Maine

Answer:
Another great question! Sleeper chairs. Hmmm. I'll start looking. Anyone else have a favorite sleeper chair resource?

Edit: In the comments, someone suggested the Troy Twin Sleeper from Crate and Barrel. Here it is in fabric choice Daryl:Brick.

Ask Design Mom: Jewelry Storage

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Dear Design Mom, I have a ton of fun and funky jewelry (lots from Darlybird, for example), but I have no where to put it! I bought a traditional, wooden jewelry box but it is now completely overflowing. I don't want to store my jewelry out of sight — I love to look at all the great colors, but the top of my dresser has become a disaster. Please help. With much thanks in advance, Lindy


Answer:
Great question, Lindy. And I guarantee you're not the only person out there trying to solve this dilemma. I think you've got the right idea about wanting to keep your pretty pieces out in the open. I love the idea of making a display on your dresser of pretty bowls, platters — even small cake stands — and arranging your jewelry like the yummy dessert that it is.

I could swear that I recently saw a picture of just this sort of display. I'll keep hunting and post the picture if/when I find it.


Edit: My sister pointed me to this photo from the first issue of Domino as a good example of a jewelry still-life.

Ask Design Mom Week #2

Oh my goodness. I think I have one bazillion unanswered Ask-Design-Mom questions waiting in my inbox. It's been a crazy summer like that. The questions are universally excellent — and each deserve an excellent response. So.

I feel another Ask Design Mom Week coming on. What's Ask Design Mom Week? You can read about the details here, but the summary is this:

Over the course of the week, I'm going to post every single unanswered Design Mom question I have. Some with answers, some without. And hopefully, all you clever and kind Design Mom readers will help give those questions the thoughtful answers they deserve by adding your own ideas and links in the comments. In addition to Ask-Design-Mom-Questions, you can also expect the usual Giveaways and various other lovely posts.

Thank you in advance for helping out. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Design Mom Readers have the best ideas!

Final Post — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Sick of the Wiggles? Try these:


Catch the Moon by Lisa Loeb & Elizabeth Mitchell


Rufus, Moby & Sean Lennon - Across the Universe


Sarah McLachlan - Ice Cream

It has been fun posting over here at Design Mom! I am so impressed by what this site and Gabrielle has to offer us all, and I've been honored to be a small part of it. Hope that you have enjoyed!

Kids + Foodies — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Some fun products for kids + foodies.


This book will help your kids to start learning the ways of Donna Hay. The photography and styling of this book reminds me of her books and magazines.



Since school is starting soon, I thought these insulated lunch sacks were a stylish way for your little ones to sport a healthy lunch. 1: Jesse Walker. 2: Built NY.


Bob's Your Uncle — disposable recipe place mats, with kid fun recipes on them, would definitely make for an adventurous meal. Found these at modernseed.



Funkie baby bibs, are vintage and fun.

Think Positive — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Growing up, I was taught the ways of broadening my horizions through self-development. Names like Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Earl Nightingale, were all too familiar to me; way before I went to high school. Eventually, I realized what a great impact this made on my life. I learned it is important to be optimistic, use positive self-talk, and make uplifting and fulfilling goals etc. I did the following exercise recently, and it is still on my mind.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to do it all? Still don't know what you want to be when you grow up? Have you been told frequently, "Make up your mind". If so, this is for you:

Answer this following question:

If you had 5 different lives, what would you do, or be, for each one? Think about this, then write them down. (This is a fun activity to do with a group of people)

For example a friend of mine said:
1 zookeeper
2 world-traveler
3 ballerina
4 pastry chef
5 a novelist

After writing your answers down, read this: "Everything you write down in your imaginary "lives" should be actively present in your life at all times, you put it on that list for a reason. A talent or interest is a living part of you — like a hand or an ear or an eye. It needs to be used, needs to be fed, or it will atrophy — and you'll be less than you're mean to be."

So how do you incorporate them all in your life? Whatever interests not included in your main pursuit/goal at the moment, enjoy them as side dishes to dabble in, now and again, for your enjoyment. This way, your life will feel more balanced and fulfilling. Who says you can't do it all?

(excerpts and concept from the book Wishcraft by Barbara Sher)

Artistic Picture Books — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

When kids are ready to graduate from board books, these ones are great artistic picture books.



Bruno Munari was an incredible italian designer. I've had my eyes on his kid's work for a while. I was excited when they reprinted these in the states! Yeah for us.


For those of you unaware, Paul Rand was one of the greatest graphic design masters of our time. It is great to see that him and his wife had some play time together, creating these youthful books. These two above are the easiest to find, because they just reproduced them. I hope that they will reproduce their other great books as well.


P is for Peanut by Lisa Gelber and Jody Roberts uses famous black and white photos from the Getty collection. It is a marvelous and awe inspiring alpha-photographic book.


The Little Windy series of books by graphic designers Robin Mitchell & Judith Steedman, makes me smile whenever I see them. The quirky little handmade models and 3-D backgrounds are charming, delightful and uber modern.


I adore this book by Sara O'Leary. The storyline is quite nice and it has exceptional illustrations. It won an award for one of the top designed covers in 2005, maybe because it has a cloth spine and feels more like a handmade book — pure genius.

Birth Announcements — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Because of the chaos surrounding my daughter's birth, I didn't get a chance to do a birth announcement. I love these two ideas so much, that I may go create one after the fact.

Blog Party at GoodyBlog!

Be sure to drop by GoodyBlog and check out their blog party featuring 6 excellent Giveaways! Tell them congratulations on being Typepad's Featured Blog.

Lullaby — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

I have an affinity for great music. While prego, a neuroscientist I met instructed me to listen to three to five soft classical pieces for about twenty minutes a day near my belly. When my daughter was born, those same songs really did calm and soothe her. Coincidence? As my little one has grown, I have expanded her musical experience further with various lullaby mixes I've created. Below are a few of my favorite tracks. Go and create your own lullaby mixes! They are not only soothing for babies, but also for grown-ups as well.


1: Kate Rusby - Who Will Sing Me Lullabies


2: Sophie Meriem Rockwell - Fais do do


3: Joshua Radin -Everything'll Be Alright


4: Innocence Mission - Moon River


5: Yo-Yo Ma + Alison Krauss - Slumber my Darling

Board Books — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

While looking around various stores for well-designed children's board books, most of the time I would come up with nada. It wasn't until a short time ago, that I found a few that I really fancied. Let me know if you have seen any others that are worth a gander.





The first two are by UK painter Matthew Porter who now resides in the Seattle area. 'ABC', is full of happy animal delights and teaches about the alphabet. He used acrylic paints on wood and explores beautiful color combinations, giving it a modern look with vintage charm. 'Count the Birdies' is based after the japanese woodcut style and has detailed blossoms, birdies and fabulous typography.



These two famous artist based books are by Susan Goldman Rubin and published by one of my favorite publishers - Chronicle Books. What a great way to introduce children to art history, while they are young.

June and July Giveaway Winners

Happy Thursday everybody. It's time for another post featuring Design Mom Giveaway Winners. I was supposed to get this post up on July 31st, but it didn't happen till today. So I'm featuring June and July winners, plus a couple of August winners as well. (I've listed them in order of their Giveaway dates.) Have fun getting to know these wonderful people!


Winner of the Jacqueline Sanchez Lego Cufflinks Giveaway
Robert Mahar
My name’s Robert Mahar and I run and online shop called Mahar Drygoods which specializes in vintage and artisan crafted curiosities for kids. I’m also the self-appointed Grand Poobah of the JuniorSociety.com clubhouse. It’s a title I’ve bestowed upon myself mainly ‘cause it makes me sound like a big shot and somehow justifies my desire to wear a tasseled fez and develop secret handshakes. I recently was fortunate enough to win a great pair of lego cufflinks on Design Mom (for whom I have an online crush and am considering launching a fan club.)


Winner of the Small Vendors Rock Giveaway
Natalie H*
My name is Natalie H*, and I am the wife of Jay, a brilliant Anesthesia Resident, artist, cook and Motorcycle enthusiast and the lucky stay-at-home mother of two adorable and challenging munchkins - Jayden (4) and Chelsea Nicole (2). Though trained as a teacher, I have since found that my real passion lies in learning and look forward to the time when I can return to college to complete additional degrees. My other passions include travel, anything related to England, photography, Hawaii, reading, gelatto, fashion, Dr Pepper, sewing, dark chocolate, theatre, film, art history and, of course, blogging. I was surprised and thrilled to be a Design Mom Giveaway winner and continue love Gabrielle's blog. Life is wonderful!


Winner of the Shutterfly Giveaway:
Andrea
I am an outspoken shoe addict who loves reading, writing, lipstick, traveling, SHOES, and I have a special skills in stain removal and canolli consumption. I am the director of a non-profit children's advocacy program for our state in my time off from my real job as a full time Mother of a soon to be two-year-old (diva) daughter. We currently live in our beloved New England, though my heart will always have a place in the west with our dear friends, family, memories and mountains.

Just returned from Paris to celebrate ten wonderful years with my husband. And have included a picture of one of my happiest places... Shopping in Paris!


Winner of the Shutterfly Giveaway:
Catherine Smith (revsmith)
My name is Catherine Smith and I am a Brit living in beautiful Vermont. My husband is an Episcopal clergyman hence the Rev in our username! I have four boys, 7, 5 and 1 year old twins. I love half an hour on my bed with a good book, a proper cup of tea, and listening to BBC Radio.


Winner of the Shutterfly Giveaway:
Caroline Chambers
Hi there! I'm Caroline Chambers, wife to Matt and mom to Barritt and Annabelle. After a degree in counseling and a couple years as a social worker, I've left the working world to focus on raising my own little healthy and happy family. I'm a knitting, sewing, bread baking baby kisser and an aspiring gardener. I love Design Mom giveaways!


Winner of the Via Toy Box Giveaway:
Desiree
I was born in France and grew up between the European and American continents. I moved to the US permanently when I was 20 and started law school. But I didn't really feel at home here until I moved in with my photographer/graphic designer boyfriend (who is now my husband) in Hoboken, NJ. I've worked for the past ten years in Manhattan and have finally found my place in the world! Since our girls were born (they are now 2 and 3), my priorities have shifted from trying new restaurants, drinking good wine, reading and going to art galleries and museums to cooking, crafts, reading (some things never change), and hitting as many different playgrounds as possible in metro NYC. When I am not doing any of the above, I am usually either blogging or following other mom bloggers ;-)


Winner of the $150 Childish Giveaway:
Laura Seymour
I am wife to Elliott and mom to toddler Noel, who is expecting a brother or sister in February 2008! I am a working mom, and my husband stays at home with our son, and runs an eBay business called The Umbrella Shoppe from our home. I love being with my family, music (if it's good), tv (if it's from the 70s or if it's LOST), vintage stuff from the 50s-70s, and blogging! I have a review blog with my best-friend-that-I've-never-met, Amy, called MumsTheWurd! We're totally digging our new undertaking!


Winner of the Mini Moderns Giveaway:
Brandy Sattiewhite
My name is Brandy and I'm an unconventional, professional college student (that's my nice way of saying I've been in school WAY TOO LONG). I will be 23 at the end of this month. I am very random and blunt, and if cussing offends you, you should not read my blog haha! I live in Abilene, Texas and yes, I say words like y'all, fixin' to, hankerin and lots of other words only a Texan would understand. I am not a mom, but was a nanny for 2 different families (one with 4 kids, the other with 5). My friends call me Super Nanny because I just seem to have a way with kids. Children are my passion, which is a good thing considering I have a very large, very close family. The love of my life is my 4 1/2 year old nephew, Jake, who came up with the username "Biddy." I also have a 12 year old niece and a 3 year old nephew that live in Dallas. Don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly, but I have been an additional "mom" to Jake, literally, since the day he was born. I am an RMT, but rarely do any massages. I have been immensely blessed in the travel department - my passport has gotten lots of attention!! My two favorite places, so far, have been Italy and Kenya. I love to sew, cook, travel, ride horses, tinker with cushmans, and plan parties. I am currently working on several projects because I plan to open either an Etsy shop or my own web page very soon. I am also toying with the idea of opening a catering business. I'll be sure to let you know when I get everything up and running!


Winner of the $150 CWD Kids Giveaway:
Brooke Williams
About Brooke:
Husband: John
Children: Miles (6) & Harry (3)
Occupation: I stay pretty occupied with the boys (all 3 of them), blogging, playing outside, reading, taking photos, thinking about writing, and studying library science as a part-time (more like minimal-time) grad student.
Bachelor's degree: English Literature
Favorite fizzy beverage: extra spicy ginger ale
Favorite colors: bright, warm, cool, pale, complimentary, secondary, primary, muted, white
Favorite movies: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) & Being There (1979)
Favorite book: History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Favorite song to sing in the car to: "Snails" by The Format
The poet I'd like to meet: Emma Lou Thayne
Hometown: Logan, UT
Current residence: Orange County, CA
Most common daydreams: 1) designing and making my own clothes, 2) making clever and witty conversation with even the most painfully shy, 3) singing with a voice like Karen Peris from The Innocence Mission, 4) having a clutterless house (or even ONE clutterless room in the house)

Keeping Memories — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Oh, sweet memories. My grandmother keeps lots of vintage photographs and boxes full of reminisces. I've learned so much from her stories and they have helped define a part of who I am.

Lately, I have been looking at which medium I should recreate my memories, and the following have greatly inspired me.





This is my very favorite baby memory book that I have ever seen. It is designed by Laurie Demartino. Isn't it delightful?




Good Stock is a boutique press and bindery that creates beautiful handcrafted and heirloom books. I am impressed by the talented and friendly Kim O'Neil and her creative talents. She designs the best personalized memory books around.

Oopsy Daisy Baby

Do you have a girly girl? Check out the luscious collection at Oopsy Daisy Baby.

Beauty Products, Jr. — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

I seek after products that have a combination of excellent packaging design and great functionality. Here are some children oriented ones that look so scrumptious.



Miamoo is a british brand, that has products what they like to call, "scrummy baby skincare". It is luxurious and they use only the finest ingredients, and no harshies for the lil' ones.




I hope you have seen the classic looking goods from Bobbi Brown. They are easy to get a hold of in all department stores that sell Bobbi Brown products, and I don't think this packaging will ever go out of style.



Little Twig caught my eyes a few years ago in a cute baby boutique. Their company philosophy is all about being organic and natural as well as donating some of their proceeds and time to a select charitable organizations. The packaging is quite fun and lively. I love the little playful illustrations.



What I like about Dr. Bobby is not only is the packaging lovely, the products are created by a pediatric dermatologist, and they are fragrance free, with no colorants and irritants. Love the idea of a doctor's gift bag, how clever.



I am so glad that the Burt's Bee line has expanded enough that you can pick it up at your local Target. Their children's products are full of only the good stuff and they are so sweetly packaged. Their lipbalm is fantastic, something that we must always have on hand in our house.



Erbaviva is all about being organic and using scented essential oils in their products. They are one of the only stylish looking products that I have found, that is actually USDA organically certified. The true essence of all things natural and pure.

All of the products mentioned above stated in some way or another that they are natural or organic. It seems like more and more that this has become the accelerating trend in cosmetic and beauty products. I've read only a little on the subject, and what I found is quite interesting. One of the main ingredients they use in a variety of non-natural/organic products, everything from toothpaste to body gels, shampoos, and detergents is 'Sodium Laurel Sulphate' which also has a variety of nicknames. Go check the back of your bathroom product ingredients... I dare you. How many of you found it?

Well, from what I understand, it is a very inexpensive ingredient that makes things suds up so people 'think' they are really getting clean. According to some research, it also causes a variety of things such as skin irritations, rashes, allergies, headaches, and maybe even cancer? It is kind of a voodoo / controversial topic in the bazillion dollar cosmetic industry, but I find it interesting that a lot of these organic products such as erbaviva states "We are proud to use shampoos that are completely free from all harsh detergents (no Sodium Laurel Sulphates, or anything remotely related to it)" Marketing gimmick? You be the judge.

I only know that everything that we put on our skin, similarly to what we eat, goes into our pores and thus into our systems. So I question, without being chemists how do we know, especially as mothers, what crazy stuff are we putting into our bodies and furthermore, our little one's bodies? I've heard that the fewer the ingredients the better, but is organic always the way to go? I'm really curious about this topic lately, goggle it - tell me what you think. I'd love to hear insights and more from anybody who has researched further.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

I love this artwork series for a playroom. Available in two sizes on washable canvas. Find them here.

The Perfect Hideout — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

I have mixed feelings about the movie, 'The Holiday' as a whole, but, this scene with the girly tent, and cute british accents was just beautiful. I want to create a fun place similar to this for my wee one to play in. Here are a few tents and playhouses that I found for a various ages, and budgets. Along with these product ideas, one can always create a little play paradise of their own, using their creativity and craft skills.




These two are from JellyBabys.


These two are from Craftsbury Kids.


These two are from Chasing Fireflies.


These two are from Lilliput Play Homes.


And this one is from Tree House Blue.

Add to sk*rt

Did you notice the new "Add to sk*rt" option at the end of each post? I'm so excited about it. Why? Because, now, if you especially like something on Design Mom — maybe a giveaway, or an excellent Guest Mom post — you can just click that button and put it on sk*rt in a snap. And then all those amazing sk*rt users will come check it out. Which means Design Mom readership will grow, bringing me every closer to world domination.

From the feedback sk*rt has received so far, any blog or website that makes the front page of sk*rt, apparently gets a ton of hits.

So I've got a suggestion. You should totally put an "add to sk*rt" or "sk*rt this" button at the end of each of your posts. Then. Your awesome readers can put your awesome posts on sk*rt. And. You can get tons of hits from curious sk*rt users.



You can find directions to add any of the widgets shown above here. If the directions are too technical, just shoot an email to the sk*rt help desk (help@sk-rt.com) and the lovely Laurie of Upside Up (the sk*rt technical Goddess) will walk you through it. Laurie can even help you design a custom sk*rt widget that coordinates with the design of your site.

Why it's good for you: it's free, it's easy, and you'll get a bunch of traffic when your readers list your posts on sk*rt. Why it's good for sk*rt: sk*rt wants to be associated with super-cool blogs like yours.


PS — Check out the sk*rt blog later today to find out the winners of the sk*rt Off and Running Contest and the sk*rt Means Business Contest.

Giveaway Winner — $150 to CWD Kids

Wow. So many comments! Thank you for entering the CWD Kids Giveaway. Today's lucky winner of the $150 gift certificate is: Brooke who said, "did I win?

Congratulations, Brooke! Please email me from the link on my blog and I'll forward your info to CWD Kids.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to CWD Kids. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned — another Giveaway this week.

Yellow Rickrack

Don't you wish you lived near my sister Jordan so she would bring you home-baked cookies in a darling cookie jar that she labeled herself? And you could borrow her brown polka-dot table cloth?

Me too.

Giveaway Reminder: CWD Kids $150 Gift Card

You have until midnight tonight (Monday 8/6) to enter your comment for a $150 gift card to CWD Kids. Just leave your comment on that post. Good luck!

Citrus Dishtowels

My lovely friend Audrey has been staying with us over the summer and is catching her flight home today (tear). As she left, she gave me a beautiful card and a box from Anthropologie filled with these fantastic citrus dishtowels.

Just the thing to brighten my kitchen on an overcast August day. Thank you Audrey!

Preparations — by Guest Mom Rachel Jones

Two months before my due date, lying on the operating table staring up at the bright lights, wasn’t necessarily what I had in mind when having my first little one. But, I don’t think anything can quite prepare you fully for what happens when you see your very own little tiny child born. Being a new mom, can be a scary thing, full of lots of surprises. So far, in my short 9 month journey I’ve come to learn:

1: I’m definitely not always the one in charge
2: ‘Dry clean only’ clothes just aren’t an option anymore (at least for a while)
3: The extra baby weight doesn’t melt off magically and instantly like I hoped
4: Poop, is that poop raining from the ceiling or your backside? Will it ever stop?
5: Self-time daily to replenish my well is very important
6: It is okay for her to cry…well sometimes
7: There is no snooze button on this baby alarm clock
8: Always be prepared with burp cloths, and bottles wherever I go
9: Getting laundry done, has become a new accomplishment
10: She is only a baby once, I must cherish every moment



Unfortunately, I had to go into the hospital unexpectedly and without a thing, so here are a few things I would have liked to have in my hospital bag. *Note to future new mothers, you can never start preparing your bags too early.
1. Fortune Tootsies
2. Baby Owner's Starter Kit 3. Bojour Blanket 4. Marimekko
5. Mama Mio 6. Lady bug hat

Welcome Rachel!

I'm super delighted to have Rachel from Black Eiffel with us this week. For lots of reasons. First of all, I found Rachel's blog when she was the winner of a Design Mom Giveaway — which I'm sure you'll agree is a very cool way to find a cool someone. Second, I love her blog. It's gorgeous. Third, outside of some very short emails (Hey, would you like to be a Guest Mom? Sure!) I really know absolutely nothing about Rachel and look forward to getting to know her better through her posts.

As is my habit I asked Rachel to write a few words introducing herself. Here they are:

Bonjour moms + dads, future moms + design enthusiasts, I am thrilled to be here this week as I am excited to share with you some of my favorite things pertaining to kids + design.

Quick bio: Born and raised in the Seattle area, I developed a great love for the arts, design, and music. While in college, I studied and majored in graphic design but also loved taking classes in photography, psychology, and also studied abroad in the middle east, where my passion for traveling grew even more. Currently, I work as an office manager + graphic designer and my eyes have just recently been opened to the new world of babies + blogging.

I like to keep top ten lists, so to help you get to know me better here are two abbreviated ones entitled, "things that I love" + "things that i don't love"

Loves:
1 the sound of silence in the snow
2 crepes
3 air-conditioning
4 the sweet smell after it rains
5 taking polaroids

Dis-loves:
6 florescent lighting
7 olives
8 uncomfortable shoes
9 putting on a wet bathing suit
10 people advertising with words on their backside

Again. Welcome Rachel! We're so glad you're here!!

Random Giveaway: $150 at CWD Kids

It is beastly hot out there. And I know I should be at the pool, but I've got back-to-school on the brain and I promised the kids we'd go purchase school supplies. Mmmm. Pencils, markers, composition books. I love this stuff. And speaking of back to school, I'm already thinking about first-day-of-school-outfits. Assuming you're thinking about them as well, you'll be delighted to know that today's Giveaway features a $150 gift certificate to CWD Kids!!



CWD Kids is a great company. Their committment: to dress kids like kids. Which seems like a no brainer, but in a world of Bratz-like clothing is actually really wonderful. They carry classic styles, they carry contemporary styles. They are a small, family owned company celebrating 20 years in business this month. And many of their employees have been with them the entire twenty years.

Some of my favorite picks from their collection:


Striped polo in fall colors by Ralph Lauren


Wild Rose tiered skirt by Young Colors


Track jacket by Puma


Casta hooded dress by Ralph Lauren

Herringbone Hound rainboots by Sweet Potatoes

So many great pieces! You'll have a fantastic time spending your certificate. One last note: if you (like me) have a hard time shopping for clothes on line, be sure to order the CWD Kids catalog.

Thanks you CWD Kids! (And Happy 20 Year Anniversary!)

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

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, August 6th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Soap Nuts

I just read about Maggie's Soap Nuts in the August issue of Real Simple. Apparently there is a Chinese Soap Tree, that produces soap nuts. Not kidding. You put a few nuts in a little cotton sack and throw them in the wash. And voilá: clean fresh laundry, no harsh detergent. I'm absolutely fascinated.

Available at Whole Foods. Or. If you don't have a Whole Foods in your neighborhood, you can also pick them up from Amazon. 50 loads, $18.99. If anyone tries them, I'd love to hear a report!

Crabtree Softies

I spotted these Crabtree Studio softies in the most recent issue of Craft. They look so cuddly. I would love to see one of these — or a whole herd — in the nursery.

Giveaway Winner — Mini Moderns Wallpaper and Throw PIllow

Gosh. I'm really loving the Giveaways this week! Thank you for entering the Mini Moderns Wallpaper and Throw Pillow Giveaway. Today's lucky winner is: Biddy who said, "oh this would be perfect for my craft room that i have yet to do ANYTHING to! it just sends my heart aflutter!"

Congratulations, Biddy! Please email me from the link on my blog with wallpaper and pillow choices, plus your shipping information, and I'll forward everything to Mini Moderns.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Mini Moderns. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned — I'll be posting yet another awesome Giveaway later today!

Giveaway Reminders: Mini Moderns and sk*rt Means Business

You have until midnight tonight (Thursday) to enter the Mini Moderns Wallpaper and Throw Pillow Giveaway. Just leave a comment on that post to enter.



And speaking of Giveaways, sk*rt has a great one going on. To celebrate our new Business category, we're giving away five, that's right, five Neat Receipts Scanalizers — each one worth $230! You can find out how to enter at the sk*rt blog.

Book of the Week: Blueberries for Sal

It's too easy to fall in love with Blueberries for Sal. Everything about it is endearing and captivating. We hadn't read it for awhile, but we were eating blueberries the other day and I asked my kids if they remembered the story — Oh boy did they! They practically recited the book. The basic story: Mother bear and baby bear are eating blueberries to get ready for their long winter's hibernation. Sal and her Mother are gathering blueberries to preserve for their own long winter. They meet on Blueberry Hill.

Robert McCloskey is a genius. He writes simple, sweet stories and creates amazing illustrations. This book is worth adding to your library just for the drawings on the end papers. My oldest, Ralph describes the artwork as "popping of the page". First published in 1948, it's still an ideal read aloud.

Find it here.

Oscar is Courageous

At BlogHer, one the more particularly gracious women I met was Myriam Joseph, whose business card lists "visionary" as her title. When she heard I had 5 little ones, she immediately promised me one of her Joy Spread the Word tees — tees for children with words like courage and compassion printed on them.

Her t-shirt site isn't quite up yet, but it will be soon, so think of this as a sneak preview until you can get your own tee. Plus, it's an excuse for me to post pictures of Oscar.

Petaline

I just received an email from Alison, the creator of online shop Petaline, where she promotes and supports women in the Seattle/Portland area who are moms and who, like Alison, "want to find a way to still be creative and stylish and stay at home with their babies." Totally check it out — the whole site is eye candy. Alison also has a beautiful blog and an etsy shop where she features yummy found objects. Some of my favorites after my first visit to Petaline:


Flowerfly, signed, limited-edition print


Evette Bag


Tulip Blouse

Random Giveaway: Mini Moderns Wallpaper and Throw Pillow

Remember the delightful wallpaper I posted about a few weeks ago? Well Mini Moderns was so pleased by the post they wanted to sponsor a Giveaway! That means one lucky Design Mom reader is going to be the recipient of a Roll of Mini Moderns Wallpaper plus a Mini Moderns Throw Pillow! The winner gets to pick their favorite from Mini Moderns' fantastic patterns.






Mini Moderns Playtime wallpaper by Absolute Zero, a London based design group, is super. Although the patterns were originally designed for the kid set, they've also been spotted in hip living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens across the land. I especially love the names:


Knock Knock,


Battery Square,


Six of One..., and


Do You Live In A Town?

The wallpaper is high quality and most messes (think peanut-buttery hand prints) can be wiped clean. The fabric on the pillows is also top notch.

I'm not the best at converting currencies, but from what I understand, a roll of Mini Moderns Wallpaper goes for about $80 and the gorgeous 16" Cushions sell for about $65 each.

Thanks you Mini Moderns!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Thursday, August 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Twisted Silver Jewelry

I'm really loving the jewelry and accessories at Twisted Silver — designed by Debra Mitchell. I also love that it's a big collection so you have lots of choices. You can see the best-sellers here.

EDIT: Twisted Silver designer, Debra, saw this post and wanted to extend an offer to Design Mom Readers. Get a FREE pair of super lightweight and hip Lithe Earrings just for signing up to be on the Twisted Silver database. How to sign up? When you visit their site, the sign-up form pops up after about 1 minute. Here's a photo of the Lithe Earrings:

Card File

I think this card file by Cecily Ink would make a cute hostess gift. It has 3 tabs to organize your stock of cards and comes in three colors.

Giveaway Winner — Simply A Boy Sportscar

Another great Giveaway completed! Thank you for entering the Giveaway for the Simply A Boy Sportscar. The lucky winner is: Bethany who said, "I'm dying to have this!! Please pick me!"

Congratulations, Bethany! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping information and I'll forward it to Simply A Boy.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Simply A Boy. And thanks for reading. Stay tuned — I'll be posting another awesome Giveaway later today!