It’s here! Olive Us has officially launched. Tiger in a Jar — the amazing video crew who put this together — has been working round the clock to finish up the edits. And I’m crazy excited about how it turned out! I hope you are too. : ) I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

Things you can do to join in the fun:

- Watch our pilot episode. It’s called Garden Day. It was made with love!

- Check out the new Olive Us website. You can find out more about the show there, including FAQs and bios of the kids. There’s even a video of Ben Blair talking about the aims of the series.

- Subscribe to Olive Us! We’ll be sharing new videos every week and we don’t want you to miss out.

- Tell your friends. We’d love help getting the word out about Olive Us. If you like what you see, feel free to share the videos on Facebook or your own blog or wherever you like to share things.

We hope you enjoy the first episode. A huge thanks to Pottery Barn Kids for being the sponsor — they’ve been so fun to work with, and their faith in the idea made the series a possibility.

P.S. — Oscar made up the song at the end on the video. Hah!

Source List

I worked hard on the props and styling for each shot. From glimpses of the series on Instagram and the teaser videos, I’ve already been getting questions about some of the objects and clothes in the videos. So I’ll plan on including a source list for every episode. Here’s the first one! Since Pottery Barn Kids is the awesome sponsor for this episode, we sourced as much as we could from them. Anything not on the list, is from our personal collection or belongs to the homeowners here at La Cressonnière.

Gardening Props & Equipment

Tiny wheelbarrow, gardening gloves, kid-size potting table, flower seed tins, birdhouse, red lantern, chalkboard plant labels, butterfly nets — all from Pottery Barn Kids.

Twine, red hand rake, kid size rake & shovel, and pale blue watering can are from Intermarché.

Wardrobe

June’s gingham dress is from Kayce Hughes.

Betty’s gingham skirt, Betty’s red sweater, and Oscar’s red polo are from Olive Juice Kids.

Betty’s boots, Oscar’s plaid button down, Maude’s red stripe hoodie and Olive’s navy print hoodie are from Polarn O. Pyret.

Ralph’s green jacket and June’s chambray jacket are from Zara Kids.

June’s heart print hoodie is from HEMA.

Red and yellow wellies by Hunter.

I love being a grown-up. It’s honestly one of the greatest jobs I’ve ever had. They let me drive a car, vote, buy an expensive piece of art or shoes if I so choose, and have six children! Total bonus. But sometimes I miss the carefree days of my childhood, when responsibilities were few and I didn’t have to drive a car or wear shoes! I’m curious: What’s the one thing you miss most about being a kid? A few friends were kind enough to reach into their memories and share their favorites with us. Let the conversation begin!

Kate at Explore with Twine:
The lack of responsibility. I miss being able to wander off and play whatever and wherever I wanted for long periods of time. As an adult with kids as my responsibility, my playtime is severely limited by the demands of my kid. I provide routine for him, but routine seems to squelch creativity so I have to be creative — and constantly aware of my time management — to squeeze in playtime for me. That awareness wasn’t present as a kid, which is one reason why the perception of time is different for adults!

Jen of Family Sponge:
Just being in the moment. I have to try extremely hard now to really stop and smell the roses, taste my food as I eat it, and just be in awe of my beautiful surroundings. When I was little, every day was an in-the-moment adventure and I just soaked it in. I would love to have that back.

Chris Ann of LoveFeast Table:
The freedom of laying in the grass and running barefoot through the poplars shaking out the sparrows on a warm summer evening.

Kristin, also of LoveFeast Table:
I want to remember the simplest of childhood pleasures – like jumping in mud puddles. The other day, there were sounds of screeching and giggling so I opened the curtain and peeked outside. Three of my kids sneaked out of the house during a rain shower and were jumping in all the grassy mud puddles. I don’t want to be so scheduled or disciplined or grown up to enjoy even the dirtiest of days that life brings my way!

Shelley of A Story About Faith:
I miss sitting on my father’s lap. When I was sad or having a problem, he would pat his leg as an invitation to climb up. He was a big man, and I would snuggle into the curve of his arm and listen to whatever wise advise he had to offer. Mostly he would say, “I love you, kid” and then remind me how special I was. I always left his lap feeling safe and loved and worthy. I miss that more than I can say now that he’s gone.

—-

Thank you so much for sharing the best of your childhoods with us! Shelley, you made me cry! And now it’s your turn, Friends: What’s the one thing you miss most about being a kid? Who’s up for a sweet trip down Memory Lane?

Glittery bare feet found via Bippity Boppity Boo.

P.S. — You can catch all of our Design Mom Asks conversations right here. If you’d like to participate in the next one, drop me a note. I’d love to hear from you!

Any time I want a wholly realistic dose of living with kids, I head over to Dos Family. I adore those two women and their cool broods! And they have the most genius and free ideas about designing kids’ spaces. There are IKEA rings on which to swing above beds and wallpaper to color on a whim and messes. Lots of messes.

Sometimes I wish I was a little better with the lots of messes part, don’t you?

P.S. — Running a lot late on this week’s Living With Kids tour, mostly due to an hour or so scrolling through past interviews! Remember this one? And this one? So many good ideas! Remember: If you’d like to share your home with us, drop me a note! I’d love to hear from you!

Anna sent me a link to this article about Shops in Trucks and I loved it! The topic reminded me of one of the panels at Mom 2.0, where we heard from Pilar Guzman, the Editor-in-Chief of Martha Stewart Living. She mentioned the magazine loved highlighting creative entrepreneurs who had left Corporate America and were pursuing their dreams on tiny farms, in small studios and backyard workshops. And that in the long-standing tradition of entrepreneurs, they had to know everything about their business — how to make the product, but also how to program the website and handle social media too. Very different from cubicle life!

I love stories of entrepreneurs and micro businesses and people pursuing their passion. And I love the idea of little shops on wheels! I’ve eaten at plenty of food trucks, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered something like a mobile shoe store. Maybe on my next trip to the States! Have you ever seen one? Shopped from one? If you opened a shop on wheels, what would you sell?

P.S. — Pictured here: The Vintage Mobile (it used to be a school bus), Lodekka double decker dress shop, and Wanderlust mobile shop (made from a camper).

Question:
Hi Gabrielle! Could you please give me some advice? My baby is turning 3 this year and I’m thinking about getting pregnant again. How did you decide to space your kids? How do you know it’s time to have another one or if you’re done? I appreciate your thoughts. — Thanks, Jeannie.

Answer:
Wow. That’s a big question, Jeannie! But I’m game. As far as spacing goes, in my head, I always thought I’d have babies about two years apart until I was done. But that never happened. Here’s what did happen:

Ralph and Maude are 18 months apart.
Maude and Olive are 2 1/2 years apart.
Olive and Oscar are 3 1/2 years apart.
Oscar and Betty are 16 months apart.
Betty and June are 4 years apart.

It turns out, not everyone has control of when and if they’ll conceive (or adopt). Me included. So first off, even if you make a plan, know that you may or may not be able to stick with it. And that it will all work out either way.

Here are my thoughts on what I experienced. Sixteen months apart was definitely the trickiest. It’s not twins, but it’s still two babies. I won’t lie, it can be rough. But the nice thing is, if you have a hard time enjoying a certain stage — say the diaper years, or the preschool phase —  you move on to the next part of life really fast. Having kids close in age is efficient! Another nice thing is a built in playmate. Oscar and Betty have been inseparable for years. I’m sure that will change at some point, but it’s been wonderful as we’ve moved from New York to Colorado to France.

In contrast, 4 years apart was by far the easiest on me as a mother. By the time June was born, Betty could get herself dressed, get herself a snack and entertain herself pretty well. She was old enough to be comfortable at preschool and was good company when I was hanging out nursing Baby June — Betty was even old enough to be able to get me a drink of water. : ) But four years is a lot. Two years in and Betty and June definitely don’t have a buddy relationship. It’s much more of a big sister/baby sister thing. Who knows if they’ll ever be close friends. I hope so. But who knows?

And really, some of this is just luck of the draw. I’m sure we all know plenty of siblings who are close in age, but not close emotionally. Or the opposite. In our family, Ralph and Olive are 4 years apart but they’ve turned out to be great friends. They really enjoy hanging out together! So it seems like sibling spacing is really one of those no one-can-predict sort of things.

My advice: listen to those instincts of yours. If you feel like you would be completely overwhelmed to find yourself morning sick or caring for a newborn, perhaps it’s still time to wait. On the other hand, if you’re obsessed with babies and find yourself staring dreamily at maternity clothes, maybe it’s time for the next baby. And for those of you who pray (I’m one of you), this is the perfect sort of thing to pray about.

I’ll end with the “how do you know when you’re done” part. I’ve probably had this exact conversation with at least 100 women — and some men too! People approach the decision so differently. We knew we were done at 6. Earlier in our marriage, I might have guessed that we’d have 7 or 8 or even 9. But by the time we actually got to 6 we knew it was enough. Six just felt like our max.

But again, everyone approaches it differently. In Nie Nie’s book, she mentioned that she purchased a kitchen table that would seat 8 people — and she intended to fill it. Others assume they’ll have a certain number of children but then find they can’t conceive again after the first baby. Or they can’t conceive at all. Some people have a plan from the beginning, others kind of wing it and see what happens. And still others find themselves on the adoption trail and are bound by budgets and other people’s decisions. It’s tricky stuff!

Dear Readers, I know you have lots of great experience in this area. Please share! How did you decide to space your kids? When/how did you know you were done growing your family? How close in age are you to your own brothers and sisters?

P.S. — Want more? Here’s an earlier related post called Having Another Child.

When I send off the questions for my favorite authors to answer, I do so with my fingers crossed. Will he be as creative as I imagined? Will she be as whimsical as her words? Magical? Witty? One-of-a-kind wonderful? Oh, I have impossibly high hopes for all of them, and yet they somehow always turn out to be true! Children’s book authors are a very cool breed! So here is my latest revelation: Liz Garton Scanlon is just as open-hearted, just as joyous, and just as imaginative and charming as her books. More so. I know you’re going to enjoy her answers. Her response to where she’d choose to live for one year touched me so…and made me miss my sister even more. Please enjoy Liz!

Q: I always ask about childhoods. For some reason, we all half-believe that a creative mind like yours was inherited!

A: I grew up in Colorado with a lot of wild space and what we now call “unstructured time” at my disposal — both of which feed the creative imagination, I think. While neither of my parents are artists per se, my mother is a lover of the arts — she introduced us to music and dance and theater — and has a highly developed and enviable aesthetic. And, she could make anything — strawberry jam, candles, clothing, curtains. My dad is an adventurer, a risk-taker, a man of strong passions. I think some combination of those influences translated into art being a viable choice for me, which is a really lucky thing. I don’t know if they’ve been surprised by what I’ve chosen to do, but they’ve been immensely patient, supportive and proud.

As for my own kids…wow. Their creative chops far exceed my own. They’re both musicians (thanks to hard work and their dad’s genes), they both sew beautifully (and fearlessly), one knits, one is becoming a terrific photographer, they make these amazing stop-motion videos. And, I know I’m biased here, but they’re both becoming very fine writers. I’m totally inspired by my daughters.

Q: We’d love to hear about your studio and where you’re most creative. What’s your view while you work?

A: I work, mostly, in my closet-sized studio at an old library table. It’s not the most space-efficient piece of furniture but the wood is chinked and well-worn and it serves as a tangible connection to the outside world, and to my readers. I have to work in silence when I’m writing, but I listen to Pandora when I’m building PowerPoints or answering email. I have lots of little talismans on my shelves and desk — little bits of beauty or nostalgia — stones, seed pods, charms, baby pictures of my kids. I figure I need all the help I can get!

Q: When did you first realize that you were great at writing stories and making wildly popular books? When did the world realize this, too?

A: Ha! Trick question! I suffer from the all-too-common Imposter’s Syndrome. I’m constantly worried that “they” are going to find out that I don’t know what I’m doing! In the meantime, though, I am in the very lucky position of having a number of books in the pipeline — one almost ready to launch, a couple being illustrated, a couple more at the editorial stage still. And while this momentum doesn’t mean I’ve got it all figured out, it does make me feel legit enough to carry on.

Q: What was the first book that made you cry?

A: There may have been earlier ones, but the one I remember viscerally was Where the Red Fern Grows. I cry a lot when I read aloud. I just finished reading Moon Over Manifest to my girls and I was a sobbing mess at the end.

Q: The greatest honor you’ve ever been given…

A: I’ve received some truly generous public recognition of my work — from a children’s dance troupe adapting my first book (A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes), to Joanne Woodward narrating a video of my second book (All the World), to seeing my third book (Noodle & Lou) in boxes of Cheerios. Not to mention some highly flattering reviews and the Caldecott Honor! But I think it is when I receive letters — from children, parents, and librarians — that I feel most honored. I cannot believe my books are out there in the real world, being read by real people who find themselves moved enough to write to me. It’s mind boggling.

Q: What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

A: Listen to your gut. Then go for it.

Q: And how about the best personal advice?

A: Same as above. The better I get at paying credence to my own intuition, the better my life and work seem to be.

Q: If you could live anywhere else in the world for one year, where would you choose? And why?

A: I have to pick one? There are so many places I’d love to experience more deeply than as a visitor, and so many people I’d like to connect with. (I don’t have a great shoe collection, or a nice car, but I’m always willing to spend all my extra pennies on travel.)

I’d love to live in Mexico or South or Latin America and get my Spanish back in shape; I’d love to live very rurally and become more self-resourceful; I’d love to live in a little apartment in a big European city and walk to the shops and the museums and the cafes. I’d love to live in a some place very, very foreign so that I was knocked off-kilter and had to find my footing again. I’d love to live right next door to my sister so that we could share pots of soup. I’m happy where I am, but there are lots of adventures I’d be open to.

Q: What has been the best, most memorable response to your work from a reader?

A: Besides the letters and emails I receive, the most exciting responses to my work come during school visits. The students I speak with ask the funniest questions and tell the most earnest, heartfelt stories. I think my favorite moments are when one of them will tip-toe up to me after a presentation and say softly, “I’m an author, too.”

Q: If we could only read one of your books, which one would tell us the most about you? How so?

A: Probably All the World. All of my other books are in that book, really. It sounds corny to say, but the love of nature and community, the joy of food and music, the understanding of ups and downs? Those things really are what I care about and believe in and what I hope will show up, in little and big ways, in all my work.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: My next book is called Think Big, and it’s about art — all kinds of art! Illustrator Vanessa Newton used a combination of digital imagery and collage — it’s really exciting. Then, after that, comes a book called Happy Birthday, Bunny, due out in early 2013. The illustrations are almost done on that book, too, and it’s some of the warmest, sweetest work I’ve ever seen (thanks to artist Stephanie Graegin). In the meantime, I’ve promised myself and my critique group that I would finish a draft of a middle grade novel that I’ve had in my head for a long time but can’t seem to get down on paper. Now’s the time…

—-

Thank you, Liz, for adding your warmth to Design Mom. I will miss our email exchanges! Please keep us posted on that young adult novel, will you?

Friends, what would your all-time favorite children’s book tell us about you? Have you ever thought about that?

—-

You can find the entire Author Interview Series here.

Let’s pretend you’re a NY fashion designer. You’ve been the Head Designer at Betsey Johnson, Heatherette, and currently act as a freelance designer for Anna Sui. You are, as they say, major. And then you have a daughter. What do you do then?

If you’re Pamela Thompson, you open up a resale clothing and accessory shop for Barbie dolls, and appoint your baby as CEO!

There’s so much to love about the Tiny Frock Shop. From this flutter-sleeve Angora sweater to a stylin’ surfing suit just in time for beach season, it’s all affordable (Vogue worthy fashion and accessories for 12” dolls for milk money prices!) and accompanied by such cute and real descriptions (“It’s hard to imagine your life before you owned this sweater…” Ha!).

The models are the best dolls in the business — read their awesome bios here — and the behind-the-scenes of the photo shoots are crazy-wonderful! All photographed by Ken, of course.

Whatever your opinions on or experiences with Barbie, doesn’t the Tiny Frock Shop make you smile and maybe even — gasp! — want your own Barbie? Me, too!

P.S. — Growing up, my mom wouldn’t let us play with Barbies! I was also hesitant with my own girls, but then I found super charming handmade clothes on Etsy and didn’t mind as much anymore. How do you feel about Barbie dolls?

Hello, Friends. How’s it going? Will you be doing anything special for Mother’s Day? Maybe a brunch? Breakfast in bed?

I know this can be a really emotional weekend for so many people — maybe you miss your mother, or wish you had a different relationship with your mother, or you’re aching to become a mother, or feeling overwhelmed or inadequate with your mothering duties, or maybe you’re not feeling recognized for your contributions as a mother. For all of you hurting, I feel for you! I’ve absolutely dreaded Mother’s Day on many years.

This year, to make sure I stay in good spirits, I’m keeping my expectations simple: we’ll call our moms, and hopefully I’ll work in a little extra sleep somewhere. That sounds like a perfect Mother’s Day to me!

In other news, do you know what I just did that felt so good? I cleaned up my Pinterest boards. Hah! My boards were looking kind of sad, so I went in and wiped out about half of them. For reals! I’ve consolidated to 18 and think I might get it down to 15 or 16. My kitchen could still use a spring cleaning, but hey, my Pinterest boards are sparkly and bright. : ) How do you like to Pinterest? Do you keep dozens of boards or are you a minimalist? Are you on daily, weekly — or not much at all?

And before I slip off to yet another tangent, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
- Wind-up paper butterflies.
- Rainbow panorama.
- Did this make anyone else cry happy tears?
- White with accents of neutral.
- DIY plant labels. Love this idea!
- Kacy sent me The Night Circus – the visual descriptions are so compelling, I want it to be a movie! Have you read it?
- Also from Kacy, this made me laugh really hard.
- Peppermint lemon sticks.
- Gorgeous new site, Elizabeth Street, interviewed me. You can find it here if you’d like to read it.

I also write for Babble. Here are this week’s posts:
- Got bangs? 15 inspirations for your fringe.
- Introducing Mom, Inc. — a new book that will help you launch your business.
- Luxe Lego jewelry. For reals!
- Your go to source for hipster sunglasses.
- Have you ever wanted to put abstract art in your home? Try these.
- The coolest wallpapers for kids (adults love them too!).

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! And I hope you can find joy on Mother’s Day no matter what. If you’re feeling down, know that I’m rooting for you! I’ll see you back here on Monday. I miss you already.

kisses,
Gabrielle

P.S. — The grass is taller than she is! More from my instagram feed here.

Ready for another Olive Us update? Here’s the extended trailer! Are you still excited? I sure am. And I still have butterflies. You guys had lots of great questions on the last post and I didn’t get a chance to comment, so I’ll answer some of them here.

Q. Is it called Olive Us as in I Love Us? Or, as in All of Us?

A. The second one. It’s Olive Us as in All of Us. Cute, no?

Q. Why Olive? How come she’s so special?

A. Olive is our 3rd child. Third children are notorious for not getting enough attention. Seriously, there are all sorts of books written about birth order and 3rd kids have a hard time of it. So Ben Blair and I have been trying to come up with a project to highlight Olive’s talents. She’s great in front of a camera, so we thought it would be fun to create a little show where she’s the hostess. We knew the other kids would also want to be involved, so the name Olive Us was perfect!

The format of the show has changed since we first conceived it last summer — in fact, the episodes we’ve shot so far don’t feature a hostess at all. But we stuck with the name, and we still think of this as Olive’s project.

Q. How do you feel about kids and privacy on the web?

A. I get asked this question frequently, so I should probably put it in my FAQs. : ) I’m not sure how satisfying my answer will be to you. Basically, it’s never been a thing I’ve worried about. Before I even started blogging, I remember talking to a co-worker about privacy. She asked me: If the New York Times called and wanted to do a profile on you as a graphic designer, would you share your kids’ names? And I was like: Yes! For sure. (I love my kids names and like to tell them to anyone who wants to hear — Ralph, Maude, Olive, Oscar, Betty and Flora June. So great!) But my co-worker was adamant that she would never share her kids names in a public forum like that.

So I suppose it’s just one of those things. Either you’re comfortable with it. Or you’re not. No stress either way. As parents, Ben Blair and I continue to talk about this and so far, we feel good about our decisions.

Q. What is Olive Us about?

A. Ooooh. Good question. And challenging, because we’re still trying to figure out how to describe it. We’re trying lots of things and experimenting with different formats, so the description is still a moving target. But I’ll try: Olive Us will be a show that will appeal to both children and parents. It will be beautiful and inspiring. It will encourage your family to get up and do or make or move.

Episodes will be short — around 2 to 5 minutes. One was shot documentary style. Another is a cooking segment. And another will be a charming cultural peek at life here. What they’ll all share in common is beautifully shot footage, great music, and happy vibes.

Lastly, we aim to show healthy, happy relationships between siblings. We feel worn down by the super-sarcastic dialogue we hear on shows aimed at kids — especially between brothers and sisters. We want to share a more positive take.

Q. Bad mama! Why aren’t the kids wearing helmets during the bike riding scenes?

A. Ugh. So sorry! I should know better than to model a bad habit like that. Will you cut me some slack if I tell you it’s a cultural thing? The only riders I see wearing helmets here in the French countryside are serious road bikers who are prepping for the Tour de France. As for kids on scooters, bikes and skateboards, helmets are pretty much non-existent. So as I was pulling together props and equipment, it didn’t really cross my mind. But again, I should know better! Sorry about that.

Q. When does Olive Us launch?

Next week! The first episode is still being tightened up in editing, but it’s almost done. I hope you will love it! I can’t believe how nervous I am about the whole thing. That’s just the way it goes with a new project — the family has poured heart and soul into this and we want it to be so good!

We bought the url http://oliveus.tv and plan to have all the episodes live there. But something is wonky with the url registration and we seem to be stuck for a minute. I’ll let you know when the site is ready to go. It will have more FAQs, behind the scenes footage, and short bios about the kids. For now, you can watch both trailers here.

Thanks again for all your kind words last week. Such encouragement! I really, truly, sincerely appreciate it.

P.S. — Once again, the music is by Geoff Groberg. And the video was shot and edited by Tiger in a Jar.

Need a last minute gift for Mother’s Day? I can’t recommend Stephanie’s Nielson’s book, Heaven Is Here, highly enough. Her story is so compelling, you will devour it, I swear!

It’s hard for me to imagine that there’s anyone who hasn’t heard of Nie Nie Dialogues — Stephanie’s story or her wonderful blog — but in case it’s new to you, here’s a recap: Stephanie, a young mother of 4, kept a charming and beautiful blog celebrating the joys of being a mother. Then one day, she and her husband were in a devastating plane crash that left her with burns over 80% of her body. I’m sure you can imagine, it was heart-breaking for everyone who knew Stephanie — including her blog readers, and we all kept reading faithfully for any updates or news.

Since 2008, she has slowly and miraculously recovered — and even had baby number 5! She continues to keep up her blog and it is still charming, beautiful and a celebration of the joy of motherhood. It’s one of my daily reads. So inspiring!

Heaven Is Here, is Stephanie’s recently published memoir. And it is seriously gripping. It will make you laugh and cry and it will make you want to be better. I hope you get a chance to read it!

Side note: I met Stephanie for the first time when she was a teenager, because Ben Blair grew up around the corner from Steph’s family. Small world! Stephanie and her sister, Courtney, were even some of my first guest bloggers on Design Mom.

P.S. — Don’t you love giving books as last-minute gifts? What are you giving your mom for Mother’s Day?

Have you heard of The Global Poverty Project? They’ve issued a challenge to live on $1.50 worth of food a day for five days, which is the budget for the over 1.4 billion living in poverty worldwide. It’s shocking and seemingly impossible to imagine or accomplish without much suffering. Even more so when I remember that it’s not a challenge and an actual reality for a whole lot of people.

Heartbreaking.

There’s a video about the five-day challenge here. Would you ever take the dare? I don’t know if I could stick with it.

Blackberries photographed by Brian W. Ferry.

You are going to love today’s giveaway! The super hip shop, House 8810, is offering $150 gift certificate. Hooray!

House 8810 is one my favorite sources for really hip, cool house products. Their wares make fantastic, affordable gifts — perfect for housewarming parties and hostesses. And it’s always fun to browse their site!

$150 goes a long way at House 8810. If I won, I would fill my cart with cute party supplies — like Hello napkins or polkadot straws, new linens to freshen up my kitchen, something fun for the kids, and a wind-up robot for Ben Blair. And I still wouldn’t be anywhere near $150!

Visit House 8810 and leave a comment below to enter. The winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

Bringing the outside in is a highly-used decorating concept and has been for ages, but designer Dorothee Schumacher takes it to a whole new and über cool level. It helps to have a sun room that looks more like a greenhouse. : )

Originally, I wanted to ask you about plants: how many you have in your home and which ones bring you the most happiness and which ones survive even the blackest of thumbs. But, honestly? I really want to talk about Dorothee’s miniature horse! Now that is bringing the outside in!

Do you have pets? Are they allowed in the house? On the furniture? Kitchen counter-tops? In your bed? Tell me everything! I’m so curious!

More of Dorothee’s home on The Selby.

I’m sure I mentioned this last May as well, but this week is celebration overload for our family. Flora June’s birthday comes first, then Betty’s is next (she had breakfast in bed this morning). Then, Mother’s Day jumps on at the end. It’s a lot!

The funny thing is, we have similar weeks throughout the year. Maude and Ben Blair have birthdays a few days apart in March. Ralph and Olive have birthdays right next to each other in August. And my birthday falls near Father’s Day every June.

Do you have any weeks like that at your house? And just curious — do you like the month and day of your birthday? If you could change it, would you? What date would be ideal?

P.S. — Happy Birthday to Betty Blair — she’s now six! I can hardly believe it. She was 2 months old when I started this blog. We’ll be hosting a little birthday party for her in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to it!

As summer break fast approaches, we’re all probably wondering how we’ll fill approximately three months with all kinds of magic and unforgettable moments. Our plans will definitely include libraries and snow-cone stands, and hopefully lots of sunshine. (Sunshine really brightens up memories, doesn’t it?)

Don’t you wish you were headed to summer camp? I’ve been reading more and more about adult-oriented getaways, from slow foodie retreats to gladiator training in Rome and even trapeze arts! My stomach did a flip just imagining flying through the air!

Would you ever steal away? Where would you go and how would you hope to spend your adventure?

P.S. — Are your kids off to camp soon? Are you dreading the goodbye? And do they seem different when they come home again? Sigh. Growing up is a hard thing to allow!

Photo by Sonia Cirse.

One of the speakers at Mom 2.0 was clothing designer, Liz Lange. I LOVED hearing her story. She launched her first maternity line in 1997. That date really stood out to me, because my first baby was born in 1997. For most of my pregnancy, I was working full-time as an art director at Ogilvy & Mather in Athens, Greece — and I ached to be stylish. I clearly remember shopping for maternity clothes right before we moved to Greece and coming home in tears. There was absolutely nothing out there that didn’t make me look and feel awful.

Up till then, the maternity clothing world had been completely neglected. When Liz Lange tried to launch her chic line, she said every single person she talked to told her it was a bad idea. Everybody! Without exception. In fact, one major label even told her: Women don’t care what they look like when they’re pregnant.

Can you even imagine!?!!

But Liz kept at it. And clearly, became a huge success, while heavily influencing the maternity clothing world at the same time. In fact, just a year after her launch, I was pregnant again, and living back in the U.S. In that short amount of time, there had been a real shift in how people thought about maternity wear (thanks in huge part to Liz Lange’s work). People were getting creative.

I remember seeing a few really gorgeous pieces in magazines, but they were sort of marketed as maternity-wear-for-the-stars, and they were definitely out of my reach budget wise. So for pregnancy number 2, I bought regular trousers and added my own stretchy panels. I also bought two-way stretch knit fabric and worked with a seamstress to come up with a few pieces to get me through those 9 months gracefully.

Fast forward to my pregnancy with June, and there were tons of great choices — at lots of price ranges! By that time, Liz Lange had even partnered with Target, and many of us were wearing her pieces. (Fun fact: this year marks the 10th anniversary of Liz Lange + Target. Hooray!) I had so much fun dressing through that pregnancy. What a difference a decade or so can make!

Speaking of great choices, the images on this post are from a maternity line I just barely heard about, called Koka Mama. Isn’t it fantastic? I love how the clothes look in profile.

What has your experience been with maternity clothes? Did you/do you feel like you had great choices? Or do you think the market still needs dozens of new lines? Do you favor close fitting pieces, or loose and airy when you’re pregnant? And tell me: did you/do you wear heels while pregnant? (I totally did!)

P.S. — Another gorgeous maternity line.

Can you believe it? Flora June Blair is officially 2 years old! (Remember her birth story? And her 1st birthday? I’m pretty sure they both happened two seconds ago.)

We had a simple celebration with strawberry shortcake and a few gifts. June thought the whole thing was pretty darn fabulous. And she felt like a champ in her number two dress. It was made by Katy of No Big Dill and is as cute as can be.

Things June likes: singing, dancing, doing anything that her big brothers and sisters are doing. If there is something she can identify that they don’t do (like sit in a high chair), she will reject it out of hand. I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s at least age 10 or 11.

Something else about June: she gets terribly shy around strangers and will curl into me in the snuggliest way.

We’re so lucky to have June in our family. We can’t imagine life without her!

P.S. — Want to make a 2-year-old really happy on their birthday? Light the candles as many times as they want to blow them out. And sing Happy Birthday To You as many times as you can manage. Those two things will equal best-birthday-ever to any toddler on the planet.

Scrolling through Cortnie’s photos made me a little sleepy, and I mean that in the most wonderful way! Her home — despite being filled with twin boys who probably fill up the space with lots of laughter, dirt, and noise! — seems so calm, content, and positively airy. All the perfect conditions for the perfect nap, wouldn’t you agree? It honestly made me think back on my own childhood, especially those lazy afternoons with the ceiling fan making the curtains dance, lulling me into an unexpected slumber. Enjoy the tour, Friends, and be sure to tell me if you had the same reaction to this sweetly sleepy home!

Q: Tell us all about the family who lives here!

A: In our home lives my husband Gary, myself, one huge black and white tomcat, one petite calico, and our twin three year old boys, August and Liam.

Gary teaches English at a community college about 45 minutes away. During those times when he’s home but has a big stack of papers to grade, he hides out at a cafe to actually get some work done! It was a mutually desired plan between us that I would stay at home with the kids, and so far it’s worked out really well. We’ve had to make some sacrifices but I feel very fortunate that we’re able to do it this way.

Although I don’t do anything “official” with my BA in Studio Art, having children has renewed an inspiration in me to create almost everyday — something I do most consistently through photography. I used to have much more angst about making art but upon becoming a mother my curiosity and artistic expression has bloomed.

My husband and I used to be in a band called The Dalloways for a few years and stopped about a year before the boys were born. (We framed an old show flyer of ours to hang in the boys room.) We don’t play with the band at the moment, but my husband plays guitar and we both sing and play a variety of instruments with our boys. Both boys have an affinity for music, playing instruments, pretending to be in marching bands, and making up songs.

All of us love being outdoors and are outside a LOT. That’s kind of the default activity around here — need to find something to do? Let’s go outside! My husband loves running and has recently started training for a half marathon coming up in May. I adore my morning boot camp routine. Did I just say adore? Well, I adore the results part; not the getting up at 5:30 a.m. part! I’m almost always in reach of a camera — either my phone, my trusty old digital, 35mm Minolta, or classic Polaroid camera. Taking photos is a true joy and refuge in my daily life. And blogging. That has become an inspirational life-line of sorts and I value the friend connections I’ve made here. It’s a vital place that has helped fuel me creatively.

Q: How did this home become yours?

A: We stumbled upon our 1952 home in 2002 just months before the soar of the housing market. We had been renting an adorable 1930s 800 sq foot adobe for a year when our landlord told us he needed to sell. Because of the size, we reluctantly decided not to buy our rental and looked for something bigger. We searched and searched in the older parts of town because older homes have always had our hearts.

When we saw our house for the first time it looked like a double-wide from the street, complete with old metal awnings, a decrepit cactus garden, and badly manicured bushes. I was expecting the worst when we walked through the front door but to my delight we were greeted with vaulted wood beamed ceilings, a large open living room, a giant back wall comprised of glass. All of the floors were covered in old shag carpet, outdated dusty drapes hung on all the windows, and there was some pretty hideous brown floral wallpaper in the living room, kitchen and both bathrooms. But when Gary and I looked at all of those things, we only saw the potential of this beautiful house and how we could turn it into our own. Needless to say, we knew this was the one!

Q: What are your favorite parts about it? Any changes on the horizon?

A: The overall mid-century modern look of the house, including the open floor plan, wood-beamed vaulted ceilings, the large built-in counter in the kitchen, wood floors, and the untouched bathrooms complete with their original charming tile are what drew us in initially and they continue to be some of our favorite design elements of the house. We changed a lot of superficial elements inside, pulling up all the carpet and cleaning the wood floors, taking down wallpaper and re-painting several times, and putting in new flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms.

The biggest change we made inside was cutting a walk-way into the wall between the back end of the kitchen into the living room, which created a much needed open flow. Gary and my dad took this project on themselves the first week we moved in! We were exhausted, there was dust everywhere, and our kitchen was unusable for a week. At the time we didn’t have kids yet; thinking of taking on a project like that now just makes me cringe. I think that the exterior of the home and yard have undergone the biggest transformation. Out of the fifteen trees that populate the outside of our home, only four of them were there when we moved in.

My ultimate dream is to remodel the kitchen. I fantasize about new counter tops, open shelving, a more efficient stove range, and the ultimate? A dishwasher! And since I’m dreaming, I might as well throw in a laundry room, too!

Q: What’s your basic philosophy to living with kids? It seems like you integrate them fully into every room, right? Do you ever get the urge for a kid-free space somewhere just for you?

A: For the first eight years of our marriage we had every room decorated just how we wanted — large plants sat on the floor of almost every room, small and breakable knickknacks were displayed without worry, and our beloved books were (and still kind of are) everywhere.

And then the twins arrived. When they started army-crawling, we reluctantly started to kid-proof the house room by room. What we ended up doing was not so much locking up and padding as moving up and eliminating. Plants were moved to higher ground or outside, knickknacks reduced, and our books have been condensed and moved out of reach on the bookshelves while the boys’ books are in easy reach. We don’t have an official philosophy about living with kids, but I guess you could say we have an integrated approach. In our home there aren’t any no-kid zones.

Our bedroom is fairly small but in a design sense, streamlined and uncluttered. I don’t even like to fold laundry in there. It’s the perfect place for my OCD tendencies to thrive. I can’t optimally start my day until the bed is made, clothes hung up, and any clutter removed. As for the rest of the house……let’s just say that’s not the case at all!

Q: How did you approach the decor in their bedrooms? (I love the decals on the ceiling! You really thought about where their eyes would fall, didn’t you?)

A: We were so excited for the arrival of our first children, and this excitement really help me approach the boys’ bedroom with absolute joy and freedom.

The major inspiration were the colors of a jute rug from Ikea and a red dresser that helped determine the whimsical feel. Towards the end of my pregnancy, in the full throes of insane nesting mode, I felt I had to finish their room before they came home. Now I know no room is ever really finished. Artwork and special treasures are always being added here and there.

As far our bedroom, we just painted over the brick-red walls with a beautiful light grey. And as a treat just for me, a closet painted in the perfect shade of lilac.

Q: How would you describe your personal style? Has this changed a lot since the addition of kids in the mix?

A: My husband and I both gravitate towards clean modern lines so prevalent in mid-century design, but I guess you could say we could never be purists. Other important elements of our home must include a cozy lived-in warmth, well-loved furniture found at yard sales, a variety of natural collections, and LOTS of books. And all without being too cluttered.

It sounds cliche, but I believe eclectic pretty much sums it up! And the arrival of August and Liam has only enhanced our design style. They love finding and bringing me snail shells and lost feathers to add to our collection jars. And I love adding their finger paintings and watercolors to the walls.

Q: What are your top tips for creating kid-friendly spaces in your home?

A: I’m constantly re-evaluating different spaces in our home, especially the ones with heavy kid traffic. Without going out and spending a ton on organizing items, I try to strike a balance between function and aesthetics. For instance, I’d love to replace the boys’ closet door in their room with a curtain to help open up the room. But because that closet also functions mostly as a storage space for things we don’t know what to do with, it’s best to keep a solid door on it for now— mostly to deter little curious havoc-wreaking hands. I’m a habitual re-arranger so trying out different solutions to a design dilemma is fun for me.

Q: What do you hope your kids remember about this home?

A: I think of our home as a place of refuge, fun, and most importantly, a place of love. I hope our children’s experience in this home has all of those qualities too!

Q: Where in your home do you spend your favorite part of your day?

A: The whole family spends most of our day in the living room which serves as a playroom, office, napping space and dance floor. In the afternoon, if Gary is home and I can steal a few quiet minutes, I retreat to our bedroom to read a little, catch up on my favorite blogs, or if I’m lucky, a quick nap. I love the light in our bedroom that time of day, serenely and cheerily diffused through the curtains. It’s so peaceful, and a little peace goes a long way around here!

Q: Please finish the sentence: I wish I had known…

A: …that the house doesn’t need to be perfectly decorated — or perfectly clean! — before you entertain friends and family. Living with my boys has taught me to relax and concentrate on what’s really important: being present in the moment and enjoying the company of loved ones. And also, warning guests not to look in closets or under beds!

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Thank you so much, Cortnie! I feel certain that your boys will remember their childhood home as a place of love; even I can feel it just by peeking in through your photographs.

Friends, Cortnie’s words about rooms never really being finished struck a chord with me. We all probably have decorating goals for our own homes,  but do we ever really reach the end of our lists? Isn’t there always something beautiful to add, a new favorite color, or even another memory to be made and documented somehow on the walls or shelves? Have you ever looked at a room in your own home thought it was complete? Yes or no, I’d love to hear all about it!

P.S. — You can find all the homes in my Living With Kids series here. If you’d like to share your home with us, drop me a note! I’d love to hear from you!

Hello, Friends! How are you? I just arrived back in France from Miami. It was a short trip, but it feels so good to be home! My kids have school off today and tomorrow so they were all home when I arrived and came running out of the house with a big welcome sign. Love!

My jet lag is comical at this point, so I’m going to head straight to bed, but I just wanted to say hello and share this fantastic project from Gina of WillowDay. So chic looking! Find the whole tutorial here.

Enjoy! And I’ll see you tomorrow.

P.S. — Did you have a good weekend?

Hello, Friends! As I mentioned, I’m in Miami at Mom 2.0. I am really digging Miami! The weather is straight out of my dreams and the conference hotel is literally on the beach. It’s a short trip — I’ll be back in France on Monday, but it’s always delightful to be in my own country. I spoke earlier today on a panel about What’s Next. I love speaking, but I always get nervous! Do you like public speaking?

Tomorrow night, conference attendees are heading to a party at the Versace(!) mansion. I packed a few options, but I have the feeling that no matter what, I’ll feel under dressed. : ) While I ponder what to wear, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
- Sculpture by the sea.
- Two posts I wrote for Cafémom — Rad Backyard Tents and 6 Inspiring Staircases.
- House flags.
- Fascinated with Noisy Jelly. No really. Thanks, Katherine.
- I curated a baby gift guide for Uncommon Goods. Go see!
- What is it about hanging beds?
- I love this arrangement.

I also write for Babble.com. Here are this week’s posts:
- Look! A preview of the Ikea 2012 PS Collection.
- Instagram pillows!
- One of a kind Mother’s Day gift idea.
- Snuggly baby clothes that will make your ovaries ache.
-15 Spring trends (and how to wear them!)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.

kisses,
Gabrielle

P.S. — Thank you for your kind words about Plan C. And your enthusiasm about Olive Us, too! You are so encouraging and wonderful! Thank you.