Rare Animals Papercraft

Jenn C just sent me a link to these amazing paper animals — and there are instructions! and lots more animals than I have room to showcase!



The site is hosted by Yamaha Motors. I'm not clear on what the connection is between Yamaha and these gorgeous paper creations, but I've decided I'm not going to think too hard about it. Thanks Jenn!

Cookie's Nesting Blog

Check out the great PoppyTalk article I featured over on Cookie's Nesting blog today. It's all about creating a temporary outdoor kitchen. And here's a peek at some of the other fun stuff I've posted at Cookie lately:



-The Rapplekist Bunk Bed. So amazingly cool.
-Gorgeous Nanimarquina Rugs. Dozens of beautiful choices.
-And a how-to on how your kids can make their own Modern Art Masterpiece.

Maude's Cloud Photos

Unexpected flight entertainment: Maude kept busy with the camera phone shooting the gorgeous pink tinged clouds out the window. There's something grainy and otherworldly that's lovely about them.

Serena & Lily Sale

Serena & Lily are having their first ever sale. That's right. First. Sale. Ever. 168 items have been marked down.

Plus. Here's a bonus for Design Mom Readers. Enter DESIGNSLING at checkout on an order of $100 or more, and you'll be entered to win a Market Sling of your choice ($129 value). Plus, plus. If you'd like to receive the free Serena and Lily catalog, you can sign up here.

Redfish Kids

Yesterday I attended the children's clothing trade show. It comes to New York every August and showcases the spring/summer lines of the following year (a fall/winter one happens earlier in the year). It's a great show. Not too big. Not too small. And really friendly.

As I attended this year I was particularly keeping watch for new or new-to-me lines that I could share with you. And I totally scored. I found all sorts of fantastic companies which I'll be featuring over the next month or so. Just in time for thoughts of back-to-school. The first one up is Redfish Kids.




It's a new, small, boutique line, sized for babies through age 6. And I love every piece. Designed by a brave and talented mother of two from Vancouver, the line is season-less and oh-so-wearable. The dresses are feminine without being princess-y. The prints are colorful but not stereotypically child-like. And it's been picked up by artistic celebs like Diana Krall and Sarah McLachlan.

My favorite piece is the Fisherman Jean (pictured above). It's a unisex design, but made to feel either boyish or girlish with two different fabrics available for the waist lining. Very well constructed and dripping with personality. I would love to see my kids sporting a pair of these.

Geometric Spheres

Check out this very cool art project that my mom planned for my kids. First, she copied a circle template with fold marks onto a stack of 8.5 x 11 cardstock. Then the kids went to town cutting out circles.



Once the circles were cut — some as rings, some as solid circles — five edges of each one were folded along a dotted line. Then folded edges were matched up and attached. The kids tried a glue stick, a stapler and double-sided tape to attach the circles to each other. They preferred the tape.



Once the spheres were constructed, they experimented with adding tissue paper rounds (attached with a glue stick) to the empty circles. And then they hung them over Grandma's kitchen table.



This was definitely a big kid projects. It's not a short one. Maude had the most fun with it because she loves making things and working with her hands. Ralph loved the idea but lost interest after a while — it required too much patience and fine-motor-skills to keep his attention.

I think these spheres are so cool-looking! They'd be fun as party decorations in muliple colors. Or hanging over a dresser in a modern or space-age looking kid's room. Oh. And they're big! The small ones are as big as a child's head. And the big ones are maybe 15 inches across. Which makes for a big impact.

Note: I'm looking for an online source on the template my mom used. In the meantime, the Make blog has a similar idea here.

Presidential Paperdolls

Want to get your kids involved in this year's election? Try these Obama and McCain Paperdoll books. Featuring their wives as well. $7.99 from Dover.

Second 5MFM Interview

Hey. Part 2 of my Five Minutes For Mom interview is up. It's all about my Kirtsy Partnership. And you can find more delightful FMFM interviews here — featuring lovely ladies from blogs like Scribbit, Rocks in My Dryer, and Adventures in Baby Wearing.

And here's a behind-the-scenes shot of the interview for those who are curious about such things (like I am):

Motel Soaps

Last week I referenced some Motel Toiletries. Here's the promised shot (a blurry, camera phone shot taken on the motel's bathroom counter). Nice design for a roadside stop, right? And I like that the conditioner is called Tame.

Haus Party

For my final report from BlogHer, I must share a few details about the Haus Party held on Friday night of the conference. It was a launch party for Mighty Haus (the 3rd arm of the Mighty Goods Trifecta that I mentioned previously here).




It was hosted by the talented Maggie Mason and Melissa Summers. My favorite highlights: 1) Haus Keys hanging from tree branches. Each guest got to choose one to wear as a necklace. 2) Dancing. 3) We were sent off with krispy kremes (in the cute little takeout containers) at the end of the night.

I fully on plan on appropriating all of their smart party ideas at some future event.

BlogHer Shout out

[ I know. I know. You're getting sick of San Francisco reports. Bear with me. Just this one and one other to go. ]

I loved my trip to San Francisco. It was busy, but inspiring. In between the party-throwing and Grandma visiting and nephew holding I was able to spend time with a whole lot of thoughtful, smart, funny, kind women (and even a few great men).

I owe lengthy personal thank yous to Gwen Bell, Jenn the Bloggess, Jesse Engle, Maggie Mason, Melissa Summers, Andrea Scher, Jen Lemen, Tracey Clark, Carla from iVillage, Amy Turn Sharp, Joslyn Taylor, Kyran Pittman, Karen Walrond, Isabel Kallman, Scribbit, Janice & Susan, Stephanie Precourt, Liz Gumbinner, Motherhood Uncensored, Shannon Lowe, Her Bad Mother, Oh the Joys, Jon Armstrong and Guy Kawasaki for a continuous stream of fascinating conversation. It's hard to imagine a more interesting group of people to encounter in one weekend.

And most of all, thank you to Laura Mayes and Laurie Smithwick who don't mind even a little bit that I skip out on all the conference classes and just chat it up with people in the hallway.

photo of the kirtsy three by the ever talented Tracey Clark.

Rudi & Daisy

Last year, the BlogHer conference was in Chicago. I don't know a soul in Chicago. This year, BlogHer was in San Francisco. And I have all sorts of friends and relations in San Francisco. Which is wonderful. And which means I spent about half my conference time visiting family.

On Friday afternoon, my dear Aunt Robin K, my cousin Scott and his darling girlfriend, all stopped by the St. Francis — the hotel hosting the conference. We chatted in the ballroom and ate free conference candy bars.



On Saturday, Jordan and I spent a lovely morning at Grandma Rudi's house in Menlo Park. She is all about whatever is in the news, so basically she just wanted to check out CNN on my iphone. And talk about Obama.



From Grandma Rudi's, we headed to Grandma Daisy's house in San Carlos. Daisy still lives in the house where my father grew up, and I love to be there. Daisy is regal and her favorite color is purple. Happily, it was kind of a bonus visit — my super-cool uncle Mark and Aunt Robin S were also there. A great visit. Too short.

It's fine by me if BlogHer is held in San Francisco forever more. I don't see my California family nearly often enough.

Side note: on the way to see the Grandmas, Jordan and I swung by the Ferry Building so we could pick up some Recchiuti chocolates to give them. Mmmmmm. You should probably go get some right now (try the Fleur de Sel caramels). Plus, I kind of want to move in to the Ferry Building. It is a happy place.

The Sentinel

San Francisco food highlight: Jordan and I picked up lunch at The Sentinel before we set off for Guy's house. Then. The next day we ate there again when we met our friend Audrey for lunch. Pretty much, I would eat there every day if I could. So dang yummy.

The menu changes daily. And the chef, Dennis Leary, preps everything himself. The line moves fast, so don't be intimidated if there is a wait.

BlogHer HP Scholarship Winner

Weeks ago — right before I left for San Francisco — I hosted a generous BlogHer Scholarship Giveaway sponsored by HP. And today's the day where I announce the lucky winner.

Congratulations to Nicole who said, "I've seen you a few times in passing here at BlogHer and would love to meet you. What an awesome giveaway. How cool is HP!? I tried out the touch screen today...so very cool. Thanks for offering such a wonderful giveaway! :)"

Yay for Nicole! Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll get your info to the sponsor asap. I hope you had a wonderful time at BlogHer. And I hope this check will help payback some of the costs.

Jordan and Paul's Apartment

Another highlight of my San Francisco trip was getting to stay at Jordan and Paul's house because: a) I could bond with Handsome Moses, b) I was able to see the wallpaper in person (it is gorgeous!) and c) I could borrow from Jordan's closet as needed.

Mostly, I was so grateful to Jordan for doing the event planning for the Kirtsy/Alltop Party. There are few things I enjoy more than working on a big event with my siblings. My brothers and sisters get along best when there's a challenging project in front of us.

Kirtsy/Alltop Party

After the 5MFM interview on Thursday morning, I went straight to Guy Kawasaki's house to help with preparations for the big Kirtsy-Alltop Party. And all the work, work, work paid off. The party was a red hot, super-cool, smash hit — thanks to our generous sponsors and friends like Stephanie from ListenShare and Trae and Jim from YouData.





There was a photo station with a bowl full of fake mustaches acquired by Jordan, and glam dressups provided by Mrs. Kawasaki, and the talented Ms. Juliann behind the camera. There was a button-making booth manned by the highly creative Emily. There was a vintage, red, Italian typewriter where you could type a quick Hello (in lieu of a guestbook). There was amazing food by PSRT Catering. There was amazing swag. The best part: the fabilicious guests of course.





If you get a chance to browse the party photos, you won't be disappointed. And you can see even more here.

Five Minutes for Mom

Here it is, weeks after the event, but I'm just now posting about my adventures in San Francisco. I arrived there very late on Wednesday night, July 16th. The first thing I did on Thursday morning was meet up with the 5 Minutes for Mom Twins — Janice and Susan — for an interview.

This was a delightful way to spend a morning and a huge learning experience for me. It was by far the most formal interview I've taken part in — with a set, real lighting, multiple cameras, multiple takes, interview questions submitted early to ensure relevant conversation, even hair and makeup services. There's nothing like getting your nose powdered between takes to make you feel officially official.

Janice and Susan were such a treat. So enthusiastic about the interview. Endlessly interesting to talk with. I loved seeing them interact as both sisters and business partners. And I loved learning about their entrepreneurial history and discussing their new site redesign. What an inspiring, dynamic pair!


The interview with me was shot in four parts. You can see the first one here.


And you can get a glimpse of all the interviews by watching the trailer here.

Patriotic

I'm back at my desk and I just uploaded a July's worth of photos. One of my favorites is this stack of red, white & blue clothing waiting patiently for the kids to wake up on the 4th of July. It seems like a million years ago already.

Vacation Week Two

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creamies

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

Salt Lake Blog Meetup/Movie Night at the Park!

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

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

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

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

You can find out more of the outdoor screening here.

Wish You Were Here

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cache Valley

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

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

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

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