Design Mom

Cardstore Giveaway — Two Winners!

2009-11-20T17:00:00.004-05:00

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

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

Oscar + Betty + New Clothes = Rad

2009-11-20T16:49:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

2009-11-20T15:00:00.005-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find more from Lyndsey at The Stationery Place.

Spread the Word about Alt

2009-11-19T09:10:00.006-05:00

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

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

Spread the Word About Alt and You Could Win Big

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For those of you who think design = beautiful images.

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

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

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

2009-11-18T09:00:00.005-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find more from Lyndsey at The Stationery Place.

Childbirth Story from Amber Johnson

2009-11-18T08:50:00.006-05:00

Hadley Johnson's Stork Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10:15 p.m. — Starts pushing. Ouch.

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

From Amber of Crazy Bloggin' Canuck and Mile High Mamas. Amber is 1 of 5 semi-finalist bloggers in Microsoft Office's Winter Games Contest — you should totally go vote for her!
--------------

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

Reflection on Motherhood from Miranda Anderson

2009-11-18T08:40:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Miranda of Mr. Milo Goes to Washington.

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

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

Say Hello to the Kirtsy Book

2009-11-17T11:01:00.004-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

Need more convincing? Watch this trailer for the book:

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

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

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

2009-11-17T11:00:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ask Design Mom — Embroidery on Stockings

2009-11-16T23:38:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

Fruit & veggie image here. Hello image here.

Ask Design Mom — First Christmas Present

2009-11-16T23:08:00.003-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

Ask Design Mom — Dinner Help

2009-11-16T22:45:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tiny Sprouts Giveaway

2009-11-13T18:04:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book of the Week: Archie & The Pirates

2009-11-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

How I Spent Yesterday

2009-11-13T15:43:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

You can find more of Ralph's photos here.

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

Crewcuts Catalog

2009-11-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Did you see the cover of the latest Crewcuts catalog?

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

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

24 Little Doors

2009-11-11T23:48:00.003-05:00

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

On Roots — by Juli Fraga

2009-11-11T23:23:00.004-05:00

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

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

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

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

****

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Juli Fraga of All About Cute.

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

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

Birth Story from Michelle Jammes

2009-11-11T22:54:00.008-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Michelle Jammes.

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

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

Paper Crafts

2009-11-10T15:41:00.003-05:00

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

A Love Song

2009-11-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Awwww. Drew loves Lynette. How sweet is this?

Moose

2009-11-10T14:59:00.002-05:00

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

For the Holidays

2009-11-09T10:00:00.004-05:00

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

The Best Boring Weekend Ever

2009-11-09T09:30:00.003-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ask Design Mom Week — Baby Names

2009-11-06T11:30:00.004-05:00

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

photo credit here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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