Mothers Day 2008 Giveaway #17 — Breakfast in Bed from Williams-Sonoma

Here it is. You've been waiting for it so patiently. The final Mother's Day Giveaway. The finale. The big caboose. (Is that a term?) And as you might expect. It rocks. This Giveaway is worth the wait x 10. Get your comments in now for a super deluxe prize package from the finest kitchen supply store around: Williams-Sonoma.

When I say "super-deluxe" I'm not even kidding. The prize features four items — everything you need for the perfect Mothers Day breakfast in bed. Take a look at the goods:

1) The Breville Electric Citrus Press.
It's sleek. It's powerful. And it works on all of your favorite citrus. From tiny limes to ginormous grapefruits. All you have to do is press down on the handle, and ba-da-boom, the motor starts up and does its thing. Like more pulp? Like less pulp? Either way, you're in luck. Because the Breville comes with two stainless-steel strainer baskets allowing you to adjust the amount of pulp in your juice. Easy clean-up — all removable parts are dishwasher safe. Retails for $169.95.

2) Set of Three Monogrammed Bud Vases.
Charming. Personalized. Hand blown in Poland. You know you want these three little luxuries. Each one has its own unique shape — they look pretty displayed together. Pretty on their own. And they'll add just the right touch to your breakfast tray. Retails for $39.00.

3) Plain & Chocolate Croissants Assortment.
This is not a recipe. This is not a baking mix. This is 30 gorgeous and delicious croissants. Made by pastry chef Jean-Yves Charon in the traditional French style, using butter and ultrathin layers of dough. And butter. Half are chocolate croissants — filled with premium Callebaut chocolate. The other half are un-chocolate (read: plain). Preparation is simple: Thaw. Let rise overnight. Bake to a warm, flaky perfection. Ummm. Yes, please. Retails for $72.00.

4) Cuisinart 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker.
Confession. The whole coffee culture is completely unknown to me. So I won't pretend to understand all the fine qualities of this beautiful machine and will instead give you the lovely description straight from the WS site: "Equally suitable for elegant entertaining or everyday breakfast service, this programmable coffeemaker lets you set a brewing cycle up to 24 hours in advance. It’s equipped with a generous 12-cup, 60 fl.-oz. glass carafe for large gatherings, but also features a special cycle for brewing one to four cups when you don’t need a full pot. The attractive design features a stainless-steel control panel." Sounds good, no? Retails for $59.95.

Is it just me, or is this the perfect Giveaway to end with? Four great items from a company that stocks only the best. Williams-Sonoma is the kind of store that even non-foodies are tempted by. It's just such a pleasant place to be. The displays are charming. The packaging is well-designed. The quality is unmatched.

One of my favorite parts about shopping at Williams-Sonoma is the knowledge of their legendary satisfaction guarantee. If you're not pleased with a Williams-Sonoma gift, they will happily exchange it for a product you'd prefer. But honestly, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be pleased with a Williams-Sonoma gift.

Thank you Williams-Sonoma!

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Mothers Day Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until 1:00 PM EST on Monday, May 12th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-Winner will be randomly picked and announced on Monday night.
-What are Mother's Day Giveaways? Read about them here.

Mothers Day 2008 Giveaway #15 — 12 x 12 Print from MeArt

Giveaway #15 is all about artwork. Artwork that you get to participate in. That you get to help create. The winner of Giveaway #15 will receive a ready-to-frame masterpiece, valued at $285, from Me Art! This is how it works:




Me Art turns your photographs into artwork. Find a favorite photo of your baby, your friend, even your pet. Choose from Me Art's list of styles, and then you can even personalize the artwork with a sentiment or name. Me Art is available in several size options, but the winner of this Giveaway will receive a 12 x 12 Me Art — a single image with personalization in the style of your choice. Retail value: $285.




The image will be produced as a Giclée print on premium artist grade canvas. It will be stretched on 1 ½” heavy duty stretcher bars, ready to hang. If you prefer, you can redeem the $285 for a higher priced item. What a fun way to display a favorite image.

Thank you Me Art!

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Mothers Day Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until 1:00 PM EST on Monday, May 12th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-Winner will be randomly picked and announced on Monday night.
-What are Mother's Day Giveaways? Read about them here.

Mothers Day 2008 Giveaway #6 — Two Bags by SeaCloth

[ Congratulations to Linda C who said, "I heart SeaCloth!" You're the big winner of this Giveaway! Please send me an email at the address listed on my blog and I'll put you in touch with the sponsor. ]

It's time for Giveaway #6. And I have a feeling that the comments are going to fly in for this one. Why? Because the prize is adorable times two. And I wish I could win it and hoard it all to myself. One lucky winner will receive two darling bags from the fine establishment called Sea Cloth. Take a look:



The happy winner will receive the Sky Lattice Sprint Tote, which retails for $125. It's like SeaCloth has managed to distill Spring into a bag. Perfect for an overnighter or a whole weekend or to stuff in everything you need for an afternoon at the park. It's foldable. It's heavyduty. It's just right.



Plus. The winner will also receive the Grass Lattice Large Cosmetic Bag which retails for $95. It's chic. It's practical. It's oversized and waterproof. And it's just the thing to convince you to plan a little weekend to the beach.

Is SeaCloth new to you? Well I highly recommend browsing their website to see the dozens of pretty things they make — all based on the textile designs and artwork of founding partner Susan Harris. My favorite part: they've organized their collections based on color — which makes for very pretty browsing. I'm especially loving the charcoal and the red.




And I just learned there's a SeaCloth shop in Greenwich, Connecticut. That's only a short drive away. I'm thinking a field trip is in order. I bet the store is fantastic!

Thank you to SeaCloth!

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Mothers Day Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until 12:30 PM EST on Wednesday, May 7th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-Winner will be randomly picked and announced on Wednesday evening.
-What are Mother's Day Giveaways? Read about them here.

Annie Selke's Pine Cone Hill — by Guest Mom Allysha

Want to be a kid in a candy store for awhile today? Go on over to Pine Cone Hill, a company by Annie Selke, and spend some time looking around. Guaranteed, you will fall in love with something.

Available here. At trade shows here. You can learn more about Annie and her other companies here.

Anyone up for some armchair traveling? — Guest Mom Allysha

I LOVE this photo blog, Portes et Fenetres (which is French for Doors and Windows). I stumbled across it while looking for pictures of France, where I lived for a year and a half. It is dedicated to photographs of interesting and lovely (you guessed it) doors and windows. The photographers, simply known as Guy fils, Julien, et Guy père (who, I'm guessing, are a father and his sons) capture some beautiful sites in France and abroad. I visit several times a week. It's an inexpensive way to travel.

lotta jansdotter — by Guest Mom Allysha

I love notebooks.

I love notebooks, journals, and anything resembling such. My love of writing combined with my love of pretty paper products means that if I didn't have a decent degree of self-control, my house would be over-run with notebooks of all kinds.

Currently I have 6 (yes, six) different notebooks in regular use, with a few others on the side, including a sketchbook, planner, a notebook for blog ideas, and two all around catch-alls for thoughts, notes, lists, and then there is my actual journal...you get the idea.



A few years ago I came upon this flower journal. It's lovely, isn't it? It's designed by Lotta Jansdotter and I bought it right away. Lotta has some really great stuff; not just notebooks, and such. (And, actually, Gabby posted about tablecloth by Lotta here.)

If I were going for a contemplative day at the park I would bring the following:



This grass journal, to write in. The prika pencil case to keep my writing utensils organized. The sticky notes, because sticky notes are fun, and these are adorable. These cards to sent a sweet note to someone. And this tote, to carry it all in.

Simple Songs Designs

I was just introduced to Simple Song Design's etsy shop — full of fantastic stationery and office supplies. And now I count my self as a devoted fan (those to-do push pins won my heart!). I have to say I'm kind of embarrassed that her work is new-to-me, because she's totally a sk*rt editor.

Hable Construction Sample Sale

One of the many good things about living in New York: Sample Sales. The next one on my calendar is for one of my favorite homegoods and textiles lines, Hable Construction. Check out the dates, details and directions here. And I'll completely understand if you're tempted to plan your next trip around it.

Book Mooch

This weekend I was chatting with some friends about books. And how they can take over my house. I love books. Who doesn't? But sometimes the amount of books in my house can get out of hand and I have to box up a few dozen and drop them by the Salvation Army.

I just saw Book Mooch this morning on sk*rt. It's an online book swap service. And I'm thinking this would be a nice way to make sure that when I'm clearing out books, the especially good ones are going to homes where they'll be appreciated.

Cheap + Easy Wall Art

Very cool! Jennifer Judd-McGee, an artist in Portland, took one of her commissioned works, pictured above, and made it into a giant wall cling for her daughter's room. (Apparently, her daughter had become attached to this particular work of art and was a bit sad to see it go to a client.)

The oversize vinyl cling looks terrific:



It has me thinking up other applications for this smart technique. You can find out just how she made the vinyl cling at Jennifer's blog. And don't you think her daughter's bedroom is adorable?! I'm thinking I should inquire and see if she'd be willing to do a house tour.

Thanks to Linda from Maine for sending the link!

Joel Dewberry Fabrics

Oh look! I've just found my new favorite textile designer. His name is Joel Dewberry. And his designs are gorgeous. Like really gorgeous. Like I need to order a swatch book gorgeous. You can find his fabrics at these shops.

I know I've mentioned it at least 10 times, but I'll say it again: I adore pretty fabric. Textiles are probably my very favorite graphic design application. When asked what I want to be when I grow up, I still answer "a textile designer".

Okay. I'd better sign off for the day. I need to go have a daydream about designing a line of home products for Target using J. Dewberry fabrics.

Kideko Bedding

Have you seen the cute bedding at Kideko? Well-designed, with simple graphics, that would be easy to work with when you're putting a room together. These seem like they would have special appeal for older kids transitioning from a young child's room to a big kid's room.

Block Prints

My sister-in-law has gone into artsy-craftsy-super-mode since baby Hank was born. Awesome! After making a beautiful quilt and an adorable series of socks-turned-stuffed-animals, she moved onto block prints — and listed them in her etsy shop. My favorite is the Olive Tree.

What? You love it too? Well you're in luck. You can win one this week over on Liz's blog.

Color at Pottery Barn

There is more color in the recent Pottery Barn catalog than I think I've ever seen from them. First the Jell-O. Now this. I can't get enough color right now.

Air & Space

Our weekend in D.C. was terrific. I love that town! Something I hadn't seen before: a new branch of the Air & Space Museum located outside the city in Herndon. The facility was massive and gorgeous and chock full of shiny aerospace specimens — including a Space Shuttle, a Concord and the Enola Gay. It was a perfect field trip for school age kids. In fact, the entire city is a perfect field trip for school age kids.

I'll try to report more later. In the meantime, check out these darling posters designed by Robin Rosenthal (a former Martha Art Director). Love the alphadots. Love the chicadees. A great addition for a pre-schooler's bedroom.

Washing Dishes With Style — by Guest Mom Lindsey Rose Johnson

Okay. Seriously — how cool is this automatic soap pump?



When my hands are covered in chicken guts, I don't want to be touching anything until my paws are nice and clean. I love, love, love this Simplehuman Sensor Soap Pump (available from Crate and Barrel or these retailers).

Moving along to sponges. . .

I love my regular old Scotch Brite sponges, but these Scrubby Sponges from The Container Store are positively fetching.



Tired of your boring dish drainer? I know I am.

Check this out--



I don't even know what to say. It's so cool and hip. This is the Dish Doctor Dish Drainer I found over at my new favorite kitchen-related blog, Apartment Therapy NY (a.k.a. The Kitchn).



Yesterday as I donned my yellow latex gloves, I imagined that I was really pulling on a pair of these lovely Couture Dish Gloves from Glovables. I first saw a similar pair at my husband's cousin's home last November. Find other colors and styles here.

Looking for something similar? Check out these Ruffled Dishwashing Gloves from Elizabeth's Embellishments.

The sponge gloves (pictured below) were featured in Real Simple last year. I kind of like them. What do you think? I mean, if Real Simple likes them, then I'm pretty sure I do, too.



When I posted about my favorite dishwashing accessories over on Cafe Johnsonia, several of my readers left comments suggesting I try this lavender dishwashing liquid from Seventh Generation.



After all, isn't "going green" the most stylish thing going right now?

Random Giveaway — Serena & Lily Ben Crib Set

I think I've mentioned that I'm loving this week. I mean how could I not? It's April Fools Day, a new month, new ads in The Marketplace, all sorts of great stuff. The only thing is, I'm not going to be very blog-available for the next few days. I'll be here in New York, but I've got meetings and get togethers and other happy distractions — enough stuff that I may as well be out of town. So I won't have any posts on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this week. But to make up for it, I have a couple of fantastic surprises today. The first one is this very generous Giveaway from Serena & Lily!!



If you've been stopping in at Design Mom from time to time, you already know I'm a big — no huge — fan of Serena & Lily. I really love their concept of children's rooms. Nothing too cutesy-cheesy. No commercial characters. Somehow sophisticated and child-friendly at the same time. Plus super high quality.

From time to time they add new collections to their line-up, and recently they added the Ben (pictured above) and the Francis, (pictured below). Gorgeous right? I'm thinking they're my new Serena & Lily favorites. Very up-to-date. Great colors. Simple designs.



And guess what? Everyone who comments on this post is entered to win the full 3-piece Ben Crib Bedding Set — that's $539 worth of turquoise and coral animal-y loveliness! How delightful. (Plus it's call Ben, so I'm especially fond of it. All of my favorite things are called Ben.)



Questions:
1) Don't need a crib set? I'm willing to bet you know someone who does — and won't you be their favorite person ever when you gift them something so glorious?!

2) Have you fallen for the Serena and Lily as much I have? Then you'll be happy to find out that all Design Mom Readers can get 15% off the entire website with code designmom15 — all the way through April 30th!

3) Not too familiar with Serena & Lily? Well prepare yourself for a treat. It's way beyond bedding for cribs. Find inspiring rooms for girls and boys of all ages. You can ask for their free catalog here.

Because I'll be gone for a few days, I'm extending the entry deadline through Sunday night. Happy commenting! I'll miss checking in this week, but I'll be back Monday — with an excellent Guest Mom too.

Thanks, Serena and Lily!

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

Motivational Posters

I just discovered these "alternative" motivational posters designed by Frederic Terral and available from Right Brain Terrain. And I find them absolutely motivating. So pretty. Lots more to choose from here. Very reasonable prices.

Letter Baking Trays

I'm thinking I should probably own these letter and number baking trays. From their website: "Oven-safe to 572ºF and (-58ºF). Cool to the touch within minutes after baking. Make ice, Jello, butter, chocolate, cookies, muffins, etc... Food cooks and browns evenly. Trays won't retain odors or flavors, and are dishwasher safe. For storing, they fold or bend to fit anywhere."

See. I'm sold. I'm thinking it would be fun to make letter treats for preschool. Or for some sort of alphabet party. Or just for fun.

Little Lark

I just got a sneak preview of the latest designs at Little Lark Letterpress. Available on tees, onesies and cards. I swear I can not get my fill of robots these days.

Ikea's New Fabrics

It's been a couple of months since I've made it out to Ikea, but this line of new prints might make me schedule a trip. I'm craving a sewing project. Found on sk*rt.

Choose Your Own Adventure Vinyl

Aaaahhh. More vinyl love. This very cool Spanish company, called Mono Devinilo, features select designs by their team of artists, and then let you pick the colors you want the design printed in. What? It makes more sense on their website. Go to their collections, choose a category (like robots, for example), and you'll see the designs available and the colors you can choose for each design.

Choice is good.

Tinfoil Reborn

I'm not totally sure why I'm so drawn to these porcelain serving pieces by Lorena Barrezueta. (I've visited her site 5 times so far today.) I know the colors are great. I love that the pieces are hand made. But mostly I think I'm in love with the whole idea of taking such a non-thing — a tinfoil takeout container that's going to end up in your recycling bin — and using it for inspiration. The original container does its job so well, functions so flawlessly, that we forget about it.

Her wares are available on her website, or you can find her seconds at her etsy shop. Found on sk*rt — shocker.

Via Letter

There is something so charming about this service. I would love to receive some actual letters in the mail spelling out — really anything. It wouldn't even matter, it's just so cool. You pick they word. You pick the typeface. Via Letter sends it off. What word will you send?

found on sk*rt

Baileys

Ready for the prettiest thing you'll see all day? Click here.

Design Mom Readers, meet Baileys. Baileys, these are the Design Mom Readers. I think you'll really enjoy getting to know each other.

Every page of the Bailey's website has gorgeous photos of gorgeous household items, but when I clicked on Garden and Eco-Household 1 I almost fainted as the wave of beautiful came at me. Sign me up for one of everything.

Thanks for the great find, Whitney!

Random Giveaway — Kitchen Goodies

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm heading to Austin for SXSW. In fact, I'm heading to the airport in about an hour. But I want to leave you something fun while I'm gone. And what's more fun than an awesome Giveaway? Get your comments in to win a fantastic prize package that will completely brighten up your kitchen. Because spring is coming and bright and fresh and clean is what I'm craving. Yay for Kitchen Goodies! Here's what you could win:


A Gorgeous Cake Stand and 4 Minis from Nora Fleming. retail value: $110.00
Not just any cake stand. This one is from Nora Fleming's brand new line called Pewter and Pearl. It's super pretty. And shiny. And pearly. The minis are too — the winner will receive the pearl-finish bluebird, tree, presents and pumpkin — and they'll look perfect on the pewter cake stand! I've featured the wares from Nora Fleming before, but this pewter and pearl line is my favorite. And for those of you who are new to Nora Fleming, the basic idea is this: one serving piece, with interchangeable "minis" that can reflect a holiday or event. Smart thinking.


A Lovely Apron (winner's choice!) from Indulge Aprons. (retail value up to $60)
Indulge is all about handmade quality. Kristin, the designer behind the shop, loves fresh ideas and likes to introduce new patterns all the time. She can even whip up a custom order exactly to your liking — in case you're one of those "it has to be an original" kind of girls. Definitely check out her shop — so many cute choices! Aprons for kids. Aprons for Moms. Which one will you pick? (And what a fun decision to make.) I like what Kristin says about aprons on her site: "There is just something about wearing a fun apron that brings a little something extra to the chores we face everyday. It really will bring out the domestic goddess in you." So true.


Festive Serving Pieces from Interior Style Home. (retail value $68.00)
Oh yummy color! These melamine lovelies make me smile every time I see them. It would almost be a shame to cover them with food. The winner will receive the Mosaic Platter. A Set of Geo or Floral Trivets — really cute and raised up on little rubber feet. Plus, my favorite: beautiful Floral Salad Servers — I'm thinking they're pretty enough that I'd be looking for excuses to make salad just so I could pull them out and use them. While you're checking out the fab serving pieces, have fun exploring the rest of the collection at Interior Style Home — lots of great items — don't miss the children's art.

Fun prizes, right? Just the kind of thing to bring a breath of fresh air into your home as the season changes. And won't it be lovely to have pretty new things to display after you've done your spring cleaning? Thank you to the wonderful sponsors! Have a great weekend! I'll be back on Monday.

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, March 10th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Oh Yeah. — By Sister Erin

Oh Yeah. This is what turns me on right now:

Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
I have a hard time finding great vanilla beans. You know the withered, crispy things that come in the Schilling can? Not for me. I love this paste. It infuses my cooking with a rich vanilla flavor. I use it in place of vanilla extract and vanilla beans.



In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
I love the way Pollan thinks and writes about food. I don’t think it’s dramatic to say this is a revolutionary take on food and nutritionism today.

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture
I first heard about CSA from Pollan’s book. The concept fascinates me. Apparently you buy a “subscription” into a farm and you receive a weekly box (in season) of fresh picked goodies straight from the farm. Anyone do this? I want details from a subscriber.

The Splendid Table
I love this podcast. Lynne Rossetto Kasper is knowledgeable, passionate and excited about food. The topics are always varied and interesting to the cook and eater alike. I’m inspired every time I listen.


Sho-U Chicken on Dardanelles Dinnerware.

Anthropologie
After picking up a new set of dishes at an after Christmas sale, Anthropologie has become my new favorite place to shop for kitchen things. Pretty, modern and a little funky.

Bon Appetit
Thanks to a dear friend, I’ve been getting Bon Appetit for years, but they recently just changed the format and look of the magazine. I’m in love with it all over again. Check out the March issue for a great article on eating vegetables, a traditional Southern Easter dinner featuring quirky photos, a great family menu.

We’re moving where?!? — by Sister Rachel

As a former military wife I have had lots of addresses, made lots of friends and tried my best to learn from women who had been there before me. Here are a few things I learned about moving that made my life easier, inside and outside of a military life; I hope they will be of use to you too.

Have all your important papers in one place.
I keep mine in a binder and always know where it is. This has saved me more than once when trying to get a new driver’s license or sign kids up in a new school. Click here for a copy of the list I work from and get yours together today. You'll be surprised at how much peace of mind it brings to you to have this in order.

Don’t own anything that you will cry over when it’s broken by the movers.