Giveaway Reminder: Lego Cufflinks

A little reminder: the fantastic Lego Cufflinks Giveaway ends tonight (Thursday) at midnight PST. To enter, just leave a comment — any comment over on that post. The winner will be randomly picked and announced in the morning.

I heart legos. I heart cufflinks.

Jezebel

Stationery Show find #2: The silhouette work at Jezebel is captivating.

Order per card or by boxes of 6 or 7.

Book of the Week: Sock & Glove

I'm so enamored with this book by Miyako Kanamori. I've totally got a book crush.

The cover is charming and I opened it expecting a simple but excellent how-to book, and found it was so much more. This is no skimpy volume. Before the instruction section even begins, the author spends the first 40 pages introducing us to the 13 different sock-and-glove animals — and their outfits — through a happy story and excellent photography.

The creatures, including monkeys, elephants, piglets, bunnies — even a fish, have the perfect detailing and are just too yummy for words. It's my two-year-old's new favorite book.

I can't say enough about the photography and styling. Just a really well-done book. I wish I could show you every page.

I haven't tried my hand at making any of the toys yet, but I have been setting aside potential sock candidates. I'm thinking these could be fun for my older kids to make and give to the babies. We'll see. . .

Find it here from Penguin Publishers.

April & May Giveaway Winners

When you win a Giveaway here at Design Mom, you're invited to send in a bio and photo so we can get to know you a bit better. This is a fairly new tradition — we've only done this for a few months — but I already love it! And today's the day we get to meet some of the lovely (and lucky) winners. There were 4 winners in April and there were 18(!) winners in May. Here, 13 of the April & May winners are featured:


Hello, my name is Rachel. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle. I love to travel. I have a degree in graphic design and an insatiable love for photography. I am a new mother to my little baby Vienna. I love peonies in the spring, playing music at all times, cooking lovely treats, and working them off through biking, yoga + running.


My name is Laura Barlow and I live in Larchmont, NY with my two daughters and my husband Ben. Here are 5 things about me...
1) I love vacations...I LIVE for vacations. Not sure if it's the actual destination or the escape from every day life that makes me so excited. Vacations are a priority in my life and I'm always planning our next trip. The perfect vacation to me is sitting on a beach somewhere. It doesn't matter where as long as it's warm, there's a good book and good company.
2) I love holidays and believe that each should be celebrated with a zeal and enthusiasm found in few. During the Christmas season I am often referred to as the Christmas Nazi which I take as a compliment because it means I'm doing my job!
3) I studied Home Ec with an Interior Design emphasis at college. At the time everyone laughed at my choice...who's laughing now! It has served me well and taught me many things that help me be a better mother.
4) I love being creative. Scrapbooking, sewing and these days blogging are my outlets of choice!
5) In my dream world, i would be a party planner. I love organizing events, planning parties and giving people an excuse to have a great time. Or I would open a fine linen store that sold beautiful bedding. I would call it Cloud Nine.


Joanne G:
I am a 30 year old stay at home mom to a beautiful, boy, James; born June of 2006. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration and a Masters in Art Education. My home is in WNY. The majority of my time is devoted to my son and adjusting to life as a first time mom. Yes, he is finally sleeping through the night! I try to use any free time I have for creativity. My latest projects revolve around sewing. I also enjoy drawing, painting, photography, reading, writing, and of course blogging here and here. I am married to Jake, the greatest man in the world & my soulmate, and we have one annoying but loveable pooch, Teddy.


Here's a bit about Angela Flynn:
Mother of 2 fantastic kids. Wife of talented artist, with whom I run Simply Silhouettes out of our dining room studio. Here are a few of my favorite things: magazines & catalogs, swedish fish, dishes, Everything but the Girl, fabric and the beach. Now happily residing in the Pacific Northwest after being a midwesterner for the past decade.


My name is Robyn Davie. My family and I live in a small mountain valley in the west, while building our home in a nearby city. I have been married for 12 years to a wonderful, brilliant man whom I love very much. A few months after I completed a BS in management we started our family, and I've loved being a mom ever since. We've raised our children (ages 1-8) while living in Salt Lake, Guadalajara, and Puerto Rico. I enjoy refinishing furniture, photography, and cooking. I frequent thrift stores to find treasures and use coupons obsessively. I've recently become vegan…most of the time. I love the shirt from Pronk that I won, and will continue being a faithful reader of Design Mom!


Kristy Williams
I am out of the country for a while, so I don't have access to any pictures of me at the moment. But here's a quick bio: I am a hopefully-someday-soon mother currently taking a summer to travel with my husband before relocating to Boston. Until last week I lived in Phoenix, Arizona and enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, and dreaming up what my house will look like someday.


After working in the marketing communications field for 7 years, Holly O. left that behind almost 2 years ago when she and her husband welcomed their first child. She spends her days scrapbooking, making cards, doing some graphic design work from a home office, and mostly playing with her little boy. In April, she added blogging to her list of daily must-do’s. A native of Chicago, she currently lives in the desert of the Southwest and, after 2 years, is still adjusting to the heat. Holly will welcome baby boy #2 in July.


Mona is an island girl from Saipan living in Seattle and staying out of the rain, mostly. She loves clean lines, the color "sea foam," and anything that makes her one-year-old laugh hysterically. You can find her at her blog, "Hello Insomnia."


I'm Kaila Lifferth. I have an awesome husband, Noah, and two adorable children (Gabrielle, 5 and Alex, 2). I graduated from university in vocal performance and now teach voice lessons out of my home. When I'm not teaching a voice lesson or running after my children (or cooking or cleaning or doing laundry. . .), I blog as factotum. In addition to blogging, I enjoy reading, traveling, or decorating my house. Oh, and I'm loving the giveaways!


my name is mere. i'm a new mom. i studied philosophy and hope one day to write children's books with philosophical themes with my illustrator husband. i'm going back to work soon and so my time consists now of preparing my husband in all things baby since he will be a stay at home dad. very exciting. my blog is here.


My name is Emily Spencer. I am 32 years old and I live in Utah with my husband and four kids. I am a registered nurse but right now I am home full time with the kids. I love being a mom and homemaker although it doesn't always come easily for me. But I am learning! When I have free time I enjoy cooking, entertaining, interior decorating, hiking, and spending time with family and friends...oh and reading great blogs like Design Mom. Someday, when I have even more free time I hope to return to some of my old hobbies - reading, singing, playing the piano, skiing, and playing tennis.


I am a 30 year old spunky and yet thoughtful, witty and yet wise (on occasion!) pastor's wife. I blog regularly about anything and everything as my hobby. I'm an energetic homeschooling mom of four little boys ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 7. I love to be outside when the weather is nice and would play team soccer if I still could! I am an American living in Canada. That's me in a nutshell.


I'm Elizabeth aka GardenGirl. From April until October I can be found in my English Cottage style garden. When I'm not outside tending my flowers, I can be found inside homeschooling and reading to my three kids. (Love your book recommendations, Gabrielle!) My husband and I will celebrate our 20 year anniversary this year!!! I'm also a huge advocate of adoption and lead an adoption support group/ministry at our church. I'm addicted to reading blogs and visit a wide variety. Design Mom became an instant daily read! I loved everything about it and THEN I found out they had give-aways! Icing on the cake:)

Giveaway: Lego Cufflinks by Jacqueline Sanchez

It's wonderful Wednesday. It's the end of May. It's time to look ahead to June. Let's do a giveaway for the men in our lives — to help us get in gear for Father's Day. The talented Jacqueline Sanchez sent me a link to her Forever Young line of lego-based-jewelry and I was an instant fan. So we set up a Giveaway for a pair of impeccably designed, finely crafted, absolutely happy LEGO CUFFLINKS!!




What's not to love? Legos are practically a symbol of parenthood. You can find them tucked into the corner of many a child-filled home. When you step on random piece in the middle of the night and muffle your scream of pain so as not to wake your slumbering children, legos serve as a not-so-subtle reminder that your priorities are in order, that your children are cherished.

These lego cufflinks let you wear your parenthood on your sleeve — like a badge of honor. Plus, they're a good compromise for the man who is all grown-up and working for his family's benefit, but still loves a good toy. But don't let the playful aspect fool you — all of Jacqueline's jewelry is exquisitely made and a bit extravagant. The winner of today's Giveaway can choose their cufflinks: red squared or black rounded like the ones above. Or. The winner can contact Ms. Jacqueline herself and she'll tell you the additional colors that are available. Her cufflinks retail for $150 — a perfect Father's Day Gift splurge.

Ladies, you're also in luck. Jacqueline designs lovely lego jewelry for Mom as well. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces rings. Everything made from the finest sterling silver — and plastic legos. Some pieces are blinged-up with diamonds and gold.






If legos aren't your thing, you'll definitely want to check out Jacqueline's other jewelry lines. She's a woman of many talents. She even offers a gorgeous bridal line and stunning custom work. What a fun find!

Thank you Jacqueline Sanchez!

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

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Thursday, May 31st to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Bocce

During our Memorial Day bar-be-que, the men gathered in a corner of the yard for a game of bocce. I love this game. Actually, I really know very little about this game, but I think the equipment is probably the most beautiful of any sport, and therefore I'm a big fan.

I was first introduced to the game under the name petanque by my brother-in-law Mark Sabey. He walked into the yard with a worn bucket full of heavy, etched, metal spheres and I quickly made a mental note that petanque ownership was a must.




After the initial introduction, I started seeing bocce sets all over the place and eventually figured out they were the same thing. From what I understand, bocce is the Italian name for the game, and petanque is the French name. (If there are other big differences and I'm making a big sport faux-pas here, my apologies.)

This is a perfect yard game. Great for all ages. Easy to involve kids. You kind of meander around the yard as you play which is lovely. You can find sets pretty much anywhere. Target, ebay, Costco. But I've never seen one quite as wonderful as the aged one that captured my heart initially.

The amazing photo of the petanque player is from Someday Somewhere. Aren't those colors fabulous? The bocce set image is from Business Week.

The Stationery Show 2007

The stationery show was just wonderful. This was the first year I attended as a member of the press and it was the coolest thing ever. I could ask more questions, and more personal questions. And because I wasn't there to place orders, there was no sales pitch. It was just really, really good. I was able to have great conversations with about 30 different vendors/artists — a tiny fraction of who was at the show — but still wonderful. I'll be posting about many of these vendors over the next weeks.

In these pictures, you can see the registration area at the convention center and a pile of all the pretty business cards and brochures I picked up. I tell you, it was a feast for the eyes.

Warm Biscuit Fabrics

The other day I received 2 emails from 2 different readers about Warm Biscuit's excellent vintage fabric collection. I love having a new fabric source! These are a few patterns that caught my eye.

Calendars by Herman Yu

Stationery Show Find 1: Gorgeous calendars by Herman Yu.

Just the right size to be pretty on the wall. You can see the full 2007 calendar pages here. And I was promised that 2008 is just as pretty. FYI: Herman is a woman.

Quick Report

Two things:


1) Thank you to everyone who helped make Ask-Design-Mom-Week so much fun. I loved seeing dozens of brilliant ideas submitted by clever readers. There are still 2 or 3 questions that I haven't added my own two cents to, but I'll try as I have a few minutes here and there . . .


2) As I mentioned earlier, Friday morning I attended a fundraising breakfast at the UN for Rescue a Million. I learned a bunch. Initially, I was a bit confused by the group's focus on both children and the environment (do gooding based on PC?) but it was explained that by adding the environmental component — having in-need communities planting and harvesting fast-growing hardwood trees — that more funds became available for the children. I thought it was an interesting approach.

Also, apparently micro loans are typically offered only to the marginally poor — people who have once had a job but have fallen on hard times — who have some basic marketable skills. But one organization that presented at the breakfast was setting up micro loans with the poorest of the poor — the leper communities in India — with great success. I was really impressed.

Plus, it was lovely and interesting to be at the UN building. I had never had opportunity to visit before. Adorning the walls throughout the complex are art pieces donated by UN Nations and representative of those Nations. I wish I'd had more time to explore.

Giveaway Winner: Craftsbury Kids Luxe Baby Set

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day. We worked and worked in the house and the yard all day which I found terrifically satisfying. Then we BBQ'd in the evening. The weather was perfect. And extra bonus: Olive, our number 3, lost her first tooth. We went to bed tired and happy.

Thank you for checking in over the weekend to enter the Craftsbury Kids Giveaway — the lucky winner is Zobars who said... "Wow the people at Craftsbury are too good. My son would look so good in the kimono"

Congratulations, Zobars! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send your info along to Craftsbury Kids.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to Craftsbury Kids. And thanks for reading. Didn't win today? Don't despair — there will be another terrific Giveaway tomorrow!

Giveaway: Luxe Baby Set from Craftsbury Kids

It's Memorial Day Weekend. And although school doesn't let out in these parts for another several weeks, Memorial Day always feels like the start of summer to me. Which is something that should really be commemorated with an excellent Giveaway, wouldn't you say? So enter your comment right away to win a luxurious baby collection from Craftsbury Kids — featuring the legendary BINTH BABY BOOK, BABY BEAR SHOP TRAVEL SET, and a KATE QUINN KIMONO BODY SUIT!!



Craftsbury Kids has done an amazing job of becoming a go-to source for truly unique children's items. From their website: We offer a collection of remarkable goods for children. Sweet and elegant, many of the items are made by hand, all are a breath of fresh air in a modern gadget-filled world. With a quirky sense of playful charm and beauty, our toys, art, clothing and decor are the answer for parents who want something more. And I'm in complete agreement. Craftsbury Kids has so many lovely items I've seen nowhere else. Let me tell you a bit about what today's Giveaway winner will receive.



1) The Baby Book by Binth.
Likely this is the most wonderful baby book on the market. I covet it for sure. I've blogged about it before, and I was so happy to see it in person at Binth's booth in the Stationery Show and meet the worthy designers who created it. Just as you might suspect, it was even lovelier in real life. It's entirely screen-printed and comes in an heirloom box — every detail attended to. This book retails for $110, which can feel like a splurge for many parents, so it's extra-nice that you can win this one for free!


2) Mother & Baby Travel Set by Baby Bear Shop.
Love this Mama Belly Oil and Cheeky Baby Butter — packaged together in coppery/white polka dot organza pouch — so pretty. Aromatic organic body oil for mom and shea butter baby creme for baby. Created by a family that was plagued by allergies, these products are as pure and luxurious as any you can find.


3) Kimino Body Suit in Clover by Kate Quinn Organics.
How yummy is this bodysuit in mellow clover green? It looks so cozy. I would put my baby in one of these every day, all year long. Made from 100% certified organic cotton rib.

Some of my other favorites at Craftsbury:


The Artfolio Drawing Tote (available in 3 great fabric choices).



An inspiring, varied and extensive collection of Wall Art.


Darling play Sugar Cookies.

So many wonderful products! Reading about the thinking and philosophy behind Craftsbury Kids is so satisfying. I like their image of a collection of toys made by artists and intended to be cherished and saved for the next generation. The majority of Craftsbury's products are handcrafted by independent artisans and small cottage industries. You can get to know the artists and companies behind the Craftsbury Kids Collection here.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! In addition to hanging out by the BBQ, you can ponder the perfect person to receive this amazing gift set. . .

Thank you Craftsbury Kids!

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

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, May 28th (Memorial Day) 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.

Ask Design Mom: Waterproof Bibs

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Hello Design Mom! I have just been introduced to your site and I am LOVING it! I have been reading through the archives so that I can get caught up and not miss a single post. I ran across the "Let's Make Some Bibs" post (such a cute idea and so simple) when a thought came to my mind. I have a 6 month old slobber/teether who soaks through about 3 or 4 bibs a day — I can't keep her dry! Any suggestions of how to keep bibs from soaking through to her cute clothes, in turn keeping her dry? I have seen some plastic/vinyl lined ones in the stores, but would prefer something more appealing. I guess I could line my own with some sort of waterproof material from the fabric store. Any ideas? — Carly Farnsworth

Design Mom Answer:
Smart question, Carly. Drooling babies are a fact of life, but luckily the drooling stage is pretty temporary. Personally, I think your idea of lining your own bibs with a waterproof material is genius — you don't need my help at all!



But if you're really not up for a project, I would recommend keeping watch for oilcloth bibs like these. Oilcloth often comes in really fun and funky retro prints that are really appealing. And oilcloth will do an excellent job of keeping your baby dry.

Design Mom Readers, how do you keep your babies dry?