Bananasauras Rex

How pretty and smart is this dryer-sheet alternative? These are 4" x 4" sachets filled with pure blue/grey French lavender. Throw them in the dryer to lightly scent your linens or lingerie or levis. Each sachet lasts for 10-15 loads and they're sold in packets of three for $6 — that's as little as .13¢ a load. Not bad. Even better, they're made from vintage tablecloths in pretty patterns.



From the same etsy shop, I also love the MamaGoToMarket bag. It has an accordion-fold base that allows it to sit flat for loading and unloading. I like what the product description says: It holds a little less than paper, way more than plastic. This bag is built for endurance but it’s so cute that it won’t embarrass you at the library, the beach or the gym. MamaGoToMarket Bags are strong and flexible — able to carry a heavy load and look great doing it. Not unlike Mama herself.

Nicole Hill Photography

Good news for New Yorkers! One of my favorite photographers — and the artistic mind behind the excellent blog A Little Sussy — will be in New York for a few days and is available for photo shoots. The collage above is a tiny sampling of Nicole's work. Pretty, right? And you also have to check out the photo shoot here.

If New York doesn't work for you, you're still in luck. Nicole says, "If there are about 5 families (or children of families) who will book sessions over a weekend, I will travel anywhere. So grab your friends and fly me out!"

Little Black Book of Style

From time to time I've mentioned my adoration of the Project Runway series — far and away my favorite of the reality shows. I've also mentioned my respect/crush for Tim Gunn and his new show Guide to Style. But frankly, in all my love for Project Runway, I haven't given Nina Garcia, one the judges, much thought.

So when I heard about her new book, The Little Black Book of Style, I thought it was time to give Nina some dedicated attention. That. And the fact that, like I mentioned, I'm really trying to step it up in my daily dressing and I thought this book might help.

And it does help! Things I like about the book: It's beautifully printed. There are fantastic illustrations by Ruben Toledo throughout, making it a pleasure to read. Her description of growing up in Columbia with fashion-forward parents. Her discourse about the difference between fashion and style. Her chapter on inspiration — a list of classic movies to watch and what to watch for. Lots of helpful advice and it's pretty enough to leave on the coffee table.

Mostly, I love getting a better idea of how someone who loves fashion and has studied fashion, thinks about fashion. Something about becoming a mother makes many women want to improve their wardrobe, this book offers some great advice to do just that.

Update: Want even more info on Nina's book? I just noticed that the super-smart Girl con Queso wrote about the same book last week.

Least Likely 2 Breed

Do you have any friends that kind of surprised you when they decided to become mothers? The kind of friends that are a little irreverent? A little rebellious? The kind of friends that make excellent — if a-typical — mothers, even though they would never admit it?

Well. I have friends like that. And now I have the perfect product line to give them as gifts. Three all natural body balms made by Least Likely 2 Breed. There's the Bad Ass Booty Balm for your baby's little sensitive behind. There's the Tough Titties Nipple Rub, because no matter what the well-meaning lactation consultant tells you, even if you're doing it correctly, nursing can be curl-your-toes painful for weeks and weeks. And there's a third balm with such an edgy name that I can't even mention it here on my oh-so-G-rated blog.

In addition to the bad-girl attitude, you'll love this company for what they choose to put in their products and even more for what they leave out. Check out the ingredient lists and feel confident that these products are good for your baby and good for you.

Book of the Week: Freight Train

My friend Rebecca is really, really good at acknowledging birthdays. Knowing I collect Caldecott books, this year she sent me Freight Train, by Donald Crews. It arrived in an Amazon box and when I opened it, I could tell just from the cover it was my new favorite book. Why? Because the freight train's cars are red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple. That's why.

I also love that's it's simultaneously in Spanish and English. I also love that the pictures are simple and clean and styled. There is one picture in the middle of the book of the train in motion that should be framed and hung in every busy child's home.

Freight Train has proved a hit with my 2 year old and the pictures are interesting enough that my older kids have been curious to read it as well. A beautiful book both to read and to display.

Available here.

Dejarnette

Katherine, the artist behind the Dejarnette line of jewelry wrote to me about her Mon Amour necklace, knowing it's something a mother would love. But a mother is a woman first. And frankly, most women would love any of Katherine's creations. Her jewelry is stunning.




For example, this Highest Number necklace.



And this Blowing Bubbles necklace.



And yes, the Mon Amour necklace she originally wrote to me about. You send in a photo. You pick from one of 5 backgrounds. And Katherine makes the necklace just for you. And if you really, really want one, I've got good news. Enter monamour at checkout and you'll get 20% off this lovely necklace.

Moolka

Beachy recently sent me a link to Moolka, an online store that carries the best of the European toys. It's a lovely site and a lovely sight. Question: Why does everything Euro seem so cool? Some of my favorite picks:


This perfectly proportioned Sheep Music Box from Lana Organics.


These Garden Stamps by Djeco.


This HedgeHog Pulltoy by Scratch. And the Children's Aprons by Furnis, pictured above.

Porch Makeover

After reading this article from Blueprint in the spring, I was inspired. A porch makeover is just the thing to make our funny little rental a happier place. Here's what we did to freshen things up:


1) The door:
- Removed the screen door
- Painted the door handle and knocker silver
- Painted the door the perfect shade of green

2) The landscaping:
- Removed all the overgrown shrubs.
- Transplanted better looking plants from crowded parts of the sideyard to the front. I especially love the holly to the left of the porch.




3) The details:
- We replaced our ancient, spiderwebby, light fixture with one from Ikea. It's beautiful. Plus it hangs lower and adds more welcoming light as you approach the house. Ben did the wiring himself.
- We replaced our mailbox with a shiny, red, Swedish one.
- We installed a new doorbell.
- We installed a new house number.



- We added terra cotta pots with combinations of red flowers. Here it is mid-September and the begonias are still trying to hang on. But Betty is doing her best to kill them off. We'll replace the summer flowers with fall mums this weekend.

This was a great project. I love how the green and red details look against the dark grey of the paneling. The green door adds about a thousand gallons of personality. And now we get to say, "It's the house with the green door," when we're giving directions.

You can see even more photos here.

Also. Here is the "before" shot on the day the shrubs were taken out:

PB Teen Finds

Two things caught my eye in the most recent PB Teen catalog:

1) Wirework Letters, $15 each. Displaying one on a shelf or in an office could be cool. More than one looks like overkill to me.

2) Curtains with Pleated bottoms. Umm. School-girl preppy for window wear? Love it.

Jiinkinkids

The artist behind Jiinkinkids created a line of "adoption art" in honor of the little girl she is adopting from China. Sweet, soft images. Printed on stretched matte canvas.

And in case you're curious, Jiinkin is a Mongolian word that means “real, true, actual, authentic & genuine.”

Thanks to Debbie Wickham for the link.

Tom's Shoes

I've got a great new reason to go shoe shopping: Tom's Shoes. Tom, is the tall, bearded fellow in the group photo and he created a line of good-looking, really comfortable (so I hear) shoes. And best of all. Everyone single time someone buys a pair of shoes, Tom donates another pair to a child in need. Buy one. Give one. You can read about it here.





Shoes for babies, men and women. And like I said, they're good-looking too.

Thanks Joslyn!

Giveaway Winner — Backpack & $100 Giftcard from Land's End

Four Hundred and Ninety Eight. That's a lot of entries. Clearly, everyone is the mood to do some shopping. Thank you to all 498 of you for entering the Giveaway. The winner — the lucky one who will be shopping with a Land's End giftcard — is:

Tania who said, "I've been a devotee of Land's End since 1989 - LOVE their stuff, especially for my kids. I'd be thrilled to win this one!"

Congratulations Tania!! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send your info to Land's End right away.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Thank you to Land's End. Hooray for Giveaways!

Goodbye Zanne!

I'm so sad to see Zanne go. What an excellent Guest Mom she has been. Every post full of beautiful pictures and great ideas. I loved getting a glimpse of the artistic life she is creating for herself — a barn converted into a studio, more than one website, a sewing group — the stuff of a thinking, happy mind.

Zanne, I'll be keeping tabs on you at your awesome blog. Thank you for your hard work. Please come back anytime!

Seriously. Don't touch my belly.

I saw this knowing shirt by Molly Anna and want to buy one for every pregnant woman I know. From the product description:

"Maternity Wardrobe $2,408
Nursery Furniture $1,317
Touching my Belly $5
Some things money can't buy.
For everything else, you need cold hard cash."

I mean how sick are you of random strangers touching your belly?

via GoodyBlog

Afternoon Tea Jackets

Oh my goodness. How I love these tea jackets by Robin's Egg Pink! They remind of something that stylish Nie Nie would buy for her lovely daughters if it was ever chilly in Arizona.

Keep in Touch — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair

Ciao Bellas!!!!

I have to admit, I'm not so good at keeping in touch. It's one of the reasons I started blogging. I couldn't keep up with the letters, phone calls and emails. I feel so bad about it. I am lucky enough to have friends and family who, after not seeing or talking to for months or years, we are able to visit like it was yesterday when we last saw each other. So I try to give peeks into my life for my family and friends through my blog.

My best friend called me one day (she lives 3000 miles away) and suggested we start a blog together. So we did. It's starting slowly (busy lives...), but it is gathering momentum and allows us to "see" each other on a more regular basis.

Even though I'm not so good at it anymore, I still love old fashioned letters in the mail or a postcard. I still do write the occasional note, so I gather up pieces and kits of stationary here and there, and sometimes I make my own. Enjoy these print, stationary and letter links and think about your friend you haven't talked to in a while and give them a call, write them a note, or send them an email.

{freshly}blended - Nicole's overview of the Stationary Show in May contains wonderful images of notes, cards and paper.

I love these from skinny happy labels from Every Jot and Tittle


Annacote

{Paper Relics}

at Orange Button

Linda & Harriet


Pearl & Marmalade


Posh Peacock


Studio Olivine

pepperinapress

I've really enjoyed blogging with you this week, and I hope you will keep in touch and visit me (please say hi!) at my blog: ZanneStars, and if you live in the Western MA area, come take a class at LuckyStitches! and make something.