Seeing the Everyday

There's a newly launched magazine that has completely hit a soft spot for me. Seeing the Everyday.

First of all, it's gorgeous. (And you know I have kind of an obnoxious why-bother? attitude about anything poorly designed.) The photography is excellent. The layouts are well thought out. The paper has a lovely feel. It's a pleasure to hold and read.

Second, the concept is unlike anything I've seen out there on the magazine racks. And it is needed. And at the end of the day, really important. Seeing the Everyday aims to cover the "in-between" moments of parenthood. The non-events that actually make up the bulk of the act of parenting. To shed light on how important these small moments are.

I found the stories and articles authentic and compelling — and loved them for being affirming and positive without being patronizing. I was wiping the tears right and left as I read cover to cover (I'm not kidding when I say it hit a soft spot with me). If it celebrates parenthood and families I can typically be counted as a fan. I'm fully aware that parenting is the most important and meaningful thing most of us will do in our lifetime. It is always good for me to be reminded that the birthday parties and big events aren't any more important than the down days — and probably much less important.

Lastly, Seeing the Everyday is ad free. As in sans ads. As in there aren't any advertisements. No really. (And of course, this is partly why it's so gorgeous.) Consider how lovely that is. Every page is content. Every page is beautiful. How to get one? Via internet of course. Sign up for your subscription here. If you check it out, I'd love to hear what you think.

Baobab Clothing

Another boutique Australian clothing line I've fallen for — say Hello to Baobab. The tulle skirt. The dragon graphic. All the stripes. And a haven't-seen-one-before-and-I'm-in-love kimono hoodie. Oh how wonderful.

Winners — Five Books from Blurb

Oh Goody! Five winners today. Five winners that get to make super cool Blurb books. Delightful! Thank you so much to everyone for participating. And congratulations to the lucky winners:

1) Annie who said, "This is the blurbiest!"
2) Tawnya who said, "Oh, I can't even say how badly I want this."
3) wishful thinking who said, "oooh, please pick me! I have been wanting to make a cookbook of my favorite recipes!"
4) Emily and Nikolas who said, "Perfect timing, I'm dying to make a book all about our little boy's 1st year of life- he'll be one next month!"
5) Allysha who said, "please, me!!"

Hooray for the winners! Please email me from the link on my blog so I know that you know you won and I'll get you your Blurb code right away.

Thank you to Blurb!

The Sk*rt Paramount Meetup

This is really going to be a fantastic week. Laurie and Laura are coming to New York and we have a jam-packed schedule full of business meetings and lunches and get togethers and drop bys for sk*rt. On Thursday or Friday we're even hoping to make it to at least a little bit of the BlogHer Business conference. But the coolest part of the week will definitely be Wednesday night.

We want to make sure we get to see friends and internet buddies while we're all together, so we're hosting a fabulous meetup. Here's the 411:

The Sk*rt Paramount Meetup
NYC Wed. April 2, 8 p.m.
Paramount Bar
235 W 46th St (@ 8th Avenue)



par·a·mount [par-uh-mount] –adjective: Of highest importance, chief in importance or significance.

If you’re sk*rty or (Design Mom-y) and you happen to be in NYC, we are going to have a get together on Wednesday, April 2 at 8 p.m. at the Paramount Bar at 235 W 46th St (@ 8th Avenue).

And we totally want you to be there. It's paramount. Plus, just in case you need more convincing, check this out:

Blurb, the super-cool custom bookmaking company — the very same one that just hosted a Giveaway right here on Design Mom — will treat all sk*rty paramount meetupers to a free book! Whoohoo! That's right. Everyone that attends will get a code to make a free Blurb book. Everyone.




Make a cookbook. Make a wedding album. Make a book for Mother’s Day. Make whatever book you like. Or try the famous and exclusive Blurb Slurp: Your blog. Automatically slurped into a real book. So freaking cool. Now, it’s even more paramount that we get together.

Seriously. Can't wait to see you. And give you a Blurb certificate. Let me know if you can make it!

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.

Hanging with Guy at Gansevoort

So I've been blogging for a year and half or so. And I still love it. Loooovvve it. For lots of reasons. One of which is the unexpected and unpredictable opportunities that come up through all these interweb connections. Things like realizing companies want to give free stuff to my readers, making crafts at Martha's studio, and the chance to start a cool website. But one my the most unexpected experiences so far happened last Wednesday night.

Guy Kawasaki was in New York. He had recently become aware of sk*rt and decided he was a fan. He happened to meet Laura (my sk*rt partner) after a panel at SXSW, and then met Laurie (my other sk*rt partner) in Charlotte at a conference. So of course he figured he better complete the meeting of the sk*rt trio by catching up with me in New York.

I'm sure some of you out there don't know much about Guy — but your husbands and boyfriends will — especially if they're even slightly techie. Guy Kawasaki is one of the most well respected men in the business and technology world. He is best known as the Apple Evangelist, the man who helped the world realize how much we all love Apple products. He's an entrepreneur — a starter of excellent websites like Truemors and Alltop. A connector of people. Author of nine books. Super smart — wise even. Super nice. If you want him to speak to your company about innovation or motivation — and he is consistently in high demand — you'll need to pay from $45,000 to $55,000. He's that cool.



So Wednesday night I hung out with him in his hotel lobby (whoever was hosting him had put him up at the super-chic-impossible-to-pronounce-hotel in the meatpacking district). We talked for an hour and a half. Just me and Guy. Having very frank conversation about building websites, selling advertising, answering email, politics, venture capitalist funding, giving interviews, site traffic, ad networks, failing, how much money can be made at different types of ventures, and how Guy likes to play hockey (every single day). No agenda. Nothing to accomplish. Just hanging out.

He had been up and traveling at 4:00 am that morning, and I kept him up way past his bedtime. But how could I pass up the opportunity to hang out with such an interesting person for as long as possible?

Best thing about Guy Kawasaki: he's an incredibly nice person. And I wish him only the best of luck in all of his ventures. And especially in the hockey rink.

Oliver + S Children's Clothing Patterns

Good morning! You may have noticed my missing posts on Friday. I'll explain. We had dear, dear friends come visit for the night on their way to Jamaica, and I spent the morning straightening up. While doing so, I realized I had better spend the entire day straightening up because the house was in such a state of disgust-o. But I missed you terribly.

So today I have big plans to post lots and lots of cool things so that I can get back into your good graces — plus I'll announce 5 winners for the Blurb Giveaway. Yay!



Let me start by sharing this fantastic site where you can find simple, contemporary patterns for children's clothing. It's called Oliver + S and the patterns are designed by the talented Liesl Gibson. Although modeled by adorable paper dolls, these patterns are indeed very real and, I've been assured, will allow even not-very-good-sewers (that would be me) to whip up something darling for the kiddies.



Extra fun: while you're busy at the sewing machine, your little ones can keep themselves busy with the actual paper dolls included with every order.

By the way, we loved having Wes and Em come to visit. We could talk with them forever.

Random Giveaway — Five Blurb Books

My oh my. It is so time for a Giveaway! Remember those Blurb books I posted about last month? From the company that offers the option of "slurping" a blog? The ones that everyone seems to love so much? Well how about if five of you get to make your own Blurb book for free dollars and fifty free cents? Nice, right?



Blurb books are easy to make. High-quality. And have a fast turnaround. Basically, you upload the pretty pictures and the pretty words and you'll receive a polished book that looks like it came from your favorite publisher. Square, portrait and landscape options. Up to 440 pages. Softcover or hardcover. Starting at $12.95. You have total creative control.

What kind of book will you make? Baby's first year. An album of 2007. A collection of Grandma's favorite recipes. A record of your blog. Something for your Mom (Mother's Day is coming quickly.) The sky's the limit — and you can find inspiration and book ideas here. Think the book you made is especially amazing? You can even promote and sell copies of it on the Blurb website.




Oh. I love this Giveaway. I'm imagining five of you receiving your finished book in the mail and grinning with delight, then showing it to your family, and getting a big pat on the back for having made something so lovely. I think I'll spend the afternoon daydreaming about the books I could make — feel free to join me.

[ Edit: I should mention the details. The five winners will receive a code allowing them $29.95 credit for a free book, or toward a book valued at more than $29.95. Happy commenting!]

Thanks, Blurb!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Sunday, March 30th 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.

Chic Papoose Slings

A friend of mine was looking for a pouch-style sling (read: no rings or snaps) featuring some color or pattern. I sent her to Chic Papoose. They're reversible, so you get two fabric options in one sling. They're compact, so they roll up small to fit in your handbag. And they're easy care — machine wash and dry.

Glamorous Girl Accessories

Pretty hair adornments at Glamorous Girl's Etsy shop. Betty's bangs are in her face and I am constantly acquiring barrettes and hair pins as I attempt to let them grow. There are so many cute options — I can't help but find things for me as well : ). Too fun.

Origami sans Cranes

From the Chronicle Books blog, check out Ayako Akazawa's great ideas on ways to use origami paper beyond the traditional. Those jar covers are calling to me.

Little Poco

Say hola to Little Poco! Everything you need to add a little Latin flavor to your child's lifestyle. I'm particularly taken with the guayaberas (pronounced at my house as why-a-ver-us) for the papitos and the hand-embroidered poblano dress for the mamacitas. I am fully coveting both.

From the website: "Maybe it's because he looks like a mini-man, or that he stands out at the playground. Nothing makes Abuela smile more than seeing her little boy in a guayabera." I feel the very same way.

Oh. And don't miss the piñata and futbolistas onesies with a vintage illustrations. Fantastic.

Little Deer

Ooooh! Stylish Chelsea just sent me a great link. Feast your eyes on the lovely felt wares of Little Deer based out of Portland. My favorite thing ever is that little cap. And happily, it's available in 6 colors. Perfect little details and just the right weight for spring.

Celebrity Gossip Round Up — by Guest Mom Vera Sweeney

Hey gang! My name is Vera Sweeney and I am this week's Guest Mom. I'm super excited to be part of Gabrielle's website because I just love the concept and she is a fun gal. I run I'm Not Obsessed, a celebrity gossip website that is work and kid friendly. I keep everything PG so wandering eyes can gaze upon your computer screen without any scarring effects. After all, who doesn't need a little gossip during the day? Here is today's recap:

A) I'm giving away three of these amazing necklaces from Emitations. Click here to get started!!

B) Any Cashmere Mafia fans? Well, you better get online because rumor has it that the show is not getting renewed. So I suggest you start making a stink if you want to keep Lucy Liu on the small screen.

C) Guess who is starting her own jewelry line? We can't get enough of this new mom whose boyfriend has his own clothing line that is slowly becoming a Hollywood standard. How does she have time with that new baby?

D) Looks like Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson are back together and I couldn't be happier. Click here to see all the juicy details.

E) Want to get the celebrity look for less? Blake Lively is a new comer on the scene — but her Gossip Girl fashion sense is ON POINT. Get her entire outfit for less.

F) How about a new wedge for the summer? These are cheaper versions of Jennifer Aniston's seasonal shoe. Find out the prices here.

G) Why is White Tea good for you? Here are the reasons why it should be part of your daily routine.

H) Five exercise habits that sabotage weight loss! There is so much more! I can't possibly cover it all here. Check out I'm Not Obsessed to fulfill all your obsessions!!

Say Hello to Vera Sweeney!

So I'm way happy about our Guest Mom this week. Her name is Vera Sweeney and when she's not chasing her two adorable babies around, she runs the incredibly popular (read: millions of hits each month) blog called I'm Not Obsessed — all about her complete obsession with celebrity gossip.

I've been running into Vera at one event after another and took it as a sign that she just had to be Guest Mom. So I begged and pleaded and this very busy lady said yes! And I said oh goody!!

Obviously, celeb gossip is not the order of the day around here, but that doesn't mean I don't love myself some 411 on Brangelina. Besides, it's fun to shake things up a bit — to add a little hollywood among the design posts. Blame it on spring fever or cabin fever or saturday night fever. Or whatever.

Vera is sure to delight us this week. She is friendly and cool and oh-so-business-savvy. Plus, she has the fiercest name ever. I might need to have baby number 6 just so I can make a baby name list featuring Vera Sweeney. Welcome Vera!!

Mommybar Toolbar

Has anyone tried this? I just heard about it. It's called Mommybar and it's a toolbar you can download that becomes part of your web browser — and apparently has all the Mom websites and blogs in one place, plus a google search box. If you have any experience with it, I'd love to hear what you think.

Hand Picked Pumpkin

Have I told you about Hand Picked Pumpkin already? It's like choose your own adventure, but for baby clothes. You start by picking from a great selection of baby and toddler basics in thick, soft, interlock knit — all the classic playwear shapes are available. You pick the base fabric color. You pick the accent fabrics for the trim. You can mix and match to your heart's delight.




Design a hat to go with a romper. Design a hoodie to go with some pants. Because we all have a little Project Runway trying to get out.

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.

Easter Download

I realize I'm not the only one Easter snuck up on this year, but forshizzle, I almost missed it. I started the month with big plans — hopeful thoughts of getting wheat grass planted in plenty of time. But it didn't happen. Here's how it went down at our house:


Easter clothes were purchased on Saturday.


Easter decor went up Saturday evening.


Easter eggs were dyed (rubberbands make the streaks) on Sunday afternoon.

And our pathetic Easter dinner (taco salad was on the menu, because I'm seriously not kidding about Easter sneaking up on me) was saved by an invitation to a real-Easter-dinner-plus-egg-hunt Sunday evening. Where the food was so yummy and the company so delightful that this Easter-that-almost-wasn't was possibly our favorite Easter yet.


One last highlight: an unexpected Easter package from Lindsey — full of an assortment my very favorites — pear Jelly Belly's, sour candies and caramels. It was a generous package, but she picked my favorites so precisely that it lasted about 5 minutes in my able hands.

See Kai Run

I first saw these amazing shoes on Backwards Attraction. For boys. For girls. I'm feeling the green today, but they have dozens and dozens of choices on the site.

See Kai Run is a family-owned and operated business located outside of Seattle, Washington. Their shoes are thoughtfully hand-crafted from buttery soft leather and promise to be kind to developing feet. Twice a year they come out with a collection of 15-20 designs — and I'm having to fight back the urge to collect one of each — as if they were baseball cards. Don't you just want to eat them up?

pingg e-invitations

Kelcey sent me a link to pingg. It's a new email invitation service, and they've tried to really step up the design and photography. The site is clean and beautiful and easy to use. Pick formats from the pingg gallery and the designer series. Now I just need an excuse to send out some invitations.

This looks like Ben Blair as a Kid

This photo made me happy all day yesterday. via sk*rt.

Monthly Baby Photos

What a great idea! Ohdeedoh posted about Kathy who took photos of her baby from one month old to 12 months old, lying on a Stendig calendar. A very visual way to see the growth of your baby — plus it looks so cool!

(FYI: the Stendig calendar is oversize and classic and famous. You may remember seeing it on this post. Every other month switches from black background to white background. They sell a new one every year.)

I saw this on say YES!

Bébé Ravi

Angel just sent me an email about Bébé Ravi, a mission driven company that makes gorgeous hand crocheted and hand knit clothing for children. I was an instant fan as soon as I laid eyes on that blue crochet dress. (Daydream: Man, how cute would that be on my daughters this summer. Maybe as a swimsuit coverup? . . .)

More reason to love Bébé Ravi: proceeds benefit the Patrick Chege Orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya which currently provides shelter, food, healthcare and education to twenty children.