Vacation Week Two

The week is slipping by at ultra-light-speed. Here's a quick catch-up on what we've done since I last reported:

Friday
We BBQ'd at Jared & Liz's house in the Avenues where we loved meeting handsome baby Hank! Liz really knows how to put a menu together. Jared really knows how to work the BBQ. And their house is gorgeous. We miss them in New York but think that Salt Lake City is lucky to have them.

After dinner we went to the park to see the Muppet Movie/Blog Meetup. The movie was as charming as I remembered. But. It was only a tiny bit charming compared to the lovely bloggers that came by our blanket to say Hello. What fun! Thank you for coming ladies!! It was a delight to meet you and I was sad the movie started so soon and cut off our happy conversation.

Saturday
We took off on a road trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This was our first visit to Steamboat Springs and both Ben and I were tempted to relocate immediately. I almost had myself convinced that I love to snow ski because the little chalets were so appealing.

We met our super-cool Sabey cousins at the hotel and after a quick dip in the pool headed to the Steamboat Springs Rodeo. Can you think of a better Saturday night activity than bucking broncos, barrel racing and bull riding? My hometown is a rodeo town but I hadn't been to one in over a decade. I loved it so much. It made me crazy homesick.

Sunday
The whole clan of cousins hiked to a gorgeous waterfall near Steamboat and held a family-version of our typical church meetings there on the mountain. Then we all talked and talked and talked until everybody absolutely had to drive away to get home in time to start the new work week. Sadly, I could have used another week of non-stop conversation with the Sabeys to take the edge off my Sabey cravings. Happily, they make a very compelling argument for moving to Denver. Maybe we'll end up as neighbors. . .

When we said good bye, we knew there was a 9 hour drive to St. George ahead of us. So we made plans to stop at Green River, Utah for the night. A good halfway spot. At Green River I discovered something about myself: It doesn't matter how expensive the hotel is, what brand it is, or what amenities it offers. If it's new, then I like it. Period. We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express that was so new that I swear I could still recognize the scent of construction and we were contented and beyond with our stay.

I even took a camera-phone photo of the toiletries because the packaging was well designed and I wanted to somehow let the hotel know that I appreciated the effort. I'll try to post it next week.

Monday through Thursday
When we woke up in Green River we at a yummy breakfast at the hotel and headed straight to St. George, Utah. My beloved hometown.

By Monday, we were such weary travelers that we have done nothing since arriving here but swim, eat and sleep — and fill every available second with cousins.

It was fun to see where Josh and Erin live — what a great house! It was also fun to discover that St. George now boasts an In-N-Out Burger. And as always, it's satisfying to have lots of good discussions with the Urquharts. I think my only official outing has been a trip to the local Target. It's my favorite — so well stocked! so well staffed!

We drive to Las Vegas tomorrow morning to catch our plane. It has been a wonderful trip. It will be good to be home.

Fantastic vintage sign photo from the St. George flickr pool.

Creamies

We fly home to New York tomorrow. It has been a wonderful trip. Many Creamies were consumed. I can't decide which is my favorite: banana or chocolate covered mint.

Salt Lake Blog Meetup/Movie Night at the Park!

If you are still up for some kind of blog-a-licious meetup (I totally am), here's the plan. We'll be hanging out in Salt Lake City all day today — we're super excited to meet Handsome Hank! After dinner, we're going to head to Lindsey Gardens to see an outdoor screening of The Muppet Movie.

The show starts at dusk — sometime around 9:00 pm. If you're up for it, come to the park early and we can all hang out. If I remember to, I'll put a helium balloon by our blanket so you can find us in case it's crowded. It will probably be a red balloon. But who knows. Maybe I'll go wild and splurge on a mylar.

We (read: Me, Ben Blair, Liz and Jared Stanley, plus 6 kids) plan to get there between 7:30 and 8:00 and would absolutely, positively love to meet you — even if you can't stay for the movie.

Here's the park address:
Lindsey Gardens
9th Avenue & "M" Street
Salt Lake City

You can find out more of the outdoor screening here.

Wish You Were Here

Oh my goodness. This has been such a fun-filled, jam-packed week. We're loving it. Here's the rundown so far:

Monday
-Visited local wildlife at a zoo made especially for injured animals. Saw two bald eagles — as majestic as we Americans like to think.
-Picniked at the park with Grandma & Grandpa Mac.
-Visited our transplanted New York friends, the Fjelsteds, in their gorgeous new home. I'm now in search of a photographer to document their fabulous abode so everybody can get a sneak peek. Just amazing.
-Slipped and slid on a gigantic painting tarp with nephew Ben.
-Rock climbed at the local climbing gym in Logan.
-Went ga ga over gourmet shave ice made by Salem. My favorite flavor was Georgia Peach. I'd heard stories about how good Salem's shave ice was. My expectations were high and I wasn't disappointed. I'm craving one right now.
-And since shave ice wasn't sugary enough, we topped off the evening with one of Grandma Mac's specialties, shaum torte with fresh peaches and freshly whipped cream. It's officially my favorite dessert.

Tuesday
-Worked on a paper sphere art project with Grandma Mac. Can't wait to share this! But left my camera cord in New York, so details will come later.
-Visited Gigi (my Grandma Lucille), canoed, swam in the pond and fed the horses at Uncle Gary's and Aunt Janet's homestead in Grantsville. This was my second visit and I am still amazed (will always be amazed) at how they made their own bit of Eden in the desert. Probably the most inspiring property I've ever seen.

Wednesday
-Slept in.
-Hung out with nieces Amber and Kristen and Sophie.
-Toured the Dismantling Geneva photography exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art with sister-in-law Traci. (Don't miss it if you're in Provo, or a Utah Valley native. Chris Dunker's work is gorgeous and thoughtful and fascinating.)
-Explored a bit of the Harris Fine Arts Building at BYU because Ralph wanted to see "where the students work."
-Devoured ice cream treats from the Creamery. Maude tried her first malt.
-Swam at Grandma and Grandpa Blair's condo pool.
-Enjoyed dinner with old friends — the Spencers and the Higginbothams — on Grandma's patio. The sandwiches were from Kneaders. The chips were from Doritos. The drinks were from Shasta. Could have hung out for hours and hours longer than we did.
-Loved a late-night screening of Batman: The Dark Knight. Have you seen it yet? Go now.

Thursday — Pioneer Day here in Utah, a state holiday!!
-Spent the day with Blair relatives. Including swim lessons with Brother-in-law Dell, discussions about the Black Power protest at the 1968 Olympics with Sister-in-law Margaret, political discussions with Sister-in-law Jenette and baby due date guesses with niece Kaila. A full four boxes of Krispy Kremes were consumed. As well as half of Costco's deli department.
-We ended the day at the Faulconer's world famous Pig Roast (see the great invite shown at the top). Featuring a giant roasted pig. Plus a live band. Plus fireworks. Plus all the Provo glitterati. We were the absolutely last guests to leave. Our gracious hosts, Kacy and Christian, were afraid we intended to sleep over.

And now it's Friday. I'll tell you about Friday in the next post.

Cache Valley

I'm hanging out in idyllic Cache Valley for a couple of days. The views from my mom's house are lovely. It's not too hot. There are lots of mountains. Locally made ice cream is plentiful. And it's really green. Why in the world don't we all live here?

I'm working on a San Francisco recap post. In case it takes me awhile, here is the super fast summary: Jordan and Paul have a great apartment in a great location. They are excellent hosts and kept the fridge stocked with Henry Weinhardt's Rootbeer (my favorite kind and difficult to find in New York). Baby Moses is the best baby ever — very expressive and very happy to be alive. San Francisco is easy to love. The Alltop/Kirtsy party was red hot super chic. The Haus Party rocked the house. The Community Keynote at BlogHer was THE conference highlight. My kirtsy peeps are the best sort of people to attend a conference with.

I arrived in Salt Lake City last night exhausted and without a voice. And very, very happy. Happy from a great weekend and extra happy to see my family.

Posting will be off and on over the next two weeks as I make my way from Logan to Salt Lake City to Provo to Moab to St. George. Basically, I'll post whenever I can borrow Ben Blair's laptop. Happy July!

Auf Wiedersehen! — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

Look at that, just 1 week guest blogging on Design Mom and the paparazzi SWARMED around me when I showed up at Berlin Fashion Week. It was total craziness.



Alright, not really.



What a week! Berlin! Design Mom! It's been fabulous! Thank you all for such awesome comments this week. You've shared great ideas, books, websites. You've said the nicest things. It's been so fun chatting with you all from across the Atlantic. Thank you!

Please come travel with me through Paris next week! I promise it will be beautiful and tasty. And definitely drop by This Week for Dinner regularly to share your weekly menus and recipes, and get great dinner ideas…mostly from the other readers, who never fail to inspire me in my daily, usually-semi-successful quest to make dinner.

Danke! Auf Wiedersehen!

5-Minute Make-Up — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

I like looking nice, doing makeup, hair, all that girly stuff. But I usually have just enough time to throw my hair into a ponytail and run out the door. Needless to say I have mastered the art of 5-minute makeup. And I love the products I use, so here you go!

Step 1: Conceal
The biggest reason I put any makeup on in the first place is to cover up red spots/blemishes and make myself look less tired. There are a few products I use for this “conceal” step that do just that.



1. Concealer. Bare Escentuals Bisque Multi-tasker (you’ll use a different color than bisque if your skin is darker than mine) with the Bare Escentuals Concealer Brush. I apply the multi-tasker directly to my trouble spots and then blend out with the brush. Using a brush is key with concealer. It’s worth the extra investment.



2. Loose Powder or Bronzer. I use a light bronzer. Just a little bit all over to blend the rest of my face in with the spots I’ve concealed (I apply a little more to the temple/top of my cheek bone area). My favorite bronzer is from Stila. If you don’t want any sparkle, just get a loose powder 2 shades darker than your skin. If you don’t want to bronze, just use a loose powder matched to your skin tone.



3. Cream concealer on eyes. This is my FAVORITE makeup trick. I always apply a cream concealer or foundation (whatever I happen to have on hand) to my eyelids. It covers up all those little veins, makes you look more awake, and helps eye shadow go on smoothly and stay put. When I apply, I spread a little to under my eyes as well.

Step 2: Cheeks & Eyes



1. The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick is the best thing ever. I use the the Bronze Shimmer brick for my cheeks and eyes. Just brush a bit on my cheeks (right on the apples and brush straight back towards the tops of your ears). On my eyes, I use the darkest shade in my crease, the lightest shade right under my brow, and the shade closest to the lightest shade on the lid. Here’s a picture of my well-loved Shimmer Brick to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.



Normally I stop here, but if I want to look even more awake, I will throw on some mascara. But I HATE mascara, so that hardly ever happens. When I do wear it, my favorite is the Everything Mascara by Bobbi Brown.



Oh, and I do curl my eyelashes. Make sure you start curling at the base of the lash, and then curl it about three times, moving up the lash. If you just curl once near the base, you’ll get a funny lash crease.

Step 3: Lips
I almost always skip step 3. But my favorite quick lip trick is the Shimmer Stick from Origins. It doubles as a pencil & lipstick, doesn’t feel to heavy on and looks great. Lucky Penny is my favorite color.



Please feel free to share your favorite makeup trick or product!

Diaper & Wipes Case — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

This is one of my all-time favorite mommy “gadgets” so I just HAD to share it with you. My friend Marie’ made this diaper/wipes case for me and I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. I am not kidding when I say I was using a brown lunch bag to carry a few diapers and a wipes case in my purse before I received this beautiful gift.

So, how can you get one of your very own? Well, they do sell similar products like this at Babies R Us. But if you are crafty, you can really make something cute, and patterns are popping up everywhere. For inspiration, here are other cases Marie’ has made. And my artist-friend Melissa made this seriously stunning “poopy clutch” based on a Martha Stewart pattern for something completely different. Talk about creative.

Regardless of how you get your hands on one of these puppies, you’ll be glad you did.

Children’s Books — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

How can I not share my favorite children’s books on Design Mom? I think it would be a crime!



Don & Audrey Wood books are so wonderful. The stories are fantastic, the illustrations even more so. Here’s a quick list:
King Bidgood’s In the Bathtub
Heckedy Peg
Elbert’s Bad Word
The Napping House



Chris Van Allsburg is my other favorite picture book author. Again, beautiful stories & illustrations. And seriously, why does The Polar Express make me cry EVERY TIME? It’s killer.



For your adolescent daughters out there, the Anne of Green Gables series is a must read. I read all of these books when I was young and loved every minute of it. (Yes, I wanted to be Anne. I even memorized the Lady of Shalott by Tennyson. Geeky, yes. But cute, too.)



Okay, I’m not trying to be clichéd or trendy here, but the Harry Potter Books are my most favorite EVER. For those of you who HAVE read Harry, you can just stop reading here. For those of you have have NOT read Harry…please bear with me.

I know how you feel. I was reluctant, perhaps beligerent, in the beginning. I finally gave in and read Book 1. To be honest, I wasn’t much impressed. But I thought Book 2 was worth a second chance. Again, not so into it, but it did make me want to see what would happen next. By the end of the 3rd book I was HOOKED. I had to go to the bookstore THAT DAY to get number 4. They were that awesome and only got better.

So, go buy the books and get busy. In fact, here are the links so you don’t have any excuses: Books 1-6 & Book 7.

Open Up that Golden Gate. California, Here I Come!

The last load of laundry is in the dryer, ready to be packed. We head to JFK in a couple of hours. Whoo Hoo! I'm using all powers available to me (prayer, meditation, positive thinking, candy) to psych up for this day of travel. : ) As you might remember from an earlier post, I'll be spending the next few days in San Francisco at the BlogHer conference. And then I'll meet up with Ben and the kiddies in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

I'm super excited for my San Fran visit. I can't wait to hang out with Jordan and Paul and Mighty Moses. See their new apartment. Walk around the city. Eat out. Window shop. Scheme about our blogs. Party with my kirtsy gals. See old and new friends.

These are the things it was especially fun to pack up for the conference:



Two new dresses from Shabby Apple. The Cleopatra and The Marseilles. Cute right?



My brand new iPhone. It is a thing of beauty. Since I don't use a laptop, I'm hoping this lovely little piece of technology will satisfy my internet cravings while I'm away from my desk.

I'm sure those of you traveling to BlogHer this year are packing up similarly fun items — and feeling the thinness of your pocketbooks as well. There's no denying traveling to a conference is expensive. Registration, airfare, wardrobe updates. Happily, super-fly HP totally gets this. So they came up with an amazing program this year. HP is offering a $250 BlogHer scholarship to someone who reads this blog. (They have done the same thing on many other blogs this year, and I'm delighted to get to participate.)

This is how it works: if you're heading to BlogHer this year, leave a comment and you're entered to win a $250 check from HP to cover some of your expenses — to help you "recoup" some of the costs. Fantastic! Easy, peasy and super generous. $250 could cover your own new phone, or your own new dresses, or even go towards a new HP Touchsmart PC. So leave a comment, any comment (and maybe give a shout out to HP for their generosity) and I'll randomly pick a winner on Monday. How's that for a send-off?

Have a great weekend — I'll miss you! Jane Maynard, our lovely Guest Mom, will finish off the week with lots of great posts. And I'll be back with a report on Monday. If you're heading to San Francisco, please do say Hello!

10 Minutes a Day — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

A few months ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a private book signing with Maria Shriver thanks to Silicon Valley Moms Blog. Maria spoke with us about her new book Just Who Will You Be? and then signed our books and spoke with us each individually. You can read more about my experience here, but I will quickly say that it was AWESOME. I seriously came home giddy that night…just ask Nate.


One of the biggest things that hit me from the book and that evening with Maria Shriver was this: Take 10 minutes each day for yourself, alone. Do anything you want in those 10 minutes, but make sure you take them. I love this sage advice and it is something I try to remember each day.

It’s easier for some of us to take this daily 10 minutes than others, whether due to time contraints or personality traits. Regardless, EVERYONE should make an effort to do this, especially you busy moms out there. Maria told us that one morning recently her 10 minutes was just sitting on her closet floor alone. See, it really can be anytime anywhere!

Here are a few things I do to find alone time during the day:

- Lunch. I eat my lunch alone every day. Sometimes that means I eat super early or super late, depending on nap schedules. But if I don’t have lunch alone, by the time Nate comes home at night I am fit to be tied. Seriously.


- I just planted my first garden. It’s a simple perennial flower garden with a blueberry bush. Nothing fancy. I thought I would hate having to tend to my garden each day, but I’ve found it to be a relaxing time. More often than not, Cate is helping me, and those times are fun. But when I am alone watering it is a great time for pondering and relaxing.

- Take a bath. Okay, friends, you have to go buy this bath pillow. I found it at Cost Plus World Market recently and used it for the first time last week. I thought I might never get out of the tub. It ROCKS, in a calm and relaxing way of course.

- Other favorites of mine: give myself a facial, read books, read my magazines that go untouched month after month.


Promise me you’ll take Maria’s advice to heart. Refueling your inner self is key. Not only will you be able to give more to the people and activities you love, but you’ll simply be happier. Let’s end with having you all share your techniques or favorite ways to spend 10 minutes alone each day.

My Favorite Things: Framing Fun Stuff — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

As I was getting my act together for this guest mom gig, I realized that I’ve framed a few interesting items over the years. Thought I’d share my favorites with you. (Pssst…they’re super affordable too!)




Vintage Flash Cards.
I found these vintage flashcards in an antique store in Solana Beach, CA years ago. As soon as I saw them I knew they needed to be hanging on my wall. That store has since stopped carrying them, but if you frequent antique stores, keep an eye out for me — and for yourself, of course!




Art Museum Post Cards
This is CHEAP and EASY. I bought a bunch of postcards from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I then framed my favorites in cheap black 5X7 frames. Simply tape the post card to a 5X7 piece of black paper, pop it in the frame and you’re done! Since you end up with a bunch of small frames, you can arrange them on your wall in interesting ways or use as filler with bigger frames.



Fabric.
This is not the most original idea, but I still love it. Framed fabric. I recently put these frames together for my girls’ bedroom. I went with similar patterns and textures but in three different colors. You could come up with all kinds of combinations!

I need to give a quick shout out to Jonathan & Hannah from FabrixAndMore.org. They have access to high-quality fabric samples that they collect and distribute for FREE every month. You can’t believe how much STUFF they get. That’s where I found these great fabrics. If you’re in the Bay Area, check it out. If you’re not, I recommend going out and trying to get your hands on samples wherever you live! Think of the fun you could have…

Mighty Haus

Did you see what I saw on kirtsy today? The super strong duo of Mighty Goods and Mighty Junior is now a trifecta — Mighty Haus was just unveiled! A daily shopping blog (a clever and witty and just-right shopping blog) that focuses on items for your home. Items like this Paper Potter that I want to own right this minute. Fantastic. Three cheers to Maggie Mason and Melissa Summers on the launch!

Do you know what else is happening on kirtsy this week? A super cool Kirtsy Loves Video Games Giveaway! You have until Saturday night at midnight to get your comments in over at the kirtsy blog. Then. Four Winners will each receive $150 worth of yummy, portable, Nintendo awesomeness. You know you want to get on this. Because you totally wanted to dress up as Ms. Pac Man in the fourth grade and couldn't make it happen. And this will make it all better.

Great Kids’ Room Finds — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

My two sweet girls have a super sweet bedroom. I thought I’d quickly share my top finds for their space.

Play Mat.
Love this play mat from Ikea. It’s super cute in a boy or girl room, doesn’t slide around and is only $14.99!! You can’t beat it.


Table & Chairs.
Santa brought Cate a table and chair set two years ago. He asked me to do some research and I found ChildrensTablesandChairs.com. Their stuff is cute, high quality and not much more expensive than Target or Wal-Mart. Santa was very pleased. He gave Cate this set in cherry.


Toddler Bedding.
I am SUPER excited about this find. If you’ve ever shopped for bedding for a toddler bed, you feel my pain. Everything is, well, cheeeee-zeeee. Wandering around Marshalls one day I found the perfect solution. Throw blankets! They’re just the right size, and you can find some really pretty patterns. Plus, if you’re lucky like me, you’ll find a matching sham! Throw in a white toddler sheet set from Babies R Us and you’re set!

Namaste — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

No matter how many yoga classes I go to, I still feel dumb saying “Namaste” at the end. Oh, and the time the teacher made us roar like lions. Yeah, that didn’t feel silly at all.

Seriously, though, I LOVE YOGA for many reasons. I don’t have to run. I’m a yuppie, so it fits. Just kidding. There are so many benefits – increased flexibility, better sleeping, improved stamina, better breathing, improved balance (which is a bonus when you’re a clutz). Yoga is the best.


Yoga on the beach at Cape Cod. That’s me on the right…I’m willing to post this picture because my tush isn’t facing the camera…sorry to cousin & sis-in-law, but they do have cute tushies.

If you haven’t ever done yoga, give it a try! Anyone can do it – I promise! My advice is to find a good beginner class. The best thing I ever did for my yoga practice was take a class geared specifically for beginners who had never done yoga before. The class laid a very strong foundation that I draw on to this day.

Off the yoga soapbox, Jane! Tell us your yoga faves!



FAVORITE YOGA WEBSITE: Yoga Today.
Yoga Today provides a FREE 1-hour yoga class EVERY DAY. And the classes are high quality. You can even sync it up to your iTunes as a podcast. Love it.



FAVORITE YOGA CLOTHES: Ahtleta.
Every time I get my Athleta catalog in the mail I really wish I had planted a money tree in my new garden. I would be the best looking yogi this side of the Mississippi.



FAVORITE YOGA MATS: Gaiam.
These mats are TOO cute. You can even pick one up on your next trip to Target. One other mat tip…Marshalls usually has cute yoga mats at GREAT prices. You might have to dig through a few messy piles, but it’s worth it!

Stitch It Kits

These stitch-it kits are super charming. Raccoon or Snail by egg press. You can find them at the Curiosity Shoppe. Each one is hand-screenprinted on two pieces of canvas, complete with sewing instructions and name tag. Cut out the pieces, sew them together, stuff with the filling of your choice and cuddle up!

Know what else is charming? Enkay just listed Design Mom at spot 21 on her list of the Top Female Bloggers. Thanks Enkay! I'm honored to be listed among such great company.

Work-at-Home-Mom Office — by Guest Mom Jane Maynard

I’m what they call a “work-at-home-mom.” (I take some issue with this phrase…all moms “work-at-home,” but I won’t get into THAT right now…) Anyway, since I spend so much time at my computer, I need my workspace to be a welcoming place. I already have a serious procrastination problem…if my desk was a corner of the kitchen table or the back of closet, I would never get anything done!


We just moved to a new apartment with a hugemongous living room. We put my desk on one side of the room and I am LOVING it. I initially thought I would hate having my work area in our living space, but for so many reasons it is really wonderful. Since it is out where everyone can see, I have to keep it looking ship-shape.

I LOVE my little office area. Every time I look over at it from the couch it makes me happy. Here’s why…

My desk is the BJÖRKUDDEN kitchen table from Ikea. It’s huge. Which is awesome. You’ll never go back to a wimpy little desk again!



I love the wall space where I sit. I hung a few of my favorite pieces of art, a lovely calendar from Good on Paper, and a classy letter bin from Pottery Barn. Oh, and the clock. Don’t you love that clock? (From Ikea.)


Having my office in the common area forces me to stay organized and tidy. Fortunately I don’t have many files or paperwork to deal with, so a simple mug holding my pens and a box to throw “junk” in works (box from PB). If I need more storage space then I need less stuff!


My greatest office love is my Mac. I love everything about it, especially my 23-inch widescreen display. Pure heaven for a designer.



There is only one serious downfall in my little WAHM office. The chair. It’s awful. It’s starting to fall apart and my back has about as many knots as, well, something that has lots of knots. I HATE THE CHAIR.

If you have any ideas for a supportive, comfortable but super-cute, not-too-big chair, please share! Or tell us about your favorite part of your workspace…whether it’s in an office, a kitchen, a school, wherever!

Winner — Tretorn Shoes

Thank you to everyone for participating in the Tretorn Shoes-for-the-Family Giveaway! Congratulations to the lucky winner: Summer who said, "I love the children's boots!."

Yay for Summer! Please send me an email and I'll get your info to the sponsor right away. And a big thanks to Tretorn!!

Welcome Jane!

I'm back from Girls Camp. It was awesome. Super awesome. I really want to write up a report (ask me about the Official Camp Dance!). But first I'm excited to introduce you to our latest and greatest Guest Mom. Meet Jane Maynard. She's a graphic designer and lover of menus and she has all sorts of rad things she's planning to share with us this week. Jane, please tell us a little bit about yourself.



Hi Everybody! Here’s a little peak into my world. And since it feels weird writing about myself, I’ll just pretend you’ve asked me to fill out a form. I like filling out forms.

Name:
Jane Maynard

What do you do?:
Mother to two beautiful daughters (a 3-year-old and a 7-month-old); wife to a smart, cool surfer dude of a husband; freelance graphic designer in my “free time” (mom’s have free time?); blogger at This Week for Dinner, and contributing blogger on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Where do you live?
Recently moved to the Bay Area from San Diego (love both places bunches). Despite what is turning out be a very long stint in CA, I’m really an East Coast girl at heart, specifically New Jersey and Boston.

Anything else?
I’ve never eaten flavored chips — Cheetos, Doritos, BBQ potato chips, nothin’. This claim is currently under investigation since I’ve fallen in love with Kettle Salt & Ground Black Pepper potato chips. But I maintain that these chips do NOT fall into the “flavored” category. I love reading, laughing, eating (cannoli especially), music-ing, photograph-ing, yoga-ing, family-ing. I’m the ultimate procrastinator. And I love life.

Oh…and I am currently gallivanting around Berlin! And on Friday I head to Paris. (Side note: my life is normally not so exciting.)

Now that you know me, I can’t wait to get to know you! And hopefully you’ll enjoy my ramblings this week. Please leave lots of comments and I look forward to hanging out on Design Mom!

See You on Monday!

I hope you've enjoyed some of my picks from the archives this week while I've been at Girls Camp. And if the archives bored you, then I hope you enjoyed some of my Guest Picks at Mighty Junior this week. And if my picks at Mighty Junior bored you, then I'll take solace knowing there's always cool new content at kirtsy to fill your day with internet loveliness.

I'll be back on Monday with some fresh new posts. Lots of mosquito bites. And my fill of teenage girl drama. One last reminder: you have until Sunday night at midnight to enter the Tretorn Family Shoe Giveaway. Have a great weekend!

kisses, Gabrielle

vintage camping illustration via the shabee chick

From the Archive: Potholder Rugs

I've posted before about the potholder rugs made by Crispina. But I had never actually seen one in real life. Until the gift show. And I have to say, they are even more wonderful in person. In fact, the Crispina booth was possibly my favorite of the whole show. Crispina products are thick with color and texture and beauty.

The photo above shows 3 rugs folded and stacked, resting on a yellow rug that's covering the floor. I can't say "thick" enough when describing these cozy rugs. And apparently, with a quick phone call, they can make a rug in colors perfectly suited to your decor.



And it's clear that when they talk eco or earth friendly, they are the real deal. The materials in everything they make have had a previous life. Their products are literally, and visibly-to-the-naked-eye recycled. In the purest sense of the word.



I especially love the bed they had set up in the booth. It was impossibly welcoming. And not just because I was Gift-Show-tired. Can you see the orange and yellow pieced blanket with circles? I couldn't stop touching it. And all those cozy pillows.

There's something a bit untidy about the edges and construction that make Crispina products seem especially family friendly. Life with kids is, in fact, untidy. But with products like these, untidy looks pretty great.

Originally posted August 30, 2007. My sister Jordan recently sent me an email about the great Crispina potholder rugs — I was so glad for the reminder! I've liked them for long enough that I should really save my pennies and buy one.