Meeting the Queen — By Guest Mom Amy of Progressive Pioneer

Yesterday Annette, from Hansen Hives, stopped by to check on our queen bee and make sure she'd gotten out of her box alright. We had 6,000 bees delivered last week! There is something so magical about having this fortress of sweet, humming productivity buzzing away in the corner of our yard.

Annette said the bees will fill up the bottom box within a month. Then they add one more, which when filled will be their winter food storage (clever bees!) and then anything on top of that is for us!



Once Annette found the queen bee, she put her in this little cup with plastic mesh on top and she painted a yellow dot on the queen's back so she'll be easy to locate.



The bees had already started building out honeycomb. When you peeked into the hive you could see them strung out like little trapeze artists, clinging to each other's legs, creating a living bee chain. It was the cutest thing.

If you live in the Salt Lake area, definitely check out Hansen Hives. You can host a hive while Aaron and Annette maintain it, until you feel comfortable enough to take over, at which point you can buy it from them; brilliant!

Central Park Photo Shoot Details

The feedback on the family photos in Central Park has been wonderful. Thank you! I promised a followup post with more details and I'm ready to deliver.

How it Came About
Candice Stringham (the Brooklyn-based photographer) contacted me a few weeks ago. She teaches online photography classes and wanted to build her family photo portfolio for an upcoming class. So she offered to take photos of my family in Central Park. I took a peek at the work on her blog, thought it was fantastic and said: yes, please.

Candice liked the idea of doing either a pastel English tea inspired color scheme, or a more colorful Kate Spade/Crewcuts inspired color scheme. She pulled Brenda Barrett Taylor on to be the prop stylist and they decided to go with Kate Spade/Crewcuts. My assignment was to come up with outfits in this color palette: navy blue, crisp white, grass green, cherry red and mustard yellow. I didn't keep to the palette in every case (my skirt is royal blue, for example), but I did my best to keep to their vision.

While I took care of the clothes, Brenda and Candice provided all the props. The picnic. The teacups. The books. And the cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. Brenda is an incredible stylist. It was a treat to get to see her in action.


What We Are Wearing
I worked hard on the outfits. Dug through closets. Borrowed, begged, bought. Recruited friends to help shop. Overbought just in case. Kept tags on anything new until I knew exactly what we were going to use. I used my bedroom floor to gather outfits as they came together and get a sense of what colors we still needed more of. The night before the shoot I had the kids try on different options until we narrowed it down.

We brought additional clothing to the shoot in case the photographer wanted to mix things up — a mustard jacket for me by JCrew, a green check button down for Ben, etc. But we ended up shooting in exactly what we were wearing. Amazingly, we didn't need to buy that much. And everything we did buy is very useable.

Betty wore an adorable dress from Ses Petities Mains. It wasn't new (she's owned it since December), but it still looks great. Her red cable sweater is by Ralph Lauren, a hand-me-down from a friend. Her yellow sandals are by Salt Water Sandals, from Zappos.

Oscar wore plaid shorts and a blue oxford button down from Old Navy. His tie was picked up at Gymboree (score: $6!). I actually had a different tie picked out for him with wide, diagonal mustard and navy stripes. But he wouldn't wear it. The one he did wear worked out just fine. His shoes were picked up last summer, classic boat shoes by Perry Topsider.

Olive wore a white eyelet skirt by Ralph Lauren, borrowed from my friend Kathryn Carmona. Her mustard shoes are also borrowed from Kathryn. They are European and beautiful. I can't remember the maker — Kathryn, if you're reading, please share. They were actually a size too small for Olive, but she manned up and wore them anyway for the photo shoot — without complaint I might add. Olive's red stripe shirt is several years old from Old Navy. Her red flower was a lucky last-minute addition. I picked it up at H&M last summer.

Maude wore a gorgeous mustard jacket from Ismodern. On sale. Grab one while you can. The dark denim skirt she made herself at sewing class last summer. Her red stripey socks were borrowed from Ralph — all stripey socks in the photo are from H&M, and were found in Ralph and Oscar's stockings this past Christmas. The flower headband was made by Olive last Christmas as a gift. Edit: Forgot Maude's shoes — purchased at Target last month in the boy's shoe department.

Ralph wore a green Lacoste polo shirt. Found at Lord & Taylor. Pricier than I would normally go for a polo shirt, but it was 25% off and was the exact perfect green. His navy blazer is by Gymboree (another score: $18!). His jeans he already had from H&M. His sneakers were new — but weren't bought for the photo shoot, he just needed new sneaks. By Adidas, from Zappos.

I wore a blue lamp-shade pleated skirt from Banana Republic. I already owned this. The white shirt is from H&M, also already owned by me. The green cardigan was bought for the shoot and was found at Old Navy. Edit: Forgot my shoes — I bought the adorable gingham peep toes at TJ Maxx last summer, I believe the brand is called Unlisted.

Ben wore BR jeans he already owned. Lacoste sneakers he already owned. A tie he already owned. We picked up the blue check button down at Old Navy.


What The Shoot Was Like
The shoot was 90% awesome and 10% Oscar throwing tantrums. But really, the kids were great. Candice was patient. The weather couldn't have been better. The whole shoot took about 2 hours but felt like a few really wonderful minutes.

I said it before, but I have to say it again: I couldn't be more pleased with how the photos turned out. A perfect souvenir of New York for my family. Thank you Candice and Brenda!

Moving Day

It is here.

It is really here!

Moving day.

The Mayflower packing crew came yesterday morning. They came armed with a truckload of moving supplies and whipped the house into shape in less than 3 hours. When things were winding down, we sat around the kitchen table drinking soda and swapping the best moving stories we'd heard/experienced. No surprise: the crew's stories were better than mine. Long Island is a fascinating place, my friends.

There was something so energizing about having the packing crew arrive. Like it was finally game time. And decisions had to be made now or never. I loved it.

When the packers were driving away, Mayflower's quality control rep dropped by to make sure everything was in order for today. And Diane called twice to see how I was doing and how things were progressing. I felt very taken care of.

Although I've been working like crazy to get ready, there were a couple of rooms I wasn't quite prepared to get fully packed up yet. So I asked them to leave some moving boxes and I finished up last night while Ben Blair cycled through the rest of the laundry. (Have I told you lately how wonderful Ben Blair is? And sexy.)

Today is the loading. There are about 1 billion boxes. But today's moving crew guesstimated we'd be over and done before the kids get home from school at 3:15.

They'll come home to an empty house.

We'll say our goodbyes.

Blow kisses to our bedrooms.

Wave at Quanta (the grassy area at the end of the street that my kids named after they watched Bridge to Terabithia).

Then we'll pile into the car and drive to JFK.

We'll stay at a hotel nearby and fly out early tomorrow morning.


My last day in New York. Au revoir, mon ami.

Artisan Bread at Home — by Guest Mom Amy of Progressive Pioneer

There's something meditative about breadmaking that I absolutely love; the slow process of yeast developing, the rhythmic kneading, the suspense of waiting to take it out of the oven, perfectly browned. Up until recently, however, eating my whole wheat bread was less a zen experience, and more an exercise in patience as one chewed their way through a doorstop disguised as bread.

All that changed when I met Peter Reinhart. Okay, so we haven't actually met, but I feel a certain kinship as I've read his book cover to cover and it's now stained and marked as any well-loved cookbook should be.

All his recipes are 100% whole grain. He works with the properties of the grain with amazing results. Don't be intimidated by the two day process; it's really just as easy, if not easier that the regular method; much less kneading involved. And he's got everything from a simple sandwich bread to whole wheat bagels and cinnamon rolls.

Also, it may just be a rumor, but I've heard that Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day is coming out with a whole grains version... I've got my fingers crossed!

Nie Nie

Friends. I'm certain you are all reading Nie Nie Dialogues. But if you're new to this space and haven't discovered Stephanie yet, go read this. And then cry a little. And then send a little prayer of strength and hope up for Nie Nie.

Central Park

The family pictures in Central Park turned out beautifully. Candice Stringham, the photographer, was incredible. Lots of patience. Great style. Flexible. A delight to work with. If you're in New York — or anywhere near New York — book her right away. For reals.

I know preparing for a family portrait can be stressful. What will everyone wear? Will the kids behave? Will I look hot? : ) Leading up to our photo shoot, there were several times I was tempted to cancel — we're just so busy right now. But I am beyond happy that I have these photos now. What a treasure for our family! Worth every bit of time and effort.

And I can't even put into words how wonderful it was to spend an afternoon-with-perfect-weather in our beloved park before the big move. I'm going to get all weepy just thinking about it.

By the way, you should totally check out this photo series by Candice — so charming!

Edit: Thanks for all the great feedback! Per your requests, there is a post about how the shoot and the wardrobe came together here.

Aprons

Doesn't this make you want to go give the kids a bubble bath right this minute? You can find the apron at Epicurean Style.

Going Green — by Guest Mom Amy of Progressive Pioneer

There's a certain morning ritual that has me so hooked I almost can't start my day without it. Not coffee, but green smoothies. Because the appearance can be a bit alarming, you really have to try it before you pass judgment. The basic recipe at our house is this:

-Half a banana
-A handful of blueberries (add enough to make it tasty)
-Several handfuls of fresh spinach
-Enough water to make it drinkable
-And that's it!

I promise it tastes great; spinach blends really well with fruit. And it's SO good for you! Once you get that down, you can get fancier with strawberries, carrots, oranges, melon, peaches, fresh coconut and pineapple; there are a million yummy possibilities!



Tiffany of Naturemoms.com puts her green smoothies in popsicle molds as treats for the kids. We love these Tovolo rocket and star molds (ours were a wedding gift!). Mixing spinach with yummy fruit in a rocket pop just might have your kids begging for their greens!

TweeCards

These cards from TweeCards have put a grin on my face. Who doesn't love a good balloon animal?

City Chicks — by Amy of Progressive Pioneer

Maybe it's the economy or a greater awareness of where our food comes from, but backyard chickens seem to be everywhere. We jumped on the bandwagon and were pleased to discover that Nellie and Rockefeller, our Plymouth Barred Rock and Araucana, practically take care of themselves. They're the perfect pets. I've loved watching our sweet babe watch "his" chickens as they grew from little fluff balls to the brazen teenage chicks that now stroll the yard. At only a year he's learned to feed them, how to pat them gently and he's learned to love them. He has a special laugh he reserves just for their antics. Come August or September they'll be gifting us greenish-blue and speckled brown eggs every morning.


If building your own coop sounds intimidating check out these sleek options from Omlet, a British company that has recently started selling their adorable Eglu hen houses state side.

Welcome to Amy Thompson.

So. The weekend was gorgeous. And terrific. I will report with pics a bit later. But friends, I have hit a wall of exhaustion that is about to do me in. My goal for today: work in a nap. I've got to stay strong — it's Move Week! Woot!!

Luckily, I've got a Guest Mom to help me out with posts for the next few days. Hooray! Her name is Amy Thompson. And I don't know a thing about her except that I really wanted her to be a Guest Mom. And she said yes. Here's a short bio about Amy:

I spend my days with sweet baby Sam. We feed the chickens and watch them hunt for bugs. I'm often in the kitchen, up to my elbows in flour; he explores our tiny yard, a vast universe to his fresh eyes. I love making things, from chocolate truffles to reupholstered footstools. I like the challenge and the satisfaction that comes with creating. I made a brief foray into the corporate world, but find much more satisfaction, if less accolades (except from my sweet husband, my #1 fan) in my life as a stay-at-home mom. I write about these small adventures, about living lightly and naturally to the best of our ability, and about the joy, satisfaction and peace that comes from this simple, sweet life at Progressive Pioneer.

Welcome Amy! We're so glad you're here and can't wait to learn from you this week.

Giveaway — Two Baby Star Totes

Friends! Today's Giveaway is double the fun. Two winners will each receive a Rock the Tote diaper bag from Baby Star. Fabulous! Why I like them: they were designed with room and pockets for everything I need to carry — including a laptop. Plus, they come with a matching changing pad and wipe case. All Baby Star products are PBA-free, formaldehyde-free and AZO-free. I don't even know what all that means, but it's reassuring none-the-less. The totes retail for $88 each.

Oh! Extra-bonus: get a generous 30% off(!) at Baby Star by using the code 20twinkle09.

Winners get to pick from lots of patterns and metallics — I think my favorite is four square blue. Leave a comment to enter and have a fantastic weekend. I'll post the winners on Monday.

Congratulations to Rob, Michelle and Luke Greer and Maline — you are the lucky winners! Please send me an email with your shipping address and bag pick.

Seeing the Everyday Magazine

One of my favorite magazines, Seeing the Everyday, just relaunched their website. Take a peek. This is a quarterly magazine with no advertisements. It is beautiful to read and beautiful to look at.

If you're not already a subscriber, this is what you should request for Mother's Day. You will not be disappointed. Seriously. It is so good. I can't believe how happy it makes me to see a new issue waiting in my post box.

Considering Others — by Guest Mom Beth Longtine

One of the most expensive elements of a wedding is feeding everyone. To stay within your budget, consider simpler faire, or decrease your guest list, like we did. As I said before, good food was a priority for my son and daughter-in-law, so the option was cutting down the numbers. And. If you have great friends who want to help, ask if they are willing to help serve. We cut down on two servers by enlisting willing friends, and it made it so much more fun to have them there.

Be considerate of your guest’s limitations. Consider limiting the number of showers you invite people to, as it can often be a burden to purchase these extra gifts. Be sure to include inexpensive options on your gift registry, or express to your guests that gifts are not essential. I am sure at least a few guests will breath a sigh of relief.
Also be aware of the financial burden you may be placing on your attendants. Between buying or renting clothes, travel expenses and buying gifts, a wedding can be a huge expense for them. If you can limit the cost in any way, it will be greatly appreciated.

Something to Remember: What most people want to carry away from your wedding is the memory of a happy couple, not the price tag.

Note from Design Mom: Thank you, Beth for all the economical ideas this week! Also. The picture at the top features the hip wedding favors that Gwen and Joel created. Mini moleskin notebooks tied with bakers twine and a label from Stuck they printed themselves — half the labels had an image of Gwen's hair, the other half of Joel's hair. So great!

Weekend Plans

Well. We're heading into our last weekend as New Yorkers.

I hesitate to tell you that I'm pretty much in tears every other hour or so these days. The hesitation is because I don't want to sound like I'm down about Colorado. I'm actually very excited for this change and love looking forward to our new life in Denver. At the same time, I'm still having a hard time saying goodbye. Yesterday, as I left a hair appointment with Donna at the Lemon Tree, I was a crying mess. At least my hair was hot. : )

But our weekend plans look good. Really good. Today, the whole family is part of a photo shoot in Central Park. More on that later. But I will say that Maude is wearing the honeycomb studio jacket pictured above. It's from Ismodern, and it is such a cool jacket. I hope its coolness is an indicator of how awesome the photos will be.

Then tonight, our dear friends the Wrights (you may remember their house tour here), are throwing us a grown-ups only farewell party. And I love them for it. A little birdie told me Ben Blair may be breaking out the guitar to perform some Neil Diamond. Crossing my fingers...

Saturday, we'll spend the day at Benton Brook Farm in Massachusetts. And then on Sunday after church, we'll picnic at Pepsico Gardens.

I hope your weekend is just as lovely. And I hope your weather looks as good as mine does right this minute. If you have any fun plans, please share — I love hearing about happy weekends.

Calling Cards

Yesterday, the older 3 kids went to school with a stack of keep-in-touch calling cards to hand out. The cards list twitter handles, blog urls, email, skype names — everything but a phone number. My favorite were the titles they picked out: Kids Film Expert, Ballerina, and Girl Extraordinaire.

How to Make A Baby

Keith of MiniModerns sent me a link to this video. So great!

Wedding Clothes — by Guest Mom Beth Longtine

With fours daughters it’s a given that I have sweated the whole wedding dress issue. How in the world were we going to be able to buy each of them a dress they love? Well, I am sweating no more. Seems as though the fashion industry has realized that not all women want to spend a mint on a dress they will wear once. Many designers, department stores and even bridal shops are introducing lines of dresses that cost significantly less than what was typical just a few years ago; most in the $200-500 dollar range.

So who’s making my heart sing? J. Crew, Dillards, Nordstrom, David’s Bridal and even Target. Something to remember: The style of these wedding dresses are less fitted than more expensive ones, but may still require some alterations. My daughter-in-law's J. Crew gown came in an amazingly small box, so be prepared for lots of wrinkles (but it steamed beautifully!).

At our wedding, my son and daughter-in-law chose not to have attendants, a significant cost savings. However, if you do choose to have bridesmaids, I’ve noticed a trend that I think is fantastic. Brides are asking their attendants to pick out a dress in a certain color, but in a style of their choosing. This allows your friends to find a dress that suits their taste and price range, including the option of borrowing a dress if need be!

Manhattan

Knowing how homesick I already am for New York, Katie sent me a link to this great map of Manhattan designed by Jim Datz. Available at Three Potato Four.

Beleaf Tees

These t-shirts from Beleaf are good-looking little reminders of things kids (and grownups) can do everyday. Like "I recycled a cardboard box and built a fort today" and "I walked to school to save gas today."

Sure to be the favorite: "I didn't take a bath to save water today."

Water Bottles. Rethunk.

You know what else I think about on Earth Day? Water bottles. These light-weight, reusable plastic ones made by Bio-Green are new. And completely bio-degradable. Made in the USA. 5 different colors. A legitimate alternative if Sigg isn't your thing.

Reuse and recycle (or borrow if needed) — by Guest Mom Beth Longtine

These days we hear a lot about going green, and that emphasis is beginning to hit the wedding industry as well. Many are trying to encourage less waste and to recycle when possible. The best way to go green? Use what you already have, and try to buy what you know you will use again.

So what did we reuse? Previously owned white serving dishes were used on the dessert table, and a black, tiered stand was painted white to fit in. A long-owned wooden tray got a coat of red, and was used to hold favors. A banner was made out of an old book catalogue. Real dishes and linens were used for dinner. From friends we borrowed beakers for the flowers, place-card holders, the photo backdrop, and cameras for the photo booth. And I could go on…



Something to remember: Friends love to help, just be careful not to ask too much of them. One item or task per person is enough to make them feel a part of the day, without making them feel taken advantage of.

photos from Holly Hoyt Photography

Earth Day Spring Cleaning

Happy Earth Day, friends! (And Happy Birthday to my brother Salem, too!!) I just finished up the deepest cleaning my kitchen has had since we moved in to this house 4 years ago. I wore my Method "Cleans Like A Mother" t-shirt to psyche me up for the big job. And it was a big job. I even recruited Irene to come help me. We're talking deep, deep cleaning here. As in under-the-fridge cleaning. As in scrubbing the screen door cleaning.

The idea is to have the harder tasks done before move day, so that as the Mayflower truck drives away next Wednesday, there will only be wiping down walls and sweeping floors left to do. Wish me a wish that all will go as planned.

Of course, all the cleaning products had me thinking Earth Day as well — and my attempts to go non-toxic in our home. I was feeling great about my Mrs. Meyers and Method and Watkins products (I love the Watkins packaging with all my heart). And not so great about my fume-y oven cleaner.

Baby steps, ladies. Baby steps.

What are your favorite eco-friendly cleaning products?

Last Weekend

We continue to say our goodbyes and pack in as much of the city as we can. Here's a quick report on the weekend's adventures.

Thursday night I attended a Yann Tiersen concert with Katherine Kaneko at The Fillmore. I'm guessing about 75% of the audience spoke French — so the eavesdropping was extra lovely. Before the concert we ate dinner at Bar Blanc and stopped in at Bigelow Apothecary. Also. Yann Tierson was fun, but we liked the opening band even more.





On Friday, as soon as the kids hopped off the school bus, we went straight to the NY Botanical Gardens and spent the afternoon. Playing in the children's garden. Watering new plants at the family garden. Riding the tram. Walking the forest path. And playing in the fountain. The Botanical Garden has been one of our favorite spots and it was looking especially lovely all done up in Spring blossoms. It was hard for me to walk away.

That night, Ben and I joined friends at Freeman's for dinner. To get to Freeman's you walk down a funky little alley and through ginormous wooden doors. It's a really cool space that attracts some really hip company. The food was delicious. The weather was perfect. It was just one of those magical nights.



On Saturday morning, Ralph spoke at his friend's baptism. He did a great job — was a very confident and eloquent speaker. That night, Ben Blair and I saw comedian Demetri Martin in Tarrytown, followed by dinner at a local Greek diner. Demetri's show was terrific, but I got the feeling that most of the crowd hadn't finished high school yet. So I'm not sure what I think about that. When dinner was over, we realized it was only 10:00 and we weren't ready to go home yet so we drove to Pinkberry on the Upper West Side and indulged our sweet tooth.

Sunday was the usual loveliness of church and family. It was pretty much the best weekend ever.

Venues — by Guest Mom Beth Longtine

With my son’s wedding we started out with a bigger plan than we ended up with, but the economy reared it’s head, and we pulled back. Way back. We went from a 100+ wedding, to 45 nearest and dearest. Which meant we had to rethink the venue because the ballroom we had reserved was a bit much for that many people. But our cost went down too, from over $150 an hour (which is still pretty cheap), to a university campus lounge for $35 an hour — and the view was amazing.

So how do you find alternative venues? Get online. See what your city, local university, community or religious centers have to offer for events. Often they are not trying to make a profit, so they cost significantly less. I know a couple that wanted lots of friends, but couldn’t afford much, so they held their wedding reception at a local park shelter. Another friend got a great deal on a reception at a local hotel because they were undergoing renovations (that meant some minor inconvenience).



Something to remember: With cheaper venues, it usually means less service, so you are going to need family and friends to get into the action. Just be sure you are organized, so you don’t place too much burden on them. Our family helped frost the cupcakes, arrange flowers and set up the reception; and we talked and laughed the whole time.

images by Justin Hackworth

Handknit Layette

The handknit layette at Zia & Tia has me all baby hungry. Gorgeous, right?

Simple Weddings — by Guest Mom Beth Longtine

We spend a lot of time in our house looking at wedding blogs, and we definitely have our favorites. Yes, maybe it has something to do with my being a wedding coordinator, but honestly I think it’s because I have four daughters. We all love to dream about weddings, and look at the lovely photos.

But if you are anything like us, we often come away feeling like the “perfect” wedding comes at a pretty high price (so how much does it cost to rent 20 chandeliers to hang from the trees?). As a wedding coordinator I have found high-end weddings to be the rarity, most people simply can’t afford more than the basics. And during tough economic times, how much do we really want to spend anyway? Can’t we have an inexpensive and lovely wedding? I think so.

The first step is establishing what is important to you on that day. What are the essentials? A small group of loved ones? A large group of family and friends? A great party? A religious emphasis? Going in with a plan can help you navigate the process more peacefully as you will be able to ignore whole categories of things the bridal magazines insist are essentials. My son and daughter-in-law recently got married and our focus was simple: build a marriage, tell a story, and spend as little money as possible. Oh yeah…and the food had to be great.

Stay tuned this week as I share a few thoughts on how to put together a simple, but beautiful wedding — and know that the same techniques and ideas could be applied to any event.

Note from Design Mom: in the mood for more wedding stuff? Check out Wide Open Spaces. She spent all of last week reporting the details of her incredibly lovely wedding. Also, I found the gorgeous balloon garland photo on Wide Open Spaces via Oh Joy via Tiara Mia.

Hello Beth!

I've had a string of amazing Guest Moms lately and the trend continues this week with Beth Longtine. Hello Beth! My life intersected with Beth when my kirtsy partner, Gwen Bell, married Beth's son, Joel Longtine. We had exchanged a few emails and I knew I liked Beth, but when we met at the wedding I was even more impressed — with her talented and beautiful family and with her ability to throw a fab party on a tight-budget. So I asked Beth to share a few ideas this week for those of you who love to throw parties — wedding parties or otherwise.

Here's a little bio about Ms. Longtine: Beth is the mother of seven children and a "Day of" wedding planner. Those two things might seem unrelated, but raising all those kids has it's benefits. Like training in: organizational skills, helping others find their vision, calm in the midst of storms, and developing a keen eye for all things frugal. Good skills for a wedding planner too. Her goal? "Helping couples plan their weddings so it is as peaceful and fun during the process as it should be on the big day. Because it's the building of a marriage that counts the most."

You can keep up with Beth at her blog, Where's The Veil?