Do You See What I See?

The cherries are starting to ripen.

Both Ben Blair and I grew up with cherry trees in our yard. And we both have parallel memories of cherry pit spitting contests. Cherries feel like summer. What are your summer foods?

A New Trowel

Last night's main course was a vast salad which included greens and sugar snap pees from our own backyard. It reminded me that I never regret time and effort spent attempting to grow food. So after dinner, we gathered the kids and used the rest of the evening to weed the garden spot. Then we ate Grandma Jenny's famous slush for a treat (which tastes a lot like someone froze a carton of pine-orange-banana juice).

Thing I learned: my trowel is a piece of junk and must be replaced. Possibly with the beauties pictured above from Labour & Wait.

The End

My kids have been watching Michael Jackson music videos all weekend while we've tried to explain the (pop) cultural significance of Thriller. Anyone else? It feels like the end of an era.

Speaking of "the end," Laurie just sent me the link to a fantastic flickr set put together by Dill Pixel.




The typography on this one is so delicious.

Clever Birthdays

I loved getting emails about both of these darling parties. A Yoga Party featured at Honeyflake, with adorable invitations rolled up like yoga mats and cheerful mandala tees.



And a Mr. Man Party for a set of triplets featured at Full House, with mustache lollies and a banner of neckties.

For moms who need a creative outlet, sometimes hosting clever birthday parties is just the thing.

Cookie Posts

A couple of my recent posts you won't want to miss at Cookie's Nesting blog.

1) A roundup of ginormous summer totes.
2) And these really beautiful fire extinguishers you won't mind having on the kitchen counter.

S. Stein Workbags

I'm coveting an S. Stein Workbag. The line of bags and accessories is gorgeous. And the product photos make me happy. Also. This is fun: Sherry Stein, the designer behind the line, is a Colorado girl. Nice.

Tip Junkie

I was so delighted with Laurie at Tip Junkie's request to interview me for her Talk To Me Tuesday series. You can see my answers here. Thanks, Laurie! I had a great time.

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String — by Guest Mom Stacy

My heart is both heavy & racing. Heavy because it is Friday, my last day as guest mom. I was soooo scared (read: intimidated) to do this, feeling in the presence of greatness each time I read Design Mom. But once I started, it felt like a window was opened, with the best cool wind breezing through. My mind flooded with all sorts of things I wanted to share. But would anyone care to read them? Can’t stop — it felt so great to write, and post, and rush home from “regular” work to see my post on a real live blog. With real live comments. From real live wonderful people. I might just have to keep writing. Funny how you can fit things in when they truly feed your soul.

So for my last post, I’ve collected a sort of “favorite things” list (I love reading lists!) Things that are essential in my world. Things that in common, share a sort of beauty, comfort, & simplicity.

1. Gap boyfriend jeans. Please believe, after 17 years, I have amassed quite a collection of jeans. And I have donated many of those. My definition of a great pair of jeans are any pair I can wear on my day off — because I WANT to. And these are the best pair Gap has ever ever made. I actually have 2 pairs, as does my friend Jen. We nearly sold out of them before they hit the sales floor because so many associates bought them. They are that good!



2. Waldorf mobiles. My best friend from college first discovered these at a Waldorf school in new york. She hung one in her daughter’s room, and I have been smitten ever since. Wool roving is such an amazing material. Paired with stars — unmatched in its beauty.



3. Ruth Krauss & Maurice Sendak. I first discovered the book A Hole Is to Dig at an Anthropologie store a few years ago. I was captivated by the tiny drawings & brilliant definitions of everyday things. A couple years later, I happened upon Charlotte and The White Horse and I'll Be You and You Be Me. Again, the sweet line drawings coupled with moving words written by an adult yet echoing the true sentiment of childhood proved that the collaboration of these two was nothing short of magical. Whether you have children or not, little or grown, I promise you will love these books. They’ll make you smile, they’ll bring a tear to your eye, because that special optimism & innocence of childhood never ever leaves you. Thank goodness.




4. Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. When I was little, I thought it was so special to have chocolate chips in the house (my mom did not care to bake, so when chips were around, it was something!) I vowed that “when I grow up…” I will always have chocolate chips on hand. And I do. And these are the best. I truly eat them every day. We (I) go through a bag a week. At least. They are good mixed with cereal (no milk). They are good on ice cream. And they are good alone. Go buy some now. You won’t be sorry. (Oh—they are good for baking, too. But I don’t very often because as a grown-up I am responsible enough to know that I will eat the lion’s share of the cookies. And my kids will get mad.)



5. Robert Ryan. In a way, Rob Ryan is not about simplicity. Or comfort. But beauty — for days! I recently discovered his work and cannot stop looking at it. Rob is an artist in London who creates exquisite works with scissors & paper — which I guess at its heart is simple, but oh, the detail! I gave his book This Is for You to my husband for father’s day, and pray that someday we can own one of Rob’s breathtaking works of art.

I know I could go on, but I will stop here. 5 is a tidy list.

Thank you Gabrielle. For blindly believing that I could be a guest mom in the footsteps of so many other great ones before me. For your kind readers and their kind comments. For the joy I have felt writing and sharing this week I wish I could wrap it all up in a bow and send it to you. You’re the best!

Watch

Did I tell you what Ben Blair gave me for my birthday? This rad watch.

When the hip girls from Brooklyn would move to my neighborhood in New York, I would study them for the latest in cool. Amy Palmer, who is effortlessly stylish, would wear a Casio. Or sometimes a calculator watch (remember those?).

Once Upon A Time — by Guest Mom Stacy

Magazines became a part of my being at age 11 when I decided I wanted a haircut, a short one. My mom is a beautician, but trained in the 60’s, she was more comfortable with beehives & back-combs. So she bought me my first fashion magazine ever. Seventeen magazine. I was hooked. At eleven. So many things to see, to learn, to want to be. And I found a haircut.

I craved every new issue—I think I still have the one with Whitney Houston (as a model) on the cover, eating a giant ice cream cone & wearing a sweater dress whose pattern was in the magazine (did I mention this was like 1982? And no, even though I begged, my grandma would not knit me the dress, as I was only 12, not 17).

By high school, it was Seventeen, Teen, YM (sometimes, not a huge fan), & the queen of teen mags, Sassy. How unbelievably crushed was I when it disappeared. How could I go on without Sassy’s witty commentary & solid advice? But go on I did.



To college, where I had now enlisted the likes of Details, Elle, Vogue, Bazaar, Interview, & Mirabella. The occasional splurge of British or Italian Vogue might cause me to skip a meal or two, but it was so worth it. I lived through those pages, shaping my world, what I would someday surround myself with, after this collegiate journey. Then, no Mirabella. Gone. The way of Sassy. It’s existence as ethereal as the images by Paolo Roversi. I was sad.

Then came Martha. Martha Kids. Martha Baby. And Real Simple. And Country Living. And Domino. Blueprint. Cookie. Wondertime. I had a lot of reading to do! But each one brought something different, something essential. There were piles in the car, while I waited at preschool. The reason my purse is as big as I am—to carry mags, of course. Oh, I must mention here that I also keep many of these. Forever. Not in a weird, stepping over piles in my house way, but in a necessary, these magazines contain a world of important images, articles, and inspiration that I might well need someday way.

And thank goodness I did. Because so many of them are now gone. And I can honestly say that for a time, like after I realized there would be no more Blueprint, no more Domino — ever — I wondered how I would ever find that collection of visual inspiration in my life. It felt like something was dying.

Enter blogs. Without realizing it, they had slowly begun to take magazines’ place in my world. First, Design Mom. Then Oh Happy Day. Then A Cup of Jo. Black Eiffel. Bloesem. Inchmark. Katie did. Simple Lovely. Twig & thistle. Heather Ross. Simply Photo. The list grows every day. All of these amazing visionary women. To you I must say: thank you. You have given back a part of me.

T-shirt Dresses

Stephanie is such a smartie. While purging her wardrobe, she found herself feeling sentimental about a handful of old t-shirts. So she sent them to Prairie Mama and had them remade into sweet dresses for Ivy, her 9-month-old baby girl. Such a great idea. You can see the before t-shirts here.

Print*Pattern*Paper

Print*Pattern*Paper is offering 3 new posters that are worthy of note. A drenched-in-color world map. Plus friendly Number and Alphabet posters — both are successfully gender neutral. They are big, well-priced, and as always, made with 100% recycled heavyweight paper and soy ink — they'd look great in nurseries and playrooms everywhere.

18x24 for $42 or a bit smaller at 11x14 for $32.

Pick out your own poster at a discount. Use coupon code P3THANKS to get 20% off. (Code expires 7/15/09.)

Under A Blanket of Stars — by Guest Mom Stacy

I have always been fascinated by stars. The ones in the sky. We used to visit the planetarium all the time when we were little. I even recall wanting to be an astronomer for a brief moment, until I realized that there was more math involved than I was willing to commit to. I just wanted to look at the stars. All the milky, glittery shapes they swirl in the night sky. Under a blanket of stars.

Flash forward—2002. Jasper had just been born, & one of the books I had purchased for his room was H.A. Rey’s The Stars. The colors on the cover, not to mention the content, were a must-have. Plus anything by H.A. Rey is pure genius. I had been toying with the idea of starting a baby blanket business with a friend from college. I had another dream about turning the zodiac constellations into a blanket (I dream a lot! Not sleep, just dream). But how?

We tried a bunch of things. There were a few “for-sures”—muslin, gingham, & ric-rac, especially the giant ric-rac we got in New York. As for the stars, we settled on felt circles. The results were less than stellar. Not bad, but not exact.

2007—after sharing countless felting books & ideas, Jen & I were well on our way creating seven smooches. I wanted to incorporate the constellation blankets. Still wasn’t sure how to do the stars. Then, I discovered needlefelting. Perfect! Not only are there a zillion brilliant shades of wool out there, it’s fun! Pounding that roving into the muslin & batting can be cathartic.



The constellation blankets have now had three incarnations in 7 years. Don’t stop believin’.

Cannot See

Isn't this blind-embossed print neat?

What you need
but cannot see
is right in front of you.

18 x 24 inches. Available at Jen Khoshbin's shop.

Bloom Baby Alma Crib

I just received an email about the new Alma crib from Bloom Baby. It looks great. Smaller footprint than a standard crib and it stores super compactly. It would be a smart move for an apartment, or for a bedroom needs to make room for more than one sibling.

Until Betty was two she slept in a small hotel crib with a similar size to the Alma (but admittedly less style). I much preferred it to our standard size crib. It's so easy to store that I've kept it for guests.

What Once Was — by Guest Mom Stacy

Seven Smooches was founded on pieces made from repurpose fabrics. This was not our sole purpose. It just sort of happened. We felted sweaters, cut them up, made tiny new sweaters & hats. Then we brought in vintage buttons — so much prettier & more interesting than the standard new ones. We were being green without really trying. How au currant! Unintentional, but a great side effect.

I didn’t really realize that I have often been drawn to repurposed things, not solely for their environmental friendliness, but for their beauty. Pure & simple.

My husband is from south Africa and we have had the privilege of traveling there a couple of times. So many amazing things to see — and take home! One of my favorite finds had a previous life. The plastic bag animals really came into being after plastic bags were banned in cape town. The bags were a litter nightmare, blowing all over & into the ocean. But with some wire & a crafty hand, they became these amazing little creatures we had to bring home! I still recall stopping on the side of a very slanty road, bartering with a man until we ended up acquiring nearly all of his animals for sale. They were the exact treats I wanted to bring back to my family and friends at home, not to mention keep in my house forever.

The chickens are available online here.

Rocking Chair Project

So this house we're renting comes with a pretty fantastic yard. There are mature fruit trees — cherry, apple and peach. Two strawberry patches and a raspberry bramble. An herb garden. Lots of good cutting flowers. A large garden spot (large for suburbia anyway) which we've planted with tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, melons, pumpkins, salad greens and beans. Plus a good sized patio/deck with an awning.

We left our outdoor furniture behind in New York and have yet to replace it. In lieu of the traditional table and benches, I'd like to fill our patio with an assortment of rocking chairs instead. I'm thinking 7 mis-matched rockers in bright colors. I've set a budget limit of $50 per chair and now I'm hunting them down.

On Saturday I found a great turquoise rocker in metal for $75 that I hope to barter down this week. And a squatty, bright yellow one in front of a costume store. It wasn't for sale, but if I show up with cash, maybe they'll change their minds?

I'm willing to add a coat of paint to a non-descript rocker, or embellish with colorful cushions, but I do want to challenge myself to keep to the $50 per chair budget. If you've seen any rad rockers around, please let me know.

Also: if you live in the Denver metro area and know of a trustworthy upholsterer, I'd love a recommendation. Please. Pretty please?

image from kitby

Hammock

How was your Father's Day? How was your weekend?

I loved ours. Here's a report. Saturday, Ben Blair took the kids swimming while I explored vintage furniture stores on Broadway. I'm searching for rocking chairs (more on that later).

On Sunday, Ben Blair received a stripey hammock. Which was promptly taken over by the kids. I helped serve pie to all the men at church — apparently it's a Father's Day tradition in our new congregation. I like it. (And I'm thinking a big stack of Krispy Kremes would have been even yummier and easier. Possibly I'll make the suggestion next year.) We made our favorite sandwiches (they're called 8 to 5's) for lunch and had peach pie for dessert. And made a big pitcher of homemade lemonade so that Ben Blair would have something to drink while he lounged in his new hammock.

Then, late last night we made a huge batch of granola that I'm betting won't last the week and settled the big kids down with a chapter of Harry Potter Six (we're trying to refresh our memories by getting it re-read before the movie comes out).

I was homesick for my Dad. Jordan posted great pictures of my siblings and parents in matching shirts in front of the house I grew up in — and they made me happy.

I Have A Dream — by Guest Mom Stacy

If you have never washed a wool sweater & shrunk it into nothing, I highly recommend you do. It wasn’t until my friend Jen did ( her brother’s xxl grey Shetland) & turned it into a tote bag that I was curious. Then I had the dream. The dream of the tiny wool kimono (greyish-ivory) with the stand-up collar & big buttons. It was one of those dreams that wakes you up & stays with you for days. This is what we need to do.

Not that we weren’t satisfyingly busy already. Jen has 5 children (10,7,7,6, & 3), & I have 2 (12 & 7) as well as a full time job as a visual merchandiser in a well-known retailer (rhymes with lap). We met one another as co-room parents in the preschool where 4 of the seven smooches were in class together. We had the extra-curricular portion of motherhood somewhat covered, but we had to do this. The felt. The kimono. The babies — all too delicious to ignore!

And before we knew it, we were sewing. And designing. A new hat. A cardigan. A poncho—or is it a skirt? We applied to a juried art show & held our breaths. Could we really do this? But as any mother knows, whether you have 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 children there is no time to ask that question. Could we really do this? Yes, you can do anything you believe you can.

Welcome Stacy!

I'm so delighted to introduce this week's Guest Mom. Her name is Stacy and and she's endlessly creative. You've seen her gorgeous work featured on this very blog here and here. I've had the opportunity to meet Stacy in person. Twice. And can tell you she's just as kind and lovely as you can imagine. I've really only had a few minutes with her, but she feels like an old friend. Plus, she spoiled my family with this generous gift. So I can't help but adore her. Here's a delightful introduction to Stacy written in her own words:

If you would have told me last year that I would be a guest mom on this very blog, I would have nervously laughed & said “o-k”, with a sarcastic lilt, secretly longing for you to be right. I was reading Design Mom religiously, not wanting to miss anything, when I saw that Gabrielle was going to Utah to speak at the Startup Princess retreat.

Knowing that it was next to crazy to think that Jen & I could up & leave for a long weekend across the country, I rushed to her house to tell her we haaaaaad to go! She wasn’t sure why, but she trusted my judgement, & off we went. The opportunity to meet Gabrielle was akin to meeting (insert rock star here). And she did not disappoint. Her kindness & talent shone like a star that still burns bright in my mind. Daily.

I grew up & live outside Chicago, with my lovely family (one husband, one girl, one boy, one dog). The incessant need to create started early (probably that tiny Barbie quilt we made in brownies—thanks, mom), & has never stopped. Even when there is no time. Which feels like always.

Jen is an amazing friend & my business partner. Together we began seven smooches, a line of children’s clothing & accessories made from repurposed & natural fabrics. We share a love of sewing, kiddies, coffee, chocolate, books, felt, & the creativity that invades every corner of life if you let it.

After studying classical music in college, I decided I really wanted to be a fashion stylist. Having my own children now, I cannot believe that we request they know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at say, age 17. Preposterous! Since no one in the Midwest knew what a stylist was, I moved to London. Searched for my purpose, met my husband, started working in retail (close, right?). 17 years on, I realize that you search for your purpose daily, but come closest to finding it in your family, your friends, & your art. Whatever that may be.

Thank you, Stacy! We're so glad you're here. Please make yourself at home.

Books by Color

Last night, we organized the book shelves in the living room by color — they've been so drab every time I walked by, I'm hoping this will be the fix. You like?

Other than that, it feels like a funny day. I wonder what's up? We returned an air mattress at Target. Then bought a new lamp shade. And some light bulbs. I went grocery shopping. We made cinnamon rolls (the super easy Rhodes version).

Now all I want to do is watch movies until it's time for bed.

Feel free to join me. Happy weekend!

How To Build A Giant Table

Okay friends. Here it is. My attempt at instructions or at least an explanation of how to build the giant table. With lots of photos. And more notes than you probably want. If you're nervous to try it, remember that all I had to go from is some sketches I'd made on a legal pad and the picture of the table from Downtown Chic. So you're already way ahead of me. FYI: the finished table measures 33" high x 53" wide x 107" long.



First, we spent an afternoon assembling materials. We used:
2 two x eight boards, 8 feet long each
2 two x eight boards, 46 inches long each
2 pieces of 1/2 inch plywood, 48 inches x 53 inches
1 piece of 1/2 inch plywood, 11 inches x 53 inches
6 two x four boards, 46 inches long each
4 two x two boards, 8 feet long each, cut to assorted lengths
4 four x four fence posts, 32 inches long each

A full sheet (60" x 114") of metal from Denver Heating & Air Conditioning. Before we left, they used their industrial metal folding machines to make a 1/2 inch lip around each edge so that we didn't cut ourselves while handling the metal.



Costs:
-The lumber was just under $80 at Home Depot.
-The sheet metal was just over $50.
-My nephew already had some long screws (about 4 inches) and a box of black nails.
-We eventually decided we would want to attach the legs with bolts, so that we could easily remove the legs. Sixteen heavy-duty bolts and washers, etc, were about $50 at True Value.

Once we had the materials assembled, we built the table top base. (And I should note, whenever I say "we" I mostly mean my nephew Josh.)



We formed a rectangle using all four of the eight x two boards. The short pieces went inside the long pieces. We secured this box together at all 4 corners with 4 inch screws.



Once the outer rectangle was formed, we laid the six 46" two x fours across the bottom. We attached those with screws from the outside. Then we flipped it over.



Next, it was time to attach the top surface of the table — the wood we would eventually attach the metal to. We couldn't buy a single piece of plywood that was big enough, so we used 3 pieces. Two large pieces and one small one in the middle.



We attached the 3 plywood pieces to the table top base by screwing into the two x four boards through the plywood. Once attached, they formed a rectangle that measured 53 inches x 107 inches.



When the plywood sheets were securely attached, it was time to add a lip around the edge — something to wrap the sheet metal around. We used lengths of two x two board, held them in place with clamps, then screwed in through the plywood to attach them.




And tada! Phase one was complete. During phase two we added the metal top. During phase three we added legs. Here's phase two:

We laid the piece of metal on the ground, top side facing down. Then placed the upside-down table top base on top of the metal.



We marked and trimmed the corners of sheet metal. You can enlarge the images to see our technique. Then we hammered and hammered and hammered the metal until it would keep it's shape wrapping around the table base. We used nails to secure the metal to the bottom of the table top lip.



With the table top complete, we moved it into the room where it would eventually live. (It's incredibly heavy. Seriously.) And then we attached the legs.



The fence posts were nestled inside each corner and secured with clamps. Then we drilled four holes through the table base sides and completely through the fence posts. Two holes on each side. For each leg, four bolts went through four holes and were secured with nuts and washers. If/when we ever have to move the table through a doorway, it will be easy to remove the legs.



And that's it. We turned the table on its feet and it was ready to use.

Except. A few days later, we realized some air pockets had formed between the metal and the plywood beneath. So we did a pretty major fix. Josh's whole family came to help out. We took out every single nail and removed the metal top. We squirted three bottles of Gorilla Glue onto the backside of the metal, spread the glue evenly and placed the top back on the table.




We weighted the metal top down with every heavy thing in the house we could find. A couple of cinder blocks. Books. Boxes of files and papers. (Luckily, Ben Blair is a PhD and has oodles of boxes of paper and books.) We let the glue dry overnight, then removed all the weight and re-nailed the metal under the lip. Obviously, if we were building again, we would have done the glue part before we hammered and nailed the metal the first time.



Other Notes:
1) Our table is at a non-regular height. 30" is standard table height. 36" is standard counter height. Our table is 33" and works best with a 20" workstool. If you wanted a higher table, you could just use longer pieces of fence post. You could make the table shorter, but you might not be able to sit around it comfortably because the two x eight boards extend down quite far — making it hard to tuck knees under if you were sitting on a standard height chair. If you want a standard 30" table, you would be wise to use two x six boards instead of two x eight boards.

2) Since we didn't really know what we were doing, I intentionally picked a table style that would be rough and allow for building mistakes. Let this give you courage if you attempt a table as well. The more scratches, rough spots and gouges the better.

And that's it. Amazing! We still haven't aged the table and are considering our options. I'll definitely report back when I decide what to do. If you end up making a table too, please let me know. I'd love to hear how it turns out.

Josh, the main builder on this project (and the handsome guy in the blue polo shirt here) started a two-year proselyting mission yesterday. I know it's only been a day, but my whole family already misses him like crazy. Thank you, Josh!