A Few Things

Hello Friends! I am signing off early today. We are hosting a birthday party for Oscar tomorrow morning and aside from a list of notes and ideas, I have zero preparations in order. I will be spending today's hours running errands and making favors and keeping house. To keep you company in my absence, here are a few things I've been meaning to share with you:

-A lone house on a huge cliff. This seems unreal. Via Unruly Things.

-These printed jars from Burgon & Ball will make you smile.

-Have you been following the Blog It Forward posts organized by Victoria? I'm addicted.

-Dying over this home tour on Decor8. I'm usually drawn to intense color. But this is muted and heavenly as well.

-The design blogs are all a buzz with the new Liberty of London for Target line. Can't wait to see it in person.

-Japanese design love.

-Classy axes? Why not.

-Some Design Mom mentions around the web —
a) Chrysula interviews me about Work/Life Balance
b) Anna dissects my partnership with Mayflower last spring (it's like a how-to on working with blog sponsors)
c) Cool Mom Picks likes my maternity wardrobe. Thanks, ladies!
d) During Alt Summit, Studio 5 interviewed Grace of Design*Sponge, Heather of Dooce and little old me about blogging. I keep forgetting to share the link — here it is.

-The very best shots of the Winter Olympics.

-A bride in orange shoes.

-Let's all run away and join a gypsy caravan.

-What a fun sofa! Would this work in your home?

Have a wonderful weekend. Don't miss the gorgeous Jo Totes Giveaway (two winners!). And wish me luck with the birthday party. I need all the luck I can get with this one. : )

lovely image via Chelsea.

Jo Totes Giveaway

Friends, I have a feeling you are going to extra-love today's giveaway. Jo Totes is offering two perfect camera-bags-for-ladies to two lucky winners. Lined in pretty fabric and organized into perfect little pockets for your camera gear — plus all the little things you like to carry in a handbag (wallet, snack, phone, notebook, etc.).



Finding a perfect camera bag can be a challenge but this is such a well-thought out accessory that even if you're not carrying your camera (or don't own one), you'll love carrying this as your everyday bag.

Leave a comment below to enter. I'll announce two winners on Monday.

P.S. — I think the green is my favorite. What's yours?

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Congratulations to shoutingforha and amanda p! You are the lucky winners. Enjoy your Jo Totes.

Baby Goods from Mom 2.0

It is endlessly interesting to me to see how the products-for-baby market has changed in the last decade. Every year there are loads of pretty new things to try (and lots of gimmicky things we can all ignore). At Mom 2.0, a handful of excellent, new-to-me baby lines crossed my path. Check it.



Weil baby, who makes sleek, colorful (bpa-free!) baby bottles gave me a charming basket full of baby soaps and baby shampoos and baby lotions by Erbaviva. They smell fresh and clean, they're totally organic, and I love the little illustrations on each container. (If I can get myself to the post office, I know the perfect person to send this basket-full-of-loveliness to.)



The sweet sisters of Sama Baby sent me home with a yellow-lotus print dress in Betty's size. Made of organic materials (like everything in the Sama Baby line). As soon as it's even a little warm, you can bet Betty will want to wear that dress every single day.



Aden & Anais had a booth in the Mom 2.0 expo. They were giving attendees generously-sized cotton muslin swaddling wraps in pretty prints. Plus a lovely little accompanying book. It's a wonderful thing to wrap up a baby in something cozy — and these really are the perfect size. The bright, star prints made me smile.

See what I mean? Great stuff. What about you? Do you have any baby products on your list to try?

Home From Russia

Elder and Sister McEvoy are back from their mission in Ykaterinburg, Russian. Yay! Now we get to plan a roadtrip to see them. (Here is a little Russian doll my mom sent to my kiddies. The very international-looking packaging it arrived in made me happy.)

On Kirtsy This Week

Here are some of my favorite kirtsy links from the last little while. (Kirtsy is a site where anyone can share cool links — I'm one of the co-founders).

-Have you heard of ChatRoulette? (Videochatting with total strangers.) I haven't tried it, but I'm fascinated by the idea.

-It's Black History Month — here are 8 African American Women who changed the world.

-The Oscar's are coming! Download your FREE Oscar Party Bingo cards here.

-A visual lesson in how letterpress works on Design*Sponge.

-The world's most dangerous places to live, according to Mother Nature.

-A fan letter to Roger Ebert. (Did you hear? He lost his lower jaw to cancer.)

-Would you rent a boyfriend for a week to appease your parents?

-Did you see the BlogAid Cookbook? With contributions from 27 top food bloggers. Gorgeous. And all proceeds go to a great cause.

-Lots of pretty pics of this charming boutique hotel in the South of France.

-Six Word Memoirs. (I don't think I'll ever tire of this idea.)

-Were you bothered by the Dodge Charger Superbowl Ad? Here's one reaction.

-Need a photography session for free? Here you go. You're welcome.

-You will love this a day-in-a-life of Rubyellen. (It's where I found the fantastic image at top.)



One more. Totally un-kirtsy-related. Remember the family ski trip to Copper Mountain we took earlier this month? Well here's some good news: Copper Mountain is giving away a family four-pack of tickets. For free. To enter go here. You totally want to win this. I swear. You have until this Saturday, February 27th to enter.

Pregnancy Stories

Here's something a little different. For the 2nd pregnancy/childbirth/adoption post today, I'm going to send you elsewhere. Here are some terrific (amazing!) stories that have found their way in to my inbox, but that are a little too lengthy to post in full.

You won't want to miss these. I promise:

1) Is That My Uterus in that Taurus? It's exactly what you think. A baby born in a car. Which doesn't sound funny but will make you laugh till you cry.

2) The Story of Nella Cordelia
Every once in awhile a baby with Down Syndrome is born to parents who had no idea. This mother's reaction and story is gorgeous. (And I have to note: have you ever seen a birth made into such an event? I was delighted! Tiaras. Clothing changes. Multiple photographers. Visiting friends dressed to the nines. Love it.)

3) Nora Jayne was born in the hospital...parking lot.
Yes. Another amazing car birth. With video!

4) When Triplets Become Twins.
It will break your heart and give you hope at the same time.

5) Their oldest is 12. Their second child is 7. Here's a video of the kids finding out baby number 3 is coming. So fun!

Image via The Sweeterie. Have you typed up your story yet?

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

A Pregnancy Story from Britney R

My father once told my mother, "You've been in an unusually good mood lately. I think you might be pregnant." And guess what. She was.

While I did not get those pregnant-euphoria genes that my mom has, I must say that my pregnancy was an enjoyable time for me. I have a long torso for the baby to fit into, my hips are already wide, so none of that bone-moving stuff for me, and I am one of the lucky ones who didn't really get sick, as long as my blood sugar was boosted immediately upon waking and every hour thereafter.

Everything was smooth sailing. At week 13, I was informed by the fetal medicine doctor that I was having a boy, and my nurse told me that I could trust that opinion. At week 20 we had another ultrasound, and the prognosis and good health of the little guy were confirmed. He was a little on the small side, however, so we scheduled a follow-up ultrasound at week 30 to confirm that he was growing well.

Week 30 came, and the doctors were beginning to worry about our baby. He was still small, and his percentile was dropping. He was the right height, but just skinny. I was diagnosed with Intra Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), meaning my son was estimated to be in the bottom 10th percentile in weight. While 1 in 10 babies falls into this category, most small babies are born to petite mothers and fathers--something at 5'9" I am definitely not--or they are one of a set of multiples. I was told to eat 100 grams of protein a day (usual recommendations for a woman my size say to eat between 30 and 50 grams) and take it easy.

In the next couple of weeks, my doctor had worsened the order. I needed to eat 150 grams of protein and 3,000 calories a day. Ugh. My part-time job had recently ended, and not really being in the situation to find a new one, my new job was to eat. I sat on the couch, watched TV, and tried to stuff my face.

That sounds like fun and games, but when you are already 7 months pregnant with a squirmy baby, there is not much room left for food. Most days I would eat as much as I could and then wait for more room to manifest itself. And when there was more space, I would stuff it as well. I began counting calories for the first time in my life--for the opposite reason than one would expect. A sirloin burger for lunch equaled 35 grams of protein, plus cheese on the side, and a bun—but the numbers didn’t add up as fast as I would have liked them to. I pounded protein bars, protein shakes, cheeseburgers like crazy, and anything else that possibly sounded good. Told by my doctor that I shouldn't worry about fat and sugar, I began looking up restaurant meals that should be avoided and sought them out. And did you know that ice cream does wonders for heartburn?


(Click to see bigger.)

About 2 weeks before J was born, the doctor's estimate for his weight put him at about 4.5 lbs. The doctor scheduled an induction a week before my due date (the logic being that if he wasn't getting enough nutrients in there, we needed to get him out and feed him). After a blessedly easy labor, J was here--healthy, crying, and pink. And when we placed him on the scale the numbers that flashed up were better than expected.

6 lbs 8 ounces

I'd like to think that it was all of those hamburgers I ate that pumped J up in those last weeks, but I don't really know for sure. Was the doctor's estimate off? Who knows? Either way, as I saw those numbers come across the scale, I knew I had been twice blessed. Once with a beautiful little boy, and twice with his good health.

J is still a skinny little boy. At 14 months, he's off-the-charts small on weight and head size, and average height. While I still try to feed him anything he'll eat, I'm starting to believe that's just the way he is. And he is perfect.

From Britney R of Happyful.
Ice cream image via Creature Comforts.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

The Voiland House

Denver experienced a good-sized growth spurt during the middle of the last century, so there is a plentiful supply of terrific mid-century modern homes in the area. (I wrote a little about that here.) The downside for a family as big as mine is that most of these homes have very few bedrooms.

When I saw this one — the Voiland House, designed by Charles Sink — had 6 bedrooms (on 1/2 acre!) we got on the phone immediately. Alas. We found out it had just gone under contract. Boo.




What do you think? Would your family enjoy living in something with stark lines like this? How many bedrooms is too few for you? Don't you love the red door and the double balconies?

Wild Life Prints

What is it exactly about these images by Jeff Friesen that is so charming? I really have no idea, but I can't stop looking at them. Available as signed, archival prints.

Welcome Home

This welcome sign greeted me when I arrived home from Mom 2.0. Made by Olive and Maude.

Better Homes & Gardens

So the other day, I climb on a plane to Houston. Reading material in hand? The March issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Which I proceeded to devour. But there was a significant pause in reading when I hit the Fresh Section. Because there, on page 20, I found my own face staring back at me.

After reading my lovely little mention, there was some grinning and giggling. And then I channeled all my willpower so that I didn't wake the large man in the seat next to me to tell him about it. (I really don't think he would have found it as exciting as I did.)



Thank you Better Homes & Gardens! I'm blushing.

Also. Thank you for writing the article about the tea cup flower arrangements. Such pretty photos! Exactly what I'm craving to get through another month of snow.

Ask Design Mom — Flowergirl Dresses

Ask Design Mom Question:

Hi Gabrielle. My daughter will be the flowergirl in my sister's wedding on 10/10/10 here in Southern California. (She is 5 years old.) We are looking for unique flowergirl dresses for the outdoor event. Any clothing company recommendations? We are thinking non-white for the little ones in the wedding. Thanks. Stephanie

Design Mom Answer:
Thanks for the question, Stephanie! What a memorable date for a wedding. Love it. My first thought is to send you to Crewcuts. It's a super-dependable source for wedding-appropriate kid stuff. Check their everyday dresses and their wedding/party dresses.

But there are also a million other great sources. Depending on how formal the wedding will be, you might like the offerings at Dagmar Daley, Ses Petites Mains or this Hanji dress from Tea Collection.

What about you, Dear Readers? Where do you shop for wedding clothes for little kids?

Ask Design Mom — DIY Baby Photos

Ask Design Mom Question:
My question is this, I am wanting to research how to take the best baby photos DIY style and I swear there is a website out there that you can sign up for (pay a subscription to) to get tips, hints, etc. I also swear I learned about it here on Design Mom. Does this ring a bell to you? Thank you so much. Danya (like Tanya but with a D)

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Danya! I'm not sure if it's pregnancy brain or what, but I only have the vague-est memory of mentioning a website about DIY baby photos. I can not for the life of me remember what the site is. So I'm going to put this lovely question to my readers, and I'm sure they'll come up with wonderful answers.

Dear Readers, do you have any favorite sources for learning how to take photos of your babies? Maybe a website or book that has taught you some terrific tips? (This doesn't answer the question, but I love these polaroids my sister Jordan had taken during Roman's birth.)

My Mouse Path

This is an image of Anna's mouse path throughout the day. (You can click it to see it bigger.) The lines are movement and the dots are periods of inactivity. I find it beautiful and intriguing. Things like this make me disproportionately happy. Are you curious about what your mouse path would look like?

Back from Houston & the Mom 2.0 Summit

What a terrific conference. You can tell it was great when the opening event meant you could wear a bright orange feathered dress and your hair in a giant beehive. I sent Ben Blair a photo of myself all done up for the MadMen party and he responded back, "Yow-zah."

In addition to adorning my very pregnant body with feathers, I also spoke on the Keynote Panel with Heather Armstrong of Dooce and Maggie Mason of Mighty Girl. Stephanie Smirnov of PR Mama moderated our session and asked a slew of thoughtful and interesting questions. It was the most fun speaking on a panel I've ever had and I was truly honored to be asked.

More Mom 2.0 Summit reports coming when I've had a minute to process. In the meantime, you can see my photos of the event here. And everybody's photos of the event here. Also. I love Mom 101's recap of the event here.

PS - Want to see the outfit I was going to wear before Maggie saved the day with the brilliant orange dress? Here's a peek courtesy of The Bloggess.

Vintage Pearl Giveaway

Fantastic Giveaway today, Friends. Erin from the Vintage Pearl has generously offered up two $75 gift certificates to her lovely shop. That means two winners!

Isn't it fun to browse her wares and decide which pretty little bauble you'd like the most? Or how you'll customize it? Maybe you'll find something perfect for you — and for a friend. I'm especially loving the Mamabird necklace cut from copper. (Such a bargain — only $25!) And the sweet little baby spoons. Oh. And this initial necklace.




I think I might have Erin make a little anklet for this daughter about to come into our lives. I love seeing tiny, pearl-strewn anklets on little girls. Leave a comment to enter. The two winners will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

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Congratulations to Donna Porter and Sweet Greens! You are the lucky winners. Have fun shopping at Vintage Pearl.

Katie Herzig

Good morning from Houston! It's bright and sunny here in the great state of Texas and the music I'm craving is Katie Herzig.

At the Brandi Carlile concert, Katie was the opening artist and Ben Blair picked up her CD. I'm totally digging it. Have you heard her stuff? Here are three to try: I Will Follow, Hologram and I Wish You Well. Her voice is great — there's a Gwen Stefani quality about it.

What are you listening to today? Anything new you've fallen in love with lately?

Brazilian Pregnancy Story from Damaris Palmer

I am Brazilian. When Brazilian women give birth they look beautiful. They get their hair done professionally and most even get their makeup done professionally AND their little friend down there gets the ultimate Brazilian wax. Women can plan this ahead of time because most of them get c-sections, like 90% of them.

I have ONE Brazilian friend that did not have a c-section. She was living in the U.S at the time and her doctor was not thrilled about elective c-sections. They compromised and he agreed to induce her labor a couple days before her due date. Her induction was scheduled at 10:00am so naturally she woke up at 4:00am to get ready. She took a long shower, blow dried her hair, spent at least an hour on her make-up and off she went to the hospital looking completely glamorous.

I'm a disgrace to the reputation of beautiful Brazilian women. After 45 hours of labor (4 of pushing) my first child, Enzo, came out to the ugliest looking mom that ever existed. I looked like a truck had run me over, multiple times.

With baby number two things may actually look a little better. I'm having a hard time falling asleep these days so I stay up soaking in the bath giving myself body scrubs. Two days ago I even waxed my legs, just the bottom half because that's all my belly will allow me to maneuver. I thought about attempting to give myself a Brazilian wax for half a second but since I haven't even been able to see that part of my body for about 3 months now I decided to put that thought on hold. I've given myself facials and yesterday I even dyed my hair. Today I might go get a pedicure, we'll see how motivated I get.

I'm not promising this baby anything. She just might come out to a very shabby looking mother. In fact I can almost guarantee it. I'm o.k with that though. I'm o.k with her starting out her life knowing that women shouldn't have to wake up at 4:00am the day that they're giving birth so they can get their lipstick on just right. But if I happen to look good[ish] I won't complain either.

Maybe I'll wear long dangling earrings this time.

From Damaris Palmer of Bebeloo.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Miracle Birth Story from Rebecca Mudrick

My first pregnancy was an eventful one. It began with a huge oops (!!!) I’m pregnant moment and the surprises, twists and turns never seemed to stop.

Every few weeks I’d end up in the hospital for one reason or another and thankfully each visit always ended well. Contractions were stopped. Tests were reassuring. We were counting our blessings, but we were also starting to feel a bit sheepish about our frequent trips to the labor and delivery unit and I was starting to feel like it was all much ado about nothing.

Just three days after a routine OB visit and right around 33 weeks gestation, I woke in the night with bleeding. We called my OB and headed back to the hospital again. Doctors couldn’t explain the bleeding – which had stopped – and sent me home. They encouraged me to follow up with my OB the next day. I rolled my eyes and promised I would.

My OB was out of town and so my follow up visit was – simply by default - with a high-risk specialist. He was wonderfully kind, and spent a lot of time with me. He carefully reviewed my history and told me that he had no idea why I had been bleeding, but he wasn’t concerned about that so much as his suspicion that our baby wasn’t growing well. He wanted me in for a growth ultrasound the next day. Okay. Another problem. Another ultrasound. We were getting used to this. It would all check out to be fine. No problem.

The ultrasound tech was quiet as he took the measurements and the specialist confirmed that our baby was not growing. The baby was showing signs of stress and measuring very small for his gestational age. We left the office nervous but hopeful that all would be well, as was the pattern during my pregnancy. But just two days later I woke up with a sure knowledge that I would deliver that night. I went to the grocery store, made meals to freeze, caught up on laundry and cleaned the apartment. I went to my first appointment for fetal monitoring and was perfectly calm as the tech told me to go immediately to the hospital for an emergency induction. The baby's kidneys had shut down and he was experiencing serious heart decelerations. We needed to launch a rescue mission before it was too late.

The labor was precarious - the baby kept everyone on their toes. But after 8 crazy hours, I delivered a very gray 3 lb 7 oz baby boy. He was bigger then we expected and we were elated with his safe arrival. We held him for a few minutes and then he was gone. It would be many days before we would hold him again.

The nurses in the NICU wanted to know our baby's name. His name? The names we had been considering (more like arguing over, ha!) didn't fit. We struggled with the task and decided to ask God to help us choose a name that was strong and meaningful. A day later I was sitting in the NICU, talking to my half-cooked baby boy and I called him Joshua. Joshua. Hmmm ... I brought it up over lunch with my husband who said he had also thought of the name Joshua that day. We immediately looked the name up in a baby name book and learned that Joshua means "God Saves". A very appropriate name indeed.

Joshua's NICU stay was a short 2 weeks. Miraculously, all the pre-term labor had stressed the baby and as a result his lungs were well developed. The unexplained bleeding had sent me to the OB long before I was due for another check up and I have no doubt we would have lost the baby by my next appointment. Joshua is our miracle baby - our "boy who lived" and 9 years later we continue to thank God for his safe arrival.

From Rebecca Mudrick of Overexposed.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.

Mister Clothing

Charming photography and styling from new children's clothing line, Mister. Available for purchase in the next few weeks.

Texture

I consistently crave interesting textures. These textile photos by Gemma Commas caught my eye.



And you know I love the classic Emeco Navy Chair (it's my very favorite chair). There's really nothing I would do to improve upon it, so I was surprised how much I like the texture of the wood seat against the metal in this new version.



I also think this furniture upholstered in grain sack is highly appealing. I wonder if it's comfy?

Everything I Have

I'm completely fascinated by this poster. Simon Evans took a photo of every item that he owns and catalogued it here in one place. Part of me aches to do this. Would you ever? And doesn't it look neato?



Seen on the fantastic new blog The Violet Hours — have you bookmarked it yet?

Toy Storage

We are in search of something in which to store our endless collection of dress-ups. Isn't this a pretty toy box? By Mod Mom Furniture. (It's custom! You can pick your preferred patterns for the flowers.)

Gretchen Rubin

Remember when I posted about Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project? I really liked it and keep thinking about one discussion point in particular: part of what she figured out is that to be happy she had to "Be Gretchen Rubin" — she gave lots of examples of this but the first one to come to mind is that even though she wishes she was the sort of person who really appreciated jazz or classical music, the music she honestly enjoys is more of the lite FM variety. If she is honest with herself about her likes and dislikes, she is happier.

What do you think of that idea? Would you be happier being you? I immediately thought of my food tastes. I wish I was a person with sophisticated food tastes, but if I'm honest, I'm probably happiest sitting down to the sort of meal that would be cooked in a crock pot. : )

Gretchen Rubin is one of the people I'm most looking forward to meeting at Mom 2.0 Summit. I head to Houston tomorrow. I even get to speak on Saturday. Can't wait! Will I see you there?

P.S. — Speaking of happy, this photo of a spinning girl makes me very. Via sfgirlbybay. You know what else makes me happy? Jordan had her baby! Go say hello to Roman.

Happy Presidents Day!

How was your weekend? Was it just me or did the Valentines festivities extend over like five days this year? That's craziness. I vote for no more Valentine's Days on Sundays. Are you working today? Do your kids have the day off of school?

My kids are home today. Ben Blair has the day off work. And honestly, the weekend was so filled-to-the-brim — a kidney stone for Ben Blair (sad!), a prenatal visit and rescheduled glucose test because someone ate too much valentine candy, a nephew born, plus chalkboard paint and decoupage and BBQ, and on and on — that I couldn't be more delighted to have an extended weekend.

Today, I am going to clean my room. Catch up on laundry. And work on my tax records. What about you?

Also. Isn't this image amazing? The Head of the Statue of Liberty on display in Paris.