Design Mom

A Few Things

2010-03-19T11:00:00.001-04:00

As predicted, the weather went from 70 degrees yesterday, to 6 inches of snow today. Not even kidding. But it's supposed to be warm again on Sunday, so I'm choosing to ignore this little blip in the forecast. Instead, I'll keep day dreaming of summery things. Like these colorful shirts on the line by Chipoupine. Here are a few things for you to enjoy over the weekend:

-All the artwork and photography from the Mom 2.0 Exhibit is up for auction. Great prices. Gorgeous pieces. Created by the blogging community. Go see. You can even bid on Ben Blair's photo of me making pie crust. Best part: all proceeds go to Haiti.

-50 Signature HandBags — a perfect reference for all you fashionistas.

-In the mood for mint and tomato?

-My favorite image (and words) of the week. Can't wait to do up some eggs!

-Wow. Look how decadent this Vogue editoral is.

-Remember the poster showcasing everything he owns (including a too ripe banana)? Well here's another version of the same idea from a different artist. Someone who owns more stuff.

-Have you ever seen such clever stamps?

-Let's all collect colorful watering cans.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. My kids have school off next week for Spring Break — so we'll be brainstorming clever and adventurous ways to spend our vacation here at home. I'm sure at least some of our plans will be all about getting ready for Easter. What are you up to this weekend?

P.S. — Don't miss your chance to win 2 custom paintings of your child's favorite toy. Click here to enter.

Serena & Lily Catalog

2010-03-19T10:30:00.003-04:00

The latest Serena & Lily catalog has me drooling. I'm especially taken with the Freida duvet. Plus, have you seen the new Bazaar Section they just added? It's filled with all sorts of funky, hard-to-find pieces that make fantastic accents for a room. And most of the listings in the Bazaar are one of a kind — which means, when they're gone, they're gone.

Serena & Lily is also a great spot to find nursery inspiration. Aren't those white paper cranes gorgeous?

Baby Name Books

2010-03-19T10:00:00.007-04:00

We've decided we need to get serious about thinking up baby names, so I ordered a copy of my favorite baby name book. It arrived yesterday and we're all getting a kick out of perusing it.

The first time I bought this book (when I was pregnant with Ralph), it was called Beyond Jennifer & Jason. And then it was Beyond Madison & Montana. And now it's Beyond Ava & Aiden. I like it because it's not a simple alphabetical list of names and meanings. Instead, there are dozens and dozens of different sorts of lists -- like Metrodude Names and Vintage Starbaby Names and So Far Out They're In Names -- plus good conversational writing between each section. I remember reading it for the first time and thinking it would be a fun bookclub book. We also like looking up the names of our current children to see what lists they appear on in each version of the book.

Even if we don't end up using a name from the book, it's a fun volume to have around. Turns out the creators of the book are also responsible for Nameberry -- which is a super fun site to check out names.

Do you have a favorite baby name book?

Custom Toy Portrait Giveaway

2010-03-18T11:00:00.005-04:00

Oh. I love today's giveaway. Jennifer Maher is offering custom toy portraits for a lucky winner — one 8"x10" and one 5"x7" — a total value of $165. Isn't that fantastic? Two original works of art — they could inspire a whole gallery wall. How does it work: snap a photo of your child's favorite toy and Jennifer will magically transfer it into high art. For reals.

I love Jennifer's style and I love the idea of capturing one or two of my child's favorite objects — capturing a snapshot of their childhood — in a painting. Talk about an heirloom! You know you'll be handing these pieces of art down to your own children as they put together nurseries for your grandkids. And Jennifer's prices are totally reasonable for custom art. Take a look.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. The winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

Bambizi

2010-03-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness. We're down to less than two months till my due date. So creating a space for this new little baby is on my mind. I found gorgeous nursery inspiration at British company, Bambizi. I don't think we're in the market for a new crib, but this "cot" made me smile — absolutely fantastic for a little prince or princess.

On Kirtsy This Week

2010-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

What is it about this week? Every morning I wake up and think it's Friday. At least today, I'm only a day off. : )

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

-It looks like a real, actual house. And it's gorgeous.

-A great article on getting kids off the couch and into the great outdoors.

-Do you rsvp — or have you abandoned the practice?

-A post written by a mother who is observing her baby-loving toddler while knowing this daughter is infertile. Heartache!

-Why teenage girls are awesome.

-Photoshoot of a soldier coming home and meeting his baby girl for the first time.

-The best films you've never seen.

-Want to receive a fun postcard from all 50 States?

-Does owning less stuff equal having more time?

-The New York Times published a piece about mommy-blogging and the reaction hasn't been great. Here's one well-written response.

-I am enough! An invitation from Tracey Clark.

-Yummy. Anthropologie has a new sister brand called Leifsdottir. (That's where all these neato images came from. Do you like the washed out photography?)

Anything fun you've seen on Kirtsy lately? Any links you've added to Kirtsy?

Spring Clutches

2010-03-17T11:30:00.001-04:00

It's so warm today that I'm browsing swimsuit sites and dreaming of summer handbags. I think accessories with wooden accents (like bamboo handles) are exactly right for warm weather dressing. I like these little clutches by Pistolstitched.

Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Sewing & Fabric Crafts

2010-03-17T11:15:00.003-04:00

Friends. If you adore fabric — or anything related to fabric — I highly encourage you to pre-order your copy of Martha's new Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts. It covers everything I love about working with textiles. Dyeing, printing, stamping, embroidering, quilting, etc. With the gorgeous photography and clear instructions that are trademarks of anything Martha. 150 different projects are featured. That's right. One hundred and fifty. Like the companion volume, the Encyclopedia of Crafts, this volume is a heavyweight. It's the size of a major textbook.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy and I've been reading it like a novel. I think the first thing I want to try is a project featuring some ribbon embroidery. Wouldn't it be lovely to embellish a little hat and blanket for this new baby?

Adoption Gift from Katie Mohr

2010-03-17T10:30:00.005-04:00

For Mother's Day I got a painting. It was an original. It had custom framing. It was expensive in many contexts. It cost years of tests, shots, co-pays, pregnancy tests, adoption fees, postage on paperwork, airline tickets, country fees, and international ATM fees. It cost tough conversations, tears, long runs to clear my head, eight months of my "real life", strong hugs, several hard Mother's Days, thousands of prayers, and rolls upon rolls of cookie dough. If I gave you a real dollar amount we might all throw up. However, this painting is worth it. It's that good. I would pay that "price" all over again.

It was made by two little hands. Two perfect hands. Two brown hands.

The same two hands that offered me part of his waffle on Sunday morning when Russ told him that it was Mother's Day. The same brown hands that rise in the air when he hears his new favorite song because he wants to "dance" with me. The same little hands that search through my hair to find which earrings I'm wearing each day. And the same hands that have to sign "more" because he's giggling too much to talk. The same sweet hands that blew me a kiss after I said good night to him while he was already tucked into bed tonight.

I'm in love. I'm in love with Eliot, I'm in love with being his mom, I'm in love with the Lord for creating him and "us", and I'm in love with his painting.

From Katie of More From The Mohrs.
Image via Fresh Art Photography.

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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.

Birth Video from Jarica

2010-03-17T09:00:00.003-04:00

I'm just now sitting down at my desk after my morning prenatal visit. All is well. I was encouraged to add more pineapple and dried apricots to my diet — apparently both are high in iron. Who knew? Plus, I got the "all-clear" for a quick trip to New York next weekend.

It wasn't exactly a St. Patrick's Day celebration, but it was still fun to be out and about and see everyone wearing green. Are you doing anything special for St. Patrick's Day? Did your kids wear green to school? I'm thinking it would be fun to pick up a box of Lucky Charms for an after school snack today.

In the meantime, I've got some great posts for you. Starting with this beautiful birth video (nothing graphic, I promise) from Jarica Madsen.

An Amazing Miracle from Jake Madsen on Vimeo.

Granted, I'm 32 weeks pregnant, but I cried the whole way through.

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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.

Bonpoint — Now For U.S. Shoppers!

2010-03-16T11:00:00.004-04:00

Great news! Bonpoint just opened a site for U.S. shoppers. Gorgeous things for newborns, toddlers, boys and girls. Mmmmmm. I will take one of each.

Book of the Week — My Book About Me

2010-03-16T10:30:00.003-04:00

Did you ever have this book as a kid? I loved my copy. It's a fill-in-the-blanks journal with all the cleverness of Dr. Suess. It's called My Book About Me and it covers everything a kid would care about in their kid-sized world — favorite color, how big your foot is, how many steps from the front door to the mailbox. Oscar received a copy for his birthday and he adores it. It is a daily read.

Train Token Necklaces

2010-03-16T10:15:00.002-04:00

The girls at Blue Poppy Jewelry have been working on a new necklace using authentic train tokens. Wouldn't one of these make a cool gift for your wanderlust-addicted friend?

Ask Design Mom — Curly Hair

2010-03-16T09:45:00.001-04:00

Ask Design Mom Question:
I have to know about your hair! I have naturally curly hair as well and I NEED to know what products you use in your hair. (Shampoo, Conditioner, Gel or Mousse... seems so personal but all of these things affect the result.) I have wasted tons of money on so many products and they all give different results. Also, do you air dry or diffuse? Thanks, Missy

Design Mom Answer:
Thanks for the question, Missy. I actually find this question in my inbox frequently. And then I totally nod my head in sympathy because as a fellow curly headed person I totally know the frustration of figuring out a hair process and knowing how to deal with curls in all sorts of situations (like humid New York vs. bone dry Denver).

Here's the basic process that works for me: In the shower, I shampoo lightly and then heavily condition and let the conditioner soak in for a few minutes while I'm soaping up. I'm fairly relaxed about products — something luxurious from the salon is always a treat, but I'm equally satisfied with a variety of drugstore brands. Right now, my favorite is Infusium because the conditioner is really thick.

After the shower, I gently(!) towel dry my hair. I don't run my fingers through it or brush or comb it — the key is to not separate the curls. Next, I fill my palm with a mix of leave-in conditioner and hair gel — again, I'm not too particular about brands — and work the combo through my hair. (Note: don't brush or comb or pull your fingers through your hair to work in the product, just kind of moosh/scrunch it in everywhere.)

Then I let my hair air-dry till it's about 75% dry — while I put on my makeup and get dressed. Finally I flip my head upside down and use a hair-dryer with a diffuser to finish drying the roots. Diffusing with my hair upside down gives more lift at the roots so the curls don't look like they're dragging.

Last two tips: 1) I only get my hair fully wet every 3rd or 4th day. For showers during non-shampoo days, I just pull it up into a bun so it doesn't get wet. 2) At hair appointments, I make sure to keep my layers trimmed — especially around my face. Otherwise the curls get too heavy and my hair forms a gigantic triangle.

And that's it. The book Curly Girl helped me quite a bit in how I approach my hair. I don't follow all of its guidelines, but it's definitely a great place to start if you're frustrated with your curls (or your child's curls). In fact, if you like it, you could totally give a copy to your hairdresser.

What about you Fellow Curly Girls? Do you have any favorite haircare products or haircare tips?

Images of curly haired peeps from Bumble & Bumble.

Ice Milk Aprons

2010-03-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Friends! I couldn't post yesterday due to some technical difficulties. My apologies to those of you who checked in hoping for some new content. Happily, the technical stuff was resolved this morning and I've got some fantastic posts to share today.

First off, what are your thoughts on aprons? I tend to favor waist aprons versus full aprons — and I adore these straightforward, really beautiful options from Ice Milk Aprons. (Although, right now, I'm happy for anything that covers my giant tummy.) Something about the change of seasons seems to draw me into the kitchen. In the fall, I crave pie making. In the spring, I like cake.

Do you use aprons in the kitchen?

spotted on SimpleSong

A Few Things

2010-03-12T11:58:00.007-05:00

Hello Friends! This Spring weather has me in such a good mood. I hope we will spend the entire weekend out of doors. And I must buy some cut flowers for the house. What are you doing this weekend? Anything fun? I think we will be seeking out a steakhouse — my midwife says I'm slightly anemic and need more iron so I want to feast on steak on creamed spinach. : )

Here are some links I've been meaning to share:

-The Egg Print above is by Abby (seen on Unruly Things). It's wonderful and it reminded me I'm excited to make Easter Eggs. Any particular Easter Egg methods you're looking to try this year?

-The third issue of (online magazine) Lonny is out. I'm hoping to read it over the weekend.

-Did you see the Chanel Iceberg?

-It's a diaper and carrier in one. What do you think? Would this work for you?

-The man in your life has questions. Find the cleverly written answers — a new one written each day — here: The Rules of a Gentleman. (via UpsideUp)

-I want to make a shamrock badge.

-If you wanted to, you could add a cheery ruffle to your corkboard.

-It's called Ikea Heights. And it's a melodrama filmed entirely in an Ikea store. Except. Ikea doesn't know about it. (Warning: apparently some episodes are NSFW. Yikes.)

-For lunch today, let's just eat an entire tray of these blondies.

P.S. — Don't miss the 5-Strand Pearl Necklace up for grabs in my Leslie Lewis Giveaway. You can enter till Monday. I hope you win!

Hand Printed Wallpapers

2010-03-12T11:30:00.003-05:00

Do you have wallpaper in your home? I think the hand-printed offerings from Grow House Grow are pretty. Plus, each design has a story.

Leslie Lewis Designs Giveaway

2010-03-11T11:56:00.004-05:00

A beautiful giveaway today. From jewelry designer (and fellow Colorado girl), Leslie Lewis. You could win this gorgeous Not Your Mother's Pearls necklace. Five perfect strands. And then you could wear it out on the town. Or to the grocery store. Either way, you'd look lovely sporting such an elegant creation.

Go to Leslie's site to see more of her jewelry. Earrings. Bracelets. Necklaces. At lots of different price ranges. Some of my favorites? The Classic Bali, Precious Metals, and Posh. But really, my favorite is the one up for grabs in this giveaway. Isn't it beautiful?

To enter, leave a comment below. A happy winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

Congratulations to Through the Looking Glass! You are the lucky winner. Enjoy your pearls.

We Are Fast

2010-03-11T11:29:00.002-05:00

The weather has been lovely and all of the outdoor toys have spilled out of our garage. The jumpropes. The longboard. The ride-on jeep. And especially the bikes. Have you noticed all the pretty bikes available these days? I like these custom bikes by We Are Fast.

My kids have bikes, but Ben Blair and I don't. We think this summer is the summer to get them. Do you bike?

American Science & Surplus

2010-03-11T11:28:00.002-05:00

Have you browsed the wares at American Science & Surplus? It's a fascinating place. You can find these pretty pushpins for less than $3. Or this clock for your math-whiz friend. Or you can find robot partz.

Via Wee Wonderfuls

Headbands by Blue Eyed Freckle

2010-03-10T11:29:00.001-05:00

Maude's hair is at a great length for headbands and we've been searching out pretty ones far and wide. Like these lovely felt creations from Blue Eyed Freckle. Do you wear headbands? Do you like a wide or thin band? I've never been very good at wearing them, but I think they're adorable.

VBAC story from Jodi Mockabee

2010-03-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

Redemption: How I got my VBAC (and so much more)

My story starts back twenty-plus years. Lots of young girls dream of their wedding, their dress, the flowers. Not me. From as far back as I could remember, I dreamt of my births. I dreamt of the miraculous way each body would enter the world, I loved everything baby-related.

Fast forward to February, 2006. My husband and I were giddy with excitement over our home visit with my midwife. We were planning a home birth, which was, of course, a part of my childhood dreams... somehow this stemmed from the inspiration of my mother giving birth to my oldest brother on the kitchen table (which has been graciously handed down to me, thank you, and if you're shocked, well, you wouldn't be if you met my mother). Everything was in order, sanitized, prepared. I had candles set everywhere as naturally, a pregnant body looks much more elegant birthing in candlelight. Two days later I was given the devastating news that our firstborn son was breech. Devastating may be an intense term to describe the moment, but being that this birth was what I had dreamt of for as long as I could remember, I was devastated. My midwife would not deliver a breech baby. We tried every possible action to get our son to turn. Acupressure, chiropractic, massage, stretches, handstands, swimming, floating, and our favorite: smoking mug root on my pinky toes (the best part is it smelled like pot, so we were pleased to circulate rumors in our neighborhood). March 7, 2006, our son, Carter, entered the world via-c-section into a bright, cold, and sterile room. It was far from what I had dreamed.

Regardless, he was there, with us, and he was beautiful. Two years later, we had moved from our country environment to the "big city"... our new insurance would not allow me to have personal midwifery care, but I was informed that I could try for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). This news was exciting to me as it is a growing trend in the medical community to ban VBAC's. As the due date approached, I sadly felt a very familiar sensation: a head... in my ribs. My second son was breech as well. Again, devastated. I also knew this blew my chances for a VBAC in the future as two cesareans usually means your chances to give birth like a normal woman would are gonzo. March 21, 2008, our son, Everett arrived. The not-so-good news? His lungs were filled with fluid, a very common side-effect of elective cesareans...he spent four days in the NICU in which I had to sneak in like a ninja just to breastfeed him. The only word I could use to define the entire situation was unnatural. Everything about the process was completely unnatural.

We recovered, though, and eventually had two healthy, busy boys. One year later, I found out I was pregnant. From the beginning things were much different with this pregnancy than the previous two. At the end of my first trimester, we had a scare and thought we lost the baby. Come to find out, we had lost one, not both of them...that's right, I was pregnant with twins! What a shock it was, but what a relief as well to know we had "fighter" in there. We found out weeks later that the fighter was a little girl. As my pregnancy progressed, my body did as well, in a way that was foreign to me. My hips spread, wide. The pants I wore all through the pregnancy with both boys wouldn't even fit past my thighs. Something within me knew that my body was doing what nature had intended it to do, and a spark of hope stirred within me. This is when I decided to do all I could to fight for a VBAC. I'll spare the details of my journey, but in the end, I was granted the opportunity to birth vaginally. I was elated. To add to my joy, my daughter very much cooperated with my new wide hips, had nestled head down and stayed there for the remaining time of my pregnancy.

We hired a doula as my husband and mother were quite nervous about me laboring at home (there is a slight risk for uterine rupture with VBAC's). I wanted to labor as long as possible at home because I knew I would be on close watch at the hospital if I didn't progress on their standard timeline... February 23, 2010, six days past my due date, had found me a miserable, tired, and grouchy mother and wife. I did what everyone advised against... I drank castor oil. I'll refrain from all of the lovely details, but what I will say is that, by surprise, my beautiful daughter, Scarlett, was born near my bathroom floor (out of my very capable vagina, I might add), into the hands of her daddy. I held her on my chest, looked into her eyes, nursed her, talked to her, all while leaning against my husband. Her cord remained attached, her and I, still joined together for 20 minutes. My mom used chicken scissors to cut the cord, the doula delivered the placenta (which remains in my freezer to be planted--yes, you can gag, but at least we didn't' eat it), and we all sat shocked at the beauty of the VBAC that took place. Even though it took two very medical births to get there, we got the home birth I had always dreamt of...except this time, it wasn't planned by me, it was given from her.

From Jodi Mockabee of The Bee Hive
Image via Design Crush

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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.

Adoption Thoughts from Sarah Buttenweiser

2010-03-10T10:10:00.001-05:00

Written for Mother's Day 2009

Just over a year ago, we adopted a baby. Already parents to three children, our family grew in a new way: we became an adoptive family.

Mother’s Day is not a holiday I have ever observed (beyond sending a card to my mother, stepmother and mother-in-law). I dislike the holiday’s marketing aspect, including the sense that “mom” does a job and deserves a day of pampering for her trouble. Being a mother, Barbara Ehrenreich wrote, is not a job (although it involves a lot of work); it’s a relationship.

It’s my second Mother’s Day since Saskia was born, and with her arrival, the holiday got more complex, because she brought another mother into our fold, her birth mother, Caroline.

The English language doesn’t possess satisfying words for “mother” in our situation. Caroline, as the woman who gave birth to Saskia, is her mother. Biology tells us so. I stood by Caroline’s hospital bed while she pushed Saskia out into the world. Giving birth is one critical way we define mothers, it being the one thing only a mother can do. But to say giving birth describes motherhood is incomplete. Caroline isn’t raising Saskia. In terms of all those things mothers do—hold you when you’re upset, kiss you countless times a day, smile at you for no apparent reason, feed you, wipe your nose and bottom, take you to the pediatrician—I am it. Saskia is too small to appreciate how two women share mothering her. The language surrounding adoption offers some words to qualify mother, such as birth mother, or first mother, or adoptive mother. At the same time, these qualifiers sound like apologies, as if there’s something murky or not quite certain about mother, herself. Add to the mix that each situation is unique and that each definition is dependent upon the mothers and the child.

Qualifiers may be helpful to Saskia as she navigates her identity as an adopted child—and if that’s the case, I’ll be very glad for them—and yet it’s also possible that she’ll choose her own words to name her reality.

After Saskia was born, Lucien, my second child, then nine, said to Caroline, “I can see you on the floor, playing a game, eating chocolate with us. You’ll be like the fun aunt.” This appealed to Caroline at the time, the idea that she’d have a role to play and would occupy a special spot in Saskia’s family. We haven’t reached games and chocolate, yet. As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m aware that Caroline revisits her decision about Saskia’s adoption—struggles with having ceded that plain-old, unqualified mother—far more often than I do.

After an extended and heart-stopping legal odyssey, and once the finalization of Saskia’s adoption occurred, relief slowly seeped into my body. If the relief had been dye, my color would have changed because it saturated me. I was exceedingly grateful to move past any need to worry that our family constellation could be changed by the birth father’s protestations. Saskia was ten months when the adoption was made legal. Cherished baby of the family, Saskia had been our daughter for what seemed practically forever (from birth).

Whether Caroline’s second-guessing her decision or reassuring herself that she did the right thing, whether she’s reminding herself that Saskia’s happy in order to feel more settled about the decision, I can’t say. Part of motherhood—her motherhood—is going to have to do with how she makes peace with her decision. I can’t make her make peace. I can’t force the “fun aunt” role upon her nor any other. For my part, what I hold as part of my peace is that in adoption, the sense of loss is greater for the mother ceding the baby and the baby having to grow into the complexity of having felt rejected by—to whatever degree, less, we hope with an open adoption, even barely at all—a mother than for the adoptive parents, because as adoptive parents, we gained a daughter. We gained this murkiness, too, these losses and our job—my job as Saskia’s mother and Caroline’s chosen mother for her daughter—is to be willing to hold this, whatever this will be. Mine’s not to judge or force my will. At the same time, mine is to somehow remain as open as possible while respecting boundaries and while remaining certain—not apologetic—that as Saskia’s adoptive mother, I’m Saskia’s mother.

So, this week when making cards to send to my mother, stepmother, mother-in-law and two sisters, I also made a card for Caroline (and sent some chocolates, too). I didn’t say much—there’s so much and nothing to say—but I couldn’t let the day go without telling her how appreciative I am. On the second mother’s day as an adoptive mother, that’s where I am.

From Sarah Buttenweiser of Standing in the Shadows.

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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.

Girl+Guy Party at SXSW

2010-03-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Are you going to SXSWi this weekend? (What is SXSWi? It's an enormous conference that covers the interactive/new media space. It's held every March in Austin, Texas. And it's followed up with a legendary film and music festival as well.)

If you're going, you will totally want to seek out Kirtsy's Girl+Guy Party. This is the second year Kirtsy has teamed with Guy Kawasaki to host this awesome shindig. And I promise, this is the ONLY girl event at SXSW. I'm not even kidding. It is a male conference through and through (and sometimes feels like a week long series of frat parties).

It's too late to RSVP online for the Kirtsy party — it's actually full to the brim. So if you want to get in, here are your options: 1) Follow @kirtsy on Twitter so you can track down one of the Kirtsy girls at the conference. They'll have some party passes on hand. 2) Volunteer to help out for a couple of hours with party set-up or take-down or registration, etc. You can let the party planners know you're a willing volunteer by reaching out through the facebook event page.

Hope to see you there!

Book of the Week: Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

2010-03-09T11:47:00.002-05:00

Jen Corace's illustrations make me happy. And they go so nicely with this sweet story by Randall de Seve called Mathilda and the Orange Balloon. Little lamb Mathilda can imagine herself in a million wonderful ways — it's all about the power of possibilities.

Interchangeable Rings

2010-03-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

I saw these rings a few weeks ago and keep coming back to stare at them. Uncut diamonds in the rough. I think they're striking and completely wonderful. What do you think? Would you wear something like this? How about for an engagement ring?

via seesaw

American Furnishings

2010-03-09T11:33:00.004-05:00

I'm craving pieces from the Vintage Industrial section of American Furnishings. I wish I had a good place to put this. It could be an elaborate laundry sorter. : )

via 300 and Sixty Degrees

Genealogy

2010-03-09T00:16:00.005-05:00

Did you guys see the new NBC series, Who Do You Think You Are? It's really well done. Basically, it takes celebrities through an (emotional) search for their ancestors. I watched the launch episode featuring Sarah Jessica Parker over the weekend and was super into it. They were studying one line of her family tree and found gold rush connections, Salem Witch Trial connections — all sorts of stuff.

Do you know anything about your ancestry? Are you a genealogy buff? I think I may be extra-fascinated with this topic because Mormons grow up talking about and studying our family trees, but if you watch the show, I'd love to hear what you think.

You can find the whole episode on NBC.com here. And you can see a preview here.

Panini Maker

2010-03-08T14:22:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Ben Blair's birthday. We ate paninis — made on his very own, brand new panini press. Can you believe this was his birthday request? Ben Blair is the very best. Are you a panini fan too?

Robot Letters

2010-03-08T11:10:00.003-05:00

We have a little bit of a robot obsession happening at our house. Aren't these robot initials adorable? Available in pink, green or blue.

A Few Things

2010-03-05T14:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you for all the sweet comments about my belly shots. You totally made my day. No, my week! Which reminds me, is anyone else having one of those particularly crazy-packed weeks? I swear, I am barely keeping up. On the list today is more gift shopping — Ben Blair's birthday is on Sunday. Yay! Any fun plans for you this weekend?

To keep you company till Monday, here are a few things I've been meaning to share with you:

-I find these age maps fascinating.

-In celebration of the warmer weather I want to buy these new rainbow stamps.

-Best announcement of a new baby I've ever seen. Love it!

-Tips on visiting Paris from NotMartha.

-A new, smart idea for hanging photos/artwork (pictured above with the lovely orange sofa). I want to copy this.

-The table base built of pipes is so good-looking (2nd photo). I want to copy this too.

-Don't you think Ben Blair and I should spend a weekend here? (via Apartment Therapy)

-I think this is the favorite image I saw this week.

-Ummm. The cleverest cupcake kits ever.

-Just in case you haven't seen it yet, OK GO's newest video. It is amazing.

Thank you so much for reading. I woke up this morning thinking of you and grateful that you stop by my blog. I'm smiling now just thinking about it. Have a great weekend!!

P.S. — Don't forget to enter my Tracey Clark Giveaway — it's open till Monday.

Oh Joy!

2010-03-05T11:00:00.001-05:00

I opened a package this morning with goodies from Oh Joy! Like this pretty little pinwheel notebook. And these woodcut file folders — which my office is desperately in need of. Such wonderful things to receive in the mail. I feel so lucky.

Cruba by Mira Becker

2010-03-05T10:30:00.001-05:00

This is lovely. Mira Becker, who designed the best built maternity clothes I've ever owned, is launching a non-maternity line. It's called Cruba, and it's completely made of cashmere. Have you ever seen cashmere that looked like this? Yummy.

Ear Piercing

2010-03-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Is it possible? Maude Blair is 11 years old.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, she wanted to get her ears pierced. She invited two friends to come along, plus her sister Olive (of course) and the five of us spent some quality time at the mall yesterday. Maude was very brave during the piercing. Olive held her hand while I teared up behind the camera. (Why so emotional? I'm not totally sure. Something about knowing it was painful and knowing it was going to leave permanent marks in her perfect little body. And something about how grown-up it seemed.)

After the big event, each of the girls picked out a little something for themselves — new earrings or accessories — and then we all hit the food court for milkshakes. They were a delightful bunch and gave me the 5th grade/6th grade low-down on fashion and brands with in-depth discussions of Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostale and Uggs. We would have been content to window shop for another couple of hours, but it was time to head home (gymnastics and ice-skating lessons happen on Thursdays).

We opened presents and ate cake last night. For cake, Maude requested a white layer cake with frosting made from chocolate pudding and whipped cream, topped with Samoas (the Girl Scout Cookies with the coconut on top). It was yummy. And I ate a slice for breakfast this morning. (And we're not judging because I am pregnant.)

Extra fun: in the middle of cake-baking and present-wrapping, the CO2 alarm went off. All festivities were paused while we immediately moved outside and called the energy company to come assess the situation. Which was, thankfully, all clear. Turns out the alarm was faulty. (We're replacing it today.)

Happy Birthday sweet Maude! It's a delight to be your mother.

Dear Readers, do you remember getting your ears pierced? I was 8 years old. I have a sweet memory of squeezing my dad's hand through the process. (The whole idea grossed my mom out, so my dad took me instead.) Some weeks later, my ears became infected and I let them grow in. In 5th grade, I had them pierced again. This time, I was old enough to care for them properly. How old were you?

Tracey Clark Giveaway

2010-03-04T10:00:00.005-05:00

It was so much fun to have a photoshoot with Tracey Clark, that I thought I'd share some Tracey love with you in today's Giveaway. The lucky winner will receive 2 things:

1) A free registration to attend Picture Spring — it's a 30-day online photo course being taught by Tracey. And you won't want to miss it. Here's a description: You'll use the daily photo prompt to help open your mind and guide your lens to see and capture your life and the world around you. Whether you are an expert photographer, or just starting out, this project will help you see things in a completely new light. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

2) The winner will also receive a copy of Tracey's beautiful book, Waiting for Baby. I've seen this guided journal in real life and it is gorgeous. A perfect gift for yourself or for that pregnant someone in your life.

To enter, just leave a comment below. The winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

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Congratulations to Emskyrooney! You are the lucky winner. Enjoy the class and the book!

Belly

2010-03-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is my belly.

Six pregnancies. A dozen years of baby-making. And this is the first time there's been a record of what I look like while growing another human being.

These photos were shot by the lovely and talented Tracey Clark. That's right. The founder of Shutter Sisters and keeper of the Mother May I blog. And they almost didn't happen. We were in Houston for the Mom 2.0 Summit. Tracey suggested we do a photo shoot. I explained how non-photogenic I am. She assured me it would be great. So on a busy Saturday, just after I had spoken on the keynote panel, and then shot a bunch of video interviews for Kirtsy, I changed into something form fitting (Tracey's brilliant suggestion) and met Tracey in her hotel room. We had 20 minutes before Tracey needed to speak on her own panel.

20 minutes.

And I almost canceled when I realized the time was so short. But I'm so glad I didn't.

I love how the photos turned out. Tracey said all the right things to keep me comfortable during the shoot. She was fantastic. It was a treat to spend time with her. Thank you, dear Tracey!

What about you? Have you ever taken maternity portraits? Did you bare your belly? (I didn't think I would dare, but then I went for it.) Come back later today for some lovely Tracey Clark Giveaway Goodness. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite takes from the shoot:

Korean Vogue

2010-03-03T17:14:00.002-05:00

I've now visited these images about a dozen times (the cats!) and thought I should share them with you. They're from Korean Vogue. Did you even know there was a Korean Vogue? I didn't. But I'm glad there is.

On Kirtsy This Week

2010-03-03T16:17:00.006-05:00

Hello Friends. I made significant progress on my taxes this morning (organizing documents and updating spreadsheets) and feel delighted about it. I am very much looking forward to marking that task off my list. How about you? Have you already sent yours in?

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

-The fantastic photographer, Justin Hackworth, is signing people up for his annual 30 Strangers project. Will you be one of them?

-A new magazine for Creative Humans. That means you.

-Do this: A blogging workshop that's free and requires no travel.

-What does "middle class" mean these days?

-Mmmm. Color. I love this house tour. It's where I found the photo above.

-Newsweek article from 1995: Why the Internet will fail. : )

-The giant mirror makes the room, no?

-Recognize this belly?

I hope you enjoy these links. And I hope your weather is as sunshine-y as mine is today. Do you think winter is really over?

12 Fingers & 12 Toes — from Alli

2010-03-03T15:47:00.005-05:00

lovely photo by Mary Ruffle

My pregnancy had started much like many others. Tired and sick most of the first half. We found out in week 20 that we were going to be welcoming a baby girl to our family at the end of the year. Check ups and appointments went well up until my 31st week.

In that appointment the doctor noticed I was measuring big and scheduled a growth ultra sound for the following week. We had an ultra sound on Thursday that week and from all things we could see we were right on track. The next day I got a call around lunch time from the nurse that my husband and I needed to come talk to the doctor at the end of the day. Being pretty scared by this point, we came home from work and waited the dreadful hours till our appointment.

The doctor saw us 5:00 on Friday night, and that was when she told us that things didn't look good. They told us our daughter's legs were not growing, her kidneys could be calcified and that they saw extra digits on her hands. They said it appeared she had some kind of syndrome, but that they weren't sure of which one. As you can imagine at this point our world was crashing around us. Words were thrown around but the one that is burned into my brain was "terminal."

Our Doctor told us that we needed to get into the specialist in order for them to determine exactly what was wrong with our daughter, but seeing as it was Friday we needed to wait till next week to get an appointment. Needless to say it was the worst weekend of our lives trying to wrap our heads around the news, let alone try to explain to our family and friends. The following Thursday we got in to the specialist and after hours of genetic counseling and intense ultra sounds, they were able to narrow the syndrome list to approximately 10 different ones, some still very bad. The good news was that they weren't seeing as extreme symptoms as the first ultra sound. Although her legs were short, they were only measuring a few weeks smaller than 33 weeks.

Of all the symptoms at this point, I can tell you our biggest worry was her kidneys, and it was rather questionable between the specialists on whether there was a problem with them. Some saw some calcification and others didn't. With only a few weeks left we had many more appointments and ultra sounds, and in week 37 the specialists gave us the best news we could get at that point. In their expert opinion, my daughter would be born with isolated polydactyl.

What is that I asked. She has extra fingers and possible toes. Really??? After all that, that is it? With a team of doctors in the delivery room ready to wisk her away to the NICU, she came out and I heard the doctor yell, Lucky number 24! My beautiful baby girl was born with 12 fingers and 12 toes! They did wisk her off to the NICU along with my husband after she was born and found that she was perfectly healthy.

We had genetic testing and all kinds of tests in the first three months and they reaffirmed that it was not a syndrome. We did find out that extra digits is one of the more common birth defects. Who knew? Shortly after she turned 6 months, we had her extra digits removed. She just turned 1 and is the healthiest beautiful little girl. Not short either (82nd percentile) :)

She will probably never believe us when we tell her about her fingers and toes later in life, but we'll assure her she is our miracle!

From Alli in California

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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.

How I Became a Mom — by Heather Cain

2010-03-03T12:03:00.004-05:00

My mom with me and my brother.

When I was 3 months pregnant with my oldest son my mom died. My husband and I were out of town – my friend’s dad had died of cancer and we traveled from California to Oregon for his funeral. I remember popping my anti-nausea pill before setting out, wondering what Jenny felt like as she prepared to say a last official good-bye to her father. The whole process seemed so distant, like something that happened to other people.

Sitting in the memorial service my thoughts wandered over my own experiences of loss. I had lost a baby to miscarriage a year earlier and experienced that grief in a very real way. Though I had not forgotten the heartbreak of that time, the new baby who had just begun fluttering in my body brought a renewed sense of hope. I tried to picture my own dad dying. It was hard to do, difficult to even imagine my strong rock-climbing father succumbing to the ultimate reality of life. Then I tried to picture my mom dying. Ha – not possible! I couldn’t even fathom losing her and quickly shut the idea out of my mind.

At the reception following the memorial service we chatted about Jenny’s dad’s life and heard funny stories about things he had done. We exchanged pleasantries with strangers – yes, I threw up every day; no, we didn’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl. We ate cheese and crackers. Then the phone call came. It was my brother in California. My husband held his hand over the receiver as he said, “your mom is sick or something.” Another call came in, he answered it, and the most dreadful sentence of my life rang quietly through the room – an agonized and gut-wrenching “no.”

The rest of the day is a blur. The next thing I remember I was outside the house, had unknowingly run up the road and collapsed on the sidewalk. Jenny was seconds behind me and threw herself on top of me. She clung to me and the three of us sat there, Jenny, me and my baby, two of us sobbing at the agony of having a dear one wrenched from us too soon, the other one wriggling around as a faint reminder of new life. Two very emotionally controlled girls, sobbing their hearts out in the middle of a neighborhood of strangers, an unborn baby between them. It was a sacred moment, one that makes me tremble as I write about it.

Unable to catch a soon enough flight, we rented a car and drove home through the night.
I clutched my barely-showing belly and cried during the entire nine hour drive. The pain and sorrow were so real and overwhelming that they were scary. In the jumble of racing thoughts I kept thinking, “what if I lose this baby too?” I cried so much that I had scabs on my eyelids by the time we got home. My skin hurt.

We hugged a lot, cried a lot. Asked a lot of questions. We had the memorial service. I knew how Jenny felt.

I did not lose the baby – he grew and grew and we got ready for his arrival. We registered and read books and watched videos and took classes and painted and I somehow never felt prepared. It was as if not having a mom made it impossible for me picture myself as a mom. I had no one to answer those questions, the really important ones that only your mom knows the answer to. Who would be in the room with me when I gave birth? Who would hold the crying newborn when I was sleep-deprived and needed to take a hot shower? Who could I call when I was at my wit’s end and didn’t trust anyone else to still love me when they saw what a pitiful excuse for a new mother I really was?

And then Moses came. When they placed him on my belly I was scared that I had just been handed someone who I loved even more than my mother.

I didn’t feel like a mom as I left the hospital. I felt exactly like I had felt before I got there, only about 10 pounds lighter and beat up. Everything went exactly as I had expected it to – I missed my mom; I didn’t know what to do; I did it anyways. We didn’t sleep, I nursed all the time, he made eye contact with me and drove his soul deeper into my heart.

Three weeks later I almost died of a post-partum hemorrhage. Part of my placenta had been left inside my uterus and caused it to bleed uncontrollably. As I lay on the table waiting for the d&c and blood transfusion that would keep me alive, I thought, “Here I come, mom!”

Just before the doctors entered, I caught a glimpse of my haggard husband standing in the doorway. He was holding our 3-week-old baby, trying for the first time in both of their lives to feed him a bottle of formula. His eyes were full of fear, the baby was screaming at the insult of having something rubber jammed into his mouth. In that moment I became a mother. I looked at that helpless little baby, heard my blood splashing onto the emergency room floor, and something in me clicked. I was a mother. I didn’t need to know what I was doing. I didn’t need my mom to still be alive to validate the fact that I was a mother. I just was one. I loved that confusing screaming hungry bundle in my husband’s arms, and I was not ready to leave him.

I didn’t leave him, of course. He is 4 and his little brother is 1. That ache in my heart has faded to the background, though I still have a pile of questions I wish I had someone to ask. I still feel like I don’t entirely know what I am doing. But I do feel like a mom. And it is a pretty great feeling.

From Heather Cain of Junie None.

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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.

Are You Hosting an Oscar Party?

2010-03-02T11:49:00.005-05:00

Can you believe the Academy Awards are this Sunday? Will you be watching? Do you have any favorite picks or guesses?

For those of you hosting parties, Kathleen of Twig & Thistle, is generously offering up darling (and free!) downloads to help you out. Invitations. Popcorn bags. Ballots. And how about that gorgeous candy tray? You can find everything she created for the party (plus lots more fantastic photos) here and here.

Toms & Neiman Marcus

2010-03-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is fun: Toms, the amazing company that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair you purchase, launched an exclusive line of shoes for kids at Neiman Marcus last week. What do think of the collaboration? I love the glittery silver ones.

Knight Party

2010-03-01T12:43:00.007-05:00

How was your weekend, Friends? The weather here in Denver was gorgeous with a capital G and we enjoyed every bit of it. Saturday morning was Oscar's birthday party. Oscar's requirements for the party: knights, cupcakes and a pinata. Done and done.

We couldn't find a good-looking, knight-related pinata, so we used papier mache boxes from the craft store to build a castle pinata. We filled the containers with goodies, wired everything together and used packing tape to secure.

When the guests arrived, they went to work immediately covering the pinata with strips of silver tissue paper, gold stars and gold wire garland.

Balloons, cupcakes, party favors (a knight dress-up set with shield, breast plate, helmet and sword) and paper goods were all in gold and silver.

In the middle of the party, the Black Knight (big brother Ralph dressed in a black cape) arrived on the scene and stole the castle pinata. Luckily, we had a group of brave knights on hand. They were able to follow the clues and save the castle. At the end of the party, they used their knight swords to break the pinata.

Oscar thought this party was heaven on earth.

A Few Things

2010-02-26T09:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-25T10:30:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-24T15:25:00.005-05:00

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

2010-02-24T14:00:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-24T13:14:00.005-05:00

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

2010-02-24T12:49:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-23T15:53:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-23T12:31:00.004-05:00

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

Better Homes & Gardens

2010-02-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-22T16:42:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-22T16:04:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-22T13:35:00.001-05:00

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

2010-02-22T12:12:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-18T11:06:00.007-05:00

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

2010-02-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-17T14:45:00.006-05:00

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

2010-02-17T14:39:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

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

Texture

2010-02-17T09:30:00.001-05:00

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

2010-02-16T12:37:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-16T12:29:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-16T12:09:00.004-05:00

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!

2010-02-15T13:26:00.002-05:00

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.

A Few Things

2010-02-12T16:33:00.005-05:00

So what are your plans this weekend? Ben Blair and I have a hot date tonight — he hasn't told me where yet, but I'm already looking forward to it. Saturday morning we'll have our Valentine Breakfast for the kids — because church starts too early on Sunday. : )

Please do have a wonderful weekend and the loveliest of Valentine Days. Here are a few things I've been wanting to share:

Red and White Rooms.

Don't you want this office in a closet? From Apartment Therapy.

A sneak peek at the gorgeous Defining A Movement Exhibit that's part of the Mom 2.0 Summit. I have a couple of photographs in the exhibit. Which is totally nerve-wracking to me — because you know I'm not a trained photographer.

The Weird Book Room at Abe Books.

Maybe the coolest installation art I've seen in awhile.

Go see! Spring/Summer has arrived at Harvey Faircloth.

A 12x12 cube home. With a dishwasher!

Sweetest sentiment the week.

Ruffle-y-est DIY cardigan of the week.

Happy or sad? Fashion week is moving from the tents at Bryant Park to Lincoln Center. (I spent some happy hours in those tents. Glad I have those memories.)

I hope your weekend is full of LOVE images. And more LOVE images. See you on Monday!

image via Design Crush, via Owlgardens

Reliving the 90's

2010-02-12T16:31:00.003-05:00

Each month, Drew Danberry is making pretty recordings of favorite songs from the 90's. This month: Nothing Compares to You from Sinead O'Conner. Isn't it sweet? You can send the link to your valentine. (Image via Design Crush.)

Done.

2010-02-11T23:10:00.005-05:00

It's 9:00pm. We have officially finished up our valentines-for-classmates preparations. Things I'm thinking: 1) I have a lot of children. 2) Those children have a lot of classmates. It turns out Colorado has bigger class sizes than New York. It took me until Valentines Day to notice.

We used this clever idea on Kirtsy — via 24-7-365. I think they turned out great. We couldn't get Betty to stop looking at her fist. And Oscar refused to wear anything red. But we rolled with it.

To those who are up late making stuff: I salute you with my exacto knife.

I'm Wild For You Valentine

2010-02-11T12:50:00.008-05:00

This is what we've been working on for 8-year-old Olive's valentines this year. I think they're turning out cute, no? My favorite is the hippo shouting "Hippo Valentine's Day!" But I need your opinion: do we prefer the wild animals featured in the little cellophane bags? Or do we like them attached directly to the card with craft thread? I can't decide.

UPDATE: Your wish is my command. Click here to download a 4-page pdf featuring both versions. (Nothing fancy. Not even crop marks. But hey, they're free.)

Also. I'm coming up short on a little valentine message for these animals: rhino, tiger, zebra, giraffe. So I'm going with a neutral "I'm wild about you Valentine" for those four. If you think of anything brilliant, I'd love to hear it.

Need some other last minute ideas? Here are some cute valentine ideas on Kirtsy this week:

-FREE labels and gifttags for your valentine mix cds.
-These vintage valentine images are free to print and use in your own projects.
-Really clever idea for classmate/friend valentines — and totally doable in an hour or so.
-Make this cake. It is the prettiest valentine cake in all the land.
-Inexpensive, but gorgeous table ideas for your valentine meal (at our house, we like to have a big Valentine Day Breakfast with little (token) gifts for the kids).
-Rosebud valentines made from crepe paper. Sweet!

An Accidental Southerner Birth Story from Amy Leonard

2010-02-10T13:15:00.000-05:00

The famous Fuel Pizza in NC. Image by Upside Up.

of Ian was born at 34 weeks in North Carolina while I was on a business trip. Talk about circumstances you never even dreamed of factoring into your birth plan. We were living in Washington DC and I was working for the Agency for International Development, Global Health Bureau. My pregnancy had been totally healthy, easy even — I had no reason to suspect a little four hour trip south would result in the premature, out-of-state birth of my first baby.

I left for NC on a Sunday night. At 5am Monday morning my water broke. I woke up my boss and she decided that we should rush to the closest hospital. I wasn’t having contractions so I thought that was a little rash but what did I know about having babies? Then I called my husband and told him he should get in the car and drive down as quickly as possible (he stands by his statement that 5am phone calls are never good).

I arrived at the closest hospital (a birthing center) at 6, checked in, and then cried for a very long time. I might have cried until Curt finally showed up several hours later. I spent the next 36 hours on bed rest and with several doses of a drug to stop the labor. In all of my research, reading, and dreaming of the perfect birth, it was probably the only drug I had never thought to read up on. Finally the doctors decided that they couldn’t stave off the labor any longer — five hours later Ian was born naturally, with a midwife and without complication. The birth actually happened exactly as planned — just 6 weeks early and in the wrong state.

I held Ian for a few precious minutes before they whisked him away to the NICU for a two week stay. The first couple of days were the most difficult because we couldn’t hold him — but each day he seemed to progress and grow; out of the incubator, off the oxygen, off the feeding tube…. Curt and I moved out of the hospital and into a hotel across the street. I nursed him every three hours during the day and pumped every three hours at night. And then we all went home. Since then, Ian has never shown any side effects of his premature birth and I have come to recognize all the little miracles that were part of his unpredictable beginning.

In fact, I would say that he is still a bit unpredictable. And one of the most lovable accidental southerners you will ever meet.

From Amy of Ian Marcus.

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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.

Marta Dansie's Essay on Pregnancy

2010-02-10T11:50:00.001-05:00

I was 5 months pregnant with my first at the time I jotted this down. (Oh, how I had no idea the love I was about to learn!) Here are my thoughts as I contemplated giving life:

Feeling a Brand New Feeling

In my experience, there aren't a whole lot of new feelings to feel after you've grown up. Sure, I believe each experience is it's own, but routinely my life doesn't have a whole lot of brand newness in it. I know how it feels to feel a lot of things. Which I have never given much thought to. Until now.

For example, I know what it feels like to hold a piece of buttered toast, I know chocolate milk in a cold glass, I know corn on the cob between my teeth. I know the ocean waves slamming against my body, I know sand between my toes, I know the hot sun on my face, I know taking a shower with a sunburn. I know what a cold slab of marble feels like against my skin, I know cool grass and sizzling cement on my feet, I know cold rain on my head, I know soap in my eyes, and lemon in my wounds. I know mud in my hair and lotion on my legs. I know unsweetened baking squares in my mouth. I know gusts of wind and feeling winded. I know what it feels like to knead bread and sink my fingers into clay, I know paint on my hands, I know dried plaster on my arms. I know gum in my hair and floss in my teeth. I know the itch of chicken pox and the fear of a nightmare. I know the hurt of a high heel and the sparkle of a diamond. I know pierced ears and glossed lips. I know New York cheesecake and mom's rice pudding. I know the hug of a friend and the loss of a love. I know butterflies of a first kiss, the ache of a sad heart, the tug of a string. I know how it feels to feel elated with joy, to be surprised, to be disappointed, to laugh until I cry, to worry until I'm sick, to blush until I am red. I know forgetting my lines on stage and I know a standing ovation. I know the smell of my grandma's perfume and my dad's shoe polish. I know flying in an airplane and riding in a train car. I know views of the Swiss Alps and I know a baby sleeping on my shoulder.

I know how it feels to feel loved and to be in love.

I didn't appreciate all of these small feelings I've felt until I felt this new feeling for the very first time.

I never want to forget how incredible it feels to feel a little kick from the inside; saying hello. reminding me of the miracle growing inside. Reminding me of the miracles that are all around me. Reminding me of the miracle of new life and the miracle of my life. And how blessed I am.

When he kicks from the inside, I smile every time at this brand new feeling. And realize all the feelings he will have to look forward to. All the feelings I will get to teach him about; like finger painting on butcher paper and rolling cookie dough into shapes and blowing bubbles in the shade and jumping into salty waves of the pacific and learning how to sound out words on the page. I imagine the newness of how it feels to swing on a swing-set and sit on dad's knee and ride a horse and run a race and spit out watermelon seeds and see snowflakes fall and build blanket forts and hear the boom of fireworks. I want him to feel all of these feelings. Because I want to give him the same thrill that his little kicks give me.

I already love him. He will always know the feeling of love.

From Marta Dansie of Marta Writes.

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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.

Bonnie Baby

2010-02-10T11:46:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling kind of gaga over the Bonnie Baby clothing line, designed by Tracey Samuel. My favorites are the rainbow-y pieces for the boys and the super feminine Spring line for the girls. Everything looks so cozy, don't you think?

Mr Darcy Handkerchief

2010-02-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

How sweet is this? Have you decided what you're giving to your sweetheart on Sunday?

Via Poppytalk.

Happy Fridge

2010-02-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

I just saw these refrigerators by Smeg. In black, blue, cream, lime green, orange, pastel blue, pastel green, pink, red and silver. Aren't they happy? Would one of these work in your house?

via SeeSaw

The Five Coolest Things about Our Ski Trip

2010-02-09T12:45:00.010-05:00

The ski trip was fantastic. We've done quite a few day-ski-trips in the last few years, but this was the first time we actually stayed at the ski resort and made a vacation of it. Here are the highlights:

1) Woodward
While my crew was hitting the slopes, I spent an afternoon checking out Woodward. It basically blew my mind with it's awesomeness. The Barn at Woodward is a one-of-a-kind facility with indoor ski jumps, trampolines and tumbling, a skate/bmx area, a lounge. Basically, it's both a place for teens and tweens to hang out when the ski lifts shut down at 4:00, and a place to take lessons and really hone your skills. I took about a million pictures here.

The ski/snowboard ramps are lined with this stuff. It's really stiff and allows your skis and board to "cut in" like they do in real snow. The staff mists it with water (and occasionally with silicone) to keep the ride smooth.

Students start by enrolling in a One Hit Wonder class. The class gets them familiar with all the equipment in the barn. They begin with some tumbling, then move to the trampolines to perfect their 360s and flips and whatnot, then they try their moves on the trampolines into foam pits, then they try the indoor slopes. Once they can land their tricks indoors, they move outside and try it on the actual mountain.

After you've taken the One Hit Wonder class, you can come by the barn anytime for a drop-in session and use whatever part of the facility you'd like. While I was there, boarders were using the steepest slope to catch huge air, practice their flips and land in the foam pit. I could have watched this for hours.

Woodward also offers summer camp options — which help kids work on their skillz in the off season. If your kids are into skiing and boarding, you're not going to find a cooler place to spend the summer. I wouldn't say my kids are that hardcore about skiing, but I know they would still love using the equipment in the barn.

2) Private Lessons
On Saturday afternoon, my 3 oldest plus Ben Blair, met with a private ski instructor. Let's be honest, it's not the cheapest offering on the menu, but they all agreed it was the most valuable ski learning they'd ever had. Everyone's skiing saw measurable improvement and they were able to explore parts of the mountain they probably wouldn't have found on their own. This experience received high marks from Ralph, Maude, Olive and Ben Blair.

3) Tubing
Oh man do my kids love tubing. Copper's tubing hill offers 5 lanes — some faster, some slower, some with built in jumps. Tubes are provided and you get to ride to the top of the hill on the magic carpet. This was definitely Oscar and Betty's favorite part of our trip. Oh. And the swimming at the Athletic Club. Tubing and swimming were probably tied.

4) The facilities.
Copper Mountain is a full-on resort. They have everything you would want or need on a winter vacation. Our room was huge and built for a big family or big group — there were beds for 10 and a full kitchen. In fact, we made cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Saturday morning. (I liked the fireplace and the decorations — like the Native American photo above.)

There are quaint shops throughout the resort. And food options galore. We ate pizza at Pizza Carlo. Dinner at Alpinista. We picked up candied apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Ate a sit down dinner at JJs. Had crepes for lunch at Chubs while watching the ice skaters on the frozen pond. We even hung out at the arcade.

I think the favorite food experience for my kids was the hot cocoa at Camp Hale — right off the ski lifts. The barista topped off the cocoa with marshmellows AND whip cream PLUS sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Mmmmmm.

5) The family-friendly staff.
This is something I truly appreciated as a parent. Ski trips mean lots of equipment. And hats and gloves. And all sorts of accessories. Hauling around all that stuff can wear a mother out. Every time I felt like I was about to lose my cool, a Copper Mountain staff member was there to de-stress me. They would engage with my kids. They were laid-back and never hurried us. The photo above is Olive getting fitted for a helmet at one of the rental stations. It took about 5 tries to find the right one, but the rental staff didn't get irritated for a minute.

Things I want to try on a follow-up trip. Or that I don't want to forget.
-Volunteers will take you on a free orientation tour of the mountain.
-Complimentary snow-shoeing tours.
-Making s'mores at the village fire pit.
-Seeing snowboarders catch serious air in the half pipe — you could see this driving up. It was so cool.
-The huge torches lighting up the resort at night.

There's really more to do than can be done in one weekend. Who knows? Maybe we'll become a real ski family that does this sort of thing on a regular basis.

Final note: I'd like to offer a heartfelt thanks from my whole family to Copper Mountain for hosting us. Throughout the winter, Colorado Ski Country USA is pairing up bloggers with Colorado ski resorts to show off how families have fun on their winter vacations.

Even final-er note: Great 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 Saturday, February 27th to enter.

Book of the Week — All The World

2010-02-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

I've fallen in love with this sweet new book by Liz Garton Scanlon, called All the World. (I've fallen in love with Marla Frazen's illustrations as well.) Reading it is very calming. The perfect book to read right before naptime. It's a book you'll be glad is on your bookshelves.

XOXO

2010-02-08T15:30:00.001-05:00

Two more ideas for kids to give to classmates: these perfect XOXO pencils from Simple Song Designs.

And these barely pink Lovemallows by Kelly.

Ask Design Mom — Calendars

2010-02-08T13:08:00.006-05:00

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
I'm looking for the perfect wall calendar that has beautiful pictures and squares for writing in each day. Have you found anything unique out there? Thanks! — Caroline

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Caroline. Embarrassingly, I am super late to the calendar shopping game this year. I mean, goodness gracious, it's February! Please excuse me. And now to your question. Since you're looking for squares to write in, here are four beautiful options:

-This pretty patterned one by Letter C Design.
-A colorful, illustrated calendar by Jess Gonacha.
-Monthly illustrations featuring urban landscapes by Jen Oaks.
-Gorgeous, spare, collages from Gretchen Mist (on sale!).

These don't have squares to write in, but I thought they were interesting and have been meaning to share them:

-I ADORE the illustrations on this one by Stephanie Fizer. Only 3 left!
-A print-your-own version to track birthdays.
-Are you a maker, a sewer, a crafter? You'll love the pretty photos on the Purl Soho Calendar.

-A print-your-own version that would be perfect in a smaller space.
-That's fun. A calendar printed on fabric at Spoonflower.
-Use Shutter Sister's template to add your own photos and display in a CD Case.
-This animal-themed calendar for kids is adorable. You can customize it. And then frame it as a series.

-Looking for a bold statement on the wall? This is your calendar. By SusyJack.
-Oh! I love this very modern letterpress design from See Saw. And it's a bargain at $15.

How about you, Dear Readers? What is your calendar this year?

Ask Design Mom — Striped Socks

2010-02-08T13:06:00.006-05:00

Ask-Design-Mom-Question:
I am having a hard time finding some really cool striped socks for my husband. Any suggestions? Thanks. — Candace.

Design Mom Answer:
Thanks for your question, Candace! Stripey socks make me happy. I went straight to Ben Blair for suggestions and he sent me to Smart Turnout and JCrew for good-looking, colorful choices. Also, I noticed in a recent issue of GQ, Glenn O'Brien, the style guy, recommends both J. Press and Corgi.

Dear Readers, let's help Candace out. Do you have any terrific striped sock sources?

Making Valentines

2010-02-08T11:58:00.006-05:00

Number one on my task list this week: making Valentines with my kids. You too? But first, I'm going to scour the interwebs for ideas. Olive really wants to give out candy so I think we'll go with these beautiful chocolate bar wrappers from Benign Objects (they offer tea wrap templates as well — perfect for your child's teacher!).

If you're looking for ideas, here are three of the most successful Valentines we've made in year's past:
1) Mad Libs (our most popular — a real hit for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders)
2) Friendship Bracelets
3) Bookmarks

Other fun ideas from my archives:
1) Japanese lollipop tags
2) Little apple pies for your sweetie pies
3) Mini treat boxes (from Inchmark)

This is the first year that Ralph won't be exchanging valentines with his classmates (sigh. middle school.) but I told Ralph if there was someone special he wanted to recognize we would come up with a good gift. I remember my brother giving his 6th grade sweetheart a goldfish for Valentine's Day. Adorable.

What will you be making for Valentine's Day? Any fantastic ideas I might have missed?

A Few Things

2010-02-05T14:31:00.007-05:00

We're in the car, on our way to Copper Mountain for a ski weekend. The drive through the Rockies to the ski resorts is gorgeous. (The entire state of Colorado is gorgeous.) And this will be 3-year-old Betty's first time on skis — I hope she loves it.

What are you doing this weekend? Anything fun? Here are some links to help you celebrate till Monday:

-The NY Public Library has a flickr page? Oh. I could get lost here. via Swissmiss.

-Supermarket Sarah has the coolest shop ever. Right in her house. Would you ever do this?

-NotMartha shares some photos of what has caught her eye lately. I LOVE this glimpse into her thoughts.

-Liz spotted some really amazing jewelry. Worth several visits to admire.

-What? A Daily Ampersand Project? Happiness. Via Greedy Girl.

-Blushing. Eliza Magazine featured me in their Best Bloggers article.

-Lunch with Seth Godin to benefit Haiti — thanks to Startup Princess. Only a week away.

-Look at the pretty little heart made of metal on these diecut Valentine cards.

-While I prepare this post, my older kids are watching Project Runway. I'm really enjoying this season. What do you think. Are you glad they're back in New York?

-Oooooh. The talented Nate Berkus is offering free Twitter Backgrounds. New designs each month.

-Online photo classes from the amazing Nicole Hill starting right away.

-My sister Jordan has been sharing photos of her newly redesigned living room.

Friends, wish us luck on the ski slopes and have a terrific weekend. Don't forget to enter my lovely giveaway from Baby Bear Shop. There are luscious lip balm kissing kits(!) to get you ready for Valentine's Day. Three winners will be announced on Monday.

kisses,
Gabrielle

Wear Red Day

2010-02-05T13:59:00.001-05:00

Did you know heart disease is the number one killer of women? That always surprises me when I read it. Are you wearing red today?

I saw these red dresses by Josephus Thimister on Simple + Pretty and I think they are wonderful to look at. You can see the whole collection here.

Baby Bear Shop Giveaway

2010-02-04T13:40:00.009-05:00

Today's giveaway is terrific. Baby Bear Shop is offering Valentine Care Packages for three lucky ladies. Three winners! Each winner will receive a $50 care package filled with everything you need to pamper yourself and get your lips kiss-ready for Valentine's Day. Each winner will receive 3 goodies:

1) A Recycled Glass Soy Wax Candle
Made with organic oils. Lavender Vanilla scent.

2) Baby Bird Soap
Made with organic oils. Handmade and wrapped in origami paper

3) All The Better To Kiss You With® Organic Eco Kiss Kit
Lavender Vanilla, Pepperminty and Chai Mandarin — these are my favorite, the little tins of gloss are so pleasing to use.

I'm such a fan of Baby Bear Shop. They offer certified organic skincare (for babies too!). Their products are made in the USA without plastics. And they plant a tree with every order.

Extra bonus: use promo code 'imadesignmom2' for free lavender vanilla lip balm with every order over $40. Offer expires 05/31/10. One more thing. Baby Bear Shop is up for a Small Business Grant. Let's support handmade, toxin-free products and socially conscious ethics by voting for them today (please).

Leave a comment to enter. Three winners will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

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Congratulations to Susan, Jessica Jo and Nicole! You are the lucky winners. Enjoy your Baby Bear Shop goodies.

Tollipop Door Hanger

2010-02-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Kristen from Tollipop sent a care package to my kids for Christmas. Because she's an incredibly kind sort of person. It was filled with handmade adorable-ness. An ornament. A doll. A necklace with interchangeable faces. A framed illustration. And a little door hanger.

Everything is truly beautiful, but I think the door hanger is my favorite. I borrowed it from the kids and now it greets me at the entrance to my bedroom. The velvet ribbon. The pretty print on the reverse. The stitching detail in the little sweater. Too wonderful for words.

Here are more photos of the adorable-ness. The necklace is also a huge hit — I wore it at Alt Summit and received all sorts of compliments. And Betty has attached herself to the doll. Of course.

Isn't it wonderful to send and receive pretty things in the mail? I want to send a little door hanger to everyone I know.

Make Your Own Ukelele

2010-02-03T16:34:00.004-05:00

A package arrived this week from Uncle Jared and Aunt Liz. Inside: a make your own ukulele kit. How great is that? We can't wait to put it together. On a related note, today on Colorado Public Radio, I heard all about how the ukulele is experiencing a big revival — there's even a UkeFest this weekend at Swallowhill. If we weren't headed to Copper Mountain for a super cool weekend, we would totally check out the festival.

More greatness — my favorite Kirtsy links from the last 7 days, (Kirtsy is a site where anyone can share cool links — I'm one of the co-founders):

-100 classic movies everyone should see. How many have you seen?

-Speaking of movies, did you see this movie trailer? It had me crying and I'm not even sure why. So cute!

-Valentine's decorations don't get easier — or cuter — than this. Make these with your kids.

-Also perfect timing for Valentine's Day, a whale blows a heart shaped bubble.

-Think your life stinks? Share your woes here or grimace at the tribulations of others, like: "Today, my car got a wheel lock because I had 5 tickets. Three of those tickets dated back to 2006. I got my car and license in 2008." (Is it awful that I find this site hilarious?)

-Need to get happy after checking out that last link? These photos will do the trick. I can't decide which one is my favorite.

-Time to get organized? Here are tips on how to create a Household Time Map.

-These gorgeous laptop covers have been making the design blog rounds all week. I think they're brilliant.

-"If they say you're too picky, that's because they settled." Agree? Disagree?

-Another house that makes me happy.

What about you Dear Readers? Are you ukulele fans? Have you ever been to a UkeFest? Posted anything awesome on Kirtsy lately?

Birth Video from Michelle & Zach

2010-02-03T15:39:00.004-05:00

I'm not a great writer and can never get what I want to say out on paper, that is one of the reasons I really wanted my most recent baby's birth to be documented. I thought about hiring a photographer to come and do it for me, but when it came down to it, Oliver was born 12 days early and I just hadn't gotten around to discussing the details with other fellow photographers. But Zach, my husband, knew how important it was to me to have this documented and I think he did an absolutely amazing job with this video. You can also see Oliver's 5 day newborn photo session here.

Oliver Thomas :: Birth Story from Zach Wear on Vimeo.

From Michelle of Revert Photo and Revert Blog.

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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 Bathtub Birth Story from Katie's Father

2010-02-03T14:41:00.007-05:00

image via ffffound

This is the birth story of our second baby. It was not much different — except maybe a bit faster, and minus one hospital visit. This time it all started after lunch, but it was all over long before dinner. My wife, R, had been preparing a double-batch of gluten-free lasagna so we could eat one and freeze the other for after the birth — something she had already done with a few other meals (gluten intolerance was was diagnosed in week 26). Her mom dropped by in the afternoon to pick something up, and found that R was cooking kind of slowly because of an occasional cramp that forced her to take breaks. After some discussion with her mom, R decided to consult with the midwife team. The midwife recommend a bath.

My office phone rang at about 3:20pm, and I listened to R tell me in a tired voice that things were starting. I was all ears. I asked how fast I should come back — train (35 min) or taxi (20 min)? She figured I had some time, so she recommended the train. I emerged onto the street a few minutes later, breaking into a run with an anthology of Roald Dahl short stories tucked under my arm, and my watch still lying on my desk upstairs.

While I quickly covered the distance to the north-bound platform, the warmth of the bathwater rushed R's contractions closer together. I had barely changed my Facebook status to "Contractions" when I received a call from R's mom that they planned to leave for the hospital because contractions were coming 2.5 minutes apart.

Instead of riding the train out to our area, I would get off a few blocks from the hospital and make my way there if they didn't have time to pick me up. I was about to get off the train when I got another phone call update.

The midwife had contacted the hospital to let them know we were coming and had learned that there were no delivery rooms available, and the next closest hospital was way out in the NE part of town. Both the midwife and R had agreed that there was no time to travel so far, so they decided to deliver the baby at home.

I had been standing at the door of the train, ready to get off when I received the call. Instead of disembarking, I sat back down and arranged for a friend of ours to pick me up at the station and bring me home. As we were pulling up to the house, I saw the midwife lugging an enormous equipment bag up the driveway, and a close neighbour standing on the front step.

That was about 4:15 pm. I found R lying on the bed wearing a pair of maternity jeans, one of my t-shirts and a look of agonized desperation. Our neighbour (who goes to our church) assisted me in a prayer to bless R while the midwife dumped medical equipment into strategic locations and R's mom worked to prepare the bathroom. The neighbours whisked Scotty away to their house to play for a while and R eased into the tub. I vaguely remember doing a circuit along the midwife's trail of supplies, clearing away more room for her to work.

It could not have been more than 15 minutes from the time the midwife and I arrived and the time that Katie was born, making it about 1.5 hours of labour — if you don't count the sporadic contractions that hampered R's lasagna preparations during the afternoon. It was so short that it caught R completely by surprise. She was bracing herself for at least an hour of pushing at the end, but that part was over before she knew it and she had our new daughter bobbing peacefully in the tub.

Newborn baby Katie under the water.

Normally, when you see movie or tv footage of a baby entering the world, the child comes screeching and wailing. Our little girl had none of that. She simply squinted a lot and pretended not to know what all the fuss was about.

All the fuss was about Katie. All 6 pounds and 4 ounces of her.

From Derek of Our Sesame Seed.

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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.

Letter to Her 15-Week Old Daughter from Chelsea Hilton

2010-02-03T14:15:00.006-05:00

image via Mary Ruffle

Dear Zoe,

Tomorrow you will be 15 weeks old and I think it's about time I stop counting in weeks. If it's getting annoying at 15 weeks, wait until you're hundreds of weeks old. You'll be two years old and already embarrassed of your mother.

Everyone is always asking me what new developments are taking place over here and lately my answer is just one word — DROOL. A close second is spit-up, though. Your drool and spit-up are currently duking it out for first prize. Drool is winning because of the sheer volume, but spit-up is really shining in the 'requiring a change of clothes' category. However, there's another twist that keeps drool in the lead — you're likely drooling so much because you're starting to teethe and because you're starting to teethe, you're chewing on your fingers like a maniac which causes you to gag and spit up. So that makes spit-up more of a follower than a leader. That's just the way of the world.

We're still having trouble with the sleeping. You just don't like sleeping in a bed, so you're still almost always sleeping in the swing. It worries me. I'm sorry if you're grown up and reading this in a full body brace because your jackass mother couldn't figure out how to get her baby to sleep in a bed. It's not for lack of trying, though. Every night we try, and every night you wrestle around and grunt and kick your legs and swing your arms (except for when you're swaddled, of course, because you're in a burrito) and eventually scream and/or cry. So? Back in the swing you go and you go right to sleep.

You are such a happy baby, Zoe. You have started really laughing now, too. Good, long belly laughs. I love it. I do the stupidest things all day long to get you laughing like that. We are two of the happiest people around, I swear. I think about everyone else going about their daily lives and think of how lucky I am to be home laughing with my baby all day. I act like an idiot and you laugh and then I laugh and we're both smiling all the time. It's a great life. I hit the jackpot.

I love you, little bean.
Momma

From Chelsea of Mommalou and Zoe B.

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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 Perfect Swimsuit

2010-02-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

I have no business thinking about swimsuits right now, but that doesn't stop me from wanting this one. The stripes. The legs. The back. Isn't it fantastic?

Via Oh Joy.

Valentine Goodness that has caught my eye over the past week or so

2010-02-02T12:08:00.005-05:00

-Pretty tags from The Letter K Design Shop. Lots of choices.

-Child-like messages from Minted.

-Sophisticated, hand-written Valentine from Hello Handmade Paperie. Via Poppytalk.

-Nuts over this Nuts For You card by Jeanie & Jewell.

-Limited edition framed prints by Coulson MacLeod. Via Caroline.

-Pretty designs from Hello Lucky.

-The world's smallest postal service is offering the world's smallest package — cute as a button.

-Sweet tea towels by Elizabeth Wentz (they are sold out, but she's restocking soon). Via Chelsea.

-Clever thoughts from JackCards.

Ask Design Mom — File Cabinets

2010-02-01T13:10:00.005-05:00

Ask Design Mom Question:
I was wondering if you could recommend some websites that sell attractive file cabinets. Specifically, I am looking for a vertical 4 drawer unit that will be visible from my open family room. We live in a condo. Maybe something silvery and retro? Many thanks — Elissa

Design Mom Answer:
Hi Elissa. Thanks for the question! Here are a few ideas. If you're looking for silvery and retro, ebay or college surplus sales are a good place to start. In fact, one of the pieces of furniture we left behind in New York was an old-school, Steelcase, 4-drawer filing cabinet that I picked up at a university surplus sale for $10. Woot! And then spray painted black. (We've since switched to file boxes stored in a closet — in case you're curious.)

If I was to do it again, after hunting down an older file cabinet, instead of painting it, I would take it to a metal shop and have it stripped and polished to look like one of the beauties from The Old Cinema pictured above.

Want something new? I think the Precision Kurve cabinets from Metalon are very good-looking.

Feeling a DIY moment coming on? You could buy a standard cabinet from Staples and customize. Decoupage? Huge shipping stencils? Giant magnets?

What about you, Dear Readers? Seen any good-looking file cabinets lately? How do you like this wall of extra-tall file drawers — as seen in Jill Brown's store. Lovely, no?

Ask Design Mom — Wrapping Paper Sources

2010-02-01T12:30:00.003-05:00

Ask Design Mom Question:
My parents (probably by accident) started a tradition of wrapping all my presents in the same wrapping paper every year. I think it was a super sale of a hardware store that was going out of business and they sold their commercial sized wrapping paper roll. I am finally about to run out! Hah! I would like to find a way to have that same paper design reproduced on a new commercial sized roll of wrapping paper for my five month-old. Any sources? As a backup option, any sources for buying commercial sized wrapping paper to start a new design? Thanks — Nicole

Design Mom Answer:
What a fun tradition and great question, Nicole. If I was trying to reproduce a roll of wrapping, I would start by taking a sample of the remaining paper to any local printer. They would be able to a) scan and print the paper, b) outsource the work for me to a different printer with correct machinery, or c) direct me toward other printers in my area who could handle printing a commercial size roll. Be aware — this will not be an inexpensive project — but I'm guessing you know that already.

If you decide to start again with a brand new design (a much more economical option), here are some links to online sources that sell commercial-size rolls — Mac Paper, Nu-Era and Gift Wrap Gifts. Good luck on your hunt! I hope you can find/print something wonderful.

What would you advise Nicole, Dear Readers? Any good bulk-size wrapping paper sources? Also, I wonder if I could contact Paper Source and get bulk-rolls of some of the pretty designs above?

Ismodern Sale

2010-02-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

Happy February, Dear Readers! Did you have a wonderful weekend? Did you watch the Grammys last night?

I checked my email this morning and found this huge, huge sale announcement for Ismodern — one of my favorite children's clothing lines. Their clothes have such appeal for little kids and tweens alike. I bet my girls would love this dress.

A Few Things

2010-01-29T13:30:00.002-05:00

Today I was reminded how wimpy I am compared to my pioneer ancestors — and most of the population of Planet Earth. When we woke this morning, the temperature in our house was 53 degrees. (The heat had stopped working in the night — it was speedily fixed this morning and we're now a toasty 70 degrees again.) I realize 53 degrees is nowhere near freezing, but you would think it was the trial of the century the way I shivered in my sheets. Could I be more ridiculous?

Here are a few things I've been wanting to share with you:

-I've never been a consistent journal keeper, but I might be able to keep up with this. And it's pretty.

-What it looks like to fly into Salt Lake City.

-Can I give some sort of prize to her for Happiest Idea?

-Book jackets (with coordinating bookmarks) make me happy. Especially Sherlock's pipe.

-This photo series of "rusty neutrals" feels like January looks.

-Whoorl found the greatest invention of the decade. You will want this too.

-The prettiest winter festival I have ever seen. I might need to put this on my life list (if I had a life list).

-I still have houses on the brain. This one is the favorite I saw this week.

-The proper way to celebrate a 90th(!) birthday.

-School kids from PS22 sing the Alicia Keyes/Jay-Z New York Anthem. So wonderful. (Thanks, Etta!)

-This series of "hiding" photos made me look. Twice.

-Who knew a commercial about wearing your seatbelt could be so beautiful?

Have a terrific weekend. I hope your weekend feels like the cozy image above. Don't forget to enter the Blush Giveaway — 3 winners will be announced on Monday.

A Bedroom for Two Sisters

2010-01-29T10:00:00.002-05:00

Just days before we left New York, I stopped at my friend Kathryn's house to snap some photos of her daughters' bedroom. I intended to post a little house tour on Cookie. And then (sadly) Cookie was no more. : (

Browsing through iPhoto this morning, I came across these pictures and remembered how darling this room is. Kathryn loves shopping. Kathryn loves all things vintage. And Kathryn is really good at shopping for all things vintage. Plus, she has a fantastic eye. In fact, I bet that Kathryn could open an etsy shop, sell off every item in this room and fill it up again from the goodies in her garage.

What about you, Dear Readers — do you have a friend like Kathryn? Someone that's really good at visual displays? Someone that can find the hidden gems at any estate sale? Man. I miss Kathryn.

P.S. — If you have similar talents to Kathryn, but live in Denver, please make friends with me — I need a shopping buddy who knows all the good sources.

Giveaway — Blush Bandeaus

2010-01-28T15:15:00.006-05:00

Thank you for all your kind comments about my maternity wardrobe yesterday. You're so sweet! Here's a (sort-of) related Giveaway. It's from Blush. They are generously offering three $50 gift certificates. Which means three lucky winners. Yay!

Blush offers "topless undershirts," Bandeaus for your belly. Use them to add a bit of color or pattern underneath a basic tee, or to get more coverage if your low rise jeans feel a little too low — without adding another layer to your shoulders and chest.

Blush offers their bandeaus in pregnant sizes as well. Such a smart way to extend a wardrobe. If I add a Blush, I could continue to wear my favorite tees all nine months.

Leave a comment to enter for your $50 gift certificate — that's enough to try several blush bandeaus — nice. Three winners will be announced here on Monday. Good luck!

Edit: Bonus! Use the code designmom for 10% off your purchase. Its valid until February 1st.

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Congratulations to Tricia, The Moncurs, & Isabel! You are the lucky winners. Enjoy your Blush undershirts.

CardsInk

2010-01-28T15:07:00.003-05:00

It's fun to see the clever stationery that pops up for Valentine's Day. This letterpress card from Cards Ink made me smile. Do you send love notes for Valentine's Day?