DoodleBuds

Eye Boy to the Rescue!

2012-01-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

Jake has come up with a new super hero...EYE BOY! He has created a whole story/world around this character, and now it's up to me, Super Mom, to create the perfect EYE BOY costume. What a challenge!

I had him describe the costume to me, and drew it for his approval. He's quite exacting. Really, I'm not sure how I'm going to make this, but I thought polar fleece would be the best bet, so I ordered all the pieces tonight, and will wing it once it comes. I think the fact that it won't be shiny is a little disappointing to him, but I persuaded him that a cozy super hero costume will be more comfortable to catch bad guys.

He has concocted a whole cast of bad guys. There's Horrible Head (who does really horrible things), Ugly Head (who does really terrible things), Christmas Tree Head (who steals all the Christmas decorations)...and these are just a few!

Stay tuned for future episodes of...EYE BOY!

P.S. Didn't Superman's aunt create his costume on Lois & Clark? Perhaps I really DO have the next super hero!

You're invited

2012-01-27T08:09:00.000-05:00

Jake told me the other day he wanted to have a sleepover party. (He will be 4 in March). Mom! We'll have muffins! And popcorn! And mom! We'll decorate! With balloons! I can just see myself approaching the other mom's at his preschool..."You don't really know me, but my son is in your son/daughter's class, and we're having a sleepover party..."

I think we'll wait a couple years...the super hero party is still the top contender in my mind. I brought it up with him last night, and he seems to have forgotten about the sleepover idea (thank goodness!)

(Sleeping bag from Pottery Barn Kids)

Let's get organized

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been an organizing queen. At the beginning of the year (conveniently corresponding with New Year's resolutions) I began to feel the house was imploding on me...thus began my mission. I've been straightening out every drawer, shelf, and closet I can get my hands on in the free time I have, and it feels GOOD!

In the middle of this flurry, I've been toying with the idea of what to do with several boxes of old photos I have. They're organized, but later on, the names and places will be unknown to Jake if he ever decides to look through them. I came across this photo album/scrapbook concept by Becky Higgins that looks pretty tempting. The photo page inserts come with sections to include cute cards that you can write details about the photos. Seems easy, and like a great, complete package that would actually be fun to put together.

Although the binders she has are really cute, they're not my taste for long term. I'd prefer a more classic look, either covered in cloth, or leather. These binders from the new Martha Stewart line for Avery are really nice, and perhaps would be the same size? Anyway, must get the house together before I tackle this one!

How charming!

2012-01-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

I've been toying around with some party ideas for Jake's upcoming birthday. I'd like to keep the party small, manageable, and preferably at home. Usually when I search for party ideas, I find decorating ideas. That I can come up with, but mild panic sets in when I try to think what to actually DO with all the little ones and keep them happy and somewhat chaos free for a couple of hours. If I could have the party outside, it would be great, but his birthday is in early March, so the weather is iffy at best.

During my searches, I came across this great little company called One Charming Party. Conveniently, they have a themed "Super Hero Party" which is right up our alley. They provide you with party ideas, activities, 3-D invites, super hero certificates, and a guide to all the party supplies for $25. I'll need to do a little more thinking about our party, but I'm definitely intrigued by this kit!

I also came across this pretty awesome Super Hero party ideas via Hostess with the Mostess. Don't you love the idea of the kids popping out of a phone booth in their costumes?

If you want to see more ideas I've found, visit this pintrest board I created...

Chores are Fun?

2012-01-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

Last night, after we read a book about Fozzie Bear learning to do chores, Jake decided we should make a chore chart for him today. This morning, he remembered his plan, and dragged me to the computer so we could whip this up. He came up with all the chores himself. Now he's running around the house, earning stickers. Could it be this easy? We'll see how long this lasts!

Time to cut bait

2012-01-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

(Print by Dekanimal via Etsy)

I've been slowly, but surely trying to beautify our guest bedroom. I fell in love with Caitlin Wilson's new line of textiles, and used the "Mustard Fleur Chinoise" fabric to make roman shades which are almost complete.

I wanted to use this color palette as a base to paint the room. The room has been daunting to tackle because it has yellow trim on the doors, windows, closets...ugh. And yellow beadboard. I'm really not a fan of colored trim. It's just a total pain in the neck.

I settled on a paint colors; Palladium Blue by Benjamin Moore for the top half, and White Dove by Benjamin Moore for the beadboard and trim. I had some unexpected free time over New Year's weekend and started to slowly paint the beadboard, and work my way around the room. I've been working on it here and there throughout the week. After taping up one of the windows to paint, I realized that with my limited time, completing this job was not going to happen anytime soon. So, I gave in and called our handyman. He'll come later this week, and it will be a relief to then be able to just install the roman shades I've made, and work on the fun part of decorating the room.

Now, who's going to be our first guest?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I haven't come up with any life altering resolutions this year, but I would like to try to write in Jake's diary more frequently. I messed up Jake's baby book when I started it way back when, and gave up pretty quickly. Instead, I started a diary for him, thinking I could always go back and enter the facts at a later date. In the beginning, I would record when he ate, slept, when, how much, how tall, how heavy, etc. But as he grew, so did our adventures, and the entries became more detailed. Now I jot down the fun things we've done, and the cute things he says, etc. I just ordered Jake's diary for the new year. I don't get to it every day...and I wish I could and would, but I've got a lot of his life recorded, and I'm grateful that I have. I think someday he's going to love looking back on his early years (or at least his wife will!). I also record mom advice for future years and keep little mementos throughout the year. What prevents me from writing sometimes is actually a LACK of space. When I get going, I find I have a lot to say. This year, after much searching, I ordered this Cavallini daily planner from Jenni Bick Bookbinding. I splurged, and got his name embossed on the front, and I let him chose the color, so of course, it will be pink this year!

So, how about you? Any great resolutions this year? If you need some inspiration, check out Marc and Angel Hack Life. Or, if you'd like an inspiring love story, read about Mara and Danny's adventures...you'll probably read the whole thing. And, if you'd like to declutter your life, take on the Clutterfat Challenge and see what happens!

Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to all!

2011-12-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and FUN holiday filled with lots of love!

Nighttime Fairies

2011-12-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a "shadow" book for the last couple weeks. Are you familiar with "shadow books"? You shine a flashlight through the acetate window in the book, and the image appears on the wall or ceiling as you read the story. My sister, created the adorable illustrations, and I can't help but seeing the resemblance between this fairy, and my cousin's daughter Kendall...can you? I wonder if it was a coincidence. I keep forgetting to ask her, but maybe she'll let us know when she reads my blog!

I had fun writing the text for the book...about the magic fairies scatter in the night while you're sleeping. It was great to see my words come to life as my sister illustrated it. I'll post an image of the cover soon. It just went into production yesterday, so should be out early next summer!

Are you tired too?

2011-11-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

Such a fun weekend with family visitors, and so much to be thankful for. And I'm tired!
I hope you had fun too!

Print found here.

Black Out

2011-11-22T07:03:00.000-05:00

During a recent freak snowstorm in our area that left us w/o power for FIVE LONG NIGHTS (poor pilgrims!), my husband was convinced we had an animal in our house. I told him it was a miniature pony. Naturally, he didn't believe me. But, when the power came back on, look what I found in our bedroom:

And guess who was hanging out in the kitchen?

InstaCharleston

2011-11-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, to celebrate my husband's (big) birthday, we jetted off to Charleston for the weekend. We had grand plans while planning this trip, which involved Turkey or Prague. As if! On the way to the airport (and our flight which had already been cancelled) and sadly leaving Jake behind, all we could think was, "Thank goodness we're not going to Turkey!" As much as I would love to go, it would just be waayyy too stressful at this point in our lives, and I'm glad we kept it simple.

Charleston is great. I decided to be super-hip and use my husband's iPhone to take Instagram photos. Probably admitting how difficult it was for me to get them off his phone makes me a little less hip, but anyway, here are a few shots of our fun-filled weekend.

One cool filter Instagram has is to make the photo look like it was taken in 1977. I had Rich take a photo of me, and added this filter to see if I looked like my mom in 1977. I don't.

And, I love making this weird face in coffee shops. So wistful, like I'm thinking deep thoughts, right? I'm really drinking tea, and trying not to laugh. I don't think anyone else thinks it's as funny as I do. You can see what two different filters do...

We had lunch at Jestine's Kitchen, took a Civil War history tour, and a historic home tour, went for a sail, ate a lot, ate pralines, bought a Bozo the Clown blow-up punching bag thing for Jake, and went to a fancy brunch with my pretty cousin and her two beautiful daughters, who are absolutely great. I'd like my cousin and one of my best friends, Melinda to write a book together about how to raise lovely, smart, interesting children. The world needs this book. Their children are a breath of fresh air.

Of course, I was smitten with the houses in Charleston, and we immediately started envisioning what our lives would be like if we lived there. How cool would it be to actually live in your own house in a city, with a garden, and walk to yummy restaurants, and cool shops? Pretty nice, right? Here are some charmers I took photos of.

Actually, this one's mine...(don't I look good in front of it?)

I owe a HUGE thanks to my sister, and her daughter Avery for playing with Jake while we were away all weekend. He had a great time, and keeps telling me stories about all the things they did. So, now we're back. It's been a busy week, and up until this point at home, I can't say I've managed to do anything more than recharge my phone, and play with Jake. I have my priorities...the suitcase can wait!

I've never had so much fun in a box!

2011-11-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

Today was a Jake and Mommy Day (my favorite), and we started Christmas shopping in attempt to avoid pre-Christmas angst which usually sets in the Monday after Thanksgiving. I can't stand the shopping pressure, and the endless to-do list on top of everything else I already have to do. I'm no grinch. I love Christmas, and really like to buy/make gifts for friends and family, BUT, you know how it gets... I try to avoid the last minute stress every year, and perhaps this year I will succeed. I'm convinced it's all about organization and condensing errands. Except, when I enter a store, I become overwhelmed, and having Jake along today, I realized that I'd be buying at least two of any gift I got. Which, is how we ended up with the most awesome toy ever...

This cool, recyclable, color-yourself toy house is beyond great. We got it at JC Penney, and it's on sale for $15. It's fun to color, (Jake told me he was "decorating"...wonder where he got THAT from?) VERY large...big enough for both of us to cuddle up in and read books, and fight bad guys, which we did all afternoon. So, I recommend getting two. One for you, and one for whoever else you have to get a toy for under the age of 6. For $15, the fun factor can't be beat!

And, speaking of beating, it did withstand several whacks with the sword from this pirate costume which we also had to get today. It's adorable, and so is Jake, but as soon as we got home, he put his Spiderman costume back on, and morphed into a sword-carrying super hero. Ironically, he got the pirate costume for completing his "No Hitting" chart (which has only taken us about 2 months to complete the 10 days necessary to get a prize, and I think we cheated).

P.S. That's not me in the photo, and these aren't my children!

Testing the Infrastructure

2011-10-29T09:37:00.000-04:00

My niece is turning 12 tomorrow, and she had a biiigggg sleepover party last night. My sister sent me this cartoon she did of the event. Pretty funny!

This is a picture of her on her 4th birthday...a fun Dora treasure hunt party. I was Swiper. It really does go by so fast!

Happy Birthday B!

Halloween Countdown...

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

I feel like Halloween is actually a month and a half long holiday around here. September and October are my favorite months in Westchester... I'm no longer craving the beach, I'm energized by personal projects, the weather is still nice, AND there are many fun things to do in the area which we've been taking advantage of. Last Friday night was the second time we've been to see the jack-o-lantern extravaganza, BLAZE at Van Cortlandt Manor, one of the historic hudson homes. Talented carvers, and dedicated volunteers carve over 4,000 pumpkins, and illuminate them each night throughout the grounds. It takes them a few hours to light the pumpkins each night. Can you imagine? I think my carving limit might top out at about 5! It's truly amazing to see. Here are some shots from our fun night in the land of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Our own pumpkin decorating was far less ambitious, but really fun. We're going with glittery, disco pumpkins this year! I'll probably carve them next weekend so we can light them up for the kajillion trick-or-treaters we get each year, but I think Jake is still a little squeamish about scooping pumpkin goo.

(Note: these photos were taken on the very rare occasion that Jake wasn't wearing his Spiderman costume...these moments are few and far between these days, but he IS wearing his self-created baseball uniform!)

Casual Dining

2011-10-10T23:06:00.000-04:00

I've had this dining room image (from online Rue Magazine?) saved on my desktop for awhile. I like the casual coziness of it, and I think it's a good example of how you can pull a room together without having it "perfect", yet perfectly appealing. To me, it seems more indicative of how a room is actually lived in, rather than a formally elegant staged dining room that you're apt to see in most magazines.

Our handyman was over the other day in a first attempt to hang the new pendant light that we bought for our dining room. The old chandelier was really not centered in the room in anyway, and once we started trying to figure out where it really should go, we started realizing how the whole room is actually a little "off". If we centered it "correctly" in the room, it would create a very tight space around the dining room table, and the room is also a passageway into the living room. It also has doors that lead to a patio out back. After much deliberation, we decided it was best to just put the light and table somewhat uncentered, and keep the room so that if Jake and various friends decide to run around the room, they'll have space to do that. That's the way we live, and it's silly to try to pretend otherwise.

I also had our handyman install these wall sconces from Shades of Light. They look great, and are a much improved version to what was originally there. I LOVE them. I get so excited when my home design projects work out. As a graphic designer, it's very easy to delete things you don't like with the stroke of a key...I wish it was that easy for home design mistakes! It would definitely take the pressure off, wouldn't it?

It's been awhile...

2011-10-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

But, things have been busy around here! We've been making pumpkins to hang in the windows. I originally thought I'd cut them out, but they're looking pretty cute the way they are.

Every woman needs a super hero, and I am no exception. My personal helper washes paint brushes (for lengthy periods of time...always so upsetting when your super hero "muscles" get soaked with soapy water!).

And, I've made progress on creating a dining room that looks a little more "designed", and less like we're camping out. I cleared everything in the room, and made room for our new chairs. I LOVE them. Our new lights arrived, and they'll be installed next week. Still need to choose new paint colors,a rug, and window treatments (if any?).

My superhero also likes to help me sew. (Do you see why it's very difficult for me to get anything done?) These are the roman shades in progress for our guest bedroom. The project stalled for the summer, but now I'm in full swing again, and managed to get them sewn. Unfortunately, I don't think I love them anymore, but we'll see what they look like when I hang them up.

Halloween is coming!

2011-09-21T07:01:00.005-04:00

Last year for Halloween, I thoughtfully bought my husband a unibrow to wear. He didn't (but I'm not sure why).

This year, I think I might have to get him this striking mullet wig. Do you think he'll wear this?

Jake and I are going as super heros. Maybe my husband could be...MULLET MAN! If you want a mullet wig for your husband, you can get one here.

P.S. In case you're wondering, neither of these dashing men are my husband. He's much cuter, even if he won't wear the unibrow.

Knitting Moms

2011-09-12T07:16:00.000-04:00

I'm encouraging my mom to knit a similar super hero-ish sweater for Jake. Don't you think every grandson needs an awesome lightening bolt sweater made by his grandmother?

If your mother won't knit one for your son, you can buy one here.

Look! See how cute he'll look in it? I hope my mom DOES make it, otherwise, he might turn her into a pumpkin with that magic wand. (No pressure of course!)

P.S. Maybe she'll make me one too!

Am I a tiger mom?

2011-09-06T07:06:00.002-04:00

Earlier this summer, when I was visiting my family on Cape Cod, we happened to be at an event at the local library. I noticed that they were hosting a children's reading program which involved "pledging" how many books, or hours would be spent reading during the summer.

As my sister was in another room, and no one else was around to ask about this program, I filled out a "pledge" for Jake that we would read 100 books this summer. (4 or 5 a night, with over a month to go... reasonable, right?). When I told my sister, she looked at me like I was a nut (or a Tiger Mom, taking over the library pledge).

At the time, what I didn't consider was that it really needed to be 100 DIFFERENT books, which changed things a bit, as we recycle favorites on a very regular basis. But, we rose to the challenge, and went to the library frequently. Jake (although he's only 3) really had fun with it, and was excited about the idea. And, we did it! We read over 100 books! We were lucky enough to be back on the Cape when they had the party to celebrate the completion of the children's "pledges". I was a little shocked that he came in the top three for reading and received an extra prize (but as my sister pointed out, most mom's aren't pledging 100 books...what do I know, I'm new to this as Jake is my one and only!).

I love to see Jake's excitement and responses to books, and I think he now has a pretty incredible vocabulary for a 3-year-old. Reading provides the time for me to explain new words and actions that tv just can't. Not that I'm anti-tv...I think it has it's time and place, and a lot can be learned from it. Although, 100 books may sound like a lot, it really wasn't that difficult to do (as a mom reading to her son). Perhaps a more standard pledge may have been 20 books? But, just think what we both would have missed out on!

I didn't read Amy Chua's somewhat controversial book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, but in her article entitled, "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" in The Wall Street Journal, she rose several interesting points (many which I find quite harsh). She claims that with children, "nothing is fun until you get good at it." and "once a child starts to excel at something...he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun." I agree with this to a certain extent in that you should encourage your child not to give up too easily on a difficult activity because with a little hard work, it could turn into something they really enjoy (for instance, in my case, this could be skiing! I was always scared, but my dad kept at it, and it turned into a life-long activity which I love.) She believes in rote repetition, which may work, but I also believe that you can make learning fun. Why should it be considered "boring" or "not fun" to read a book? Books, and the imaginations of the authors and illustrators are certainly a gift to me.

Jake and I made our reading fun, I'm proud of him (as only a mom can be!). I think we'll start on a hundred more this fall!

P.S. Cool 3-D tiger print available from Lil Co. here!

P.S. It worked!

2011-09-05T07:09:00.004-04:00

Do you remember the tie-dye t-shirts I was hesitant to make? They came out great! I bought a kit, and it's a whole different ball game from the vats of boiling dye of my youth. It's a fun project, and very easy. You can buy a kit here. We chose "Moody Blues". The colors are really vibrant, and have remained so after several washings.

A little pink goes a long way

2011-08-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

It's amazing what you can do with a Super Hero shirt and pink accessories, don't you think?

Mr. Freeze

2011-08-17T07:41:00.000-04:00

Have you ever painted with ice cubes? It's really fun! When Jake had his crafts play date, I made colored ice cubes using food coloring and stuck popsicle sticks in them. We used good quality water color paper, to "paint" with. Once the ice cubes start to melt, they have a watercolor paint like effect as they soak into the paper. It's a great project for little ones, because if they're tempted to eat the "paint"...no big deal...it's just food coloring.

Tie-Dyed T-Shirts...am I nuts?

2011-08-04T16:18:00.002-04:00

One of Jake's best friends just turned 4, and we've invited him over for a craft party (for two) this weekend. I've been thinking of all different projects they could make, but have been thinking it might be fun to try tie-dying. They're probably a little young for the project, but I came across t his tutorial from the Family Fun site that involves spray bottles (some friends and family members may know how fond Jake is of spray bottles), so I thought this might be fun to try. No doubt I'll end up dying both children pink in the process, but I think they'd be very proud of the t-shirts they could make.

Thoughts? Nutty, or go for it?

Guess where I'll be soon?

2011-07-29T06:58:00.000-04:00

Does anyone recognize this cupcake? I'll be having two (but not this flavor!)

Turkey on my Mind

2011-07-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not thinking about Thanksgiving, I'm thinking about Turkey, the country. In my mind, I've planned a lovely trip for my husband and I for his upcoming big birthday. I discovered this great looking hotel called Argos in the heart of the Cappadocia region of Turkey. I keep going back to their website to look at all the intriguing photos of the hotel and surrounding area. I thought it would be great to visit Istanbul for a couple days, see the sites, shop in the markets (or are they bazaars?), and then scoot over to Cappadocia. Great, right?

The fact is, we're really not set up for a trip of this magnitude at the moment, because there are few (ok, zero) volunteers to watch and play with Jake while we would be gone. I think he's a little young (3) and needy to bring him and think we would relax for more than 2 minutes. The fairy towers for which this region is known will have to wait a bit for us. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right? Happy birthday darling!

Twins

2011-06-27T07:27:00.000-04:00

I got Jake and my husband, Rich matching shirts (sort of) for Father's Day. Doesn't every father want to wear matching outfits with his son?

They're pretty cute, aren't they?

More fun with chalkboard paint

2011-06-22T07:05:00.000-04:00

I've been playing a little more with my chalkboard paints after completing the larger outdoor mural boards. This project was a quick, fun, and satisfying because it was so easy to actually finish!

To make this vase, I covered one side of the vase with painters tape. I then cut a heart-shaped stencil with an exact-o knife, and painted the area with primer. Then, two coats of pink chalkboard paint. I let it dry, and then removed the tape. I touched up the edges with a little paintbrush. After that, I added my message, and had a little photo shoot with Jake. He helped cut the flowers. He's quite talented, don't you think?

Happy Dad's Day!

2011-06-18T14:22:00.000-04:00

I think Jake is lucky to have such a great dad...especially one who will fly on elephants with him!

I lost my father 10 years ago, and miss him like crazy. It makes me so sad that he and Jake won't get to play. He was a great dad, and would have made an excellent grandfather. It's hard for me to talk to Jake about him, because I start to cry...but I've been trying to tell him more about my father lately. I hope the stories I tell can make Jake feel connected to him in some way.

Happy Dad's Day!

Online Mags

2011-06-15T07:08:00.000-04:00

Lonny Magazine

For some time, I've been promising my mom a post of some of my favorite on-line magazines that are becoming increasingly popular...and plentiful. At the closing of so many of our favorite printed magazines, these come as a very welcome treat...and they're free! While I do love to hold a printed magazine in my hands, there is no denying that these online magazines are quite revolutionary. I love being able to click on a featured product that I like, and be able to link to the website where it's available for purchase...it takes shopping to a whole new level! And, I imagine that the advertisers themselves must love this feature. It allows them to track views from the publications they're advertising in.

Also, if an online magazine is doing a feature on a designer, or blogger, who, in turn has a blog or website, you are easily able to click on a link provided and find out more about them and their work. They are also unique in that they have the capability to embed video streams into the magazine that traditional printed mags obviously can't do. There is endless exploring to be done, and now that my mother HAS the link to some of my on-line favorites, I imagine she will be spending quite some time on her computer! (Have fun, mom!)

These on-line magazines are not hindered by many of the operating costs of a printed magazine. For instance, an on-line magazine is not limited to a certain page count, they could include any length article, or any number of photographs or illustrations they want. They have limited staff, and no overhead office costs.

A couple weeks a, the New York Times published an interesting article about four of these online mags: Lonny, Rue, Matchbook, and High Gloss. I found the tone of the article somewhat flip...it seemed that the writer didn't give enough credit to the extraordinary women creating these publications. The women who started these magazines are all quite young, and have not had extensive professional experience in a traditional magazine/publishing setting. The editor-in-chief, and co-founder of Lonny, Michelle Adams, was an assistant at Domino when the magazine folded. Her lack of traditional experience didn't stop her from creating this amazing online magazine which now has close to 250,000 readers. I give her a huge amount of credit for creating a wonderful product out of what was probably an upsetting job loss. Good for her!

If you do read the New York Times article, you might also be interested to read what Grace Bonney of the popular blog Design*Sponge had to say about it. She wrote a thought provoking post from the viewpoint of a very successful design blogger.

In summary, I find these magazines to be a treat, and hope that you all enjoy them too, especially if you are not already familiar with some of them. Just click on the covers below and enjoy!

http://www.lonnymag.com/

I'm very sorry...

2011-06-13T07:12:00.006-04:00

In the last few weeks, my SWEET little boy, has become a bit of a beast (to put it mildly). I sent two e-mails in the past week to his friends' mothers apologizing for his behavior. Yesterday, it went something like this:

Alison,
Thanks for a fun party...you did an amazing job! So creative and fun. Sorry Jake beat, punched, and stabbed your guests with a fork. We're working on that!
H

And, if the stabbing wasn't enough, the daily accounts of how he's going to "fell" his friends, and "pow them down" are about to put me over the edge. Please tell me this is normal?

I'm thinking of having cards printed with this little beast I created. Then, I could just pass them out as necessary.

Bon Jour!

2011-06-10T09:34:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, on a trip to Paris, I snapped a photo of this apartment near the Musée D'Orsay. I loved the elegant drapes in the window, and would love to see what the rest of the apartment looked like. If I lived in Paris, I think this apartment should be mine!

Have a good weekend!

Chalkboard Masterpieces

2011-06-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

After a recent trip to the Children's Museum of Manhattan, I was inspired to make these outdoor chalkboard murals for Jake. The museum had a fun outdoor play space with a lot of different water-based activities. We had a lot of fun "painting" with water on these pieces of framed slate:

Once the water dries, the image vanishes...magic! I loved all the kooky frames in all the different shapes. I originally wanted to do something like this to hang on the fairly unattractive fence in our backyard. However, when I got to the wood store, I realized that A.) I would probably never finish this WITH frames because I don't have the proper saw and would spend most of my time trying to figure out how to get that done; and B.) bigger would be better...he would have more room to draw and create his own masterpieces.

I've been wanting to try out some projects with the ever-so-popular chalkboard paint, and thought this would be the perfect project. It's super easy. Once you have the wood cut to size (which you can have done at Home Depot), you just prime, paint, hang up, and you're good to draw!

My husband added a cute note...he's been having fun playing with them too!

2011 Surtex Sneak Peek

2011-06-06T07:21:00.006-04:00

OK, this is belated, but here's a sneak peek of some of the art that we bought at the Surtex Show this year...stay tuned until next year when I'll show you what we did with all this lovely art! I stuck post-its all over the holiday images as we decided which format the images will go in. Magnetic box? Acetate box? Large? Small? Laser-cut? Gift bag?

And, remember, by the time you see these images on products at your local book and gift stores next year, many of the images will be very different...for instance, the yellow holiday image on the top left will definitely not stay that color. There will be foil, glitter, uv coating...let the games begin!

Time for a design-a-thon! I guess I better get busy...

One year later...

2011-05-31T07:09:00.000-04:00

Last year, I posted a sneak peek of some of the artwork that I purchased at the Surtex Show for the company I work for.

After each show, I like to hang the artwork up in my office, and then we gradually decide what art will go on which products. We never know at this point which piece of art will be a "winner", and which things will fall by the wayside. Everyone in the office likes to come in, and tell me their favorites, and make predictions about which will become the next big seller. Here are a few closer up views of that shot:

The following three pieces were purchased with a customer in mind who had a theme, "Everything is Coming Up Roses". At the time, we didn't have much direction from them, so we took a bit of a gamble:

It turns out the "rose" they had in mind, was actually an orchid. They wanted it big, and pink. So, with this art, by talented artist Lauren Wan:

We focused on this area:

So, that became all this:

It has turned out to be a great collection to our line, and the original customer was very pleased with it.
But, the true winner of that season, was a last minute purchase, that I had to convince a few peeps about. Turns out, customers love this bird art:

We started doing a few products, but got such favorable reviews, that it's turned into all this!

Looking for holiday images is always a challenge, it's hard to come up with something NEW! DIFFERENT! EXCITING! each year, because the holidays are seeped in traditions, and it seems that people don't necessarily want NEW! EXCITING! But, we try!

The following is an example of how we sometimes buy art as inspiration, and change it dramatically. We really liked the idea of this art, but no way would our customers go for the pink background. We also prefer horizontal images. And, no type on the front of the card. So...this...

Became this:

It's printed with gold ink, and the branches are highlighted with silver foil.

We embellish a lot of the designs with foil, gloss highlights, glitter, and debossing. This can really bring a flat piece of art to life.

Pretty in Paper

2011-05-24T07:07:00.002-04:00

At the Stationery Show at the Javits Center last week, they cleverly put up a "Paper Runway" connecting the two sides of the show that were separated due to construction. To highlight the relationship between paper and fashion design, exquisite paper dresses were created by such fashion designers as Lela Rose, Susan Woo, and Donald Deal. Visual merchandising and design students at NYC's LIM College participated in the competition sponsored by Kate's Paperie. The winners will be displayed in the windows of Kate's Paperie during Fashion Week.

I was amazed at the intricate detail in these dresses...if you look closely at the construction of some of these dresses, you will notice that the dresses feature a variety of trends that are popular among paper design right now... notably, butterflies:

Lasercut designs:

Gold accents:

And bold flowers:

It's hard to believe these are all made of paper! I'm curious how long it took to construct these fabulous creations! Which is your favorite? (Mine is the short dress with the butterflies...)

Single Motherhood

2011-05-23T07:33:00.001-04:00

(Print by Nan Lawson)

It's been a rough week around here. Rich (my husband) has been in the hospital (for FIVE nights) with pneumonia since last Tuesday. (we finally picked him up yesterday afternoon). Eesh! Where did THAT come from? What seemed like a (just get over it) common cold, turned into a full-fledged "I can't get off the couch or I'll die" pneumonia. So, I've been working, playing with Jake (who was also sick, and has now started snoring he's so stuffy), going back and forth to the hospital, and have managed to drive 500 miles in a week schlepping back and forth.

(Print by Nan Lawson)

This is, of course, after Rich broke his thumb about a month and a half ago, and had to have surgery (ouch). We seem to have kept the emergency room quite busy since we've been married.

(Print by Nan Lawson)

When confronted with doctors, and stressful situations...I tend to ask a lot of questions. I don't think I'm (shall we say "witchy") about it, I just like to know what I'm in for. I also don't like late night emergencies with a 3-year-old. And, of course, I like to feel reassured that we're getting good care, and that everything is going to be all right. Right? Well, not really. My husband doesn't ask a lot of questions, and thinks I'm nuts (I'm not). And rolls his eyes. So, there was tension. Great.

(Print by Nan Lawson)

So, how did the week go? Frankly, I think I was fairly calm with a few tired, freak-out moments (Jake really didn't go to bed until 10 pm for the duration). I coped. I used bribery. I went through the drive-through at McDonalds a few too many times. As fate would have it, McDonalds gives out Batman toys. I taped a new Batman cartoon. It's TERRIBLE. So, I taped a few of the 1960's Batmans. Great tv and graphics (if you ask me!).

And, I confess, I set up a little table with a towel under it so Jake could eat breakfast in front of the tv (I mean babysitter), so I could get ready in the mornings (that comes down to exactly 24 minutes). Jake unfortunately prefers the newer, terrible version. ("Mom! I like the one where they push each other and shoot guns").

I also tried to make things fun to get the job done. "Jake, it's backwards night! We're going to take a bath, THEN eat dinner, THEN go see dad in the hospital AND we get to wear our pajamas there!" Great! He thought that was fun, and added his own twist, "I know Mom, we can have breakfast for dinner!"

I made a pan of brownies, and ate half of them.

As if my weak stomach was going to digest that!

And, I shopped.

(Print by Nan Lawson)

I ordered this dress from Anthropologie:

But, it wasn't great on me...but this one from Tommy Hilfiger (at 40% off) is a keeper:

OK, I actually bought a FEW more things, but we don't need to go into all that right now, do we? (I'll just say those Cafe Capris at JCrew are also keepers. In two colors.)

Needless to say, all my projects for a creative, colorful, fun backyard, and lovely guest bedroom have been put on hold until I have time to breathe. Or maybe until after I shower for more than 3 minutes. But, I'm happy to say, that Rich is now home, and is feeling much, much better. And, miraculously, Jake went to bed at 7:15 last night. Maybe he just had to know that Dad was home. Yay! We're all ok!

I'm in love with all these prints by Nan Lawson that I came across on Etsy. Aren't they quirky and fun? She seems to have summed up my week!

P.S. Jake won't be watching the new Batman anymore. It's just the oldies, but goodies for us from now on! Or, at least until the next trip to the emergency room...

Guest Bedroom

2011-05-16T07:20:00.010-04:00

I recently stumbled upon this image of a guest bedroom while looking through past issues of Lonny Magazine. The room is in the house of Marlien Rentmeester and was designed by Hilary Thomas. It sparked my interest because it seems so simple, and put together...and achievable.

Although the individual elements in this room are not what I would personally choose, I was inspired to get a similar look and feel for our guest room. I think the room that Hilary Thomas designed looks very inviting, sophisticated, yet fun and relaxing. I've been a little all over the map recently in the number of projects I want to do, and have very limited time. So, having the inspiration photo is keeping me on track and motivated to add a little sparkle to our currently very boring room! Here's how our guest bedroom looks now (very dull I'm afraid!):

I made a trip to Calico Corners the other night, and came across some similar fabric to my inspiration photo in a different colorway:

I also found these nice fabrics by Thom Felicia (also from Calico Corners) that would coordinate well...yet not be too "matchy matchy"...pillows perhaps?

I love the look of the bedspread in the photo, but don't want to spend a gajillion dollars for it. Pottery Barn has a simpler, yet similar look. Or, I could add ribbon trim to a white bedspread to jazz it up, but occasionally, my husband is right...I don't have to make everything myself (and thus make it more complicated and unfinished). Simple is good (and done!). So, Pottery Barn is looking good! (Blue of course, not brown):

I like the light colored walls in the photo, but we have beadboard trim which goes halfway up the wall. I played around in photoshop w/ a paint color idea, and it's not bad. But, I'm still debating...it will be best to wait until I finish the roman shades to see what will work best. Also, my husband suggested switching the painting that's above the bed to something more modern looking...I just stuck a recent photo from our trip to Mexico in my Photoshop rendering.

Once I borrowed the fabric, I tacked it over the windows, and took some photos. I find when I do this, and look at the images on the computer, it gives me a new/different/helpful perspective. In this case, it was the added boost I needed to place my order!

The fabric should be coming this week, and I hope I get a little spare time soon to start! Now, who's coming to visit?

Bench Cushion

2011-04-26T07:07:00.000-04:00

We got this great bench from Pottery Barn over a year ago, and I keep meaning to make a cushion for it. I've been playing around with a couple fabric ideas.

I've had this fabric from Maine Cottage for awhile that I thought I would use in another project that didn't work out:

It looks nice on the bench, but I think this pop of red would be more fun (fabric from Company C):

On further thought, I think the fabric from Maine Cottage would look better on a seat cushion for my office chair. It ties in nicely w/ the subtle colors from the rug:

I'd like to trim both cushions with some type of piping/cording. I'm no expert at that, but I'll just have to play around with it. Now, I just have to find the right foam for the cushions, and another project will be underway!

Sweet Easter to You!

2011-04-22T07:09:00.001-04:00

Last year, I designed The Sweet Little Book of Cupcakes written by the talented bakers of Sweet, a popular cupcake shop in Boston and Cambridge. One of my favorite photos in the book was of these Easter cupcakes. I'm a little afraid of the whole fondant concept, so I think I'll be making an Easter bunny cake instead. I bought the cake mold from William Sonoma several years ago, and I've had two successful attempts with it, and one big flop that left me running out to a bakery at the last moment. The key is to get the cake thick, and let it cook completely.

Here are is a peek at the book:

P.S. Anyone who knows me well, knows how much my son Jake likes pink. I found this adorable shirt at Crewcuts. I've never tried their clothes for him before, so I'm hoping it will fit well when it arrives! He'll be so handsome, won't he? I just love dressed up kids for Easter. Don't you?

Happy Easter everyone!

What did you work on today Mommy?

2011-04-21T07:15:00.000-04:00

Jake (sweetie that he is), has started asking me about my day at work while we're eating dinner.

"Today, I designed a book that Auntie M painted the pictures of birds and flowers for."

"A book about birds mom? Are there nests in it?"

"Yes, sweetie, and you can have a book when it's done!"

(OK, it's not really about birds, it's a little inspirational quote book.) Here's a sneak peek:

Welcome to New York

2011-04-20T08:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a sneak peek of another fold-out play set I've been working on. The theme of this, of course, is New York City, and will feature 3 fold out scenes of Manhattan with several paper dolls, and NY city characters (artists, dog walker etc) to assemble and play with on the fold-out scenes.

The cover is rough, and I just pieced things together to show the illustrator, Amy Saidens, what we had in mind. I think it's really fun. What do you think? Does it make you want to visit New York?

Mustaches...funny or tres passe?

2011-04-19T07:17:00.000-04:00

Part of my job is to spot trends. If you look around, you can hardly miss mustaches popping up all over just about anything. My boss was surprised...mustaches? Really? Well, just look. I'm not sure if the trend is now on a downward spiral, but if you ask me, a fake mustache is usually funny. What do you think? Is there room in the market for another mustache item?

This trend has certainly covered all the major product categories...

Baby:

(From top left, clockwise: Booties: Pleasantly Plump Knits; Onesie: BK Chic Boutique; Pacifier: Piquant Designs; Print: Sugar Fresh)

Home Decor:

(From top left, clockwise: Print: ReStyle; Digital transfer on Pillow: Black & White Designs; Glass: Bread & Badger)

Party:

(From top left, clockwise: Straws: Sew and Such; Mustaches on a Stick: Loriii; Fake Mustaches: Amazon)

Personal Style:

(From top left, clockwise: Necklace and Ring: Supermarket; Carstache: Urban Outfitters; Shirt: Red Brick Wall)

Stationery/Gift:

(From top left, clockwise: Note cards: Screw You, Martha !; Pencils: Crib Candy; Journal: Sass and Peril; Pen: Seltzer)

P.S. Jake is lucky he's not a baby anymore. I'd definitely be pushing one of those pacifiers on him!

Simple and Cute

2011-04-12T07:33:00.000-04:00

I was browsing through Etsy today, and came across these darling pillows by Sukan. Every now and then I see something, and wish I'd come up with the idea myself! So instead, I'll just share her lovely creations with you!

Painting with a twist

2011-04-07T07:04:00.000-04:00

I've got projects on my mind lately, and the desire to play with paint...with a twist! While exploring fun paint projects lately, I came across these cool paint supplies from Rustoleum that I never knew existed.

Of course, I've known about chalkboard paint, but did you know that they have glow in the dark paint, dry erase paint, and magnetic paint? How cool is that? I've always believed that at least 25% of creativity is knowing about the right supplies. Another 25% of the equation is actually having the supplies on hand so you can actually get started!

Have you tried any of these paints? If so, I'd love to hear about it, and see what you made!
Have fun creative friends!

Pelmet Boxes with Nailhead Trim

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Voila! Here is a peek of my finished pelmet boxes for our living room...a project that I put off for a good long while before starting for fear of messing up. No worries, my friends, it was SUPER easy, and in total took less than 2 hours to make two of them!

Below, here's how things looked before...we have two windows on either side of our couch. There isn't room enough for full length curtains like I've made for the other windows in the room because they are too close to the couch, and the fabric would be bunched behind our end tables (which are yet to be purchased 3-1/2 years later!). I got these bamboo shades from JC Penney, but overall the look was too plain...don't you agree? I love the fabric I purchased from Hable Construction for the curtains, and wanted to tie it into the rest of the room.

So, my solution was to make pelmet boxes using the same fabric as the curtains on the other windows. I bought styrafoam from Michaels, and these handy u-haped pins...

I measured the width of the window plus 2 inches on either side. The styrafoam was a little short, so with a kitchen knife, I cut an extra piece, and taped it on with masking tape. I secured it with the u-shaped pins. Then I cut a 2-inch piece to give it depth and taped and pinned that together as well.

Here's what they looked like when I got them all taped and pinned together:

Here's a close-up of how I secured the adjoining edges with the u-shaped pins.

I lay the fabric on the floor, and covered it with a thin batting. I had cut the fabric about 6 inches wider than the area of the pelmet boxes. Then, I just wrapped the fabric and batting around the edges and pinned it all into place with my u-shaped pins (do you note how often I'm mentioning the u-shaped pins? I'm a fan! If I ever need to secure things, my first thought will be of u-shaped pins!)

Ta Da! All wrapped!

But wait, they're a little bland...missing something, right?

Enter nailhead trim! I'm now also a HUGE new fan of nailhead trim, and if I had more time on my hands, I might just nailhead trim the couches in the living room (and go on from there!) It's really cool...it comes in a roll, and every fifth nailhead on the roll has a hole. You insert the tack provided in the hole, and that's what keeps it on....

or SHOULD keep it on. Here I ran into a snag, because the tacks were not holding in the holey styrafoam. SO, back to the u-shaped pins. I secured them close to the base where the pin should be inserted, and then inserted the pin. The pins are actually holding everything together, but unless you look super close, I don't think you notice...do you?

I was in a hurry to hang them up, so my very unprofessional secret that you DON'T see is that I twisted purple pipe cleaners and pinned them to the back, and just hung them on hooks I nailed into the wall. The pelmet boxes are very light, and haven't fallen down yet!

So, I'm not the best photographer, and my living room is by no means "done", but here's where we're at!

I'll need to focus on getting some end tables, and maybe switch out the coffee table for something less damaging if Jake were to hit his head on it. Onward!

Time for Doughnuts!

2011-03-29T07:08:00.001-04:00

At bedtime last night, Jake told me he thought we should make donuts (he's 3). I said I didn't know how (thinking it would be best that we don't do cooking projects that involve hot oil), and he told me that you just get sugar, ice, strawberries, orange juice, and more sugar and mix it up and then frost it with pink. It sounds like a bit like a smoothie, but he did speak with such authority that I almost had to believe him!

Enjoy the recipe folks!

(Above, Melissa and Doug wooden doughnuts available at Amazon)

(Above,: DIY felt doughnuts... instructions here)

(Above: The Donut Book by Sally Levitt Steinberg available here)

(Above: Doughnut pushpins by Emarie Creations through Etsy here)

Shopping Bags

2011-03-22T07:18:00.000-04:00

My mom has always had a "thing" for shopping bags (or "status" bags as she likes to call them) that she's collected from travels all over the world. They always tended to pile up in the garage, only to be parted with when we really REALLY needed an extra bag. I found this image online and sent it to her...I think it's a very clever way to display your favorite bags. Wouldn't it be great in an amazingly huge closet/dressing room?

(Sorry, I can't remember where I found the image...looks like it was scanned from a magazine. If you know, please let me know and I will give credit where it's due!)

Last weekend bonanza

2011-03-21T07:16:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we managed to pull off three parties for Jake's third birthday. (I wonder if this means we'll have to plan four next year?!?!?!). This was done w/ some finesse despite the fact, I was sick, my mom had the flu and was down for the count, and everyone else soon followed in our footsteps, including Jake. It's been a nutty week to say the least! For his friend's party, as much as I love the idea of having it at our house, I just couldn't manage it, so we decided to have it at a local kid's gymnastics place which was great. He wanted an "M&M" party, so I managed to fit in some personal touches like these fun M&M t-shirts as party favors (very easy to make!), and some funky cupcakes. They weren't quite the colors I had in mind, but I realized I bought the wrong type of frosting...some neon color kit, and the only colors that resembled M&M's were orange and green. And, I was somewhat hampered by the fact that Jake woke up early in the morning, just as I was getting ready to frost and decorate them..."you frosting the cupcakes Mom? I'm going to help!". (How do I resist such a sweet offer?)

I always love the beautiful photos of kids parties that I see on blogs with exquisite dessert tables, but I always wonder...what do these talented people actually DO with the kids when they COME to the party? Ten 3-year-olds in our house is a LOT. Yes, I can imagine it if I was guaranteed warm, sunny weather, or had a very large house, but...the 10 kids also each come with at least one parent, and add some family in there, and you've got quite a crowd. Also, frankly, (and Scrooge-ly of me), I don't want Jake eating an enormous amount of candy and sugar even if it IS his birthday, which these exquisite tables tend to feature. The idea of letting 3-year olds loose on a table filled with candy is enough to make me want to immediately go back to bed.

I'm hoping it will be warmer for Easter, and I can invite some of his little buddies over for an Easter egg hunt/party...outside!

Hope you all have had fun weekends!

How sweet it is

2011-03-10T06:47:00.000-05:00

Today, Jake is turning 3...and what a wonderful adventure we've had! I absolutely love this age and everything he's discovering, learning, thinking, and feeling. One of my favorite things is, that at this age, he is not yet very influenced by outside pressures. Purple polar fleece is cool, mom is awesome, hugs are great. AND, so is a new soccer bike with a pink Disney horn complete with purple bow. I love it! And, most of all...I love him!

I can't remember

2011-02-28T07:31:00.001-05:00

Did the ground hog see his shadow? We've been looking for signs of spring, and really, can't wait!

Cute card available here!

Waiting and Waiting

2011-02-18T07:16:00.000-05:00

You know when you order something on-line, and you can't wait for it to come, and then when it finally arrives, you just love it so much, you can't take it off?

We're having one of those weeks!

Sweet Treats for you!

2011-02-11T21:04:00.001-05:00

When I first started blogging a couple years ago, I "met" a super enthusiastic woman named Kim who had just started blogging. As a career change, she started her own imprintable party business called The TomKat Studio which has really taken off in the last couple years...it's a very inspiring story! When I noticed that she had posted one of the projects I worked on, a Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake journal in her holiday gift guide, I sent her a package of cupcake projects I had worked on recently to thank her (plus, they reminded me of her and her business!). She loved the products, and asked if she could do a giveaway...(of course!)...so now you can visit her blog here for a chance to win!

Zombie Invasion

2011-02-11T07:07:00.000-05:00

Not everyday is fairies and flowers in my design world...on the other end of the spectrum, I am currently designing The Zombie's Guide to the Holidays. The artwork came in yesterday, and I've been gleefully playing around with the gruesome art done by the very talented Lisa Fargo of Fargo Design, Co. Each illustration is more grizzly and vile than the next...I love it!

Here's an unedited sneak peek:

In stores this holiday season...read it if you dare!

Napping Beauties

2011-02-09T07:05:00.000-05:00

After my winter duldrom post, a reader asked about my new found technique to get Jake to nap. As necessity is the mother of invention, here's what I did...

First of all, it's no longer a "nap", it's "rest time". Babies "nap", big boys "rest" (mom's like to too, although I don't care what we call it!). Then, I made up some new rules (that I made up as I went along...this was a process, not an immediate success).
Rule 1: You must stay in your room and sleep or play quietly until I come say rest time is over. (OK, I got this from Super Nanny, but thought it was a good idea!)
Rule 2: If you come out of your room, I'm going to come hold you until Rule 1 is followed.
Rule 3: If Rule 2 is broken, I go in and hold him. After promises are made, "rest time" continues and I leave (basically, my first warning).
Rule 4: If fussing, coming out of room happens, I go back in, and hold him on my lap, no talking, just snuggles. W/in 5 minutes he's ready to go to sleep.

Yay! Naptime continues!

The Making of a Fairy Cover

2011-02-08T07:05:00.001-05:00

Do you remember the Fairy Queen I was working on for a Fold-Out paper doll play set I'm designing? Well, the cover of the playset is coming together, and here is a run-down of how we got to the final point. As I've been super busy, I suggested to the talented illustrator, Amy Saidens, that she show me an initial concept incorporating some of the fairy paper dolls and one of the three scenes that will be used in the interior of the play set. She came up with this:

I thought it was really cute, and although it was totally pink and purple fairy sweet, I thought it lacked a little umpf. Also, it seemed that the fairy's wings were not prominent enough.

One of the other interior scenes looked like this:

I liked it because it seemed like a slightly more impish setting. So, I created a quick cover idea for her to try:

The artist came back with this, using one of the fairy paper dolls on the interior:

Not quite right. The outfit of the fairy had less impact (definitely needed more red), and her wings were too subtle. Also, too many leaves at top now. So, she back-tracked a bit, and created the art that will now be used on the final cover:

I love that the opened the sitting fairy's eyes, and she re-sized the playful boy fairy in the background. She also changed the shape of the trees, and lowered the sitting fairy. I love this cover now, and would definitely have loved to play with this when I was little! What do you think of the cover...yay, or nay? OR, did you prefer the original garden scene?

The Winter Duldroms

2011-02-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

As predicted, I got the stomach flu with a mighty vengeance. What more can I say about the past week? The good news is that I have finally developed a technique to have my non-napping child nap. And thus, we've had a much more pleasant weekend, and a much more pleasant child.

Between our insane NY winter, the insane sickness, and the insane antics of a non-napping almost three year old, patience and a sense of humor are two things I've been striving for these days! And you?

Font Style

2011-01-27T07:24:00.003-05:00

When I see certain fonts, they just speak to me, and I will know exactly what type of project they would be perfect for. Some are used sparingly, because they're a little trendy, and will get outdated quickly. Others are timeless classics that I use almost everyday. So, as I've been bemoaning yet another snowstorm and wistfully eyeing spring fashions, I thought it would be fun demonstrate font styles compared with fashion styles. Here are two "looks".

Dollhouse...a fun, flirty, trendy font. The project would be young and spirited. Here's an outfit to match:

Canterbury OldStyle...a classic style which reminds me of an upscale cruise to the South of France. The outfit to match:

As another snowstorm is happening outside, I assume we'll be stuck inside again tomorrow messing up the house which seems to be the norm these days. I also expect to be sick as Jake threw up all over me and most of the living room multiple times when we came home today. Stanley Steamer can not possibly get here fast enough!

The Making of a Fairy Queen

2011-01-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a new Fairy Fold-Out Playset which will be similar to this project I worked on last year:

I've commissioned illustrator, Amy Saidens to create the art for the project, and we've been working on pulling together all the illustrations and characters. The project includes three fold-out scenes, and many fairy paper dolls and clothes to dress them up. One of the characters we asked her to create was a Fairy Queen.

The first fairy she sent looked like this:

Too young I thought...too trendy. I asked Amy to try again, so she changed the fairy's hair to brown.

Hmmm, still not right. Too young, too much like the other fairies in the book. Too trendy. This fairy needs to look older, and more classic. Time to give a visual of what I'm looking for. So, I grabbed a Hollywood glam hair-do off the web, and added it to Amy's illustration in Photoshop. I also curved her figure a bit, and changed the leotard to a form-fitting dress. I suggested adding a little gray/white streaks to the fairy's hair as well.

Then, Amy reminded me that if she did this, the Fairy Queen's glam hair would be covered once the clothes were added, so she came up with this...

Perfect! Now we have a Fairy Queen! One of the trickiest things about creating a paper doll book like this, is ensuring that all the clothes will fit each doll properly, and be able to be attached in such a way that they don't fall off the doll once the user puts them on. (How frustrating is THAT...to have your paper doll's clothes fall off!?!?!). This is easier to check, and alter if necessary when the art is created digitally, but for a few of the projects like this I've worked on, the art has been created by hand w/ watercolors. Not only is the intricacy of the art difficult to reproduce, but if the clothes don't fit exactly right, I end up having to clone them in Photoshop which is absolutely beastly! The Princess project above was one such project, although, in the end, I think the results are really cute! Hopefully some little girl out there will think so too!

Happy Belated Birthday (to Doodlebuds)

2011-01-17T07:19:00.001-05:00

I seem to have forgotten my blogabirthday! Jan. 10, two years ago, I started this blog! I started off posting almost everyday, and still enjoy going back and re-reading some of my earlier posts. As my child started to go to bed later and later, the posts tapered off a bit, but perhaps I'll have some more surprises in store for you this year!

Thanks for visiting...it's been fun getting to meet new blog friends, and I appreciate your support!
Enjoy!
Love,
Heather

P.S. I'm still wondering when children (and husbands) sleep through the night. Do they? Ever?

(image ©Magnolia Bakery...one of my favorites!)

Good Morning!

2011-01-14T07:01:00.009-05:00

Wouldn't this be a lovely little kitchen nook to have breakfast in everyday? The rest of the house is fun and colorful as well. It was done for Southern Living's Texas idea house. To see more, take a look here!

Got Friends?

2011-01-13T07:06:00.000-05:00

Hi folks, and Happy New Year! Life has been a little busy/post-holiday crazy lately, and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things...which will hopefully include a little more blogging! I find, when I don't blog, I draw an absolute blank when it comes to posting new things. I'll have to get on a roll! (Resolution #217...)

So...what do the following lovely rooms/gorgeous views have in common??? Scroll through, enjoy, and see for yourself!

(Mougins, France)

(Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Italy)

(Riviera Maya, Mexico)

(Mykonos, Greece)...I really just included this one because I love the painting in the back!)

OK...the wonderful thing that all these lovely photos have in common is that they can all be rented! We've been talking about going on a vacation, and of course in all my internet searchings, I came across the Luxury Retreats website, and it's just a feast for your wanderlust eyes! We keep saying...well, if we could just get a few people together...we might just be able to...

Anyone want to join us? Somewhere? Anywhere? Before the next major snowfall preferably?

Whistling a Happy Tune

2010-12-14T07:09:00.000-05:00

In an effort NOT be sucked in by all the coupons flooding my inbox, and to give EXPERIENCES, and SPECIAL THINGS, rather than just stuff, I am proud to say that I have completed my first special Christmas project (for which my husband is very grateful). I decided to make my own children's book using BLURB.com especially for my niece, and my son who are just the best of buddies.

I adapted Laura Joffe Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie into a fun book of the great times Jake and and his beloved cousin Avery have had this year. She is completely dedicated to him, and tireless in meeting his demands, as is the character in the original story.

I would like to say I breezed right through this project, and while having an audience of two took some of the pressure off my usual design job, in truth this took me HOURS! And, hours. And hours. But, I had a great time, and I hope that Jake and Avery will love their special book. Here's a sneak peek:

With regard to all the rest of my Christmas shopping, I confess, I gave in to many of those coupons, but WILL give a special gift to my nieces and nephew of a fun filled day doing something I think they'll love (but I won't say here, because you never know who's reading!

How have you been doing on your Christmas shopping? Are you making things? Do you have time? Do you know of any great coupons you'd like to share?

A Less than Dazzling Dining Room

2010-12-09T07:06:00.000-05:00

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

Despite how well our dining room "works" for our lives at the moment, I have been obsessing (ever so slightly) about the ugliness of the room. I want it chic AND fun. SO, last weekend I took a wonderful mini trip to Philadelphia with a friend to check out the Galbraith & Paul sample sale. I've been wanting one of their great pendant lamps for above the table. It seems it might be the one thing that will be immune to food spills and craft projects.

Galbriath & Paul is a fabric design, and printing studio housed in a renovated textile mill in the Manayunk neighboorhood of Philadelphia. They produce upscale, hand block printed textiles which are used on pillows, lighting, and fabric yardage (unfortunately available to the trade only). We arrived early, so I was immediately able to snag a light in the correct size, but ultimately passed it on to another admirer because the color just wasn't right for me.

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

For a moment, I had the thought of purchasing some of the yardage in the above fabric and making my own pendant light...but who am I kidding...do I really need a project of this magnitude? In my one spare hour a day? Probably not.

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

They had stacks and stacks of wonderful pillows for sale, which became quite overwhelming. The colors were not quite right for my living room, but there were many designers there putting together fabulous groupings of the pillows, so it was pretty tempting!

In one room they had two large tables filled with fabric remnants which was fun to sort through. It was all available by the pound, so I just grabbed some different things I liked and will someday turn them into something beautiful. Once I laid out all the fabric, I realized how predictable my color choices are! Aren't these fabrics great (see below)? I'll have to see what I can come up with!

The Star Factory

2010-12-08T07:19:00.004-05:00

Just as Santa has been busy making toys, Jake has been busy making stars for the top of our Christmas tree. You can see the intense concentration, and attention to detail that each star warrants. We now have about 50 stars. Do you need one? We'd be happy to share!

Last week, we showed Jake Rudolf on tv. I wish I'd previewed it as I hadn't seen it in many years. He's never REALLY been scared of something before until old Bumble started roaring on the big screen. Scared as in hysterical, shaking, crying. Eeeesh! We quickly fast forwarded the movie to the end and tried to come up w/ quick explanations about why Bumble was now nice (he had his teeth removed...), and how and when Bumble was going to get his teeth back. (in the next episode? OK, he doesn't know what an "episode" is...try again...) Needless to say, I was up at least 5 times that night with a crying little boy. I'm not completely sure if it was the Bumble that did it, but we did feel quite awful about the incident. Of course, now he has quite a Bumble fascination, and keeps wanting to see the movie. I'm not up for more sleepless nights, so I'm ok w/ waiting until next year to see it again (or perhaps the year after!)

AND, yes, that is an ironing board you see in the background. As unattractive as our dining room is at the moment, I really do (reluctantly) have to admit that it's working for us. The stainless steel table and ugly black chairs chairs are leftovers from my husband's previous (and far less wonderful) life before me. As hideous-looking as they are, that table is sheer genius. I do not care what Jake does on it...sure, paint! Carve pumpkins AND paint? No problem! Bring on the fun! We can just chisel off the goop! Really, as much as I try, it's truly indestructible.

Santa's Coming! (by boat!)

2010-11-29T21:56:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about visiting the Cape during Thanksgiving, is seeing Santa arrive by boat. The kids are just so excited (and so am I) to see him come waving across the water. They all wait on shore and on the dock to see him run the gauntlet to a waiting police car which takes him to a local department store to meet the kids. Jake was debriefed by his older cousins and their friends on what you have to look for to see if the Santa is "real". I'm hoping he'll be a believer!

After we saw Santa, I was determined to get a good (ok, decent) family photo for Xmas cards. Something fun, casual, and not too "posed". I'm not sure why I'm always so surprised at how difficult this is to achieve! We went to a lovely location...Fort Hill in Eastham with the marsh/Atlantic in the background. And then we froze as the wind whipped our hair in 6,000 directions and we decided to head to lower ground to get out of the wind. Jake was impatient, and just wanted to play with his cousins, and so it goes. Needless to say, we ended up w/ several questionable shots, most of them where I look cold and tired and messy. Like this...

Sigh.

I looked through all the great cards on Minted. And, I played around w/ a great feature the have called Find It Fast™ which quickly lets you see your photo(s) in all the designs. However, their site was a little funky last night, so I wasted over an hour on the project, so I gave up and went to bed. Without a card.

Tonight, I've managed to design my own, and just uploaded the whole thing to Vistaprint. I've never used them before, and a friend recommended them, so I thought I'd give them a try. It was probably at least half the cost of the cards at Minted. And, although I loved those cards, I'm not sure the somewhat odd, blurry photo I ended up using really warranted the extra expense.

And, to make my life somewhat easier, I "splurged", and for about $10.00 I got return address labels so that I may actually manage to get these in the mail this year when they arrive! Stay tuned friends, and check your mail boxes!

Pirate Booty

2010-11-12T07:28:00.001-05:00

I'm sure everyone to Mars and beyond has been aware of the skulls and crossbone trend that's been going on the last couple years. I think it's okaaaay (meaning, really, somewhat ok), but I really can't stand how much of it I've been seeing on kids clothing lately. The Gap (my go-to source for Jake's clothes) is all over the trend. Do you really want to put your precious little boy in clothing sporting that icon? To me, it just seems like tempting fate (completely neurotic?). But, also, what does he know about skull and crossbones? He might put it together with a pirate image, but he'd really think it was so much cooler to wear Curious George on his T:

A few of our favorite books...

2010-11-11T07:02:00.017-05:00

I'm sure many of you have seen these delightful paintings of "favorite books" by Jane Mount. Each one is cuter than the next, and they have me thinking what Jake and I would include in our line up of Favorite books.

I think we'd include a few of the classics like The Big Red Barn, and Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, and we'd want to show Eric Carle and Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear front and Center. And, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Lucy Cousin's Maisy the Mouse books would be included, and Is Your Mama A Llama, along with a few Curious George books. Oh, and let's not forget our new Busytown books by Richard Scary. There's a reason why some of these are classics! Also facing forward please would be Auntie M's books Hello Boston, and Hello Cape Cod. Jake thinks they were written especially for us.

I've been religiously reading to Jake at least 5 books a night since he was born, and I love just cuddling up with him. We were recently reading a book that had the characters spelling out the word A-P-P-L-E and when I asked him how to spell it, I was shocked when he started to! He missed on the L-E and truthfully, I was a little relived. The child is smart, but I'll be happy to keep reading to him for a good long while! Do you think he'll still let me when he's 15?

Pendant lighting

2010-10-27T08:49:00.000-04:00

I just noticed this cute pendant light at Shades of Light...it matches the "faux" Roman shades I just completed for our office! Great minds, right? I've been wanting to put a pendant light in our dining room which is on hold for the moment. I just don't know how people with kids manage to have a decent looking dining room. I keep thinking it will happen soon...we'll see! In the meantime, if you come for dinner, please don't look too closely!

Would it be too matchy-matchy to have a pendant light, and shades in adjoining office in the same pattern? I'm thinking yes.

What I've been googling

2010-10-24T15:13:00.000-04:00

So, just when I thought that things might calm down with our house...you know after the basement flood, the rotting wall, the tree removal, the broken dryer (the list goes on), I try to take a nap today (nap when your two-year-old naps) and I can't. WHY? Because it sounds like someone is hammering our house. So, I go outside, and it looks like someone shot our house repeatedly. Great. We've got wood peckers.

So, once I realize what's going on (and because I don't have a BeeBee gun handy), I go inside and start googling "how to get rid of woodpeckers". Which in turn leads me to googling "how to get rid of carpenter ants." And, because I've discovered yet another sweater of mine has what really looks like moth holes in it, I've bee googling, "how to get rid of moths" (hopefully w/o using mothballs). I'm not sure which is worse, holey sweaters, or the smell of mothballs. Is there no end to the madness?

I'm sure when my husband gets home he's going to be googling "town homes".

A fall outfit

2010-10-23T14:19:00.000-04:00

My sister was wanting a cozy, put-together outfit for fall, so I came up with this for her. I think it's all from Garnet Hill, except the necklace is from Coach. I particularly like the Scrabble bracelet! Perfect for the author that she is!

The jeans are not skinny jeans. I have very mixed feeling about this newish trend. I have some, and I WANT to love them, but it's just not quite there. I think many people look cute in them (and maybe many people think I look cute in them!), but I think longer straight leg jeans just look better on most people.

Create your own book

2010-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've finally settled down to start making Jake his own personalized book. No, not an official baby book (yet), just his own children's book which I think he's going to get a kick out of. As I've mentioned before, these personalized projects are always the hardest to start...if someone hired me to do it for them, no problem, I'd have it finished in a week. But for Jake? Well, we'll see...! But, since this one is finite, and I'm not aiming for perfection, just fun, I think I'll have it finished soon enough.

In the meantime, for those of you who don't want to start your own children's book from scratch, here a couple cute kits I found at Kate's Paperie. They're accordion style books, and include removable stickers to get you started.

OK, wish me luck, I'm going to go start my new book: Where are Jake's Toes?

Crafty Inspiraton

2010-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently researching book covers for a craft book project I'm working on, and came across these inspiring titles. I particularly love the Vampire Knits cover (check out the interior too!). It would almost make me want to start knitting again, but Jake seems to have found a new game called "rope" where he throws my stash or yarn down the stairs while holding on to the end. I can't imagine who taught him that game (mom!).

"Faux" roman shades

2010-10-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

Today, I finally was able to make some "faux" roman shades for my office. They didn't need to go up and down for privacy, so I didn't have to worry about all the apparatus that comes with making traditional roman shades (which aren't actually too hard to make).

At the last minute, I added some ball fringe I had lying around. I'm a big fan of ball fringe, although I know most think it's more appropriate for kids rooms. What do you think? Was it a good idea? It just seemed too plain without.

Any reader who knows me personally has probably had to hear the endless ins and outs of my search for a rug for my office (thank you for your patience!) To make a long story short, I ended up going full circle, and decided to use the rug that had been in my former NYC apartment. It just seems to fit, and the fabric I chose for the "faux" blinds goes nicely with it. (older photo here)

Unfortunately, the storage in this office area is a little awkward, but I'm hoping to have it done soon. What I'd really love is the loffice (below) that Janell posted on her Houzz Idea Book. I love the built-ins, the sliding door, the functional storage space. It's got a somewhat similar look to my office area, but the window is much bigger (and nicer), and the storage/built-ins look terrific. I wish I could see more of it! Then, I could pass the photos to my handyman to see what he could concoct!

I'm on a bit of a home organization mission (as you may have read in my last post), and finally having some window treatments in the office, gives it all a much more finished look...and makes me more motivated to keep going!

P.S. Our garage? ORGANIZED!!!

P.P.S.S. I was happy to note that the Halloween Playset I designed found it's way front and center on the Halloween display table at B&N!

An organized mission!

2010-10-07T07:10:00.000-04:00

I'm currently designing a "life organizer" written by Lisa Montanaro, a certified professional organizer. I've been reading the content as I go, and it's really got me thinking about how I'd like to implement some of the ideas into my own home.

My husband uttered a few words yesterday that are magic to my ears, "we really need to get organized this weekend." I know, not the most romantic words, but he's actually really GOOD and EFFICIENT at it when he puts his mind to it (so I'm hoping he'll remember these magical words this weekend!) I'm more likely to be the one to implement the system, but a project like this is almost too time consuming and overwhelming for me at the moment, because I rarely have more than a couple free hours to take on something like this, so I don't. BUT, with his efficiency, a good teamwork project like this would be great (and I actually think it's fun to things like this with him, even though he dreads it!) and I for one will appreciate the ease that it will add to our lives going forward.

While I would say that we are generally organized in our day to day lives, our basement (which was gutted/redone due to our flood last winter), and garage have remained clogged places for far too long. It will be a huge relief to me to have organized storage areas in these areas.

The book/organizer I'm working on has several interesting points on organization...

Here are several passages in the Life Organizer that I found particularly interesting and in keeping with my desire to free up some clutter:

Why is living an organized life so important? Let’s examine some of the benefits. Being organized positively affects your time, money, health, space, reputation, and relationships. Organized people save time (time lost to searching for missing items), save money (not buying duplicates anymore as they know what they have, avoiding late fees by paying bills on time, etc.), have lower stress, and are able to focus on what they really want to accomplish, whether that is work related, self time, or family time.

One thing the book points out is (this is me!):
If you are overwhelmed, just thinking about getting organized may cause you to suffer from what I’ve termed “Organizing ADD.” That is when you have so many pockets of clutter and disorganization in your life that it’s overwhelming, making it difficult to begin the process.

And the benefits? Lisa writes:
Always keep in mind that as you release clutter of any kind, you are freeing up precious space for new (and hopefully better!) items and opportunities to come into your life (or maybe just open space so that you have room to breathe). From an energy standpoint, many cultures believe that until the clutter is cleared, beauty cannot flow in. Regardless of what you believe, I have seen the results hundreds of times. When people clear clutter and get organized, even in some subtle ways, positive change occurs. So try to enjoy the journey itself, and let the power of the process unfold naturally and work its magic.

And now to begin:
Stalled out on a task or project? Take a cue from Nike, and “Just Do It!” Once you get started, you gain momentum and energy. Usually, all of the thinking about and dreading the task is worse than actually doing it!

In keeping with my organize, simplify, and de-clutter theme today, I came across a nice guest post by Courtney Carver on Rowdy Kittens who writes:
When you make the choice to change and live simply, you are rewarded immediately with peace of mind. The simpler you make your life, the easier it will be to make a change. Things don’t always happen right away, but by making the choice to change, you fill your life with hope instead of uncertainty, optimism instead of doom. That hope and optimism will inspire your journey as you move from where you are to where you want to be.

P.S. The book I'm working on will be available next Spring...so stay tuned!

Happy Halloween!

2010-09-15T07:38:00.002-04:00

Hot off the presses...a new Haunted House playset I designed! The "book" actually folds out into three playset scenes. There are lots of spooky paper dolls, dress up dolls, and spooky props included to set up on each of the scenes. Although it's too young for Jake, I set it up for him the other night, and he had a blast!

The illustrations are by Amy Saidens, a very talented, and fun illustrator I've worked with several times. We've done a few of these play sets together now, and have them down pat!

Discipline

2010-09-10T06:48:00.002-04:00

My co-worker (who doesn't have children) thinks that parents need a velcro wall in their house to adhere children to while giving them a "time out". I found this photo, and had to laugh!

Check out more of jwlphotograhy's funny photos here!

Chalk it up!

2010-09-08T07:05:00.003-04:00

I know that chalkboard paint is all the rage these days, and like everyone else, I've been wanting to try it. But...the problem is...I'm not a huge fan of chalk. It's just icky, and dusty, and I really don't want another icky, and dusty thing in my house. So, I was excited to come across this idea for an outdoor chalkboard via ohdeedoh. We have a fairly unattractive fence lining one side of our yard, and I think it would be cool to try something like this...perhaps using Bakery Green Hudson Paint? It could blend w/ the foliage, and be fun to play with. We could draw an outdoor garden on it, guaranteed to bloom until the next rain storm!

Now, if the idea of chalk indoors didn't send my skin crawling, I might try something like this funky wall art. I could blow up a photo of myself and paint it on our bedroom wall to surprise my husband...I wonder what he'd say?

It would be quite different than our current look, wouldn't it?

Bye Bye Summer

2010-09-06T20:49:00.001-04:00

We've spent the last couple weeks with my family on Cape Cod, and it's been great. I love having had such a large chunk of time to spend with my family and giving in to the day-to-day activities 100% without other concerns. Jake loves spending time with his two cousins, and has developed quite a following among their friends. He was treated like royalty whenever we arrived at the beach and his cousins were ever so sweet with him. Needless to say, it was difficult to come home, and a very tearful good-bye when we left. Tomorrow, we're back to our busy lives, but I hope that we can maintain some of the summer filled peace with us all year long. One of my fall resolutions is to get in better shape, which I was able to jump start a bit while we were away.

So, happy fall to you all! Any resolutions on your mind?

I'm thinking of renovating

2010-08-19T07:31:00.000-04:00

Wouldn't it be great to have a slide like this in your house! Imagine the fun!

(Thanks for the link Keri! I'm calling the handyman tomorrow!

How do you play with your kids?

2010-08-13T07:02:00.003-04:00

I'm not going into my feelings about tv, or how much "tv face" on a child frightens me. BUT, Jake's sudden interest in tv has got me thinking. One of my main concerns about it is that it's passive learning. While watching a "Little Bear" episode the other day, Little Bear made a kite with his father (or grandfather?). So, I decided that we should make our own kites, and he could see how it was done. He had fun "helping," and then we ran around and "flew" them in our backyard. It was very simple and so much fun!

2010-08-11T07:25:00.000-04:00

Isn't this print by Julia Pott darling? I've been looking for a print for Jake's/the guest background...something he would think is fun, but wouldn't be too childish. Given the fact that he's still obsessed with Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, I think I may have found a winner!

A less tiny house

2010-08-10T07:28:00.001-04:00

OK, so maybe the tiny houses I posted about were a little too tiny for most. I think I made my husband nervous that we might actually be moving into one. BUT, what about this slightly LESS tiny house in southern California which is absolutely adorable, and dreamy to perfection thanks to the design work of Krista Ewart? I first came across in on Cristin's blog, The Simplified Bee, and then had to check out more of the gorgeous photos from House Beautiful where it was originally shown.

This house I could live in. And, because it's smaller, you could choose (like they did), some more costly designer touches (like the Hable Construction fabric used on the couch and pillows, the Whales wallpaper by Walnut Wallpaper used in the child's room, and Jonathan Adler zebra rug). After living in small NYC apartments for over 15 years, I can tell you it's about managing STUFF. You have to really like what you have. I used to judge my purchases less by price and more if they warranted the closet space they were going to take up.

Did I mention we have several dead-ish looking trees surrounding our house? With the weather we had last year and the crazy amount of trees that have fell all over the place (and on people's houses), we're going to have to have them taken down sooner rather than later. I shudder at what this is going to cost. As much as I love our backyard, imagine the savings if it was this size:

Incidentally, in looking over smaller houses and simplified living yesterday, I came across this interesting article about a couple who gave up much of their belongings to live a simple life in a 400 square foot apartment.

Could you live in a tiny house?

2010-08-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

On Sunday nights, after cleaning up, paying bills, making sure there are enough clean clothes to get everyone through the week, and trying to organize life SOMEWHAT, I'm sure the thought has occurred to many of you...could you live in a smaller, simpler space? Houses are a LOT to maintain. Some of it's fun (the decorating), and some of it is just not (replacing flooded basements). And, much of it is very expensive and time consuming.

Ten years ago, Jay Shafer, owner of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company decided to take on such simplicity, and built himself a tiny house. His 89-square-foot house helped him to reinvent his lifestyle and career.

After completing his tiny house, he soon began building other tiny houses...his company sells plans for pre-built tiny homes, or pre-constructed homes. His company and lifestyle shifts the perception of simple living.

His houses ARE simple, but they're also really chic, and he spends less than $100 per year on utilities (wouldn't that be great?). His life is the antithesis of excess, and living with less has given him the freedom to pursue his dreams. Look at a recent video of his experience here.

What if you lived IN less, lived WITH less, and SPENT less. What would you get and do in return? With your time? With your extra money? Who would you spend your time with? Where? And how? How would HAVING less, get you MORE?

Tempted? Get a copy of Jay Shafer's book, Tiny Houses and learn how to build your own!

Terrible twos?

2010-08-04T07:15:00.000-04:00

In the last month or so, my super sweet little boy, has suddenly turned TWO (despite the fact his birthday was in March). While driving in the car today we discussed why he wasn't going to be able to play with his bubbles for two days.

"Why mom?"
"Well, because you hit Sam with your bubble wand, and that's not nice."
"I only hit him a little bit mom"

And, after visiting friends and intentionally spilling water all over their floor twice, we had the following conversation while taking a time out.

"Jake, we're sitting out here because you spilled water all over the floor and that's not nice."
"I know! My say my sorry!"
"That's right, you will say you're sorry. That was a very naughty thing you did."
"It not naughty! It bad!"

Oh my! I think he's actually enjoying his little "time outs", so I'm not sure what my next tactic will be!

T-shirt design by Summergirl 80. Buy one for your two year old today!

Let's play this weekend!

2010-07-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

No matter how old I am (let's not discuss, ok?), I still like the idea of playing with paper dolls and setting up little scenes with them. I came across these free downloadable paper dolls and scenes from the darling blog, Made by Joel.

Artist/illustrator Joel Henriques also has other amazing (and free) ideas for fun things to do with kids on his blog. I love the idea of Toddler Stilts and the Wall Hanging Box Aquarium. See his blog for some fun ideas!

Now that Jake is napping, I'm going to print these out and play with them by myself!

Have a good weekend everyone, and have fun!

Dis or Dat?

2010-07-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I've been on an endless quest for an office rug.

I've had lovely, but too small:

And, kind of cool, but knit like a sweater:

So, I finally found this cute rug (in blue):

While waiting for this rug to arrive, I put down a rug that was in my former apartment in NYC. Here's a photo of it then:

It's really soft and I've gotten used to it...so perhaps I had the rug all along and didn't realize it! It's decision time...I must stop the madness and move on! Which do you prefer?

New rug in office space:

Old rug in office space:

I've got to get some window treatments up so perhaps the decision will come down to what type of wonderful fabric I can come up with after a quick trip to Calico Corners. More to come, but I think it may actually come together soon!

P.S. Due to my not-so-great photography skills, I'm afraid the lighting doesn't do the old rug justice here!

Hugs

2010-07-19T07:06:00.000-04:00

This adorable hug bear card designed by Kathryn Hunter of Blackbird Letterpress won the "best new product" award at the Stationery Show this year. It pays homage to the grizzly bears of Yellowstone Park. Slip a photo, note, or cash into the bear's hug, and send to a friend! Isn't this the sweetest?

Don't you wish you could do this?

2010-07-16T06:50:00.000-04:00

Isn't this photo terrific? It's of me, on a recent trip to Spain.
Just kidding.
This photo came across my inbox the other day as a promotion for photographer Eric Almas. What a great photo! It made me immediately jump to his portfolio. If you'd like to see more photos too, click here.

I must go to Needham NOW!

2010-07-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

I came across a mention of the new Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham Center, MA on Daily Candy. What a great idea! With the cupcake trend here to stay, I think this is a fabulous idea...they've taken the "mix-in" concept of ice cream parlors, and combined it with cupcakes. They have at least four cupcake "flavors" everyday. You choose your frosting, and your toppings, and design your own!

Does anyone want to go to Needham with me?

In stiches

2010-07-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love these great journals and kits from AMH Designs. Albums, journals, keychains, and iphone cases that you needlepoint! The projects are small and manageable...perfect to fullfill a crafty need for those with not so much time on their hands! The kits come with all the material you need with instructions for completing each project. I don't have an iphone, but seeing these cases makes me want one!

Brown Bear "Puppets"

2010-07-06T14:30:00.000-04:00

At the daycare Jake goes to he is completely smitten with the brown bear "puppets" which are actually little stuffed animals that adhere to a felt board. And, apparently, there's a glove involved somehow, but I haven't quite figured out what he's talking about.

Anyway...if the brown bear "puppets" are not available when he gets dropped off, life is not happy. So, I decided to make a set for home, and an additional set for his class at daycare. I surprised it with him last week, and he was just overcome with glee. He insisted on taking the "puppets" to bed. When I checked in on him before I went to bed, he had fallen asleep surrounded by his new friends, with the light on.

This is what I found:

Here's how I made it...
1.) I used a bulletin board from Target, and cut blue felt to size. I glued down the felt thoroughly (this is important because the "puppets" are adhered to the felt board using velcro which is a little rough on the felt)

2.) I glued the "children" fabric along the bottom.

3.) I then glued the grosgrain ribbon (purchased at Michael's) along the edges.

4.) I cut out the animal shapes out of this fabric, and used this fabric as a backing. I sewed the front to the back, leaving a little opening so I could insert the stuffing.

5.) I then stuffed the little critters, and hand sewed the remaining edges together (not my neatest work, but this project was bigger than I thought, and I figured the audience wasn't picky!)

6.) Last step, glue little pieces of velco on the back, let dry and voila!

P.S. Wouldn't you just be mortified if someone took a photo of you sleeping and posted it on a blog? I probably shouldn't do this, but he's just so darn cute!

Do you ever have a really great day?

2010-07-02T15:16:00.002-04:00

One that you just KNOW that is the stuff that memories are built on? One that you hope that lasts forever and everyone you know is around and healthy and having fun, and you just feel GREAT. Even if the day isn't totally perfect, you just know it's special for any little reason, and that you can do anything.

This song, Never End by the kids band Milkshake says it all. It's also a CD that adults won't mind listening too. When I played this song for my husband last week, he didn't even realize it was a "kids" song (until I told him!). I actually think it would make a great wedding song, wouldn't it?

Underneath the morning sun, all the birds sing as one
Anything is possible today.
I can climb the highest tree, see the world that waits for me
Anything is possible today.
I wish this day would Never End
I wish this day would Never End.
A rabbit scoots across the yard, jumping high and going far
Anything is possible today
Daffodils are in full bloom, say goodbye to winter’s gloom
Anything is possible today.
I wish this day would Never End
I wish this day would Never End
There is nothing that we can’t do-
There is nothing we can’t get through-
On a day like this I feel invincible.

Hope you have an invincible weekend!

What an honor!

2010-07-01T07:14:00.002-04:00

I was so proud to learn yesterday that some of the journals I've designed were highlighted on Print + Pattern...one of the first blogs I started reading. The post was about Jane Mosse, one of my favorite artist reps. Jane and her team are pattern designers based in Hampshire, England. They license their artwork to be used in any number of products ranging from stationery to home furnishings. I became acquainted with Jane several years ago at the Surtex Show (which is a showcase of some of the best surface and textile designers). I loved her work, and each year when I attend to show, I head straight to her booth, first thing. A...because I like her and B...because I know that she'll have many designs that I can use to turn into great journals, notecards, and other stationery products.

Here are just a few of the many patterns we've bought over the years...

These adorable owls (one of the favorite designs I've chosen from her):

Became this:

And this:

These cute birds and birdhouses:

Later became this:

And this:

And one of the best selling designs we've selected:

Became all this:

And all-over jungle pattern became this cute growth chart:

I always thought this pattern would make terrific bedding fabric.

We used it for journals, gift bags, a pen, address book (to name a few). The rights might still be available for fabric...(if someone buys it and makes fabric...let me know!)

Whenever I'm at Jane's booth, I take a peek the badges of the other attendees who are looking through her art. I like to try to see where her patterns will end up...bedding? Dishes? Other journals? Who knows, but there is just so much potential there...it's often hard to know which ones to choose!

Summer fun!

2010-06-30T07:01:00.003-04:00

The Fourth of July is almost here, and I'm so excited...for me it's the true start of summer. It's sandbars, and corn on the cob, and Coppertone suntan lotion, and many soft chocolate cones w/ chocolate sprinkles. Doesn't this lovely painting by artist Elizabeth Floyd convey the long lazy, hazy (sometimes crazy) days of summer?

Visit Elizabeth's Etsy store to see more of her lovely paintings!

Against all odds...

2010-06-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

It seems as though I may actually have a garden this year. I was a little late in planting, and decided to make a fun afternoon of it with Jake. We went to the nursery and bought lots of pink plants (his favorite color), and came home and started planting (every two-year-old needs his own gardening gloves!). The activity lasted about 15 minutes before Jake got tired of it, and a little jealous that mommy was spending more time planting the flowers than playing with him. So, after stomping on a few of the poor buds, he announced, "my have idea!" and trundled off. I thought (hoped) that he would have fun washing his little fire truck (a new favorite activity), but he came back with his plastic tennis racket which he proceeded to whack the flowers with.

So, that was the end of that activity. I then worked around his need-for-mommy time, and planted before he woke up, and after he went to bed. If everything spreads in a bit, I think we will have a very lovely garden...despite the odds!

This year, I planted mostly flowers. I've been a little too ambitious in the two previous summers we've been in this house, and think that the care it takes to produce veggies will happen a couple years from now. For the moment, I'll just have pretty please!

Happy + Chic Jonathan Adler

2010-06-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I visited my first Jonathan Adler store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I've been a fan of his for awhile, and love his quirky, fun, sense of style (I think we would be friends!). It was such a treat to see all of his merchandise put together in such a whimsical way in his store. I loved seeing what he paired with his funky, classic rugs and his unique furniture, and decorative vases and the sheer style of it all. It made me wonder...just how "happy and chic" would you go in your own home? Would you buy Chippendale chairs in funky colors? And pair them with a different colored geometric rug? Would you glam in up with some metallic wallpaper?

Personally, (being a somewhat new homeowner), I tend to fall on the conservative side...not wanting to make any decisions which I'll be sick of after a few months. But, if I had the time, and money, I'd love to just go to town and see what happens. As it is, I'll be lucky to have an office rug that I can live with by the time the holidays roll around!

Here are a few interior shots from the Jonathan Adler website that I particularly liked.

I also really like his pairing of chair and pendant lamp fabrics. I find both these spaces so cheery!

And, the next time I'm in Palm Springs (which will also be my first time there), I'd love to stay at the Parker. Would you like to come with me?

And, if you'd like to read a fun timeline/bio of Jonathan (we're on a first name basis...you know...since we're going to be friends!) click here . I always like to read about people who are just so crazy creative, that they simply can do nothing else but fly in that direction. I wish I knew at least 50 people like that in real life!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Will you be in Maine?

2010-06-22T22:06:00.004-04:00

If you're in Maine over July 4th weekend, be sure to stop at one of my sister's author signing events! Here's her busy schedule!

Sat. July 3 12:00-4:00 Poofberries Kennebunk
Sun. July 4 11:00-3:00 LL Bean Freeport
Mon. July 5 10:00-1:00 P’tland Head Light Cape Elizabeth
Mon. July 5 2:00-5:00 Kittery Trading Post Kittery

Happy Da's Day!

2010-06-21T09:35:00.001-04:00

Because of Father's Day, I was getting nostalgic, and looking through the thousands of photos I've taken in the last several years. One of the best things about seeing my husband become a father has been seeing the sheer joy that Jake brings him. I love to overhear them playing and chatting together, and when I do, I just get this overwhelming feeling that THIS was meant to be! I love to capture my husband and Jake playing together...it's the moments, you know?