Some things I'm thinking about

As Halloween fast approaches, we've been starting to think more and more about Halloween costumes. I would love it if Jake would let me dress him up like a yard gnome, but he's having none of it. Even at age 4, I can see how some costumes just aren't "cool". (But he would look pretty cute, wouldn't he?)

I marvel that some parents are able to dress their kids up in crazy cute/original costumes. As much as I think this MIGHT be a possibility for us, I'd rather have Jake pick what he wants to be, and it's kind of fun to see what he comes up with. I think he's going to pick something like this:

Jake thought I could whip up the costume tonight. I thought not. It's probably going to take a little more polar fleece than I already have. 

I've also been thinking/wanting/hoping to finally get our dining room finished. In the last year, I've managed to replace the (horrendous) chairs, and get a great lighting fixture, but it needs to be painted. I've been stalling because I want to replace the art that's currently there, and I think the wall color will depend on what we hang on the wall. We've been toying with framing an enlarged photo, and I recently discovered an online source where you can get your photo printed on watercolor paper...might be cool? I'm thinking something like this:

The photo would be toned down a bit (I think) because it would be printed on the watercolor paper, and hopefully look a little more like a painting than just a photo. It's of the Amalfi Coast...a lovely trip we took when we got engaged. Perhaps the interesting destination will make up for the fact that it's really not a superb photo. Do you ever have projects that just stall because you can't decide on one element? I'd love to know I'm not the only one! In the above photo I made the walls greige and thought I'd add a few more pops of color on the other walls.

Oh, guess what? I'm a soccer mom! How cool is that? Doesn't he look handsome in his crazy orange uniform?

If you need a fun Halloween activity...check out this Halloween playset I designed. It's got lots of punch out pieces that you can set up in any of three fold-out scenes...

If you want to get one...click here.

Now that I've finally gotten back to my blog after several months...I hope to keep at it! If you've stuck wtih me for this long haitus...thank you!

Dinos

I've been working on a couple of dinosaur kid's activity books lately. They're really fun, and I'm looking forward to the day Jake starts to take interest in dinosaurs. (Of course, he'll probably have me making him a dinosaur costume!) I remember being VERY into dinosaurs when I was in kindergarten. The first book (above) will be a learn-to-draw dinosaur activity book with step-by-step instructions. The illustrations are by Keri Barbas Steckler. It's funny, I've worked with her for over 12 years, and because we lived in different cities and only talked on the phone, we became good friends before we'd ever met in person. Has that ever happened to you? Kindred spirits, I guess?

The other project I'm working on is a create-your-own papercraft toy dinosaur activity book. I'm working with illustrator, and paper engineer Mary Beth Cryan, and I have to say, she's been amazing. I'm thrilled with each new dinosaur she sends me. It's like opening a present every couple weeks! The book will feature 24 dinosaurs to punch out, and then assemble. Here's a sneak peek:

Have a good week!

Nighttime Fairies

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!

Am I a tiger mom?

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!

Sweet Easter to You!

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?

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:

Time for Doughnuts!

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)

Zombie Invasion

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!

The Making of a Fairy Cover

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 Making of a Fairy Queen

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!

Create your own book

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?

An organized mission!

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!

Will you be in Maine?

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
       

Random Cupcake Thoughts

I've had cupcakes on the brain (and in my stomach!) lately because I've been working on a cupcake book in conjunction with a fabulous looking cupcake bakery in Boston called Sweet. During a product development meeting late last year, it was decided that we wanted to pick up on the cupcake trend, and create a cupcake cookbook.

Here's a mock-up of the cover. It could change s little, but look for this in stores this December!

One of our editors had recently been to Boston where she had some great cupcakes from Sweet. We contacted the owner of the bakery, and they agreed to create a cookbook with us. One of the challenges for them, (and for our editor) has been to adapt the recipes to 12/24 cupcakes from the large quantities they make for their shop. The editor, who lives in Sunnyside, Queens has kindly been bringing many cupcakes into the office as she has been testing the recipes. I think she should open her OWN cupcake shop, so I made her a logo:

She asked for some help testing the recipes, and I gladly offered to make the Lemon Cupcakes which are beyond delicious. I've made them 3 times now, and keep tinkering with the recipe. I get a little lazy about things like sifting flower, but they're still pretty good. Really, I must stop.

On the topic of cupcakes, someone recently told me about Cake and Shake, an organic cupcake cart that has been setting up shop on the streets of Manhattan. I can't wait to pass one. I personally do not care if my cupcake (or shake) is organic...but, if organic is on the menu, I'm game!