These don't only look pretty but you know they'd be the ultimate stocking stuffer or best eaten on one of those overindulgent, overachieving holiday nights when you make a gingerbread house, stroll the block to check out the neighbors' Christmas lights, make hot cocoa upon your return and top if off with a chocolate dipped marshmallow! Okay...I just got a stomach ache thinking about it but it was fun to imagine how much fun the kids would have prior to the sugar crash.
Grace from Jaq Jaq Bird kindly sent this awesome Damask Chalkmat over a couple weeks ago. As soon as I tore open the box, it was out of my hands within .05 seconds and in the clutches of my overanxious girls. After digging out a few pieces of our personal supply of broken chalk they scribbled away for about an hour - scribbling, wiping, scribbling, wiping. Then, when dinner came, we flipped it over and took advantage of it's placemat side. We don't typically use placemats at the dinner table but this quickly made me wonder why I don't because it made clean-up so much easier! One thing I would suggest is getting the Chalk Pens or Butter Chalk instead of the old-fashioned chalk since I found it to be a little temperamental on the plastic chalkmat surface. Coming up with a few creative eating games for the chalk side and I think I can keep my girls from jumping out of their chairs every 30 seconds!
One of my favorite little Etsy shop discoveries is WOOLi - I absolutely fell in love with their soft toy boxes. Out of curiosity, I took a peek into their shop this evening to see if they might be up to something new and found this undeniable fantastic baby floor mat! I think it's the construction and choice of materials that has me giddy - who doesn't love thick wool and organic cotton for baby to sit and play on? (or is it just me?). The cover comes off for easy washing - and you know that will happen more times than you care to imagine.
I was just thinking what a great October we've had around Seattle. Sunny and rather unusually warm weather have made it extra enjoyable (except for dipping temperatures and rain today). I was looking forward to picking up C from school last week so we could have a fun afternoon together. After reading about this nature crown craft project from BKids, it just seemed like the perfect project to do together since we could wander through the yard and pick pretty leaves and flowers for our crown. This was the final result...we added some jewels for added princess flare...
I know it may not be all that practical to give a child a porcelain cup or bowl but how could anyone possibly resist these simply beautiful porcelain bowls, cups and dishes from Hana Blomst? I let Bean start using "breakable" dishes when she was about 5 while we sat at the dinner table and, so far, we haven't broken anything (crossing my fingers). Of course, when they're dashing around the house in need of a snack or drink - I go for the plastic or stainless steel bottles! Blomst's porcelain dishware is very special though and would make a fantastic gift.
Wow! I don't know what to say other than that I continue to be amazed by the power of blogs and friends! My thoughtful friend, Esther, at Babyccino blog read my post about the "Under Her Wing" whale print that I created in honor of my friend Marge. All of the proceeds will go to Kylie's college fund (scroll down for the full story). So far, I've sold 14 whales out of 50 - so we're inching our way up there! Thank you to all who have shown your support and love in my effort to let Kylie know that we're here to help her along the way. xo Michelle
I've been contemplating purchasing one of these Native Vermont prints -- the Black Bear Swimming or the Constellations Polar Bear. They have an air of sophistication with a bit of whimsy. My other quandary is where I would find the wall space to hang one of these lovely bears. Aren't they sweet??
This is my new print, "Under Her Wing". Let's see, I'm trying to find a way to explain the meaning behind this print without getting too emotional or sappy but it holds a very strong purpose. At the end of August, a dear, dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. I knew Margie in high school but it wasn't until we went to college that we became really close friends. In life, there are a handful of people that bring out the best in us, the ones that make us laugh in the purest form, the ones that support us through everything - you know the type. Simply put, that was Marge. She had a lightness and an ease about her that drew people to her. Sadly, in the last several years, we lost touch but not for any other reason than distance and busy lives. I won't even begin to go into the regret I hold for letting life get in the way of such a friendship. Let me just say that it's made me take a closer look at things.
So now, the tough part, the primary impetus behind "Under Her Wing" is for Kylie, Marge's 8 year old daughter (knocks the wind out of me just thinking about it). She's nearly the same age as my daughter and I can't even begin to comprehend the implications of a young daughter losing her mother...or a parent, for that matter. So, in lieu of flowers, Marge's family requested that friends send money for Kylie's college fund. Education was a big part of Marge's life as she was a Special Education teacher. That's where this print come into play. If I can show my support and love for Marge and her daughter, this was one way I knew how. 100% of the proceeds from "Under Her Wing" will go directly to Kylie's college fund. If you'd like to help me in taking Kylie under our wings, I've printed 50 of the mother and her calf and just put it in my Etsy shop...
I'm really, really trying hard to focus on creating another series of prints this month and came up with a whale illustration the other day that I think I like...which is unbelievable, since I'm usually a bit tough on myself. It's missing that element of surprise, but I'm getting close to finishing it. Sometimes, it can be such a long process for something seemingly simple. This evening, while searching various online shops for a present for a friend, I found Pottock Prints via Rose and Radish (one of my favorite indie shops). What caught my eye was this fantastic Little Whales Wallpaper - I love the simple silhouettes! Ah, see? It looks so easy but I wonder how long it actually took him to come up with that fantastic design.
This post has been a very long time coming. Finally! I'm setting a little patch of time aside to tell you all about Maya's handspun yarns but it's been worth the wait, trust me! If you've never read Maya's blog, Springtree Road, you're missing out on a little bit of sunshine. Maya and I have been blogger friends for a while now and though we've never met, Maya is one of those people whose warmth radiates through her words - I wish I had that talent! She was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I opened my Etsy shop a year ago and I'm forever grateful for her support. So, several months ago, Maya bought her very own spinning wheel and has been vigorously churning out hand-dyed and handspun yarn which naturally led her to open an Etsy shop, Springtree Road! (fans are cheering!). The colors are radiant and the yarn practically looks edible! I haven't a clue how to knit but I know there are plenty of talented knitters out there and with chilly weather on our heels, I imagine knitting scarves and sweaters are what comes to mind. Congratulations, Maya!
I couldn't go without mentioning one of Maya's first customers, Brandy Jaggers, who bought her yarn and made these delicately gorgeous props for babies to wear in her photographs. I don't think I've seen anything more precious, really...have you? I wish I had gotten photos of my girls like these when they were newborns. If you want to coo, melt and crumble to the simple sight of babies, then you simply must check out Brandy's website...
I honestly got the nicest email from Shawn at Lullatone telling me about his "Pajama Pop" melodic tunes the other day, but what Shawn didn't know was that I had already dowloaded a smorgasbord of tunes from their various albums a few months ago after getting hooked into his Raindrop Melody Maker a solid 20 minutes. You can make your own music - It's beautiful, therapeutic and fun - give it a try! So, after listening to several of their songs online, I instantly knew that it would be the ideal music to play during or after dinner, while the girls are in the bath, pulling their pajamas on and winding down for the evening. That's precisely what I've done on numerous occasions and the girls love it because it's both mellow but fun. Their newest album, Songs that Spin in Circles, was originally composed for their newborn son and it consists of loopable lullabies for babies -- just listen to "A mobile over your bed" and you'll understand.
I'm not quite ready to think about "back to school" yet and I'm certainly not ready to drop C off at her first day of pre-school either. I know it will probably be much like pulling the Band-Aid off but, still, I'm not ready. I know she's ready though - desperate to keep up with her big sister! My friend, Robin, sent me this link to these Goodbyn lunchboxes yesterday. They're new to me and I'm so, so thrilled to have found the perfect lunch box! They come with sheets of stickers so your kids can decorate them however their creative streak takes them. The best part though, is that they are BPA and phthalate-free. I'm getting two!
Just yesterday, I was reading my newest Dwell magazine and read the most inspiring story about mid-century furniture designer Jens Risom. Out of the big names such as Knolls, Eames, Nelson, Bertoia and a few others, Jens is the only surviving designer. At the age of 93, Risom continues to design furniture for DWR and Pucci and hasn't skipped a beat in designing his classicly beautiful pieces. In fact, I think his newest works are possibly my favorite of his designs. All of this led me to find the gorgeous Risom Rocker designed exclusively for DWR. Now if I were to have a third child, I wouldn't hesitate to find the excuse to buy one for myself (not that I ever felt the need to own a rocker with my two girls) - it would undoubtedly wind up being a classic piece, don't you think?
I found these little guys patiently waiting in my inbox this morning and had to share! From the company that brought us their bold and beautiful lamp shades, Mibo has just come up with this darling little family of Wise Guys as a downloadable/print-at-home-able kit for your very own. A fun DYI project when you have a little free time: simply print, cut and fold. You can bet that I'm putting these fellas in the "rainy day" category when my 7 year old experiences one of her "so bored" moments - this ought to perk things up a bit!
Now that I've been missing in action for so long, you're wondering why I've written three posts in less than 12 hours? Well, this one is for good reason. I've been following New House Project's blog for several months because I love Kristin's simple approach to home, motherhood and the project's that she creates to make a creative and inspiring environment for her daughter, Saya. It's really sweet. A couple of weeks ago, Kristin mentioned that she was going to open an Etsy shop selling handmade aprons for children and I've been waiting...and waiting...for her to announce the opening. Well, they're here! All made from vintage and found scraps of fabric, they're all adorable. She also mentioned that her husband will be selling pottery eventually - can't wait for that!
It's not that Roar Growl is one of my newest prints but it's always very, very flattering to have one of my pieces featured. I was surprised to find that Roar Growl was amongst Cookie Mag's collection of nursery art - there is some fantastic art in the mix. Thank you!
"Hi".
Well, yes, that's the only word I thought appropriate after being gone from my blog for so long. It's summer and it's also been a time of vast change for our family. For me. I've been taking a little breather from writing since the wave of the restaurant washed over our heads (it's all been very positive and good, by the way). I've also been trying to figure out where my blogging about inspiring kids design will take me. I still get inspired about art & design -- especially if it involves kids, yet it's simply been a time of transition and reflection in recent weeks and I've basically realized that I've truly, madly, deeply missed illustrating and need to get back to the part of my soul that makes me excited. So there will be fewer posts while I nurture that piece of me but when something truly strikes a chord, I won't resist the urge to write about it - and it will be written from the heart.
Which brings me to my book club this evening. Robin, one of our fearless book club leaders, asked Matthew Amster-Burton, the author of Hungry Monkey, to make an appearance at our book club this evening and talk about his new book. He actually didn't talk about it but rather read excerpts from the book that were so down-to-earth and heart-warmingly funny that we didn't want him to stop reading from the various chapters and telling us stories about his five year old daughter, Iris, who sounds like a little fire cracker! I sadly didn't get the chance to read the book beforehand but from the bits and pieces that Matthew read and after meeting him in person, I'm going to read it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. It was a unanimous crowd pleaser. This is how Matthew describes his book: "...a memoir on the wild joys of food and parenting and the marvelous mélange of the two, Hungry Monkey takes food enthusiasts on a new adventure in eating (with dozens of delicious recipes!).
C and I just returned from an incredible bike ride from our house into Old Ballard. It was a bike ride that always seemed daunting to me over the years - the hills that seemed so steep at one time were mere 5º inclines. What I had once thought would take me hours to ride into town and back home only took me 20 minutes each way. It was a great lesson in breaking down fears and now I can't wait to do it more often. I think we'll venture down to ride into the farmer's market this Sunday and have brunch at our new restaurant.
For a little refresher, we made some homemade lemonade with our flower & herb ice cubes that we made a couple of days ago. Our back yard has got several pots of deliciously scented herbs and plants that were perfect for our ice cube experiment. We plucked lemon verbena (if you don't have one in your yard, get one! It's a most amazing smell when you brush against it), rose geranium flowers & leaves and rosemary. We embedded our little bits of nature into our IKEA ice cube trays with a little water and, voila! we have beautiful ice cubes to drop into our fresh lemonade...hello summer!!
Valerie from Zoë b Organics has recently introduced these Duralex glasses, bowls, and plates to the U.S. as Kidishes. They don't look fancy on the exterior but they are exactly what I'm looking for! BPA and chemical-free, they are made of tempered glass which is 4 to 5 times stronger than standard glass and doesn’t break into sharp shards when it falls to the ground. They're 100% recycleable, dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe. Don't miss the video demonstrating how Kidishes are "tough as nails" - it's adorable!
Hi again...oh, where do I begin? Perhaps you've noticed a lapse in my blog posts and honestly, I haven't been reading any of my favorite blogs either - haven't had a stitch of time. My Google Reader is almost foreign to me. For some who know, we've been opening a restaurant here in Seattle called Bastille Cafe & Bar that just opened this evening. My part in the restaurant conception was almost null except for the fact that I've been trying to stabilize the home while my husband spends nearly every waking (and sleeping) minute consumed by designing and opening his dream restaurant on schedule. Our normal routine has been shaken up in recent weeks, so that is my reason for pausing briefly - sometime it's just necessary.
I received a nice email from Cécile at Smallable who introduced me to a new-to-me French shop that is loaded with beautiful, beautiful things for children. I actually thought this cozy goose down Violet Coccoon Sleeping Bag by Swedish designer, Margot Barolo, was so appropriate after a whirlwind week. I would love nothing more than to curl up in a cozy little nest, surrounded by warmth and comfort tonight...sounds perfectly wonderfu, doesn't it? (or is it just me?)
One of my all-time favorite chairs is the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen which was designed for Knoll in 1948. If you've never had the fortune to sit in one, it would be impossible to understand just how comfortable it really is and why it was so appropriately named. I got an email from the marketing folks at Knoll today introducing their recently launched line of Knoll Kids furniture that includes reduced versions of the Womb chair, the Barcelona chair, Cyclone side table, the Diamond chair and several others - and they're all made of the same quality as their bigger counterparts.
A few weeks back, I was in our local toy store (Clover) and saw Rag & Bone Bindery's beautiful baby books on display. It's refreshing to see handmade and uniquely designed baby books in contrast to the typical ones that are predominantly found in the marketplace. Sometimes I've wondered if it's too late to start another baby book even though my babies are well beyond those years but then I discovered Rag & Bone's "Twelve Wishes for Baby" books.They come with twelve fill-in-the-blank pages that read “I promise I will always keep…,” “A special place I hope you'll visit someday…,” “My wish for you…,.” among others. It also features photo pages and a “five simple rules” section to write down basic rules for any child as they begin their lifelong journey (perfect!). Rag & Bone bindery is a collective group of artisans out of Rhode Island who make their books all by hand - a true art!
Let me just announce that summer has made up for all of the whining that occurred during our tough winter months - she's been kind enough to give us a lovely dose of warmth and sun so that we can enjoy the greatness that summer has to offer. For starters, we planted a mini-garden (pictured below)! Our yard is fantastic but it doesn't have an ideal area for planting a garden at the moment. Next year, I hope to build a couple of big planter boxes so that we can have an abundance of fruits and veggies but I thought I'd start small and purchased a kiddie pool for a quick fix. A mere $7, I just drilled some holes in the bottom, filled it with dirt and transplanted our seedlings. We've got lettuce, kale, strawberries and a stalk of broccoli so far. The girls have been watering their little veggies but mostly have enjoyed digging around for pill bugs. I think this is the first year that I've begun to think that I could really get into this gardening stuff.
Here's C with her ice cream bar today - of course I made her take off her shirt to save it from a melted disaster. Summer! I hope you're enjoying yours...
This week has been a whirlwind of activity but I see the light at the end of the tunnel - which is encouraging when the days blur into the night and the to-do lists seem practically endless. We're in the midst of building out a restaurant (actually my husband and his partner) and I've been working on the website in the evenings after the girls' are fast asleep - so any hopes of writing a blog post, even a brief one, fell quickly to the wayside. I took a break tonight and decided I would check out Etsy since it's been almost a week since I said "hi". As I was perusing, I randomly decided to type the word "rattle" into the search field just to see what results would come back and to say that I was pleasantly surprised to bump into mimishop is an understatement. Her rattles and pacifier clips are so refreshing and fun! Adorable! Then, to top it all off, the Owl Musicbaby is a modern twist on the traditional musical toy with a mechanical music box sewn inside. No need to change batteries, it plays Brahms Lullaby for approximately 2.5 minutes each time you pull from the string. Fancy that!
La Plates began following me on Twitter and I'd never heard nor seen their brilliant plates before (another point for Twitter). I'm definitely going to find any reason to order a custom plate. You can choose from a wide palette of colors, fantastic patterns and fonts - they're fully customizable. I'm thinking of C's 3rd birthday party in August - a custom plate would be a fun surprise for her...
Within the first year of giving birth to C, I remember dreaming of a contraption like the Sovgunga. In my sleep-deprived state of mind, I recall telling my husband that it would be great to have a swinging baby hammock - something that would cradle her and sway her calmly. I love it when someone can take a concept and make a great design out of it and I think Sovgunga has done just that. Thanks to Terese at Minimalen
Hi everyone...I'm making a slight departure from my normal blog-style this evening because I simply had to share this picture with you. For anyone who has had a 2 year old, you know how entertaining it can be to watch them set out to discover their own independence and personality. Yesterday morning was all that for C! I asked her a simple request, "Can you please go get dressed?". With a serious look in her eyes she nodded and tromped upstairs where she proceeded to make several trips until she had chosen five outfits to choose from. I hadn't paid much attention until I looked down and found that she had laid each ensemble on the floor with coordinating shoes. Really, I'm not one of those moms who lays their outfits out - because I've learned to choose my battles and they love to pick out their own outfits whether I find them embarrassingly mismatched or not, so it was funny to see her take this approach to her wardrobe choice and let her personal independence fly.
We're wrapping up a three day weekend around here - the weather was phenomenal (I'm still feeling the Vitamin D coursing through my veins) and Bean had her very first friend sleep over this weekend. It was adorable to be a part of this momentous occasion since I recall the many sleepovers I had as a girl. We made ice cream sundaes, watched a movie and then they slipped into their sleeping bags eager to tell scary stories - which only lasted about 10 minutes before they fell fast asleep. Ah, girls! It was such a fun night.
Anyhow, I wanted to share with you this cool project: Wilkintie evolved from a love of letterpress printing and a desire
to collaborate with amazing artists by Carly Hargreaves and Niels Oeltjen, a couple living in Melbourne, Australia. The project is simply: 12 prints over 12 months by 12 artists. Each month they will release a new print by
a different artist - it's like getting a surprise in the mail each month...exciting! I'm head over heals with all of the prints - they're just gorgeous. Oh, and if you'd rather not pay for the full subscription, you can still by prints individually while they last, since there is a limited amount of each.
Lately, I've been trying to stick to a semi-strict budget (just trying not to be frivolous) and have been on a major path to find creative things to keep my girls' engaged - summer is approaching after all. Lotta Bruhn has some sweet downloadable Space stickers and...the best part...they're free! These are going to be fun and I can already predict that they will be stuck on ceilings, mirrors...everything...thanks Lotta!
And while we're on the subject of Lotta, she's got a rather new addition to her alphabet animals: N is for Næsehorn (Rhinocerous) - isn't he fantastic?
You want to know one of the ways to my heart? Oddly enough...chairs. Really, there's almost nothing better than a beautifully crafted vintage chair, in my humble opinion. Honestly, if I had the room, I would probably be collecting them on a regular basis. Molly sent me a note about her shop, Molly-Meg, that specializes in selling vintage chairs, objects and art for children but I chose to focus on the chairs since Molly has such a beautiful selection...though the art is pretty amazing too. Molly has put together a really fun and unique shop and I look forward to checking back regularly to see what she's collected...
Well, if this isn't the best idea along with the cutest little creatures, I don't know what is! Perhaps you're feeling crafty and have a hankering for embroidery or maybe you'd like to make a special gift, then these darling embroidery patterns from Penguin & Fish are beckoning! Within a very short time of purchasing any one of her patterns, you will receive an email with a .pdf file which includes an image of the finished embroidered pattern, a stitch and color guide, simple embroidery instructions, an easy to trace black and white pattern, and a black and white pattern in reverse for printing on iron-on transfer paper. Marvelous!
When I woke up this morning, I wasn't so sure I was going to have the Mother's Day that one dreams of experiencing. I don't really need to be pampered or doted on, I take after my own mother on that one, but I do find myself subtly nudging everyone to do something that I would like to do on this day -- like a coupon that I can redeem, no explanation necessary. So, what did I do? I managed to get my family sort of inspired to head to a nearby park, ride bikes and have a picnic. They humored me and, honestly, it wasn't easy loading everyone and everything in the car but once we arrived at our destination it was EXACTLY as I imagined. Fresh air, smiling faces and a lazy afternoon. We played chase, ate watermelon, chocolate and cheese and my husband and I ran along side our girls' as they rode their bikes, though we ended up carrying C's bike shortly thereafter since her tiny legs seemed to get worn out quickly. It was a fun "adventure" as Bean quoted and I think it will be somewhat of a tradition from now on...Happy Mother's Day!
Before I fall into utter laziness and since we were on the topic of picnics -- I thought I would share this mini-picnic tote by FUNFAM that I spied while browsing the new issue of Milk Magazine, though I'm nowhere near fluent in French but can only speak for what I see, it just looks like the perfect little tote to carry it's own bamboo table setting for a picnic in the backyard or those special "adventures" to the park. Sweet...
I love everything that Decoylab churns, in fact I purchased one of Maiko's clocks for our former nanny and it was even more darling in person. One quick glance at Decoylab's laser cut Elephant Modern Baby Clock and I was smitten. True, it may be many, many years before baby will actually be able to tell the time but it's such a sweet design that I don't think it really matters.
I think putting a t-shirt on my kids with a slogan on it can run a fine line sometimes. I typically don't go for the sticky-sweet or sassy-bratty styles. Whether it's the designer in me ("less is more"), I like the simple slogans with a fun twist much like these tees from Gizmoroo, how about "DJ Nappy"? As a mother searching for something special for her baby, Dinorah wanted clothes made of organic cotton with trendy, funky and fashionable
designs -- so she set out and came up with a collection of hip tees and body suits of her own...Gizmoroo!
Funny thing, one of the most common questions I've received from Kids Haus readers in my nearly 2 years of writing this blog has been, "...where can I find a good toy box or toy storage?". I've written about several very cool toy storage options but maybe none as cool and beautiful as the WOOLI by Babies Breath (in my humble opinion). Designed and handmade by a mom, the entire toy storage box is made of wool felt so it's literally impossible for tiny fingers to get smashed. They also have full draping closure to hide everything inside and you could easily keep these (particularly the grey version) in your living room without being conspicuous. Custom orders are also available. Did I mention how much I love the WOOLI?