Designing Moms: Meet Liberty

The photos of Liberty's work and family life show such verve and warmth. I love hearing about how she and her daughter spend time together crafting and passing creative ideas back and forth. Please help me welcome Designing Mom Liberty!

Name: Liberty

About me: I grew up in LA, in a design family - my dad is a toy inventor and I'm the only one that didn't go into the toy business... I lived in Chicago for the first 5 years of my marriage (working as a textile designer in the interior design industry) and I really feel like the warmth and receptiveness that Chicago shows to artists made a huge impact on who I am creatively. Now we're back in LA - living in an old bungalow near to downtown in an "up and coming" neighborhood (wink).

What I do: I own my business, which can be found at www.libertyworth.com. I started off making jewelry on the side, while I was doing the corporate designing - I think it was a reaction to so much time spent in front of the computer each day, I wanted to come home and FEEL something. So I started making jewelry, knitting, and eventually learned how to sew by trading jewelry with a friend for lessons. I made my first Libby Dibby skirt in 2004 and recently sold my 1000th skirt online through my website. I don't actually do the sewing for my business, I have seamstresses that work from home and I save the sewing for fun (and therapy)...

What I'm inspired by: I used to mostly be inspired by travel, art, fine design, but these days, I'm finding more inspiration in the things of the simple life: items that can be used, loved, worn and treasured, recycled, reused... all of it. There's something romantic and lovely about things that are worn with time and love... I try to make things that feel that way.

What's a day in my life like: My life demands that I work at night, while my kids are sleeping - both for my business and for my creative outlets... but my 4 year old (whom I call "the design director" on my blog) is a great person to do "projects" with. She's inherited her momma's opinionated design sense and I love when we design things together. It's been a real lesson to let go, let her be free with her ideas and let her watch me sew her concepts into reality (sometimes making mistakes and learning from them). I'm loving the earthiness and timelessness of the process of crafting as mother & daughter....

Make: Train Table

I absolutely love seeing all of the inspirational projects that our readers are making for their families. Jennifer sent over pics of this mod train table that she and her industrial designer husband made and I was so impressed that it can double as a play table as well as a functional "adult" piece for the living room. Such a great idea, especially for today's living spaces. Thank you for sharing this Jennifer!

Make: Train Table

Over the last year as the train obsession grew in our house, my husband Glenn would suggest buying a train table for our son Owen. I knew my son would love it but I could not bear to bring a large table plastered with train images into our house, and since we live in a townhome, I knew it would most likely reside in our living room for all our guests to see. A few months later I saw an article in WonderTime Magazine that featured a modern-design loving family that had created a train table with a chalkboard painted surface. It served as a place for trains and art. I tore out the article and filed it under "good ideas for kids".

In between this discussion we had another son and life got a little hectic. Recently, we revisited the train table and Glenn decided to make a table and Owen got to help. With a background in industrial design, Glenn set about designing the table as he would in his professional life; he worked on several sketches and concepts for the table before landing on the final design which he then mocked up in 3-d design software. The measurements were based on existing train tables on the market so the height and width would be appropriate for toddlers and accommodate enough train track. The final design was printed out full size so that we knew the proportions were correct.


Glenn and Owen visited several lumber yards to select birch plywood for the table top. Through his profession, Glenn has a lot of good connections with model-making shops, and someone offered to cut the wood at no cost. Glenn and Owen spent an afternoon varnishing the table top together. After discovering that the hairpin legs we wanted for the table would be costly to make, and not finding a local source for metal fabrication, we found an artist and welder online that produced a product close to our design and was willing to work with custom orders.


We wanted the table to be a seamless part of our existing furniture and decor. Glenn designed a hole in the middle of the table to hold extra train parts, but I like that I can fill it with ice and pop in some bubbly to serve to guests! The middle cut out holds a standard-size wastebasket, that can be interchanged for new styles and colors. I think the table will change and evolve with the interests of our family and will be a great piece for years to come.

Sources:
Wood
Legs
Varnish: Orchard Supply Hardware
Wastebasket: IKEA

Designing Moms: Meet Lotta

I first came across Lotta's beautiful textile work when I was on the hunt for pillows that were not only natural in their prints, but natural in texture and fabric. Her placement and restraint in expressing nature is spot-on. I am so happy to introduce this Designing Mom to all of you!


Name: Lotta

Family: I am a textile artist and graphic designer who live, work, and play in beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia. I am married and have two fantastic boys ages 13 and 16. We also have two dogs and a 19-year old cat. Life with two teenagers means different demands and challenges than when they were younger, but it is equally rewarding. I love watching my boys grow up, slowly becoming accomplished young men.




What I do: I hand print linen and other natural fabrics, by using real leaves as printing plates, and my collection includes tea towels, table linens, bags, sachets, pillows, and note cards. I am also creating one-of-a-kind wall pieces and art quilts. I founded my design studio Inleaf six years ago and my work is now available in specialty stores around the country as well as on my own website.




Inspiration: Nature, my garden, the sea, anything outdoors. I am a Swedish native, and my heritage has always been a source of inspiration. I love the simplicity, clean lines, and use of natural materials that embodies Scandinavian design.


A typical day in my life: I wake up early and most days I go running with a group of girl friends. Then I rush around fixing breakfasts, packing lunches, getting everyone off to school. I spend the first part of my workday catching up on emails and other office tasks, before embarking on my projects. I relish working in my studio. It is a bright and happy place, stacked with all the fabrics, notions, and materials I need, but also brimming with books, photographs, and art made by friends and my children. I dye fabrics, print, or sew, and if orders are due they get packed up and shipped out in the afternoon. My youngest son arrives home from school at 3, and the rest of the day quickly fills up by driving to and from soccer practices or music lessons, dinner preparations, laundry, or whatever else is lined up in our busy lives.

Shop: Kid O NYC

Jackie sent over a link to a favorite online kid's shop called Kid O NYC. What's really great about it is that you can shop by age or environment and the products are both kid-safe and stylish.

As I cruised through the site I happened upon these cute arts and crafts supplies. Now where were sushi erasers when we were growing up?

Bay Area Mommy

If any of you live in the Bay Area, there's a great blog called Bay Area Mommy started by two friends Misty and Emma. It posts local events and activities for moms and their little ones to get involved in which is often inspired by the local playgroup that they run.


Top five "creative" places to take kids in San Francisco:

Misty: Since our kids are toddlers here are a few of our favorite places to take them. 1) The San Jose Children's Discovery Museum 2) ZEUM 3) Super Franks 4) The Oakland Zoo 5) The Bay Area Discovery Museum.

My favorite thing about raising children in the Bay Area is that our kids our exposed to so many different types of people and cultures. We have great museums specifically designed for children to explore and learn.

Designing Moms: Meet Maya

Maya's work was first introduced to me by Designing Mom April. I literally could not take my eyes off of her jewelry. Everyone at the studio is mad in love with her custom rings made with burnished metals that seem to carry a deep, inner glow. Please help me welcome our newest Designing Mom Maya!


Name: Maya

About: Lives in Sacramento with husband, Shamus and daughter, Delilah June almost 8 months old...



What I do: I am a jewelry designer and maker although sometimes I change scales.



What inspires me: Cities and the way people design out of necessity in them. Inelegant solutions that turn out to be the most beautiful. Layers of paint, the color gold, rusted metal, stains, black birds flying through gray skies, the way my daughter looks at something she has not yet experienced, the small triumph of a seed that becomes a sprout, people who work with people, Borges, Neruda y Paz, getting out of this country, coming back to this country.


Day-in-the-life: Wake early and try and sneak in breakfast before the little one is up, coffee, computer, breakfast for her. Then we rotate between playing on the floor, reading books, our garden where she loves to play while I dig in the dirt, and long walks down the tree-lined streets of Sacramento (because doing errands with a stroller is so much easier than with a car). Delilah naps and I put the monitor on and sneak out to the studio for a couple of hours in the early afternoon and then I get back out there around 4-4:30 when my husband comes home.

Cooking and Kids: Fun Utensils

Another theme I thought would be fun to add is "cooking and kids." Since I have yet to acquire actual recipes for little ones, I have two great products from Fred to make meal times fun... If you have any great recipes, tips or products related to food or cooking, please share with all of us!


Start them early on the chopsticks with these cute Chopstick Kids. No more slippery peas!


And this Snack and Stack is great for your Lego lovers where they can literally stack their silverware together at the end of a meal.

Our Booklist: Big Rabbit's Bad Mood

Our Booklist: Big Rabbit's Bad Mood

by Designing Mom Aya


"Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood" is my very very favorite (it’s an English translation of a French Children's book). The illustrations are so fantastic and I have to say the Mr. Big Rabbit is quite an interior decorator. I’m just in love with the furniture in his house. Oh, the story is good, too!

Our Booklist: The Big Book of Things that Go

Our Booklist: "The Big Book of Things That Go"

by Erika

S loves "The Big Book of Things That Go" so much that we've gone through approximately two rolls of tape fixing three copies of this book. I don't have any photos because a tragic monster truck accident pushed a glass of juice onto the last remaining copy. It's an oversized book with hundreds of photographs of real trucks, trains, cars, hot air balloons, motorcycles, planes, emergency vehicles, construction equipment ... basically anything that "goes." Each photo has a two or three sentence caption with details about the vehicle, which is why, at age two, S was able to explain the difference to me between a bulldozer, digger and excavator.

One of the best days of John's life is when S, at age 2, pointed to a picture of a large dump truck and said, "articulated dump truck." For ages 1-6. Younger kids like to look at the pictures, toddlers like to ask a lot of questions about the pictures, and my pre-schooler likes to make me feel dumb by quizzing me about the different attributes of the vehicles shown in the pictures.

Decorate: I Heart Etsy

I Heart Etsy

by Jackie

When I was pregnant with Simon (now 8 months old), I did the bulk of my baby shopping through Etsy. I found myself uninspired by the mass-market stuff out there, and really wanted some unique handmade and vintage items to add to the mix.

I know I’m not alone in my love for Etsy. Many of my favorite blogs have whole categories dedicated to their etsy finds of the day. However, the site is pretty darn big and it can be a bit overwhelming at times to navigate through all the cuteness (and not so cuteness) to find exactly what you want. So, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite baby/kid finds:
Streeterville Diaper Bag from Retrofied

I fell in love with this bag as soon as I saw that red button against the chocolate brown fabric. The great thing is that I was able to customize the bag, choosing an aviary bird print for the interior. Added bonus – it’s reversible! Brilliant when your bag is “decorated” with all those new baby stains and you don’t quite have time to wash it in between naps.


Mod Green Trees Minky Baby Blanket from One Lucky Baby
Stylish and soft, this blanket is a baby shower hit every time! I bought one for Simon and then a couple more for friends with newborns. I love that you can customize the blanket to get just the combination of fabrics that you like. (I loved this mod green trees fabric so much, I even had Erin make some matching pillowcases for our playroom).
Vintage French Poster from English Cookies

I was on the mad hunt for vintage posters for the playroom. I scoured local flea markets, but couldn’t find just the right thing. By sheer luck, I stumbled upon this adorable French poster from 1966 from English Cookies. It has great illustrations on both sides and I spent way too much time trying to decide which side to display. I went for the image of the little French family eating the galette des rois.

Fly Away wall graphic from EllyNelly

The recent decal craze couldn’t make me happier. What a fun, easy way to add punch to a room without a major commitment. When snooping around Etsy, I was instantly drawn to these birds from EllyNelly. Graham loves to look at them when he’s lying in his bed and I love to look at them when I’m walking down the hall and peak into his room (pictured above). They are available in a ton of colors, so don’t hold back!

Hat and booties from ManiMina

Just because I don’t have a girl, doesn’t mean I can’t drool over the bevy of ADORABLE accessories out there for the little ladies in my life. I bought this hat and bootie set for my friend Amanda when her baby girl was born last spring. I can’t imagine a more perfect way to protect baby's feet and head.


Bearded men by AshleyG


When shopping for art for the G & S’s room, I tried my best to avoid images of the expected boy fare: sports, sailors, Disney characters, tool sets, cars, cowboys, etc. You get my point. I wanted colorful and engaging, but also something that I personally wouldn’t mind looking at day in and day out. I knew etsy would be my best bet. Among my favorite purchases are these prints from Ashley Goldberg’s “bearded men” series. I bought four of them, popped them in cheap Ikea frames, and voila! An art wall. These days, with two kids running around, I seem to have less time for Etsy-ing. But, I try to squeeze in a little here and there. Gotta get my fix.

Designing Moms: Meet Rubyellen

When I saw pictures for Rubyellen's introduction, I became enamored right away. What a beautiful family! I so appreciate the spirit and creativity that Rubyellen infuses into her family life. Her daughters Brave and True could not be luckier to have such a talented mom. Please help me welcome Designing Mom Rubyellen!


Name: Rubyellen

What I do:

I have always enjoyed the creative side of things since I was a little girl. One of my fondest memories was creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle dolls out of brown paper bags for my little brother.

For years, I have dabbled in different art mediums from drawing to painting and now sewing. Though I had a love for art, my love for children was stronger and I majored in Child and Adolescent Development and eventually became a teacher.

When my eldest daughter True was born, my career as a teacher was cut short. Since I decided to go into "early retirement," I had to learn to budget. While trying to be wise, but still funky and stylish, I started experimenting with felt and fabrics to come up with accessories and clothing for her girls. Thus, I was able to merge my love for art and children together.

What inspires me:

I continue to grow, learn, and get inspired from my daughters, Brave and True, and my husband, Ben, as well as many artists and the beautiful world around me. I am addicted to so many wonderful blogs.

What our typical day is like:

Ben leaves really early for work, so I am usually up at around 6AM. Early mornings, are my quiet times to either read my Bible, pray and get to some emails. When the girls wake up, it is a cycle of eating, reading, crafting, cleaning up their mess then putting them to nap. We do this all over again in the afternoon. Nap times are important for them (and me) because that is my work time. I have no idea what I am going to do when they no longer need naps! When my husband comes home, I beg him to cook dinner because he is a much better cook than me. He is very creative in the kitchen. He makes anything taste good... I am glad I married a creative dietitian!

Why the name "Cakies":

While pregnant with my girls, Ben and I could never agree on a name, so we called them "babycakies" until we decided on some names, which was after they were born. Hence, it was the perfect name to call my blog and shop because Cakies is for the "oh so sweet and little."

Make: Birthing Necklace

It's amazing the power and compassion that can come from a collective of mothers. Today's "Make" is by Designing Mom Kate and the meaning behind the birthing necklace that she and her best friends share is such a wonderful, symbolic gift to one another.

Make: Birthing Necklace

by Kate

My best friends and I started a tradition when the first of our crew got pregnant: birthing necklaces. We always come together before the birth of a new child and present our beads to the mama-to-be. Each bead is hand selected and offered to the mama with a story behind its inspiration. The mama then makes a necklace using the beads (plus a few fillers). It’s then packed with the birthing bag (or at home, as the case may be) and ready to do its purpose as labor begins: to remind the mama of her unique power, to be surrounded by love and friendship, and to wear something pretty.

It’s funny how each birthing necklace ends up looking exactly like the mama (if she was a necklace!). A picture of mine is attached. The nurses at the hospital fell in love with the idea and I wore it proudly as I nursed my son for the first time.

Can we have this in Adult Size Please?

This little girl's gladiola dress from Jcrew needs to be mommy-sized if you ask me. Luckily, they have taken the fun print into everything from bikinis to blouses!

Our Lists: Children's Art

Designing Mom Tori suggested her interest in starting a Children's Art List and I thought that was such a wonderful idea! I love the notion of teaching your little ones to appreciate art and "collecting" it on their own walls.



Our Lists: Children's Art
by Tori

Lisa DeJohn Artwork for Land of Nod

Does anyone else have a slight obsession with the Land of Nod catalog? Or is it just me? I know that almost every designer has a stack of Anthropologie catalogs in safe keeping (come on, admit it), but I have been noticing that my Land of Nod catalogs are starting to pile up right next to them. I'm thinking it might be a designing mom thing.

Anyway, I just got a message in my inbox about Lisa DeJohns's cover art for their catalogs now being sold as artwork through their store. I was so happy to read that because I am a true fan of her work . It's about time that they made her cover art available for purchase. I was starting to think about framing some of them for my son's room.

Designing Moms: Meet Guissell

Being eco-conscious was something important for me take on with my business but now with a little one on the way, being environmentally responsible carries more resonance than ever. I love that Guissell's "Earthy Beginnings" biz endeavors to balance both eco and style for kids and look forward to her future posts here!


Name: Guissell

Nutshell: I was born in the outskirts of a mountain in Rimac, a province in Lima , Peru to a family of musicians. Made my way to the Big Apple and have lived here since I was 8. Currently I reside in Astoria, NY which is one of the closest cities to Manhattan (or at least I like to think so). I live with the “hubster,” Hercules, a restaurant mg in the city, and our almost 2 ½ year old son, Emmanuel.

What I do: I joined the Garment Industry right after high school since I needed a full-time job to pay for college. I worked as a Product Development Manager right up to the end of last year and since have dedicated myself to my home, family, and my company. I am the person behind Earthy Beginnings, an eco kids clothing line I launched in December 2008. I also do freelance CAD work, graphic design, and web design for small business through Indie Design Studio.


When time permits, I indulge in my musician side, play a little on my upright piano and with my fender tele, but I sing for most of the day while I work; good for the soul. I also love solving math problems, doing independent Neuro-psych research (something I started to focus on before graduating), and watch lots of home décor programs.

What inspires me: My son and his future on this earth, music, environment, art, humility, beautiful homes, inquisitive minds, color palettes, acts of kindness, textures, education, architecture, love of all sorts, child’s laughter, photography, and selflessness.


A day-in-my-life: “Mommy wate up wate up” followed by a kiss and a big hug which must transport my son onto the middle of my bed (yes this happens every morning, I am blessed indeed). Make some coffee, make breakfast, make his lunchbox, put on school uniform, take him to school, run back, wake up the hubster, wake up the hubster attempt #2, …. that can go on for 1hr and a half, prepare his on-the-go coffee so he can catch the train.


Once I am by myself I drink coffee, check emails, blog, read blogs, check emails, finish any project I may be working on, burn some screens as needed, print as needed, ship as needed. Try to squeeze some home time before my son gets back from school (ie: run errands, buy groceries, laundry, clean, cook … whatever the day calls for). Pick up my son, spend time with him, feed, change, bathe, put to sleep, … all the good stuff. Work some more if necessary or research to simply wait for the hubster to get home. My days usually run well into 1am-2am at times and start at 7-8am, but I am the happiest I have ever been. I am very lucky to be able to stay home and dedicate myself to my art with this economy; feel very blessed indeed.