Friday Fotos: Kite Day

above: Designing Mom Jackie's cutie, Simon, takes advantage of some kite flying in the city.
Have a happy Friday and weekend everyone!

Story: Back to School Goodies

by Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya

The back-to-school vibe is definitely alive at our house. Both of my kids will be off to new schools this year, so it's a double dose of excitement and anxiety around here. The latter for me, not the littles, who probably won't shed a single tear while I soak up an entire box of Kleenex post-drop off. Okay, maybe they'll give me a sniffle or two.

Just like Christmas, there is a sense that you are supposed to flee to the stores and buy lots of stuff in honor of this momentous occasion. While I'm pretty minimal when it comes to the Santa Claus business, I'm koo koo for the whole back to school thing. It's my inner nerd coming out.

Something tells me Graham probably won't be needing a straight edge or scientific calculator on day one of kindergarten, but how about a cute backpack and some new sneaks?

Here's my collection of goodies for big G:

1. Mead composition book

2. 77 nautical striped hoodie

3. Skull beanie

4. Paul Frank backpack

5. Number two pencils

6. Puffy vest

7. Pink pearl eraser

8. Rocket T

9. Converse One Star Oxfords

(You might notice that pants are missing from this list. Graham only likes sweat pants these days. Nothing terribly cute or exciting about those, so I'm skipping a visual.)

What are your favorite back to school purchases???

Story: Being Preggy Never Looked So Good

by Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya

My good friend Lisa (of Picnic) is 32 weeks pregnant with twin boys. She recently asked me to do a photo shoot to document herself with two little buns in the oven. Here are a few highlights:

Make: Cheap Thrills Railroad Tracks

by Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya

On Tuesday, I was welcoming summer with open arms. I was singing the praises of said warm season, dusting off my flip flops and prepping our leftover watermelon for homemade popsicles.

Today I wore a wool sweater, scarf and my faux-uggs around the house, trying to think of fun indoor activities to avoid a chilly afternoon outing to the playground. The blue painter's tape came out and a wonky train track was born.

 
Simple, fun and cheap.

Graham's eyes lit up when he watched an ordinary tape roll turn into an impromptu train track on our kitchen floor. We even made a little shed to hold their animals (not pictured). Unfortunately, I ran out of tape about a third of the way through finishing the railway ties. G was disappointed, but we compromised with some string, which he used to link the trains together. Simon was digging it too, along with his snack of cherry tomatoes which have officially been added to his A-list, just like his big bro.

Now, Mr. Sun, this does not mean you are off the hook. When are you coming back to these parts? 

Father's Day Fotos: Day at the Zoo

above: Designing Mom Jackie sent this foto of father and son beaming on the bus after a day at the zoo.

Parent's Magazine: Craftiest Mom Contest

Ok all of you crafty mommas....Parents Magazine is holding a "Craftiest Mom" contest and wants you to submit photos of your favorite craft projects. It's time to share your "makes" with the world. The winner will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Click here to submit!

Shop: Cool Mom Picks

The 2010 Father's Day Gift Guide at Cool Mom Picks is out. If you're looking for some great Dad gifts and ideas check it out (including Designing Mom Jackie's Hand Print project!).

Make: Pebble Magnets

So many great "Make" projects this week! This one comes from Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya. She created pebble magnets from the "loot" she and her boys picked up on their scavenger hunt. Click here for the full tutorial.

Make: Happy Hands

These were wonderful Mother's Day projects that Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya created (with some help from her sons) for her own mom. They definitely make great year-round gifts...just think how cute to give this to a favorite teacher? Click here to see the full tutorial.

Make: Dollar Time

by Designing Mom Jackie of Avocado and Papaya
I'm a sucker for a dollar store. One of my favorite neighborhood spots is called Dollar Time (though the name is misleading because everything is actually 99 cents, not a dollar, but whose checking). Amazing what you can score for a buck; from socks to spices, they've got you covered.

My DT visits usually involve stocking our ever growing craft supply. It always amazes me how people can spend so much on toys when simple items like popsicle sticks and wooden spoons can entertain the littles for hours. No frills, no bling bling, no batteries required. Just that amazing thing called imagination.

Example #1: The popsicle stick

You can scour the web for a zillion things to do with popsicle sticks. Graham had no problem coming up with his own agenda when I brought home a 100-pack last week. He immediately used them to work on his letters and numbers. This, I am pleased to report, entertained him for nearly an hour.Next up: architecture. I was itching to use my newly rediscovered glue gun, so I suggested we next use the sticks to build a house. He wanted to make sure it was a "pig house" not a dog house like the one he made at school earlier in the week. He told me where to put the sticks, straws, toothpicks and buttons (all purchased from DT) and I gladly obliged with glue gun in hand. Next he painted it, made some pigs out of playdo (not pictured) and we decided to glue the little goat down since that's his favorite animal at Little Farm.Example #2: Wooden spoonsEvery infant/toddler loves wooden spoons. They're fun to hold, can be used to whack stuff, and of course, fit perfectly in their little mouths. All favorite things for the under 2 set. I punched some holes in a shoe box and turned Simon's love of the wooden spoon into a Montessori-like game. He was very adept at getting the spoons into the holes, pulling them out, and starting all over again. I was just sorry that I only bought a set of three spoons and not more.

Graham and I used the spoons to make hand-painted puppets inspired by this book by the ever fabulous Todd Oldham. We're still working on them as I type this, but I thought I'd share a few of our favorites so far.Next week we're going to decorate the shoebox to make it into a stage for the puppets. I've also got my eye on cork trivets, pink pearl erasers, and blue painter's tape at dollar time...who knows what we'll whip up next

Make: Library Sack

by Designing Mom Jackie

Thursday is library day around here. Simon and I pick Graham up from school, stop for some ice cream and then head to the Central Library in downtown Berkeley. It's a fabulous library if you've never been. They have a whole floor dedicated to children, with tons of books, a Good Night Moon inspired reading area, and a huge rocket ship that the kids can climb into. The boys love going there and I love the idea of the spending the afternoon surrounded by all those amazing childhood tales.

In honor of our library ritual, I made Graham a little library sack to hold his books. I asked him what animals he wanted on the bag and he requested two elephants (Babar and Soleil to be exact). Plus he requested that I use red fabric (his favorite color). So I bought a plain canvas sack, dug up some felt and buttons, and had myself a merry hour of hand sewing this little tote.

Supplies:

1) Tote bag (mine is a canvas version that I got at Joanne's for $2.99)

2) Felt

3) Buttons, sequins, ribbons or other decorative additions

4) Needle and thread

To make:

1) Find an image that you like that will work well in silhouette form. You can scour the web, xerox an image from a book, or free-hand if you are are good at the sort of thing. I found a elephant image here and simply enlarged it for the bigger elephant on a copy machine.

2) Pin your pattern onto the felt and cut out the desired shape(s).

3) Pin the cut felt onto the bag.

4) Hand or machine stitch the shape onto your bag.

5) Embellish with buttons, sequins, ribbons to your liking.

6) I didn't have a chance to do this on Graham's bag, but you could also personalize the bag with your child's initial or full name. You could do this with freezer paper stencils, free-hand with fabric paint or if you have the time and patience, embroidery.

Off to the library you go!

Holiday Wish List: Vintage Vibe

With black Friday and cyber Monday the holiday gift buying season has officially commenced. Designing Mom Jackie came up with a great idea for the Designing Moms to select some of their favorite gift ideas for the season. I'll be posting this up as series, starting with some vintage inspired ideas...
by Designing Mom Jackie

1. A lover of style and glam, former boutique owner, Kate (and current stylist/blogger) – has a knack for choosing the perfect accessory for any look. These Adrienne Chain earrings by Stella & Dot are the perfect blend of edgy vintage glam. Grab a pair here.

2. These whimsical ornaments will add a unique touch to your holiday decor this year. All are handmade by moi and feature a variety of vintage-inspired images printed on engineering paper and mounted on wood. Sold individually or in sets of three in my etsy shop, go play.

Shop: Wreaths

Designing Mom Jackie

I'm not much of a traditionalist when it comes to holiday decor. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Hanukkah decorations are pretty boring compared to all the sparkly Christmas fanfare. Not that I'm a fan of Rudolph or Santa, but I do love the idea of a decorated tree, handmade stockings, and shimmering lights.
The problem is that I feel completely out of my element every December when the winter holidays roll around. We kept things pretty simple when I was growing up. A few menorahs. Some plastic dreidels. End of the story. Now that I have kids and am part of a mixed faith family, I am trying to take things up a notch. I'm striving for something festive, with hints of Christmas and Hanukkah, reworked in a creative, contemporary fashion. A tall order, I know.

First thing on my agenda: wreaths. I've always admired them but never had one. I would really really like to make one this year, if time permits, and I'm thinking of something a little whimsical - made out of paper or buttons or even gum drops. Here are a few inspiring examples that I'm just loving:

1. Faux bois wreath from Knock Knocking

2. Button wreath Shopping Sherpa's flickr pool

3. Faux feather wreath from Kitschy Digitals

4. Felt wreath from Allium Design's etsy shop

5. Paper wreath from Rag & Bone

5. Paper wreath from Haru's etsy shop

Holiday Craft Sale

by Designing Mom Jackie

Holiday Craft Sale!

Featuring homemade wares by twelve local designers + lots of yummy holiday treats

date: November 7

time: 10am - 3pm

place: 1090 Keeler Avenue, North Berkeley (my friend Nan's house)

details: I will be selling some little handmade ornaments (see attached pic for a sneak peek) and would love to see you!

Make: Journals

by Designing Mom Jackie

Supplies:

4" x 6" index cards

2 or 3 pieces of 8.5" x 11" graph paper (or any other scrap paper)

stapler

pencil or butter knife

optional: computer printer or rubber stamps

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) If you want text on the cover of the journal you have a few options. You can hand write it, use rubber stamps, cut out letters/words from magazines/newspapers, or simply print the words/images directly onto the index cards directly. I used clementine font for mine and after a few tries, got the formatting perfect.

2) Fold each piece of graph paper into quarters and cut along the fold lines.

3) Place the pages together and fold.

3) Use a pencil or butter knife to create a consistent crease with all the pages.

4) Fold your index card in half and smooth down the left hand side with your pencil/knife.

5) Bind the book together with a standard stapler. I suggest three staples - one on each end and a third in the middle. Make sure the the smooth side of the staples are on the outside of the book so they don't catch on anything.

YOU'RE ALL DONE!

* For another variation on this project, readers can check out these postcard journals from Design Sponge.

Decorate: Boys' Room

By Designing Mom Jackie

The boys' room is one of my favorite spaces. It's playful and comfortable, while also having a "grown-up" sensibility that ties in with the overall style of our house. I like to pair vintage with modern, whimsical with sophisticated, solids with patterns. The minimalist in me can't stand clutter so I am also extremely fond of baskets, bins, and buckets for storing toys, puzzles, dominoes, Mister Potato head and our ever growing collection of trains.

Even though I call this the boys' room, I have to admit that technically it's still just Graham's room. We are anticipating that our kids will eventually be roommates, but so far, it has yet to happen. For those of you moms with multiple kids reading this, I'm sure you know how hard it is to get the room sharing thing worked out. A lot harder than I anticipated! (Any suggestions for how to make this work would be appreciated in the comment field). While I envision a future with bunk beds for now, Simon is still sleeping in a crib in our room while Graham gets this room all to himself.

Here's a little montage to give you a sense of what this room looks like:

1. One of my favorite garage sale finds, this Zero fan actually works! The blue and orange tie in perfectly with the color scheme of the room.

2. Little Simon hanging out on our freebie Eames chair (a curbside find that my husband scored years ago). The color is awesome and it's super comfortable.

3. A rocking horse that my neighbor made for his son 20 years. It's on loan until the boys grow out of it. Hours of entertainment!

4. Detail of G's bed, which my husband made, topped with Dwell bedding.

5. G loves books and games, we have a growing collection of both. The backdrop of the photo is "Caps for Sale," which I have read at least 999 times at this point. Love the vintage nature of these game pieces, which Graham likes to use as little hats to act out the story.

6. The requisite globe.

7. A photograph by Nina Zurier paired with a vintage inspired orange clock.

8. The boy in his bed.

9. Stacking alphabet blocks with great vintage images and bright colors. We tend to rotate these, since there are pictures on all four sides.

Our Booklist: If you Give a Moose a Muffin

by Designing Mom Jackie

M is for Moose.

Graham's latest craze is moose. I just learned that the plural of moose is moose. Fancy that. I'm guessing this fascination is inspired by his current favorite read, If You Give A Moose A Muffin. Thank you Aunt Cathy. If you don't know the story, it is about a sweet little boy that entertains a gregarious moose. There are a lot of comic complications along the way, all leading back to the moose and his thing for muffins. The book is part of a series of stories about different animals and their love of sugary carbs (cats and cupcakes, mice and cookies, pigs and pancakes). We have the whole set, but the moose is by far G's preferred read of the day.

The other day Graham's teacher, Louise, put together the most adorable game for him based on the book. She made a bunch of props that correspond to the story, allowing Graham to act it out while he is reading. So so cute, I had to share it with you.

This is a truly fun and creative way to read with Graham. I am so excited to make some props for his other favorite stories. Stay tuned.

Happy Bloggin' Birthday!

I have to admit...the day after my baby was born I mourned that he was one day older. I shudder to think of the day he will turn the big "one!"

Designing Mom Jackie had a great idea to post our LO's Birthdays up on the blog. Send in a pic of your little one on their birthday and let's all celebrate (or in my case commiserate) together!

Jackie: "Our dear, chubby, silly, and lovely little Simon turned one on June 17.
We celebrated in L.A. last weekend (cake and all!) with friends and family."

Balance: Recess

by Designing Mom Jackie

Oh recess. How I so miss that concept. While my public elementary school was lacking in many ways, they sure got the recess thing down perfectly. I will always look back on that mandatory respite from fractions and pronouns to play dodge ball and eat chocolate chip cookies with a big smile.

Nowadays, my recess comes at night when the kids are asleep and I am off-duty. To mix it up a bit and not feel so guilty about the crap TV that I watch and even crappier tabloids that I read, I’ve started seeking out evening workshops on crafty or culinary topics.

Given my limited time and tight purse strings these days, I look for classes that are a one-night deal, usually just a few hours. I find that this is just long enough for me to retreat from my daily routine, learn some new tricks, and if I’m lucky, make a thing or two (if food is involved, that might mean burn a thing or two).

Here are a few great local classes on my recess "wish list" for the months ahead:

1) A Moroccan Feast cooking class at Kitchen on Fire


2) Paper Arts taught by Courtney Cerruti at The Workshop


3) Rookie Rubber Stamping at Paper Source



4) Recycled Sweaters & Tee Shirt Workshop at Stonemountain and Daughter Fabric


5) Screen Printing: Home Edition at Richmond Art Center




6) Picture Links and Pendants at Baubles & Beads


What about you?? Please email your favorite “recess” activities.