Ladurée

Before my full-time job as a Mama, I spent nearly a month each year in Europe. One of my favorite places on Earth happens to be France. (I was French in another lifetime. I am sure.) I anticipated visiting my favorite cafes, stores, bars and museums. Hey, I know I am a creature of habit. But I would sprinkle my favorites locales with new discoveries that would become my future favorites!

Oh, here I am in Paris on my way to secret places with my map.

I know of a secret bar where the barkeeper is a chemist and makes your drink based upon your mood. There is the most romantic cafe in the Marais arrondissement of Paris that serves the largest portion of mousse au chocolat I have ever seen. You basically eat until you cannot eat any more.

Oh yes, then there is the coolest lunch spot where locals eat elbow to elbow from communal dining tables while yelling back and forth to the chef in the kitchen. Yes, its that tiny. Yes, its packed. Yes, its totally worth it. The cuisine and the ambience, you cannot beat it!

Meandering the streets, shopping, sifting through the trends or eating my way around Paris I made so many great discoveries. I could tell the locales where to go! I always had my favorite clothing brands that were distinctly French like Maje, Tara Jarmon and Claudie Pierlot. I loved going see the newest collections while working in France. Especially because you could not get these brands very easily outside of Europe.

But every year, these brands began filtering out of France, crossed the borders and landed stateside. At first it was at an indie boutique, then a guest designer for a chain store and today you can get these brands at many department stores.

The first feeling I may have had upon discovering the joys of my favorite French brands less than one mile from my home was a jolt of excitement.  But once I stopped by to shop the stores I felt deflated. It wasn't the same experience. It lacked a certain "je ne sais quoi. " The French factor was missing.

I stopped by a few more times thinking it might not have been a collection that apealled to me. Alas, there was no heart racing, no excitement, no flinging clothes all around the dressing rooms and no slapping my credit card down . The inspiration of the collection was lost on me. Kind of like lost in translation.

But I have ONE exception. This maybe an exception because it is food and not clothing. But it's my silver lining of globalization. If you've been to Paris you know the "crème de la crème" of macarons is from a sweet little place called Ladurée.

Laduree Entrance

Breath deep and smell the sweetness. Don't forget to take in the color palette too.

A macaron is a little sphere of heaven. It demands that you eat it slowly, savoring the crisp outside texture that combines with the tender ganache on each bite. Believe me, you want to shove them all in your mouth but then you would be sad because there would be no more.

So savor them!

These little delicacies were originally served in a traditional salon de thé which is the first public place where ladies could meet and mingle, exchange ideas and merriment. They are a symbol of freedom! Or maybe they are a symbol of this woman, hard exterior with sweet, soft inside?

Hmmm, maybe.

They are not to be missed. If you are in New York City, venture to the Upper East Side of Manhattan and buy yourself some freedom! Take those little darlings a few blocks over to Central Park, sit on a bench and channel your inner Marie Antoinette!

Flavors this week included Pistachio, Chocolate, Rose, Coconut, Salted Caramel, Coffee, Raspberry, Vanilla, and Lemon. They often introduce a new flavor every few months.

                                       

      Darling Packaging

P.S. If you are very sweet and tell me your favorite flavor I will give you my secret places in Paris.

Oh Baby!

I searched high and higher, low and lower looking for the perfect crib bedding. I spent an extraordinary amount of time trolling the internet for the perfect patch to rest my little Prince's head. I got carpal tunnel searching so hard.

It was a lot of work.

But when I found it, it was worth every numb digit on my hand. I fell in love with the John Robshaw crib bedding set in Lapis. It hand-blocked in India on the softest cotton. There are other amazing crib sets that might be worth having more children for but for now this is the one that caught my eye.

John Robshaw Lapis Crib Bedding Set 

It has the right dose of worldliness, style and individualism for my little Prince. This is also a description of a few of my hopes for him! I am starting by working on what I can which at this point is surrounding him with beautiful things. I am a believer in the affect that our environment has on us. 

You know clean house = Happiness, I can conquer the world!

Dirty house = Perfect backdrop to pick a fight. 

Messy purse = My life is in disarray right now. 

Clean purse = I just got myself back in order. 

You know what I am talking about. Yeah, you! I see you right now, nodding your head. 

So to start off my journey to create this look for the nursery, I found the quilt on eBay for $150.00. I know it may seem like a lot but I can justify it because it normally comes in a set which I have seen from $450.00-$575.00. (Yikes!)

So happy here!

Next priority was to buy the crib sheet. The John Robshaw crib sheet print is called Cinde Coffee. I hummed and hawed at spending that much on a crib sheet that was bound to end up stained. The design gods were watching out for me because I found a Dwell crib sheet that was close enough stand-in for the John Robshaw version.

John Robshaw Cinde Coffee Crib Sheet ($75)

Since it is in the same color family, it worked out perfectly. 

Dwell Chevron Crib Sheet ($36)

I soon found out that the crib bumper, a print called Mandu Lapis,  is also only sold in the crib set.  I spent nearly 2 months scouring fabric resources for the crib bumper which included going to the John Robshaw sample sale and spending enormous amounts of time in the evenings on the internet. 

John Robshaw Mandu Lapis Print

Nothing.

My choices were to keep searching Ebay, settle on a similar fabric (yet inferior which would bother me for years) or make the whole thing from scratch. This would include learning how to print textiles, finding a wood block, finding fabric, printing the fabric and then sewing the bumper. 

Am I crazy? 

My little Prince was growing rapidly and I still did not have a bumper for him. It would soon be obsolete. He would not need it if I delayed any longer. I had visions of finishing it when he turned 10. Yet, I still held out for the perfect bumper. 

Uhm, well it turns out that I am a little crazy. So I preceded with making the fabric myself. Well, not actually weave it. I love a challenge but I am not that nuts. (Though I may well be weaving fabric next year.) The universe unfolded for me once I set my mind to this project. 

I was shopping (gawking) at ABC Carpet & Home when I came across a bucket of old Indian printing blocks. I found a gorgeous block ($68) that ended up looking nothing like the Mandu Lapis bumper print but it called out to me that it was the one. I found leftover white linen fabric at home from making my living room curtains so I didn't even need to buy fabric for the bumper. (Score!) Now I just needed to learn how to print textiles! Thank goodness for Google!

After finding the best little website for artists called Dharma Trading, a nice box arrived with the ingredients for me to finish my project. I experimented printing a little on silk, linen, paper, and cotton to get the feel for block-printing. 

I fell in love with this art.  I may start stamping everything in my house that it will look like a souk.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• Textile Ink (I used Jacquard inks)
• Brayer
• Stamp of your choice 
• Non-porous surface to spread ink (I used a plastic artists palette)
• Fabric

I laid out the linen fabric with craft paper underneath it and began printing the layout of my fabric. I didn't want the print too close together because I thought it started to look too feminine. I made one side of the bumper closer together than the other just for some visual interest. 

After the fabric dried to the touch, I cut out my pattern and let the pieces dry overnight. I used a water-soluble marker to mark my cut lines. When I wash the fabric the ink will just disappear. It is my favorite tool!

Loading the Brayer with Ink

You will noticed that I optimized my fabric yardage by indicating where my cut lines where going to be and then manipulated the print by not printing over into the other pattern piece. It appears as though part of the print is missing but when it is cut and sewn it will be exactly how I intended. You can achieve this by putting a piece of craft paper under the woodblock where ever you do not want it to print. The photo below is not cut yet.

Turquoise Cut Lines are Water-Soluble Marker

Fabric Marked With Cut Lines

After the fabric is dried, I ironed the reverse side of the fabric to heat set the print. This will prevent the ink from washing away with water. After the print was heat set, I washed the fabric and ironed before I stitched it together. I added invisible zippers on the underside of the crib bumper cover so they can be washed as needed.

Linen Hanging to Dry Overnight

Now you didn't think that I left empty handed from the John Robshaw sample sale? I picked up this great printed tablecloth which is now hanging in the nursery as a curtain. The leftover fabric I cut into fabric ties that I will use for the crib bumper ties. I cut them 1 1/4" wide.

John Robshaw Fabric Ties

John Robshaw Logo

So now it is all coming together nicely! Here is the crib complete and just in time (barely) for my little one to enjoy its comfort and coziness at least for a few months.

My grand total to pull this look together was about $350 so I saved about $100 which is not that much but I took away new knowledge, discovered a craft that I love, and I have a beautiful wood block to use again or display.  The nursery feels so special when I walk in it everyday knowing I put my love and attention in it. 

P.S. (I love PS's, don't you?) You can buy a crib bumper insert for approximately $90 online. I am a glutton for punishment so I made my bumper inserts myself. I have a bolt of muslin lying around the house so I cut the pattern pieces out of the muslin. I wanted an organic bumper so I order organic cotton stuffing from Near Sea Naturals. It will take approximately 4 lbs. of stuffing to finish the bumper so my total cost for that was $53.00. But I slightly overestimated because I have the cutest stuffed animal on my project list. (shh...don't tell)

Organic Cotton Stuffing 

Crib Bumper Inserts Reading to be Sewn

Resources:

• Organic Cotton Stuffing-Near Sea Naturals
• Hand Painted Indian Elephant Mobile: ABC Carpet & Home 
• Rabbit, Deer Crib Pillow-John Robshaw 
• Little Owl Print by Albrech Durer
• Gold Frame: AC Moore Arts & Crafts
• Crib: BAM crib by Argington

Got it? Good.

Hit The Road

This week I took a road trip to the Perkiomen Valley region in Pennsylvania. (Perky-what?) Repeat after me "Per-key-o-men." I will assume you know how to pronounce valley.

There are some nice little treasures in this area. If you are nice (and keep reading) I will share them with you.

Nothing like a little road trip to soothe the soul. Something about hitting the open road with "No particular place to go"(Thank you Mr. Berry) that makes me feel reckless. Well, as reckless as my A-type personality will allow me. Which means I don't have AAA. I feel like letting my top down! (of my convertible of course!) And let my hair blow in the wind while taking my navy, polka dot scarf off and let it dance above my head. Then I just open my hand and release my scarf to the winds.

Too bad I don't have a convertible.

That's what I feel like on daytrips. I think my little Prince gets tired of looking at me all day anyways. It ensures sanity for the both of us to break routine and hit the road.

I have spent more time on the road than a long-haul truck driver. I come from good driving stock. My parents consider a 7-hour drive as an easy days' drive.  If you arrive at my parents's house late in the evening, say 2 am, you might be offered Sushi or a roasted chicken upon your arrival. It is like getting to the finish line. They must be proud we carry on their tradition of recreational driving.  To understand the extent of how much we drive, my mom's Prius currently sits at about 250,000 miles give or take a few hundred miles. (scratch that----253,052, 254,613, I can't keep up with her!)

My earliest memories, along with being smuggled into hotels in pillowcases,  (It's okay, I turned out fairly normal) are being in the back of our International Scout driving cross-country with my parents.

Driving in my car fills me with freedom, weird thoughts that I can take over the world and fond memories. So when I saw this car driving up in my review mirror I almost dropped my sippy cup! 

I forgot the American road trip and I was transported to the Amalfi coast. Soon they disappeared but not before I got this shot! I do not recommend taking photos at 65 miles per hour but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! My camera was shotgun so I couldn't help it. 
I know this makes you smile!

Back in the valley, I came across the most wonderful place.  The name alone caused me to screech to a halt. 

The Powerhouse Fleamarket... Powerhouse not Brickhouse, yeah she's a brickhouzzzzz. The Powerhouse is amazing and as you can imagine, it was a former Powerhouse.

Unfortunately, it was not a Sunday BUT I stopped in anyway. Hey, the doors were open. There is a nice selection of furniture and collectibles from the quick peek that I had. 


Just down the road is another goodie, The Trading Post Depot. The owners just relocated to this larger location and have filled it with an exciting collection. I loved the focus on architectural items that make amazing home decor. It's a great way to personalize your space. In addition,  they have reclaimed barn wood that they will customize into furniture for you. So what are you waiting for? 
Vamoose! Oh but wait!


It gets better. The best part is that on the first Friday of each month they host a wine and cheese event from 5-9 pm. I love me some community spirit!

Photo Credit: Trading Post Depot

Iron Work Grill Photo Credit: Trading Post Depot

  

Architectural Detail Photo Credit: Trading Post Depot

Details and Other Local Highlights:

• Power House Antique and Flea Market, 45 First Avenue, Route 29, Collegeville, PA            (610) 489-7388 OPEN Sundays
• Trading Post Depot, 28 Main Street, Schwenksville, PA (610) 287-4000 HOURS: Thursday-Friday 10-9. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday 10-6.
• Ott's Exotic Plants, Route 29, Schwenksville, PA
• King of Prussia Mall, 60 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA (610) 265-5727

My Memories Free Giveaway

I take a lot of photos.

I have been through many, many methods of organizing, storing, displaying and managing my collection. The problem is that I have so many great photos that I want to be able to share in a creative way. I could cover my walls, my doors, and the floors of my home. That would make living kinda of tough, though interesting!

I don't want to just blast off a digital album to all my friends and family. I want more style. I want to showcase my photos. I want more feeling to my presentation.

Sound the horn!

In comes digital scrapbooking software called My Memories Suite! Ta Da!

Voila!

Presto!

I have been using My Memories Suite 2 (MMS2) to organize pages of photos into cohesive themed memories. It is amazing. There is virtually ZERO learning curve which makes it even more fun to use.

Who enjoys reading a manual while being creative?
Boring!
You need to channel your inner Picasso!

I put together an album from my pregnancy.
Awww, how I miss it when he was itty bitty.
Look at that smile! My sister-in-law and partner in crime captured this shot.

Bam!

Not bad, huh? I'm proud.

With My Memories Suite you can email your pages, gift a printed album, or send a video of your album to your sister. The possibilities are endless. Which has me thinking that I need to make an inspiration board for my fall wardrobe.

Ok gotta go!

Oh and Good Luck!


Giveaway Entry Info:

• One (1) lucky reader will win My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software program
• How to enter: Just visit My Memories website and pick a digital scrapbooking kit that you love. Then post your entry in the comments section below. So easy!
• Giveaway Ends September 25th at 11:59 pm EST
• Details: I will select the winner using random.org and will notify the winner by September 28th via email. You will have 2 weeks to respond to the email and then another winner will be selected.
• If you cannot wait and must have it now I have a special coupon code you can use. Just enter MSV210D as your coupon/promo code when you checkout. It will give you $10.00 off the My Memories Suite 2 and $10.00 in free downloads at the My Memories Store.
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Jenny Lind Highchair

Out for a stroll this morning around my neighborhood with my family which includes my husband, my little Prince and big Tex, my trusty sidekick. We rounded the corner and much to my pleasure I see this highchair that has been kicked to the curb.

Well, actually it was behind a gate, near the trash, next to a house but in these parts that is as good as garbage. Literally.

I knew I had to have it. But I have no idea where I am going to store all the mounting furniture that I find on the streets where I live. I really should open a store. You cannot believe what people throw away.

But today the joy is all mine. 

I have plans for this highchair. 

Big plans. 

 Enjoy your Weekend!

Big Day

I have a Big Day coming up. A day that sends my heart into my throat when I think about it. It has seemed like a far off event for so many months now.

But it looms.

It's coming.

Though I have many talents, stopping time is not one of them. I am writing this through bleary eyes, a few sniffles, a pile of uncertainty, a gallon of guilt and a tinge of excitement.

You know the typical mommy stuff. One minute I am beaming at my sleeping Prince thinking how can he get any more perfect. The next minute (with mangled hair and a dead banana smooshed on my shoulder) I am wrestling with the behavior of a 2 feet tall gnome who must be on a mission to ruin my day.

Oh, the joy of motherhood.

These things you will only know about once you are a mother. There are secrets that must be kept in order to ensure that our human race survives. No one tells you until you are knee-deep in diapers and then everyone wants to commiserate. (Evil laugh.) It's okay, I am not bitter.

Bowl by Elm Studios Online   Buy it here

So you are probably waiting for the Big Day details. Wait for it.....

My little Prince is starting daycare. (Slobbering wet mess, computer is short-circuiting from my tears.)

Aside from dealing with all the emotions of the day, there are lists of items and rules and clothes they need. This is going to take some major planning. All I can see (and fear) are germs everywhere. A room full of drooling gnomes.

Everything must be labeled. This squelches part of my fear. I can label ALL of my sweet Prince's stuff so no drooling gnomes get to it. Which brings me to my new best friend! She should be the Queen of the Mothers' or some royal title. My Two Babes design is a gold mine for all things labeled.

Check out these amazing labels they made. They are vinyl labels for sippy cups, utensils, toys, pacifiers, backpacks, bottles...ugh, I am out of breath. Basically, you slap them on everything! As a mother of twins, (Bless her!) the owner knows how to lose things and get them back. The labels are also dishwasher safe and waterproof. How perfect is that!

This really makes me feel like I have the world on a string. Even if just for a moment.


Check out the entire range here. My Two Babes designs on Etsy

Vinyl Name Labels by My Two Babes designs

Vinyl Name Labels by My Two Babes designs

Hope

We shall never forget

We shall keep this day,

We shall keep the events and the tears

In our minds, our memory and our hearts

and take them with us as we carry on.

It's 7 o'clock a.m. and my alarm clock (also known as my little prince) has gone off. Peeling myself off my pillow, my feet hit the ground running. Brush teeth, change diaper, feed dog, feed cats, coffee (ahh, much better), put in a load of laundry....I am chasing down the morning.

I stop and take a deep breath.

I feel a heaviness today. The weight of my memories of this day ten years ago pull on my heart. I didn't work at the World Trade Center. I do not have a story of narrow escape. I was not one of the heroes of that day. I was working blocks away from the World Trade Center.

I felt the shudder of the falling buildings. I watched the clouds of dust and smoke snake through the streets carrying with it the fear that cloaked the city for weeks and months after September 11. I rode the crowded trains watching as co-workers helped co-workers with a place to stay. There were suitcases and pillows stuffed around the train as residents fled to safer grounds. Strangers offered a helping hand. We were all cramped but no one complained. Even as we left the city, a trail of sorrow and tears followed us. That sorrow rang out across the world.

The next day the streets in midtown were empty.  Few people returned to work and the tourists had deserted the streets. Times Square looked like a empty stage set. The city was a shell of itself.

Its' heartbeat was snuffed but not extinguished. In a city were you walk with direct purpose and keep your head down, people began making eye contact with each other. A simple glance created an invisible connection, each person pouring hope into each other's eyes.

So it is with this memory of hope that I keep close to me.
I hope for peace.
I hope for the end of war.
I hope for people to accept each other all over the world.
I hope for a brighter future for my son.

In searching for solace, a new song called "Strong" by Jensen Keets touched a sacred spot in my soul. It is complex and enchanting. It gave me fierce chills of empowerment.  Just as my eyes were swelling up with tears, her chorus, "Rise above, rise above" starts just in time to rescue me from the sting. The song could not be more aptly named.  I want to follow her voice to the light of hope for a stronger city and peaceful world.


See the video here: "Strong" or Buy the album on iTunes.com

Jensen Keets Homepage

Jensen Keets debut album

End of Summer

The summer mood has left as quick as I could whip off my flip flops. The cool weather moved it as if to solidify the coming Fall season. My basil plants are packing it in too. Their once lush, green leaves are now shriveling up. And you know that Summer is truly over when you see the Halloween decorations debut in the stores. (No wait, that means it must be July. Urgh!!!)

But to really give Summer that extra shove, my favorite summer perfume died today. Well, that's a bit dramatic but you must know how much I love this perfume. Technically, it is an eau de toilette. It is THE Summer fragrance that I am not even sure that I want to share with everyone. However, I am distraught and saddened by this loss so I must heal. They say writing is therapeutic and it is cheaper than counselling.

In a mad dash to leave the house, I grabbed the bottle but it slipped and crashed to the ground. Tossing its lovely spray (and glass shards) across my toes, my shoes and my little prince who was crawling around my legs. I have to admit that I wanted to scream something like, "Let them eat cake!" while throwing my head back with evil laughter. It felt equivalent to a rock star smashing their guitar to pieces.

I received this eau de toilette as a gift for my then 6 week old son from one of my oldest and dearest childhood friends. Yes, it was intended as a gift for him. Let me explain.

She is French.

Does that help? Well, it was the only answer I could give my husband when we stared at our little newborn and then looked back at the bottle wondering if people really sprayed their newborn with perfume.

However, the scent overtook me and I fell in love. I promptly put that bottle on my dressing table where it has held the highest rank all summer as my go-to scent until its' untimely demise today. (Sniffle, sniffle) No more delicate and tender citrus scent for me until I get a replacement.

I did a little research and apparently this eau de toilette which is called Ptisenbon is made by Givenchy for Tartine et Chocolat which is a French children's apparel manufacturer. There are two versions of this eau de toilette: Eau de Senteur (for babies and alcohol-free) and Eau de Toilette (for Toddlers).
It is so smartly called, "the first fragrance for a child's life." This makes me smile. Oh, how I love the French!

Book Bundles DIY

I love shopping. I love shopping for my home especially. After repeatedly seeing antique book bundles,  I finally caved in and decided to buy them to adorn my home. I am an avid book reader, as in there will NEVER be enough time in this lifetime to read all the books on my list. So you get the idea how much I love books?

It is with great passion that I think using books (literary accents) as home decoration is amazing. Real honest-to-goodness books. Okay, okay I have a confession:  I secretly want a Kindle.  I am an avid reader I know I could plow through more if I just had the right tools. (Wink! Wink!)

But there is nothing, I repeat, nothing like the feel of a book in my hands. I hold the corner of the page as I read. I love the dry texture under my fingertips. I am anxious to turn the page. I have this habit of reading the last page of every book before I start the first. Anyone else out there do that?

Reading is one of my favorite ways I  spend my free time. Lately, that free time has been sparse. Oh, that Kindle would really come in handy some days. Anyway, off to the store I went to buy these little beauties below. However, the price was far too much for my conscience when I knew I could make myself!

Note: If I can make it, I often will not buy it. I find this an admirable trait but my husband would beg to defer. He prefers to not have projects (glorious works of art) in the making strewn around the house. He might have mentioned something about hoarding.

Restoration Hardware Antique Book Bundles, $29

So with my sloped shoulders, knuckles dragging and my head hung low (shopping can be very disappointing) I left the store. I soon puckered up and headed to my local library where I remembered they have fill-a-bag of books for a buck. (Phew! Say that ten times fast.) I rounded up the oldest books I could find. I felt so good that I was helping the library rid their shelves of old books. Let me tell you that I got a ton of books. It was blessings all around. I took them home and ripped off the covers to reveal the spines. I got a ball of twine and tied me a bow around them!

I quite prefer them to the others from Restoration Hardware and they bring me much joy! What do you think?

Book Bundles DIY

Sweet little packet of books

Do You Believe In Design?

That is the question! So what does it mean to believe in design?

For me, it is a part of almost everything I do in my day. I design my days or so I like to think! More often than not, my little prince designs my days but I do what I can to stay the course!

Believe in Design started as a mantra for me to keep sight during long, very long and extra long design  meetings. Meetings with sales teams and owners that had fear in their eyes and not a creative bone in their body yet they kept tossing out good design (read: new, innovative, smart) in favor of reliable (read: boring, safe, predictable) product. Does this sound like a rant yet? Ok good.

Credit: Threshold Blogazine

As a Design Director in those days, I longed for the Seventh Avenue meets Mad Men dream team. I think I might buy a used tissue from Don Draper! But alas, I digress to thoughts of a well cut grey wool suit.

Where was I?

Oh, yes! Hence, Believe In Design. I love and appreciate well designed items from furniture, toys, and home appliances to cars, glasses, and utensils. Don't ask me why I chose those items! But the idea here is that everything has a design and a designer behind it! I want  good design that graces my life whether its naturally made (and quite often more perfectly made) or man-made.

Beautifully designed objects give me a rush and a fire of inspiration burns inside me. It is a true high.  I am never quite sure where or how the inspiration will translate itself but I am open to being the vessel those ideas flow through.

How are you the designer of your life?

I Heart Blogging

Credit: ABOVE, Love In The Air

Next up, I will tell you why I "Believe In Design." But for now, enjoy this sweet little girl as homage to the child in all of us. Keep creative!

(Seriously, I am going to bed.)