Birthdays on Other Days
By Gabrielle.
Yesterday was September 11th. When I go about my day on September 11th, and see something or read something that reminds me it’s September 11th, like many people, I relive those moments of twelve years ago. We had just moved to New York the month before. I held newborn baby Olive in my arms while I watched the news. Ben Blair was in Manhattan.
And then I remember that September 11th is also my dad’s birthday. The picture at top is my dad at Lake Powell. I believe he would have been 70 years old this year!
He died a few years before the events of 9/11. And I’m not sure how he would have felt, sharing his birthday with a national day of mourning. I know that Liz of Mom 101, a life-long New Yorker, has a 9/11 birthday as well, and I’ve noticed she finds good ways to celebrate, while also honoring the somber realities of that day. And I always wonder if that’s a hard balance for her to strike.
I’d love to know, do you share your birthday with another big day? 9/11? Pearl Harbor? Or maybe a holiday? Do you like sharing the day? Or would you switch if you could? And if your child has a birthday on another big day, what’s that like?
P.S. — I was at a business lunch yesterday, and people were sharing their stories. I talked about my Dad, and his decade long obsession with yellow. Yellow socks, yellow shoes, yellow clothes, yellow watch, yellow car, yellow classroom. I miss my dad. It was nice to have an excuse to talk about him. What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade
Text and Images by Gabrielle.
For this year’s What to Wear to School posts, I thought I would photograph the kids in pairs — starting with Oscar & Betty.
On Oscar:
Buffalo Check Shorts, Smiley Face Tee, Chambray Button-down from Polarn O. Pyret. Socks from H&M. Shoes by Vans.
On Betty:
Polka-dot Dress and Polka-dot Leggings from Old Navy. Gingham Scarf by Polarn O. Pyret. Shoes by Vans.
… Living With Kids: Lilian de Vries
By Gabrielle.
I normally begin these Living With Kids tours with a stunning shot of the kitchen or a vibrant welcome from the entryway. But today, I am starting off by showing you a few highly covetable pairs of children’s boots. They are the coolest, as are all the offerings from a fairly new Dutch shoe brand called de Vries. And now we get the chance to see inside the equally cool designer’s home!
Her name is Lilian de Vries, and she is a talent. When she first wrote to me, she casually mentioned she is a shoemaker. Too fun! I consider hers an artisan career that would be fantastic to announce at dinner parties. Or home tours! “Hello. My name is Lilian, and I make fabulous shoes. It is nice to meet you.” Friends, it really is nice to meet Lilian. You’ll see. Please enjoy the tour!
Q: Tell us about the family who makes this house a home!
A: I met my husband Charles in 1996 in Rotterdam while I was in art school. We used to live there for ten years in a great apartment. Two years after our daughter Ella was born in 2003, we decided to move to a house with a garden that was also closer to my work in Amsterdam, and we ultimately ended up in Utrecht, the center part of the Netherlands.
… Meet Olive Us!
I hope you’ll enjoy Meet Olive Us. It’s a sweet little introduction to each of our kids — and a sweet introduction to the whole Olive Us series.
Direction and concept by Tiger in a Jar. Title illustration by Clayton Thompson.
I hope you check it out — it’s off-the-charts charming, I promise.
Living With Kids: Anna Keep
By Gabrielle.
There are a few moments in this tour when my heart aches for Anna. She currently lives in the home she and her former husband built and dreamed of living in for their family’s future. As we all know, though, some of the most beautiful plans are the ones that change into other plans altogether. Still beautiful, just maybe unexpectedly so. The marriage is no longer, but the boys and home Anna and her ex built together are still thriving. And so, I can happily tell you, is Anna.
I didn’t know her circumstances during our correspondence — homeowners and I email a lot back and forth throughout this process! — but I always thought of her as so upbeat and positive in her words and decoration. I had no idea of what she may have endured emotionally to get to this point. Her honest answers were probably difficult for her to write, but I believe she made herself write them to remind herself (and us, too) that lessons are everywhere, just waiting to be learned. The hard way, the easy way, and all the ways in between. I love this tour so much, and thank Anna from the bottom of my heart for giving us so much of her own. Friends, please meet Anna.
Q: Please tell us about everyone who lives here!
A: I share my home with my two freckled boys: Ross, aged ten, and Ben, aged eight. Plus, at last count, nine goldfish, four wild green parrots, and a rotation of hamsters. There is also a puppy dog coming soon! Our housekeeper named Sharlena hails from Zimbabwe, and she and her teenage son, Thami, also share our property in a garden cottage.
… Big Olive Us News!
By Gabrielle.
I have some great big news about Olive Us — and I’ve been sitting on this news since January! It’s taken all sorts of self control to not share this happy bit of info. : )
Scripps (you may have heard of them because they own HGTV, The Travel Channel, Food Network,etc.) is launching a new online channel called ulive. It’s all about useful (and entertaining!) lifestyle videos covering topics like food, home, travel, parenting, and wellness. They’ll be featuring content you already love from their well-established TV channels, and they’ll be introducing lots of brand new content as well.
And that’s where Olive Us comes in.
ulive commissioned 20 Olive Us episodes for 2013!! Twenty episodes you haven’t seen before. And we’ve already shot 17 of them — in fact, every spare minute of our last 3 months in France was filled with shooting. Hah! Which means when the ulive site officially launches next week, you’ll have access to a steady stream of brand new Olive Us episodes through the end of the year. So great!
Extra fun: To celebrate, Olive Us is hosting a contest — share your favorite episode and you could win an iPad Mini! It’s easy to enter. Find all the details here.
… Birthday Celebrations
Image and text by Gabrielle.
Do you host a birthday-party-with-friends for your children each year? Something fun and maybe themed with invitations, decorations, games, refreshments and a big cake? I love hosting parties like that!
But as our family was growing, I was intimidated by the idea of throwing a big party 6 times each year, once for each of our kids. So fairly early on, we decided we’d do friend parties on some years, and simpler, family parties on others. Originally, we planned to host friend parties at age 1, 3, 5, 8, 12 and 16. But it hasn’t worked out that way!
When our oldest, Ralph, turned 12, we were still quite new to Colorado and he hadn’t had a chance to make many friends yet. So a friend party didn’t make sense. We decided to skip the party and took him on his first trip to San Francisco instead (at the time, I would have never guessed we would end up living in the Bay Area!).
Then, when Maude turned 12, we had just barely moved to France, and again, a friend party didn’t make sense. So using the precedent of Ralph’s trip, we took Maude to London to see Wicked. (We lived so close! Just a ferry ride away.)
And then we moved here to California, just weeks before Olive’s 12th birthday, and for the third time, a friend party didn’t make sense. Plus, now we had a bit of a tradition happening with a 12th birthday trip. Olive started daydreaming about seeing Wicked in New York (she hasn’t been back to New York since we moved! And she still has a best friend there — who she wanted to invite to the show, of course.) But we needed a more budget-friendly idea.
… Living With Kids: Carey Denman
By Gabrielle.
Buying land and building a home takes so much more than a clear vision. There’s always a headache-inducing budget involved, isn’t there? Made all the more agonizing when that budget keeps increasing throughout the process! Because you want that gorgeous wood floor, that dazzling light fixture and all the others that coordinate, and spectacular kitchen drawer pulls and – darn it! – they’re custom. It must be hard to reconcile dreams and dollars. Carey and her husband’s plan almost didn’t make it to the kitchen cabinet hardware, but luckily they were rescued by a contractor with a heart (and vision) of gold. This is a good story with a beautiful ending, and one to which I probably mega relate because of our French cottage! For those of you also in the midst of building fever, read on (and good luck!). Friends, meet Carey Denman!
Q: Tell us all about the lucky family who calls this place home!
A: My husband Jory and I live here with our four children: Ella, Samuel, William, and Amelia. Ella is eight and has a penchant for horses and anything that sparkles. Our second born child, Samuel, is seven and loves Legos, balloons, and pancakes. William, five, has a mischievous streak a mile wide; he has been known to paint his whole body with black paint and has a fondness for anything on wheels. And Amelia, our fun-loving three-year-old, usually has a doll tucked under her arm and a bag stuffed full of miscellany draped over her shoulder.
I homeschool this raucous bunch and write a column about the adventures of parenting for my local newspaper. I also tend to a large garden that makes my heart happy, and dabble in making herbal concoctions. My husband is a nurse at a nearby hospital, an avid outdoorsman, and a man dedicated to loving our children in real and tangible ways.
… Plaster of Paris Flowers Votives
Images and text by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
I’ve been loving all the plaster of Paris flowers across the web. They have such an ethereal and dreamlike look to them. Building on the process, I took it a step further and turned the plaster-ed flowers into votives. Dainty and functional.
Plaster is a fun medium to work in. A liquid become a solid in a few short minutes and you get to decide how to form it. For dipping, the plaster coats the petals, freezing them in creamy white loveliness. With the stamina of the plastic flower, the votives appear fragile but aren’t so.
(If you haven’t noticed, I love working with plaster — as seen in these posts: gold leaf votives, leaf napkin rings, quote votives.)
The coated plaster of Paris flowers are still ethereal and dreamlike and now, with the addition of a candle, rather romantic. Gather a few for a shelf in a living room, or on a bedroom mantle.
I think a collection of these would make a gorgeous centerpiece for a dinner party — or even as wedding decor!
Ready to get a little bit messy?
… A Little Update
By Gabrielle.
Oh. You. You wonderful people. Your good, kind words have been so soothing for me to read. I can’t tell you how much the support means to me. Thank you a dozen times over for taking the time to leave a comment or send an email or say a prayer on my behalf. I feel it.
A little update: I’ve taken it as easy as possible over the last few days. And I do feel like I’m seeing some improvement, but I’ve decided to see a doctor anyway — it just seems better to have a plan in place in case my mental state takes a turn for the worse. And since I can see that my mind is going to be fragile for many weeks (if not months), I’m hoping a doctor can help me stay stable through the worst of it.
I’ve been thinking about what it means for me to take it easy — while still parenting my kids, keeping appointments, getting ready for school, celebrating birthdays, etc. — and it’s less straightforward than I would have guessed. In my head, I was picturing “taking it easy” as sitting still for as much of the day as possible, but it hasn’t looked like that. I’m still running the essential errands, and though my amazing contributors have tons of great content lined up, I’ve actually craved writing blog posts (maybe it’s a small sort of therapy for me?), so you’ll be seeing me around here as well.
But I’m saying no thank you to most non-essential invitations/events, I’m consciously trying to set energy aside for dealing with life’s daily hiccups before they derail me, and I’m just generally trying to keep it simple. As an example, yesterday was our wedding anniversary and our celebration consisted of lingering in bed in the morning to reminisce about our wedding day, snapping the blurry photo above, and catching a late movie last night. Just the right speed for me at the moment!
Thank you again for being such a supportive, uplifting community. I’ve felt nothing but love and acceptance from you. It means the world. Supporting Friends Who’ve Lost Children
By Amy Hackworth. Painting, “Never Empty Handed,” by Clare Elsaesser.
Although I’d always felt sympathetic when I heard of a child who’d passed away, my heart ached a little more fiercely when I heard about such tragedies once I’d become a mother. Before I had a chance to push it away, the thought of losing one of our children made my chest tighten and my stomach drop.
And then one of my dearest friends said goodbye to her almost-two-year-old, and I came a little closer to understanding the grief that comes with losing a child. I learned that the sympathy I’d felt for other parents before watching my friend Molly lose her little Lucy in 2008 had been wholly uninformed. I’d had no idea of the heartbreak, the emptiness, the despair, the reality of grief. And still, I don’t really know what a grieving parent feels, but I have watched from a closer distance now, and my sympathy has matured.
For this small series on supporting our friends when they are hurting (see previous posts here and here), Molly and her husband Vic shared some of the things that helped them most when their little Lucy passed away. The first thing Molly said was that it really is the thought that counts, but it only counts if the person knows you’re thinking of them. Reaching out in almost anyway helped Molly: Facebook notes, texts, cards, emails. Imagine how hard it must be to think that the rest of the world is going on with life while you are truly heartbroken. And then imagine how comforting it must be to know that friends have not forgotten you, but remember your suffering and send their love. A friend of Vic’s from law school whom Molly has never even met sent them a handwritten card every week for a few months, then once a month for two whole years, offering her support in a very real and very consistent way.
… Big & Small DIY: Cloud Picnic Blanket and Napkins
Project By Gina Vide. Readied for publishing by Amy Christie.
Watching clouds float by under the summer skies is one of my favorite things to do in the summer, whether on a picnic or simply stealing a quiet blissful moment. Today’s Big + Small project gives you the chance to actually make a cloud of your own — cloud napkins, and an easy-to-transport cloud picnic blanket/tablecloth.
Children can make the simple cloud napkins with very little assistance from the grownups — just a couple of steps! And adults can make the wonderfully useable cloud tablecloth. It’s foldable, washable, and the handles make it easily transportable, too! A perfect picnic blanket.
You’ll have so much fun working side-by-side on this cloud project with your kids!
Big + Small’s can work together, and sail off together, on this Cloud Picnic! Let’s get started.
…Big & Small DIY: Cloud Picnic Blanket and NapkinsRead More »
Living With Kids: Sarah Sandidge, Revisited
By Gabrielle.
Remember Sarah? She showed us what life really looks like when you’re living with kids during a major home renovation. She also took my breath away with photos of their toddler daughter helping rewire the kitchen’s electrical (Not really! She was completely safe!), but Sarah just laughed at my worry (Really. She is completely cool like that.)
As she told us, “I’m planning to create a checklist to determine if you are emotionally and mentality capable of handling renovations with small children! I imagine most people are not. Here’s my advice: Be flexible and adaptable. If you are not that type of person, just don’t even think about it!” I hope she makes that list, don’t you? It would be hilarious to read.
But my favorite piece of wisdom from Sarah is this: “Even though the safety of our children is a high priority, our philosophy is to let the kids experience life…not protect them from it.” Pretty wonderful.
… Seventy Five Percent
By Gabrielle.
We are home!
It doesn’t quite feel like home yet, but it’s getting there. And we love this house!
I feel like I’m still recovering from last week. We knew clearing out the storage unit wouldn’t be the most fun thing we’ve ever done, but I didn’t understand exactly how challenging it would be. I think I’m still processing the whole thing.
Would you indulge me if I vent for a bit?
… Living With Kids: Laura Hall
By Gabrielle. Images by Iris Thorsteinsdottir for Kid & Coe.
I’m fond of our home tours for a lot of reasons, but one of my favorites is that it gives me the chance to truly learn about living with kids in every corner of the world. Practical advice and personal experience from real families are the best, made even better with pictures and local accents! As I mentioned to Laura this week, you just never know where you’ll want to move your family tomorrow. Perhaps to Bristol? It sure sound lovely. (And then there is the matter of Banksy, graffiti artist extraordinaire! How cool would it be to casually name-drop him as your neighbor?) I know you’re going to adore Laura and the Hall home, and I’m also pretty sure you’re going to love the company she keeps, known as Kid & Coe, especially if you’ve got little ones and despise traveling with all the gear they seem to accumulate! Welcome, Laura!
Q: Tell us all about your sweet family living in the UK!
A: Four of us live here. I’m Laura, the Communications Manager of Kid & Coe, traveler, magpie, and generally creative person. I’m joined by my husband Matt, an IT risk consultant by day (yawn!) but a dastardly food blogger and inventive cook by night (yum!). There’s also our bumptious three year old daughter Olivia, who loves to sing and read, often at the same time, and our four-year-old cat Sukie, who I rescued when she was just five weeks old. She’s lovely but thinks she’s a human most of the time.
Q: How did this house become your home? (And please tell us what it’s like to buy or rent in Bristol…just in case any of us are interested!)
A: We love our home so much! We bought it four years ago after living in a hip city center apartment, because we wanted to be near a park and to have a family in a lovely area. I got pregnant within a month of moving in. I have so many friends on this street and the next who all have three year olds. Who knows what they’re putting in the water!
One of the best things in my life was getting pregnant while living here. We live on top of a hill, and one day I was puffing up it, heavily pregnant, when a lady opened her door and invited me in for tea. She had a bunch of other mums from the street having tea in her garden, and just like that I was invited into the Richmond Street mums club! It’s lovely, and I really like that the vibe is like that round here.
… Teaching Kids About Money
By Amy Hackworth. Mason Jar Piggy Bank via Heritage Tree Soap Co.
When I was six or seven, my dad and I were at a favorite convenience store with the most enticing array of ice cream flavors and the best waffle cones. I can still smell them as they came off the iron. When I asked for an ice cream cone he said he didn’t have any money with him. No problem, I thought, and glibly suggested he just write a check, a proposal that practically begged for the “money doesn’t grow on trees” speech that followed.
Now that I’m a parent, I have a little more sympathy for my dad’s frustration. Teaching kids about money is no small task, and I love discussing great ideas and best practices. Years ago, Gabrielle’s sister Sara wrote a guest post about their family bank that inspired and motivated me, with great suggestions on breaking down earnings for giving, long term savings, short terms savings, and spending. I’ve thought about that post for years, and I’ve always gotten a kick out of the fact that the kids got a sucker with every trip to the family bank, since that was always my favorite part of a trip to the bank with my mom.
… DIY: Tissue Paper Bowls
Text and images by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
What is it about little bowls and containers? I’m drawn to them like a magnet. I set them on side tables and dressers. In bathrooms and living rooms. I use them collect bits and bobs — jewelry, safety pins, beads, crafts supplies, keys… And when I come up with a way to make them myself. Well. Suddenly I am compelled to make. all. the. bowls.
If you have a thing for bowls — or for pretty tissue paper — I think you’re going to really like this tissue paper bowls project.
You don’t need much to make this happen. Just tissue paper, white glue, a balloon or two and a brush. These tissue paper bowls are quick and easy and don’t require perfection. The hardest part is waiting for things to dry!
You can make your tissue paper bowls any size you want. Big or small, huge or tiny. Anything goes. And the colors are endless. Coordinate with your decor, the holiday party, or give a friend a set in their favorite colors. And you can make them lightweight and disposable, or more heavyweight, so you can keep them around awhile.
Ready to get started?
… Living With Kids: Elise Morris
By Gabrielle.
Elise Morris has a super cute son, so it’s kind of fitting that she has made him a home to match! It’s fresh, bright, rugged inside and out, and mostly uncluttered, except for beautiful treasures and fun bits, and airy enough to hold a young boy’s ideas. All of them. To add more cool to the mix, Elise is an artist. Her work is so soothing that I found myself zooming in for minutes on end at the art in her living room. (I think you will, too!) For some unknown reason, I couldn’t help but think that she must be a patient and wonderful mom to Jonah…simply from her brilliant use of color and talented brushstrokes! I’m sure there’s a connection, right? While we discuss that, let’s welcome Elise and her little guy. Enjoy the tour, Friends.
Q: Please tell us who makes this sweet house a home.
A: I live here in the Bay Area with my four-year-old son Jonah, two cats, and an involuntary bug collection that varies from day to day. I am a single mom with primary custody, and a full-time working artist. I am also a crazy project planner, organizer, and multi-tasker! Jonah is a very curious and suddenly talkative preschooler who keeps me on my toes.
Q: How did this home come to be yours?
A: After going through an unexpected divorce, I had to move out of our condo and sort everything out. Jonah was two years old. I wanted a fresh start, so I considered locations a bit further east where I already have some good friends. The goal was moving to an area where Jonah could have space to play and be able to attend good schools. I never would have pictured myself living in a suburb, but as it goes, having a child makes the priorities clear.
… Homesick Foods
By Gabrielle. Image by Katharina.
Well, hello. Here I am waving to you from Oakland, California!!
We made it. We arrived Monday night. My siblings and nephews (Jordan and Jared and Liz and Sara and Henry and Moses) met us at the airport (SFO) with cheers and a welcome sign. So fun!! My kids could not have been happier.
The Aunts hung out with all the kids (and the luggage + bags — 32 pieces total!), while my brother Jared took me and Ben Blair to rent a van. It’s a huge extended cab van that fits all our luggage. It’s kind of hilarious and awesome at the same time. We have felt like our very own tour group driving it around this week.
We got to the house at about 9:00 PM on Monday night. The sun set as we drove from the airport and we listened to a California mix Ralph had burned to a CD. The lights of the city and the bridges were spectacular. We were feeling a particular mix of satisfaction and expectation, of relief and excitement, and of exhaustion but general awe at this move. Everyone was happy.
The best thing we did to make these first couple of days in California smooth? We hired a wonderful assistant here in Oakland, named Jessica, to prep the house for us. We asked her to set up utilities in our name, and make an internet installation appointment. And we knew we’d be exhausted after our 20 hour traveling day and want to collapse immediately, so we asked Jessica to prep the beds, and fill the fridge with food. (Note: the house is currently furnished, but not with our belongings from Colorado. More on that when I introduce the house in a later post.)
When we arrived, the house was ready and welcoming. We spent some time exploring our new digs, brought in the luggage, oohed and aahed over the contents of the refrigerator, climbed into pjs, and fell asleep within minutes.
Long satisfied sigh.
For the grocery list we sent to Jessica, we asked the kids to name the foods they were craving most from America, and added a few basic staples. Friends, it was mostly junk food! But man oh man it was fun to chow down on so many old familiar favorites when we woke up the next day. Which, by the way, happened at about 3:00 AM California time. (Hah! Hello, Jet lag.)
There’s something so powerful and beautiful about familiar food. It felt like a celebration. Want to see what made the list?
… Living With Kids: Haeley Giambalvo
By Gabrielle.
This tour is a snapshot of sorts, because by the time I publish it the Giambalvos will be happily ensconced in their new Texas home. But for the past seven years, this Chicago condo has nurtured a young family. There’s been stellar skyline views, all the city noises and its rushed pace, and more than enough room for all the creative projects Haeley can imagine and bring to life. In short, it’s been one of those homes the family will remember. I love homes like that. Friends, meet Haeley and her family. Please enjoy the tour, and give them a wave as they make their way to Texas!
Q: Tell us about this Chicago family — and soon-to-be Texans!
A: The Giambalvos consist of my husband Ross, Stella (three years) and Hazel (23 months). Ross and I met while attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and spent several years on the East Coast before deciding to call Chicago our home shortly after we got married. We had no real reason to move here; we just thought it looked like an exciting city, and we weren’t disappointed!
I grew up in Nebraska, and Ross in Texas, so somehow Chicago felt a little closer to home. We were thrilled when we bought our first place: a three bedroom condo in the hipster neighborhood of Wicker Park with views of the Chicago skyline. Neither of us thought we’d have two kids here, but here we are seven years later. Stella and Hazel don’t know anything but the hustle and bustle of city life, which is so different than my experience as a child in small town Nebraska.
…