Street Food in India
By Koseli. Photo found here.
Did you know India has one of the largest street food cultures in the world? Daniel Klein spent a day eating his way through India, north to south (but covering only as much as possible in one day), and composed a fascinating film of the experience. It captures the vibrant colors, ingredients, and techniques behind a multitude of Indian dishes, but maybe more interesting, the people and way of life behind the food.
How do you like to eat when you’re traveling? Do you embrace local cuisine however it’s prepared and served, or are you a little more wary? Do you eat street food? Get Grilling
By Raleigh-Elizabeth. Grilled peaches the Bobby Flay way.
Does it get any better than summer? Popsicles, sprinklers, the beach. Lightening bugs, warm weather, drive-in movies. And, best of all, the greatest thing about summer: y’all, it’s time to start grilling!
From the very start of Spring, the smell of someone getting the grill going is enough to make an entire neighborhood salivate. And for good reason! There’s little as delicious as something thrown on the grill and served up with a healthy dose of sunshine. That said, I’ll confess that I grew up in a home where we considered it grilling season year-round, regardless of climate. I blame my dad: I think nothing of a grown man standing outside in a Cleveland, Ohio snowstorm armed with a plate of dinner-to-be and his trusty black Weber.
But maybe that’s just because what happens between a grill and its food is pure magic. Have you noticed? Is there anything better than a burger fresh from the grill? (Especially made with the help of Lindsey’s Secrets to a Perfect Burger!*) Or grilled corn on the cob? Maybe you like to get all fancy and do dessert on the grill too… nothing says summer dessert like grilled peaches served with cinnamon, honey, and greek yogurt or ice cream.
No matter what you’re grilling or where you are on the grill mastery scale (I tend to bring up the rear as a novice griller — I’ve got all the basics down, but the mastery is my husband’s forte. Novice griller, expert eater. Hey, we all have to start somewhere!), summer is the best time to get the hang of the grill and all that goes with it.
… French Schools: One More Report
By Gabrielle. Vintage French school book here.
Today is one of the first really warm days of the year (really warm in Normandy means low 70s : ) and we’re starting to think about summer. But alas! It’s not time yet. The school year here goes all the way through June!
So I thought it would be fun to share one more update about our educational experience in France, before the school year ends and we move back to the U.S.. And if you’re curious, here’s a link to earlier posts about French school. I’m going to try and cover topics I haven’t mentioned in earlier posts, and this time, most of the updates relate to middle school — because 3 of the kids, Ralph, Maude & Olive, are all in middle school.
– One thing that it took us awhile to realize: at our middle school and high school, called college and lycée, there are no substitute teachers. If the teacher can’t make it that day, they just don’t show up. The students will be in class, and if the teacher hasn’t shown up a few minutes in, the Class Delegate will go to the office to find out what’s up. If the office informs them the teacher is out for the day, the students will go to “perm” which is study time. (Fun fact: Oscar is his class delegate. He had to prepare a speech — in French, of course — on the voting day. So cute!)
… Rent The Life
By Gabrielle.
Have you ever dreamed of escaping your same old, same old and live like someone else for a while? (You’re not alone! I’ve been living in a farmhouse in France for the past three years!) Well, dreams come true. For a price.
If you could envision yourself as a lighthouse keeper eating all the lobsters in the Bay, the Rose Island Lighthouse might be for you. That would be one fantastic night light for your kids, right? Or if you want to completely unplug, try an Amish Immersion holiday. Craving a return to nature? A teepee and not much else in the way of conveniences — like bathrooms — is what you’ll find in New Hampshire. But for those of you who want a little more swagger in your summer, there’s this. Even P. Diddy would be jealous. (Is that what he’s called these days?)
Which one is tempting you? Living With Kids: Julie Sparrow Carson
By Gabrielle.
As anyone who is living with kids knows, smart storage is essential. It’s the difference between a quick clean-up at the end of the day, and exasperation and a lot of sighing. It’s the difference between a frustrated ten-minute hunt for winter boots when you’re already running late for school, and spending that ten minutes in a much more relaxed way. It’s the difference between cluttered and curated. It’s an intelligent design concept, but it’s also a brilliant way to live well with kids. It’s simply smart. Julie knows this, and executes it daily and stylishly with her cubby design. What’s so cute to me about it are the collections her kids keep inside! Like their own little Pinterest boards! Enjoy the tour, Friends. (And just you try not to get all sentimental when you read what Julie will miss most about living with her kids.)
Q: Please tell us who makes this house a home.
A: There are five of us now, and we have another baby on the way this fall. Gulp. Stella is seven, Cedar is five, and Jules is three. They have plenty of fun together, run pretty wild, and spend lots of time at home. Kevin is a scientist, and active on the Rocky Mountain Rescue team. He negotiates year-round for more hunting time, and wakes up with the kids every morning. I tend the home fires, and run Bundle, a franchised cloth diaper service and baby shop.
… When Trends Die
By Gabrielle.
How long do you hold on to a trend? Are you quick to move on and let go, or more of a hanger-on for dear life? I have to admit I still love the Keep Calm and Carry On slogan; I never get tired of it, no matter how many different iterations it undergoes! It’s a crisp design, a tireless font, and just plain positive message.
But I get it when people scream a little when it transgresses into Keep Calm and Grow A Moustache or Keep Calm and Be A Unicorn. One who eats macarons and dances Gangnam Style, perhaps!
Tell me what slogan or trend is wearing you out, which ones you’ll never give up, and what you think is the next big idea. (I hope it’s a sweet one!) Grown-up Lemonade Stand
By Koseli. Photos by Wai Ming Ng.
As I slip into a summer state of mind and replace my boots with sandals and light sweaters with t-shirts, I always notice a shift in my appetite. Instead of cooked dishes with heavier ingredients, I crave lighter, fresh food that’s cool and refreshing. And what represents summer more than lemonade? Ola Mirecka created a playful take on childhood dreams by creating this grown-up lemonade stand complete with handmade cups, simple signs, and beautifully designed lawn furniture.
What is the last time you paid a quarter and bought a cold glass of roadside lemonade? I think I have a new goal for the summer. The Perfect Gift: School House Gift Box
Images and text by Amy Christie for Design Mom.
The school year is ending and it’s time for last-day-of-school parties, and gifts for teachers, coaches, librarians and school bus drivers. I’m sure this (free!) printable school house gift box would be gladly received by any educator (or non-educator) on your thank you list!
Remember this house gift box from Christmastime? Well, this schoolhouse gift box is just as easy to construct — simply print, cut, fold, and secure with tape. Choose from the yellow or red school house, or use the white version and add tissue paper in your school colors. Then fill with treats or small gift!
By the way, Design Mom readers are just the best ever! It’s thanks to a reader suggestion this gift box came to be. (Thanks Fiona!) I love hearing from you with suggestions for projects and gift ideas you’d like to see.
Let’s get to making these cute things!
… Sofia Coppola
By Gabrielle. Photo by Jason Schmidt for T Magazine.
Sofia Coppola seems effortlessly cool. Timeless yet current. Serenely driven. And also, according to a recent interview, suspicious.
As she says to her interviewer and friend, Lee Radziwill, “I appreciate that you are a fellow suspicious person. I remember you saying that you are suspicious of people, which I am. It’s always nice when you become friends with someone who sees things in a similar way.”
I think I may have been born without the suspicious gene! But I’m super curious about it. For my more suspicious readers: Do you think it’s a trait from birth — we’ve all seen those babies who stare at you doubtfully from across a room, right?! — or is it a result of being surrounded by people or situations that made you so? You know… nature versus nurture. Also, is it a constant struggle for you (or your cautious kid) to trust someone? How or when do you finally let down your guard? Volunteering with Kids: Summer of Service
By Amy Hackworth. Vintage Brownie patches here.
It’s the beginning of June, and I’m planning plenty of fun for our boys and some great family get-aways during summer break. But, inspired by my friend Cristin, I’m also scheduling some time where we reach out to others and devote some of those lazy summer hours to service.
Last week my friend Cristin’s family kicked off their third annual “Summer of Service,” as a way to help her children understand the good they can do for others as volunteers. I’m amazed at all they accomplish in the ten weeks of summer, and inspired by what she’s teaching her family.
In the spring of 2011 Cristin and two friends were discussing ways to turn the tide of entitlement that seemed to be creeping up on their children’s attitudes. As they talked about helping their children develop empathy and understand their own daily luxuries, the idea for a “Summer of Service” was born.
… Book of the Week: Bluebird
Images and text by Carter.
There’s something extraordinarily engaging about a book with no words. And there’s just something plain old extraordinary about this particular one. Bluebird, by Bob Staake, is a story that will sweep you into a fierce friendship and shatter your heart into pieces when that friendship is tested. But before you turn the last page, that bursting heart of yours will get all patched up. It’s understated and overwhelming all at once.
Because there are no words, the story unfolds visually. The panels are jam packed with joy and surprise and simultaneously weave a gentle call for empathy. One boy, quiet and alone. One bird, insistent on friendship. It’s a tough story, but its truthful – and so, so beautiful.
P.S. – Tell me, do you have any favorite wordless picture books? Gabrielle and I are both big fans of this one by Jerry Pinkney, and I adore anything and everything by Barbara Lehman!
Hiring Help?
[ UPDATE: Voting is now closed. ]
Question: If you could hire someone to help you for the day, would you hire a driver, a house cleaner, a cook, or a babysitter? Click your pick above — I’d love to know!
A few weeks ago I posted a house tour that generated quite a few comments about hired help. Mostly, they implied that since the house was so orderly and beautiful, there must be a ton of hired help — and the tone of the comments sometimes hinted that hired help was a negative thing. I’m not sure if I’ve ever completely understood the strong reactions this topic can inspire. But I’d like to understand better.
In my day dreams, our household is run by Alice from The Brady Bunch. She lives at the house in her own little apartment, so she’s pretty much always available. And she knows the house so well that she doesn’t need instructions on where the books go, or which clothes belong in which bedroom, or when the fire alarm batteries need to be changed. She makes it her job to know. She’s not a nanny, but she can watch the kids in a pinch. And she can run errands as well. It’s a lovely day dream.
Personally, I’m a fan of getting help! I’ve hired help whenever we’ve needed it and had the budget for it. When we didn’t have the budget for it, I would make babysitting trades and even spring cleaning trades with friends and neighbors. Sometimes the help means a babysitter — currently, little June goes to a sitter twice a week. Sometimes the help means a full-on assistant — in Colorado, Melanie of You Are My Fave came to my house every morning to help run my business, which included a range of tasks from assisting with emails, to running errands, to helping make Halloween costumes. (She was amazing, by the way!) Sometimes the help means a house cleaner — during our last year in New York, a lovely woman came twice a month to give the house a good scrubbing.
But I have friends who are really uncomfortable getting help. Some think it’s a waste of money. Some feel guilty about getting help. Some saw their mothers do it alone, and want to model the same thing for their own kids. Some feel the house and the children are their responsibility — and they feel that getting help is shirking that responsibility.
And obviously, the whole conversation comes from a place of cultural tradition (and sometimes privilege too). In fact, like you, I’ve had friends move all over the world, and in certain countries, it’s expected that they will hire help. It would be rude to the local community if they didn’t.
What’s your take? Have you ever hired help? Do you have help now? Do you have a strong opinion on the subject either way? Height
By Gabrielle. Ruler height chart here.
It’s official. We measured last night, and Ralph Blair has passed me up in height.
My child is taller than me!
I suppose I knew this would happen. But it sort of crept up on me. And it’s kind of a novelty! So strange to know we no longer look like this. Or this. It makes me so curious about what the final height order will be once all my kids are done growing. I don’t remember exactly when I passed up my own mother in height — and I never caught up to my dad.
Height is a funny thing. I am average height at 5′ 6″, but I always thought of myself as tall. In fact, I had two taller-than-average friends in high school and I remember seeing myself in photos with them and being surprised I was shorter. Hah!
How about you? Are you taller than your mom or your dad? Or your brothers and sisters? Have your kids passed you up in height? Or do you expect them too?
P.S. — Growing up, my family had a doorjamb where we marked the kids’ heights. You too? But alas, with our own kids, we’ve moved often enough, we’ve never had a permanent home for our height marks. From Home Tour To HGTV
By Gabrielle.
Every time I hit publish on a Living With Kids home tour, I sigh with gratitude at the hard work and love that the contributors clearly put into them. And then I wish I could send them all two dozen French pastries to match their sweetness.
Well. Joanna Gaines got something even better than lemon tarts and pots de crème. After seeing the Gaines’ home here on Design Mom, a production company contacted Joanna. Fast forward a year and a lot of filming later, and HGTV is airing a pilot called Fixer Upper on May 23, at 7pm CST, starring Joanna and her husband, Chip! Isn’t that exciting?
I always end my tours with “If you’d like to share your own home with us, just send me a note! It’s a lot of fun…I promise!” See? I’m telling the truth! You just never know how much fun! Hooray, Gaines family!
P.S. – It’s never easy to see yourself on television (Do I really sound like that?!), but I am glad our French house hunting adventure and brand new French accents were recorded. 11 of the Best Designed Board Books
By Carter.
I love board books. Literacy for the littlest. Sturdy pages for stubby fingers. Visually spectacular to developing brains. I adore them so much that I have a growing collection, despite having zero kids in my house. But I obsess over my portable art, and these books are stunners. For this particular roundup, Gabrielle and I gathered some of the very coolest-looking board books out there — selections with a design or art angle. Think of them as board books for hipster babies. : ) I hope you’ll find some new treasures in this list for your tiny reader — or the perfect baby gift for your graphic-designer-best-friend.
1) Since board books are designed to be tactile (also chewed up and drooled on, dropped and kicked and loved hard), one inspired by a textiles designer makes perfect sense. Alexander Girard’s simple sophistication and playful patterns are a perfect match for this bright board book, Color. I love that the hues are not your usual primary colors – cyans and fuchsias, pale pinks and muted golds leap off the page, too.
2) A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na. The story here is just as soothing as the pictures. Both are lush and sweeping, but quiet — which sets the perfect tone for a nighttime (or nap time!) read. An alert owl details how other animals sleep – some are noisy, and some sleep standing up! They all snooze at night, but when the day rises, it’s the owl’s turn.
3) Picture This… by Alison Jay pairs singular words with paintings inspired by the American primitive style. But if you spend a little more time in the illustrations, it becomes much more than a simple language primer. Images featured on one page become hidden details on others, and their recurring cameos make this an extra engaging read. Also, note the subtle shift of the seasons as the book progresses. Really smart stuff packed into a really short read! Find more of Alison Jay’s beautiful board books here.
4) Another tip of the hat to the large world of tints and hues is Orla Kiely’s Colors. The concept of color is a popular one in these formative books, (and rightly so!) but this one especially dazzles. Perhaps it’s the fashion designer sensibilities at work, but the tones are especially striking. And it’s cloth bound, so it’s lovely to the touch.
… Taxidermy
By Gabrielle. Faux taxidermy available at Tillie & Tweedle.
After I posted a Living With Kids Home Tour that showed taxidermy in several of the photos, I received feedback that some readers were upset. One wrote: How can you teach kids to be free, respectful and caring when half your walls have cadavers? And: There is no style in cruelty. Another said: Once I see dead animals/animal parts used for decor, fake or real, the house no longer looks cool.
Those are strong reactions!
My take: I’ve never hunted, I’ve never owned a gun, I’ve never purchased taxidermy (fake or real) for my home. But. I grew up with hunters — in fact, one of my very best friends in high school, Jandi Jones, had her own gun cabinet. And my town had a school vacation built around the annual deer hunt. So I’m familiar with how taxidermy fits in to certain cultures. And when I encounter taxidermy, words like “cruel” and “cadavers” don’t come to mind for me, but obviously they do for others.
The topic brings up all sorts of questions for me, as I seek for a more nuanced understanding about how people feel. Are you someone that believes taxidermy is automatically cruel no matter what, even if the animal died of natural causes? Does it make a difference if the taxidermy was found at a thrift shop or garage sale? If you’re a meat eater (I am), can you even be against taxidermy? Or is that hypocritical? What about Natural History Museums that are full of examples of taxidermy — if you have strong feelings against taxidermy, do you feel that even in museums, taxidermy should be removed? And related, we posted about conflicted feelings overs fake fur last winter, and the comments were pretty mild. Does seeing fur trim on a sweater give you the same reaction as seeing a mounted set of antlers?
What’s your take? Do you have strong reactions to taxidermy when you encounter it in photos or in real life? Would you ever use taxidermy in your own decorating? Would you boycott a store that uses taxidermy in its displays? Do you feel fake (think cardboard or plastic) taxidermy is a fun alternative to the real thing? Or is it still a reference of cruelty for you? Any other thoughts on the subject? I’m so curious. Let’s discuss!
P.S. — For the Clue Party at January’s Alt Summit, the parlor was filled with taxidermy. I thought it was a bold entrance! Kayaking in the Fjords
I’m still going through the bazillion photos from our trip to Norway, but I’m impatient to share one of the trip highlights: Kayaking in the Fjords. As you may remember, a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Jordan and Liz zip-lining through the Redwoods. Well, the whole family was really inspired by their adventure and we’ve been craving an epic family playdate for ourselves.
Since I knew we had a trip to Norway on the schedule, I started searching out activities that would be amazing and that the whole family could participate in — which is sometimes tricky when the youngest is 2 (actually 3! she had her birthday on this trip) and the oldest is 15. Kayaking was perfect!
We weren’t sure when and where we would find kayaks during our stay, but in this case, flying by the seat of our pants worked out really well. On one night of our trip, we stayed in charming cabins that were right on a fjord in a tiny town called Aurland.
We knew we needed to catch a ferry at 3:00 the next day, but the morning was free for exploring. And luckily, there were kayaks to rent just down the road (just look for the “padling” sign). Fantastic!
… Living With Kids: DeNai Jones
By Gabrielle. Photography on location by Nancy Neil.
As soon as I learned I was pregnant with Ralph (or maybe it was Maude!), I started the search for the perfect diaper bag. It seemed very, very important at the time to choose the one that would convey the following messages: I have a new baby, I am stylish, and Even though I may look a little overwhelmed and as though I’m flying by the seat of my pants, look at my cool diaper bag. I am still stylish. Whatever I need to calm this baby is definitely inside this amazing diaper bag. My expectations were high!
Back then and ever since, the one bag that practically sang “I am still stylish!” from every boutique shelf was most likely a Petunia Pickle Bottom. An unforgettably playful name, bold designs I’d never seen used for a utility bag, and constructed so smartly in fabrics strong enough to withstand spit-up and park grime while chic enough to bring along on date night for three. Needless to say, I’ve been an admirer of DeNai Jones before I even knew she existed! Imagine my delight that she and her stunning home are decorating the front page of Design Mom today. Friends, meet the designer behind the brilliant Petunia Pickle Bottom. Welcome, DeNai!
Q: Please tell us who makes this house a home.
A: Come on in! We’re happy to have you. Alongside me are my husband Braden, who I’m lucky to say is also one of my business partners as Petunia Pickle Bottom’s CEO, and our two sons, Sutton (7) and Miller (5). We’re privileged to live in the seaside town of Ventura, California, just south of the Central Coast, close enough to L.A. to make use of the airport and just down the hill from Ojai.
My hope is that anybody who comes over feels at home in our house. I’ve tried to create a space that reflects our lifestyle as a beach-loving family who loves to travel, have friends and family over, and share good meals and conversation around the dinner table. The house was built in 1926 and is a classic California beach town bungalow that soaks up lots of natural light, has a good amount of sunny outdoor space, and is the perfect place for us to do our favorite things like playing hide n’ seek, doing arts and crafts projects, gardening, baking cookies, reading books in our hammock, and walking down to the beach or local Farmer’s Market. We’re lucky to have a climate and a home that allows us to live outdoors during most of the year, and keep the windows open to take in the ocean breeze.
… Living With Kids: Karin Katherine
By Gabrielle.
I gasped when I saw the first few photos of Karin‘s backyard. And then I gasped even louder when I learned that five kids live here. By the time I reached the part about all five kids being homeschooled in this wonderland, I finally remembered to cover my mouth! Which was a good thing, because the next shot was of the most gorgeous ceiling I’ve ever seen in a living room. Friends, when Karin says she’s addicted to the details, she is telling the truth. And, truth be told, I’m addicted to her details, too.
Make sure you tear your eyes away from the gorgeous photos and read her thoughts about being a mother and wife and home educator. They are equally gorgeous.
Q: Tell us who lives in this stunning home!
A: Welcome! I live in Sunny South Florida with my Road Warrior CEO husband, our five children (twin boys and three girls), four tortoises, five Koi fish, and a Labradoodle named Bunker. Our children are ages nine, nine, seven, five, and two, and we’re currently homeschooling them.
Before you ask, yes, they’ve always been homeschooled and no, I don’t know how long we will homeschool them. But right now, homeschooling works for our family and we love everything about it! In addition to being a home educator I am also a blogger, writer, and our family’s head party planner.
… Big & Small DIY: Wrapped Washer Necklaces
Images and text by Gina Vide for Design Mom. Edited by Amy Christie.
This side-by-side project is so simple, but at the same time, creates such a beautiful and meaningful piece for both Bigs and Smalls. Grownups, you can create a Mother’s Day necklace by wrapping one washer per child in a color/colors of your choosing. The disks can then be bound together to create a beautiful geometric necklace full of meaning.
For you Smalls, create a necklace with a wrapped washer, one for each year of your age, in whatever colors you like, and string them on a chain.
We’ve made these for a Mother’s Day gift, and made another set for ourselves — and we’ve been wearing them all the time!
In addition to Mother’s Day, the Small version would be a wonderful birthday tradition, don’t you think? Create the first necklace together and then, every year bind a new colorful disk and add it to your “small’s” necklace. The necklace would be a perfect gift for a friend too.
Let’s start creating!
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