When I was growing up, my father would always give flowers to his four daughters on Valentine’s Day (flowers for Mom too, of course!). Nothing fancy. Often just a single rose or carnation. But I loved it! It made me feel loved and acknowledged — especially during those years when I was longing for, but not receiving, a love note from a particular boy at school. I really like the idea of small, simple tokens of affection and I thought this series of 24 pretty projects would be perfect for anyone who wants to give a sweet nothing to her daughter this year. How about you? Did your parents ever give you Valentine gifts? P.S. — In case you’re curious, the brothers weren’t left out. My Mom would have a little box of chocolates or other tiny treat for each of them. : )

A few weeks ago, we discussed an article that made French mothers sound a bit monstrous. Well apparently, French parenting is a hot topic. On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal printed this article about how French parenting is better, and it’s so positive that it’s practically glowing. Here’s an excerpt: “When I asked French parents how they disciplined their children, it took them a few beats just to understand what I meant. “Ah, you mean how do we educate them?” they asked. “Discipline,” I soon realized, is a narrow, seldom-used notion that deals with punishment. Whereas “educating” (which has nothing to do with school) is something they imagined themselves to be doing all the time. One of the keys to this education is the simple act of learning how to wait. It is why the French babies I meet mostly sleep through the night from two or three months old. Their parents don’t pick them up the second they start crying, allowing the babies to learn how to fall back asleep. It is also why French toddlers will sit happily at a restaurant. Rather than snacking all day like American children, they mostly have to wait until mealtime to eat.” What do you think? Do you purposely and pointedly teach the ability-to-wait-nicely to your children? I can’t say I’ve been particularly good at it. But it does seem like such a valuable real-life skill! The article isn’t too long, but it definitely has me examining my parenting methods. I hope you have a few minutes to give it a read — I’d love to hear what you think of it. Do you agree French parents are better?

Nicole seems like she has endless amounts of patience. Rooms full, actually! Nearly every corner of her home is adorned with art she has created with her four young daughters, yet none of it looks messy or hastily made. Rather, it looks intentional, harmonious, and made with care. There is a difference, isn’t there? Anyone who has attempted a handmade décor knows it’s definitely a trick to execute, and Nicole does it very well. You’ll see. I hope you enjoy the interview and the inspiration! Q: Please tell us about the artists who live in this handmade home. A: I am Nicole Shiffler, mother of four lovely little ladies: Caroline (6), Johanna (4), Ainsleigh (2), and Annabelle (2). My husband, Bobby, is one outnumbered man in a home where dolls and tutus can be found strewn across every room. I am a stay-at-home, blogging, homeschooling, want-to-be artist who knows very well the privilege of me-time. I absolutely love creating with my children and for my home. It is a stress-relieving, gratifying, incredible process to create. It is even more so when I can share it with my children. …

Living With Kids: Nicole ShifflerRead More »

Image from my instagram stream. I’m @designmomblog if you want to join me. Wow. We had a real snow storm! We hear it’s very uncommon for this part of the country, but we think it’s a treat. You may remember, we live in a very rural area, so you can imagine the country roads piled with snow. We didn’t even attempt to drive the kids to school today — I’m 100% sure we would have slid into a ditch! Instead, we have a roaring fire going, and the kids are building snowforts in the garden, while I type away at my laptop. Not bad for a Monday. I hope your week is off to a great start as well!

I’ve been living with the assumption that Swedish homes are born crisp and gorgeous, but the effortlessly stylish Johanna might disagree just a little. She and her husband are midway through a home renovation with two busy daughters, yet she somehow makes it seem far less stressful and much more of a joyful, organic process not to be rushed. So many of us have probably found ourselves in the middle of something messy and wishing for a fast-forward option, haven’t we? But as Johanna sweetly reminds us, some of the happiest moments exist in the right now. Regardless of the mess or little girls standing on desks! Please enjoy the tour. Q: Who are the lucky ones who live in this bright home? A: I’d love to introduce my family! I’m Johanna, and I’m a designer at Tretorn. My husband, Andreas, is a 3-D artist. Our daughters are Lillo, age five, and Elsa, who is one-and-a-half years old. We love hanging around in this house and our garden, spending time with friends and family. …

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Guess what. Remember the little car from our holiday photoshoot? Well, Ben Blair bought it! Apparently the seller lowered the price (it was already a bargain!), and he couldn’t resist. Even without the wreath, it’s so charming I can hardly stand it. I hope we can figure out how to get it back to the States — I’d love to see Ralph drive it when he’s old enough — and if not, at least we’ll get to enjoy it while we’re here! I always love perfectly imperfect vintage cars. They have small price tags, big personality and don’t feel precious — so you don’t have to overly protect them or keep the kids away. So fun! P.S. — These images were shot by Wendy of Blue Lily.

  This is one of those tours where the homeowner didn’t contact me; her super-talented photographer friend did, describing Joanna Gaines’ home in Waco, Texas as kid-friendly and fabulous even with four little ones running around it all day and all night! The black, white, and sandy shades are softly stunning together, aren’t they? And I love how she has incorporated lots of open, clutter-free spaces for chasing games, and more than enough soft corners upon which to land. That’s really all a kid needs to have fun, don’t you think? Well, that…and a few chalkboards! Please enjoy the Gaines’ home tour. Q: Who’s lucky enough to live in this home? A: Me, my husband Chip, and my four sweet children: Drake (6), Ella Rose (5), Duke (3), and Emmie Kay (2). …

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Friends. I can hardly believe it. I signed a book deal! Hooray!! I’m crazy happy about it. I’ve signed with Artisan Books. They’re the publishing house responsible for the super successful Design*Sponge at Home. As soon as Alt Summit is over, I’ll be busy researching and writing and working toward a deadline. Makes me feel author-y just saying that. : ) I’m so excited, so flattered, and mostly, so intimidated. Internet high-fives all around! Image by Sadie Harris.

This article about French mothers has me thinking about the ways different cultures parent. Things like, they say French parents are strict, but I know they are wonderful about teaching table manners. My sister told us she was in awe when she visited a Paris pre-school and saw 2 year olds eating bananas — they peeled them without assistance, carefully sliced them with knives and forks, then ate each slice, also with their forks. At age 2! Or how about Sweden, where there’s a focus on children spending time outside. I was blown away when I learned there are preschools held entirely out-of-doors! Then of course, there are my English friends, who talk about how commonplace the idea of boarding school is. But I don’t personally know a single American family that sends their kids to boarding school. My brain can hardly wrap itself around the concept. Another example has been on my mind all week. Our daughter Olive, age 10, attends a French public school and is on a school field trip. She left on Saturday morning, and won’t be back until Friday night. A one-week school trip! They are at a ski resort 9 hours away. Can you imagine? Our other kids have never done anything like this at her age, but here, no one seems to think it’s extraordinary at all. Please share. What parenting styles and techniques from other cultures would you like to copy? Have you ever changed your parenting style when you moved to a new state, or to another country? P.S. — The article also has me irritated because it makes French mothers sound so mean. I’ve spent time around lots of French mothers this past year and have seen nothing but the typical, compassionate, in-love-with-my-kids mothering that you can find the world over.  

I loved reading your drugstore beauty picks last week and as promised, today I thought I’d share some of my favorites from French drugstores. (I think I mentioned earlier that I’ve slowly been working my way through Gwyneth Paltrow’s list of recommendations.) First up: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse I love this product! I think it will become a staple on my bathroom shelf. It’s made for hair, skin, face and hands, and I use it on all of those. How I Use It: I mix in a few sprays with my other hair products to keep my curls soft. I have to keep it away from my roots or my scalp gets too oily, but it’s amazing on the rest of my hair. It’s a little heavier than what I prefer on my face, but if I’m having a really dry day, I like it. Plus, if I’ve applied my blush with a heavy hand, it’s perfect for smoothing it out so I don’t look like a clown. When I use it as body moisturizer (best: right out of the shower), Ben Blair always comments because the scent is light and really pretty and the oil makes my skin glow. …

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Before the week flies by, I wanted to give you a little report about our past weekend. We were so happy to be invited by our neighbor, Madame Lucienne, for a King Cake gathering. I’m not totally sure about all the traditions surrounding this cake (if you know, please do fill us in), but this is what I understand. Each January, as part of the Epiphany/Three Kings Day/New Years celebrations, friends and neighbors are invited for cake. Baked in the cake is a “bean”, but really the bean is a tiny toy or figure. The cake is sliced and served. Someone at the table discovers the bean, and that person is crowned. Tradition says the bean finder will also have good luck all year. (My kind of tradition!) Maude was the lucky bean finder at Saturday’s gathering. She found the tiny ceramic King above. Betty was broken-hearted when the crown appeared and she realized it wasn’t for her, so Maude kindly shared. She’s a good sister. If you visit any bakery in France right now, you’ll see King Cakes for sale with paper crowns on top. So fun! P.S. — Less fun: my panic-ed moment at the party, when I was chatting with the hostess and realized I was about to throw up. And throw up I did. So embarrassing. I’m still cringing at the memory.

Rachel Peters is a storyteller, through and through. When she first sent me a note about her home, I fell head-over-heels in love with its story before I even saw one photo. She also seems more than a little brave; Rachel and her husband starting building their house when she was very pregnant with her second child, and moved in while she was pregnant with her third. “It’s good to move pregnant,” she wrote to me. “Lots of people offer to help.” I do like her style, don’t you? Please enjoy the tour of the Peters’ storybook home. Q: Who’s lucky enough to live in this home? A: There is basically always a party in our home, and it’s mostly because of the inhabitants. My husband, Andrew (AP), and I built this house, and moved in on May 4th, 2011, the day before our oldest daughter turned three. Cana, our three year old, is the official home tour guide. When you come visit for the first time, she welcomes you by presenting a single lit candle and singing “Happy Birthday” no matter what day it is, an idea she had to make all our guests feel celebrated. Our perpetually muddy son, Wake, is 18 months old, and our newest addition is Wren. She’s three months old, and at that durable baby stage that I can’t get enough of. …

Living With Kids: Rachel PetersRead More »

Have I told you our plans? For the last several months, we have been thinking about what’s next for our family. After approximately 1 million discussions, we decided that if possible, we’d really like to extend our time here through the school year. The kids’ French is rapidly improving, and we’d love to give them another 6 months to work on it. Plus, we’re toying with the idea of buying and restoring a tiny cottage here in the countryside. So instead of returning to the U.S. on February 1st, which was our original plan, we’re making plans to return on July 1st. In fact, this morning, Ben Blair is at the local government office where they handle visas. We currently have visitor visas that allow us to remain in France for 1-year. They expire at the end of this month. So we are in the process of trying to extend them. Extending them basically mean reapplying — a process very similar to the original application, minus the trip to Los Angeles. We’re really excited about the revised plan. At some point, we realized just how much prep was required to get our stuff into storage, pack our bags, find a place to stay, register the kids for school and move here. I suppose it makes sense to extend our stay, and make the most of all that prep work. I remember many readers guessing we would feel that way — that 1 year wasn’t enough. And they were right! (Design Mom Readers always know best. : ) Wish us luck on the reapplication! I’ll be sure to keep you updated on how it all goes. P.S. — I’m in love with this adorable new site called Lately Lily. It will make you want to discover new places with your kids!

In case you’re curious, here’s a little report on our roadtrip to Germany (via a Belgium waffle tour). Our destination was Cologne. Fun fact: in German the city is called Köln. Which reminds me, do you remember that phase, I think it was the early nineties, where hip new startups would add two dots over any random vowel in their company name because those two dots are so darn cool? I’m glad that phase is over, but I still think the two dots are awesome. For this report, I think I’ll start backwards. The very last thing we did, before we jumped in the van to drive home, was add a lock to the the Hohenzollern bridge, which spans the river Rhine. From what I understand, the locks are for lovers. They scratch their names into the locks (or have them engraved) and then add the lock to the bridge. But we adapted the tradition for our family, since all the kids wanted in on it too. Ben Blair scratched a B into our little red lock. Then we each took turns holding the lock and making a wish for 2012. Then we attached it to the bridge. And then, since we’re no good at secrets, on the drive home, every one shared their wishes. : ) We all felt like it was a wonderful way to mark the new year. …

Cologne, GermanyRead More »

To me, Denmark means Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair, and a whole lot of people happy to be living in one of the happiest countries in the world according to Forbes nearly every year. So it should come as no surprise that Mia-Louise is happily designing and illustrating the most darling collection of whimsical prints, memorable textiles, and even covetable lingerie in a corner of Copenhagen. There must be a little magic in the water! In between running MisseMai Prints, she and her husband, Mark, are also raising a little guy named Herbert and waiting anxiously for the April arrival of their already-named son, Huxi. Welcome to their home. It’s quite a lovely mix of calm and graphically-charged elements, don’t you think? …

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Ben Blair has the week off work, so Sunday night, we planned a last-minute roadtrip to Germany. Roadtrip FTW! It’s a long-ish drive, so we decided to break it up with a Waffle Tour through Belgium yesterday. We started in Bruges with chocolate waffles. Stopped in Brussels for strawberry waffles. And tried Liege waffels in Liege. (Liege waffles are denser and have a sugary coating. Sometimes we’ve found them at Whole Foods, if you’d like to try them yourself.) The drive ended in Cologne, Germany where we woke up this morning. And now, we’re off to explore… I hope your Winter Break is going swimmingly. Are you traveling? Spending time with cousins? Skiing? Having a laid-back week at home? I’d love to hear! P.S. — Here are lots more images of Waffle Tour 2011 if you’d like to see: [portfolio_slideshow]

Hello, Friends! How are you? Are you ready for this weekend? Last weekend, the amazing Wendy of Blue Lily Photography came to our home here in Normandy, and we did the funnest family photo shoot. And today I have pictures to share! I’m so excited!! Ben Blair and I found a little vintage car to rent for the shoot, put everybody in their Christmas finery and set out on a country road near our home. Then, Wendy worked her magic. And I LOVE how the pictures turned out!! I’ve included 10 of my favorites here. While I grin and grin at that cute car (and those cute kids!), here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you: – Christmas isn’t Christmas without a reading of Six to Eight Black Men. – Love this Kirtsy slideshow. Am I the last to know about glass straws? – Gingerbread trees. – My picks for frame-worthy calendars. – Hot pink. – This talk blew my mind. – Thank you, Disney! – Instead of bows. I also write for Babble. Here are this week’s posts: – Ready for New Year’s? Here are 25 sparkly pieces to inspire your party outfit. – What’s the cleverest holiday card you received this year? – Made of 100% wool with interchangeable clothes. So cute. – Decoration that will make you want to party! – A gorgeous new online magazine all about entertaining. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and Merry Christmas! I’ll mostly be off next week but will definitely check in with a post or two. I’ll meet you back here soon. I miss you already! kisses, Gabrielle P.S. — Don’t stress, it’s all staged, I promise! We didn’t really drive around town with the kids on the car. : ) See the photos in bigger sizes here.

The weather is pretty cold in Ohio during these winter months, but there’s lovely warmth glowing from inside the Diersing home. Just look. It’s in the paint colors, scattered around randomly among the collections, and boldly hanging on the walls. This is a family who makes things and makes them beautifully, but I think what they’re making most of all are memories. Beautifully. Enjoy the tour! Q: Who’s lucky enough to live in this home? A: This house is home to my husband, Brian, myself, our daughter, Livi, and two felines, Eli and Lucy. We live in Cincinnati, Ohio. My husband and I are both designers and were born and raised here. We interned in Boston during college, and then moved to Los Angeles after graduation. We lived there nine years, and then returned to our roots eight years ago to be closer to our families and start our own. …

Living With Kids: Jamie DiersingRead More »

Today, our family was discussing some of the observations we’ve made about Christmas in France and I thought you might be curious. Plus, I wanted a good excuse to to share some photos of our ornaments. : ) – December 1st was the first day I saw real Christmas Trees for sale. Corner tree lots don’t really exist. Instead, you can find them inside the big grocery stores, under a big tent in the grocery store parking lot, or at a Nursery. …

Christmas in FranceRead More »

Friends! Look what I found in the barn. A box of old metals stencils in two different sizes. Plus some sort of metal flower that I am in love with. Treasure! I know just what to do with the stencils — hang them on our tree! I’ll add silver cords and temporarily turn them into a set of French Industrial Christmas Ornaments. Can’t wait to share pics! Also. Now I’m curious: what’s the most un-traditional ornament you hang? P.S. — More industrial love here and here.