Oh my goodness. We’re really doing it. We found a house and sent off our contract and security deposit last night. So. It’s now officially official. WE’RE MOVING TO FRANCE! Next up: shopping for plane tickets. We’re aiming to move on February 1st. Which is just 6 short weeks away. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. …

Vive la France!Read More »

For Christmas, Olive has been working on custom leather patches for her siblings. She’s adding the patches to hats. She is halfway done with the project and I think they’re turning out really, really great! It’s been fun to see how easy it is to burn the leather. I can imagine making all sort of designs — initials, silhouettes or patterns — to create cool leather patches. Fun to embellish a wooly scarf or a totebag or even a baseball cap. [ UPDATE: Olive has finished the project, so I’ve added in more photos to this post. ] …

DIY: Custom Leather PatchesRead More »

May I tap into your wisdom and extensive craft experience? Please? Here’s what’s happening: For Betty’s Christmas Sibling Gifts, I thought bottle cap magnets would be just right. She would have a great time making them (she did!) and her brothers and sisters would be able to use them in their middle school lockers and on the family bulletin board, which is actually a magnet board, and on the fridge too. The project has been going along swimmingly. But now I’m stuck. Take a look. …

DIY: Bottlecap Magnet Fail?Read More »

Ben Blair is catching a plane this morning. He’ll be gone till Sunday night, which means we were determined to get the Christmas tree up last night so that the kids and I can decorate it this weekend. Putting up the tree is about a million times easier with 2 people helping, don’t you agree? Ours had been sitting in a bucket of water in the garage since Saturday. Ben Blair pulled it into the house and used our new saw — picked up at the hardware store specifically for this occasion — to cut off about 4 inches of trunk and a few lower branches. Then we put it into the water-filled-stand immediately. I’m hoping the fresh cut trunk will soak up water for many, many days and keep the tree looking and smelling wonderful through Christmas. (Our garage, by the way, happens to smell terrific now.) What about you? Have you already put your tree up? Do you prefer a fresh tree or pre-lit tree? (We use both.) …

Putting Up the Christmas TreeRead More »

The other day, I wrote about attempting to drill through glass and I finished up the project this weekend. I think it turned out beautifully — I love the idea of bottled light thanks to Christmas Lights in a bottle! These would be pretty by a wintery window or under an entry table. I like the way the gold paint makes the bottom of the bottles look misty and glow-y, even during the daytime. I’ve got a ton of images and DIY instructions below if you’d like to try this too. …

DIY: Christmas Lights in a BottleRead More »

Remember the lights in the wine bottle? That idea has been stuck in my head and I’ve dying to try something similar. But I was intimidated to drill through glass. I’ve never done it before! So of course, I stopped at my local hardware store to get the low-down on how it’s done (I adore my local store. It’s so easy to find someone to help.) I asked lots of questions. Do I need to buy a Dremel tool? How slow do I need to go? What drill bit is best? I was told I could use the drill I already own, but that I should add a drill bit made specifically for glass and tile. They told me not to go full power on the drill and that I should think about it like “carving away the glass” instead of drilling through. Very helpful imagery for me. So I gave it a try. Ben Blair took turns too. And it was a success! I used a 3/8″ bit — just right to fit a twinkle light through. I have a full DIY project in mind for this and will definitely share when I’m done, but in the meantime, I’m setting aside all the most-interesting bottles that come into our home. What about you? Have you ever drilled through glass or tile?

Friends! I’m so pleased to share our first gift DIY of the season. Maude made these fantastic monogrammed mugs over the weekend. Don’t they look terrific? The idea came when we saw these fun initial cups at Anthropologie and remembered our kitchen was lacking in hot cocoa mugs. We decided to create a whole set. It’s a very doable project. Inexpensive. Eco-friendly. And family-friendly too — these mugs are dishwasher safe. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. …

DIY: Monogram MugsRead More »

Some fun progress on our year in France. We heard back from the homeowners of a house that we are very interested in renting. I am trying hard not to get my hopes us — but the pictures are so charming that it has already captured my heart. Then, this morning the whole family arrived at the County Clerk’s office bright and early at 7:30. All six of the kids passports have officially been applied for — a major accomplishment involving mountains of paperwork and documents. Yay! I think we’ll have them in hand by Christmas. Which reminds me, do you know anyone near Argentan in Normandy? We are looking to hire an assistant to help us get settled during our first couple of weeks in France. We need someone that’s bilingual in French and English and knows the area well. They’ll be helping us do things like arrange for a car, find a tutor and a babysitter, and give us a tour of the area. If you’re interested, or know someone that would be perfect, please send me an email: gabrielle [at] designmom [dot] com. P.S. — Does all the talk about the Royal Wedding have you daydreaming about being a princess? Find French castles for sale here. This one has 90 bedrooms!

The topic of doing more with less is on my mind. Every time we’ve added a child to our family, my instinct is to clear out our space, to get rid of gear and simplify wherever possible. It probably has something to do with making mental space for this new person in my life. Last week, I was packing for our trip to San Jose and thinking about what I should bring for June’s meals — she’s still mostly nursing, but she’s also eating 3-4 meals a day of solids. At first I was thinking several bibs, 10+ jars of baby food, a bag of rice cereal, utensils and bowl for preparations, utensils for feeding, etc. But finally decided it was a short trip, to a town with every convenience, and that all I would need was a baby spoon. For breakfast, I found plain yogurt and oatmeal among the offerings and grabbed a ripe banana for when we were out and about. And I was able to find similarly soft foods wherever we were. During feedings, I kept a napkin handy to keep her clean and I was good to go. While I appreciate the helpfulness of things like bibs and lots of food choices when we’re at home, it was nice to be reminded that it didn’t take much to keep June happy and fed when we wanted to travel as light as possible. Another example that comes to mind? The giant table we built after moving to Colorado. It is the most used piece of furniture in our house. We use it for entertaining, for homework, for art projects, for sewing projects, for building things. And when we’re not using it, it does its duty as a piece of furniture that’s nice to look at and that compliments the space. What about you? What are your thoughts on doing more with less? What’s an item you have that you get the most use out of?

I talked about our Tool Kit remake yesterday, and today I’m going to cover our Car Kit. I’m a big car kit fan. I like to know I’m prepared for an emergency. In our old Eurovan we had an enormous trunk and I used the space to store a mid-size rubbermade bin with everything I could possibly need in a car kit. But these days, our trunk is tiny and I’ve had to pare it down to the bare minimum. If you’re interested in putting together a car kit, here is what has worked for our family — based on our own experience and advice from my local hardware store experts. (I’m not including tire changing tools because they typically come with the car.) For a Bare Minimum kit, we like to have: – jumper cables – first aid kit – headlamp — I much prefer a headlamp to a flashlight in our car kit, because if there’s a scenario where I’m going to need a flashlight, I’m probably also going to need my hands free – water bottle and a couple of granola bars – windshield wiper fluid — this often comes in a huge bottle, so you might want to decant a portion into something smaller – can of oil – windshield scraper (in winter) …

Car KitRead More »

Question: Hello Gabrielle. I have curly hair too and I’d love to hear your recommendations for hair products. Thanks, Angela. Answer: Thanks for your question, Angela! Great timing. Since I chopped my hair, I’ve had to change things up a bit. What’s working for me now: My hairdresser, Melissa, started taking curly hair classes from Deva — the people behind the Curly Girl book I’ve found so helpful. She’s now a curly hair expert and introduced me to the sulfate-free Deva Curl product line. I was skeptical, so I just purchased the sample kit to try it out. But I love it! It’s made a big difference in the quality of my curls and the reduction of my frizz. I use No Poo, One Condition, AnGel, and Mist-er Right. Another change, I started drying my hair with a t-shirt instead of a towel. Much less frizz. And totally free. And thirdly, the kind people at Liqwd sent me samples and I’ve been trying them out too. So far, I love what they do to my hair. Really great when I’m craving a blowout, and lovely for relaxing my curls if I want to wear them a little looser. I’ve used the hydrating shampoo, the hydrating conditioner and the smoothing catalyst. What about you, Dear Readers? Any new hair products you’re loving? P.S. —  Haircare products can be so pricey! My favorite drug-store conditioner is still Infusium — it’s super thick and does a great job of keeping my hair hydrated. P.P.S. — Want more curly hair talk? Try my posts here and here.

Question: With six kids, you must get lots of candy from trick-or-treating. I’m curious about your candy policies. Do you limit how much the kids can eat? Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you. — Candace Answer: Great question, Candace! That is certainly the topic on my mind this morning. I haven’t vetted this with a dentist (and you’re welcome to judge) but this is what usually happens at our house. 1) All the candy goes into one big shared pot. 2) We sort some of it by color (see above) because I can’t help myself. 3) I let the kids eat as much as they want for about 24 hours or so. At which point, they’re super sick of anything sweet and start craving salty/spicy foods, like warm soup and bread. 4) If there’s anything left (there usually isn’t) it gets tossed or frozen for another day. Basically, I like the candy over and done with as quickly as possible. What about you, Dear Readers? How do you handle your Halloween candy? P.S. — Stephanie has some great tips for Halloween candy here.

Question: Hi Design Mom. I am hoping you can help me. I am stuck for Christmas ideas for my 6 year old boy. Every year I buy too much, and only one or two things get played with. I would like to get him a few good presents, but I have no clue. I have been looking around for ideas, but nothing stand out. He is creative, he just started kindergarten and is eager to learn, and he loves cars! Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. — Tricia Hamilton Answer: Excellent question, Tricia. Anyone who celebrates Christmas is bound to fantasize about the ideal Christmas morning — fire in the fireplace, snow softly falling outside, and the perfect toys under the tree. But it’s easy for Christmas to get out of hand, with a pile of gifts that Junior just isn’t that interested in. In an attempt to reign in my shopping, early in our marriage I adopted my sister-in-law’s policy. At our house, Santa brings each child something to wear, something to read, and something to play with. And that’s it. There are other gifts from siblings and grandparents, but Santa just brings three. This has been a really helpful guide for me. I’m able to stay within budget and concentrate on finding something my child would really love. I realize you’re looking for specific gift ideas, not guidelines or policies, so I’d say, for any boy who loves cars, a matchbox car playmat is ideal. The one pictured here was handmade and shows the child’s actual neighborhood. Neat! What about you, Clever Readers? Do you have any gift ideas for Tricia? How do you keep Christmas gifts from getting out of hand?

Question: Dear Design Mom, We recently renovated a 100 year old dentist’s office in a small Indiana town for use as a second/weekend home. The house has a fabulous porch that is glass on three sides and brick on the fourth. We are planning to use this area as a room to host large dinner parties. For Thanksgiving, we need to seat around 23 people. My husband made two large tables using metal sawhorses and wooden boards. They look great! My problem is seating!! Every chair I see that has a style I love is way too expensive to purchase in such large numbers. Do you have any ideas of creative affordable seating?  I’d love to keep it around $20 – $30 dollars per person. The style is sort of eclectic industrial — if there is such a thing. Thanks! — Amy V. Answer: Wow, Amy! Sounds like Thanksgiving is going to fantastic. When I need a large number of chairs, I love renting them. In fact, the last time I arranged seating for Thanksgiving, I asked the rental place to show me their most vintage looking option and they brought out some beautifully aged wood and metal folding chairs (that they were sort of embarrassed about, but that I loved!), and I rented them for $2 each. They were even delivered and picked up for free. I know you’re looking for something to own, not to rent, but until you find those perfect chairs, renting might be a great option. As far as hunting down those perfect chairs go, I would suggest 3 things: 1) Call the oldest schools and churches in town and find out if they ever have surplus sales. 2) Watch ebay and craigslist like a hawk. 3) Speak with a couple of your favorite antique shops. Tell them what you’re looking for and the price range and quantity you’d like. When they’re on buying trips, they might spot the perfect chairs. Lastly, maybe you can take some inspiration from the haybale seating at this lovely backyard wedding. What about you, Dear Readers? Where would you hunt for “eclectic industrial” chairs?

Question: What do you (and your readers) think of coordinating costumes? I have 9 month old boy-girl twins, and I am having trouble deciding on whether they should have coordinating/matching costumes or totally separate.  Also, any ideas for costumes would be helpful as well! Thanks — Erika Answer: Thanks for your question, Erika! Can you believe it’s already time to start thinking Halloween costumes? Crazy. This is a fun topic, and I’m sure it all comes down to personal preference. At our house, we’ve had lots of fun coordinating costumes — especially when the kids were all teeny tiny. One year, Ralph and Maude were the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. I hired a seamstress to make the costumes because they were beyond my sewing skill level. The wolf was made of smoky grey faux fur. Little Red’s dress and hood were made from red silk — and lined with the same grey fur! It was the cutest thing ever. Another year, Ralph, Maude & Olive were The Three Bears (or Three Blairs). Ralph was Papa Bear. Maude was Mama Bear. Little baby Olive was Baby Bear. All 3 wore matching bear costumes I picked up online, but I altered them slightly. I added a necktie for Papa Bear and a hair bow for Mama Bear. It was a particularly chilly Halloween and I remember being grateful for cozy bear costumes. More recently, my kids coordinated costumes around a theme: Classic Halloween. Ralph was a mummy. Maude was Mrs. Frankenstein. Olive was a witch. Oscar was a werewolf (the Big Bad Wolf costume repurposed). And Betty was a Jack O’ Lantern. You can see photos here. On other years, we’ve had no coordination at all. What about you, Festive Readers? Do you like to coordinate Halloween costumes for your kids? Have you had any particular successes?

Question: I have a friend who is 25 weeks pregnant and stuck in a hospital on bed-rest until her babies are born. I was able to visit her in the hospital last week and she had all of the magazines, books and snacks a girl could ask for. I won’t be able to visit her again but I’d like to send her something that would make her feel at home or help her pass the time, or both!  Do you have an ideas for great bed-rest gifts? Thank you — Jill Answer: You’re a sweetheart to be thinking of your friend, Jill — bed rest can be so frustrating! Since she’s all stocked up on magazines and books, how about something to keep her hands busy? I like these Knifty Knitter Circle Looms (you can find the wood versions pictured above here). They’re easy peasy which makes them good for crafty or non-crafty people and you can use them to make really great scarves and winter hats. She could make some delicate little knit hats for the new babies! (I promise, they really are easy. Here’s a scarf my daughter Maude made with a circle loom when she was 8.) What about you, Brilliant Readers? What do you suggest for good bed rest gifts?

Question: We discovered a fun book called Chalk by Bill Thomson — it’s a picture book with no words. Do you or your readers have suggestions for other picture books that require the reader to invent the story? Thanks for your great site! — Andrea Answer: That’s such a fun question, Andrea! Books without words are great for all ages. One of the recent wordless favorites at our house is The Lion & the Mouse which I posted about a few weeks ago. We also love Zoom. What about you Dear Readers? What are your favorite wordless picture books?

Hello Friends! I really enjoyed this week. Ben Blair and I started each workday with a planning meeting and I felt like I was much more on top of my tasklist. A great feeling! Although. We also concluded that there is more work to be done than I can do, so I’m going to hire an assistant. Do you live in South Denver? Are you super organized? Do you love things like blogging and Twitter and Facebook? Send me an email at gabrielle@designmom.com and let’s chat. [Update: Thanks for all the assistant-related emails — you guys are the best! I will try to respond this week.] While I ponder what it will be like to have an assistant, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you: -Love this camera illustration. -A quirky and charming nursery — yellow shutters! –First salon visit — her expression is priceless. –That tent! -What do you think of this umbrella case? -Have you ever donated breastmilk? –Uncovering the path. –Miles away from everything. I write a daily post for Babble’s Family Style blog. Here are this week’s posts: -Would you rather receive flowers or an elephant? –Foxes are the new hedgehog. -Will this sweet wallet inspire your kids to save? –Shakespeare at your fingertips. –Sandwich puzzles? How cute! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already. Oh! I forgot to tell you. Next week is Ask Design Mom Week. I’ll be posting great reader questions every day. Put on your thinking caps, because I’ll need your brilliant answers!

Did I show you the bowl where we keep June’s pacifiers? It was a gift for June from our friend, David. It was accompanied by a charming letter that made me long to be a better writer. It’s a pretty bowl and I love the French menu that’s wrapped around it. In fact, it reminds me: On Saturday, we took care of the kids passport photos! I realize that is a tiny step toward possibly moving to France (it’s just the photos, my friends, not the actual passports), but hey, it’s something. Taking any small concrete action is my favorite way to kickstart a project. What about you? What do you do when you find a project on pause? What’s your favorite way to get things started again?

One of Ralph’s requests for his birthday was skinny ties. They are surprisingly hard to find — either too long or too expensive for a 13-year-old’s wardrobe. So a few weeks ago, I had an idea: I would buy some old fat ties at a thrift shop and take them to a tailor to have them altered. Brilliant, right? But then, of course, I forgot about the idea till 3 days before his birthday. At which point, I tried to rush and make it happen. I found 5 great ties at Goodwill and sped them to the tailor. There, I was told it would take 10 days and cost $37 each to skinny them up. Blech. But since I had the ties in hand, and since they only cost $1 each, I figured I’d try it myself. If I failed, oh well, a $5 failed project is not the end of the world. As it turns out, the first one ended up great (it’s the silvery striped one above)! So I took pictures while I remade tie number two — and now I can share the instructions with you, in case you’re curious. …

DIY: Skinny TiesRead More »