Happy Labor Day.....It's Picnic Time

Going on a hike and picnic this weekend...enjoying the end of summer and some time with the hubby and friends. First to the farmers market and then, on our hike. 

On our menu, Mozzarella, Basil and Heirloom tomato sandwiches, peaches, lemonade and some fabulous chocolate chip cookies.

Hope you have a GREAT Labor Day with family and friends.

Picture Courtesy of Skonahem

XO

Mary McDonald

Flipping through some old magazines and on line home sites...Continuing to build ideas for our dream home. 

Love the work of Mary McDonald and this living room....The ceiling is great, love all of the seating  and the eating area as part of a family room or kitchen ( who really needs a dining room anymore )AND all of the books..May have to lose some of the formal elements to survive a house full of kids !

Nie Nie Day

So excited to be participating in Nie Nie Day...We are thrilled to be auctioning off some of my favorite things from our kids stores...( my husband and I started the company with a dear friend, and we design all of the product ourselves! )

Since Stephanie is an incredible inspiration and role model to me as a person, mother and wife, I thought it appropriate to focus our auction on children!

Thank you for stopping by..PLEASE let me know if you have any questions, I want to make sure this is a success!

Auction ends SUNDAY night...with the Goal of raising as MUCH as possible..Thank you to everyone for participating!

Sargent Fletcher Girls

This adorable outfit is perfect for the early days of fall ( and was just in C magazine! )

These styles come size 2-10. If you win, I will contact you to find out what size you are interested in. Please feel free to bid for any one item, or all!

Surf Royalty Girls

For your little surfer..Perfect for fall days in the park or if lucky on the beach!!

These come in sizes 2-10. If you win, I will contact you and find out what size you would like. Feel free to bid on all items or any one!
Fleur Des Champs

For your little princess, this charming ensemble is great for making mudpies or the first days of school! We can send this in any size from 2-10. If you win, I will contact you and ask the size you want.

Feel free to bid for any one item, or all!

Sargent Fletcher Boys

For your small mr. adventure...Perfect pieces for Fall. We can send this in any size 2-10.

If you win, I will contact you to find out the size!

Feel Free to bid on all, or any one item
Surf Royalty Boys

A Fantastic outfit for the little surfer in your life..

We can send this for any age 2-10...if you win, I will contact you to ask for the size!

Feel Free to bid on all, or any one item.

Pippi Longtocking

My all time favorite...Pippi with illustrations by Lauren Child. This book ( which I have not seen in many places ) is the perfect gift for a young girl! The adventures of Pippi are fantastic and this is a totally treasure

Ella the Elegant Elephant

A story of a lovely elephant who does not quite fit in...in the end, everyone comes to love her..

I'll be you and you be me..

A classic lovely story with a thoughtful message and beautiful illustrations..

Perhaps a bid for all the books is the perfect gift !

Hubert Horatio

This fantastic story has kept our children silent before bedtime...A favorite from Lauren Child, a story of a young boy whose parents have a lot of...money...when they lose it all, he is quick to figure out what really matters AND makes them happy. The illustrations are fantastic..

Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child

This fantastic book is a wonderful story AND the illustration are VERY much in The style of Nie Nie....Amazing fabric and wallpaper prints have been turned into fabulous fashions....

Like a Bike. This amazing bike allows children to be their own drivers....teaching them balance and allowing them to pedal and stop with their legs ( think Fred Flinstone!!)

Our youngest started on this at 3, and never used training weels!

It retails for $ 285!

Our family's thoughts and prayers are with Stephanie, Christian, their four children and all of their loving family and friends.

Thank you to Gabrielle for making today a reality and for allowing us all to come together to help in anyway we can.

Yoga Today

For me, the back to school season is for some reason to me, the real start of a new year. 

Not into resolutions that much, but do love the opportunity to get organized, think about the new schedule, clean out the closets..ok you get the picture. 

That takes us to todays topic,  Yoga Today. I am sure many of you know about it already, but in case you don't OR have not signed up yet this is simply a friendly reminder. We all know the benefits of a yoga practice and knowing you can do it at home and it is FREE makes it a bit too good to be true. 

How I love the idea of Yoga, a few days a week, at home and at whatever time works into my schedule. What a brilliant concept!!!  Last but not least, it is shot in Jackson Hole, one of my favorite places in the WORLD....

Really  not much more to say, except as usual, I am now masterfully creating a great plan that has been doing downward dogs in the early morning hours before the kids or the rest of the world wakes us. Lets see how I do.

Liquid Light Fabien Baron

I have always loved the work of Fabien Baron...He was the creative director when Liz Telberis was redesigning Harpers Bazaar and their collaboration brought the magazine back to such an elegant and simple place. 

Reading the New York Times Style Section this Sunday, I was intrigued by Liquid Light his book coming out in September. The picture of him, going out at 4 am in the morning to capture the morning light and the ocean view is such a wonderful vision. The solitude, the peaceful space, the dedication to his study and craft and the connection to the outdoors is such an amazing way to start the day. I start to think of welcoming the day, and truly watching it unfold. There is something magical about that.

As a fan of his work and beautiful photography, I can not wait to see this book later this year. 

If interested, sign up to be notified when it comes out...

Nie Nie Day-Thank you Gabrielle

I wanted to make sure as many people as possible knew about and could participate in Nie Nie day which Gabrielle from Design Mom shared with us yesterday. If we can all spread the word, participate in some way it would make a huge impact on Stephanie, Christian and their amazing children and family. Stephanie, for those who don't know her ( though I can't believe that could be the case ) has an amazing blog in which she shares her love for life, her husband and children and makes us all want to be a more loving, kind, adventures, connected person. She, her husband and pilot were in a serious private plane crash last weekend. Their flight instructor died and both Stephanie and Christian are in very serious condition, with a long recovery ahead.

Back to how to help.

I too have been reading  Stephanie's sisters Janes updates wanting to hear updates, news of progress and to know how any of us can help. Thank you to Lauren Beatty who suggested the idea to Gabrielle. 

So take a look at Gabrielle's post, so you know how easy it is to get involved.

Cookie Magazine

Ok...First an order from Barneys and now we are in Cookie Magazine..Alright, it is just one T shirt, but its a start. For someone who has spent 20 plus years in retail, the idea of your products being sold at Barneys ( check it out this Fall ) and showing up in the pages of one of your favorite magazines, is pretty cool.

Starting up a business is really hard work. I had no idea how hard and yet how incredibly rewarding it would be. You truly never stop, and most importantly, never settle.
That is why we truly appreciate EVERYONE who has helped, recognized and connected with our work. You give us tremendous support and we are really grateful. 

Chapter Two The thoughtful Blogger

I am beginning to notice a few themes seem to come to mind when I sit down in front of the computer each morning. First, I think about this blogging world, and it is truly an online journal..A place to hold and share things that inspire, a place to give thanks and reflect and a place to pause and connect with some of the amazing experiences in life. 

So interesting to me that years ago ( and for quite some time ) I was more interested in the art of the aquisition. Thinking that something was going to add to or change who I was, how I looked or felt. Don't get me wrong, a great shoe or bag is always nice to have, but I realize now how little I want or need...

What I do have and am thankful for is an amazing family, a loving and insightful husband, a desire to grow and develop, the opportunity to meet some fantastic people, an appreciation for beauty, a mind to inspire and a desire to give thanks, a love of travel and exploration of the world around us and a need for creativity.

As I think more about all that is in my mind, it comes to me that some themes for regular blogging would be fun. With some other ideas that come to mind, I can easily incorporate them into the list below! Stay tuned, I promise it will be fun..

 

*Giving Thanks { self explanatory-see yesterdays post! }

*Family Life { musings and learnings from day to day }

*The Great House Caper { As a current renter, and hopeful homeowner to be in a few years }

saving up ideas for what our dream house may look like...There are SOOO many great ideas large and small. 

*Fabulous Finds { Can be anything, though these days seems to have a bit of a low budget theme! }

*Great Escapes { Fabulous outings, trips and dream getaways }

*Meet & Greet { Amazing people met along the way }

*Art of the Start { Life in a start up }

Amy Keroes & Mommy trackd

One of the best things about starting a company is the people you get to meet and work with. 

Starting a business is so much hard AND so much more rewarding then I ever thought. 

I would not trade it for anything...I want to start posting a bit more on the amazing people that I have gotten to meet and work with...So many people come to mind..This week, Amy Keroes from Mommy Trackd. Stayed tuned, this will be fun. 

Ok, back to Amy and her amazing website..Mommy trackd

Amy and I met and worked together briefly back at The Gap, in the late 90s. While we did not really get to know each other then, there were so many people who I adored that knew her well. I was thrilled when our partner Tina called her late last fall..When we had the chance to meet near our store in Corte Madera I could not believe her energy, passion and honesty and wanted to sit and spend the afternoon talking and listening. 

As someone who slowly transitioned out of the corporate world after having kids, and building her website and then plunged into her own business venture she was so full of energy, insights and most of all support. Her direct style and ability to laugh and learn from everything immediately drew me to her. As women who were all struggling with the same challenges, focusing on family, learning about motherhood, finding our way towards a work life that had meaning, connecting and mentoring other women we all had a lot in common. 

Which brings me to today. Amy, our friend Nancy at Chronicle books ( another intro that Amy was kind enough to make ) and we are having a fun fall event...the goal-to help support each others business and to help spread the word about what each of us are doing. 

With a shared vision and focus on parenting, mothering, balancing, learning and laughing we came together with some simple and fun events for fall...

To Amy, many many thanks for making this a reality and for the support and guidance...

To Nancy, we so appreciate your passion and support-stick with us, it will be a fun journey. 

To all of you, check it out, sign up and best of luck and don't forget to come join us at one of our events!

We will be posting the event details once within the week!

Annechovie

Just ordered a few prints for our daughters room from Annechovie. Loving  her work and blog. 

Picture a simple room,  twin beds for sleepovers, a patterned carpet OR fantastic wallpaper and these great quotes. Since she is eight, a bit stubborn and stylish-I thought this was the perfect way to subtly let her know what was really important..

A simple message that has so much style. Love these in an office or workspace as well!

Annechovie has such a great eye, sense of style and is always is introducing other interesting artists, decorators and designers. Many thanks!

Prayers and Thanks

Sitting here this morning, thinking about how precious life is. 

Last night I read that Stephanie Nielson and her husband were in a serious plane crash and are in critical condition in the hospital. My thoughts and prayers are with she and her husband, their 4 children and all of their family and friends. The love and strength of all of us will help them through this really difficult time. 

I was talking with my husband last night, and was amazed at how deeply I was effected by the news.

Stephanie is one of those incredibly positive, energetic people who has a love for her family and life that is unbelievable. The honesty, and simplicity by which they live is an inspiration and I am grateful to her for the way she lives and shares her life. 

This morning, reading Gabrielle's post at Design Mom, I realized that I too want to send my thoughts and prayers to her family. You are in our hearts.

Muji Love

How much do I love Muji? 

When I saw this adorable bear ( and his friend the elephant and rabbit ) I could not help but think about how cute this would look in a simple neutral nursery...Imagine khaki walls, a linen rocker and some amazing prints or books...With all of these animals lined up on a shelf, OR sitting on the rocker or window seat, these would add such personality to a room. 

At this price, you should get them all!

How do I love thee?

Love this image courtesy of Petunia. 

Her casual style and simple posts are so inspiring. 

How much fun to do this in an office, kids room or for a friend.

Design Mom Thanks

A huge thank you to Gabrielle at Design Mom. 

She posted about us last Friday and we  were SOO excited and just wanted to say thank you and celebrate.

As a favorite Blogger, and someone that I follow, it was such a great surprise ( and honor to see the post )

Check it out and let her know what you think!

Picture Perfect

I was reading the Sunday paper yesterday and the article about Patti Smith's new film caught my eye. The imagery looks amazing and the picture that ran with it was simple and spectacular. Part of the launch includes a book with some amazing photographs..The image of the Polaroid 250 Land Camera caught my eye, and I started thinking more about the beauty of Polaroid images. There is a serene and simple quality to these images and a sense of nostalgia that can't be easily replicated. 

( The film release is scheduled for mid October )

On now to ebay to search for our own Polaroid Land Camera.

Its a Dogs Life

Our daughter is so excited about the prospect of getting a dog...and part of the request is that it sleeps in her room...No immediate plans, but when we do expand our family, this looks like the perfect dog bed for her room from Cath Kitson...This can be in addition to a simpler one somewhere else in the house ! 

I can't believe how much I am loving pattern these days-wallpaper, rugs, patterned furniture. 

Suzy Hoodless

Reading through some of my favorite blogs in the early hours of the day ( when all is quiet at home ) a click on a few links lead me to a fantastic interior designer and stylist in London. 

There were a few images I could not resist as they made me dream about elements I hope we can include in our future home..

This one, a table for 14 made me think of dinners with the kids and their friends, our extended families getting together, friends gathered around the table for casual food and great conversation, game night, homework and a creative work space, and the notion that all are welcome. 

Suzy, thank you for the inspiration !

Inspiration

Starting to work on our new line for Spring 09. 

Came across this gorgeous photo..and love everything about it. 

So glad that someone held onto these beautiful chairs for so long, 

they truly did get better with age.