fawn&forest

Nope. Not an I-O-U... but a gift card. Of course! A fawn&forest electronic gift card.

Click here, fill out the information, add to your cart, enter your digits + a sweet email containing good news will instantly be sent to your loved one. 

Happy merriment for all.

Just in time: printable wrapping paper from Karen of Olli & Lime. You know the awesome Olli & Lime George pattern (like this?)... well it's all yours to color in (or print on colored paper) and make into giftwrap or a gift tags! Hooray!

Download the PDF, and you're good to go.

Be sure to view all Olli & Lime products. Thanks Karen!

Christmas is 10 days away (gasp!) and Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday December 21. There is still time to shop online (which is my only choice right now in cold+snowy Portland!). Gabrielle of the amazing blog Design Mom has put together a fun + thoughtful selection of guest gift picks, with her own comments, which is a lot of fun!

To check out Gabrielle's picks, click here and be sure to visit her blog, Design Mom!

Thanks Gabrielle!

I am having a lot of fun with these Guest Gift Picks! Ez from the blog Creature Comforts has a cozy + fun selection. To view her picks, click here. To visit her blog, Creature Comforts, click here.

Thanks Ez!

Check out the new feature in the Gifts+Ideas section: Guest Gift Picks by some of our favorite bloggers! Fun!

Jaime from Design Milk (design-milk.com) kindly chose her top picks - awesome! To check out her picks, click here.

Thanks Jaime!

Give handmade family heirlooms. Memories are irreplaceable. Save them, already!

We've got options:
1. Famille Summerbelle Family Tree (available in 3 amazing colorways) pictured above, right.
2. Good Stock Fill-In The Blank family Tree
3. Miss Natalie Heirloom Growth Chart shown above, left.
4. Notion Farm Tooth Fairy Kit
5. Alyson Beaton Baby's First Words ABC set

What a lovely time of the year to celebrate family + preserve memories.

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!      

The ultimate mother-daughter gift? The handmade tea set by Kata Golda.  It's amazingly lovely. Not only is it soft-white glazed stoneware but it is incredibly cute with Kata Golda's signiture whimsical illustrations.

Hours of play + a family heirloom all in one gift. Available in 3  different sets (illustrations). Pig Party, pictured above.  Bunny + Horse also available.

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!      

If December 1st caught you off-guard, here is the most perfect advent count-down project to do with the kids (that you can start anytime!). 

Felt Advent Chain by Psalms of Psalms.

supplies needed:
wool or craft felt
'sew on' velcro
scissors
sewing machine

1. take the felt (i used wool felt because i like the feel of it better) & cut it into 24  two inch by nine inch strips.

2. cut the velro into two inch strips to fit the ends of the felt and sew them on.

3. connect them all together like a chain and hang them in a door way, near your fireplace, or anywhere you like.

4. starting the first of december (or the 5th!) detach one of the felt pieces, counting down everyday until it is christmas.

5. when Christmas is over, pack it away and reuse it next year......

 

Thank you Psalms! Be certain to check out Psalms, the children's clothing collection. (Images from Psalms.)

Give handmade.... organic cotton baby toys! My latest discovery?

1. Organic cotton teething toys soak up all the drool when they get chewed on.
2. Both the Teething BonBon and the Speesees teething "chew" toys are easy for babies to grasp.
3. Traditional fabric + plastic toys (you know the ones) for baby to chew on are about as healthy as MSG.

The Teething BonBon  by Dress Me Up is a fawn&forest top 5 best seller. Enough said, it's a brilliant twist on the old standard. Designed by a mom, of course. Dress Me Up  also has a lovely selection of other organic cotton goods.

Speesees, designer of amazing organic cotton baby + toddler clothes has recently debuted their trio of organic cotton "chew" toys. Owen, my 5 month old has been test-chewing through them, and from the looks of it, thoroughly approves! His favorite?  Hop.

Give handmade... ABC posters! Learn you ABC's and animals at the same time with Ink+Wit and Decoylab.

Ink+Wit's ABC's (pictured above,left) is off-set printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper and printed with soy inks in a lovely yellow, blue + silvery-grey colorway. Love!

Decoylab's ABC poster are available in 2 colorways: pink+blue and orange+green  silk screened on 80 lb. Finch Opaque Bright White Uncoated Paper using environmentally friendly water based inks. Fun!

Woo! It's "Give Handmade" week here on the Notes. F&F is stocked with oodles of handmade items made by talented designers + craftspeople. Today? Wood baby toys by Earnest Effort (pictures above left) and Little Alouette (above right).

It's no secret that babies like to put stuff in their mouths. Skip the plastic + piercing noises and go for wood. All natural!

The teething rattles by Earnest Efforts make a gentle noise + are available in variety of woods. My 5 month old's favorite? Walnut.

Little Alouette makes the most delightful wood teethers, available in 3 shapes, made of maple. Owen's pick? The Waldorf Handle Teether.

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!     

A bit comfort for the biggest online shopping day of the year?  It's only December 1st! Woo!

Take  note:
1. the sale page.
2. our sweet gift guide (with added snow!).
3. free gift wrap! just look for the free gift wrap image on hundreds of products.
4. our HUGE Holiday Promotion :: a free gift for all orders over $75!
5. and if that is not sweet enough, just enter CYBERFAWN (entered in all caps) into the discount field at checkout for a surprise discount. 

(surprise discount ends midnight 12/1 pst. and does not work with any other store discounts or promotion)

HAPPY!

Happy Friday! Cool socks = Nix. A totally fun nod to the old-school tube socks, all star style. Fits baby/toddler size 2-7 + Nix socks actually stay on the feet. Babies can wear the Nix as "knee highs" and toddlers as regular socks, a total hit. They earn a thumbs up in our house!

Available in a 2 pair pack, $16. Cushy, cozy + fun. Go Nix!

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!    

Gobble Gobble kids! For extra Thanksgiving goodness, enter TURKEY (all uppercase letters)  into the discounts field at checkout and receive $5 off your entire order. Woo!

Promotions ends midnight pst 11/27.

Best gift for the easily amused? Perhaps for an 8 month old who likes to laugh? Hand puppets have endless possibilities. You can keep your cool & maintain your love for fine European toys all in 1 gift. No, not Elmo! Esthex!

Cute Esthex hand puppets are made of wool felt in the Netherlands, available in 3 cute characters shown above. Thumbs up at $19.95 each.

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!    

And what about your sister/cousin/best friend who just found out she was pregnant... what's the best gift to give her? Not a pair of skinny jeans, that's for sure! A better idea: Essential Organizer's 40 Weeks+, a handy tool that simplifies the process of preparing for a baby.

And at $19.95, it's the perfect gift to give + receive!

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!   

Best gift under $20 for the hungry tot? The Boon Mealtime Collection, of course! Boon makes mealtime fun:

1. Snack Ball :: Snack out of a ball, enough said. $6.49
2. Squirt :: Baby food dispensing spoon. Fun + potentially even more fun for baby! $7.99
3. Benders :: "Bendable" spoon. Ya, the neck of the spoon totally bends! $5.99
4. Fluid :: Ergonomical sippy cup. Of course. $5.99
5. Catch Bowl :: Voted the best bowl to drink cereal milk out of. $6.99

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide!  

Get your sewing machines out, kids! Our product of the week are Stitch-It Kits by Egg Press on sale for $22.22! Each Stitch-It Kit comes with 2 hand-screenprinted pieces of canvas (one snail side, one red striped pattern side) with easy to follow instructions and a name tag.

Cut out the pieces, sew them together, stuff with the filling of your choice and cuddle up. What could be more fun? Available in 3 animals (monkey, snail and raccoon).....for a semi-homemade Christmas!

Rockabye Baby is absolutely brilliant, transforming timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Nirvana in a lullaby version? Sure! Coldplay, Bjork and U2? Amazing. The lullabies will most likely chill Mom + Dad out more than the baby, which is what all new parents need.

And for those veteran Moms + Dads who know the theme song of the Bernstein Bears and Roary the Racecar, Rockabye Baby rock  lullabies will make them very, very thankful. 

And what does Rockabye Baby sound like? Be sure to click on any of the records for a short sound clip. Pricepoint? $16.95.

This is nice: 10% off all Cariboo bassinets + accessories. A $30-$45 savings on the bassinets; available in 4 models. The perfect spot for your little turkey to snooze in the early days.

Also don't forget to check out all the fun promotions we have going on right now!

The kids will have no choice but to save their coins with the Not Neutral piggy bank. There is no drain hole on the bottom of this piggy! Old school style where you have to crack the bank to get the money out....how cool is that?!

Available in 3 cool patterns: count, pretty and chick. Woo!

Check out the fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the see the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide! 

Pinch yourself. It's not a dream! 20% off all 10 Grain in the dashing red color. Like K-Mart has lay-away, we have 20% off 10 Grain. Sale ends December 1st....be a nice mommy and bless the children with a  Log Rocker.  

The Moop Market Bag is the official, unofficial diaper bag. In a nutshell, it's perfect. Spacious enough for all the ruckus of babies + children, and yet still holds the integrity + style of an amazing bag.  The Market is made of heavy weight organic cotton and has enough pockets inside to make you feel organized + accomplished, with one big open space in the middle for all the rest

Give Momma a Moop.

Visit: fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide! 

... Or best gift for the kids who won't stop drawing on the walls. Why fight it? It you can't beat 'em, join 'em? Whatever the case is, the Chalkals wall graphics by Estela Lugo are a great gift for all kids big + little. 

Chalkals? Chalkals wall graphics are like giant stickers you can stick to your wall that have a chalkboard finish and made of vinyl. Available in 8 cheeky designs, my pick would be the newly released set of Mushrooms. Funky fun.

Visit: fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide! 

Okay, so maybe your 3 year old does not have to be an art-snob to think the alphabet card set by Ida Pearle is crazy cool. Gifting the child with a bit of art with an injection of ABCs is a good idea. Artist Ida Pearle's intuitive talent depicts children interacting with the alphabet :: (B) bouncing a ball (T) playing with a train and (L) licking a lollipop.

The ABC set includes 26 cards that would very thoughtfully fill up that big blank wall in the playroom for only $44.

Nice.

Visit: fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide! 

What to get a baby with chubby legs? While insanely cute + cuddly, the baby with chubby legs is sometimes hard to shop for. What will fit? Will it look cute?  Will it fit?? Next to letting the chunky thighs go naked in all their glory, the organic Yoga Pants by Speesees are absolutely the best pant for the chubby baby leg.

It is not so much the width of the leg (as Speesees size runs parallel to other brands) as it is the cut of the pant that flatters the chubby baby leg. The slight flair on the bottom of the pant as well as the roomy rump provide the chubby baby with style and comfort. Made of a heavier organic cotton interlock that does not hike up or get stretched out.

So, skinny babies would look cute in the organic Yoga Pants too, though, I would not know. I have a chubby baby. And no, that is not my baby in the image above. Owen is much, much chubbier.

Complete the gift with this onesie by Little Lark.

Visit: fawn&forest gifts + ideas & the entire  Notes '08 Gift Guide! 

The organic kimono dress by Kate Quinn Organics is the ultimate layering dress. Wouldn't it look crazy cute over leggings or jeans, with a sweater and scarf? I think so. 

2 sizes, 2 colors, 2 sleeve lengths. We've got options. 100% organic goodness on sale for $22.22. Now that's fun.

Fatboy really knows how to rock the soft seating! They have just debuted the Avenue Collection of modular seating. The Avenue consists of 2 shapes (square and a curvy peice)  and in 2 fabric designs: a squiggly "parc" and a grid-like "avenue" (get it?). And in usual Fatboy fashion, the Avenue Collection is available in a range of lovely colors!

Happy Friday.

1+1=3. Oh Chicks! We've got a sale! Purchase 2 original Cici Art Factory "Lotsa" paintings + get 1 free! In case your math is bad, that is 3 for the price of 2! And free shipping, so click here. In the meantime.... A new Notes feature "in my own words", kicked off by Liz. 

:: in my own words ::  Liz Clay of Cici Art Factory :: 

A lovely little resting spot for your babe, the Svan Bouncer :: now in a brand new model with a few extra features. In addition to a few new colorways (and that  gorgeous balloons Baby Star fabric!) the new Svan Bouncer has a recline that lays almost flat and has velcro instead of a snap enclosure. And see that bent wood? That allows the bouncer to gently bounce with the tap of your foot. 

You know what else? The original model is on sale!

Woo! Woo! Product of the week! This week we have 2 cool prints by Decoylab. But what will be the product of the week, next week?! Suspence!

This week? The Grow Your Own series by Decoylab. Two prints -- Grow you own: ecology and Grow your own: fairy tale each printed on natural stock, measuring 11x17". 

Dreamy collage style with fluffy clouds and gnomes. Ya, fun. 

Time to get cozy, kids. By Kina, lambswool baby, toddler and kid's slippy-tips (as my grandmother would call them), booties, slippers. Whatever you call them, they are crazy cozy and come in 5 colors and 7 sizes: 0-3m all the way up to 3-4 years. 

Winter snuggley coziness at it's finest. 

And if your kid can handle the style, check out the Kina outerwear: vests, coat + hat.

I am always thrilled to unveil each month's Forest Finds. November's selection is.... heirloom. Quality, timeless, intriuging.

Children's Clothing by an emerging designer, Psalms. Moop's organic cotton Market bag. Hand sewn fabric artwork by Anna Joyce and dreamy photographic prints by Matthew Carden. Wooden baby teethers + shakers by Little Alouette and a true heirloom growth chart by Miss Natalie. 

Delightful!

Happy Election Day! 10% off everything, just because we think you're cool. Simply enter your favorite presidential candidate into the discounts field at check-out to activate the discount. 

Enter obama if you are voting for Obama. Enter mccain if you are voting for McCain.  Sorry no write-ins! 10% off everything Election Day sale good until midnight November 5th PST.

Vote!

For the happiest Monday -- 2 new products from Dress Me Up: an Organic Cotton Cloth Ball + an Organic Cotton Burp Cloth Set. 

Organic Cloth Ball is printed in their own signature fabric, using water-based, non-toxic inks. We have one. I think the baby thinks it's cool and my toddler thinks it's fun to throw (aahh! not at the baby!) because it's so soft + doesn't hurt. And the baby laughs!

My first son, as a baby was not a drooler or a spitter. My baby son, however is both.  This organic burp cloth set (sold separately from the blanket + burp set) is by special request as I totally love these burp cloths, using them daily.

Happy happy organic cotton. Good for the babies. 

New project from Karen Ronneback of Olli & Lime! Two fantastic Halloween-Autumn inspired projects using her georgous wallpaper. Crazy fun for a party....... or the playroom!

With the witching season upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to rustle up some Halloween-themed items Olli & Lime style! These mini projects include a Halloween bunting and a unique mobile. Best of all, everything can be made in less than an hour.

We've used our Billie roasted brown and (pumpkin-esque) burnt orange wallpaper to give a real Halloween flavour.

The starting point is to cut out triangles, make a template from a heavy piece of card, mark out on the reserve of the wallpaper and then cut.  Make holes in two opposite corners of each one.

For the bunting (pictured above,left)  thread the triangles  onto string and fix in place with clear tape.

For the mobile (pictured above, right) take 2 triangles and place them back-to-back, thread the triangles onto string, bunch-up and creatively arrange to suit.

 

Thanks Karen! Happy Halloween, kids!

I'll tell you straight up: i'm fascinated. The Boon Squirt "baby food dispensing spoon" is absolutely fascinating. A very tidy + convenient way to feed your child -- all you do is put up tp 3 oz. of baby food into the flexible bulb-end piece, which firmly attaches to the end spoon piece. Squeezing the bulb squirts a tad of food onto the spoon and baby eats. I'm fascinated! Bite by bite.

And apparently with no mess, that child in the image above isn't wearing a bib! Check it! 

To the kudos of Boon all plastic is BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free. Happy Squirting. 

October's International Forest Finds has been a real treat. I have been blessed with the chance to work and communicate with such an interesting bunch of designers + creatives. I think if I were to not have fawn&forest and actually know how to knit (well, at least!) I would want to be Angelique and run Benk. I am crazy crazy about all of her knits. Modern, yet nostalgic.  Love.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid i always was busy with making clothes for my Barbies. I thought of nice dresses and crocheted and knitted. When i was older i for example took a picture from vogue/elle and counted the pattern and made another sweater with that pattern on it. My grandmother (named RIEK) tought me how to knit and I was addicted! Unfortunately i did not follow any designer-school.  It is ok so far. Also i wanted to work for KLM (Dutch airlines) as my father did and i wanted to become airline hostess.

What inspired you to start BENK?
When my second child was born, one evening i started to make her a little hat. And thought 'wow' this maybe is something to do. When i gave one as a present to a friend, she was at a babyshop with her little baby and the owner kept on saying she loved the babyhat. That was my first shop and from there it started growing !!

What does 2009 hold for you? 
For now i have all the hats and items handknitted by Dutch woman but as it grows and grows (Japan asked for a few hundred) I want to make something good from this and have them knitted by a Group of women in other poor countries and let them make some extra income for themselves being at home with their babies. Or being together with other women in their village and knit for BENK. This is difficult to start as how to get the merino yarn there, and check the knits etc etc. Hopefully 2009 i can work on that plan !!

Thank you Angelique! That cute image above is not the present day Angelique, but of when she was a cute little girl!

Now is your chance. Six Nurseryworks Crib Bedding sets are now on sale. 50% off. Quick before that Macaroni Canary set is sold out. To see all sale items, click here.

Oh my, big love to Famille Summerbelle! In addition to being a beautiful piece of artwork, the Family Trees are an amazing way to represent a diverse family. Perhaps a family that would not normally fit into the standard family tree format.. step-families, adopted children and otherwise. Brilliant!

Michelle of Kids Hause is the master of delicate illustration with a retro vibe, not overdone and quite witty. Michelle is also the only October Forest Find curated by Irene of Bloesem Kids that is from the US! I am delighted to have her. Roar Growl is tops. 

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was 6, I clearly recall the day that I knew I wanted to be an artist...or at least knew that I had the ability to draw (I had drawn my own interpretation of a cartoon rat that my father had in the basement). From that moment forward, I became obsessed with drawing animals and thought that I would work as an animator for Walt Disney someday.

What about your life inspires you most?
We get a lot of gray days in Seattle, so when the sun comes out, my brain becomes super-charged with enthusiasm and ideas; however, my biggest inspiration is my 6 year old daughter who is a crazy-talented artist already. We sit down and draw together frequently and she influences my illustrations and I influence hers. When drawing together, I often ask her what I should draw or add to an illustration and I always love the unbridled imagination of a six year old.

What does the rest of '08 and 2009 hold for you?
I'm hoping to dive deeper into my "style" as an illustrator; adding more depth, layers and textures. I'd also like to create 6 or 7 more illustrations within the next several months and add a line of greeting cards and invitations. My brother has got a major screen printing operation in his basement, so we're going to partner in printing on tees and fabric in the coming weeks. There are so many things I want to do, but being a mother is my first priority, so I continue to master the art of balance and prioritization.

Thanks Michelle!! And be sure to check out Michelle's blog, called Kids Haus. 

Ecotots: you know they were going to do it! The twin bed. The bookcase. First made popular with the simply designed project table + stool set, Ecotots has now released 9 new kid-sized peices of furniture to compliment their existing pieces (project table + stools, art easel and coat rack).

The Ecotots pieces are quite creative. Included in the Surfin Collection: a surfin twin bed, big kahuna bookshelf, beach locker, surfboard growth chart, boogie board desk + stool, sideboard storage unit, first wave step stool and bonsai book caddy. 

All available in 4 finishes: fire red, leaf green, natural wood and cocoa brown. Ecotots also has a patented "no tools  necessary" assembly method, where all the pieces fit together and all you have to do is follow the directions and give them a good wack.

And yo: 100% formaldehyde-free, FSC Certified real wood and featuring an eco-friendly, non-toxic, eco-friendly finish!

My favorite? Eliot would love to put his shoes on while sitting on that beach locker (pictured above, far right)!

Olli & Lime's recently released Egg Collection is a real hotty. The toddler bedding is so sweet makes you wish you could shrink down to toddler size again? Karen, the talented creative behind Olli & Lime is not holding back and has added a few more pieces to the Egg Collection.

Owls. As in little Egg prints with Owls. They universally match but would be snappy all by themselves. And we all love owls. 

So now I am fully convinced of 2 things:
1. Having boys at a baby shower adds a whole new element. They are loud + quite engaging + totally fun.
2. Baby Showers ought to be really simple. Really simple.

We threw a boy-girl baby shower last Sunday. So nice to have lunch together with a large group of friends. We went the 'assigned dish' potluck route and it worked out deliciously. Cupcakes for dessert. Dang, the vanilla cake mix from Trader Joes really is that good. My secret revealed.

Decorations? At 10pm the night before i was inspired to sew 5, 15 feet long baubly-circle garland elements (pictured above middle) that we  layered down the middle of the 18 foot table we all ate lunch at.

How-to: for 1 garland cut about 24 circles of paper ranging in size (3" to 8" accross), run through the sewing machine + you're set.  I used paper scraps + such in yellows, browns + greens. With a yellow tablecloth I heard the words "ohhhh, that is so Crafts-y!". Fun.

We also played my favorite baby shower game: "guess the girth"... and a Tikoli Tea Towel was the prize. The winner? A guy. Yeah, totally a lot of fun to have boys at the party.  Psalms made her delightful macaroons for the favors, all packaged up in cute little bags.

Oh, and the best gift to the mom + dad  (IMO).... an Organic Teething Bonbon (pictured above left). Congratulations Conrad + Jenna!

Ohh, Olivelse! I have had my eye on these Ukulele's for quite some time now so, yeah, I was totally thrilled when Irene presented her Forest Finds curation to me! Love! Else seems to be the type of gal you'd want for a best friend. A fresh young French Mom who creates crazy cool + crafty stuff. She has an amazing blog + takes such beautiful photos!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
Quite soon in my life I felt I wanted to make a living having a creative job. I have always been very curious, and already as a little girl I was very fond of books and had a real passion for drawing. Ever since high school I took up an artisitic course of study that I followed all the way until post graduation, when I specialize as a graphic designer. I still have very fond memories of my life as a student.

What inspired you to start making fabric ukuleles and other fabric goods?
I have always been very interested in textile, sewing and so on, but what always really excited me was creating things, being able to hold in my hands the product of my work. The main idea with Olivelse was to create a range of bad linen and accessories for babies and children. A guitar shaped blankie  we created for our daughter Mila, is what got everything started…to our big surprise ! every since there have a been a lot of ideas, dreams, projects.

What does the rest of ‘08 + 2009 hold for you?
2008 has been a great, very encouraging year for Olivelse : our blog is an amazing place for people to exchange and share ideas! This past year we have had a lot of inquiries and several orders at first from shops in France, and then from retailers in the USA, Spain and recently even Canada …I really look forward to develop Olivelse activity in 2009 : I want to take time to create new products and in particular design original textile patterns with Olivier, so as to have our creations produced with our own fabrics. Thanks to my brother’s amazing skills as a craftsman, another idea is to develop a limited series of wooden toys…we will see !!!

Thank you so much Else! Be sure to check out her blog!

For the happiest Monday: new Decoylab goodies! Maiko of Decoylab has just released a handful of freshly  illustrated owls + bunnies + such, making their appearance on clocks + prints and even bookplates! I am loving the whimsical 70's vibe gone children's book. A set of the orange + yellow bunny prints would look sweet with this set.

The simplicity of imaginative play is the crown jewel of the Kidsonroof Collection. The 'House' is more intriguing than a refridgerator box, the 'Totem' is better than a deck of cards. But still, just that simple. But better. I am delighted that Irene of Bloesem chose Kidsonroof as a part of her October Forest Finds curation. Thank you, Romy for giving our children a Home!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was like most girls: I just wanted to become a teacher as teachers seemed to be 'knowing it all'. Else a librarian as I have always loved books to creep into my own imaginative world...

You have very imaginative products -- what inspired you?
Inspiration to us is nature and our children - we have a countryhouse in the south of France without electricity or running water - spending our weekends there with our 3 children just makes us boiling with ideas on how to make the world more beautiful and fun with as basic as designs as possible!

What does the rest of '08 and 2009 hold for you?
A lot of inspiration - a launch of a furniture collection and lots and lots of love to share with our family and friends!

Thanks Romy! As an additional thumbs up, Kidsonroof donates 5% of profit to specific Unicef projects. 

Oh look! New to fawn&forest, the grand-daddy of modern baby furniture, the Moderne Collection by Netto. The Moderne Collection includes 3 pieces: crib, dresser and changer. Optional accessories include linen storage boxes (to utilize the sliding shelf on the crib) and wool felt baskets (for the changer). Plus, the Moderne Crib converts into a sweet toddler/day bed.... Nautical style.

Nice.

Yep, I now also have a  Tumblr blog! A fawn&forest photo album + other goodness. Check us out: fawnandforest.tumblr.com!

Another freaky recipe makeover idea by Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe): 

Welcome to Freaky Friday. I happen to be the lucky owner of a set of recipe cards from 1973, a lot of recipe cards, and most of them are a bit freaky! I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and possible ways to update these recipes. Some cards are just too far gone and can't be fixed but hopefully, at least I can get you laughing. Now don't be afraid because some of these recipe cards have a good foundation for creative recipe ideas. We have come a long way baby...

You can't really go wrong with a cupcake but these seem to have gone really wrong. It is not Halloween yet but these sure are spooky! Maybe it is the dried leaves the are sitting in or the creepy faces, or the dangerous fire sticks positioned to burn off all your arm hair as you grab for one. These are perfect for your next front yard séance, don't forget the fire extinguisher.

1973: Old School Cupcakes
unsweetened chocolate
flour
baking powder
salt
margarine
sugar
eggs
milk
vanilla
walnuts
1 pkg fluffy white frosting mix
licorice laces, candy corn, lifesavers, chocolate chips + chocolate sprinkles

 

2008: Updated Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 package organic cupcake mix, chocolate
assorted candies and some free time

Homemade Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon orange peel (optional)

Combine cream cheese and butter; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar and grated orange peel.

Thanks Jen! 

It seems when I am busy like a lunatic, I feel the urge to bust out the glue and do a project. You? So I was quite excited to see this project by Karen of Ollie & Lime (found on her blog) utilizing her gorgeous wallpaper:

Our Carrie wallpaper looks equally fabulous adorning a dressing-room wall or child’s bedroom, but we’ve found another way you can use it.

It took us literally ten minutes to create this shoe storage solution, using a self-assembled ‘kraft’ shoe box, with our Carrie paper over the top. One roll of wallpaper will cover around fifty standard boxes!

 

Take a look at the Olli & Limes collection of wallpaper and their full collection of bedding + wall art! Wallpaper is available in 4 designs in a variety of colorways. Thanks Karen!

Wa-hoo kids! The big reveal of October's Forest Finds! Check it out. This month's selection is hot + has been guest curated by the amazing Irene of Bloesem Kids blog.

October's Forest Finds is very international: Kidsonroof from Amsterdam, Olivelse from France, Tas-Ka from the Netherlands, Kidshaus from the US, Famille Summerbelle from the UK and Benk from the Netherlands (soon to be added). And did you know Irene herself is also from the Netherlands?!

I'm crazy thrilled about this month's selection! Thanks Irene!

Thank you so much to Jan of Poppytalk blog for curating September's Forest Finds! She put together an amazing selection of very talented artists + designers: Petit Flaneur, Mincing Mockingbird, Atsuyo et Akiko and  Suddenly, It's Real! 

October's Forest Finds starts October 1st, with another Guest Curator. Check back tomorrow to see who it is + October's very international Forest Finds!

To round out this month's Forest Finds Q+A, Matt of Mincing Mockingbirds. I am intrigued with the personality Matt captures in his bird painting (+prints) and was delighted to have his work as part of September's Forest Finds.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist. When everyone else was giving up art as silly, childhood nonsense, I just kept plowing ahead. When I was five years old, my grandmother thought there was something terribly wrong with me, and pestered my parents into taking me to a psychologist. He met with me, and watched as I drew a bunch of dinosaurs. Not only was he impressed with the drawing skill I exhibited, but also with the fact that I could spell both their common names as well as their Latin scientific names. My mother asked what it was that had, and the psychologist said, "creativity." He thought my grandmother was nuts.

What is it about birds that captures you?
They are incredibly dynamic creatures, and naturally lend themselves to painting and art. I'm very much interested in science and natural history, and for whatever reason, capturing a bird's "expression," or the certain tilt of the head, just does it for me. There's some mind-blowing bird illustrators out there able to expertly render every feather, but I enjoy a much more painterly approach, or putting them in situations that maybe are not traditionally found in bird art.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I just finished a whirlwind three months that included going to Australia, buying a house and building a new studio. I'm very excited at the prospect of just being able to sit down and throw some paint around!

Thank you Matt! Check out Matt's blog here.

Where it's at: Fauna Collection for Areaware. Bolts of lightening on a black hooded jacket. C'mon already.

The hoodie itself has a perfect fit. Not too wide and slightly long. Solid black that does not fade much when washed repeatedly. A mighty fine high quality zipper. The material is not too thick and not at all bulky. Basically the perfect hoodie. Dang.

Love love Fauna's simple yet witty take on children's apparel. Want one in my size.  But then Eliot and I would match, and we don't want to go there.

This is cool. A modern kid-size rocker from Spot On Square's Hiya Collection. I had the thought awhile ago to get rid of the sofas in our family room and replace them with rocking chairs. Is that a good idea? Well, kids like rocking chairs too. Kid size rocking chairs.....

The Hiya Rocker is form + function. The shape is lovely and it has a pocket in the back to hold books and other stuff. Eco friendly non toxic paint available in 2 colors: orange or white. Seat is wide enough for a bigger kid or 2 small children. Sounds like fun.

I had my eye on Atsuyo et Akiko for quite some time and was thrilled when Jan of Poppytalk, the September Forest Find curator included them in her selection! Their work is thoughtful + witty and is totally it's own deal. Unique + intriguing. And those cushion dolls! Dang, those are cool.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
Atsuyo: designer
Akiko: Artist
 
What is the inspiration behind the imagery you use in your collections?
We like to combine imagery from our favorite art and drawings with simple strong basic french phrases like Je t'aime or Mon Amore.  For colors we look to the art world and what we can find from antiquing upstate or flea markets.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
We would like to make more jewelry.  And we're preparing for new trade shows.  We also want to try adding some of our artwork to our collection.  Should be interesting!

Thank you Atsuyo and Akiko!! 

Nikki McClure has a new journal out called 'Things to Make and Do', a follow up to her beautiful baby journal 'The First 1,000 Days', and it is amazing + inspiring. It reminded me of my friend, Psalms. So I gave her a copy recently, curious to see what she would come up with. I received this email from her Saturday morning:

summer...
i made these cottage cheese pancakes for breakfast this morning. So tasty! Super super good for you! Super protein packed! Thought you might enjoy making them for Els some morning. i used Nancy's low-fat organic cottage cheese + Bob's Red Mill oatmeal with flax seed. i didn't use the honey or the banana, but Shem thought they could have used it... so maybe throw one of those in.

What got me thinking about them is that book you gave me... 'things to make and do' ... i decided to use it as a journal of things i want to make sure i remember to do and make for my kids. My mom used to make cottage cheese pancakes and i had forgotten about them.

So there you go.

i love you!
psalms 

 

Cottage Cheese Pancake recipe:
2-3 beaten eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
Honey or a couple of teaspoons of sugar, to taste (a banana will make it naturally sweeter)
1 cup uncooked oatmeal

Optional, highly recommended ingredients:
banana
a sprinkle of cinnamon
a splash of vanilla

Grab your handy blender and dump the ingredients in, in the order they appear (otherwise the mixture will get all chunky). So, eggs in first, then start the blender. As it's blending, pour in the cottage cheese, then the banana if you're using it, then whatever sweeteners and spices you like, then the oatmeal. Once this is nicely blended, cook as you would pancakes, in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. I love these plain or with fruit, but you can put syrup on them too, just like regular pancakes. Via here.

Cottage cheese is on my grocery list this week for sure! Yum!
Thank you Psalms. And thanks for the image too....! 

Another freaky recipe makeover idea by Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe):

Welcome to Freaky Friday. I happen to be the lucky owner of a set of recipe cards from 1973, a lot of recipe cards, and most of them are a bit freaky! I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and possible ways to update these recipes. Some cards are just too far gone and can't be fixed but hopefully, at least I can get you laughing. Now don't be afraid because some of these recipe cards have a good foundation for creative recipe ideas. We have come a long way baby.......I wouldn't want to eat one of those pool balls thinking it was a cherry tomato!!

1973: Old School: Hot Tuna and Egg Buns.
Tuna
stuffed green olives
cheddar cheese cubes
hard cooked eggs, (the overcooked kind with the green ring)
mayonnaise or cooked salad dressing
sweet pickle relish
chopped onion
salt
frankfurter rolls

2008: Update Suggestions: Easy Tuna Melt.
Tuna
olive oil or mayonnaise (just a bit)
good quality cheese, Swiss or Provolone
grated Parmesan on top
leftover hot dog or hamburger bun
Black olives on the side

Broil cheeses over tuna serve.

Remember buy dolphin safe tuna and don't eat it too often.
More on safe fish to eat go here too.

Thanks Jen!

Yes. I am now that with it. I now Twitter. Everyday. And while I don't give play-by-play sms (dang, need to add the Tweetie app to my phone!) I do have fun. As in FUN THINGS to do with kids (in addition to the Notes updates).

You are asking 'what sort of FUN THINGS'? Fun or strange, I am not quite sure... but so far have included: 

:make toilet paper snowballs. to throw. at each other or into a basket. just don't let the dog eat them. 
:catch ants. not the kind that bite. if you squish one, there are hundreds more.....
:tickle each other. the pure joy of a laughing kid!
:would cutting marshmallows with scissors be fun? I'm thinking yes.
:toilet paper rolls are also strangely fun to cut with scissors.
:give them scissors. age + child safe style. hours of fun cutting leaves + wiggly twigs into tiny bits.
:pick up acorns. they have cute "hats". will inspire much play.

sorta strange micro-living (twitter that is, not my FUN ideas....) but why not?

FOLLOW ME: twitter.com/fawnandforest

New from UK based Olli&Lime,  the  Egg Collection. It is so freaking cool! If you want to hook your toddler's room up with the style, totally go Egg Collection. I took my son to the dentist yesterday and in the waiting room they had these awesome (framed in chrome!) posters from the 70's. And I thought, Oh my that is so totally Olli&Lime Egg. Burnt orange + avocado green in all it's goodness.

The Egg Collection is a nice addition to Olli&Lime's other patterns which includes footballs + high heels (oh yes, I do not lie!). Know what else? Olli&Lime also makes wallpaper. FFSF certified sustainable eco-friendly wallpaper.  Fun.

Jan of Poppytalk, our September curator for the Forest Finds really went to the forest with this one: wood yoyo's by Suddenly, it's real! The slices of wood still have their bark and are killer.  YoYo creators Ben + Natalie live the dream: in a tiny tree house in a tiny forest in the mid-west. I have not yoyo'd in quite awhile (1988?) until my recent yoyo-ing with Suddenly, it's real! Strangely fun. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Ben wanted to be a truck, but then he found out he couldn't be a "truck" so he thought it would be cool to be a truck driver. Natalie wanted to be an archaeologist or a back up dancer for Madonna. Both of them have always wanted to be "artists" for as long as they can remember. 

I like these. Egg Press stitch kits.  It may not be the most brilliant, but there's something satisfying about cutting fabric and sewing a little something. Sometimes my random sewing rendezvous don't turn out so well.  But dig it: with one of these Egg Press stitch kits all you have to do is cut + sew on the right lines, stuff the little bugger and you'll have yourself one sweet pillow doll -- snail, raccoon or monkey.

The raccoon is my favorite. Would be cute on Eliot's bed. 

I am a cute magnet lately. First those Amenity ducks and now Cici Art Factory's frogs and chicks, birdies and milk bottles. Milk bottles? Cute overload. Not offensively cute, but cute cute.

I like the way Liz Clay, the artist behind Cici Art Factory, does things. Each painting from the Lotsa Collection is painted by hand. With actual paint (yes, I know!) thick + chunky style. And forget the kids, the "random chicks" makes me smile. Or does it just look like my brain? I think I would like to hang it in our bedroom. Cute. 

We are always up for a bit of product testing in my house. It's turning into a fawn&forest showroom around here. Or maybe a thriftstore? Scratches, dings and stickers on high priced cars aside. Eliot and I were both pleasantly surprised at the weightyness of these Petit Flaneur blocks; nice + heavy. Very stackabe + totally crashable. Sandra's vintage-y whimsical designs are so lovely even a princess would want to play with them! Thanks Sandra!

What is your favorite aspect of the creative process in making a product, such as your blocks?
Because of my interest in both 2 and 3 dimensional design (graphic and product), I love that I can combine the two in a product. It's a hard question though because I really love all the different aspects of the process. The conceptual stage is so fun and creative, I really could spend months doodling different ideas. But then the actual making of the product is so great as well, watching the idea emerge- it really is like a birthing process. Speaking of which- my daughter (who is less than 2) is a great source of inspiration and motivation for all of this!

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I am working on some new products now and hope to continue with these, as well as working on production for several craft shows, a couple in the fall and a couple holiday shows. My website will have updated product and show information soon (www.petitflaneur.com).

Double love! Amenity has added two new organic nursery + kids collections: Woodlands and Wetlands. The cute totally kills you. Like I said last week, I am usually not a huge fan of the purple family. But c'mon. Check the Woodlands! Those squirrels and violet flowers are impossibly cute, right?

And there is something irresistible about those ducks. Ducks hit their fame in the mid-American household in the early 90's, unfortunately. Poor ducks, they really are cute. Just not in combination with country blue, ahem! Amenity hits it right on. The Wetlands is refreshingly ducky and a great starting point to a really playful kid's room.

Amenity is cool. They use 100% organic cotton and non-toxic, water-based, eco-friendly dyes. Four collections available (Woods, Meadow, Wetlands and Woodlands) in a variety of prints, pillows, blankets and crib sets.

Earlier this week I took my boys out for lunch + cookies at an insanely tasty bakery in Hillsdale, Baker and Spice. I ended up having a conversation with myself (I think) as Eliot was much too busy staring at people in line + watching the man next to us eat his lunch. And baby Owen? He was asleep in the sling (PSNY in dark brown cotton)  + is currently not talking. Cutey smiles, though. 

We had a delicious time. A bite of a pizza-ish flatbread thing, a bite of chocolate cookie. All in the same mouthful. Eliot was wearing a "It wasn't me" tee by Droopy Knickers.... totally fun all-over printed tee. Slightly sassy? Is it "it wasn't me who got the pizza-ish flat bread on my shirt"? Hmmm...  

Which leads to my never ending question: how to get tomato-ish stains out of clothes? White clothes? Organic clothes? It's never ending. My husband says the answer is bibs. I bought a bottle of bac-out after lunch.....

Massively exciting! New cut paper mobiles from Frazier + Wing.  A few amazing Frazier + Wing facts: The mobiles are made of cut paper... cut by hand by a girl named Heather. Each mobile is made to order, just for you. How's that for feeling special?! 

I am generally not a huge purple-violet-lavender fan. That said, I am now joining the lavender party! I am loving the new Lavender Mix mobiles. Such an  intriguing mix of greys and lavenders.  Actually does remind me of a field of lavender, which is altogether quite lovely if you've ever been to a lavender farm.

Also be sure to check out Heather's new Frazier + Wing blog!

Exciting! I am thrilled to announce that September's Forest Finds has been curated by Jan of Poppytalk blog.  Every now + again we will be having a guest curate a month of Forest Finds. This is not only a lot of fun but also offers us a glimpse into what the guest may have their eye on for their own family + home.

Jan put together an amazing selection from Atsuyo et Akiko, Mincing Mockingbirds, Suddenly, It's Real! and Petit Flaneur. Jan is a huge inspiration to us -- both her blog Poppytalk as well as her online marketplace Poppytalk Handmade. Because of this, she was an easy pick to be our first Forest Finds curator.

The vision of the Forest Finds is to bring you a fresh selection of independent artists and designers who create relevant, modern wares and crafted items for your children and home. Fun. Thanks Jan!!

Another great recipe idea by Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe). 

Welcome to Freaky Friday! I am the lucky owner of a set of recipe cards from 1973, a lot of recipe cards, and most of them are a bit freaky!  I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and possible ways to update these recipes. Some cards  are just too far gone and can't be fixed but hopefully, at least I can get you laughing.  Now don't be afraid because some of these recipe cards have a good foundation for creative recipe ideas.  We have come a long way baby...

As you can see this card is marked as "children's favorites," hmmm maybe not. It may have been a good snack after recorder practice in 1972 but let's talk about how we can make it better.


1973 version:

Dressing: heavy cream, mayonnaise, honey.
Ingredients: banana, apple, walnuts, canned pineapple, lettuce cups and buttered toast.

2008 Update suggestions:

Dressing: Honey, plain yogurt, lemon juice.
Ingredients: banana, apple, grapes and wheat germ or flax for sprinkling.
Serve in silicone cupcake cups or foil cupcake papers.

 

Be sure to visit Jen's blog and check out her book! Thanks Jen! 

Take a look at DucDuc, new to Fawn&Forest. DucDuc takes the words "astonishing" + "custom made" to a whole new level. And there is a freaking ton of pieces. Astonishing! DucDuc is on the classic - go - modern baby + family furniture take-over. Rulership.

Let me tell you: DucDuc has seven (count them... 7!) furniture collections, in additions to their rockers and "the cube". And in each of those collections is yes, an astonishing amount of furniture pieces.... and also a shocking amount of options to create the ultimate custom made nursery, kids room, play room, dining room......

And breath easy. And clean. All DucDuc pieces are made in Connecticut of hardwoods that are sustainably harvested from regional forests so as to minimize the carbon footprint as well as utilizing finishes that are non-toxic and Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAPs) free. As a special bonus, all products do not contain MDF or particle board.

The Campaign Collection, shown in the image above is one of my favorites. And I am totally loving the Collins rocker! I have this thought that I want to get rid of the sofas in the family room and have an assortment of rockers instead. Is that strange of me?

Not quite sure about this one kids: the Trixie Tracker, a parenting app for the iPhone. Crazy obsessive compulsive techno parenting at its finest. I mean i guess its better than having to write all those details down on paper?

The Trixie Tracker allows you to keep track of just about everything your baby does: eat, sleep, poop + pee as well as medicine doses and even your own milk inventory. Dude, and I thought I was wacked emailing myself at 2am from my iPhone random notes + to-do lists! 

And why do I have my iPhone in bed? Because I have a cool flashlight app, just in case.  

Deals! The Astronomer's Stool by Q Collection Junior, which is available in 2 sizes and 4 colors is now 25% off. And feel good: it's hand made  in the USA from locally-sourced solid aspen and non-toxic, low VOCs, water-based finish.

Be sure to check out the rest of the sale section: currently on sale is furniture by 10 Grain and Offi  as well as some clothing by Baby Star.  

The inside scoop: I bought a walnut wood rattle by Earnest Efforts when visiting Montana a couple years back. This simple wood rattle was the seed of inspiration to launch fawn&forest. Who knew? Heather and Rick are a joy to work with and hands down send the happiest emails of the day. They'll use words like "lettuce" instead of "let us" and assure me the latest shipment is being sent "on the fastest pony heading north". Each rattle is obviously made with much love + laughter and of reclaimed woods like chinkapin and madrone. A bit of nature to blast the plastic fantastic. Thank you Rick + Heather!! 

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Ricky always wanted to explore, travel west and play.  He has certainly done all of these things and continues to as well... He came out west by way of the thumb with stories that would have sent a shiver down H.S.Thompson's spine.  Heather led a more suburban childhood, but found great joy in exploring outside by herself and following in the matriarchal footsteps with sewing and art.  When her parents were building their house in the 1970's she picked up scrap wood and nails and tried to make a book.  She went to the Univ of Oregon to be a journalist and ended up an artist.

How do your life experiences influence what you create in your workshop?
Having grown up building conventional cabinetry and wood working, Rick can't help but reject a straight line for the appeal of nature's own designs.  Heather jokes that she always wanted to marry a woodworker to acquire a woodshop.  All of our life experiences led us to each other and we find ourselves so fortunate that we can share our days together playing and bringing our imaginations to reality.  We believe that all things are possible with enough effort and laughter.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you? 
First on our agenda is to finish the remodel of our 100+ year old turkey coop we lovingly call home.  We are looking forward to the fall art festivals and acquiring enough stores carrying our rattles and shakers that we can continue on with our dream of living simply and enjoying the smallest of miracles that make our life together such a joy.  We are here for amusement only.  We realized our goals are not traditional, but we are so grateful for the opportunity to sustain our lifestyle through the people we meet in our business.  Our customers are not just business transactions, but our friends.  Our visit to earth is so grand that our song is simply "take care, be good and kind, and don't forget to laugh".  Imagine love and peace for everyone.

Ahh, yes. The Tiny Tank by KLT works. We had scorching 100+ degree weather last week in Portland. Owen stayed cool (and cool!) in his KLT owl Tiny Tank in green. How stylin' is he?

The Tiny Tank is available in 2 colors (orange + green) in a variety of sizes. Even though Mr. O is only 7 weeks old, he sufficiently fits in the 3-6m size. Pure chunky goodness at it's finest.

And see those eyebrows? Man, the kid gives the looks! Reminds us of CNN's Anderson Cooper.... AC 360 "keeping them honest" look. Agree?! 

We're rounding out this month's selection of Forest Finds as August draws to an end. I have 2 more Q+A's to bring you, today with Kim Screen, the Good Stock genius. Although Kim primarily works in the preservation of family history, creating heirloom quality books, I just had to have a slice of her amazing work. Check out Kim's fill-in family trees, at once!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
A teacher, like my kindergarten-teaching mom.

You are essentially in the business of preserving family history. What is the most challenging part of this process?
Getting started on a book design is always the hardest. When I'm really stuck, you'll find me cleaning + organizing around the house or office instead (my preferred procrastination!) But once I've got a good grasp on the story and a solid start on the design, I'm unstoppable. I get totally engrossed in the book and the story I'm telling. 

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I'm exhibiting at my first trade show - a genealogy one in Philadelphia - and am slightly nervous. Ok, very nervous. I'm launching into weddings with a "wedding week" where I'll feature a wedding book a day on my blog to give brides ideas and inspiration. And if i can get enough examples I'll also do a "Christmas week" too. On a personal note, my husband and I hope to buy a house! Oh, and i just found out today that a baby announcement I did for my friend Joel McHale (The Soup) will be in People Magazine in September - fun!

i'm not kidding, Kim really is a creative genius. Check out her site, you'll want a book of your very own, guaranteed. Thanks Kim!

We like to have fun here at Fawn&Forest. And we like to give away free stuff. As in a free Binth Baby Book when you drop $1000 or more on that modern crib, sweet stroller or a wardrobe of clothes for your new kiddo. 

Total deal! Just enter binth into the discounts field at checkout to activate. Offer is good while supplies last or until September 30th.  

Eliot and I made pita bread yesterday. Not so sure it was the brightest idea to use the oven on a 100 degree day? It was great fun to get sticky in bread dough and work on our counting skills (3 cups of flour, 8 balls of dough...) despite the heat. Eliot was crazy thrilled to man the Kitchen Aid as it kneeded the dough for 10 minutes. Ten of the most exciting minutes. 

We followed the pita bread recipe from The Fresh Loaf. Simple recipe. The best part? The recipe actaully worked. The Pitas puffed up "just like pillows!! wow!" in the oven and tasted yums as well. The only part of the recipe I changed was that I used white whole wheat flour instead of the regular stuff. 

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 teaspoons yeast)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening

If you are using active dry yeast, follow the instructions on the packet to active it (see the note on yeast above). Otherwise, mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water (I had to add an extra 1/4 cup).

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes (or until your hands get tired). If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. I use canola spray oil, but you can also just pour a teaspoon of oil into the bowl and rub it around with your fingers. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn't necessary (in the batch pictured here I removed them at 3 minutes).

 

Simple recipe from the Fresh Loaf. Very kid friendly. Long instructions. However, go to the Fresh Loaf for play by play photos. 

Anka is the ultimate in stylish, wood fold up + away baby turn toddler highchair. Part of the new Anka collection made by the folks who make Svan of Sweden.

Conveinetly enough, the Anka highchair has a handful of selling points: totally adjustable seat depth, tray and foot rest. It folds flat for those in the spacesaving mode and is made of sustainable hardwood. And so you sweet babe doesn't get any cooties the removable plastic tray is Phthalate and bisphenol-A free. Yay!

I really like how the Anka can be pulled up to the family table for dinnertime + drawing.  

Bebe au Lait (get it?) gets a big thumbs up. While I am a fan of print + pattern, I am a plane organic cotton + organic linen fabric (in the loveliest muted yet cheery colors) type of gal. And we're talking nursing covers! Did I ever think I would get excited about an organic linen nursing cover? Heck!

But oh how thrilled I was to see the latest shipment from Bebe au Lait as I had ordered myself the organic linen nursing cover in Peacock. Dreamy! The organic version has the same great features as the other Bebe au Laits: rigid neckline, generous sizing and adjustable neck strap.

And as my friend Sara demonstrated this past weekend, the Bebe au Lait also doubles as a cape if one is needed in a pinch. 

This is fun. Go to the Wordle website, type in some text (or copy + paste as I did from the fawn and forest homepage) and create a neat-o word collage-y type cloud! Words that are most prominent in the text show up the largest and the whole cloud is customizable -- font, layout and style.

A fun project: make a Wordle (or several) inspired by your kid's.... name, interests, favorites..... print out + frame in one of those cheap mats + frames from Ikea and you're set. Instant artwork like you know what's up. 

Via Coochicoos. 

In a recent re-order of Organic Teething BonBons by Dress Me up, Tressa included her Organic Blanket + Burp Cloth set as a gift for our new little Owen. Tressa is super sweet + thoughtful, so I knew she wasn't trying to totally scam me (ha!). However, once in hand, Iimmediately thought : we gotta carry this. No question, the blanket + burp set rocks.

I was surprised at the weight of the creamy organic fabric, much heavier than you would expect. A pleasant surprise + crazy soft. Tressa's detailed free hand stitching is incredibly simple + totally stunning. The gal knows how to sew a straight line + fancy leafy bits too! Available in 2 colorways: Lima Bean (lovely greens + browny-olives) and Robin's best (pictured above).

And as the recipient of the Dress Me Up Organic Blanket + Burp set, it makes for a lovely gift.  Thanks Tressa!

Meet your (kids) bed's new best friend: Hali. The Hali nightstand by Argington compliments the Argington Ayres twin bed quite wonderfully with it's spacious cubby + roomy pull out drawer. You know where else the Hali would be nice? As a side table next to a rocking chair in the nursery. 

Argington has also recently introduced the Rhodes kid-size chair. For some reason it reminds me of chairs from grade school, except cooler (duh) and with a more organic shape. And while Rhodes would be nice by itself, it conveniently fits with the Giza play table.

Free, well not quite. But you can download your very own Hermes Kelly bag...the paper version! It would certainly be fun for your little girl, and admit it, you too.  

The Hermes Kelly is available for download in 7 beautifully illustrated versions, my favorite is the one above. Though, there is also a blank version, which would be a lot of fun to decorate with an excess amount of glitter glue, right?

Thank you to Summer (yes! not often do I run across another Summer!) of Design is Mine blog, who has also started another blog called Design Freebies... which is where I found the link for the paper Hermes Kelly. 

Total textile joy: Plover Organic's line of crib quilts! Organic + whimsical + totally unique. Today's Q+A is with the very intriuging Marisa Kula Mercer, one of the very talented ladies of Plover Organic. Plover has taken a very refreshing stance on textiles, transcending trends + time... creating heirloom quality quilts + bedding with a fantastic feel-good + do-good option: organic cotton. 

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be everything at one point or another! Singer, writer, dancer, bank-teller. They all had their allure.

Watermelon Granita: another amazing recipe from Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe). The perfect Friday night treat! Thanks Jen!

You were in the store and the watermelon looked tasty and it was on sale. You wrestled it in to the car taking care not to let it roll around the trunk. You cut it into triangles and the juice ran down the kids faces, it was delicious but now you have half an aging melon taking up most of your refrigerator.

What to do now? I know tossing it seems like a waste so why don't you make it into a sweet, refreshing snow coneish dessert. You don't need a fancy ice cream maker, just a fork and container and a bit of time.

Make this to taste, depending on the sweetness of your watermelon, it does not have to be overly sweet, really it should just taste like fresh fruit.

I really like to use simple syrup, sugar and water melted together but you can make this with regular sugar, substitute in 1/2 cup granulated for the simple sugar. If you have an oversized fork, use it to rake the mixture. But don't leave the fork in the freezer and then lick it when it is frozen, my mistake...ouch.

Watermelon Granita
4 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1 C. simple syrup (recipe below)
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch plastic or glass container and freeze for 1 hour. Rake mixture with fork and freeze for another hour. Check it a few times to make sure it is not turning in to a solid block. Rake and freeze for one more hour. Rake and serve in cups. It should stay granular indefinitely.

 

Simple Syrup
1 C. sugar
1 C. water

Bring the water to a boil.
Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water.
Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat.
Allow to cool completely.
 

Recipe, text + images from Jennifer Carden. Be sure to check out Jen's book + blog!  

New to fawn&forest, Polkadot Papoose baby slings!  A classic take on the pouch style sling with fresh new fabric and a very thoughtful design. They're reversible!! Double style = double value! Polkadot Papoose "fuses classy cute with sensible chic, for a shamelessly adorable modern take on mankind's oldest accessory". 

My favorite Polkadot Papoose sling s "Adele" (pictured above, right), love the grey + gold with a touch of pink. And that pocket? Officially a binky pocket but unofficially could hold a myriad of other small items (credit cards, cash or toy car). 

The other fun bit? Tara of Polkadot Papoose names each sling after a character -- Marianne from Sense and Sensibility (above left) and Adele from Jane Eyre (above right). Totally fun!

Even if your kids are past the baby crib stage or you no longer have need for a rocker, you just HAVE to click and check out the new Nurseryworks American Collection. It has a bit of an attitude + I am totally lovin' it.  

The Nurseryworks American Collection, designed by Lawson-Fenning for Nurseryworks, includes 5 new pieces: a Spindle Crib,  Canterbury Changing Table-Dresser, Empire Rocker and 2 headboards, the Harvard and the Vale. Nurseryworks' new collection combines:

The principles and craft of mid-century California and Early American furniture.... The result is a comfortable modernism with subtle connections to the past; pursuing values like, warmth, character, even sweetness...Tufting, turned wood spindles and the wing-back all are a nod to our past, but updated in a playful modern way.

Plus, Nurseryworks has introduced a new velvet fabric for the rocker + headboards that comes in 3 lovely new colors: delft, lilac and rosette.

I am thrilled to announce the very talented Jennifer Carden (author of The Toddler Cafe) will be contributing recipes to the Notes! Excitement! Her first contribution brings us a recipe for Homemade Corn Tortillas. Enjoy + thanks Jen!

I know you are thinking,  homemade tortillas for breakfast why bother? Well my job is to get kids interested in food and this is faster and more fun than you may think! Make the tortillas, fry some eggs add cheese and black beans and you have a meal.

You do need a tortilla press but, a few sheets of parchment and a rolling pin or two baking dishes will double as a press just fine. If you have a Mexican market near you you will likely find an inexpensive press there. You can pick up a bag of Maseca too. You can find this in the ethnic isle of your grocery store too. I use Maseca, code name, masa harina..... just add water, it is that easy.  Now get the kids working it is just like playdough.
 

Follow the recipe on the bag, I add a bit of salt and a squeeze of lime juice :

Combine masa harina with water.

Mix with hands until dough is moist but holds its shape. Add more water if needed.

Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Divide dough into 12 balls. Dampen your hands slightly with water.

Using a tortilla press or two flat baking dishes, press dough between two pieces of waxed paper to a 6 inch round. Carefully peel off the top sheet of paper.

Place tortilla, paper side up, on a hot ungreased griddle or skillet. Gently peel off remaining paper.

Cook for 30 seconds or until edges begin to dry. Turn and cook until surface appears puffy. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

Keep warm in tin foil in a low oven.

 

Kit+Lili: it's in and it' up. The spunkiest modern baby rompers + onesies you've ever seen. My favorite is the navy blue dot romper with orange trim (shown above, left). Total style. 

I will note the sizing on the rompers runs a bit small -- the listed size is 3-6m or 6-12m. And while Owen is not a huge baby, the 3-6m size fits him well at almost a month old. The onesies on the other hand seem to run a bit big.....?  

We were blessed with a 'dinner train' after the birth of Owen. 8 spectacular dinners in total. If you know someone who just had a baby, skip the flowers and take them dinner (and dessert). Now that the dinner train is over, I am left with a pile of casserole dishes + otherwise. I have this idea of giving the dishes back to their rightful recipients with a thank you note and homemade cookies. We'll see how ambitious I get, but doesn't that sound nice?

So when cruising around the food blogs last night, I found these peanut butter cookies at my favorite food blog, 101cookbooks.com. They are a twist on a classic peanut butter cookie with only 7 ingredients. And they look delicious!

And perhaps it's old news, but TasteSpotting is an excellent spot for find new food blogs.  Have you been?
Images above from 101cookbooks.com. 

The bold + graphic throw pillows by Boodalee are just so happy. The concept behind Boodalee's bedding + pillow collection is visuals from around the world + beyond. These pillows capture just that in a nutshell -- images as the universal language! 

Concepts aside, each Boodalee pillow is the ultimate flip-able pilow, featuring a design on each side. The pillows obviously coordinate well with the bedding set they were inspired by but are kickin' enough to look sweet in the family room too.

Complete Boodalee collection can be found here. 

The A-Z Animal poster,  designed + illustrated by Tara Hogan of Ink+Wit is one of those products that makes me want to have a brick + mortor shop too. Yes, viewing the print on your screen, it is quite evident the illustrations are spectacular and the colors are so with it. But after beholding the A-Z in person, the details and thoughtfulness of the actual print far exceeds what you see on your screen.  The details are delicate, the grey has a silver shimmer and the composition is playful yet sophisticated. 

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
An actress.

Nature plays a major role in your work. What is the most compelling aspect of working with nature and organic forms in your work?
Spontaneity and the interaction of animals and botanicals.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I am working on a numbers poster similar to the animal alphabet poster and also a new elephant print where part of the proceeds will benefit an elephant sanctuary. In addition, I will be creating the very first roll of children's wallpaper for INK+WIT. And, hopefully, a trip to Tuscany in October.

So looking forward to Numbers poster + wallpaper! Oh yeah. Thank you Tara!

Rockabye Baby Lullaby Renditions is the ultimate in buying for that new mom + dad. Does baby know or care who Bjork is? Probably not, but Mom will surely get a kick out of her favorite Bjork songs in lullaby form! Available in 7 renditions from Coldplay to U2, Nirvana and No Doubt.

And a special fawn&forest feature? You can hear a lullaby sound clip of each rendition, when each title is clicked on. Sweet! And as Rockabye Baby put it: cherub rock for a new generation..... awww.....

Ohh, Look!! 2 new pillows by KLT Works. Kristin has taken her classic owl and nest thread line drawings and silkscreened the design onto off white 100% cotton fabric, backed with coordinating striped fabric. Love!

Mr. Owl is quite sweet + very watchful, but it is the green nest that is my favorite. Is it okay to play favorites?! Such a genuine little nest, twiggy + leafy goodness at it's best.

Kristin has a handful of new items out + we are adding them as I type this. So keep your eye on this page. 

If there was a best-seller popularity contest, the Organic White Mini crib bedding by Area would win a spot in the top 3 best sellers in the crib bedding category. Oh, congratulations Organic White Mini!! 

And rightfully so. The White Mini is now available in organic cotton (bonus! bonus!) with beautifully embroidered off-shaped circles with a striped embroidery crib skirt. White Mini has got the style, is gender neutral and has a lovely simplistic graphic quality to it. 

Crib set includes the usual suspects: bumper, skirt and fitted sheet. Matching Quilt set includes crib quilt and pillow sham. Additional fitted sheet is also available.

Go White Mini!!

The Log Rocker by 10 Grain really does epitomizes “play potential”, a ride-on toy like no other. And what is it? Not quite a sea-saw (but it could be) and not quite a rocking chair, motorcycle or balance beam, the Log Rocker is just a lot of fun.

I can also see the Log Rocker being turned upside down in my house, perhaps made into a launching tunnel for cars + monster trucks. And turned on it's side, I can see Eliot pretending he's in a taco shell. No?

The interior of the Log Rocker is available in the classic red and also the Small Paul pattern by Paul Frank, shown in images above.

I am a sucker for both simple, good packaging + folks who have a business idea and just go for it (hello Forest Finds!). So I was pleased to find We Love Jam, makers of jams + pickles, cookies + bbq sauce. And they have a nonchalant + exciting story:

"In 2002 we made our first batch of apricot jam from an old Blenheim tree in our backyard and had no idea that the unbelievably intense and tantalizing flavor we preserved was on the verge of extinction."

To read more about We Love Jam + Blenheim Apricots, visit their site + shop.  I did find We Love Jam via another blog.... just forgot where!ah!

The LIKEaBIKE mini we ordered for Eliot was astonishingly simple to assemble. All that is needed is one super excited kid who loves to help and a mom or dad who doesn't like to read instructions! The LIKEaBIKE mini arrives almost completely assembled - all that is needed is the handle bar piece to be attached as well as the sweet hand grips.

To adjust the seat height, a few twists of an allen wrench + you're set! 

Sweetbeets makes me smile. Lisa of Sweetbeets not only rocks the letterpress (and so amazingly!) but also creates eco-friendly cards, using 100% post-consumer recycled paper that's also processed chlorine free and uses vegetable-based ink.

I think her "1 2 3 4 5" collection (1 and 3 shown above) would of course make beautiful birthday cards (blank inside so you can write your own greeting!) but would also look awesome framed + hung in a kid's room. And, if you are not throwing a party for 50, they would also make lovely birthday party invitations that would set the tone for a very very fun party.

It was the Tiny Warbler Whale that sent me on a quick search for Kate Keeler's email address. I fell in love with the whale! It made her little family of creatures instant Forest Finds. Not only are her small stuffed animals incredibly genuine, but Kate also perfectly captures the sweetness + character of each animal. I will admit one thing: I ordered a whale for myself and under the guidelines that these small animals are not meant for small children, I have no plans of sharing! 

 
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Truthfully, when I was  about 6 years old, my answer was always 'an artist'. I always loved to paint and draw and make collages. I guess not  too much has changed but now fabric has been thrown in the mix.

Does your "day job" (as a photographer's assistant) interact/overlap/inspire your "evening job" as creator of little friends?
Absolutely! I find being surrounded by talented and creative people really inspiring. On a shoot, I usually find out what someone's favorite animal is and then I start to see it as a pattern. It also pushes me to hone my technical skills and always try to do my best.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
There will be a lot of fabric, cutting, stitching and sewing ahead. I'm working out some new patterns now and hopefully will have some new products to offer in time for the holidays. There may be my first craft fair down the road as well. And hopefully a little travel and rest with my husband. 

Thanks Kate! I look forward to who else you create! 

Oh, this is exciting! The Case Study Armshell Rocker is one of those iconic pieces of furniture that seems to strike a special place with just about everyone. We all pretty much want one, right? For the nursery or otherwise! So, for a bit of fun, while you drop the big cash for that dream nursery of yours (or whatever else you'd like to throw in your cart for a grand total of $2200) we'll be sending you an Armshell Rocker of your choice. For free. And free shipping on the whole bunch of it.

Ocean shell with zinc base and walnut runners? Sure! Celery shell with a black base and maple runners? It's yours! This Mid-Summer dream of a deal runs through August 15th.

Samantha of Nix Socks is a can-do kind of gal. And she makes it seem so simple!  She wanted her son to wear stylin' socks that stayed on his little feet. So she designed some old-school style socks + had them manufactured. Nix Socks was born! Samantha is a spunky lady -- it shows not only in the awesome color combinations of her socks, but also in her loving attitude toward her family. And where did the name Nix come from? From the source of her inspiration, her older son, Phoenix.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An actress, of course.

What is the most challenging part of being an inventive designer-business women + full time Mom?
Eating a meal in a char... well, first, eating a meal. The chair is just a luxury at this point. This is true. But also, making a point to not short shift my husband on the love he deserves. There is not a lot left at the end of the day to go around but I think it is so important not to let that slide.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
Hopefully a 2nd line of socks (new colors/styles) and lots of fun with my 2 boys and my husband. I'd love to make it to the snow this Winter. 

Thank you Samantha! Perhaps I am thinking what every other Mom is thinking right now: I wish the Nix came in my size too! 

I am a major Jennifer Carden fan (author of The Toddler Cafe, Chronical Books 2008). In addition to reading her blog, I also have been enjoying reading her blog posts on the Chronicle Books blog as well.

She posted (on both Chronicle and her own blog) about making sushi with her daughter, at her daughters request + with her kid-fun help. 

"After a short and very fun rice-covered experience (don’t forget to dip your fingers in water before working with the rice or you’ll start to look like a Yeti) our dinner was ready. It took about 35 minutes and the sushi was beautiful. We all chowed down and Claire really liked the veggies with her rice. I have never seen her eat with so much excitement. She forgot to be worried about the purple cabbage because she was so proud of what she had created with her own hands. I was proud of her. "

I have never made sushi, but Jen's post + beautiful pictures (above left + right) make me want to dive right in. It seems like the ultimate kid-friendly (and healthy!) food.....the perfect size, great color combinations and a lot of fun to make. To read more of Jennifer's blog post, click here or here.  For some kid-friendly sushi inspiration + recipes, click here or here.  

Before Owen was born I decided to throw myself my own little baby shower and gifted myself with a handful of fun items. Why not?!

The Camber Mobile by Adrift is one of the things I bought. I love the simplicity of the wood and have the perfect space for it above the Case Study Arm Shell Rocker in the boys' room. 

I was intrigued by how the Camber Mobile was packaged -- just like a fine loaf of crusty bread! Hung up, it moves gracefully with the air from the vent blowing, making peaceful shadows on the ceiling.

And because it's maple veneer, the whole mobile is light as a feather. Good in-room photo of the mobile.... to come. Above images show mobile upon arrival. 

He has made his debut!
Our sweet Owen Quin was born June 30th at 8:25am after a very very speedy + happy delivery. Stats: 7lbs. 13 oz. and 20" long.

We are all in love with him and big brother Eliot is quite pleased with his "best prize ever". Praise God.  

We are now in a new month of Forest Finds with a whole new selection.... but did not want to neglect the final June Forest Find Q+A with Paige Russell. I gave birth last Monday before I got the chance to post Paige's interview. I enjoy the wit Paige has with the work she creates. Objects that are both useful, thoughtful and fun. Plus, she was voted most sportsmanlike for 7th grade volleyball. Umm, come on! I tried to play volleyball in the 7th grade and was surely not as cool as Paige.....!

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
The first thing I can remember wanting to be is a marine biologist, but I'm ultra afraid of seaweed & sharks, so...  Then I moved on to cake decorator.  My family ate a LOT of cakes for a couple of months one summer.   But for most of my teens and up, I always knew I wanted to make things.

What is the most compelling aspect of working dimensionally?
I'm a pretty sensorial person (is that a word? hmmm...) so working in 3D really compliments that part of me.  I also love function and the challenge of pairing that with beauty.  Creating useful household objects that people enjoy looking at & using is the big dream.  

I have been wanting to do this for awhile: homemade graham crackers. Havn't gotten around to it, but this little girl and her Mom did from Five Green Acres blog. Looks like they had a lot of fun + the recipe looks delicious!  I have included the recipe below, but be sure to check out Five Green Acres... a blog about city mice who move to the country!

Graham Crackers

1 c. sifted flour - graham or whole wheat
1 c. white flour (whole wheat pastry flour worked well for me)
1t. baking powder
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. milk + a little more to get the right consistency

 
Mix dry ingredients, work in butter with a pastry blender. Stir in honey and milk, then knead to form firm balls. Add a little bit of milk as necessary to get this consistency. Roll out to about 1/4″ thick. Cut into squares or use cookie cutters.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, or until brown.

I think it might be best to store these in a loosely-fitted container to maintain the crispiness of crackers. We didn’t, and our crackers were more like less-sweet cut-out cookies than crackers, so we’ll try that next time. Also, not having milk, we found that using half and half, which we did have on hand, worked well when diluted a bit. Not that I’d recommend the substitution unless you’re in a real pinch…

If you also have ABC cookie cutters, you’re in luck. The B and the X are especially delicious with this recipe.

 

Get your kids in the kitchen + make some homemade Graham Crackers! Images via Five Green Acres.

Christy Nyboer is the artist behind Little Lark clothing, and mother of 2 small children. I love the simplicity of her designs + her obvious interest in what she does. See those dahlias? Those beauties grow in her garden every year! And while the majority of her designs reflect nature, she's not afraid to throw in a robot or 2! Another plus? Most of the Little Lark cloting is organic.   

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I'm sure there were tons of things that I wanted to be when I was younger, but one definitely sticks out in my mind first.  When I was about 4 years old, I was obsessed with becoming an "Orange Crayon Maker".... from watching how crayons (specifically the orange ones) were made on the show Mr. Rogers.  (remember Picture, Picture?)  Well, I eventually realized that being an orange crayon maker would get kind of old after awhile (and after being teased enough from it), I switched to wanting to become a doctor like my dad and grandfather.  I loved how passionate they were about their chosen career, and I too had a strong passion for biology at a very young age.  It became more clear to me as I got older, that my passion for visual arts was far stronger than anything else.  I choose to study art at Alfred University in New York where I attained my BFA.  I wasn't sure where studying art was going to take me.... but look at me now!

What is the most challenging part of being a mom and a creative business owner?
That is a loaded question.  For me, one of the most difficult parts is balancing my time with business + family, plus also making the time for myself (non-work time).   When I find myself worn out, frustrated and unmotivated with the demands of work and home-life.... it becomes very clear to me that I have been working too hard and taking care of everyone except myself.  I need to remind myself more often that it is  okay to stop working for an hour to share coffee with a friend.... the updating of the website can wait.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I'm on a mission to make Little Lark more organic.  This fall I will be adding some organic, long sleeve onesies in a beautiful range of colors.... I'm so excited!  I hope to have some new fall designs ready by July.

Thanks so much Christy! My favorite? The horse onesie. 

As we approach the end of June with a full + exciting month of Forest Finds action, I am pleased to announce Tressa's Teething BonBons to be amongst the top 3 best selling Forest Finds products. No surprise as the Teething BonBons are an ingenious solution to every parents dilemma: a teething baby.  Plus they are organic + super cute. I am refreshed by Tressa's enthusiasm and expanding creativity.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
A problem-solver, a group leader and self employed.  When I was in grade four I organized a club for my friends called 'The Golden Girls'.  I designed a logo, hand drew our membership pamphlet (this was the early 80s) and fashioned a clubhouse out of cement cinder blocks and old pipes that I found on a pile of fill from my elementary school's renovations.  I think that it was around the same time that I invented a dandelion picker and set up a one-day-only birch-bark crafts stand at the end of my driveway.  Back then my ideas didn't have a lot of staying power or technical support, but laid the foundation for a life of leadership, art, and engaging every creative possibility.

What is the most challenging part of being a Mom and having a business?
Not banking on nap time.  My daughter is just over 1 1/2 years and for the most part, a beautiful sleeper.  I have come to count on the couple of hours each day nap time affords - designing, prepping materials and sometimes even getting to the machine to put together a few Bonbons (the real production work happens in the evening when my husband scoops up the babe for her nightime routine).  As Little R. gets older and product demand increases, the nap time hours seem to be getting shorter and I find myself both counting and maxing the minutes.  Having a business and a family is about setting s.m.a.r.t. goals for long term vision and immediate focus, being well organized, and welcoming support from folks experienced, wise and enthusiastic.  And, of course, knowing when to ditch nap time expectations and head to the park.

(s.m.a.r.t. = Specific Measureable Attainable Realistic/Relevant Timely) 

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
Each weekend I join a community of crafters, organic farmers and not-for-profit organizations at the Moss Street Market in Victoria BC Canada, selling my wares and educating folks on the benefits of organic cotton production from seed to my finished - handmade! - material goods.  This month, I am soooo excited to be on the brink of having my own line of fabric hand screen printed and ready to go - three prints, four colours.  They will be snipped and sewed into a super stylin' new branch of my classic organic soft toys.  August will find my little family climbing in our Volks for a road trip from our home on Vancouver Island to my childhood stomping grounds in BC's interior.  We'll do a bit of camping, some wine tasting (hello Naramata Bench!) and lots catching up with family and friends.  Come autumn, I'll be gearing up for a major event, the Vancouver Island Baby Fair and - golly - now I'm thinking about Little R's 2nd birthday and the Holiday markets that will soon follow ... 2008, where are you going?

Thanks Tressa! Sign me up for your 'Golden Girls' club! I was totally one of those kids.....

Children's clothing designer Lucy Sykes totally put the icing on the cake with this one. Her confetti crib bedding, designed for Nurseryworks, is both simple, gender neutral, colorful + crisp. And a sweet wink to the current grey + golden yellow craze that seems to be going on. Love it.

I went to art school so I know quite well that it is illegal to purposely match artwork to room decor, but I couldn't help but see a relationship developing between the Confetti bedding and Elizabeth Soule's squirrel on nuts. Right? Totally a perfet match.

You know what else would look super in the confetti-squirrel nursery? The Case Study Armshell Rocker in red, chiffon or oatmeal, of course!

Alyson Beaton is a thoughtful + talented designer who creates multi-functional work. The Baby's First Words letterpress card set is a true example of functional, heirloom quality art. And a great place to record your growing baby, even if you don't have the umph or time to write a novel. I look forward to Alyson's soon to be released children's book "grow", exciting!  

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a veterinarian , but so did everyone else!

What is the most challenging part of being an artistic creative working mom?
The toughest challenge is finding the time to do the work. Since the work is not necessarily paying the bills you have to carve out a bit of your life for yourself and your outlet.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
This year is going to be an exciting one for me because I just partnered with a colleague from grad school to have a design collaborative called Good Design Chicago. We are going to hit the ground running with the release of the web site and something we have been working on that encourages kids to write and illustrate their own stories. We are incorporating this idea into birthday parties too! I also have the release of the book "Grow: An Environmentally Friendly Book" set to hit stores in December, with a limited edition letterpressed version coming out now. I am super excited about both of these projects, and with the growing relationships with wonderful people like Fawn and Forest who support people like me. I just have to remember to keep the balance. 

Thank you Alyson!! 

I can ruin 2 recipes in a flash: chocolate chip cookies and biscuits. Not quite sure what I do wrong? That aside, the classic "Toll House" chocolate chip cookie recipes treats me well most of the time. I want to be more sophisticated than that, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Eliot and I made some "chocolate chippers" this week. They've already been eaten (and it's only Wednesday?!). Here is the recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely...

.....or....eat them all up real quick and don't burn your tongue.

Everyone's beloved design blog, Design Sponge was ever so kind + did a sneak peek into the home of fawn&forest on Monday, thanks Anne + Grace!

It seems we all have a long list of "to-do's" to get done around the house. Small projects of this + thats. I had quite a list (see those curtains in Eliot's room on the left?!) and was dually inspired by the impending arrival of the baby and the deadline of the Design Sponge sneak peek to get it all done. And that we did.

Curtains hung. Artwork framed. Shelves were put up. Piles were dispersed + organized. 100 back issues of random magazines recycled.  Fingerprints + licks were washed off windows. A bit of summertime cleaning + tidying up the 'ol shack.

So check out the peek here + you can view all photos on Design Sponge's Flickr.  

I love the simplicity of Jai and Lauren, the sweet couple behind Sleeping Forest Studios....who "make high quality handcrafted wooden objects in their small but mighty shop in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. Both love to visit the city, but are most happy in their big old house in their small quiet town, surrounded by cats and bunnies and good books....". I would love to spend a day with them in their small but mighty shop... watching them make their beautiful wood tops (among other goodies).... wouldn't you?!

 
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
Jai: When I was really young, my grandfather trained me to answer this question with, "I wanna be in show business!" He was a projectionist, so he was already living the dream. I think he would have been proud that I went the toymaker route, though.

Lauren: Growing up, my Mom always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be... until I decided I wanted to be a harem dancer.  My Grandma wanted me to be a scientist.  She would clip articles out of the newspaper about women in science.  It was pretty cute.  

 
What is the most compelling part of working with wood?
Jai: For me, being a woodturner, I like the idea of taking things with corners and making them round. Everything I make is by hand so it's all a bit different. It's also amazing how little measuring I have to do.

Lauren: It's almost unlimited, what you can do with wood.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you? 
Jai: Christmas!

Lauren: Lots more fun and experimenting in the shop.  Spinning, cutting, shaping, sanding, and, oh yeah,  Christmas.

 
These tops are small but mighty and have the most amazingly perfect spin. Totally addictive! Thanks Lauren + Jai!

Let the kids go crazy with a Yoodo! 

The Yoodo by Offi is a modular system made of extra-heavy weight cardboad designed for kids to build a fort or otherwise secret playhouse... just throw a sheet over the top? Remember that?! The Yoodo construction creates fun places for the kids to crawl through, create windows (puppet show?) or just makes some off the all race car (that perhaps would be the case in our house....). 

The Yoodo kit includes 16 big + little pieces and is currently on sale for $29. And while the red + white is nice, I'd be tempted to let the kids loose with a few markers and some stickers to really sweeten it up. 

Today's Forest Finds Q+A is with Maiko Kuzunishi the mastermind behind Decoylab Design Studio. I am always intrigued by those who are multi-talented and work in a variety of mediums - including being a new mom! - such as Maiko. Check out her website  for a full meal of her creativity and talent.   

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a first grade we had this assignment where we drew what we wanted to be when we grew up. After given it a thought, I ended up asking my parents what I should be. My dad said "how about a newscaster?" so that's what I drew... a very square looking anchor woman. (and I must tell you that it was pretty good drawing.) I really did not care what I wanted to be when I grew up and maybe it's because I didn't want to grow up? Or maybe I just wanted to be myself and not anybody or anything else. I still don't have any idea what I want to be or that if I have grown up... I know I'm older. I also know that I am more true to myself than I was before. And maybe that's really all i wanted and cared. I just like being myself. 

You are certainly multidisciplinary - of what you do, what aspect is the most challenging?
Becoming multidisciplinary was not my goal but as a result of going after what interested me -- it was not my intention. Having said that, I do realize that I've encompassed different vocations. Each vocation has its own world, it's microcosm and the challenge was to learn each world like going into a foreign country and trying to speak new language. Each world challenged me to prove to them that I am competent.

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
'08 has been a chaotic year since the birth of my daughter in March. I am still figuring out my work schedule which is nearly impossible since my daughter is growing up so quickly and we don't have a well established pattern yet.  I have tons of ideas for products and I'm fired up to do lots of design work as I do miss working!!

BUT I don't want to miss my daughter growing up either. It's her first year and I waited 9 months for this!! So the rest of the year will be me going back and forth chaotically between work and my daughter trying to balance it out. Can't you just see? I am thankful that I work from home that it's just going back and forth between living room to a bedroom converted into my studio. I rush to my studio as soon as my daughter falls asleep and I rush to my daughter as soon as I hear her crying!

Thank you Maiko!

To celebrate the launching month of Fawn&Forest's Forest Finds, we are doing a giveaway with PoppyTalk blog.... giving away an E.Soule print! Yes, you could own your very own "Little Zoo"! All you have to do is visit PoppyTalk + the giveaway post and enter into the comments section your favorite item on FawnandForest.com.

Contest ends Wednesday June 25th, so scoot yourself over there right this second!

I did it. I made the Minty Pea Pops from Jennifer Carden's The Toddler Cafe (Chronicle Books 2008) and they are litterally flying out of the freezer.  Eliot is  a minty pea pop maniac!  He has eaten so many peas he can now literally open the freezer door all by himself. Impressive.

The recipe is so simple + one of those foundational recipes that is totally adaptable to what you have on hand. Corn? Pineapple? Kiwi? With a bit of tweaking you could get your kids to eat their veggies + fruit, even on a dreadful food strike. Food strike aside, what kid doesn't love a popsicle?

With the kind permission of Jennifer Carden, here is her recipe for the Minty Pea Pops:

ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup frozen petite green peas
scant 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/8 to a 1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
popsicle sticks

directions:
Place the cream cheese, peas and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 20-second intervals until the cheese is softened to room temperature.

Using a stick or standing blender, puree the ingredients into a smooth paste. Add the extract and mix again, scraping the bowl frequently. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Place the mixture in a large zip-top bag and cut about 1/2 inch off of the bottom corner. Squeeze into a clean ice cube tray or mini-muffin tin, place 1 popsicle stick in each and freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Depending on your freezer, you may have to let them freeze for up to 4 hours. For best results, make and freeze overnight.

Once the pops are frozen, remove them from the molds by twisting just like ice cubes and seal in an airtight container for up to 1 month.  Makes 6 cube-shaped pops.

It's that simple! I used a mini food processor with great results, although be sure to mix in the chocolate chips by hand and not with the blender as they'll disappear in the chop. Though this recipe says it will make 6 popsicles, I got about 14 popsicles out of the batch using a Fresh Baby food tray.

One of the best aspects of this recipe? Peas in a popsicle. The green color is real and not some weird chemical color experiment. Brilliant!

For the scoop on Jennifer Carden, be sure to check out her blog and the spotlight on her at 101 Cookbooks! 

So there was a time in my life that I had a minor obsession with handbags. These days? Strollers. Strictly for product testing reasonings, I have accumulated quite a few. And while I don't currently own a Micralite Toro, it is one beautiful stroller, I must say! And it's next on my list....

The Micralite Toro is the sweet sister to the Micralite Fastfold. Both the Toro and the Fastfold are an inventive twist on umbrella style strollers, with a few more bells + whistles. And a lot more versatility.

Versatility indeed. Not only does the Toro accommodate an infant carseat but also has a Newborn Carry Cot (when purchased as the Toro Newborn System) in addition to the fully adjustable seat. While the sun & bug shield is sold separately, The Toro comes standard with a zip on rain cover and a foot muff.

And in case you want all four tires to be air filled, not a problem as you can now purchase the all terrain kit making the front wheels air filled instead of solid rubber. And the whole set-up only weighs 19 lbs.

You can view a short clip on how the Micralite Toro works on this You Tube video. 

I was bouncing around blog-land and found this super-simple, ultra-satisfying project on the blog Hop Skip Jump -- how to make new crayons out of old crayons.  Perhaps they could be called crayon-cakes?

As author Fiona points out, there are numerous instructions on the internet on how to make new crayons out of old crayons, but really it is not too complicated, I agree!

Break up "old crayons", placing them in the color assortment as you wish into a non-stick muffin tin. From there, melt the wax in a 250 degrees oven for about 10 minutes, give or take dependng on the size of new crayons your are creating. To speed up cooling process, place them in the freezer for a bit.  

...and then have fun coloring + drawing! I have put this on our "summer time project list" for sure.

Thanks Fiona for the beautiful photos + idea! 

Today's your last chance to enter to win the Virtual Baby Shower over at the ever so lovely blog Tangled&True! Jump over there right now + leave your comment on the post with your name to enter!

With over $760 in prizes, Fawnandforest.com also contributed to the love with a Moby Wrap (you choose the color), a set of Fresh Baby food trays and a First 1,000 Days Journal by Nikki McClure.  

Hooray for Tangled&True + the winner, which will be announced tomorrow morning! 

Too cool. Eliot is thrilled with the LIKEaBIKE mini he received in the mail this week. It's just his size + he doesn't even mind falling over!  So far he's sped around in the grass. Must get a helmut for his noggin for when he braves the pavement. Eliot has foregone the LIKEaBIKE name and is calling it his "big brother bike" for the time being.So sweet.

Another cool thing? I found this cool Japanese site (via Minor Details blog) where you can very simply make your new pictures look old. I know there are other sites out there that do this, but this one is fun. 

Happy Friday!

So, as my style goes, Father's Day is a few days away and I am rather giftless....or am I? I ask my husband: How about a newborn baby boy for Father's Day? And he says: Sure!

Sweet.

These delicious looking brownies + chocolate marshmellows by Whimsey and Spice would also do the trick. Um, Yum! Whimsey and Spice has a lovely selection of cookies, brownies + other confection with interesting flavors like rosehip and black peppercorn. And if you can't make your mind up (which is usually me) they offer a sampler box. 

Also be sure to visit Whimsey and Spice's blog, Sweet Fine Day. Seems to be updated daily and has the lovliest personal photos.

I am totally intrigued by the concept of what these Joy by Mel Lim totes are made of: take 80% recycled cotton + 20% recycled plastic soda bottles and there you have it, a nice canvasy tote.   

I have been test driving the yellow Sweet Dream 3 tote bag for the past few weeks. it has given me the suggestion of total style while keeping me sufficently discorganized. Just the way I like it.  While I have been using the Joy by Mel Lim Tote as my everything purse turn toddler tote, it would also make a great library book bag or for quick errands when perhaps you don't need to bring diapers, O's and a toy Mini-Cooper Car. 

The Sweet Dream Collection is a bit odd, yes. Bunnies, unicorns and a flute playing girl. Totally dreamy.....! The Sweet Dreams are produced in limited edition, get em while they last.

Today's Forest Finds Q+A is with the very intuitive photographer Elizabeth Soule who has created her own 'Little Zoo'. I am astonished at her ability to put so much personality + life into such small plastic objects. Thank you Elizabeth! 

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
Like most kids I went through a dozen phases, but I was determined at age 6 to be a Harvard law graduate and eventually President of the United States.  When I found out how much I loathed politics, I moved on to more practical aspirations; ballerina, actress, teacher, and computer programmer.  

Happy Monday! After doing loads of laundry over the weekend I am now fully convinced I should be using more bibs. Bib usage = cleaner shirts = less laundry. Hmmmm.....Baby Star?

We are now starting to add the Baby Star line to fawn&forest. I am totally loving the bib collection for both boys + girls. Plus they have some amazing new fabrics out for 2008.

Baby Star bibs add style to the basics, catch the drool and the mac + cheese. Made 100% formaldehyde free cotton fabric. Features decorative fabric on front and super soft corduroy on back with a velcro closure.

And would even fit a toddler at 10"x14! Yo!

I met with my Doula/s yesterday as I am due in a few weeks. A lot of fun, instant friends who love to talk birthing, breastfeeding + baby carriers as much as I do! Delightful, the three B's.

So I am thrilled to announce that fawn and forest now carries the full line of Mod Mum slings. If the fit is correct, a pouch style sling (such as Mod Mum's) is perhaps one of the most versatile baby carriers as it can comfortably be used from birth into the toddler years.

Mod Mum slings was created by two stay-at-home moms who designed their baby slings for optimum comfort, while their designer fabrics help every mom to feel hip and chic as she carries her baby.

Which, you know, C'mon. When you've been spit up on for the 80th time today or have had mushy bananas wiped on you, wearing your child in a pretty floral or colorful graphic patterned Mod Mum sling makes you at least look like you have a relatively clean shirt on. 

I am totally loving the greens of the "Madison" pattern, it has been put on my list! Shown above is  "Emily" (left) and "Chloe" (right).

The 1st Forest Finds Q+A is with the very creative Sian Keegan. She brings her handmade fabric patchwork strawberries, radishes and scallions to June's Forest Finds.  

Sian Keegan is a recent graduate of the textile + surface design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Sian grew up in a rural town in southern Connecticut where she worked on a strawberry farm. She currently lives in park slope, Brooklyn with a dachshund named Ollie.

 
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid I wanted to be a veterinarian, or any profession relating to dogs.  I still want to be a dog trainer one day...

What was the most challenging part of studying at Fashion Institute of Technology?
The heavy workload was very challenging.  Also commuting from Brooklyn on the F train every morning with all of my supplies was tricky sometimes!

What does the rest of '08 hold for you?
I will be at the Renegade Craft Fair at McCarren Park Pool June 14-15.  Next I'll be working on some new animals and fabric vegetable designs to sell from my shop at sian.etsy.com. 

Thanks Sian! 

So Eliot and I did end up making an extra chocolatety gooey cakey bit. I am still on the hunt for the perfect chocolate cake recipe, though. No complaints, we never seem to have any problem polishing off chocolate cake!

But then I saw these Lime Tart Cupcakes on the CupcakeBlog, which made me go into chocolate cake remorse! Ugh, the indecision! I'll have to make the cupcakes over the weekend. The Chockylit CupcakeBlog is one of my favorite food blogs, total bummer to hear she is splitting the scene for a bit of a hiatus.   

The recipe is a bit involved, always fun to do a load of dishes after making a batch of cupcakes! But why not? Lime Tart goodness in cupcake form. Yeah. Images above via CupcakeBlog.

I am thrilled to announce the launch of a new, very special category on fawnandforest.com called Forest Finds!

Each month we will bring you a fresh selection of independent artists and designers who create relevant, modern wares and crafted items for your children and home. This month we have found a lovely section of folks in the forest : Sian Keegan (shown above left + right), E. Soule, Little Lark, Alyson Beaton Design, Paige Russel, Dress Me Up, Decoylab and Sleeping Forest.

My idea for the Forest Finds unfolded quite randomly. I found a link one day to Sian Keegan's site and fell in love with her work -- stuffed fruit + veggies. Love!  I've never had a desire for fawn&forest to be stale and impersonal, limited to selling all the major brands and well known designers. Interestingly enough, however, these major brands, such as Oeuf, vision is quite similar to that of Paige Russel or E. Soule. Each has an intention of form + function, thoughtfulness of materials used and a desire to bring enjoyment + simplicity to your home and family.

I'm personally a big Etsy fan, avid blog reader + generally interested in all the creative + innovative ideas and wares made by all the you's + me's of today. I get excited about stuffed radishes and organic cotton teething bon bons. And wouldn't you just love to have this deer and cupcake hanging on your wall? Exactly.   

Forest Finds it is. 

...to me. I am 28 today.

Birthdays are fun. Your very own special day to celebrate life. My birthday always reminds me of how thankful + enormously blessed I am. No fun to be grouchy + dull, anyways. 

And while I'd really like to have a hefty glass of Prosecco (ahhh, sounds so refreshing...suppose i shouldn't while pregnant!) I'll settle for a sparkling water-something and a nice gooey extra chocolatety homemade birthday cake made with the sweet help of my 2.5 year old.

Though I totally would have liked to have been invited to the train birthday party (pictured above)! Check out that train cake! Banana cake trains, indivudual servings and not an excess amount of frosting for the kids. I perhaps would forgo the Thomas the Train theme, but what the heck. To read more about this fun party + for the reciple, check out this blog. 

Elly Nelly is rocking the wallscapes. Simple + sophisticated wall graphics. Yes! Totally fun in your kid's room and playroom. Or the kitchen.

Elly Nelly is comprised of a mother and daughter team, Elaine & Nell Oliver. Both are experienced textile designers with an intense interest in pattern. With their own unique creative approach to design, they were inspired to set up their own studio. Elly Nelly uses a fusion of hand illustration and stylized modern graphics to bring their series of wall decals alive.

Available in 16 colors and 33 designs. Shown above left is 'all boxed up' and right, 'fly away'.