fawn&forest

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.