Shop: Summer with Nonchalant Mom

It's way too early to start reminiscing...but I think it's right about this time of year (when the San Fran fog rolls in and out of the city) that I start collecting my "hits" of summer.  Below are a few of Designing Mom Carina's (Nonchalant Mom) favorites.   I second the salmon pasta! 

from Carina:
- summer clothing: Layla
- summer color: anything fluorescent and still in love with blue (cobalt blue)
- food: summer salmon pasta
- reading: Star - how Warren Beatty Seduced America
- my kids are crazy for putting on shows right now... one just about every day... come on over and see if you like!? 

Decorate: Chic Pink Baby Shower

Designing Mom Carina of Nonchalant Mom had all the rumblings of pink in its color scheme, but I love how sophisticated it turned out.  From rustic pies to deep plums...this was such a wonderful grown-up "pink" fete to celebrate the mom-to-be!  Click here for the full post. 

Shop: Roadtrip with Nonchalant Mom

Hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend!  I have a decent farmer's tan to show for a nice weekend of sun, wine country and bbq with the family...  Since we're at the peak of summer, I thought this road trip post by Tada Shop of Designing Mom Carina and her ultimate "packing list" would be most appropriate for today! 

Father's Day Fotos: Nonchalant Dad

above: Designing Mom Carina of Nonchalant Mom just could not be without her "Nonchalant Dad!"

Make: Moomah

by Designing Mom Carina of Nonchalant Mom



If you have not already heard about moomah (yes there could be some of you out there!) it's a cafe/meeting place that we all wish we had in our own towns :: a place to bring your kids have great organic tea and a snack and... best of all... sit down and do some art projects with your kids! No need to go out and get all of the necessary accessories, moomah has taken care of that for you! They have also taken care of coming up with the most wonderful creative projects... that.. you could not have come up with unless you were Martha Stewart (or Moomah) they are just simply great, not elaborate, crazy and certainly not plastic!


My favorite are the shadow boxes! but there are many more, and for Valentines day they have come up with some very special little projects that will ensure your kids make something you will save and cherish! Visit their website to see all of the project that are going on for each month, OR take a 'gloga' class!


... and if you don't live in the vicinity of NYC I think that the moomah projects are inspiring for things to make at home and if you happen to live in the woods or at least have a yard where you can pick up sticks, branches and rocks.. you are just about as well off as if you waltzed into moomah! (just add a bit of organic tea and make yourself some treats and voila!).


moomah is located in Tribeca - 161 hudson street

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday: 7:30 am to 6 pm

Saturday: 8 am to 6 pm

Sunday: Closed for private events

DIT Table: Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm

Shop: Valentine's Day Finds

You know it's coming...the big V Day. While I have never, ever been one to be all that into Valentine's Day, having a little one has turned the tables. I loved bringing home a big bag of Valentines growing up and I can't wait for my boy to have this very same experience. What is everyone doing for Valentine's Day? I know you all have some great treats up your sleeves so please share! We'll have fun Valentine Makes and posts all week. Starting with Designing Mom Carina of Nonchalant Mom who has some grown up "pink" finds for Valentine's Day. Hope on over to see!

Shop: Nonchalant Mom NYC Tour

by Designing Mom Carina of Nonchalant Mom


I visit NYC as often as I can and no matter what I do I always end up spending a day on this route so I thought it would be a good idea to share it. This is a a great route if you drive, I used to always find street parking, but after a few tickets (thank you Bloomberg) I now park in the garage, but the garage I give you below on Kenmare is really the best! (and cheapest). I realized that many of my places include food... hhhmmm.. but you need sustenance for all that shopping!

1) Erica Tanov - her store is so inspiring, I always love to spend some time here. Her jewelry is really out of this world and she inspired me to carry more jewelry in Nonchalant Mom. Her kids section is priceless! I always pick up something for the kids here even if it's just a little paint set! (Elizabeth btwn Prince and Spring)

2) Daily 365 - another place to stop for something for the kids. I feel like kids toystores always have the same things but not here! lot's of little things, gifts and toys for the kids. (Elizabeth btwn Houston and Prince)

3) This is the Kenmare parking lot (between Mulberry and Mott). The location is good and its cheap.

4) Do Kham - I know that this is not the most fashionable, but the basic Kurta is such a perfect pregnant top and they have the most colors (silk or cotton), they also have the kids kurta's which are perfect for spring and summer! (Prince btwn Layfayette and Mulberry)

5) CeCe Cela - Great croissants and truffles, you can even buy frozen chocolate croissants to make at home! yum! Great coffee, hot chocolate and iced tea as well... oh and these little sandwiches... lot's of goodies! (Spring btwn Layfayette and Mulberry)

6) Hampton Chutney Company - This is a great place for a real authentic Indian lunch, I go for the Chai or Cardamom Coffee, you will never drink Chai from anyone else (ecept in India!) again, period! I never miss this place on a trip to NYC (I even make my husband go and get me a Chai to bring back to Rhode Island). (on Prince btwn Crosby and Layfayette)

7) Muji - what did we do before Muji!! I used to bring their city blocks back from Europe and sell them on Nonchalant Mom! But now you can just go and get them for yourself at Muji!! I love everything at Muji and I am slowly transforming our kitchen to have all Muji, it's plain and simply the best! And the kids love their little sets of pens and markers... I could go on and on! They have Everything! (on Broadway btwn Grand and Canal)

now you have to walk all the way over to the other side of Soho--to Thompson St.

8) Dosa - It's really delightful to have something from Dosa in my closet, always pretty and sweet (hey... why isn't this on my website!! coming soon...) just the most delightful store and always lovely. (Thompson btwn Prince and Spring)

9) Makié - If you can't get enough of Makié from Nonchalant Mom well then hop on down to the store! Just make sure you tell her I sent you!! (Thompson btwn Prince and Spring)

10) Snack - Finish your day with an amazing Greek meal at Snack, it's so fresh and delicious! Try everything! I always like the chicken borecki (I can't really spell that but it tastes so good!). (Thompson btwn Prince and Spring)

Have fun and make a day of it!!

Decorate: Hallway Photos

by Designing Mom "Shop" Contributor Carina

This image of our hallway that ran in Domino Magazine has generated so many emails and I think that this is a great thing to do in time for the holidays and holiday parties (although it's possible you should have started the process a few weeks ago in a little less stressful period... but that's the way it goes!).

It's nice to do this project in a space where you would normally not stop, this gives your friends and family a reason to stop and look--a hallway is a good place or an entry or even a staircase! I like to go to a few antique shops or second hand stores (the cheaper kind) they usually have a box of old frames and these work perfectly. If they need glass you can either do that at your hardware store or at a frame shop and it's pretty inexpensive. I like to mix these old frames together with new Ikea frames that are simple with clean lines. While you are at the second hand store, check the old paintings, you can usually find some gems laying around or on the walls of the antique shop.

We use old family photos, the kids school projects and artwork (one of ours is so faded so that it's just a piece of paper in a frame!), and then some old paintings picked up from our travels. I like to use just a few large and then lots of small pieces mixed into the wall. I think it's also nice to take pieces of toys or favorite rocks, etc and put them on the frame edges, little kids really like this--it's a little bit of hide and seek. I think it's nice to mix in some mirrors as well--these can be old or new, but they are a nice way to break up all of the images and as you pass through to look at the photos your image becomes one of the photos in the mirror! We used many different colors for the frames, silver, black and natural wood but it's also nice to unify the wall with one color frame like black or white. I think it's best to use snap-shots and not staged photos or at least mix of the two.

Good luck and have fun with your wall!

Shop: Nonchalant Mom

Are you tidying up details for the last of your holiday gift buying this weekend or just starting (like me yikes!)?

Designing Mom shop contributor Carina has some great gift guides from her Nonchalant Mom boutique if you're looking for ideas and wanting to avoid the crowds this weekend...

Welcome Designing Mom Contributor: Carina Schott

I'm just a bit excited to introduce our latest Designing Mom, Carina Schott of Nonchalant Mom to all of you. She is going to be our new "Shop" contributor! As you read her introduction, you may come to recognize her from her brilliant shop or her home which was featured in Domino Magazine. I actually had my Domino issue dog eared to her home long before babies and slings and onesies ever became a factor in my life. There was something so admirable in how Carina and her husband achieved the single mission of creating a haven that would center first and foremost around each other and their children. Quite simply, it is a family's paradise.
Please help me in welcoming Carina and if you haven't visited her amazing shop in Rhode Island, click here to visit it online!


Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I have been in the fashion industry for way too many years! The women's business pooped me out--I lived in Italy and we started our own collection called 'hLam' (which means 'to dream' in Berber) while we designed about eight other collections for other people (per season, each year!) and we worked our butts off! Then I got into menswear and LOVED it (everyone is SO nice)...I was designing and working in PR--we started an Italian men's label, it was great! Then the parent company bought out Valentino and we were shut down... shoot! I have also worked in the daily grind of Esprit in the 1980's and Kenneth Cole (1995)-where I made a bunch of money but my soul was torn to shreds. My life in a paragraph... Then I started my wonderful company Nonchalant Mom and I couldn't be happier, I love my customers and I know almost all of them by name (and their childrens' sizes!).

How did you and your husband meet?
We met in San Francisco when I worked for Esprit, but I moved to Italy three months after we met... we got back together three years later (after he sent hundreds of letters and came to Italy to ask me to marry him but forgot the ring...) We have been together for almost 15 years now, he is my best friend and my greatest fan. He is an artist, his work is amazing!

How did NonchalantMom start?
When we moved to Rhode Island from New York I thought I would commute.. wrong... what else was I to do as a sweater designer in Rhode Island? My friend in Switzerland called me a 'nonchalant mom' one day and I said we should write a book--but then it turned into my shop and I love it! I opened in July 2004 and I didn't get orders for a few months, then I was on Daily Candy and it all went crazy! I wanted to share these wonderful kids labels like Makié, Erica Tanov and Lucky Fish (these were my favorites when I began and they still are..) nobody was online at the time! I had to beg people to sell to me because online was considered "cheap" or "offprice" back then, I had to explain that I was a unique children's boutique, the people who trusted me are still the people I sell and love, we are all in this together.


What inspires you?
My friends--Jann Cheifitz, Gunn Johansson, my kids and junk shopping and flea markets.



What projects, activities do you love doing with your children? Are they creative like their mom?
The little things like coloring with crayons, playing games, working outside and playing with our new dog. I wish I were more together to do more projects with them... (a little bit of 'nonchalant mom' showing here...oops!). Both of them LOVE to do anything!! My husband has them in the studio painting and I love to see that... my favorite!


What are the greatest rewards and challenges of being both a mom and also a business owner?
I so clearly remember the day that my son and I were carving pumpkins and we were laughing together and I thought... hhhhmmm it's very seldom that I focus 100% on him. Since then I try to be very careful that I am focusing on the kids when I am with them, a new business can really eat up your brain (especially when you really like what you are doing!).


Tell us a little bit about a typical-day-in-your-life.
We are always rushing, that family that has constant chaos at the door when we are trying to go anywhere (and now we have added a dog to that insanity so it's really bad!). When our son was in kindergarten we got a reprimand phone call from the principle about our son being late... wow that was embarrassing, you thought it was bad 'then' wait until it happens to you as an ADULT...we are much better now, he is almost NEVER late anymore. We eat all of our meals together, we always cook (hence all the recipes on my blog!) and either myself or my husband are with the kids after school, we have a strict schedule that my husband insists upon which keeps us running a tight ship. And then after dinner we usually sit and work until about midnight if we can hack it. We have no family here and we both work from home, it's not easy but I don't think anyone has it easy. I drink LOTS of tea! (kukicha, black, chamomile, you name it--I drink it!).