Shop: Rock On

There are great choices for one a kind rockers that meet form and function for the nursery.  I'm partial to some that I found on Ebay that were vintage or upcycled office furniture...


Above: Ron Arad rocking chair
Phillipe Starck Hudson rocking chair
Snooze Rock Chair







above: all Ebay finds

Our Lists: Tea Towels

by Designing Mom Guissell of Earthy Beginnings

I've been longing for a dinner table since the day my son graduated from a high chair. I envision all the pretty things I would place on it, besides food of course! In the meantime, I have noticed this surge of linen and cotton tea towels as of late which I find pretty cool. Below are just a small collection of tea towels I've been admiring from afar... until I get that dinner table that is!

1. Falling Leaves Tea Towel by Madder Root

2. Ray of Light by Inklore

3. Queen Anne's lace towel by Inleaf


4. Suppertime tea towel by MrPS


5. Red-backed Wren and Wattle by Formosa Design


6. Assorted Tea Towels by Hammocks & High Tea



7. Squid Linens by Squid Ink Kollective

8. Creat A Set (Owl) by The Heated

I'd like to add that I have seen the Hammocks & High Tea and Inleaf ones in person and these are high quality towels worth every penny!!

Holiday Wish List #2: Calendars

by Designing Mom Jackie

1. Keep on schedule in 2010 with this limited edition letterpress calendar created by Erika Firm of Delphine. It comes hole punched at the top with a piece of grosgrain ribbon for hanging display. Each month has a different original illustration, including a sweet baby elephant, baby giraffe, california poppy, little lamb, and florals. The month section is easily trimmed off, leaving you with twelve gorgeous letterpress prints when the year is through! To buy, head on over to Delphine's online boutique.

2. This 2010 calendar combines Cat Seto's love for stylin' office products with an eco friendly mission. The 12 different illustrated months are printed on 100% recycled PCW, chlorine free papers. It comes with a reusable wood block holder made of reclaimed lumber which has a place for your stray pencil. And you can mail back your used pages to our studio where we will recycle them and give you a coupon for next year's refill packet! Check out Cat's etsy shop for more details.

Holiday Wish List: Vintage Vibe

With black Friday and cyber Monday the holiday gift buying season has officially commenced. Designing Mom Jackie came up with a great idea for the Designing Moms to select some of their favorite gift ideas for the season. I'll be posting this up as series, starting with some vintage inspired ideas...
by Designing Mom Jackie

1. A lover of style and glam, former boutique owner, Kate (and current stylist/blogger) – has a knack for choosing the perfect accessory for any look. These Adrienne Chain earrings by Stella & Dot are the perfect blend of edgy vintage glam. Grab a pair here.

2. These whimsical ornaments will add a unique touch to your holiday decor this year. All are handmade by moi and feature a variety of vintage-inspired images printed on engineering paper and mounted on wood. Sold individually or in sets of three in my etsy shop, go play.

Our Lists: Doe-C-Doe

by Designing Mom Tori


I simply love Gina's photography of Doe-C-Doe . I think her work would be fabulous in a child's room or playroom (she actually has a lot of work that grown ups would like for any room of the house as well) Who can resist her still life portraits of barbie shoes, matchbox cars, and other small toys that have been so loved by children over the years?


Have fun browsing through her Etsy shop and Flickr account . The good news is that she is willing to take custom orders, so If you see anything on Flickr that you want to purchase, just convo her through Etsy and she will make you a print. (Talk about great customer service...)


Be sure to check out her blog as well - she has lots of vintage embroidery patterns and free pdf downloads - I especially love the downloadable vintage children's book illustration tags.

Our Booklist: Sticky, Chewy...

The countdown to Halloween is on! Designing Mom Aya has two of her favorite recommendations from Chronicle Books for spooky, sticky, gooey books for the little ones.



1. (above) The title speaks for itself...Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids. The little meringue ghosts are easy goodies to make with the kids.


2. Great Pumpkins takes carving to another level. You've gotta love "Frosty the Skeleton"!

Our Booklist: But Who Will Bell the Cats

Children's author Cynthia von Buhler has just come out with a new book, But Who Will Bell the Cats. What I found most intriguing was how she chronicled her amazing DIY sets in the making of the book and the upstairs/downstairs world within the castle. It was truly a family affair with her mom sewing the props and her dad helping out with construction! To see how Cynthia built the incredible sets for her book, click here.


"In addition to having written this story, I was also the painter, sculptor, interior decorator, mason, gardener, and plumber of the sets. The rooms were built by hand from wood. The stone walls were formed from plaster. The floors are handmade from inlaid wood, mother-of-pearl, and plaster. The characters were painted in oils on gessoed paper, then cut out and placed in the sets. I photographed the scenes with a Nikon D300. This working blog gives you a glimpse into the process of how I created the sets and characters. I made this blog for my editor and designer so they could view my progress, but now I have opened it up for all to see. Enjoy!" - Cynthia von Buhler

Cynthia at work on the exterior of the castle where the characters live.

Cutout window panels for the bedroom. Her mother sewed curtains and a bedspread
out of vintage fabric.
A wing chair in the library.

Do I see a miniature shrimp cocktail sitting on that plate?

Vintage wine labels served as posters in the wall of the mouse's room.

Cynthia created the mini ping-pong paddles while her mother sewed the net.

Decorate: Binth Posters

by Designing Mom Kira


In the stationery world many regard the National Stationery Show in New York to be the "fashion week" of paper which I find to be so true! Everyone is scrambling to get their booth designs, new card designs, and marketing materials ready for showtime and there is so much amazing talent in one place ready to feature their wares. With all of this work also comes the opportunity to shop with some seriously amazing artists. The last day of the show is typically a bit quiet, and everyone is out of their booths shopping, trading and chatting.

The last show that I did was when I was pregnant with Masha and I scored some of the best items for her room. It is hard to pick a favorite item, but I really, really love her Binth Alphabet and Numbers Posters. The Numbers poster is hung above her changing table which has proven to be a very handy distraction while changing diapers and encourages her to count while we are taking care of diaper business. I adore the design (and the designers!) and think they are a wonderful keepsake.

Our Lists: Modern Toy Boxes

By Designing Mom Guissell

Working with a limited living space I've had to rearrange furniture 100 times since my son was born to accommodate everyone but primarily to preserve my sanity! Key to keeping this place looking organized is the having workable storage/toy boxes. Here are some modern toy boxes that would compliment any modern nursery and/or living room and some also have the Green Factor plus! Check them out:


1. Stella Stackable Collection by Q Collection Junior^TM
Retail: $315 -$365 per storage cube
Green Factor:

100% recycled wood, no formaldehyde added medium density fiberboard construction. Non-toxic, free VOC health hazards, water-based finish.


2. The Owyn Toy Box by Mod Mom Furniture
Retail: $350
Green Factor:

Made with eco-friendly birch plywood, non-toxic paints (inside and leaf lids) and non-toxic, low voc water-based polyurethane, and hand-drawn, hand-cut walnut veneer for "branch."


3. Mojo Toy Box by The Land of Nod
Retail: $249


4. Fuji Toy Box by Argington
Retail: $420

Green Factor:

The Fuji Toy Box is made from renewable and sustainably harvested low voc birch plywood. We use non toxic and pollutant free finishes and our production facilities are energy efficient to reduce waste and energy.

Our Booklist: Little Hoot and Everybody Bonjours!

by Designing Mom Kira



Some of my greatest inspirations as a greeting card designer come from the illustrations in children's books. I think I enjoy going to the library and picking out children's books as much as Masha does. One of our recent favorites is Little Hoot written by Amy Krause Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace. This is a charming story about an owl who wants nothing more than to go to bed at a reasonable hour like his other friends. His parents have other plans for him, however, and make him stay up late and play since that is what owls are supposed to do. Since children often fight bedtime (we might know a thing or two about that) this is a great nighttime story and the opposite scenario that the book presents with the owl having to stay up late is quite funny. The illustrations are adorable and modern, and the story is clever, making this a must-read for both Masha (and her parents).


The second story we love is called Everybody Bonjours! written by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Sarah McMenemy.


One of these days I would like to take a family trip to France and have been trying to infuse a bit of the language through books, and music. My husband and I speak a bit of French and I just think it would be adorable if Masha did too. This story takes children on a tour through Paris, highlighting classic French scenes and giving them an idea of what they might see in the city. The back of the book also has an index with illustrations and descriptions of quintessential sites. And the best part is that it totally melts my heart to hear Masha say "bonjour" which is repeated often throughout the book in the well-written rhymes.

Our Lists: Unless Someone Like You

by Designing Mom Guissell

Out of Chicago comes artist Leslie Hamer, the person behind this lovely work. She hand draws custom portraits from a photograph, using a cintiq pen and tablet. The finished product: a unique personalized portrait to enjoy for a lifetime! But seriously how talented is she? These are just beautiful!! She also offers gigposters, which absolutely rock! Check out her site for all other cool products she offers. I should add that I found this through her Supermarket shop but Etsynians don't worry she has one there too.