Lola being kooky in her Duns onesie!

Sweden keeps coming with the hot shit. First Stieg Larsson’s The Millennium Trilogy and now this! I am 100% crazy for Duns kids clothes. This is how children’s clothes should be, soft hand, electric colors and playful patterns. Duns was another Berlin find for me but I checked it out and they listed a few US retailers on their site. Wild Child Clothes & Kids Scandinavia Shop both carry a little selection of Duns Sweden. Cute attack!

When I went to Berlin a a couple months ago I visited a kids shop that had an extensive assortment of the most amazing fabrics I had ever laid eyes on. Picking just a few to take back with me was agonizing. After an hour of browsing, I chose three. I think they were about eight euros for a half a yard. You can see my selections in this post.

I haven’t used the fabrics yet but I pulled them out yesterday and noticed a name on the selvage. I googled the name Michael Miller Fabrics and low and behold they’re from the US. There I was thinking I had stumbled upon a serious find. And that explains the price. I’m ecstatic that I’ll be able to buy these fabrics easily now and for a more reasonable price. The patterns are so inspiring it makes me want to sew again ( I went to fashion design school and haven’t touched my sewing machine in 8 years).

I picked out a few choice swatches but there are so many more it will blow your mind. They don’t sell off they’re site but you can check out all their designs there. Don’t let the home page fool you dig in and you’ll find all the fun crazy stuff. You can also buy Michael Miller fabrics at J&O and Fabrics.com.

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This is one of those “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” situations. As I was putting my outfit together the other day I zoned in on the perfect accessory in my closet. It was my hot pink Chanel belt. So, this particular belt, I had had my eye on it for a while. As luck would have it, the belt eventually went on sale for the still absolutely ridiculous price of $500. Oh, also I bought it while I was pregnant and can only now finally wear the thing. I had worn it once before this incident. So, I grab the belt off this bar thing in my closet. I hang all my belts there and sometimes I shove a few purses on the end of this bar. When I pull off the belt I notice a huge black stain on the belt, not the buckle, but on the belt itself.

My heart sank. This gorgeous thing that I spent a heafty amount of cash money for and had only worn once was ruined! I ran and got the Magic Sponge. Nothing. The leather bag that was resting on top of it had permanently damaged my most beautiful perfect hot pink belt. For a moment I was devastated. Then all of a sudden, I realized that there was nothing I could do about it and it turned into a life lesson. I looked at the belt and said to myself Oh well, it’s flawed now, well so am I. It made me think that the quest for perfection is unatainable so sometimes we need to accept, and live with, things not being perfect.

I make endless lists of things I want to do, goals I want to accomplish. Sometimes I put so much pressure on myself I don’t get anything done because it all seems so overwhelming. At that moment of accepting the imperfection in this silly accessory I accepted the imperfection in myself and I let go a little bit. And I’m telling you since that moment, nearly a week ago, I’ve gotten more done. By just doing what I can, I end up doing more. I know this sounds strange but fashion works in mysterious ways.

FYI a simple string of rope lights, purchased from Home Depot or Lowes, make the perfect night light!

I just bought Lola one of these Razbaby teethers today. How kawaii is this thing? It looks like it would smell or taste like something but it doesn’t, which is probably good because then it would basically be a ring pop for infants. Lola seems to like it and I gave it a chew and imagine that it would be quite soothing on teeny-tiny baby gums. I checked out Razbaby’s site and they make a whole bunch of other adorable pacifiers. Most pacifiers are totally boring but Razbaby stepped up the pacifier game big time. Look at these things. I want, I want, I want! I mean Lola wants. SUPER CUTE!!!

What I am about to say can’t, and may never be used against me in a court of law…

It goes with out saying that Crocs should probably be given the most-unstylish-shoe-ever-invented award. They repulse me, old news…but Fritz, on the other hand, has been wearing them everyday since summer began. I know what you’re thinking, How could I let this happen? Well, BD purchased them on our trip to Florida in March. He went off on his own to get me and Fritz some flip-flops, I specifically said flip-flops and came back with Lightning McQueen Crocs for Fritz. I got flip-flops, thank gawd.

Here’s the thing, I hate to admit it, but they are kinda the perfect kid shoe. No ties, no velcro, Fritz can slip those bad boys on and we’re out the door. I can credit those shoes to at least an extra fifteen minutes a day. And of course Fritz really likes them cause they have Lightning McQueen on them.

In general, sandal selection for little boys is pretty bad. He won’t wear anything between his toes so there goes that. Everything else is pretty geeky looking. Also I’ve been too damn busy to get him anything else, including a pair of sneakers that fit. He’s out grown everything. So, every photo I take this summer has Fritz in Crocs. It’s upsetting but at the same time an extra fifteen minutes a day for a mom is like an hour in regular time, so I guess it’s kinda worth it. Although I say that very reluctantly.

But wait! It’s not too late people. Any suggestions on stylish little boys summer footwear? Help!

If you remember a while ago I was experimenting with making terrariums. I haven’t made one since BD let the one I made him for our anniversary rot on his desk at work. This was infuriating but he was probably getting me back for the many gifts he’s gotten me that I didn’t do kick flips over. What-to-the-ever. Annnnnyway, I found one of the terrarium dishes I bought way back when and I gave it to Fritz and suggested he make a terrarium. Right on.

We went to Sprout Home, the absolute best gardening shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Fritz picked out his own selection of little plants for his terrarium. We’ve actually been doing a lot of gardening and Fritz is developing a keen eye for flowers, plants and herbs. Every so often I’ll catch him in the garden taking a basil leaf in between two fingers, gently rub it and sniff the sweet aroma. I taught him that.

So here is a terrarium 100% designed by Fritz with a little help from mom:

Step 1) The supplies: Charcoal for a bottom layer to get some proper drainage, potting soil, plants, moss, rocks and little extras for decoration. *Also you’ll notice the brightly colored oil cloth. We break it out for all our messy projects. I learned this from a book called The Creative Family. I love this book and have picked up a few really great tips and inspiration.

Step 2) After you’ve layered your charcoal and soil look at your plants, decide where they’re going, loosen their roots and plant them.

Step 3) Add decorations. The possibilities are endless. Rocks, moss, crystals, miniature people figurines, tiny garden gnomes (still looking for those), dinosaurs. Fun Stuff!

Step 4) Water and voila! our finished product. Terrariums are shockingly quick and easy to make, low investment, high reward.

So, here I am on yet another vacation. With each trip comes a great escape and resolutions for a better, more efficient life at home. This little jaunt has brought us to Lake George, NY. I’ve rented a little cottage with my mom and the kids for the week. The cottage is nestled in a cute, family style ‘resort’. There are playgrounds, pools, picnic tables, bbq’s, a game room they call the ‘canteen’ and plenty of pine trees and little critters. Every cottage is occupied and there are kids running amok and parents drinking beer out of those foam beer cooler thingies. It’s all very Friday the 13th. I love it…so long as I don’t get murdered. If you’ve never been to Lake George it’s filled with 1950’s style motels and resorts, and exudes retro american family fun.

But this post isn’t about the trip itself, but a trip within a trip. On Monday we visited the Magic Forest. I’d been to Lake George prior to having kids and knew that beyond that gingerbread entrance was something spectacular. Years ago I had BD take my photo outside knowing that one day, I too would visit the Magic Forest, but it was not my time yet. Well the day finally arrived; the Magic Forest and all it’s whimsy awaited us.

The Magic Forest has been around since the 1940’s and looks like it’s hardly had an upgrade since its mid-century heyday. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find Americana like this and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It was beyond my wildest dreams. I geeked out like a high schooler on acid. I wished that I could have kicked out every last person and taken up residence like it was my Neverland Ranch. If I were an editor at a high fashion magazine I would make gorgeous models slank through the vintage forest village in trashy beautiful ensembles. I tortured Fritz with a million photos, made him wear a peter pan hat from the gift shop and was running around like a total spazz. If someone was to say to me “Samantha, now that you’ve won your tenth Super Bowl Championship, what are you going to do?”. I’d say “I’m going to the Magic Forest!”

The proof is in the pudding. Just look at this place….

This is who beckons you to escape reality for an afternoon and enter the Magic Forest zone. Isn’t he dreamy?

Beyond a sea of mini vans all your wishes can come true….if they involve fist-fulls of cotton candy, hokey magicians and humongos paper mache story folk.

Another friendly face.

I ran.
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O.K, this is a tough one to explain but I’m hoping I’ll be able to articulate myself here. And please forgive me if the subject keeps coming up, but it’s very much on my mind right now and I believe that by talking about it it will somehow be therapeutic and lead to some kind of solution. So here’s the deal, I feel at odds with myself right now. I have a very clear idea about the things that I want to accomplish but I’m having an incrediblely hard time committing to any one project in particular. I have a few stand out ideas, one being improving upon this blog, but for some reason I can’t push forward. These ideas, the good ones, are all clearly mapped out in my head, but somehow not flowing through my finger tips. I’m struggling. Creativly speaking, I’m just feeling lost. Sometimes I wish I could shut it all off and be happy just taking care of the kids for a while, as if that was my only job, but I’m scared to death of slipping into the parenting ether never to be heard from again. It’s not an option, nor would it make me happy.

I’ve always been one to make my ideas come to fruition, but currently I’m at a productivity stand still. It hurts. I’m overwhelmed by the pressure that I’m placing on myself to get specific projects started/done/accomplished. What’s happening to me? Is it writer’s/artist’s block? Am I lazy? Procrastinating? I refuse to believe that I can’t carve out time in my days to fulfill my creative needs. Time feels like it’s slipping away from me. I’m constantly planing, making lists and taking notes about my ideas, yet just choosing a single project to begin and run with it is becoming increasingly difficult.

I’m overflowing with creativity, always have been. Book ideas, business, fashion, publishing, marketing, art and collaborations. My head churns out ideas daily. Some for fun and others could be legitimate career moves. But why, oh why, can’t I sit down, type it, draw it, network it into a tangible thing? It’s driving me nuts and the more frustrated I become the harder it gets, and the more I cease up and become incapable of sitting down and doing something about it.

I’m fucking frustrated as hell. I realize that there are time constraints because right now my children come before me. But I’m just not satisfied solely being a SAHM. I desperately need to find a way to be a full-time mother and, at the very least, attempt to make a successful career move. Ideally, I’d ramp up the blog, hunker down and and write the novel that I’ve already clearly written  in my head, make a few simple graphic t-shirts and items for the baby/kids lifestyle line I’ve been dreaming of and create a multi-media body of artwork based on my family life (ha! ok that one may get put on the back burner).

My inspiration is as strong as it ever has been, so why can’t I motivate and make shit happen? The obvious answer is that the kids are sucking up my time, but I don’t buy it.  Am I the only one?