10.28.2012

weather...


Is coming our way... so I just wanted to let everyone know that it IS possible that orders place over the weekend or on Monday and Tuesday may not go out until Wednesday. We will do our darnedest to get things out as soon as we can... but just in case!??

we will contact you if there are any longer delays on your order...

yikes... !!

(take some photos of your kids in their costumes for our CONTEST instead... more on that later...)

10.26.2012

Lucky Fish.. our FAVORITE!


glow in the dark moon hoodie :: neon blue stag long sleeve t-shirt

rooster sunrise on navy long sleeve t-shirt
 Lucky Fish arrived and we are so relieved! Lucky Fish is always great for kids each and every day... do you hate getting your kids ready for school? Lucky Fish will have your kids EXCITED about school and what they are going to wear! (reverse problem.. they will want to wear them EVERY day!) I love the messages they send with animals and fun prints. Jann brings her South African flair to every piece with color, innovation and just a boatload of FUN!
blue bunnies printed on long sleeve thermal white t-shirt :: navy blue hoodie with glow in the dark sunburst!
glow in the dark shooting star on grey long sleeve t-shirt :: blue bunnies printed on white thermal long sleeve t-shirt

We photographed Lucky Fish last week and had SO much fun... we put on loud music, dance around and have a REAL good time! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do...

shop Lucky Fish at Nonchalantmom here
saturn print on long sleeve grey thermal t-shirt :: orange/yellow sunburst on white thermal long sleeve t-shirt


10.25.2012

FAVORITE thing of the WEEK!

littl by lilit double voile scarf  ::  Aviator Nation zip hoodies

This week we decided to let the kids join in on the FAVORITE THING of the WEEK! For one week only we are offing the Littl by Lilit double voile scarf and the Aviator Nation zip hoodies on SALE!! Get a GREAT deal on something for you AND for your kids! I don't know about you but my kids could not LIVE without a hoodie.. and their favorite is the Aviator Nation hoodies - it's hard to pick because they are ALL favorites!
littl by lilit double voile scarf

Let's start with the Littl by Lilit double voile scarf - this piece is double very soft cotton voile hand printed with tiny silver pin-dots and then trimed with a beautiful silvery ric-rac trim - gorgeous and unique for anytime and very VERY special for the Holidays! - made in India, was $68 :: NOW $48



smiley face hoodie

For KIDS we have the favorite Aviator Nation kids sweatshirts... we love these in our family... and wear them every day.. what a CUTE message.. Pray for Surf! (we do that around here!) or an iconic SMILEY face! These are super soft and made in the vintage fashion washed even vintage printed! The company was started by Paige Mycoskie who spent years collecting vintage t-shirts and wanted emulate that style. was $96 :: NOW $72

aviator nation red pray for surf hoodie

shop littl by lilit on Nonchalant Mom here
shop aviator nation on Nonchalant Mom here

10.24.2012

flatpack HOME! What!? (no it's not Ikea!) - Unity Home

Unity Home

I am always on the lookout for an amazing prefab home, not that we need one at the moment but it's one of those ideas we have... get a lot somewhere and drop a prefab on it!

This particular home by Unity Homes would be the one... Tedd Benson has been building houses for almost 40 years, and has been questioning the way they are built since he started. After years of specializing in high-end timberframe designs, he has launched a new company, Unity Homes, to bring his innovations to the flatpack prefab world.


These homes have everything you want like R35 walls, R44 roof, triple pane windows by Loewen.  Unity homes are so energy efficient that fossil fuel-free living is not just possible, but the alternative heating and cooling strategies (typically, air source heat pumps with heat recovery ventilation) are also better for comfort and air quality. There are also solar options so you can be off the grid. Unity Homes are also beautifully crafted, environmentally-friendly, and are fine tuned to achieve very low energy requirements.


They also have a Swedish inspired option called the Värm (you KNEW this was coming didn't you). In Sweden, the word "lagom" has deep cultural significance. It doesn't translate directly in English, but it roughly means "just enough," or "just right." Perhaps most notably, it also means "in balance" — not too much, but not too little either. Tedd Benson's family hails from the central farming region of Sweden known as Värmland. Yes, this is also why I love these homes.

visit their website to find out all the details - their homes range from $200,000 for 1100 square ft. to larger with more bedrooms etc. The Unity homes are also flexible (or what they call 'frugal') for changing home needs like more bedrooms when you need them for a growing family, now that's thinking ahead.

visit their website here
read more at tree hugger

new blocks :: Balancing Blocks - by Fort Standard


Balancing Blocks from Part & Parcel on Vimeo.

watch this super cute movie by part & parcel! (click above link) and they will show you a little bit about these wonderful Balancing Blocks by Fort Standard

These beautiful blocks by Fort Standard would make any kid happy and their parents.. even more so! Why? because of the fantastically creative play,  the fabulous vintage look of the blocks and well the fact that they are made in the USA from hardwood and painted with non-toxic paint is even greater...

fort standard balancing blocks - mixed

fort standard balancing blocks - white

Families can compete or partner up with Balancing Blocks to build structures while focusing on height, gravity defying and balance style. I like that they are just gorgeous to look at! They make the perfect gift.. so get yours now!

and they come in this cute canvas bag.. gift anyone!?

at areaware - click here


10.17.2012

NEW: Pashmina by Sadhu - the Pashmina Story


I was so excited to find these beautiful Pashmina scarves, Pashmina by Sadhu. Subharata Sadhu is a textile designer based in New Dehli, India who believes in humane design by sustaining and nurturing traditional craft techniques of hand-spun and hand-woven Pashmina.


There is NO machine process or machine spinning of cashmere with his pieces. This machine processing is threatening the sustenance of the traditional craft which has provided a regular livelihood opportunity for artisan families. Rather, each of Subharata's pieces are woven with the purest and finest cashmere yarn which is carefully hand-spun from the down fleece of mountain goats.


These fine yarns create the most light and air-y shawls and scarves, they are the softest cashmere from high altitude goats. These pieces are so fine that one of the large shawls can fit into this wine glass! This shows it's fine quality and even when I took it out, it was un-rumpled and perfectly beautiful. This yarn has a luster due to its long, fine fibers, which are as thin as 12 microns. In comparison a human hair is approx. 200 microns.

The very fine Pashm (the Persian word for 'wool') comes from Western Tibet in Changtang where nomadic herders known as Drokba tend flocks high plains. They collect the fleece by combing the goats in late spring, before they molt to avoid breakage of fibers. No chemicals are used in any process of cleaning or carding the yarn, this way it retains the inherent softness and character of the fiber.


The art of Pashmina weaving is almost 2,000 years old and the Kashmiri artisans have perfected the art of hand spinning fine pashmina yarn. Nowadays many cheap imitations of Pashmina are available in the market which has denigrated the word Pashmina and the traditional weavers of Kashmir are suffering because of unfair competition from machine woven cashmere products woven with machine spun cashmere yarn.

Mr. Sadhu began this project to create a sustainable livelihood for the artisans of Kashmir. He aims to showcase pure Pashmina, it will take a bit of education but the truth is in wearing one of his pieces, NOTHING can feel as good as one of his natural Pashmina shawls or scarves.

shop Pashmina by Sadhu at Nonchalant Mom here


10.16.2012

Favorite thing of the week! - Clare Vivier Cartablle




This is my favorite bag of the season... or any time for that matter! The Clare Vivier natural leather cartable - it's because of the natural leather.. it will darken, ripen and get beautiful over time. It's the simple things in life that are the best! simple clean envelop with an attached pouch inside. For a short time - as our favorite thing of the week - we are offering it at an astounding 25% off! (was $320 now.. $240)

get yours NOW!

shop Clare Vivier at Nonchalant Mom here...


10.15.2012

scary spider webs! - Boo!


My kids are crazy about making Halloween decorations... as soon as they come home from school it's all about pumpkins, ghosts and other scary things... I think we've used a how tissue box making ghosts hanging all over the place (tip: we put them on elastic string and then they bounce around!). But I am here to tell you about my new FAVORITE Halloween decoration - these scary  SPIDER WEBS! The whole deal is pretty obvious but here is a short how-to:

yarn and three small sticks

choose whatever color yarn you want for the web - I saw one online with natural yarn and that was very cute! We just happened to have these great mohair yarns (leftovers from my sweater design days) in yellow and orange so they worked perfectly!


tie a knot at the center and start winding! (you will need a cup of tea to do this! ha!)


you can see the pattern start to take place... and you will get a rhythm that will just set you in a trance.
 YES this is a fun craft to do with kids but I got them started and then let them do the winding (when franny is done eating some toast with nutella!)


keep winding! you might have to trade off with your kids... it works out nice that way so that then there are portions that are mixed up and then some that is wrapped in the same pattern over and over...


here it is!! just add the spiders and you are finished!! We made a BUNCH of them all day on Sunday... so much fun!


have a SPOOKY HappY HaLLoWEEN!!!!


 

10.11.2012

chefs collaborative - RI

this is last years tent (2011)

Last year I wrote a post about this event, I have been looking forward to this years ever since! It was probably the sweetest most well run event I have been to in a long time. It helped that it's on the edge of a small pond, bonfire, AMAZING FOOD, and a band that is just TOP in my book.. the BOB Kendall band!

Just in case you are in town this Sunday, October 14th don't miss this fun event! And it's all for a good cause (find out more about the Chefs Collaborative here), you get to taste the delicious-ness of the best local restaurants (well the Chefs to be exact) on their chosen special dishes... this year the highlights are:

Derek Wagner–Nick’s On Broadway
Jake Rojas–Tallulah on Thames
Eli Dunn– The Beehive Café
Beau Vestal–New Rivers
Matt Gennuso–Chez Pascal
Matt Varga–Gracie’s (with special guest chef Chris Carruba)
Mike McHugh–Julian’s
David Reynoso–Al Forno
Darius Salko–Tini
Champe Speidel–Persimmon
Chad Hoffer and Tyler Burnley-TSK

With desserts by:
Kevin Thiele-One Bellevue at the Hotel Viking
and
Matt and Kate Jennings–Farmstead and La Laiterie


My personal favorites are Jake Rojas and his too delicious tacos!! and another of our favorites is David Reynoso of Al Forno... but it's all good and wine and a great time with the band!

get your tickets here

see you'all at the FARM!!!

that's franny dancing away to the Bob Kendall Band!

makié :: american made award


We know her as our favorite designer but to Martha Stewart, Makié Yahgi is part of the American Made Project which pulls TEN of the best entrepreneurs in the USA for their work, which embodies quality, beauty, inspiration, possibility, and creativity, and of course MADE IN USA.  Martha Stewart is a creative entrepreneur who has made her career doing, teaching, and inspiring others to pursue what they love. Her example has encouraged countless others to follow their passions and launch their own businesses: chefs, bakers, caterers, gardeners, farmers, florists, landscape architects, product and clothing designers, ceramists, stationers, and many more. I don't know about you but she has certainly inspired me to be better - stronger - and more creative. This new project is such an amazing highlight of the good things that come when you do something right.



Makié :

"The sound of a whirring sewing machine was a near constant in Makié Yahagi's childhood home. Her mother, an expert dressmaker, taught her daughter how to sew, knit, and embroider starting when she was just 5. "I was a tomboy," she says. "I loved to run around in nature. But when I was home, all I wanted to do was sew." After moving to the United States and having two sons, she continued that childhood obsession and in 1999 opened Makié, a boutique in New York City's SoHo district featuring her handmade clothes for infants and children. The heirloom-quality textiles and designs garner a devoted following, and after repeated requests from customers, she started making women's clothing as well.

Yahagi is hands-on in all aspects of the design process, making every pattern and working with a team in the city to execute the finished product. "I think carefully about how many stitches are needed or what type of seam is required," she says. "It's tiny but so important." This minute attention to detail keeps her customers and wholesale clients loyal. "This thing is my baby," she says. "I want to keep doing this until I am a grandmother."



Makié has been such an inspiration to me in my business and wouldn't think of having a season without her!! so CONGRATULATIONS MAKIE! We are all SO proud of you!!

Love - Carina

(all photos from Martha Stweart by Jennifer Cousey)

see all American Made Award winners by clicking here and see the whole story!


10.10.2012

robin mollicone :: gallery exhibition :: SHOP Anew

Robin Mollicone is one of our favorite jewelry designers, to me she strives to do things she loves and that's when things come out best! Her talent is extraordinary, I took these photos of her pieces which are currently hanging in a show in NYC at SHOP: Anew in Chelsea. She combines leather work (yes, that neon is LEATHER!) her amazingly intricate beadwork (in the above piece that ring is all beaded!) and then each of the stones is encased in beadwork... it's just about as crazy as she is but I love it!


When I asked Robin about her inspiration she made reference to the 1970's... "I'd say that my major inspiration is the craft that came out of the Bay area in the early 70's. I like the process of making the work and the labor intensity. It fills the pieces with energy" - I'd say she sure has!


 Each of these pins includes beadwork, leather work, crystals and stones... See more of her work at Nonchalantmom


Robins show will be closing this weekend - so if these pieces are not sold already I can put you in touch with Robin if you are interested.... I sure am!!

See a new collection of Robins pieces at Nonchalantmom - click here


the question of arsenic in rice...

 
I was alarmed when I saw on the Environmental Working Groups (EWG) website where they talk about a new report released about harmful amounts of arsenic in rice. Read full article here by Sonya Lunder, EWG Senior Research Analyst and Dawn Undurraga, EWG Nutritionist. But the fact is that this is not a new problem, arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral, that is quantified by the use of pesticides. The rice that was tested in the a report released on September 19th, 2012 was reportedly NOT organic and NOT grown in California and for me this was not stated clear enough in the report. Before you get too alarmed, if you are buying your rice from Whole Foods you are probably buying Organic or rice made by Lundberg, which is a GOOD thing.

So let's start from the beginning. The report states that:

The testing done by Consumer Reports confirmed that rice has much higher concentrations of arsenic than other grains, fruits and vegetables. That's partly because rice is sometimes grown in fields that have been treated with arsenic-based pesticides in the past, but in many cases it's because rice plants have a natural tendency to take up and concentrate naturally occurring arsenic in the soil and water. The FDA says it needs to test 1,000 more rice samples to clarify which rice-growing areas present the greatest risk of contamination. But consumers can take protective steps while the FDA collects data and ponders regulation - a process that could take years.

Since many people are turning to rice-based processed foods due to gluten-free diets this is a particular concern. People should try to mix their grains and find other replacements such as, quinoa, barley, polenta, couscous or blugur wheat, among others.

read the full report here

So I went to talk to my trusted friends at the Kushi Institute, figuring that NO ONE in this country has eaten more rice then the people at KI! (it is a Macrobiotic staple) and I knew that they have researched this issue since it is not a new one by any means. I spoke with Maria Ellis, who is the Kushi Institute Asst. Director, she stated that for their rice suppliers they exclusively use Lundberg Farms. "The research on rice grown in different areas showed Lundberg Farms scored consistently on a lower scale for arsenic. California rice in general scores on the low side, as the problematic rice in general has been found to come from fields that cotton was grown prior to rice (cotton was not generally grown in California) that were sprayed with pesticides containing high levels of arsenic.  We also only use or sell organic rice, which combined with the area it is grown also helps ensures lower levels."


She also went on to say "Epidemiological studies on Asian countries where rice is a dietary staple show extremely low rates of cancers and other health issues that arsenic would have played a negative role in. So obviously the naturally occurring levels or arsenic have not been a problem through history, it is the modern industrial farming methods that use arsenic in soil treatments that seems to be the main issue.

Other modern chemicals leading to health problems should also be considered and avoided, which is why we highly recommend using certified organic food whenever possible."

Lundberg farms continues to develop new testing procedures, as stated on their website.
Which states that they have conducted their  own independent outside labs for testing and they have been satisfied that their product is safe. They are also conducting ongoing tests to better understand the ongoing effects of consuming large amounts of rice.

something to ponder... it is important to get the facts, read these reports and decide for yourself how you are going to go forward with the rice issue.

click here to read the Lundberg report
click here to read the report out by the EWG
click here to find the report by the FDA
click here to find the report by Consumer Reports

the image included with the consumer reports article shows the typical rice products which were tested

10.08.2012

warm water and lemon every morning


I was sent this delightful article which I am going to share with you because I think this is something that anyone and everyone can do to improve their health and wellness. It's a whole body and mind treat that will start your day on the right note. My husband and I have been doing this for the last year and I have found it to be really delightful, regardless of the benefits (which are staggering!). I also think that when you start your day on a clear note like this you are less likely to eat sweet food or have sweet cravings throughout the day.

Please visit the full article by clicking here

but I will share with you some highlights of drinking warm water with lemon every morning.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature's rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline. 

It's so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon:

1. Boosts you're immune system 

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH

Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they're alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health.

3. Helps with weight loss

Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it's easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.

4. Aids digestion

The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin

The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well.

7. Hydrates the lymph system

This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don't want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!
 
I hope that this has convinced you to adopt this healthful ritual and start your day on a happy note. It will give your day a boost and make your day that much BETTER. It's such a simple thing that no matter how little you like to do in the morning this can certainly be a part!
 
 
 
 

Halloween gear at FAB.com

vintage french mask pair king & queen

The groovy website fab.com which offers discounted fun things that are curated by shops, designers etc has put together a whole bunch of fun offerings for Halloween, just in case you are in need of a vintage mask, a furry costume, Halloween decorations.. they've got it all!


vintage, african and other masks are available through fab.com here



furry costumes are available here

anything to make your life easier!

click here to visit fab.com

just don't wait.. these are going fast... and the sale ends in 5 DAYS!

boo!