nonchalant mom on Designing Moms!

Designing Moms is a blog created by 19 creative and talented women. They each bring creative projects and ideas to your life, things that you can use.. and their tag-line says it all "We invite you to come and be creatively distracted with us!" (I love that...I mean let's be honest, there is nothing more distracting than a really good blog!) or "A space for creative moms to unite", enough talk.. you will love the blog and I hope that you get as many ideas that I do from them as I do.

Thank you ladies for letting me be a part of your terrific blog! (I will contribute with shopping blogs.. oh what a nice category for me!).

click here to visit Designing Moms
click here to visit Nonchalant Mom blog on Designing Moms

verre - glass initial charms

My friends Julie and Jess at Verre (as in French for 'glass') have created this terrific sly on the initial necklaces that have consumed everyone, including me! We were talking one day and I asked if she could come up with a away to do the initials that was the Verre version... and POW! did they... I love the way these pieces look (and feel) and together with other charms they are simply.. charming!


We decided it would be fun to make them look like candy! I like to mix the classic colors gray or white together with crazy pinks, greens and reds! The result is perfect... We edited a small color card just for Nonchalant Mom and introduced them last week and you obviously loved them so we are extending the final Christmas ship date to this Friday, December 17th (but you need to request 2-day delivery!). But we will always have them on Nonchalant Mom (and exclusively at Nonchalant Mom I might add!) and I will not let them go!


It's fun to mix the size of the charms and also the opaque and clear glass colors! You can come up with your own fun variation -- I chose my kids favorite colors and they loved that...


Verre wraps them all up in a beautiful glass jar - Verre - let them wear glass! - which I think is such beautiful packaging.

Visit their page on Nonchalant Mom here

maine shrimp! just arrived!

Beautiful Maine shrimp arrived on Monday of this week and they look so fresh and beautiful that we got some right away! Maine shrimp is nice and small, it's great for kids and you can fix it in just about any way and they are delicious. I don't like to buy shrimp for the family because it's usually from so far away, never mind the conditions they were caught under, but the trip all the way to your table is too far!

Here is our favorite recipe for shrimp, and you can serve them in so many different ways....


clean and de-vein shrimp
chop garlic to your liking (we use about 3-5 cloves)
saute garlic lightly in olive oil and add shrimp and cook until opaque
turn off flame and squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto shrimp and toss
there will be a lovely sauce that you use to pour over everything
a bit of salt and pepper

serve with brown rice and broccoli or kale
or
serve on top of arugula and it makes a nice warm salad!
or
serve with pasta and broccoli

drizzle with olive oil! yum!!

what are your recipes!? please share with us!!
but run out to Whole Foods (or where ever you get your fresh fish!) and get your FRESH MAINE SHRIMP!

Store Hours :: December 15 - 18!

I am planning to be in the store this week just in case you need a last minute gifts or a special holiday outfit! (for mom or your kids!). I have had a bunch of calls from people wanting to come in so I wanted so send out a general message of my hours for this week!

Nonchalant Mom will be open December 15 - 18
from 12 - 5pm Tuesday - Thursday
from 12 - 3pm on Friday

If you want to come outside of these hours please feel free to call me and I can certainly accommodate your schedule!

I hope to see you here and if not HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Love and Peace - Carina

lonny december issue online now!

I just perused the December issue of the new Lonny magazine and it's just as inspiring as the first issue, and with their targeted fun gift guides they are even better. This issue includes the homes of some young and exciting interior designers and their work that will inspire you! I fell in love with all of the hues of camel and sand in some of the homes, together with white it looks so new and clean, I really loved it. Although our home has a lot of color I am sure there is a way that I can use these colors in our house.


It took me awhile to figure out what Lonny actually stood for, kind of a crazy name for a magazine, but it's a combination of London and New York. Although in this issue they should call it Panny as most of the homes featured are in Paris (but I'm not complaining!). A well appointed Paris apartment has always been inspiring for me, the mix of old and modern in a very casual way, I think that this feeling can be brought into any home style, be it a Country home, a Cape or even a New York apartment.I think a visit to Haus Interior would certainly help!


I hope that this issue of Lonny leaves you with some fun ideas to make some changes in your home, it sure did for me! And did I mention that I would love to have Brad Ford come and take a look at my house and give me so hhheeeLLLPP! (on my decor that is...). The issue looks a lot like Domino, and I would have to say I like it... but you be the judge and YES there is Nonchalant Mom with a little ad... love it!!


click here to see Lonny online

the swimsuit issue!

I know that many of you are going away for the holidays or just there afterward so I thought it was a good time to mention a swimsuit -- which I think is THE swimsuit I have always been looking for, funny I was looking in the wrong places, like the second-hand clothing shops! And there it was, someone told me she had just bought this swimsuit, the description was just too close to my dream suit, then I went to the website of 'Mama Maria'! Her inspiration is obvious, 1950's film stars.

(kids version too!)

Even if you are not in the market for a new swimsuit you must check out her website. This Amsterdam foxy lady knows a swimsuit when she see's one, or should I say creates one! I think that some of you will think that these are vintage but I assure you they are a classic look in modern fabrics--I think that sounds just about perfect. You can get a swimsuit for yourself and your little one too! (somehow when it's a swimsuit I don't mind this idea!) Mama Maria has some great tricks up her sleeve and her suits are really the bomb!


She makes these delightful swim caps that are too much fun! I remember having one that was orange and pink, and I am sure that my mom had this white one!


click here to visit her website - Mama Maria!
(the suits are made in the Netherlands but you can purchase from her website)

kit+lili, lucky fish & nonchalant mom sample sale

I am participating on this sample sale with my friends at kit+lili - it should be a fun time so don't miss it! (if you live in NYC that is...)

Kit + Lili & Friends sample sale

Date : December 10 & 11 (thursday & friday)
Time : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where : 55 Washington Street
Suite 728
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Kit+Lili ~ baby, kids, adults, totes & small goods, bold & graphic

Lucky Fish ~ kids & adults, fun & groovy printed tees

Nonchalant mom ~ exciting goodies for the holidays

Bebesol ~ swimwear by Mahao

Cash only

Directions : F train to York St. station or A train to High St station

See you here!

Teresa Ok

teresa@kitlili.com

kit+lili

55 Washington Street

Suite 728

Brooklyn, NY 11201

t: 646 415 8635

f: 646 290 8005

www.kitlili.com

ruth shively - paintings

I just got an email from my friend Ruth Shively who is a very talented painter (she also does portraits!). Just in time for the Holidays she is offering a collection of wonderful paintings that are priced just right for gift giving (a nice way of saying affordable). I love the clean and sparse look of her paintings of which include landscapes as well as portrait work.

You can visit her etsy site to see her works for sale and then please contact her directly for any questions on portraits

Ruth Shively - etsy shop

custom blythe dolls

I have written about this artist before, her name is Diem Chau and she does the crayon sculptures that I really love! On a visit to her website I found that she also makes these fantastic Blythe dolls and doll couture.. it's amazing! Diem has been customizing Blythe dolls for years now and she not only makes custom clothing she actually customizes the actual doll, here is a description of her work.


"The first animated movie I saw as a child was Disney's Pinocchio, no I’m not that old… just a little behind :P I loved the idea of creating a doll that comes to life. I see each doll I customize as an object waiting to spring to life! Most of the time I don’t plan out the results, I just go with it. My aesthetic lean towards subtlety and natural colors, but sometimes a special request can be fun and challenging. My goal is to give them a lively energy and enhance their personality. I’m a working artist and my schedule is quite unpredictable. I will only work on one doll at a time. Please feel free to contact me for commission availability. I don’t have a menu of services, it’s just $200 flat for a complete custom job. That includes head opening, sand matting, carving, new face-up, eyechip changes, haircuts, trims and bang/hair taming… basically everything but reroots. I will do wefted reroots, but that’s extra."


I think that these would make a really amazing gift for a girl and a real treasure. These Blythe dolls are collectible and you can buy clothing for them by Diem on her etsy website.

watch her film to see details on her work and a window onto how a doll transforms! It's really beautiful.

tinyhaus - diem chau's blythe doll website
etsy website - for extra clothing and a view of some of her other items
diem chau website
previous post on crayon sculpture

moms gife guide 2009

top row - (left to right)
matta: amina cotton top - $144 w/rajastani blanket - $280 (email me if you are interested in this piece)
margaret solow: zen gems ($100 - $180)
matta: laharia silk shibori dress - $184
matta: amrita handbag - $172
nikki b.: friendship bracelet - $38-$42

second row - (left to right)
studio deseo :: alleshial girard maxon: amazing one of a kind necklaces $140 - $180
rosenberg cph: bea bag - $128
robin mollicone: tiny tiny bead necklaces (one of a kind) - $120-$200
nikki b.: alpaca poncho - $325

third row - (left to right)
layla: nadia kurta - $166
verre glass initial charms: silver starting at $56/15k gold starting at $200
lucky fish: cowboy t-shirt - $56
matta: dupatta scarves - $96

nonchalant mom window

Somehow I never take care of my window on main street here in our little town of Wakefield, RI -- but last night was 'ladies night' (so much fun!) and so I figured it was time to make something festive. Besides, I have been looking for a place to hang this wonderful 'orbit chandelier' by Patrick Townsend (which you can purchase at nonchalant mom now.. ha!) which I have been in love with for years now and finally just dove in and got them for the store!


My kids and I cut out the stars from old boxes (you know I have a bunch of those!) and spray painted them silver... I think these would look super cute in any window of your house as well. We were inspired by all of the starry, starry nights we have been having -- clear skies, big moon and lots and lots of stars! And then we just filled it with our favorite kids clothes! and ah... the Orbit Chandelier!

nonchalant mom :: kids holiday gift guide!

top row (left to right):
margaret solow kids zen gems: rose quartz, prasiolite (green), amethyst, aquamarine - $48
nico nico: organic cotton fleece (super soft!) hoody - $44, sweatpants - $32
salvor: balsa wood prints - new prints!- $350
atsuyo et akiko: fun kids accessories - bunny elastic necklace - $16 (also star, key and sheep)
makié: wool felt hat (gray or navy) - $40

second row (left to right):
atsuyo et akiko: felt ball hair barettes - $8 (+makié jersey smocked top)
makie: baby alpaca tunic sweater - $128 (& pom pom necklace $8)
lucky fish: triceratops handprinted blue foil t-shirt - $38
makie: assorted pom pom necklace - $8

bottom row (left to right):
lucky wang: dragon silver foil thermal t - $32
books from myopic: a wonderful selection of used/collectable books - $10-$80
nico nico: organic cotton FOX t-shirt - s/s $32 - l/s $34
lucky wang: koi gold foil thermal t - $32

visit nonchalant mom for more gift ideas!

just opening a box of Matta!

New Matta just arrived and I love it!! I am working hard to get things up and onto the website as fast as I can! I kept it simple with lots of black, white and a bit of their beautiful lavender (I think they call it lilas!)

You will love it!! just hang on for a day or two...

tights turned into leggings...

Just a simple tip for today - cut off the toes of your kids favorite tights (or even yours!) and you now can have your favorite tights last a year longer! -- (don't worry if the heels show, it just adds a bit of character)

It's the simple things in life that make me happy!