2.08.2011

made by RAE


I do this sneaky thing from time to time and I can't believe I'm telling you about it... sometimes, when my customers use an email address that is their own I will look in and see what kinds of things they are up to! You know.. there you are packing boxes, looking at all the information, checking to see that you got everything in the box, then checking again... and whoha! there it is.. an email address as I got from 'made by RAE' all it takes is a click and there I am at their website or in this case blog.. and what a wonderful blog it is!

Made by RAE is a wonderful blog that... you guessed it.. is written by RAE a very creative young woman (actually I don't know if she is young or not but let's just...) who is sewing up a storm, and not only is she doing it herself, she is part of these amazing sewing meet-ups that... make me want to be a part of her corner of the world! which is Michigan!


photo used with permission

My favorite post is her recent project, which actually is the second of these tops she has made, the pierrot top I can't get over how cute this turned out and it looks delightfully fun and easy to make! She has amazing fabric references and well I just know I am going to keep Rae on my blogroll (isn't that what they call the blogs you look at just about every day!)

this is the first version Rae made months ago..

Thank you Rae for making creativity looks so easy and beautiful!

click here to visit made by RAE

2.07.2011

is it 5:00 yet?


 Is it 5 o'clock yet!?
somehow these days I just can't wait for the 5:00 bell....

2.05.2011

TCM :: 31 Days of Oscar

The Moon is Blue
We are bracing ourselves for just another snowstorm today and although we have had some wonderful fun outside (our neighbors have rigged a tow-rope on one of their hills so it's almost like a ski hill!) I have just discovered some fun on the good old fashioned TV. Starting on February 1st the Turner Classic Film channel has turned the month into a film festival, un-cut and commercial free! I don't know about you but classic films are my favorites!

The other day we caught a wonderful little film, The Moon is Blue ('53). Yesterday it was Funny Girl ('68), but each day offers at least one movie that will interest you. The other day there was also a mini Jack Nicholson moment and we caught Five Easy Pieces ('70)... my point is that you can go through the schedule and find something to interest you!

The kids said to me last night when I wanted to watch The Heiress ('49), "I don't want to watch a movie that is black and grey and white and stuff" .. there you go, but I am sure they will love something! If not I can go on and enjoy them all!

TCM website for a complete listing of movies and times

2.04.2011

kit+lili spring collection just arrived!



KIT+LILI
SPRING 2011 JUST ARRIVED
AND IT'S CUTE AS EVER
COME SEE... ON MONDAY
(OR BEFORE AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IT ONLINE)

Our house is filled at the moment with the kit+lili spring collection and it's so cute!!
we are busy photographing, inventory-ing, all of that to get it online as fast as we can for you... so look for it on Monday, if not sooner.....

have to go and get back to work!

2.03.2011

Happy New Year of the Rabbit!


Researching what to write here about the year of the rabbit has been completely fascinating! I encourage you to take a look yourself more deeply into this New Year of the Rabbit. And as I understand it this year is particularly sweet as it comes after a year of the Tiger (2010) which was like a roller coaster.

I am going to quote the description of the year that I liked best but you can do your own research and find more interesting possibilities for this year. As you read about people born under this year you can also think of these aspects and how they will relate for you in the coming year.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit, which begins on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 22, 2012.  The Rabbit is the fourth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animals signs.  The Rabbit is a lucky sign.  Rabbits are private individuals and a bit introverted.  People born in the Year of the Rabbit are reasonably friendly individuals who enjoy the company of a group of good friends.  They are good teachers, counselors and communicators, but also need their own space.
According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves.  It is a time for negotiation.  Don't try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail.  To gain the greatest benefits from this time, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships with women and children.   Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise.
Not many people know that the Rabbit is the symbol of the Moon, while the Peacock is the symbol of the Sun, and that together, these two animal signs signify the start of day and night, represent the Yin and Yang of life.  It is said that anyone making supplications for wishes to be fulfilled are certain to get what they want... and in the Year of the Rabbit, the wish-granting aspect of the Sun and the Moon combined is multiplied.  The Moon is YIN and this is the Yin of Heaven, signifying magic.  Thus on each of the Full Moon nights of this year, go out into your garden to gaze into the Full Moon and visualize plenty of Moon dust and Moon glow flowing into you, filling your whole body with bright white light and granting you fearlessness, love and courage.  This will not only strengthen your inner "Chi" energy, it will also bring wisdom into your life.

People born in the Year of the Rabbit share certain characteristics:  Keen, wise, fragile, tranquil, serene, considerate, fashionable, and kind.  Generally, they are quite calm, do not exhibit aggressive behavior, and will avoid confrontation at all costs.  When angry about something, they will approach it calmly and considerately, hardly ever raising their voice.  And they are quite keen and pay close attention to the situations developing around them.  They are intelligent and quick, and can talk themselves in or out of most situations with no problem.
The Rabbit is a symbol for mercy, elegance, and worship of beauty.  People born in the Year of the Rabbit are kind, loving persons, and dislike any hostile act.  They give others an impression of being frail-looking because of their gentle appearance.  But, in fact they are strong-minded and have strong wills.  They pursue their ideals all their lives in a precise and orderly way.  They do things slowly and deliberately because of their cautious characters.
There is no need to worry about their lives.  They are nimble, clever and good at avoiding harm to themselves. They are talented and like artistic ventures, such as painting and music and are generally quite present in these worlds.  They are also very hospitable, good hosts and warm-hearted companions.  They never embrace others in public places.  They know the art of saving face and giving consideration to the interests of both sides.
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are apt to be sensitive to ailments and to have bad allergies.  Stress or conflict will detriment their health.  Exercise could take off unnecessary stress and strengthen their physical condition.  They have to learn to incorporate more action into their everyday routines.   
They will become depressed and withdrawn if their homes do not consist of beautiful possessions that make them comfortable.  Their homes and offices usually are clutter-free.  They have really good communication skills and are best utilized in positions of management.  They make great teachers and counselors because they are so diplomatic and well-organized.  They can also make great painters or musicians due to their sense of beauty and their love of creativity.
Rabbit people are usually relatively careful when it comes to their finances.  They use much of their money for possessions such as their homes, cars or furniture.  They love hunting for antiques, arts and crafts and will tend to make sound investments in these types of things.


This is another forecast I thought was good, but slightly more negative.. (hate that..) - click here.

2.02.2011

kids learning ABC's


Our daughter is just learning the ABC's in our typical nonchalant mom fashion we are totally late and maybe we just thought she would learn it by herself in Kindergarten, but we already knew that because it didn't work for our son either (he's in third grade and doing fine now so it didn't stunt his growth). I think what I am doing is reaching out to you! Honestly I was sure that she loved school and already knew the ABC's but when your kids have been in Montessori pre-school they have learned lower case and sounds (it was all supposed to come together this year but we sent her into kindergarten!), in public kindergarten they teach uppercase first! whoops! poor thing, she has no idea what they are and has never seen them...

So here we are half way through the year, pulled aside by her teacher and when she told me she didn't know how to write the ABC's yet I was surprised! I guess this is a bit of a forewarning for those of you with kids about to go into K, so start now! We are playing catch up and I feel so bad for her. We were naive parents and well honestly it probably has to do with laziness on our part and I also feel that they are in for so much school I didn't want to force learning on them at home too. I still don't think this is wrong (and I know it's okay because my son LOVES to read and write now, so no problem there...).

We are using flash cards and I am all about repetition, she comes home from school and writes the alphabet, before she goes to bed "Let's do it again!"... We looked at signs and letters all over NYC last weekend (NYC kids MUST know the alphabet immediately because letters are everywhere!), so it's going.. but if you have any tips... just tell us here!

thank you!

2.01.2011

NYC inspiration!


I had a completely inspiring weekend, not in the way that I had planned, but it was inspiring none the less. We took off on Friday just after school was let out, I wasn't ready to go when everyone else was so there I was walking down our road to meet my husband and kids carrying my luggage. I'm sure that I looked like a well dressed vagabond (if I do say so myself), coming out of the woods with her Herve Chapelier luggage! hhhmm handsome!

jann and angela discussing what was GREAT at the show

Only dressed well in relation to where I was, the Rhode Island woods! NYC... not so much! At any rate, met the family by the mailboxes only to realize I forgot my cell phone, back to the house, everyone out to pee and we were on our way. I was planning to go to NYC for the Gift Show (NYGIF) because I haven't made it in a year or so and I was going to take a little holiday with my new book and a nice hotel room, a late birthday present to myself. (I must tell you that I read An Object of Beauty so it will be influencing my writing today... loved it!!!). Only to find out that the whole family was going and wasn't that going to be fun! (I had to think about that for a moment) But it really was so much fun in the end, the kids are hilarious in the city and their take on it is just the best!



The gift show was so very inspiring, I am seeing tea in the future for Nonchalant Mom, as well as jewelry (new!) and I finally met the inspiring man behind Kid-O toys! They are the best and I have been meaning to contact them and so it was wonderful to meet them and have a face to face introduction, we will have the toys, I promise you! Oh, and ditto for Rag & Bone bindery, they create wonderful photo books (brag books I think they call them) and also the best baby book ever. They are so very talented and unique AND they are Rhode Islanders to boot! There are more new things, much of which I have been working on this past year, that you will love.... very soon!


(Hibino makes their own tofu... delicious!)

We had a stay at a great hotel, that was very easy with kids, near Wall Street, which happened to be across the street from our old apartment. We saw a few artists with my husband, Moma, Museum of Natural History, and my favorite gallery; Uniqlo (just kidding!). I managed to get the family to my new favorite restaurant Hibino on Henry St in Brooklyn (between Atlantic and Pacific) - delicious Kyoto-style Japanese - together with Jann from Lucky Fish and her family!


and a visit to moomah - has to be one of my favorite places! (I know that I'm getting for valentines day!)

It turned out to be a fun and crazy weekend... AND I finished my book, love it! get it! (but I DO love Steve Martins stories!)

Have a great day!
(if you want more details on where to stay and whatever just email!)

1.28.2011

valentines cards... from cocodot!





I was breezing through all of the wonderful valentines cards from cocodot and they look unique, fun and really colorful (I love that combination!). So just in case you don't have time to MAKE cards (who does!?) you can use cocodot to make them for you! The ones that say "upload" are cards where you would use your own image.

They are offering Nonchalant Mom readers a special of 25 cards for $39, just use promo code: COCOCUPID when checking out!

click here to view all of the wonderful valentines cards that they offer!


happy valentines day (it's coming up soon!)

1.27.2011

pretty mommy



One of my favorite blogs is pretty mommy, somehow I think we live a parallel life, we like the same things, she lives in minnesota, and well.. you just know when you like the same things! Pretty Mommy's name is Michelle - so what I don't give you in the way of dreams, design and terrific images you can certainly get your fill from Michelle - PRETTY MOMMY!


Recently she had a wonderful post and part of it was a few photos of the Lennon family (John, Yoko and sean) together with a quip that john made about playing with your kids that I thought was interesting. (I don't know if you saw this article on John Lennon in Rolling Stone but it looks good)

Mostly Michelle will just give you inspiration on how to look great, live great and have fun while you are doing it! Her husband is a musician so that helps too, from time to time she will give you a music tip that is just sublime!




Have a great day!

visit pretty mommy by clicking here

1.26.2011

interview: kenneth slawenski "J.D. Salinger"


Just in case you missed it today on The Diane Rehm Show (on NPR), Diane interviewed Kenneth Slawenski who wrote, "Salinger A Life" which will be coming out this month. This interview is wonderful if you are a "Catcher In The Rye" fan. I love Diane Rehm and rarely miss her show so it was doubly wonderful to have her interview this man. At the same time, Kenneth seems to be such a sensitive author/biographer, who was deeply touched by "Catcher". Like so many people, "Catcher" changed my life, it changed my life as far as literature and it also changed it in the sense that I completely taken away Holden and how he questioned the world.

I also read the book again last year when I heard that Mr. Salinger passed away and I had a completely different reaction to the book. I am sure that if I read it again in another ten years I will feel different again, it's why this book is loved by so many people. It will certainly change your life.

It's fascinating to hear more about the history behind the book and more about the mystique behind the man. It answers so many questions that I had and I hope that it does the same for you. I am excited for this book to come out and it's delightful to bring this book to the forefront again.

click here to listen to the interview.

NYC blizzard (just one of the many...)

Time Lapse NYC Snow Blizzard from K Taro Hashimura on Vimeo.

1.25.2011

New spring! (even though it's snowing) Atsuyo et Akiko


ATSUYO ET AKiKO is the perfect collection to put a spring in your step and a smile on your face!

jewel necklace, pom pom ring, anchor T



mask T, wovenplay tights

skull rib tank dress

crown rib tank dress


ATSUYO ET AKiKO is a perfect solution for that special letting thing for Valentines Day, I was so excited that I got this collection in just in time for that very special PINK day!

1.24.2011

too much FASHION!

atsuyo et akiko headband, makie necklace, winter water facroty t-shirt, ballet recital costume, halloween costume scarf (tied around waist), neighbor girls borrowed lunchbox, kit+lili leggings, polarn och pyret socks (with hole!)
  Over the weekend, we were getting ready to go out and my daughter came out of her room, all ready to go, in this outfit! when she came out my son looked at her and said, "god, that's just too much fashion"... I've been trying to figure out how to use this in my daily speak but haven't had the chance yet so I thought I would pass it onto you and maybe you will find the perfect moment for my son's perfect euphemism!

have a great fashion moment day!

1.21.2011

mary hartzell - on GOOP!


I am a big fan of GOOP! and I have shared some of my favorite GOOP blogs here from time to time. If you don't already get her weekly newsletter, I promise you if you like my blog you will enjoy GOOP as well. Today I received her newsletter which is an interview with Mary Hartzell, co-author of "Parenting From The Inside Out". Even if you are completely happy with your parenting skills I promise you, you will learn something from her interview. And if you are not, you will be enlightened (if you are ready for it) to a paradigm shift in the way that you deal with difficult situations with your kids. And well, it just makes more sense.

I like to think that I am a 'nonchalant mom' but the scenario that she describes about getting to school on time is just what was happening in our house last year, unfortunately we went down the wrong path for a long time before I involved my son in making the whole morning routine better. We have never spoken about it again and our mornings are completely happy and sometimes a race 'together' to get to school on time, but we are laughing our way through it.

Reading Mary's conversation on GOOP has opened the door to bringing this kind of problem solving into our lives more and more, and instead of upset I am excited about the opportunity to work things through with my kids.


get the book by clicking here
read the interview with Mary here
visit GOOP by clicking here and sign up for her newsletter