BiG SALE!

We went in and marked things down AGAIN! So this has turned into out BIG SALE! sizes are going fast so get in there and get what you WANT!

Collections are 30% to 75% off!! (that's A LOT!)

we added:

WOVENPLAY!
MAKIE!
LILIT AND LITTL BY LILIT!
and then we made DEEPER MARKDOWNS on the remaining collections!

no more codes and hoops... just prices as MARKED!

GET IN HERE AND SHOP NOW!

favorite thing of the WEEK! (psst... its on SALE)

This weeks favorite is REALLY - TRULY my favorite... the Clare Vivier Tropezienne, I have been happily carrying this bag for years, and I promise you I am a BAG HORSE! There is nothing I like more than a great bag, but I am the kind of person who likes to use the same bag and not change them everyday (I carry WAY too much crap to change it every day!).

I LOVE this bag because everything I need fit's, I go to shows and stuff it full of catalogs and paper, I travel with it and it carries my things PLUS my kids things! At the same time it doesn't LOOk like a big huge bag!

There you go... my FAVORITE thing of the week! - and it's NOW on SALE! The Clare Vivier Tropezienne :: NOW $350! - in black or navy

click here to shop the Clare Vivier bags at NonchalantMom

getting ready for the 4th?

I'm not sure but I think that Everyday Food dissolved into something that comes together with your Martha Stewart Living. When this one came last friday we somehow dove in and just made EVERYTHING! We were going to grill anyhow, so I just pulled this out and we made a bunch of things which were all terrific and would make for a great July 4th barbeque!

So here is what WE made but really anything from the issue sounds good.. there are sauces, marinades.. it's all SO easy! (sorry forgot to photograph the grilling!)

grilled chicken w/lemon oregano marinade
grilled tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and tuscan bread
creamy avocado dip

we made up these wonderful appetizers (not in the magazine) - roast small potatoes cut thin, then top with sour cream or creme fraiche, a bit of finely chopped onion and some caviar (small whitefish is great for kids, not so fishy)

and we also managed to make the Mojito SLUSHIE (we HAD the ingredients so why NOT?!)

when I make this again I will pile more fruit on top!

I have never made a cheese cake, but I've ALWAYS wanted to... so this one sounded easy and it was SUPER easy (you just need to remember to make it ahead of time so that it can sit in the fridge for at LEAST 8 hours... it was the BEST cheese cake I have ever had and it makes such a perfect 4th of July (or anytime in the summer!) desert! You can't see it in these photos but it's about 2 inches high!

Thanks Martha for all the tips and recipes!! You made our summer grilling perfectly EASY!

July 4th SALE!

the BiG SALE just got bigger and BETTER! take an additional 15% off EVERYTHING!
use code: 'july4' at checkout!

If it's already on SALE then take an ADDITIONAL 15% off.. and if it's not then it's 15% OFF! it's a winWIN for everyone!

cannot be used on past orders

for a short time....

shop NOW!

BAMcinématek presents THE HITCHCOCK 9

I wish I lived in NYC for these type of things.. not to be MISSED... the Hitchock. BAMcinématek is proud to be the New York City venue for this monumental touring series that presents all nine of Alfred Hitchcock’s surviving silent films, which reveal the seeds of Hitch’s genius already on full display. Lovingly restored by the British Film Institute in an undertaking of unprecedented magnitude—missing footage restored, decades of damage and dirt removed, and new scores commissioned for each—these key works in the development of the world’s most famous director can now be appreciated as visually inventive high-water marks of British silent cinema.

The Hitchcock 9 will be put to LIVE music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, acclaimed silent film pianists Stephen HOrne and Steve Sterner. If you have not had the chance before to see a film to live music you should see this one.. it's absolutely exhilarating!! FUN and beautiful!

June 29 - July 3, 2013

for more information go to the BAM website here

nonchalant mom interview by the folks at Herman Millers Lifework blog

I had a really fun interview with Iris at Herman Miller about my home office, working from home and what inspires me (everything!) - I go a bit on and on... sorry... but what a fun bunch of questions to be asked and I couldn't wait to answer them! - thanks so much Iris!

click here to read their Lifework blog and see more conversations about what inspires people

click here to read my interview

some of our favorites!

We went into the shop and grabbed some of our favorite items and pulled off a photoshoot - AND had some fun at the same time...

I like to mix and match Makié for a HI-low vibe... and don't save your Makié for special occasions, your kids will outgrow their clothes... so let them wear them!! you can always wash it out, mend it or whatever... but just get your use out of it!

Littl by lilit, nico nico, Lucky Fish and Boy+Girl... all mixed up are GREAT! totally different collections yet the more you mix the better they UNmatch!

 Lucky Fish T's are just the greatest invention... I love them with fancy things but they always spend their day with everyday shorts and just about anything! It's the SUMMER UNIFORM!

I knew this fatigue shirt jacket was the piece for US, it starts with Sander (he's older) and then goes on to be handed down... great for boys and girls.. but really GREAT! and littl by lilit.. always gREAT!

click here for Makie
click here for Lucky Fish
click here for Boy + Girl
click here for Littl by Lilit
click here for nico nico

summer flowers! - repost for Midsommar!

I am re-posting this blog today for MIDSOMMAR! This is a great idea for today you can make flower wreathes for your house or your kids! It's a super fun thing to do together with your kids and what a perfect day for it! Swedish Midsommar!

Beautiful weather finally made it our way yesterday... so right then and there, I planted my garden, flowers and vegetables, and since we were going to go to a Memorial Day cookout I decided we would make these crowns! (forgive me but I totally forgot to photograph the crowns on the kids!!). For the kids we wound them with a bit more branches so that they were more durable and put lots of flowers in them! They loved to wear them and it was really fun for them to collect the flowers.

I think that this is a great way to decorate your house for a summer party. These don't last very long (unless you have some type of solution that we have not come up with!) but if you make them just before people come over they will surely last for an evening (or at least when everyone comes IN your house!). This is a typical Swedish decoration that Swede's love to do for Midsummer (coming up here in June!). But since we had such nice flowers for the crowns and wreathes, I decided it was a good time to make them now (and besides, while I was doing yard work I noticed that the birch tree needed trimming!).

So here is the HOW: Start with a few birch branches, they are nice and soft and pliable. I think that anyone can figure it out if you try, just wind them into a circle and wind them around each other! keep winding new branches (it works best if you keep it going in the same direction). I used some dogwood branches we had for flowers and some broom bush (what is the 'real' name for those?), but you can use daisy's, buttercups or any flowers you may have growing wild around.

Most of all have fun and wear them to parties, put them all over your house... whatever! and come Midsummer you can make a Maypole and hang them it! (by then you should be good at it!).

GLAD MIDSOMMAR!

May Pole! (in Rattvik, Sweden)

My facebook is LIT UP with all of the Midsommar fun in SWEDEN! Hope this gives you a an inspiration to go outside and pick the flowers and listen to music! (and stay up all night because the sun never really sets!)

the view of Lake Siljan!

field of WILD FLOWERS!

putting up the May Pole!

 keep the photos coming!!

recipe: chicken in the oven

There is nothing I like better than being able to stick a chicken in the oven, everything in one roasting pan and be DONE with dinner! (well maybe a bit of brown rice to go with that...) I think that I shared with you my FAVORITE new cookbook Jerulsalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, it's changed my entire palate and the cooking in our house will never be the same! This book was a gift (so I'm suggesting you might want to get a couple of copies so that YOU can give it as a gift because you will want to!) from Jann (Lucky Fish!) and I use it so much, even to adapt things I already have been making. There is a different flavor and it is GOOD!

Back to chicken... I just wanted to share the dish we made (follow along with me on page 179) the Roasted Chicken with Clementines & Arak (I made it with oranges and pernod instead). It was SO delicious that I made it again for my mom on her visit (and I got her the cookbook!)

mor mor made rubarb crumble (on left), then then the Roasted Chicken + rice there on the right (with wild rice!)

I feel kind of weird copying this onto my blog but I checked and apparently recipes are exempt from being copyrighted (!) -- since they are meant to be shared!.. true but I still feel weird... here goes:

6 1/2 tbsp pernod (he suggests arak but I couldn't find it out here in the boon docks!)
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed!)
3 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed!)
2 tbsp grain mustard
1 large organic chicken divided into 8 pieces (I actually went online and learned how to do this!!)
or chicken thighs work too!
4 clementines (I used oranges)
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
salt + pepper and parsley garnish

mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, whisk and add salt and pepper.

trim and cut fennel into 8ths wedges and add these + chicken to the marinade and marinate overnight or at least a few hours.

preheat oven to 475 (I used 450 and it was okay too) - put all into a beautiful pan and bake for 35 - 45 minutes - for me there was just enough juices as is - or you can cook to reduce.

YUM - now go get the book! Jerusalem by Yotan Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

momfilter recipe for lemon chicken!

I also thought this was a really nice recipe of oven chicken on the blog Momfilter - click here for recipe.

good luck and happy chicken cooking!
OH and did I mention kids LOVED this.... !!

Venice anyone!? - Pirouette Blog does Venice...

one of the fantastic gondolier you will meet!

When I lived in Italy, Venice was one of those places I loved to visit... when I needed to get away, I took the train to Venice and just wandered around, sometimes my friend Roberto would join me and show me where to eat.. he was a local and he knew where to eat! Venice is like that, if you go off the beaten track you find some wonderful places, all it takes is a wandering spirit.

Doesn't that just SOUND like a good place for kids! At first thought, Venice might not come to mind when thinking about a summer family trip but Florence (not Florence, Italy, Florence the person!) of the fantastic blog Pirouette has some GREAT traveling tips for Venice with kids. She said this year in particular is good because of the Venice Art Biennale this year has kid of educational twist that kids might like, she says it's a up there with New York City or Barcelona for leaving a BIG impression (because sometimes a beach is a beach is a beach for kids...) "The only danger might be the crowds, and the water, but as a well informed Venetian friend remarked, there is no history of children falling in the canals!" suggested Florence.

British Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2013 - Pirouette Blog

Her blog is complete with where to stay and where to eat... two important needs when traveling with family! The Biennale has spaces that are curated by countries - which makes for a bit of a 'round the world' which can be fun for kids!

Ai Weiwei, German Pavilion - Pirouette blog

Thank you Florence for your fantastic blog.. it's a regular stop for me each week!

Pirouette blog - by Florence Rolando

Venice with Children blog - Pirouette

grande canal - pirouette blog

kalon studios

Kalon studios is a young design studio focused on contemporary form and innovative design. These guys not only create beautiful furniture and pieces of art really... but they make you LOVE them even more because they are focused on a philosophy of local manufacturing. Each piece is handcrafted to order from non-toxic and responsibly harvested materials by traditional furniture makers in New England (Rhode Island to be exact!! yay!)

If I had a baby in my belly these are the guys I would turn to for the greatest, most GORGEOUS crib ever! And they are not stopping there... just for the summer they are offering this limited edition PINK colorway that is just the Bee's Knees! Honestly forget all that stuff people tell you you need, this is ALL you really need, for a happy dappy baby! There is a dresser to go with it, just put a changing table on top and you are SET:

not that the crib turns into a toddler bed later... (!!)

If pink is not your bag maybe this cute YELLOW IS! Yellow is really the best pop of color for a home (well that or green) believe me we have tried them ALL, but somehow you never get tired of yellow! here you go, just to get the idea:

and here is how the toddler bed looks:

We are done with this stage but you can STILL enjoy the wonderful things at Kalon... we LOVE these STUMPS:

you can have these mini (for kids) or large for great end tables!

visit Kalon Studio here for more information!

another remodelista favorite! the summer house of simon doonan + jonathan adler

This is a home I KNEW I wanted to see.... the landscape architecture is amazing and when you look at the before and after you KNOW this took some serious vision! It was done by Vickie Cardaro (her company is called: Buttercup Design Group) I love how it all looks so wild, natural and unkept.. (well I assume as it grows it will get a bit more wild!)

I am in love with these circular cement walkway stones. It would all look too haphazard without them and it somehow pulls it all together. How simple is THAT!

Love that you can't even see the house from the front entrance!

Fantastic pool! and incredibly simple planters (why do I keep planting Geraniums!?)

click here to see the WHOLE story on Remodelista (story by Sarah Medford) with before and afters and names of all the plants so that YOU too can create this wild and sophisticated landscaping at your home!

Remodelista - click here

camping - buzzfeed has you covered - 41 GREAT camping ideas

This is one of those lists you just can't live without! It was put together by the blog: Buzzfeed and it's hilarious + very essential for camping! These are some of my favorites but visit the blog and get the full RUNDOWN on 41 camping hacks you can't live without!

crescent rolls toasted over the fire

it's typical that these easy foods you would never eat at home become so genius on camping trips, this is one of them.. you know those crescent rolls in a can... wind it around sticks and toast on the morning fire!

they suggest to invest in a double sleeping bag! I'm down with that...!

I'm thinking about doing this at HOME! bring your spices along in tic tac containers!

cut your soap up into single use slices

I have to say that this one is MY favorite! um DUH! what a great idea!

So get your camping going with these 41 GREAT ideas! click here to see all 41!