We recently had the pleasure of speaking with one of the most stylish new mothers we know, New York-based watercolorist Caitlin McGauley. Join in as we discuss daughter Alex’s love for Damien Hirst and little pink converse sneakers…
Caitlin’s rendition of Park Avenue in April
As a young mom of a busy baby, how do you maintain your creativity and a sense of self?
I try to make sure that I carve out a little time for myself. I have a babysitter all day twice a week so I can have the day to work, and hopefully get out to see something that will give me that spark. While I can’t get out to museums and shows like I used to, I live in a great neighborhood, and a walk around the block people watching can be just as energizing.
Damian Hirst in front of one of his many butterfly paintings
What creative things do you like to do with Alex? Have you taken her to museums yet? Do you do art projects together?
Alex loves to observe everything and seems to take it all in. I take every opportunity to point things out to her, whether it’s a bright yellow lemon at the grocery store, or a statue in the park. She does seem to like paintings best- we stayed at a hotel with a Damien Hirst butterfly painting and she was obsessed with it! Sometimes we rip up sheets of paper to make a ‘collage’, but mostly she just puts the paper in her mouth!
Do you read mommy blogs or websites? If so, could you name a few of your favorites?
I read Oh Joy! and A Cup of Jo, not necessarily mommy blogs, but they certainly address being a creative working mom.
Name a few baby essentials that you couldn’t do without.
The wubbanub is by far the greatest invention of all time. She uses it to get to sleep. I have 5 of them so I never lose one! She started walking at about 12 months, but walking in shoes was a whole other ball game. I love her tiny pink Converse sneakers. They are sturdy enough for her to walk in and she gets excited to put them on. She likes to play dress up already!
(a Barbara Cooney illustration in Miss Rumphius)
When Alex gets older, what are some books that you can’t wait to read to her?
Right now the books are pretty basic, so I can’t wait until she is old enough to read books like Swimmy by Leo Lionni, the whole series of Madeline books, and books illustrated by Barbara Cooney like Miss Rumphius and The Ox Cart Man. I love when she runs towards me with a book and says ‘read read read!’ I hope she continues to love to read.
MDB’s account manager, Melanie Esparza, snapped this sweet photo of her 4-year-old son, Nathan, earlier today. It just happened to be his first day of Pre-K! “He was super excited,” Melanie said. “He can’t wait to get homework and learn more about bugs.” So cute. We wish Nathan the best and can’t wait to hear all about his new school! : )
In 2012, we’ve had the privilege of outfitting several celebrity couples with cribs from our family of brands. Most recently, our team worked with Anna Faris on her new baby’s nursery. Anna and husband, actor Chris Pratt, chose DaVinci Baby’s Regan Crib, Parker 2 Door Changer and 4 Drawer Dresser (all in an oak finish) for their baby’s space. We couldn’t be more pleased to hear that their baby boy arrived safe and sound this past Saturday!
We learned through a tweet from Vanessa Lachey that she and hubby nick purchased Babyletto’s Grayson Mini Crib for their soon-to-arrive baby. The couple chose to set up the mini crib in their living room as a second space for baby to play, sleep and grow. When he or she arrives, we hope Vanessa posts photos!
Molly Sims, who had her first baby in June, chose Nurseryworks’ famed Loom Crib in White for her nursery. You can actually see a video of the entire nursery design here – isn’t it gorgeous?
Last but not least, we’re pleased to report that Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman purchased our Babyletto’s Modo Crib in Espresso with White. They found it to be the perfect shape and size for Rachel’s mother’s home in the Hamptons, where the family spent a considerable amount of time this summer. Baby Skylar must have had a blast!
Our team hopes you enjoyed our latest celebrity update! Would you choose any of the cribs above for your nursery? We’re curious to hear : )
Our team was so excited to find Nurseryworks’ Tree Bookcase so beautifully styled on Rosenberry Rooms’ blog! We’ve always believed that, though a bookcase, it’s also a fun and creative way to display your child’s favorite toys. What would (or what do!) you store on your tree bookcase? On a different note, we’re on the hunt to find who make that amazing light fixture. It’s so Brady Bunch Mod – we’re digging it : )
Introducing MDB’s newest addition! Our wonderful inventory specialist, Shally Pan, welcomed a beautiful son into her family on August 16, 2012. Baby Lucas weighed a healthy 8.1 oz and measured 20.25″ : ) The MDB family can’t wait to meet this perfect little angel. Congratulations, Shally!
This might be the cutest (and cuddliest) DIY we’ve ever seen! Charla Anne, mom to four and blogger extraordinaire, created these sweet felt dolls for her daughter, Lily. She even made them clothes and a little felt dollhouse! If you’d like to make these dolls for your little one, Charla Anne explains how to do it here. We so wish we could take the afternoon off to craft!
Ohayou gozaimasu! Our Creative Director + Designer (engaged to be married as well in Jan 2013) embark on their summer travels, beginning with Tokyo. A favorite design & fashion destination for the couple, here are 5 things that they enjoyed most about their trip around town.
1. Tokyo Metro
“SO easy to use. The people and station staff are friendly as we were combing through the subway stations. Everyone is so respectful of space. Oh! And the vending machines for drinks are a must. I want to bring those back to the office in Los Angeles.”
2. Architecture
“Tokyo continues to inspire us—their use of older buildings as office spaces, new future style buildings as department stores; there’s a change here every 6 months in the city. Our favorite places could be a store one trip, a pizza joint in the next, back to a ramen vending food stand.”
3. Shopping
“A visit to Tokyo wouldn’t be complete without MUJI. What can we say. A couple that shops together, stays together.”
4. Food
“Best food. We have never had a bad meal. Even Yoshinoya here is great!”
Breakfast in Ginza at a coffee shop
A lovely dinner at O’Shima for a great cut of Japanese beef
5. Gadgets
“Where would we be without gadgets and crazy stores without Tokyo?”
Kiddyland in Harajuku
Look at this—electronic ice cream!
For all iPhone lovers, an iPhone pet puppy : )
Until our next adventure!
Happy Traveling,
Tracy & Eric
It’s a well-known fact that during pregnancy, your baby absorbs everything you put into and onto your body. Expectant mothers want to remain safe, but don’t want to completely lose their beauty routine! Today, we’re tackling the issue with reviews of our favorite maternity-safe personal care and beauty products…
For women who simply can’t go on without a weekly mani-pedi (we sympathize …), excerpts recommend using a “3-free” nail polish. This means that the product does not include the chemicals DBP (dibutyl phthalate), toluene and formaldehyde. Maternity-safe brands include Essie and Butter London (bonus: their wide range of color offerings mean you can still match your polish to your outfit ; ).
Paraben, a preserving chemical found in many shampoos, conditioners, sunscreens and cosmetics, is also a no-no. It can be easily avoided by switching to a natural or organic line of beauty and hair care products. Because of the recent green movement, lines of this nature (no pun intended) aren’t hard to track down. Brands such as Josie Maran Cosmetics, John Masters Organics and Jason Organics are all safe bets.
Regular sunscreen can also be harmful! Who would have thought? Thankfully, blogger Joanna Goddard has done the groundwork to find the perfect natural sunscreen: Josie Maran’s Daily Sun Protection. We haven’t tried it yet, but it’s received rave reviews.
P.S. For more information on natural beauty, Gorgeously Green is a great resource!
One of our favorite aspects about the Jenny Lind is that it’s both gender-neutral and timeless. Hence, it can be reused over and over again. That’s exactly what Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely did with DaVinci’s Jenny Lind 3-in-1 Convertible Crib in Ebony. It looked just as feminine in her daughter Eleanor’s nursery as it does handsome when repurposed in her son August’s room. For more ideas on styling a Jenny Lind crib, check out this awesome post on Apartment Therapy!
P.S. Ever wonder just where exactly the name “Jenny Lind” came from?
Click here if you’re curious : )
