totmama

Being a self-professed design groupie, and studying in graphic design, has definitely created a utterly unnatural devotion to all that is the world of Pantone. They will always be THE final word on color trend and visual color study for me. While in college, owning a Pantone color wheel was like having the graphic design holy grail in the palm of your hand! Living abroad in Spain, I found one of these cool and functional Pantone Universe messenger bags (an older version in sulfur vinyl) and it quickly became a staple in my tote bag collection for years! (Later I even used one as my go-to diaper bag! Don’t tell!) Easy to clean, unassuming and very hip was the right combination for such a simple and well made bag. Check them out, now being sold stateside at my fave PopDeluxe. (And when people ask if you went to an Italian Culinary Institute, you can just shrug and smile!)

My good friend Mel has set up shop! Super talented, with a knack for bringing out the whimsical in her work, she has created these adorable children’s items currently on sale at etsy.com.  Featured with her fun illustrations, from frogs in a flower to a doggie line up, these cool raglans, tees, lap tees and onesies are too cute to pass up. I’ve got my eye on a black sleeve Dog with Hydrant Raglan for my son, and I’m sure he’ll love it (especially knowing it was made by “mommy’s friend Mel”). Perfect for holiday gift-giving, each item comes with a unique cotton reusable bag. Snatch them up while you still can! mindofmel

 When my son was just a wee thing, a close family friend gave us a couple pairs of these wonderful Summer Froggies by Fogal slipper socks. My son adored them, and it put my mind at ease knowing he had good non-slip soles while he made his first steps on our slippery hardwood floors. When he got older and outgrew his original pairs, I hoped to buy bigger ones. I knew from the name that there was supposed to be a Winter Froggies slipper, and thought they would be perfect for the holidays. (Maybe a stocking stuffer?) They’re so practical, and the styles and colors are adorable. Other moms would ask us where to get them so much that I had to finally ask my friend. After a little snooping, I found their website and checked it out. Turns out they are from Fogal of Switzerland, and only sold online to customers in Europe. Bad news for my fiending mommy friends, or so I thought. After a bit more snooping at styles, I discovered that they were available after all. You can pick up a pair by calling their Chicago or New York stores and having them shipped directly to you. Good news! Now I need to figure out what sizes and colors to pick for the kiddies! 

I’m crazy for grapefruit-y, citrus scented ANYTHING, so when I found this new Brazilian Mango Grapefruit solid perfume, body butter, candles and soap by Pacifica I knew I had to add it to the totmama list. They describe the scent as “mouthwatering and luscious”, and “playful with a level of sophistication.” That sounds like a whole lot of good to me, so i can’t wait to try it out. They also have a Tuscan Blood Orange that is currently on sale at their online shop. 

I’m not sure exactly when I became a scent-crazed lunatic, but I know it grew in college and got insane shortly after my move overseas. My first love was Crabtree & Evelyn, and I would splurge on anything my starving student budget could get my hands on, savoring the free samples I got until there was absolutely nothing left. I remember really liking their Tea Rose Body Lotion. After dating a while, I started to wear more oils, and would pick The Body Shop’s Dewbery Oil as my day to day scent. Eventually I grew up and found my own signature scent, Annick Goutal’s Eau d’Hadrien, and I still wear it to this day. Every once in a while I do find something new to add into the mix, like Archipelago Botanicals Grapefruit or Bulgari Green Tea. While on a trip staying at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa, I fell in LOVE with L’Occitane en Provence, and even got my husband stuck on all of their Verbena Bath products. Later I moved on to Fresh, and have stuck with their Hesperides Oval Soap. (If you haven’t tried any of these, you’re missing something wonderful!) 

It really is amazing that people can remember so many things linked to the scents around them. I can clearly remember playing at my great-grandmother’s vanity at about 4 years old, wishing I would have a lovely collection of perfume bottles and curios like she did. Now as an adult, I don’t have the formal vanity table, but I sure do have a few of the pretty bottles. Back then, there was a certain sense of respect for those kinds of things. Unfortunately not now. In my house, they should have a much more beautiful place to sit, instead of just being shoved in the bathroom drawer. Gee, maybe I should take a second look into that cool modern, narrow legged vanity I saw at West Elm!

Don’t be so blue! I was checking out Urban Baby Runway today, and spotted something else worthy of totmama praise. We can smile (and smirk) all the way to the park with these adorably edgy, kid scarf sets from Sourpuss Clothing. With a choice of red monster or green monster, I am sure my son won’t loose a mitten ever again. Lots of other nifty kiddie things hanging out at their website, including this Eat Brains Baby Bib, can be found to make your mother just cringe. (Of course! I love it all!) Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at your great aunt’s!

Ever since my stint living in Spain, I have admired the work of Jordi Labanda. His very modern, yet retro illustrations were on everything from teen pencil bags and backpacks to a wonderful line of scents and other products produced by the big spanish style starters Zara and Mango. His drawing style was knocked off by many a designer, but no one can capture the true feel of his work. He has an eye and attention to detail that speaks of his traditional Spanish surroundings and upbringing. If you ever get a chance to check out the book of his illustrations, Hey Day, you will see what I mean. He gives you a peek into a time and place that is typical modern Spain, yet feels like mid-century bachelor. You feel like you were in your frisky great aunt’s sitting room in 1957. To this day I am kicking myself for two things; not buying one of his gorgeous and girly suede “sweet” or “bla” handbags while I was in Spain, and passing up an opportunity to interview him for a final project in my intensive Spanish classes at Esade. 

Labanda has reached overseas, having some success in the US. A huge line of summery and fun notebooks, backpacks and plastic accessories, produced by Miquelrius, were sprouting up everywhere. Each illustration had a mood, and there was someone that every person could identify with.  They are hip for teen and “young at heart” women alike. Now I have found some lovely and sophisticated items he’s added to his collection, rugs and floor coverings. They are lush and flirty, just like his other works, but with a artful feel that you just can’t duplicate unless you clone him. They are lovely. Now I’ll have to add another thing to my regrets! They don’t sell these rugs here, yet. 

I have adored Simple Shoes ever since I stumbled onto a pair of their “Messy” skimmers on sale a few years back at Hanna Andersson. I got so many compliments in the “mommy world” that I could have started a pyramid scheme and made millions. I could say that I’ve been addicted ever since. They are so comfortable, due to their special PedBed pad, entirely vegan, sustainable and easily washable! Since then I have added a few (ahem) pairs to my shoe arsenal, and now I think I may have to share the love with my family. I was checking out the women’s Toepaz flat, when I saw that they now have a few new kids styles! I was happy to find these adorable infant Weebit slip ons for the modern green baby. Very cute, and in great sizes too. Since I am always on the lookout for unique shoes for Alex, and I think these toddler Skippies Car Tire shoes need to be on the short list this fall. They are vegan friendly, made from hemp, bamboo, water-based glue and recycled car tires. With such a picky little man, it’s nice to think that all I will need to say to him is that they are made with (er..) monster truck tires, and he’ll be sold. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! 

I was checking out my new issue of Craft magazine, when I placed it on a table for a second and noticed that there was an ad on the back about a contest by michael miller fabrics to design a unique pair of baby booties. Immediately I thought “wow, I wonder if you could design something that you cut flat, then fold it origami style to make a bootie”. I ran around the house taking care of the kids, my mind racing, thinking of how I could manage some cool origami design that would stay on a baby. I was actually amazed how fast this idea got my little (albeit dusty) wheels spinning. I even grabbed a pen and paper to try to come up with something, but got distracted by the baby. A few hours later, I went back to the magazine only to see that someone else had the same idea! A company in France, Studio Lo, came up with a way to use heavy laser-cut felt and made a folding bootie with locking tabs to hold it in place.  They screen printed lovely designs on them and voila! They are gorgeous. Why didn’t I think of that! I am still going to work on my idea, but it sure is fun to see others putting energy into the same concepts. If I flesh out a design, I’ll be sure to share.

 Studio Lo has some other cool stuff including the “opla” bag. Same idea of coming as a flat piece of heavy felt, with zippers to help hold it into shape.  There are even snaps on the strap to extend the length. Brilliant!

I am sure you all know how “picky” I am about deciding on ANYTHING, much less clothing for my little ones. I don’t usually like anything that has a huge brand name on it, or anything that is the trendy new “it”. Usually I find something cool, and weeks or months later it hits one of the kid sites or blogs. By then I am ready to toss it in the “too small” pile. Well, I have had a “not so hidden” objection to those plastic shoes. I am sure it started as a memory of having those awful, uncomfortably binding, non-breathable “jelly” shoes and plastic pumps in the early 80s. (Yes, I wore them!) Somehow the word never got out about how uncomfortable and smelly these shoes were, because now they have resurfaced… AND THEY ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD! Am I old fashioned? I remember when we were LUCKY to get casual fridays at work, when women were allowed to wear “slacks” to the office. Now it seems people are just wearing anything, from flip flops to crocs. Now, I get it that they could be OK for kids or on an off day at the beach, but I see GROWN adults trotting off after their kids at the mall or park in bright neon plastic shoes! I just can’t imagine these make you feel “put together”, but again, I am “picky”. Maybe I’m the mother they talk about in the Jiff commercial. “Choosy moms choose Jiff!” Why the rant? Well, after 3 weeks of intense potty training, my son has finally figured it out. He’s going like a champ, on his own, and even telling me with enough time to make it to the public restrooms. (I was beginning to think he would be in diapers thru highschool!) After this stellar achievement, what did he want? “Crocs like my friend!” So, yes. I gave in. No they were not neon, or camouflage, and they don’t light up when he walks. (Yes, they have those!) They were not a character like Thomas or Lightning McQueen. Just navy blue, but he did get the little “jibbitz” to put on them to make them his own. Maybe I’ll warm up to them one day, but I doubt you’ll see me in those any time soon. Next thing you know, they will be bringing back the “aquanet bangs” and fishnets.

Haven’t heard about Smoy yet? I discovered them in a parenting mag a while ago, and now I am realizing it was 3 years ago! Smoy Photo Cuffs are cool leather or vegan leather wrist cuffs, with one or more cut out picture frames on them. The frames can hold photos, tiny art works, to do lists, goals, you name it! They’re great gifts, especially for the grandparents! What’s truly amazing is that they have created even more cleaver things in the past 3 years, from a kid’s flower shaped photo cuff, to an ipod cover and a super glam Brooklyn photo belt! These cuffs have many uses; I have used mine as luggage tags on road trips, putting photos of who’s bag was who’s in the mini frame. They’re really cool, and one of those indie finds that are a combination of good design, affordablility, and fun. Check them out here: SMOY.NET