I've been a longtime fan of the Novogratz family and their keen eye for immense versatility in design and their ability to remain wholly unique in this modern world of architecture and interiors. My husband is always the form-for-function architect, and I'm always about the artistry (he's super pragmatic about everything and how it works, while I'm more into the depth and warmth an item features). Since Cookie magazine featured a home tour of the Novogratz's New York Marketplace building-turned-home, I've been obsessed with their style. They make things fully functional and family-practical while still looking like they live in a magnificent art gallery (no eye-sores whatsoever)! I've kept up with their company Sixx Design (after their (then) 6 children), and naturally I've ogled over their recently published design book, Downtown Chic. And now, TV's Bravo has introduced the family and their design entrepreneurship to the world and invited us all to take a good look inside their incredible homes and into their design-inspired world. The show, 9 by Design, premiered last week, and airs on Bravo, Tuesday 10/9 central - tune in for some serious decor inspiration!
You can read more about the family and what they're all about in this article for the New York Social Diary.
Here's a little glimpse into what I'm going on about...:
Talk about limited options! While we're on the subject of baby gear that's been the same since I was in diapers- I thought I'd bring up the taboo topic of the (extremely bulky, rather unsightly) home baby swing. Not many available to the masses, are there? Or have you never thought about it...? Well, I have. I've been thinking about it for a while actually, always trying to dig up some designer - somewhere out there - who is brilliant and savvy enough to come up with a chic little swing that can blend in with the rest of the home (or the backyard), rather than overwhelm our space. And so, with much gratitude to this lovely designer, I bring you the Filzschaukel by John Mohr. Impressive, eh?
Originally created by this Austrian designer for his daughter, this swing has now even won a design award! Not that it's all that affordable to us Americans by easy means (at about $210 plus the international shipping rates), but it gives me great peace of mind to know that we are well on our way to a more simple, beautiful, ergonomic era of children's goods. : )
You can view the details (felted wool!) and color options (breathtaking!) here. You can also check out the rest of his designs at Mohr Polster.
Whilst trying desperately to settle back into routine (arriving home from a 2 week hiatus in Chicago), and grasping at any remnants of a schedule - my daughter decides it is time to self-wean. She went completely "cold turkey" on me! One minute she was reaching her little hands down my shirt, a few hours later before bed she pushed me away and said "no!" very clearly. Concluding that it was a case of baby's-off-schedule, I put her to bed figuring she'd go for it in the morning... no such luck. It is 4 days later, and I've been pumping (worrying she may suddenly decide to return once she is back in routine), without so much as an ounce of interest on her end. She'll happily down a bottle of my pumped milk (just as happily as she takes a cup of whole milk or soy milk), but when I offer her my breast she looks at me as if I am offering her my toe to suckle! She's getting so frustrated at my persistence to get her to nurse, she even went so far as solidifying a new word in her vocabulary - "No Way"!
And so this morning I sterilized that trusty Avent hand Pump, packed it up and stored it away along with the rest of my days-gone-by baby things. I have to be honest, I'm super emotional about saying goodbye to my suckling babe days... I so cherished the cuddly moments each day, and craved the downtime I got through nursing anytime anywhere. I'm sad to leave those times behind, but apparently she's ready to move on to bigger and better. And so we're off to a new stage, a new era... : )
Apparently Ikea has entered the electronics industry, now featuring a branded baby monitor. The Ikea PATRULL is going for $24.99, and seems simple and modern enough to become the next every-parent-owned Ikea basic.
