Decorating with Quentin Blake

As a child, my primary passion was drawing; in fact, I spent the first ten to twelve years of my life convinced I was going to be a children's book illustrator or Disney animator. Little wonder then that two of my leading role models were Walt Disney and Quentin Blake, an English illustrator and author who is probably most famous for illustrating the works of Roald Dahl. Dahl's fantastical, decidedly English and just a little bit dark tales were perfectly suited to Blake's quirky cartoon drawings. And oh how I loved both the stories and the drawings as a child.

As a soon-to-be mom, I appreciate Blake's illustrations (and Dahl's stories, actually) as both child-appropriate and adult-friendly. There's nothing saccharin sweet about these drawings, nothing overtly childish and their appeal (at least in my opinion) is cross-generational. In fact, I've been knocking around the idea of doing large-scale color copies of several of my favorite Dahl book covers and using them as inexpensive art in my son's nursery.

Blake's new collection of fabrics and wallpapers for Osborne & Little, dubbed Zagazoo, are unmistakably Blake and exhibit his trademark whimsy and wit as his illustrations have for decades. And now that I've seen these, I just know I'll have to incorporate at least one of these charming patterns into my nursery design. While I'm still debating which, I'm thinking of having the crib bedding made out of Alphabet Tales, which includes miniature illustrations for each letter of the alphabet. But there are plenty of other fantastic prints to choose from:

I love the typography of Quentin's ABCs wallpaper, which comes in a wide range of colorways that work with just about every fabric in the collection. My favorites though include a couple of very cool black backgrounds, which impart a fun chalkboard look without the mess of the real thing.

Darling for a girl's room and would pair beautifully with the Alphabet Tales print.

I like the larger scale of this print, and the wonderful color stories. This would be a great print to design a room around, pulling out specific colors in different accessories and other fabrics.

Animals are a classic motif in children's rooms, but what I love about this print is that it lacks the cutesy-pooness usually accompanying them. Another great thing about this print is how gender neutral it is.

 

Perfect for your little skateboarding dude or dudette!

Olivia...

Unfortunately we had no choice but to let go of Olivia today, just five short days after she first became ill. We still don't know the cause (it might have been bacterial, fungal, or a toxin), but the effect was quite simply devastating -- her liver completely shut down, and no manner of drug nor treatment was going to bring it back. I'm still in a state of shock at this twist my life has taken in less than a week. But I suppose you never expect tragedies, nor can you ever prepare yourself for one.

Saying goodbye to her this morning was one of the harder things I have ever had to endure, but I know that in the end Dave and I made the right decision by ending her suffering rather than needlessly pursuing life-extending (but not life-enhancing) treatments. The process was made somewhat easier by a wonderfully supportive and incredibly gifted veterinarian and staff. I know they did all they could for her...and I was amazed to see them all in tears as well at the end. But then again, Olivia was (and I don't think I'm overstating things here) just about the cutest dog out there, with the personality to match. I wish I could have brought her home with me at the end of this ordeal, but I know that just wasn't meant to be.

Olivia taught me so many things in the 3 short years I had her. She taught me how to take care of someone else, someone totally dependent on me. She taught me greater patience, especially in her puppy phase. She taught me to take joy in the simple things: food, sun...feathers. Beyond these lessons, she gave me so much joy and comfort. My hope is at the end she knew this, and that she knew how much she was loved -- not just by Dave and I, but by so many other family and friends.


I have often been accused of loving her overly much, but to quote my father "if you don't love 'em, what's the point?" And I have to agree. Despite the pain Dave and I are going through now, it's worth every second I got to spend with her. I had hoped to enjoy Olivia for years to come, but I know that I was lucky to have her, if only for a short while.

St. Francis of Assisi believed that all animals, and not just humans, have souls. Because all living things are an expression of God, to St. Francis, they were considered sacred and to be cared for. And I would like to think that's true. For we are all God's creatures, and His heart and His heavenly home have room for the lot of us. If that's the case, then I know for certain that Olivia is there now, playing with my childhood dog Gretel and in good hands until I can be with her again.

I used to joke that Olivia was the puppy of my dreams, the puppy of my heart. And she will be in my dreams and in my heart forever. I know that in time Dave and I will get another dachshund -- I'm just a dog (specifically, dachshund) lover. But no dog will ever replace her: she was, after all, my Olivsita, my Chub-buns, my baby.

Olivia Update

After a horrible day yesterday, when every sign pointed towards me having to say goodbye to Olivia today, we have received some very positive news this morning. Olivia has started to respond to treatments, her liver is recovering and, while we're not out of the woods yet, the vet is "cautiously optimistic".

I will still count it as a tremendous blessing if I get to take Olivia home after this ordeal, but this is the first real sign of hope that I've had since she fell sick on Saturday afternoon. And, for now, I'll cling to it. Many thanks for all your sweet comments and notes. I have been reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing friends, family, coworkers and blog readers.

In the interim, please continue to pray for Olivia's recovery. And of course for my cousin Patrick, who continues his fight in NICU after suffering serious head trauma during a terrible car accident two and a half weeks ago. A family friend has been sending around daily devotionals for Patrick (and for my cousin KB who is serving in Afghanistan as a surgeon). Today's was particularly poignant for me.

Psalm 23 is one of the most famous passages in the Bible, and its first 3 verses read as follows:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases verse 3 in a way that really spoke to me today:

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

 

I do not know yet whether we are past the storm or merely in its eye, but today I am grateful for this moment of calm to catch my breath and collect my thoughts.

Advice for New Moms: Home to Three Duncan Boys

Hi guys, I’m Lakeitha from Home to three Duncan Boys and I’m here today sharing my baby must haves with Averill for her little “munchkin”!

Munchkin products are my absolute favorite. They make a wide variety of baby accessories that I think are perfect for new moms! Plus the color combinations are just too darn cool to pass up! Here are a few of my favorites…

For Feeding:

Breastfeeding may be ideal for many moms, but it didn’t work out for me with my three. So when it came to purchasing baby bottles I opted for glass! Glass bottles are the way to go especially when it comes to cleaning and not to mention the concerns of the chemicals found in plastic bottles. I’m a little old school when it comes to washing and sterilizing my babies bottles. Wash with soapy water and place them all in a large stainless steal pot with water and let them boil!

Munchkin Glass Bottles and Bottle Sleeves

Now, washing these bottles are made easy with Munchkins bottle brushes! They have three different brushes.

These are my favorite! They have a soap dispenser made into them and with the press of a button, you have just the right amount of soap to wash a cup or bottle!

Next on the feeding list are these lovelies!

Again since I bottle fed, the powdered formula dispenser was very convenient. And if you are breastfeeding, they come in hand when the need for cheerios comes! When the baby gets older, I used the fresh food feeder for different fruits (An absolute hit with the Duncan boys!). And lets not forget sippy cups! Around 6 months I introduced my boys to them and I started with the trainer cups. The handles are perfect for baby’s little hands! By the time they reach 9 months they are ready for the handle-less cups that are of course spill proof;-)

Diapering:

I’m not going to get into what type of diapers to use because I used disposables and I wish I could go back and use cloth! Not only would they have saved us money and are eco friendly, but they make some really great cloth/reusable diapers now!

Averill, if you decide to use disposable diapers on occasions (like traveling), these are a must!

The diaper bag dispensers hold little bags that you put soiled diapers in and they hold in odor. And the nursery fresheners are like sachets for baby! just place then somewhere discretely in the nursery and they will freshen the room!

Bath Time:

OMG, I don’t know if I can say enough how great these bath toys are! My boys have the alphabet and numbers. They also have the little squirt toys too. They literally play until they are wrinkled! The letters and numbers are foam and they ‘magically” stick on the wall of the tub (no worries, they stick because of the water) where you can put together words. And the clean up is easy thanks to the frog holder. And once you “scoop” them up, just rinse them with clean water and they are ready for the next bath time!

Averill, I can go on and on about my love for Munchkin products, but I’d rather hear what you think of them. So, please send me your address so that I can mail you a Munchkin “starter” gift set from me to welcome your new baby boy!

So guys, how many of you moms out there use Munchkin products? Can any of you back up my love for this baby line of products? Is there something that I missed and you use? Let Averill and myself know! Thanks again Averill for allowing me to be a part of this series!

Olivia...

Update (7pm): Many thanks for all the sweet messages and comments. We had to do a plasma transfusion today, but fortunately Olivia has responded very well to treatment so far and her vitals and behavior are both markedly better. We won't be out of the woods until tomorrow when we can do some more blood work, but this is a very hopeful development.

Please excuse the lack of postings this week. My darling dachsund Olivia has become suddenly and extremely ill. The vet is saying she is suffering from acute liver failure and now the job is to ascertain the cause (many of which are, thankfully, treatable). In the meantime though, to say I'm distracted (okay, distraught) right now is an immense understatement.

The verdict is in....

Dave and I went to our anatomy ultrasound today and are happy to report (first and foremost) that everything looks great and....that we're expecting a boy in early March! Time to launch the nursery design efforts in earnest.

In the meantime though, and (unfortunately) on a more somber note, I ask that you keep my cousin Carol, her husband and their darling daughter in your prayers and thoughts today. Patrick was in a serious car accident 10 days ago where he suffered serious head trauma. He's undergoing another surgery today to try and relieve mounting pressure in his brain. I hope and pray that the surgery is successful and Patrick can finally begin the long process of healing.

Advice for New Moms: My Little Happy Place

This week's advice comes courtesy of Alison G. at My Little Happy Place. Alison is the mother of two darling little girls, Avery and Isla -- and the designer of both of their darling nurseries. I'm particularly loving Alison's advice on what I don't need as a major goal of mine is to not overcrowd my house with unnecessary baby items!

* * *

I'd like to think I have something to offer a new mom, as I've been one twice - as recently as six months ago. However, the Mommy-to-Be and New Mommy experience is so personal and unique, it's difficult to encapsulate with anecdotes and product reviews, as there will be as many moms out there who agree as who disagree with my words of advice. For what it's worth, here's a couple of my Golden Nuggets on new babyhood....

{Avery's Nursery}

I'm forever amazed at the sheer volume of baby and nursery products. It's hard to know what is essential, but I've found three items (and my husband concurs) that we use day-in, day-out, from the moment we come home from the hospital:

1) the Boppy Pillow - the pillow that forms 'round Mom or Dad during feedings, provides support for baby during pre-sitting stages, etc has been my #1 go-to item.

2) Sheet Saver - Let's face it, babies have a lot of blow-outs! This quilted and waterproof tie-on pad covers crib sheets, so when baby's mess goes beyond the diaper, you're not changing the entire crib in the middle of the night. I bought several. Babies R Us has a decent selection.

3) Bouncer Chair - I can't get over the array of bouncer chairs on the market - some look like they might send your baby into orbit! We've always had fairly basic models, but they've done the job of calming and entertaining our kiddos beautifully.

{Isla's Nursery}

You could devote an entire post to what you need not spend money on in terms of baby gear, but my vote goes to Diaper Genies (or similar diaper pails), and free-standing high chairs. In my book, you don't really need a so-called "contained" HAZMAT container for diapers - just take them outside to the trash - easy peasy.

Although there are some very designerly high chairs out there, I still think the versions that snap onto a chair you already own is a better use of space.

{Isla's Nursery}

Other advice/preparations....I'd say go ahead and take those labor and birth preparation classes. They will at least provide you with the basic information of what to expect when baby decides to make his/her appearance. If you plan to breastfeed, I highly recommend making friends with a Lactation Consultant, or, as my new-mommy cousin calls hers, a Boobie Whisperer.

Congratulations again, Averill and Dave!