Baby's 1st Halloween

She wore an elephant costume made by her Grandma Jorgensen (originally for her cousin D). (Thanks Grandma J!) She loved wearing it. I only had to show her once how to hold the trunk up and make an elephant sound.

We took her to the ward Halloween carnival, and she had a great time. Especially in the bounce house.

Grandma Janet & Ingrid & Me

Ingrid got to meet her great- Grandma Janet (my dad's mom) last month. Ingrid is named after Grandma Janet's Swedish aunt (Ingrid Lundh) and mother (Eva Maria Wilhelmina "May" Lundh Hubertz).

(We were watching my dad mow the lawn here, hence the noise-cancelling headphones.)

Goodbye Summer! I Miss You Already.

The summer of 1986.
The South End Club. Torrance, California.

From left to right: Beth (Caroline's friend and sister to Emily), Saskia (Caroline's friend), Emily (My friend, and sister to Beth), me, Caroline (my sister), Caroline (my friend)

Black*Eiffel "Mother of Beauty" Interview

This post is part of the "Mother of Beauty" interview series from Black*Eiffel, where it originally ran. All questions are by Rachel Jones, with answers and photos by me.



1. What is your favorite part of being a new mom? Is it different than you thought?

My life feels complete. When Ingrid came along, something just clicked. I love the small moments. Like when she finishes nursing and looks up at me and starts to coo. Or when I go to get her up from a nap and am greeted by the biggest crinkly nose grin ever. I could just melt. I suspected it would be like this, but I still couldn't have imagined how much joy one tiny human could give me!

2. What is your daily schedule like now and how does blogging fit into that?

The first few months were like a marathon with unexpected twists and turns and an always receding finish line. But once she hit about 4 months, things calmed down and we were able to get on more of a schedule. It's been so nice! Ingrid wakes Kirk and I up every morning around 6:30 or so. I nurse her and we both play with her in bed for a little bit before we start the day. During her morning and afternoon naps, I try and get as much work done as possible. But often it feels like I am just getting started when she wakes up! While she's awake we play, read books, do housework, etc... And I take her and the dog on a walk down our country road, weather permitting. She goes to bed early -- about 5:30. When she does, I really get down to work. Lately, we've been really busy preparing for the launch of our 2011 collection, so I'll often be up until 11 or 12 editing images, writing descriptions, blogging, returning emails, etc... But of course, it can vary a lot from day to day! And I actually wrote an in depth "day in the life" post on my blog.

3. How do you find or seek after balance with being a mom and running Sycamore Street Press?

It's tough. I can have a hard time focusing on the task at hand. When I'm caring for Ingrid, I'll sometimes try to answer a few emails (much to her consternation). But in the evening when I'm at the computer working, I'll end up opening iPhoto so I can look at all the pictures of her!

Overall, though, Ingrid has really helped me live a more balanced life. Before I had her, I was such a workaholic. These days I take more time to spend with family, friends, and in nature. Sure, I don't get as much work done for Sycamore Street Press as when I spent 12-18 hour days at the studio. But I'm starting to realize that in the grand scheme of life, it's a good thing!

Another big step for me in finding balance is to get help. Since SSP began, I've teamed up with my friends Amy Shaffer, Kristin Mills, and Stephanie Ford to create the designs for our letterpress goods. Then, a couple of years ago, Kirk joined me full time in printing and running the business. It's made all the difference. This summer, we're looking to bring on a couple of interns as well. As for the domestic side of things, once or twice a week one of Ingrid's grandmothers will come and watch her. And I've started having someone come in and clean our place for a couple of hours each week. I'm not gonna pretend that I do it all on my own. I feel so grateful for the help I have!

 p.s. Have you seen this toast that Amy Poehler gave recently about how she's able to "do it all"?
 

4. What qualities in your own mother and/or women around you do you admire most?

Love. First and foremost. The way they'll do whatever it takes to help their children and family. My mom has always been that way. Also -- even with 4 kids at home, she was still able to find some time for creative projects. Painting, knitting, gardening, cooking, decorating... I grew up seeing my mom do these things, and it definitely influenced who I am and what I do today.

5. What is really inspiring you at the moment?

The resilience of the Japanese people. Instagram. Ingrid... and her mostly thrifted, gifted, or handed down wardrobe. Lykke Li. Our morning walks through the juniper tree forest. Spring, and all it's beautiful blossoms. Secrets from a Stylist. The fuss and flurry of launching a new collection. Pippi Longstocking. Miss Moss...

To All The Dads

I'm sorry this is so incredibly late, but I still wanted to wish you a Happy Father's Day!

(This is me and my dad circa 1985.)

Horsies

I'd like you to meet a few of our neighbors.

For the past week or so, some horses have been put out to pasture alongside our road. Each morning, I take the dog and the little one on a walk, and we get to see them. What a treat.

I've always loved horses. As a kid, I loved Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and watched The Black Stallion and National Velvet over. And over. And over. One lucky winter break, my parents enrolled me in a horse camp. The camp consisted of more grooming and memorizing than it did riding, but I still thought I had died and gone to heaven.

That doesn't mean that I wish I was a jockey, horse trainer, or any such thing. But it does sound lovely to befriend a nice Quarter Horse, take it on rambling rides around the countryside, and feed it apples from my hand.

For more lovely horses, see this post.

My Mom & I ///// 1980

A Day in My Life

I always love reading "a day in the life" type posts on peoples' blogs, so I thought it would be fun to post one here. This day happened to be on a Wednesday, a couple of weeks back.

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6 AM: Wake up to the sound of our little alarm clock named Ingrid. Nurse her and hope she'll fall back asleep for a bit. No such luck. Bring her to bed so Kirk and I can talk & play with her for a while while we wake up. Despite feeling so tired, this is one of my favorite times of the day.

7:45 AM: Eat some greek yogurt with berries and granola at my desk while Ingrid plays in her exersaucer a couple of feet away. Check my email inbox quickly...

8 AM: Get myself and the baby bundled up to go on our walk. I feel really lucky to be able to walk out my door and be in such beautiful surroundings. We live on a hill that's covered with juniper trees and home to many deer, rabbits, foxes, and other critters.

9 AM: Nurse Ingrid and put her down for her morning nap.

9:15 AM: Mean to get started on work right away, but instead get sidetracked by a package from Green Mountain Diapers. Start reading the packet that comes with them and quickly feel overwhelmed. Had no idea that picking a detergent could be so complicated! Look at the clock. Crap, a whole hour has gone by. Better move on. Do some laundry and clean up the kitchen. Why does it feel like I'm wasting time when I do housework? Get to my desk with enough time to work up a quote and answer a few emails before the babe wakes.

11:35 AM: Hear Ingrid gurgling on the monitor. Kirk and I mock fight over who gets to go in. Nothing is better than the smile she gives us when we come to "rescue" her. Nurse her, then set her up in her bouncy seat with some toys while I take a quick shower. Play with her for a while and help her practice sitting up and rolling over.

1 PM: Kirk calls me into the workshop to see what I think about a new color of yellow ink. It's too orange. Yellow is the trickiest color! Ingrid sits on my lap and plays with the swatch book while Kirk and I discuss. Towards the end of our conversation she starts yelping impatiently.

1:30 PM: Nurse Ingrid and put her down for her afternoon nap.

1:45 PM: Make a grilled cheese and veggie sandwich. Fold a batch of laundry while it cooks. Browse through some blogs in Google Reader while I eat. My mom calls to ask some business related question. She's going to start selling prints of her paintings on Etsy. Kirk calls me over to the press to consult on the registration of a new print. Although I drew it, I've forgotten exactly how it's supposed to go. I think the pear just needs to move over a tiny bit.

2:30 PM: Hear Ingrid again on the monitor. Oh no! I didn't really get any work done during her nap. Guess I'll have to make up for it after she goes to bed. Kirk and I go and get her, and then I play with her for a while.

3:10 PM: Prop Ingrid up with a pillow on the bed and some toys while I put away the laundry. Take a 15 minute break in the middle to nurse her, then continue on with the laundry while she plays and I try to make her laugh at my animal impressions.

4:10 PM: Notice a yellow stain seeping through the little one's tights. Carefully bring her over to the changing table where I strip her, change her, and clean her up. It's been two days since she pooped, so this one's a doozy. Everything goes into the washer pronto and Ingrid goes into the kitchen sink. She's just started feeling comfortable in the water lately, so she kicks, squirms, and reaches for the faucet. My mom pops in to bring us our mail (we live in my parents' downstairs apartment) and visit with her grand baby.

5 PM: She's fresh and clean and ready for bed, so I take Ingrid upstairs to say goodnight to my dad. He pulls out all the stops to get a smile, but it's a tough crowd tonight. She's getting really tired and just stares in a trance at the dog.

5:20 PM: Nurse Ingrid while Kirk reads us a chapter from the scriptures. When he finishes, I say a little prayer for us, and he kisses our girl goodnight. As I finish feeding her, I almost fall asleep in the chair. Kiss her on the cheek, and put her down in her crib. Her thumb finds her mouth almost instantly, and she goes to sleep without a peep.

5:30 PM: Back at my desk and on the phone with our accountant. She suggests we get Quickbooks. I dread looking into that kind of thing. But maybe it would make our lives easier. We'll see. Pay some bills, look over our bank accounts, and work on SSP's budget for the year.

7:30 PM: Realize that I'm starving. Make whole wheat pasta with zucchini and mushrooms for dinner. Chop up a bunch of extra veg for tomorrow. Sit down with Kirk to eat and discuss the day and what we need to accomplish tomorrow.

8:30 PM: Work on the blog. Sketch out some new card ideas.

10 PM: Convince Kirk to stop working for the night and join me in the living room for some Mad Men on DVD.

11 PM: Nurse Ingrid and go to bed.

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One year ago or even 6 months ago, my day would have looked completely different. I used to work straight through from about 9AM to 8PM or later. Sometimes much later.  I definitely don't get as much done work-wise as I used to. But I've learned to become more efficient with my use of time (for the most part), Kirk has had to take on part of my workload, and we've learned to let some things go. Somehow, it works. Like many people before us, we are figuring out how to combine raising a family with keeping a small business afloat. And you know what? I LOVE the shape of my days now that Ingrid is here. Kirk and I both feel so grateful for her, for each other, and for our work.