17/52

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015."

There is something incredibly endearing about a little boy who doesn't know (nor care) it's his birthday. We spent the day together, just us three, and did nothing remotely Pinterest worthy.

One Year with Samuel ● The Contradictions of Parenthood ● Adventure

One year ago today, you, Samuel Bruno, were born. It's been only one year with you but it's also been one. Whole. Year. You are our constant light, our biggest struggle, the answer to many questions, the reason for so many new ones. You have grown so much, your hands that clutch at my shoulder when you're scared are still so little. You are the reason why I get up with a smile in the morning and sometimes, go to bed after a long day, feeling defeated. Without you I'd feel lost and without purpose, with you I sometimes miss being able to drift aimlessly through the day. You make me question my abilities constantly but one gaze from you, one small gesture of trust and I know I can give you everything you need. There is nobody I know better than your tiny soul but there is also no one who surprises me more than you. Every day with you is full of endless possibilities to explore, though, repetition is what shapes our time together.
You are the best thing that ever, ever happened to us and there is no contradiction in that.
Thank you for making us the happiest people on earth, we cannot wait to see what you are up to next.
Life with you! It's the biggest adventure there is.
We love you more than we can fathom.

Project 'Sweet Lemon'

Last week Samuel and I visited my oldest friend in her beautiful, sunlit apartment. We had just received a parcel by babaa from Spain and I was eager to put Sam into his new spring knitwear. Apparently, three kilos of lemons, two cameras, lots of light, tons of giggles, a wiggly baby and the most gorgeous spring attire make for a wonderful afternoon with more photos than I could ever sort through. We all enjoyed the unexpected warmth of the sun, the mood lifting light and a faint yet fresh lemon scent that followed us for the rest of the day. After the pictures were taken, we went out for a short walk and ice cream (lemon-cinnamon!) and Sam took a well-deserved nap.
I hope you enjoy the photos!

Samuel is wearing three of my very favourite brands, all three from Europe, all three emphasize the importance of environmentally conscious materials and are ethically produced by hand or in small quantities.

Starting at the bottom, his cute yellow moccasins are by British brand Amy+Ivor. These soft sole shoes are made from vegetable tanned leather which makes them smell amazing when you first open the box. Sam is currently learning to walk and I believe that shoes which give him the same amount of flexibility as wearing no shoes at all, are the very best call. This way, his feet aren't restricted and can develop naturally. Samuel uses his moccassins daily and on every imaginable kind of surface. We are on our second pair of Urban Moccasins and so far the quality holds up amazingly. 

Amy+Ivor just launched their first lace-up moccassin version, the Traveller, and they look so handsome, I'm super tempted to get Samuel a pair!

Macarons is all about getting it all. Perfect designs, impeccable quality, ethical, local and transparent production and in the end, the cutest and most avant-garde fashion for children. Just as sweet as the edible kind of macarons but with a lot less calories - what more do you need?
Every piece in their collection is super comfortable and still extremely sophisticated. Whenever a season launches, introducing new kinds of fabrics and colors, I can't help but buy a few pieces for my little one. So the fact that the first macarons adult clothing line will hit the stores in Fall is very exciting news and potentially dangerous for my savings account. Until then I enjoy my own, cute Samuel scented macaron all dressed up in soft, fine rib polka dots, eco-jersey and smooth cotton seersucker stripes.

Oh, babaà! If ever I had a brand crush (there is such a thing, isn't there?) it's this wonderful small line of light, Spanish knitwear. When I first discovered babaà at the beginning of last year, I couldn't believe my eyes! The styles are classic with a modern twist and surprisingly versatile.
Even though I own quite an impressive stash of babaà knitwear for Samuel and myself, I'm still surprised again and again by the look and feel every time I take a piece out of the dresser. If I had to choose a reason why I love babaà most, it's because the pieces are perfectly unisex without lacking in beauty. Soft, chunky cotton in summer and luxurious, cozy wool in winter, both in vibrant colors, that's what my knitwear dreams are made of.
Mind you, these jumpers are not your regular grand-aunt-Berta-inspired boringness, no, they are- dare I say it?- perfectly chic! I like to pair mine with a skirt and a pair of sandals or boots (temperature-dependent) and - ta-da! - I feel effortlessly dressed up but still ready for a day at the playground with an active toddler.
Whenever I put in a new order I think of all the years Samuel will be able to wear his new jumpers. These clothes are made to be passed down from generation to generation and I have no doubt that Samuel's babaà knits will look just as beautiful in ten years as they do now.

16/52

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015."

The weekend was busy and exhausting but in this perfect, tiny, fleeting moment, the air was filled with pure happiness. 

15/52

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015."

We've been on the go a lot lately and reached a deeply rooted level of exhaustion this weekend. Time for a long walk, a cup of tea, quiet play time and soaking up some sun rays.

Book review: 'ABCs' by Charley Harper

I was quite the book worm growing up and there were times I'd rather stay inside, deeply absorbed in a story, than go outside and play with friends. In retrospect, and I'm sure my mother agrees, this might not be considered a very social habit but it made me incredibly happy. I wouldn't say that I was the most timid kind of kid but my shyness increased with the years and reached a boiling hot high during my puberty (probably seasoned with a good number of hormones). While interactions with people my age, especially those that are categorized as small-talk (still makes me shiver), was a difficult chapter of my everyday life, between the pages of a book I would always find comfort. I was most certainly part of the Harry Potter hype but when this wonderful series hit the stores my nose had already been firmly attached to the inside of a book for several years.
 
My boyfriend grew up quite differently. He spent most days of his small-town childhood running around outside and novels, short stories and co had only become of interest for him in his mid-twenties. In any case, you can probably understand that introducing Samuel to reading in general and the wonderful world that can only be found between the pages of a book is very important to us for different reasons.
The sheer mass of books perfectly fitted to children at Samuel's age is enormous. So finding your way through the endless piles of cardboard and paper goodness can be challenging. I'd like to use my tiny blog space to introduce you to children's books on a regular basis and where better to start than with the ABCs!

There's no doubt in my mind that you already have the one or other alphabet themed book lying around - we do, too. The one I'd like to show you today though, is quite special in my humble opinion. I might be at a slight disadvantage not having had the chance to grow up with Charlie Harper's beautiful illustrations. Nevertheless, I've been in love with them since they were introduced to me a few years back. When I stumbled over a comparably recently published board book titled 'ABCs' by Charley Harper I was hooked.

The pages are thick enough for cute chubby baby fingers to flip through and the vibrant colors are certainly stimulating enough to keep a toddler with a short attention span interested for a while.

Every page features a different letter of the alphabet with a fitting animal name, to make memorizing easier, on the left side. On the right page you'll find an illustration of the afore mentioned animal.

There are a number of things I love about this book. Firstly, the shown animals are  not limited to your usual elephant, lion, monkey business. There are a number of unexpected protagonists like the crab that you can see in the picture above, the hen (for 'h', who would have thought) or the iguana! Aside from that, and I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure whether this derives from a lack of fitting illustrations in the available body of Charley Harper's work or a is due to a consious decisions made by the publishers, there are some pages that have an entirely different approach. I don't want to spoil the chance for you to discover the book yourself, so I won't tell you more but prepare for some fun surprises!

The colors are what I find especially lovely as every page's color matches the matching illustrations's hue. It's super interesting to observe which color and animal Samuel is drawn to the most. Contrary to what you might expect, his favourite page by far features the brown-toned yak and the orange-blue vultures - both not excactly the cuddliest kinds of creatures!

The book spotlights many (if not all?) periods of Charley Harper's creative process and therefore offers a great overview about how his style, and that of illustrators in general, evolves over time. The featured images are taken from very different kinds of contexts and I had a lot of fun looking up the original illustrations and thereby discovering the huge spectrum of Harper's work.

If you live in the UK you can pick this beauty up at Smallprint, a wonderful family-run online shop. For those from other parts of the world, please consider supporting a different small book store instead of a certain huge online store we all know.

Otto Finn

There are parcels that are awaited with extreme anticipation. Do you know that feeling? You're sitting on the edge of your chair, impatiently checking your watch every now and then, always wishing for that little package to come. Well, that was excactly what I did last week when indeed the delivery man rang at my door to bring a small bundle of clothes I had so hoped would arrive in time for Easter. 

My friend Rona and her husband Ross have a small brand for high-quality children's clothing called Otto Finn. With the birth of their son Otto they decided to use their apparently incredible talent for sewing and designing to develop tiny pants and shirts for equally tiny people and let me tell you, they do it so beautifully. The parcel I received last week contained some clothes for Samuel and a wonderfully light summer baby blanket that I quite egoistically use as a scarf.
I cannot stop looking at the vibrant colors and simple yet brilliant design. Samuel, naturally, looks very dashing in them and I bet he appreciates the softness of the beautiful eco-cotton fabrics, too. While I'm always a sucker for classic patterns that are easy to match with others (dots, stripes), nothing beats Charley Harper's fun illustrations on a toddler's shirt, don't you think?

When I first unwrapped my parcel and saw the beautifully colored clothes and light fabrics, it made me long for summer at the ocean: never-ending days at the beach, Samuel running down to the water, his happy face covered in strawberry juice, building sand castles, sticky fingers on warm skin. All this and more in a small bundle of clothes - that's what I call a great deal! 

For now, until the weather warms up, a trip to the local Natural History Museum has to be enough. Samuel obviously had a lot of fun crawling from room to room in his non-restrictive Swiss Dot Roamers and as usual, discovering the world around him. 

Since she's obviously the best person for the job, Rona, very graciously, agreed to answer some questions about Otto Finn and more. Thanks, Rona! x

Dear Rona, how and when did you and Ross get started with Otto Finn?

Otto Finn Wear started when our little Otto was 10 months old and between sizes. Inspired to outfit our little guy with pants that stayed on while he adventures, we began to draw up patterns and sew samples. Pooling together our sewing expierences, we introduced our small batch Wear Collection.  

How did you come up with the name Otto Finn?

Ross and I had the name Otto Finn in mind for several years. We wanted the name to be a reflection of our design aesthetics and leaning toward Scandinavian modern design and German sensibility. Otto is a family name that we both adored. It is both German and Scandinavian, reflecting Ross' heritage. We admire the work of Finnish designer, Finn Juhl, and love his name so we incorporated it into the name of our company. 

How has the birth of your son changed your life professionally?

We actually established Otto Finn to start a home goods line. Ross has been designing porcelain lamp shades for a couple of years and we have been making textile products as well. We have been trying to transition to a vialable studio space that is large enough and functional for ceramic production. We moved from NYC to the Pittsburgh area for that reason and are still in process of making it happen while we renovate our future home studio. Otto came along in the midst of this change. While we are still planning to work on our Otto Finn Dwell line, we started a Wear line out of necessity for our little Otto. 

What do you value in children's clothing in general? How do you incorporate those values in your own children's clothing line?

The Otto Finn Wear collection was built on the idea that clothes for little ones can have contemporary design, comfortable fit, and lasting quality. Our clothes are meant to be passed down and cherished. We are commited to create durable, beautiful, and environmentally conscious apparel by using ethical manufactured, quality made organic or sustainbly produced fabric. We didn't want to spend our time creating fast fashion/disposable clothing and compete with the likes of mega corporations who use cheap manufacturers overseas (many times in questionable conditions). We decided to invest in an industrial serger (we already had several industrial sewing machines) so that we could make clothes with strong stitching and professional seams in our home studio. 

In your professional collaboration, how do you and Ross divide your responsibilities?

Ross and I collaborate on the designs of the pieces. He is the primary pattern maker and sewist. I work on the design and photography for the website and am the voice behind our social media presence. 

What are you inspired by when working on new designs?

Comfort, fit and practicality. It seems like I'm overstating the obvious but we've had trouble with some clothes and have had to literally cut out the neck to make them wider and cut off cuffs so we didn't have to struggle to get Otto in and out of clothes. We test our samples on Otto and see how our clothes fit him as he moves before we introduce them. 

Is there a any piece of clothing that you remember specifically from your own childhood?

When I was seven, we moved to the US and didn't have much in earthly belongings. My new best friend Mimi, who was five, gave me some of her dolls and shared her toys with me. Her parents taught her to be a kind little girl. They had me over after school just about every day. 

Mimi's mom sewed basic tops and skirts for her and made some for me too. The simple idea of making clothes for children nearly disappeared when fast fashion developed. I'm glad that the craft, quality and story behind makers are becoming an integral part of why someone chooses to purchase an item. To this day I'm grateful to Mimi's family for their generosity and friendship and to her mom specifically for setting a good example and teaching both of us so many good values. 

What does a typical day for you and Otto look like? What are your favourite things to do with him?

Otto takes two naps a day so we generally stay inside during the first part of the day. At home we play with his toys, read, and listen to his dad's records. When he is done napping in the afternoon, we take a walk outside. We usually head to the library because he loves climbing up the big stairs out front. Once inside we play with the wooden puzzles, do a little reading and chat with the children's librarian about our day. Some days we head to a little park in the next town or the Y for his swim class. Now that the weather is nicer and we have a bike seat for Otto, we'll go for bike rides along the bike path. 

What surprised you about motherhood? Has the way you see your own mother changed sice you entered motherhood?

I'm learning to be a more flexible and present person. All my preconceived notions and ideas about mortherhood and how I would raise my child went out the window once I had Otto. Motherhood is an ever-changing experience and I'm constantly learning to shift my point of view as I go along. It's not as fixed as I assumed so we try to go with the flow. 

My mother raised my sister and I all by herself as a single parent. With one child I'm already busy and some days can barely keep up. I'm not sure how she managed to raise the two of us in a new country while making a living and learning English. I've always admired her, loved her and thought she was a strong woman. Since becoming a mom myself, I've gained a fraction of insight on what she's had to go through.

As someone who previously worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, how do you plan on introducing Otto to art? Do you have any specific approaches?

Otto's been going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art since he was a little tiny babe. Now that we are living in western PA, we are members of the Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh and of the Children's Museum. We want him to be comfortable with museums and to feel that he can interact with the pieces. The Children's Museum is a wonderful place for him to explore and he just loves it there. He currently loves the third floor which is all about exploring water with water wheels, sprinklers, vortexes, ice cubes and the like. We try to go once a week. As for art in our daily lives, I think he will see what we are working on and join us on the side when he's a wee bit older. 

What part does photography play in your life? How has it changed since Otto's birth?

I'm a professional photographer and have always worked in museums or privately for museums and other institutions. I've always maintained my own photographic projects and am an exhibiting artist. While I was pregnant with Otto I made a new body of work, The Lore and the Lure of Key West, at the Studios of Key West residency in Key West, Florida. Currently I'm preparing to exhibit the work down there next month. Since Otto's birth, I haven't had as much time to photograph but hope to get back into it when he's more mobile and can join me in holding a camera up to his eyes and experiencing the world through a viewfinder. 

14/52

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2015."

It was a big week for Samuel: a trip to the grandparents, first Easter, learning how to go down the stairs and being spoiled rotten with a small ton of gifts. Still, besides all the change, sometimes Samuel, cautious character that he is, prefers to observe new situations from behind my or his Papa’s legs, tightly clutching to a person he knows well and who gives him comfort. Frankly, these small gestures of trust make us weak at the knees.