steady as she grows {seventeen months}

this weekend, we went to a playdate for a waldorf charter school that is scheduled to open in 2013.  the idea of getting an waldorf education through the public school system is really appealing.  i love the idea of a waldorf education, but a private education is so expensive...there are even two different waldorf schools in our area, but i'm really looking forward to the progress of this charter.  this was our first playdate with this group and we are really excited to participate more!

this was beatrice's first time with painting...we bought her crayons the weekend before, but i was really inspired to get her painting...the set up was great, there were lots of cardboard boxes laid out on the ground and around in a circle.  at first, bea just watched all the other kids...but by the end, she was literally laying inside a cardboard box painting it!

at seventeen months, she's got more control over her body and really loves exploration...so the painting was an amazing experience.  i've been researching non toxic and homemade paints and now i have a use for all those cardboard boxes i've been inexplicably hoarding...

she is still signing and she knows more signs than words she can say, but she's really using her voice a lot more lately.  she also knows that i'm "mama" and patty is "mom."  we went through a million different names to call patty, but just sort of landed on mom.  it's still confusing, but mostly for us...she seems to know the difference!  yesterday, she saw a picture of patty and said "mom!"

i'm loving this age and the amazing growth spurts...she's also definitely demonstrating her toddler determination.  we are working really hard on not taking things from her (unless it's dangerous!), which is tough.  i want to respect her and not grab things from her, plus i ask her not to grab things from other kids, so "do as i say, not as i do?"...not so much.  but this morning i accidentally left my phone within her reach, and usually if i ask for it back she'll give it to me.  but this time, she pulled it away and said "nah!" so i've been trying to offer her alternatives and give her choices, so she is empowered...something like: "i'm not offering you the phone, but you can have this book or this toy..."

she's developing her own personality and it's such an exciting journey!

{photo credit: bug from mostly granola}

little faery...

this weekend, beatrice had her first interactions with faeries at descanso gardens...we went to the camellia festival at the gardens and they had really fun faery tours...

truth be told, she didn't really interact so much with the faeries, but she loved running in the woods and picking up sticks!  but i love the idea of the magic and wonder that the faery tours bring...it's such a wonderful way to be close to and celebrate nature!

we got the {off}beat...

clearly, beatrice will have music in her life and will be able to keep a beat...but is her family {offbeat} because she has two moms? of course it is...but of course it is perfectly normal too.  we are the new normal...

yes, admittedly, beatrice's beginnings are a little different {offbeat?} than most...and i'm thrilled to have a guest post over at offbeat mama today, where you can read all about it.  thank goodness for offbeat mama, where stories like ours can be heard!  hurrah!

steady as she grows {eleven months}

ok...so i wasn't able to feature a mama this week...like i said, mamas are busy!!  i have some lined up, though so don't fret...your mama inspiration is coming!

i haven't done a steady as she grows post in a while...well frankly, because she was growing!  i have a really hard time sitting down at the computer while she is awake and when she's napping, i feel like i have one million other things i need to do like pay bills {er, and check twitter}...

but beatrice turned eleven months on the thirteenth...almost a year!  i can't believe it.  she's walking...she's been really leading up to it for a while, on her eleven month birthday, she just started favoring walking over crawling.  sometimes if she's *really* impatient, she'll crawl because she can get to what she's after so much faster!  she's also super talkative...blah blah blah...do do do...ma ma ma...all day long.  it's really sweet.

she's beginning to like solids a bit more, after a pretty slow start.  but she still nurses like a champ.  to make sure she gets enough iron, i basically put blackstrap molasses in anything sweet {like her morning oatmeal} and spinach in anything savory {today she had beans & brown rice mixed with pureed spinach}.  speaking of sweet, i still haven't given her any sugar, per se.  she has molasses, like i mentioned, but that has nutritional value as far as i'm concerned...but i'm holding out on the sugar or sweeteners as long as possible.  she loves fruit, and enjoys that {strawberries and plums are her favorite}, but no juice...the juice just seems too sweet without any benefit {like fiber in the whole fruits}...

for her first birthday, i'm thinking i'll just make some banana bread or something similar that i can sweeten with just applesauce or bananas...

we've been going to a fun music class called family song, that's where the first couple of pics were taken...of course while she was sporting her rock'n'roll camp for girls onesie!!  and we also just went to a friend's one year birthday!  many of her friends are starting to turn one...it's so wild!  she's coming up on one so soon...

so we're about to start another amazing weekend...farmer's market and maybe a trip to a farm where our tomatoes come from...any weekend spent with beatrice is sure to be amazing...i'll report back!

happy friday, lovelies!

music mondays {rock and roll camp for girls part ii}

this is so cute & amazing!  i laughed and ok, i got a little teary...

{credit here}

mamas who inspire me {jorjee douglass}

i've been wanting to start a little series about mamas who inspire me...inspiration comes in so many forms, from so many places: mamas i know in "real life," mamas from around the blogosphere, straight mamas, queer mamas, single mamas, married mamas, working mamas, stay at home mamas, work from home mamas, ap mamas, crunchy mamas, adoptive mamas, birth mamas, butch mamas, older mamas, younger mamas...i take some inspiration from across the board...i look to those who have joined the mama club before me for guidance and support...so i wanted to find out more about motherhood from them and share some of these women with you...


first up is one of my best friends....i've known jorjee douglass since the early 90's when we both lived in san francisco, rummaging through thrift stores, going to rock shows, and enjoying the pre-dot-com wild, artsy and free frontier that it was.  now that we have both found ourselves in los angeles, i'm not sure how jorjee even found time to respond to me...she wears so many hats: wife, mama, make-up artist to the stars, a founding member of the citizen's band, singer/songwriter, fashion icon, blogger...but i remember when she told me she was pregnant and how excited i was...she was probably one of my first friends to have a baby and somehow that made it seem more real for me...jorjee, being one of the most creative and fun people i know, is one of those mamas that brings love, light, magic and humor to her family and to everyone she meets.


have you always known you wanted to be a mama?
yes!  i have always known i'd be a mama, but coming from an overly large family of eight, i always thought i would adopt a child.  i used to dream of being adopted and treated like a queen. i never had the urge to have my own until it was almost too late--i was 40!

 {jorjee eight months pregnant performing with the citizen's band}

tell me about your kids.

i have one girl.  she just turned four.  her name is maude mary feathers boddie.  i can't just tell you about her without making this 100 pages long!  she is the smartest lady i know!  i love her and respect her so much, and that's just putting it mildly!  i wish i were her...ha ha, i don't really, but i'm just blown away by her awesomeness daily!

{maude, at two years old,  following in her mamas footsteps painting pretty faces}

how did you find out you were pregnant?

while i was at work.  i lived in new york at the time, but i was on a job in los angeles {payless shoes commercial!} and i could just tell!  it went something like this:  "i think i'm preggers i'm gonna go buy a test at cvs on the way to work" and i did.  when i had a break, i walked across the street and took the test in the public bathroom at peet's coffee.  positive!

since you are a working mama, how do you balance your work/life load?

i don't really balance it...i live like a junkie, i fill myself up as much as i can with my daughter and family when i have time off and don't see that much of my friends, that's my trade off.  but i have great quality time with maude.  when i work the days are 12-14 hours so it gets hard!  i try to arrange for her to come to set after school so we can hang out for at least an hour.

what is your favorite thing about being a mama?

i'm not really doing anything that differently...i think i've always been a mama!

does "alone time" exist for you?  how do you take care of yourself?

i go to a korean spa and soak every few months...i stay up late and watch bad tv or i get up before everyone else in the house.

tell me about your job?  how does it affect you as a mother?

i'm a make-up artist, so my daughter looks pretty all the time!  {laughs!}

who/what inspires you as a mama?

maude inspires me and her future well being.  come to think of it, i'm very inspired by my sister-in-law, liz.  she can do everything and does it in an awesome witchy way.  hello glitter play doh!

what other projects do you have besides work & family?

i am a founding member of the citizen's band, a performance troupe in new york...i also write things...and i've just started a hippie band collective with my husband and your wife called canyon people...we're making honest dirty rock'n'roll for all with a rotating cast of guest star characters!

wanna find out more about jorjee:
twitter
make up ghost blog
hello giggles contributor

music mondays {rock and roll camp for girls}

this past week, patty has been teaching drums to girls at the rock & roll camp for girls...she is so passionate about this.  it's an amazing program that teaches girls about being in a band...everything from how to play their instrument to how to silk screen their band t-shirts.  music being a fairly male dominated field, i think this is so inspiring!  girls are so often taught be quiet and polite, and rocking out is the opposite!!  girls also often lack the self-esteem necessary to really put themselves out there...and i love what the rock camp is doing...really giving girls the tools necessary and the confidence to play and perform music.  their tagline is "empowering girls through music education."

adult women instructors teach the girls for one week, and then at the end of the week they have a showcase so all the bands can perform.  this year, patty had her friend linda perry come down to perform and give a song writing workshop...it was really powerful...the girls were blown away!

i didn't get to see the showcase, unfortunately {sleeping baby & rock show don't go so well together!}, but i was there when the show ended and got to see the beaming parents and thrilled kids exit the venue...there were so many smiles and proud moments and kid after kid with their moms came up to patty & the other instructors and told them what an amazing opportunity the camp was for them...

what an fantastic program to support the esteem-building and empowerment of young women!  they also offer adult ladies camps if you are in the los angeles area that help fund scholarships for girls to go to camp.  be sure to like them on facebook and follow them on twitter to find out when the next camp is and how you can help!

{photo credit here}

music mondays...well sort of...

hmmm...will bea follow in patty's footsteps??  this was taken a few weekends ago at a friend's two year birthday party...

happy {hot} friday...

since we live in los angeles, i accept the following truths:

1.  there will always be traffic

2.  it will be hot sometimes

but wow, i've been in a lot of traffic and really hot this week!!  because of the heat, we've been going places with pools to cool off {annenberg community beach house, friends' houses in san gabriel valley and in san fernando valley...}, but oh! the traffic we sit in to get there and home!!  but it's worth it...beatrice has had a great time in the pool...her first two pool trips weren't so successful, but by the third one at the annenberg community beach house, she was doing great!  so now i really want to start swimming lessons for her...

so, have a wonderful weekend...and if you are in los angeles, stay cool!

{photo credit: brett gurewitz}

bea's garden vintage nursery...

 

finally after nine months i'm sharing bea's little nursery with you.  i've shared some of my inspiration {here & here}, and i think it came together really well, considering most everything in beatrice's nursery was a hand-me-down...i had to work with what i was given...

 we inherited this dresser from a friend of patty's...it's beautiful and everytime i open one of the drawers beatrice crawls over like flash lightening and starts to pull all of her clothes out!  we've been collecting little cards that i keep meaning to frame...someday...

both the dresser and the changing table top were hand-me-downs, from two different people, but they work great for our changing station.  i use cloth diapers for beatrice, so i had to get some new shelves to hold them all...all her colorful diaper covers are in the drawers...i'll do a cloth diapering post soon...

 we've been co-sleeping with beatrice, but in the bed in her room.  this room used to be the guest room, so we just kept the bed.  it was easier to co-sleep with her in her own room in the beginning, and now we just stay here....we'll probably move back to our bed soon.  the cute wall decals are fabric...not vinyl...so sweet!

 since we call beatrice "bea," and pronounce it "bee," we've had some really cute bee gifts...so that's become another theme in her nursery.  how cute is this vintage bee costume from the 50's?  i can't wait until she can wear it...

i painted the walls a super pale pink, but really wanted to bring more color and pattern in...i found these cute buntings on etsy {triangles here and liberty here}.

the beginning of the reading nook...she *loves* the piano, though.  and she loves to pull all the books off the shelves...next step: actually sitting down and reading them!  we read together everyday, but she's really into eating the books right now {teething baby}...

 beatrice had a mobile over her changing table and for some reason she really got excited by the elephant, so we've started a little elephant collection...{both were handmade gifts}...

the crib was the first "baby" item we inherited...i wasn't thrilled about black, but now i love it.  she's never slept in it though!

 it's really just a resting spot for her toys and cute animals from blabla kids...organic sheets from plover organic...

 sweet mobile from blabla kids as well.  this mobile was one of my big splurges for the nursery...love, love, love it...

we inherited the rocker as well...i really wanted to re-cover it, but i didn't really have the money...so i just covered it with some of the many, many blankets that beatrice received.  i don't use it much anymore, so i'm thinking of handing it down to someone else...sweet custom rag doll from warm sugar.  this was one of my favorite purchases.  she made it completely custom for me...i gave her colors and picked socks, etc. and she made the cutest doll...it's hard to see but there are even bees are the fabric!  just for bea...

 some details from her dresser and bookshelves...cute wooden teether from little sapling toys...the vintage planters are from a friend...i still need to put plants in them!

and finally, her "uncle" dj lance gave her a sweet picture...she's still never seen yo gabba gabba {no screens until she is two}, but she's met all the characters!  patty & i are big fans and lance is a good friend of beatrice's uncle {her donor}...and remember my original nursery inspiration? well, of course he had to make it into her room...

next up: beatrice's vintage closet!

my sweet girl...

beatrice turns 9 months today. i know it's music mondays, but it's also the 13th, and that's bea's birthday...

i cannot believe she is 9 months. she's been out in the world now as long as she was in my belly. she has such curiosity, wonder and awe. and, i am in awe of her. everything is new and wonderful and she goes for it with gusto. there is no holding back with beatrice. crawling like a wildfire down the hallway, nothing can stop her. she's pulling herself up to standing and balancing more and more everyday. that first step is probably closer than i'd like to admit. after a slow start on solids, she's sampling everything that is presented to her. she loves avocados, broccoli, zucchini muffins {homemade by me with no sugar, just a little molasses and homemade applesauce}, rice and beans, potatoes, lentils, swiss chard, peaches...the list goes on...

she's still breastfeeding like a champ, and we are still baby-wearing, co-sleeping and cloth diapering. staying at home with her has been the most amazing experience of my life. i am so grateful that my partner has been able to help make this happen. we've made some adjustments...but the material things don't matter, as long as we can keep her healthy, fed, and with a roof over her head, we are doing ok today.

i had no idea motherhood would be so amazing and i savor each minute of each day. thank you, beatrice for the opportunity to be your mama.

reading nook for beatrice

{bean bag chair by paniolo on etsy}

{shabby chic pillow by kenilworth place}

{shh i'm reading by shelby healey on etsy}

{imagination by dazeychic on etsy}

{the constant reader by matou en peluche on etsy}

{today a reader tomorrow a leader by parada creations}

{love is a book by nan lawson on etsy}

{reading is dear to my heart by boopsie daisy on etsy}

{green, i love to read by la portraitiste on etsy}

i just framed a print for bea's nursery & it's finally "done." i'm going to post pictures soon! but there is one little area i'm still working on: the reading nook {will i ever really be "done" with the nursery?!}...i know i have time, i'm certainly not one of those moms that is expecting beatrice to read as a baby, but i want reading and books to be important to her from a very early age....

so there's a little area in her room that's perfect for a reading nook...i wanted to get some artwork and comfy pillows and bean bags...what do you think?

steady as she grows {six months! & expert traveler}

this past month we've spent traveling with the documentary about patty called hit so hard. the documentary was made by our friends at the ebersole hughes company. it premiered at south by southwest{sxsw} in austin, texas, then it had it's new york premiere at new directors/new films. since the topic is pretty close to home {my spouse!}, my role was arranging interviews, getting music clearance and fundraising {we raised over $22,000 in 30 days on kickstarter! here's to the power of crowd funding & social media, but that's another post}...

so, we decided to head to austin & new york since it was the first time the movie was showing...needless to say, i was a little nervous about traveling so much with baby beatrice. but she did really great. many folks told me to go for it...since it's so much easier to travel with the little ones when they are "portable"!

i'm so glad we did! we had a really great time and beatrice did great. it was wild going from the staggering heat of austin to the frigid cold of new york, but beatrice was a trooper. since she won't take the bottle, she had to stick with me, so i wore her to the screenings. she slept through the first one in austin...then the next one in austin and the two in new york, we just did the intros and spread out a blanket in the movie lobby and played with her toys during the movie. the time change in new york worked in our favor...the first screening was at 6pm, so it was really only 3pm california time, so bea was still in great spirits...

in new york, there was a pretty big press line, and since beatrice was awake, she was with me...she's already a star! here she is on stage with us during the q&a:

so, now we're home & we don't plan on traveling again for a while...the film is going to other fests {i'll keep you posted or for up-to-the-minute updates, you can follow the film on twitter or like it on facebook}, but bea and i are going to stay home for a while and work on some other projects! more to come...

{photo credits here}

steady as she grows {almost six months!}

ok, i'm not sure how some of you mommy bloggers do it...i haven't been able to get a post up in weeks! i'm also really anal about not letting the baby see any screens, including the computer, which makes typing and blogging around baby really hard...

but i've also been a bit pre-occupied with some other news...we just found out that the documentary about patty called HIT SO HARD, will be at two film festivals this month! so we'll be traveling to austin and new york city very soon.

the world premiere will be at sxsw, we have two screenings, one on the 15th and one on the 18th. if you're at sxsw, be sure to come to a screening!

and the new york premiere will be at new directors/new films. march 28th at moma and march 30 at lincoln center...ticket info here.

so beatrice is going to be quite the little traveler! she's so active now, rolling over, almost sitting up all by herself, and pushing up on all fours...she can scoot herself backwards now...she'll be crawling any minute. lord help me...

{photo credits: planet swan}