D Moms

I’ve been glued to my computer all week working on getting our spring issue of D Moms sent off to the printer (on newsstands April 4!), so I’m hankering for a little hands-on making with the littles this weekend. But, I don’t want to take on anything too complicated/crazy/requiring too many special materials…
 
You know, D.I.Y. for the lazy mama.

So I hit up our D Moms “Make” Pinterest board for a little crafting inspiring and settled on three colorful (and easy) projects. The best part? We can do all three with just five materials, all of which we already own or have easy access to (i.e. our backyard): acrylic paint, yarn, cardboard, rocks, old wooden hangers.

Here are the projects that made the cut.

1. Bri’s Neon Hangers. There’s no instructions on her site for how to make these, but I’m thinking they’re pretty self-explanatory, yes? Neon paint + wooden hangers + drop cloth + well-ventilated area = The. cutest. hangers. ever.
2. Oversize Me’s Pom Poms. Again, no instructions on her site , so I turned to wikiHow for an easy how to. We’ll use Jay’s finished product for our color inspiration.
3. Giochi Di Carta’s Painted Stones. The instructions on her blog are in Italian, but the photos tell the story. (You can also use Google translate if you’re a stickler for steps.)

Happy making!

One of the girlies’ and my best afternoons of all time was spent at a place in New York called Moomah Cafe. The brainchild of Tracey Stewart (Jon Stewart’s wife…sigh, but also a very cool lady in her own right), Moomah was a genius cafe/creative space in Tribeca where families could hang out, sip great coffee, and make cool things together. We popped in for a visit one morning while on a family trip and ended up whiling away the entire day there. It was total bliss.

Sadly Moomah Cafe is no more, but luckily the spirit and creative vision of the place lives on in their newly launched online magazine. Per the Moomah site:

“Moomah the Magazine is an online magazine bringing beauty, humor, and advice to parents who are doing their best to live inspired lives on very little sleep. The basic intentions of Moomah Cafe, brought to a broader community online with realistic suggestions for activities that are as doable as they are enjoyable; parenting advice from experts and those of us in the trenches; art projects up the wazoo; and stories from contributors near and far.”

Count me in Tracey Stewart. Done and done.

Their first issue features a Thanksgiving placemat craft (above) that is refreshingly void of cliche (i.e. no handprint turkeys or pilgrim hats). It’s witty and easy and fun…The best possible combo. You can get the full low down on Moomah’s site. Have fun!

And happy, happy Thanksgiving (early) friends. Hope your holiday is cozy and joyous and filled with all sorts of delicious food and merriment and love.

Are you looking for something to occupy your kiddos while you hit the supermarket/cook pies/clean your house/brine a turkey on Wednesday? Me too. So I’m happy (relieved) to report that we’re in luck, as our friends at Oil and Cotton are offering two half-day art camps for ages 5-12.

First there’s “Savory Still Life” from 9 a.m. – noon where the littles will learn to draw fall vegetables and native Texas herbs and spices. Students will then turn their drawings into print plates to share and make layered compositions that they will paint and take home.

Then that afternoon from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. they can take the “Fall Fibers” camp where they’ll weave, stitch, and sculpt, using traditional handwork to finish functional and decorative objects.

Each camp is $40, and campers who take both morning and afternoon sessions can bring a lunch and stay all day. Done and done.

You can register here.

The latest iteration of the Nasher Sculpture Center’s Sightings series of architectural interventions by contemporary artists is up with a new installation by London-based artist Eva Rothschild.

For the Nasher, Rothschild has created an intricate network of black and brightly colored striped pipes which ramble through the museum’s entrance Bay.

The whimsical installation snakes up the walls, along the floor, and over and around admissions desks, stairs, and doorways, dipping down to the lower level, and wrapping underneath the bridge over the stairs (whew), all the while, encouraging little visitors to follow the work through the space.

I took my girlies last weekend and they were utterly and completely mesmerized. It’s good stuff.

Eva’s work was also the inspiration for the “Art Imitation” project in our first issue of D Moms. Our arts editor (and all around amazing mama) Lucia Simek gives us the step-by-step instructions, so you and your littles can make this Rothschild-inspired work of art at home.

Continue reading "Art Imitation: An Eva Rothschild Inspired Sculpture"

I’ve previously shared my (immense) fondness for the AT&T Patio Sessions series, and said fondness is only increased by blissful weather, like, say…the exact kind we’re having today.

So grab the littles, pack up a blanket or two, pull together some picnic provisions, and head over to hear tonight’s show featuring Air Review with Home by Hovercraft. The music starts at 5:30 and things wind down well before 8:00 (i.e. you’ll still have plenty of time to squeeze in a bath for the kiddos before bed).

And since I’m in the business of bossing you around today, you should also reserve a spot at the annual Rise n°1 pumpkin carving contest happening this Saturday from 3-5 p.m.

Young pumpkin artists (age 12 and under) just need to bring their own carving tools + a chaperon, and Rise will provide the pumpkins. Rise mascots Pierre and Michele will be judging each pumpkin, and prizes will be awarded for first through third place.

Space is limited, so call 214-366-9900 or e-mail Rise tout de suite to reserve a space.

I’m in the thick of summer camp planning for the girlies, and it is quite the undertaking. I swear, if someone would start a business that helps parents coordinate all of the summer camp madness they would be rolling in the Benjamins. (Note to self: start a business that helps parents coordinate all of the summer camp madness.)

For the most part, I’ve taken the easy road and signed both girls up for the same camp for a majority of the summer. But I did set aside a few weeks for some cool endeavors (of which I am currently sleuthing out) like, say, Taking It to the Streets – a weeklong graffiti art camp at the Dallas Contemporary. Sadly the girls don’t meet the age requirement (the camp is for kids aged 13-16), as they would be all over that action. That is a seriously cool camp.

My older daughter could, however, attend the zine camp at Oil and Cotton where kids aged 8-18 get to ”create their own series of zines, learn tools for self-expression in writing and art techniques for building the visual components of zines and making multiples.”

I want to go to summer camp.