Capucine Maman - NYC!

I've been very timid about putting my toy boxes in brick and mortar stores for some time now mostly because I have so much online business, that it's easier and less time consuming to just sell online and not have to produce pieces for in-store retail in addition to my online sales. I'm slowly warming to the idea more and have been approached by a number of retail shops across the country....and even internationally. Back when I was just starting out, there were two lovely women who are here in LA and own kids' boutiques and I had/have my furniture in their stores. One is Sparrow which is an adorable green baby shop in Studio City and the other was a shop down in Beverly Adjacent called Cool Baby but sadly it was hit by a falling crane (while the crane was was trying to put up a billboard)so there's no retail shop anymore.

Anyhow, all of this is to say I'm thrilled to announce the first NYC store that is carrying Mod Mom Furniture! It's called Capucine Maman and it's located on 20 Harrison St, NYC, 10013. They have two Owyn Toy Boxes in stock! Quite a few of my clients are in NYC so if you're hankerin' for an Owyn Toy Box that you can take home today, go check out Capucine Maman!

Bullet Point Kinda Day

My day seems to be in bullet points. I guess they all seem like that but today especially feels like that. It's choppy. I keep going back and forth from one thing to the next accomplishing less than I would if I weren't going back and forth from one thing to the next then back again.

Here are my bullets for the day:
* get Gracie ready for school, drop off
* come back, handle some phone calls, contemplate working out, don't work out
* build some toy boxes
* check and respond to emails
* try and sand with a mask but realize I bought the wrong mask so no mask
* check email...again...respond
* eat handful of crackers
* force myself to take a shower
* write this blog with wet hair
* almost be late picking up Grace cuz I'm writing this blog
* pick up Noah
* off to Target for G's gymnastic's leotard and Noah's comic book
* I'm so done with this list I can't stand it.....

Curling up in bed and watching tv sounds really good right now but I have to go be late to pick up Gracie now. Damn bullet points.

Lights, Camera, Action...err, Oh Crap I Forgot My Line!

It was just a typical day yesterday...get up, take a shower (yep, you heard me...I took a shower), take kids to school, cut some wood, be filmed by a production team, SAY WHAT?!

A production team came to my house and my good friend Oonagh's house (owns her own preschool) to film us being our always perfect, never boring, always well-groomed selves for a show that will focus on what life is like when you work from home and have kids running about. But not just that. We're hoping to help other women or moms who are trying to figure out how they can make money and yet have more time/flexibility with their kids (or future kids). It's tough...I know. I went from being a full-time out-of the-house, climbing-the-ladder working mom who worked long hours and her kids were in daycare from 8:30-6:00pm to a broke stay-at-home mom longing for a bit of my old,creative, money-making life, to a part-time freelancing mom with a kid on my lap while I designed marketing materials, to a full-time nanny working from home taking care of other people's kids to now a full-time work-from-home mom with a growing business. Kinda feel like I could be the only guest on Oprah's stay-at-home mom vs. working mom show where I yell back and forth at myself whilst taking sides. Now THAT would be something, huh?

Anyhow, this is something that evolved from the LA Times article and may or may not happen but I'll keep you posted. But really, who doesn't want to see a mom who never showers, wears the same clothes day in and day out, cuts wood, and polyurethane's during American Idol? I mean, really! What's that? We're cancelled already?!?! Crap...back to the garage I go.

Sproutstyle Article

Check out this great site! Dee finds the cutest stuff...including some of my toy boxes.

http://sproutstyle.blogspot.com/2009/02/mod-mom-furniture.html

Modern Tots Belly Up?

So the word on the street is that one of my retailers, Modern Tots, is now out of business. No notice. No warning. No nothing. In fact, no check made out to Mod Mom Furniture for the last order I just sent their client. That stinks. Now I won't be able to afford more of those glue-on fake toe nails. Oh, who am I kidding, I can always afford those!!

Path-Design.net: Can I Be A Kid Again?

Thanks to Rachel for this great post! Check out the link below and Rachel's website...

http://www.path-design.net/blog/?p=136

Here's the text of the post...

CAN I BE A KID AGAIN?

Other than current economy, which has me and a lot of people I know wanting their mommy, I can't imagine a better reason to be a kid again than Mod Mom's very cool sustainable furniture.

Owner, designer, craftsman Kiersten Hathcock was once a TV network marketing executive, who has became a work-at-home mom and self-taught furniture designer/builder. She was inspired by her father, a self-taught carpenter and woodworker, who built most of the family's furniture when she was growing up in Ohio. Her pieces are inspired by the mid-century style and her own kids' wants and needs. She uses eco- friendly birch plywood, non-toxic paints, water-based stains and low-voc, water-based finishes.

I love the clean lines and whimsical nature of her work. And I'm not the only grown-up wishing she was a kid. Mod Mom sells a lot to the over 12 crowd.

Come on! Who couldn't use something this cute to brighten up their day???

Mod Mom has a shop on Etsy, and a funny blog too - especially if you're a working mom just trying to keep your kid quiet for a minute while you take an important business call. Not of course that that EVER happens to me!

Posted by rachel hulan |

Treading Water

I stupidily scheduled 7 toy boxes to get out between now and next week(two is normal, three is pushing it.) Why did I book it that way, you ask? Money. We need it. Pure and simple. That, and I always think I can do more than I can. It's a curse, really. My weekends aren't weekends anymore. They've turned into two more work week days where even if I do something with the family, I think about how much has to get done to stay on schedule.

Don't get me wrong, I AM TOTALLY GRATEFUL for the orders!! Just a bit overwhelmed and overworked right now. Last night, I completely ditched my normal night routine of painting or poly-ing while watching TV with my hubby. And I should have been doing that. Instead, I fell asleep at 9:30 during 30 ROCK. Who does that? That show is hilarious. That's a sure sign I've hit the wall. Guess I'm realizing these 11 hour work days really do take a toll.

Honey, I promise to take a shower later today. And fix those Lee Press On Toenails.

(Honey, you know there's a 80% chance that when you get home today I'll still be wearing workout clothes from this morning 7am workout. But it's the thought that counts, right?)

Off to build...

BadderHomesandGardens

Thank you, Nikki, for writing a post about my furniture!

I got a message last night that explained that she and her friends don't have kids but they love what I do. And that they write a kick-ass blog that tells it like it is and wrote a post about Mod Mom. I LOVE IT!!

Check out this link

http://badderhomesandgardens.blogspot.com/2009/02/boxed-in.html

Big-Head Nonsense

You're gonna love this one! I DO!!! I was talking to a very talented interior designer/designer from NYC via telephone yesterday. He called to inquire about a piece he ordered for a client. During the conversation, Grace interrupted twice while I was trying to sound oh-so-smart. I'm sure he was impressed with my office staff. Anyhow, I'll fast foward to the big-head part. The very kind designer thanked me for picking up the phone, since mostly he was getting answering machines and automated systems. And then....wait for it....he said, "you are famous...everyone loves that (Owyn) toy box."

And there it went. My big head. I'm now demanding that people not look me in the eye while speaking to me. And white flowers have to accompany me wherever I go. Oh, and sparkling water too.

As you can imagine, this is going over very well with my staff.

(It should be noted that Grace has interrupted the writing of this post roughly 11 times. SOMEBODY GET ME SOME DAMN SPARKLING WATER!!)

Picture This: My Morning

Just a shot of our coffee table. Normal stuff: coffee, water-based stain, four random legs, Grace's pretend homework and a brush. Maybe I'll change out the coffee table decorations today?!?



Sammy, our fearless 13-yr-old dog is comforting Grace in her sick state. :)



Grace is sick today. Can't you tell? She looks it, eh? So the little cute blond convinced me to let her stay home from school today since her nose is running like a faucet. Lucky girl and her runny nose get to accompany me to Rockler Woodworking store today.



As usual, there's something half-finished in my living room. :)

(And Mom and Trac, if you're reading this, I'll get my butt in gear and get some photos after I make my house not look like a tornado hit it.)