A Simple Request

A few days ago, we learned that my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. She's such an amazingly strong woman who I know will get through this but in the meantime, she'll be missing much work...if not all work (and salary), while undergoing chemotherapy treatments. When she's not a preschool teacher, she's running her own Mary Kay business. I'm asking everyone who's in the market for make-up and skin care products to consider purchasing them from Annis. And please feel free to pass her web store link to friends and family.

http://www.marykay.com/annis.hathcock

She can offer fast, efficient, and best of all FREE shipping (US only).

Your Mary Kay product purchases will be helping make up for her lost income and will help pay for medical expenses.

Thanks for considering this request! Please know you're making a difference in one very cool lady's life.

Apartment Therapy's Ohdeedoh Likes Owyn

Thank you to Apartment Therapy's site, Ohdeedoh, for writing about the Owyn Toy Box. Apartment Therapy is one of my favorite blogs. To read the post, click here.

I must admit...

...my entire garage floor is covered in saw dust now. What's wrong with me?!!? I (along with my trusty assitant) had it looking so good. Then after say, 6 toy boxes and 10 mini houses for my daughter's stuffed animal friends, it all goes to hell.

In a desperate attempt to bury my head in the sand, I decided today I'd just get the hell out of dodge even though I have three toy boxes due by Saturday. I had to drop off a Bertie Toy Box in Beverly Hills at the offices of Baby Couture, the leading fashion magazine for babies who like couture. I didn't know there was such a thing either until a couple of months ago. Maybe because my kids aren't into couture so much and their mom only shops at Target...and occasionally True Religion for those jeans I wear 365 days a year. Anyhow, it's a cool magazine, if you're into design and fashion for kids. I'm hoping it will be (as positioned to me the the editor) in the Holiday Shopping Issue coming out in November or December, I guessing.

Can I just say that my filthy mini-van did indeed look a bit out of place next to the Beverly Hills BMWs and Mercedes. But I drove it proudly!! No, I didn't see any celebrities and no, I wasn't discovered by an agent while sitting at a red light. They'd have you believe that happens all the time out here but it doesn't.
(P.S. If you're an agent and saw me at the corner of Beverly Drive and Coldwater, call me!)

Today, I haven't....

...washed my dirty hair or put on make-up and feel as grimy and sawdust covered as ever but it doesn't matter. Know why?



I got a message from Land of Nod. You know the company owned by Crate and Barrel that sends out those super cute catalogues with really nice kids gear and furniture? We are talking about the possibility of me designing something exclusively for them. We're still trying to flush it all out so hopefully I'll have more news later from the Land of Mod. Bad joke, I know.

Also, just to make my head a tiny bit bigger than it was on Friday, I woke up on Saturday morning to my toy box being featured on TBS' Movie and A Makeover. They offered playroom makeover suggestions during Legally Blonde 2. I felt like a proud mom! And Brian, the designer, referred to the Bertie Box as "from Mod Mom Furniture." Just like he said, and "this roll-top toy box from Offi." Like I was a legit company. I felt so, well, legit!

I'll feel legit until tomorrow when someone asks what I do and I tell them. Then I say the company name and they stare blankly at me and ask if Scott does all the hard work and table sawing for me. :)

A Great Mod Find: Dallas Shaw

Being that you're all mod fans, I wanted to pass along a great artist named Dallas Shaw. She just designed the modern baby block print you see above, among many other pieces, and it's available for sale on Etsy. You can specify what month you'd like (and the wording in the corner changes by month: march darling, june bug, december baby,etc). Seriously, how cute is this print?!?!

For more info on Dallas Shaw, go to www.dallasshaw.com. For an inside look at the artist and her dogs, go to www.dillydallas.blogspot.com.

On a mod mom note....still knee deep in building!

A few favorites...

I'm dog tired and literally have nothing new to say about woodworking other than I'm STILL building toy box after toy box. On most days, I feel very lucky about that. Some days when I'm being a real whiner I remember what it was like to lunch in high heels and say important things during important meetings.

For today's post, I have nothing of real importance other than to list a few of my new favorite things....

1. I love the blog Notes From The Trenches! Chris is a brilliant, very funny writer.

2. AS SEEN ON TV...PediPaws. Clips your dogs nails without clipping. Grinding is actually what it does so your dog doesn't freak out.

3. True Religion jeans. You can wear them day after day for a year and only on the 367th day, will a hole appear in the inseam. Really, I've tried it.

4. The movie Ice Castles. Wonder where Robbie Benson is now?!? (Get ready Oonagh!)
javascript:void(0)

5. My Neil Diamond souvenir necklace that my good friend Laurel (who happens to be on Neil's staff) gave to me at the concert. I wear it with everything. Big silver guitar pick hanging on a chain around my neck. :)

Painted Toes = Classy Lady

I'm back! From where, you ask? A carpentry/motherhood/birthday party black hole that has left me not even one second to shower - shocking, I know - or God forbid, paint my toenails. I actually painted just two toenails on each foot the other night before heading to a party. That's actually not completely true. I painted said two toenails IN THE CAR on the way there. Those four toes were the only ones that showed through my strappy sandles. But then I did what I always do. Tell everyone I know when they said my toes looked nice, that I only painted the few that were visible.

Anyhow, I'm still crazy busy building and getting ready for Grace's "Build Your Own House For blah blah blah (see previous post)" that I'm sure to go underground again tomorrow. But rest assured this classy lady will be underground with toes painted. Well, less than half her toes painted.

Giraffe Keepsake Box

A new custom design for a wonderful client in Chicago...

Mother Daughter Bonding

Playing Barbies. Nope.
Singing songs and dancing in the living room. Nope.
Putting glitter lipstick on each other. Nope.

Cleaning up my workshop while my daughter giddily uses the shop vac to suck up every last bit of sawdust. YES!!!

She's SOOOO my daughter. We're both hopelessly messy but still crave intermittent moments of tidiness and order. She even likes to fold laundry with me but look at either of our drawers and you won't find even one folded shirt.

In my effort to wring everything out of my tidy-craving moment, I'll stop typing and go back to cleaning the kitchen. Tomorrow the feeling will be gone and Little G and I will be back to throwing saw dust and clothes on the floor.

Soldiering On to Birthday Mahem

(Taken last weekend in Solvang, CA, after a few tiny glasses of wine at wine tasting rooms)

How cool is this soldier box? It almost makes me want to make one of my own...maybe for Grace's Birthday Party which has nothing to do with soldiers. Last year, we made various junky carnival items to complete Grace's Carnival Birthday. It was such a hit, she's still asking for the popcorn stand this year. I, of course, said no way. Mainly because this year, we're using all of my scrap wood to have Grace's "Build Your Own House For A Stuffed Animal or Webkin So Long As It's Not a Big Stuffed Animal" Party. (No nails, just glue so no ER trips or mad parents.) I really should start cutting all those little house pieces now but I'll put it off and stress at the last minute. Just like every good mom does for their kids' birthday parties.