Get some Bliss!

This was a fun project that had the opportunity to work on recently. The site is "going live" today, and so I thought I would share the link HERE. She has an amazing offer for the month of March. Click on her "Happenings" sections to find out more!

Sunrise Run.

So this morning, while I was on my sunrise run... JUST KIDDING! I couldn't resist. Actually, this is the title of a video that Wes has been working tirelessly on. And the results are beautiful. If you want to take a look, visit his blog post HERE to take you to the video. And enjoy!

Just in time!

I just got my car seat cover in the mail courtesy of Natitys Design. Oh it's so cute. Take a look:

SUPERMOM SERIES: A Mother Heart

It's 7:30 am. But I've been up since 4:30. "What in the world/tarnation/blue blazes are you doing up so early," you ask? I couldn't sleep. Oh for goodness/heavens/pete's sake! This coming from a girl who would come back to my apartment between college classes, throw on a sleep mask, snooze, then be up for my next class an hour later. I adore sleep. But seeing as it seems to escape me this morning, I have been thinking about all the different things there are to think about. One of which is A Mother Heart, and the Supermom Series. I have had a few e-mails and comments about the fact that we are not all mothers, here. And even though my series is called the Supermom Series (play on Superman, ya know? Superladies just doesn't have the same ring...), that doesn't mean it's not for everyone, mothers and non-moms alike. I truly believe that every single woman has a "Mother Heart." I don't care if you know in your heart-of-hearts that you don't ever want children. I think there is an innate ability to care and nurture in every woman. You are a wonderful sister, aunt, daughter, friend, teacher. You don't have to have a family or children to have a Mother Heart. That is what makes us all so special, and sacred. Some of my most loving and nurturing friends don't have children, or aren't yet married. It brings to mind a talk I heard from a leader in my church about this very topic. I heard this talk before I was a mother, and I knew that she was talking staight to me. I don't want to post the entirety of the talk in this post, so I'll drop in a quote. If you are interested to read it, visit HERE.

"There is no limit to what a woman with a mother heart can accomplish. Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so, and their influence will spread and grow exponentially throughout the eternities." —Julie B. Beck

And yes, there will be posts in the future from women who are not moms, maybe one day will be, but of course have a Mother Heart.

Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions! Keep 'em coming!

Graphic Designer By Trade...

...and at heart!

I just found out that one of my professors from RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) has been inducted into the Art Directors' Hall of Fame. Roger Remington played a very important roll in my graduate education, and shaping of my aesthetic, priorities, and future as a designer. It's interesting to see myself now, this "mommy blogger" making banners for other bloggers, and working for a scrapbook company designing products. I don't think I would have guessed that I would have gone that route, actually. At the core I am a modernist. I delight in a well-crafted typeface, I align to the grid, I prefer Bauhaus to Blogger. Of course I love the work I am doing now, it's just interesting to see how I got here (and I probably shouldn't tell Roger that I have ever designed anything that fell under the name "Rhapsody" or "Hot Mama"....) Ha! If it comes up, I'll remind him I worked in publishing long enough to make him proud. Yes, there was a day when I didn't know what distressing brushes were. (I redesigned Toronto's subway signage system for my thesis, for goodness sakes.) But one thing Roger quotes towards the end of this video is that as a designer you have to keep your fingers on the pulse of the times. Well, I am picking up a heartbeat for blog banners and rub-on flourishes, so I am going with that for the time being! :) But I am forever a Univers-user and leading-lover! Congrats, Roger.

Here is the video that they will play at his induction. (Ali, I know at least you will be interested to see this):

VISIT HERE

A Little Treat!

I don't know what's gotten into me. This morning I've been working on a personal project that I was determined to finish TODAY! (Oh goodness...maybe my nesting manifests itself in design work...that would be so appropriate.) A few weeks ago, I participated in a recipe exchange. And I received so many wonderful and easy recipes that I had to share them! So instead of posting a super long and consuming post with all of the recipes on this blog, I thought it would be fun to start a recipe exchange blog. So here she is: LICKABLE SPOON

All of the recipes are posted as 4x6 printable cards. You can search the recipes in the sidebar, then click the card to enlarge, and print. And if you would like to contribute recipes, send them on over! Yum.

A few of my favorite things...for Baby, that is!

In doing banner and blog design, I often get some stellar trades as payment. And I have just happened to acquire some really high-quality and super cute baby needs and wants. So I thought I would share some of them. I admit I was way too lazy to photograph my own goodies, but I grabbed some photos from the web of these fine finds. Check them out. I HIGHLY recommend all of these to anyone expecting (or expecting to expect, or in-the-know of someone expecting...):

Spongy Feet:

Sassy Mia: (Finn thinks the red patent leather ones are race cars. Ha!)

LuvLoo: (These were sent to me for free as a sample from an inventor mom! Super cool of her.)

Picalilli too: (Look in her "Sold" section to view the nursing covers, and she sent some wonderful burp cloths that conform to your shoulder in the perfect shape!)

My nursing cover and burp cloths came in the fabrics below, that she let me choose from and then custom made. It's the cutest nursing cover I've seen. It's extra wide, and mine has a little skirt at the bottom, a small pocket, and even a little snap-on-snap-off towel for messes.

I have a few more items from Crystal B. and Natitys Design that I have to photograph. So I will share them later.

I'm still here

No, I am not in labor. (I got some frenzied e-mails today about my post yesterday.) Just wanted to let you know in case you were thinking, "Lyndsay didn't blog today yet! She's in labor! I just know it!!!" Nope. But I will post when I am--even if it is from my iPhone on the way to the hospital. ;)

I'll try not to be too much of a lazy blogger over the next while, but it's hard, seeing as "manatee syndrome" has set in.

Getting really close or not really at all...

So last night was...interesting. This might be too much info for anyone who doesn't want to know pregnancy details. So cease and desist if you would rather read about cute 2 year olds, or stellar moms who know their niche, or whatever else you come to my blog to do. But for my own personal purposes, this is going in my "blournal." Ahem. OK. So for the entire 8 or 9 (or more) months of being prego, there is an ever-so-effective, let's say barrier, keeping all the nice things (baby) in and all the bad things (germs) out. Well that little helper is now M.I.A. Left the building. No longer with us. Taken the fast train out of this town. If you still don't know what I am talking about, that's all your getting. SO that event sent me into a frenzy of "The laundry isn't done! I have to install the carseat base! I don't have any bottles in case she won't nurse! My bathroom has waterspots all over my sink and shower! Why didn't we install a water softener?! Muaaaaaa!!!!!" (I mean, who the heck worries about hard water stains at 2 a.m. ME! I DO!) Of course I have been through this whole "havin' a baby" thing before, but I still love the reassurance of two different pregnancy books, and multiple websites, along with a phone call to other moms. Just covering my bases, you know. And of course, there is the kicker. (I already knew this, but medical information could vastly change in the course of 2 years...right?) The aweseomely great news is I could go into labor within 24 hours! Or in 2 weeks (anticlimactic "Wa Waaaaaa"). Hurry up, Lyndsay! WAIT!

Thanks to Wes (and just to be extra prepared) the car is spic and span and the carseat base is now installed. There is a load of whites in the dryer and darks in the wash. Bottles and shower door? Just gonna have to wait, I'm afraid. This momma is taking some time off! :)

Supermom Series Call for Entries!

So the Supermom Series has continued to be a hit, and I still get requests for more. If you would, indeed, still like to continue to hear from Supermoms, I would love to hear some more suggestions as to what topics are on your minds. And I am happy to accept anyone's offer to write a post, if you are a Supermom yourself! (Go ahead...you can admit it!)

Here is who we have had so far:
The Gourmet Mom
The Stay-At-Home Mom
The Mom-preneur
The Working Mom
The Multitasker {Expectant} Mom
The Thrifty Mom
The Eco Mom

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While we're waiting for more in the Series, why not button on up with a Super button?! You don't need to be a mom to be Super! Just copy and paste the code for the button you want into the HTML/JavaScript of your sidebar. And voila—SUPER! (The buttons link to the entire Supermom Series.)

<br /><a href="http://lyndsayj.blogspot.com/search?q=Supermom+Series" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/lyndsayjohnson/SuperEasy.jpg" /></a><br />

<br /><a href="http://lyndsayj.blogspot.com/search?q=Supermom+Series" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/lyndsayjohnson/supername.jpg" /></a><br />

<br /><a href="http://lyndsayj.blogspot.com/search?q=Supermom+Series" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/lyndsayjohnson/reallysuper.jpg" /></a><br />

<br /><a href="http://lyndsayj.blogspot.com/search?q=Supermom+Series" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/lyndsayjohnson/Lazybutton.jpg" /></a><br />

<br /><a href="http://lyndsayj.blogspot.com/search?q=Supermom+Series" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/lyndsayjohnson/Cleanhouse.jpg" /></a><br />

I'm a passive-aggressive "Nester" these days

One step in the right direction!

Guess who got an interview with AFI?! ------>

Wait wait wait. Back up. What's AFI? OK. In case you need an update, Wes, my photographer of a husband, has applied to film school. Not just any film school, but the American Film Institute in L.A. (that's an important school). He is going to be a cinematographer. I say "going to be" because there is really no other option for him. That is what he is going to do. Not what he "wants" to do, or "one day will aspire to be." So the school to get him there is AFI, with a Masters in Cinematograhpy. He applied a few months ago, and has been agonizingly waiting to hear if he will get a call for an interview. Then it's another short wait to see if he's accepted. About 1000ish people apply to the Cinematography discipline each year, and only 20ish get accepted. Yikes. I have no idea how many they interview in person, but interviews happen during the course of one week, and that week is 2 weeks from now. And today he got a call for an interview!!!! Eeeeek! I can squeal with joy and delight, right? I mean, I will be squealing in delight even more when he gets accepted. But because of confusing e-mail wording, we both thought that the calls for interviews had ended. So it was very unexpected and exciting for him to receive a call today (which was actually the first day they started to call for interveiws). It's nice to know that I don't have to feel totally baffled as to why they wouldn't want to bring him in for an interview. And I am so happy that his talent has been recognized. I truly hope Wes will continue to win them over, and he'll get a great phone call right around the time we get a great new baby girl. Oh that's riiiiigggghhhht...... I am due to have a baby in the blink of an eye. I asked Wes what would happen if I went into labor early. Like on, oh say, the 3rd at 10am as he is sitting in front of a panel in California. His response? "Well, Ansel Adams missed the birth of two of his children," wink. Very funny, Wes. ;) I'm proud of you for making it this far.

Supermom Series: THE GOURMET MOM

Yes! The Supermom Series is still alive, it's just moving a little more slowly these days (um...kind of like me). I am so happy to have Christy from What We Eat and A Lil' Welsh Rarebit. I admire the fact that she is working to expand her culinary prowess, and has some really delicious recipes posted on her recipe blog. She's sharing some of her knowledge and recipes with us today. I recently participated in a recipe exchange that proved very successful, so I will be posting some of those recipes in upcoming posts so that we can all "flex our culinary muscles," as Christy calls it. :) Enjoy!

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Christy's cute family (Don't they look like fun?):

Hi – I’m Christy, your Gourmand Supermom du jour! I’m thrilled Lyndsay has asked me to guest post on the topic of juggling being a momma and preparing delicious homemade meals for my family. My favorite role in the world is being my daughter’s mother, and I love to eat. I mean, I love to cook! Cooking is a really new, intense passion of mine!

My husband Matt is a scientist by trade, but a chef at heart. Before we had our daughter Fiona last summer I was working my way up the corporate ladder as a business writer and quite content to let Matt do the cooking. We both had demanding full-time jobs, and he loved to cook; it relaxed him. So I was his sous chef extraordinaire and dishwasher. Not anymore! Now that taking care of Fiona is my full-time job, I’ve taken it upon myself to not only prepare our meals, but to come up with fabulously tasty recipes to wow the socks off my husband. And I’m thrilled to report that I’m succeeding: Boursin-Stuffed Chicken and Strawberry Crumble have been declared best dishes ever. High praise indeed! I relish the fact that I am not only able to cook for my family, but totally love to do so! I post all of our favorite recipes on my food blog, What We Eat – and all of the recipes I mention here are linked back there.

So you might wonder how a total nube chef has come up with so many delicious recipes in such a relatively short period of time…well, I scour the Internet for new recipes most weekends and I’m always asking my friends and family what they’re eating. Whenever I’m at a friends’ house or a party and I find something I love to eat, I make sure I leave with the recipe in hand – if they can’t print it out for me I just write it on a slip of paper. And then I try to recreate it immediately. For an example of my obsession with trying new recipes right after I discover them, see my Apricot and Brie Filled Pastry recipe – these work great as an appetizer or dessert, and are on my Valentine’s Day dinner menu.

I’ve never had a problem handling fish, beef, or pork…and once I overcame my aversion to touching raw chicken last year, I started to flex my culinary muscles. Now that I’m confident with chicken, I simply love trying all kinds of new recipes.

Each weekend we plan out the menu for the week ahead, using our recipes to make the grocery list. We do all the shopping on Sunday so I don’t have to run back to the store during the week – it not only saves time, but money. (Before I was a stay-at-home mom we used to prepare several meals on Sunday and refrigerate/freeze as necessary – so if you are in a dual-income family, you might find that this system would work for you too.) Each morning, I get my recipe out for that evening’s dinner, and I do any of the steps ahead of time that can be prepared early. For example, I prepare the stuffing mixture for Boursin-Stuffed Chicken while Fiona is taking her afternoon nap, then I pop it in the fridge until I’m ready to cook.

If you’re interested in trying a new recipe or two this week, I have a couple of suggestions in addition to the ones I’ve mentioned above. If you’re short on time, check out my Super Easy Ziti Lasagna – it’s ridiculously easy and absolutely delicious. Don’t tell anyone how quickly you made it! It’s a great gift too – I give a pan of it in one of those disposable casserole pans to all my friends when they have a new baby. If, however, you’re going to be home for a few hours before dinner, you should try my Mom’s Best Baby Back Ribs recipe – you cook it in the oven for two hours, then baste it every 15-20 minutes for another hour and a half – which might sound like a long time to prepare a meal – but it’s really simple and only requires your attention for about a minute at a time once it’s in the oven.

I’m always on the hunt for great new dishes. My number one personal goal for this year is to master at least one new dish a month, so I’d love to hear from you with your suggestions. I hope I’ve inspired you to cook up something delicious for your family soon!

Recession Session Success

We had a great turnout at the Recession Session yesterday over at Wes Johnson Photography. I thought I would post a few photos of myself to prove to those of you who are insisting that I have "a small belly" that I do, indeed, have a full-sized infant in there. And I also have the full-sized cheeks to match. :) And I am A-OK with that. Wes's studio is located in a warehouse on acres of farmland. So Finn had fun throwing rocks into the ditch, and climbing on tractors. Wes was kind enough to let me sync my camera up to his lights, so I could pretend I was a professional photographer, too. Thanks to everyone who came out! It was a great day.









Hop on over to Wes's Blog to see some more fantastic shots that he took. Some of them are really classic!