momstory

Meet American mom Anna Joyce living in Portland, Oregon

My name is Anna Joyce and I am an artist, designer and mother living in Portland, Oregon. My husband Victor and I have two beautiful daughters, Angelina, age 4  1/2 and Iris who is 20 months old.  We have been back living in Portland for the last four years and I do all of my sewing and designing for my business Anna Joyce Design out of my home studio.  Victor and I are both artists and  have studios at home so we can always we close as a family and still make our art (all though sometimes it would be easier to concentrate if the studios were a little further away...) I have a nanny 2 or 3 days a week so I can sew and work on growing my business.  I am also very excited that I am going to be teaching sewing and applique this summer- new things are happening all the time, we are a busy little family.

 
What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?

We live in a mid-century duplex that we rent in a wonderful part of SE Portland. I think the children are very happy in our house. We are surrounded by the most wonderful neighbors- there are so many people  on our street who love our children and our wonderful nanny only lives two doors down. It is amazing!
I think the only thing we miss is a fenced yard- I would love it if the girls could play outside without an adult being having to be on guard all the time. But we are so close to a lot of great parks, playgrounds and coffee shops that walks in the afternoon are nice too.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?

Yes! I love decorating and dreaming and watching our living space evolve over time as we collect more and more things that we love. Angelina's room is a constant struggle to keep organized, but I try to just let her have all of her things and remember how magical all of my possessions were when I was very young and not judge her room as a "mess". It doesn't always work!

What's it like to raise a child in your town?

I think raising a child in Portland is wonderful. It is a large enough city to have action and culture but there is a very gentle spirit in this town that embraces children and parents. Portland is also so green and beautiful and there are wonderful things to do outside.

Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?

I really love and stand by "The Mother's Almanac" by Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons. It covers everything from crafts, tantrums, hiring a babysitter and how to cope with a bad day.  If I am having a hard day (or week...) I know that after a little bit of quiet time with "The Mother's Almanac" I will come back to being a mother a little bit more refreshed and inspired. And it was passed on to me by one of my best friends and a mother who I respect very much. And when all else fails- I call my own mom, she gives great advice and always listens.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?

Since Victor and I are artists we are always working on something. Angelina has been drawing since she could hold a pencil and really loves it. We just keep art supplies out for her all the time. Iris loves dancing and music and is not ready to sit still and craft just yet. We also take the children to a lot of art openings and shows with us, so they are surrounded by art and craft all the time.

Are you a crafter or DIY person?

Yes of course! Anna Joyce Design is a line of home goods, apparel, and design items for children that I lovingly design and make by hand. Both of my girls are used to spending time with me in my studio and especially shopping at fabric stores.  I also love making holiday decorations, cards, collages... we just all love MAKING in our house.




How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?

Both Angelina and Iris have a special birthday banner that I made for them out of fabric and wool felt. We also have a number fairy that comes and brings you your new number on your birthday morning! It is a tradition my mom started and I love it.

My childhood numbers were made of paper but I sew the ones for my girls out of felt, fabric and ribbon. We also say goodbye to our number the night before our birthdays and thank our year for everything we learning and think about our new birthday number and what we would like from the coming year. It is a very meaningful tradition to me, and I hope it will be for the girls as well.

Are there musical instruments in your house?

Oh yes- we just inherited this size drum set and there have been many jam sessions lately...

What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?

We love going to Jamison Square in the Summer here in Portland. There grass for eating a picnicpicnic really wonderful fountain that all the children play in. It is also on Portland's street car line so we love taking the street car around the city and getting an ice cream cone on hot nights.

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?

Both!  I love baking with the girls. When I was pregnant with Iris, Angelina and I baked almost every afternoon and it was really special time together. We like cooking together. And I can get her to peel the garlic!

What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?

We have a beach house on the Oregon coast where we go as a family every chance we get. My girls will be the 5th generation to grow up spending summers in our small beach town and it is our favorite place in the world to be.

{All of the photos were taken by their good family friend Greg DeBoer}

..Anna Joyce Design..
..Anna Joyce her blog..

Meet Filipino-Danish Mom Isadora living in LA

As way of on intro to me, I’m a multi-racial (Filipino-Danish) multicultural (grew up on four continents) who was lucky enough to find her prince charming who is also multi-racial (Indian-German). My son managed to get our blond/blue eyed recessive genes, so doesn’t look like my husband or I. J Being exposed to different cultures has been very important; it not only shaped me, but has informed my aesthetic style and my eye as a photographer.  I am the photographer behind THOMPSON and SPRING photography, and I specialize in modern, lifestyle, family photography in Los Angeles.

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
 
Los Angeles is a very big city with no real center.  One of the things we love about our house is that we are a 15 minute drive to most places so never have to spend too much time in the car.  We live in a duplex (a building which legally has two dwellings) but we converted it into a single family home so that we could have more space.   Many duplexes in the area have small yards, but ours is quite large, with plenty of room for our son to run around.  We’ve been happy here, but having grown up in Europe as a pedestrian we miss living close to a proper high street.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
 
In another life I think I would be an interior designer.  We’ve lived in our house for over five years now, and I have redecorate most rooms at least twice not only because my style has changed over the years, but so have our needs.

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
 
I loved reading Domino magazine; I still can’t believe it folded. My other favorite magazines are UK’s Elle Decoration and Living Etc. and the French Cote Sud. Of course, I’m an avid blog and website reader from décorpad, to designsponge and décor8 and bloesem.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?

Currently my son’s favorite item in the house is the bed cover on my bed.  He likes to make a “tent” under it and hide.
 
What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?

Since ours is not really a pedestrian neighborhood, the place that we like going to nearby is Larchmont Village.  It has a lovely weekend Farmer’s Market, cute little boutiques and restaurants.  It still retains a small town feel.

 

What's it like to raise a child in your town?
Since becoming a parent I’ve actually discovered a whole new side of Los Angeles that I never knew before.  There are a surprising number of parks and playgrounds scattered all over town, and because the weather is nice most of the year we can really enjoy the outdoors, especially going to the beach.  My son is only 2 ½ years old, but I already have visions of him becoming a surfer boy.
 
Who do you consider is a good example for your children?
 
My husband is actually the best role model I can think of for my son.  He’s super intelligent yet sensitive, focused and hardworking yet gentle and sensible.
 
What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?

My perfect day would start with me sleeping in… but that won’t happen for a few more years.  That would be followed by a morning of playing at the beach, with lunch at a cute restaurant.  Then the afternoon would be fun activity like baking with dinner in the garden, capped off with movie viewing outdoors with our outdoor projector.

Can you tell us a funny story, quote or remark one of your children recently made or happened?
 
Recently my son woke up from his afternoon nap and said, “Buy house.”  I asked him where, he replied “In Paris.”  Of course it made me smile, especially as he later told me that the house was for me, but what I still can’t quite understand is how he came up with the idea of buying a house, let alone a house in Paris!
 
Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?
 
When I was pregnant I read a couple of books on pregnancy, but haven’t really read any books on child rearing.  I tried the sleep books, but I’m still co-sleeping.  I borrowed a potty training book, but didn’t read it… just decided to stop using diapers cold turkey and it’s worked quite well.  The one book I did read that resonated with me was “Raising Boys” by Steve Biddulph.  As a mother/woman, I don’t know what it’s like to be a boy and this book provided some valuable insights into the male world.

Can you mention some of your ‘how-to-raise-your-kid’ values?

I’m a very affectionate person, so I’m a very affectionate mother.  I believe there is no such thing as “giving your kids too much love”.  I try not to over analyze myself or my parenting style.  I give my son a lot of freedom within certain boundaries and try not to be too fussy.  I will make mistakes, he will be naughty… that’s life.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?
 
I’ve always been a visual person, probably one of the reasons I’m a photographer, so I love to draw and paint with him and see what he comes up with. Of course, like every parent, I see genius in every scribble J
 
Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
 
With painting, I like to do it outdoors on a blanket. It’s nice to get the fresh air and that way there’s no paint on furniture.  When inside I like to do it on the floor on a large office plastic mat.  It’s intended for a desk, but we use it as a “get dirty” play surface.
 
Are you a crafter or DIY person?

I’m both.  I got myself my first cordless drill when I was eighteen, so I’m definitely not afraid of getting dirty; I’ve re-upholstered flea-market furniture, rewired thrift store lamps. I also love to make things whether jewelry, or personalized stationery and custom wrapping paper.  I just wish I were better at sewing.

Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get tips and ideas for kids crafting?
 
I like this place called Scribble Press (Scribblepress.com) in Santa Monica that helps you create books from your own drawings/photographs.  My son thrives at Creative Seeds (growcreativeseeds.com), they do special projects for everything ranging from Chinese New Year with a finger painted tiger, to Mardi Gras “beads” with macaroni.  I also recently discovered the blog, the Artful Parent (artfulparent.typepade.com), with some great ideas for art and crafting with kids.
 
What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?
 
My son has just started coming home with projects, so I have yet to do this but I plan on creating a rotating gallery wall.  We have a hallway upstairs that is quite bare. My plan is to use magnetic paint, then use magnets to hang and showcase different projects throughout the year. I’m not big on covering my fridge with stuff.  I want a gallery space that he knows was created to celebrate his creativity.
 
Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?
Scribble Press in Santa Monica is great.  Bring them a stack of drawings and paintings and they will transform them into a beautiful keepsake book.

How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?
 
I love setting the table for a special dinner or birthday. I’m big on tablescapes, from choosing the right linens to creating flower arrangements.  I used to work in PR for luxury brands and planned many swanky events, so I guess I still have an event planner in me.
 
What are favorite games in your home?
When we have friends over for dinner we love to play Catchphrase, but with my son, I’d say he’s favorite game is “Hide” not “Hide and Seek”, just “Hide”.

What kind of sports do your children like to do and are you very involved?

For now nothing yet, he’s still too young but soon I’m hoping he’ll start doing karate or some other martial art sport.

Are there musical instruments in your house?
 
In another life my husband would have been a professional musician, so we have a keyboard, two guitars, a bass and a saxophone; all of which my husband knows how to play well.  I’m visual but not at all musical so my husband makes sure he teaches our son how to play and appreciate music.
 

What are all time favorite books for the children?
 
My son loves Cool Car, as well as Bee Bim Bop, a cute little kid’s book about how to make this Korean dish.  No one in the family is Korean, but we sure know what it takes to make a Bee Bim Bop!  I personally love Iggy is an Architect, but my son doesn’t appreciate it yet.
 
What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?
 
We live near the Los Angeles County Museum and we love going there.  The grounds are kid friendly, the exhibits are great and they have a new Boone Kids gallery where you can paint and they have a great program called Next Gen that gives my son free membership to the museum until he is 18 and entitles him to be accompanied by one adult.  That’s a great way to get him to appreciate art.  We also like hikes in Franklin Canyon, or going to the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica.

What movies do your children like to watch, is there one from your childhood you would love to show them too?
My son is a typical boy and LOOOVES the Pixar animated film “Cars”, personally I’d love to show him the “Sound of Music” but it might be too girly and too retro for him.
 
How do they prefer to spend their leisure time?
At this point since he’s not yet school aged I’d say it’s still mostly leisure J

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
Both.  I love to cook but since my mother moved in with us a few years ago I haven’t cooked as much.  Everyone in the family loves food and going out to discover new restaurants.  My son has been going to restaurants since he was an infant and loves eating out, especially going to eat Japanese.

What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?
 
If my husband and I spend time alone, we’re usually only away for a long weekend, San Francisco and Palm Springs are our favorite nearby destinations.  Since most of our family is in Europe when we do take time to travel it’s to go back “home” either to France or England. It’s a long trip for a kid so we only do it if we can go for at least two weeks.
 
Do you keep some sort of travel journal with the children?
 
Nope, not yet but that’s a great idea as I plan on him discovering the world.  He has a big map above his bed and can already identify a few places.

What kind of souvenir can they bring back home?

My son has already developed a fascination for the camera, so I imagine he will soon be snapping his own photos.


How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?

I just tell him we are going on a trip and he helps me pack his bag.  That seems to get him excited!

What place do your children love to go to?

My son loves the merry-go-round at the Trocadero in Paris.  It’s super old-school, not one of those new rides with tons of bells and whistles.  Plus with a view of the Eiffel Tower you can’t do much better than that.


Tips for traveling with a plane or a long-time trip on the road with children?

Have something new (a book, or toy) that will engage their attention for a while.  Bring a portable DVD player with their favorite movie and a change of clothes.  I didn’t bring a change of clothes for our first transatlantic fight and I lived to regret it.

Thank you very much Isadora!

..Thompson and Spring photography..

..Thompson and Spring photography blog..

Meet German mom Indre living in Berlin...

My name is Indre Zetzsche and I live in Berlin (Germany) since about15 years. I still love that creative-lively and at the same time relaxed city. Although I take a critical view at several developments especially the increasing gentrification, which will – I fear – destroy lots of creativity and the specific spirit of Berlin.....

......I am mother of a nearly adult boy (17 years) and a little girl of almost 2 years. As senior consultant in a political and management consultancy in my regular occupation I mainly keep busy with strategies, processes and communication. But the creative-artistic matter always plays an important role in my live.

My last project is a picture book for young parents A Walk with Mascha (Spaziergang mit Mascha). It is a sort of poetic collage of a baby point of view and parental fantasy. You can a have look at the book (or order it)at the little online-shop of my dear friend Ieva: annasusanna peter & hanna. Unfortunately it is only to refer in German but if you wish I will have it translated. Together with Ieva I am currently working on the art project: tomorrow it will snow =  morgen schneit es, for what I have written a poem in 9 numbers (in German) inspired by Ievas photos.

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy there or is there anything you all terribly miss?

My husband, our daughter and me, we live in a typical Berlin workman´s house from the end of the 19th century (my son stays with his father since his 14th birthday). Unfortunately our landlord has replaced the lattice by plastic windows and the floorboards by laminate. But however we love our flat in the 4th floor: It is bright and sunny, light and airy. If I had a wish, I would wish to live in an huge old fabric building with ceilings as high as the sky and rooms as wide as the flat country round Berlin. There are lots of old fabrics in the east of Germany and sometimes dreams come true … ;)

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children´s room?
Oh yes, I would say, decorating our home is one of my passions ever since I was a child. As a little girl I arranged whole flats in my daydreams. For me it is a very meditative and also creative work. I love to discover new interior design, original furniture and fancy accessories– and have to be careful not to become addicted.

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favourite magazines, websites, blogs?

There are so many inspiration sources that I sometimes nearly go crazy. It is like a sensory overload. But you ask me for my favourite sources. Well, I read the Elle Decoration since 13 years and from time to time I buy other interior magazines, e.g. H.O.M.E or Schöner Leben. But the most inspiration sources I find in the blogland. Besides Bloesem and B.Kids I continuously follow for instance: fromscandinaviawithlove, catherinehug, dinge die ich mag, domesticcandy.



What’s it like to raise a child in your town?

To raise a child in Berlin means on the one hand lots of spots in really good kindergartens, many playgrounds and parks where the little ones can romp or drive their training bikes and many child-friendly cafés and restaurants. On the other hand, Berlin is a typical big town with lots of traffic, noise and polluted air. I am happy to have a little garden where my daughter hopefully will play soon under the big old trees – hopefully because the garden has been abandoned for 6 years and there is a lot to do now.

What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?

A perfect day for me is spending my time with my two children. They love each other that much, seeing them playing and romping together fills me with great joy.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?

Actually, my daughter is too young to do handicraft work and my son is too old. Thus I can only tell what I would like to do. Besides painting I would like to do collages (like my picture book I mentioned above) and new things of old things, e.g. playhouses made of old cartons. But first of all I would like to work with papier mâché. It is such a wonderful material: light and plastic. When I was a student (studied cultural science) I have worked intensively with it, creating lamps and different accessories. I am really looking forward to doing animals or string puppets together with my daughter.

Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get advice and ideas for kids crafting?

I know two wonderful blogs full of brilliant ideas for kids crafting: Joel is the most creative father I have ever met and Frau Liebe (means Mrs. Love) is the most inspiring kindergarten teacher I know. On their blogs and you will find thousands of ideas and inspirations.

What are all time favourite books for the children?

Well, as a fan of good illustration I recommend picture books by Charley Harper, Wolf Erlbruch or Eric Carle. My children both love the “crawling”-books by Ali Mitgutsch. And of course the stories of Astrid Lindgren like Pippi Longstocking or Michel/Emil from Lönneberga are real must-haves.

What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?

In Schöneberg (that´s where I live) and environment you can do a lot with children. I especially recommend the zoo in the city and the Nature Park Südgelände. The latter was the biggest hump yard in Berlin until the 2nd World War. Then it laid waste for nearly 50 years and the nature has recaptured the area. Now it is home to a wide variety of rare and endangered species of plants and animals. Children feel like in a jungle and parents enjoy the mixture of nature and art, urbanity and wildness. 

In addition, Schöneberg offers a variety of family- or child-friendly cafés like the children-culture-café Kalimero or the family-café Emma & Paul. And if you like “treasure hunting” you will find lots of wonderful second-hand-shops for children, e.g. klix or Lumpenprinzessin = means princess of tatter.

More about Berlin-Schöneberg you could find on my blog: Frau Mima. 

..Indre Zetzsche..