It's time to celebrate another birth! Today, babyGap launched a brand new collection, babyGap Home. In addition to their own unique designs, babyGap partnered with close to 40 well-known quality brands--including BabyBjorn, HABA, Scholastic, and Skip Hop.
With everything from organic bedding collections, to dishware, to baby skincare products, it's the perfect one-stop shop for new moms.
Tradition has it that girls' rooms are pink and boys' rooms are blue. But what about covering nursery walls with mountains or ships? Instanbul-based Studio Nommo offers customized whimsical designs to inspire little dreamers everywhere. Email deniz@studionommo.com to order.
P.S. If you like the ship wallpaper but aren't ready to plaster a wall with it, you can get a tee here.
Sometimes mamas need time to slow down, reflect and write in a journal. (And if that time is spent in a lavender-inflused bubble bath with a bottle of Champs, all the better.) Either way, these illustrated Moleskine journals offer an inspiring place to record grown-up thoughts and dreams. It's just too bad they're not waterproof.
Contributing editor Rory Evans saw an advance copy of Hello, Cupcake! (a book devoted entirely to clever cupcake-frosting ideas that is coming out later this month) in the office and then became obsessed with the corn-on-the-cob cupcake idea. Below, the story of how her cobcakes came to fruition:
"First, I had to track down Jelly Belly jellybeans in varying flavors of yellow, white, and cream. (Which is easier said than done: Those buy-by-the-pound candy places are oddly hard to come by in New York City!) With my pound of jelly beans in the cupboard, I just had to wait for an invitation to someone's house, ideally one with kids, for dinner. (I didn't trust myself to make a batch of cupcakes and then not just stand at the counter and eat my way through the stock.) So when Jenny Rosenstrach, Cookie's features director, invited me over for dinner with her husband and two girls, I knew exactly what to bring. And I started making the cupcakes:"
"I made the cupcakes from a mix. Then, I mixed up some buttercream frosting, tinted light yellow." 
"The book calls for putting a lemon Starburst on top of each "ear"--and we tried that. But her kids were too eager to dig in, and ate the butter pat before we could take a picture."
Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
Karin Kramer's life sounds like a fairy tale. She lives in the Northern Black Forest with her family and stray cat, and bees make honey in their backyard. With an eye for the uncommon and a passion for fleamarkets, Karin has created a whimsical home for her family of four. Let's take a peek...
What's your town like?
We live in Pforzheim in the Northern Black Forest. Our quarter is old, not rich and has rural character. The town was almost completely destroyed in the war and not very beautifully rebuilt. But the surroundings are beautiful: woods and rivers.
Can you tell us about your home?
Our house was built at beginning of the last century. We live on the ground floor and are renovating the upper floor.
Who makes up your family?
I'm a jewelery designer who loves drawing and puppet theater. Frank is a land surveyor and a big garden-lover. Oskar will turn four soon and Agnes is almost two.
Is there a garden for Frank?
We have a garden with a terrace, where we sit in the summer and have our meals. We pick rosemary or sage for lunch. There's also goldfish pond and a beehive. We've had bees since last summer and hope to get our first honey this year.
Who is your little kitten?
Hedwig, a stray, came to us in December and stayed because of Agnes' wild love. I'm curious how Hedwig will get along with the goldfish. They're still caught under the ice, but when it melts, fishing season starts!
How would you describe your aesthetic?
I love old things, either from our families or the fleamarket. I don't like a clean, anonymous look.
The green living room is a bold choice.
We chose this green to complement the 1980's sofa and chairs from Frank's grandmother. I like the different atmospheres created by color.
Where do you find your lovely pieces?
The fleamarket or the trash. I found the kitchen lamp in the bulky waste of a barber, who closed his doors for a nail studio. He was a charming barber with separate entrances for ladies and gents. The kitchen table is an old regulars' table from a tavern. In fact, I don't think we have a single thing from a big furniture store!
What would you change about your home if you could?
Our bedroom has a big bed for the whole family, which is cozy but a little bit too close. It's time for a separate kids' room.
What are your children's hobbies?
Agnes loves animals and books about animals. She's a blitheful girl. Oskar is energetic with lots of imagination. He loves cars and keys and helping in the kitchen. They both love to be outside with Daddy.
Do your children weigh in on the decor?
Oskar sometimes wants to hang his paintings. He chooses little pieces at the fleamarket, and we made this yellow mobile together.
What does your family do outside the home?
We walk through the forest or along the river. We all love books, ugly vintage things (yes!) and of course holidays.
What advice do you have for new decorators?
Trust your own sense of style! No need to have a perfect home, that would be boring. Our home is always changing. New things come, old go. Collect things! Open your eyes for beautiful pieces, they can be found everywhere.
Want more? Check out these reading nooks in our editors' homes. And send us pictures of your own!
A while ago, we wrote about six great mobiles in the magazine. Here are a few more to dazzle your baby at bedtime....
This ridiculously cute Gentlemen Mobile, made in Sweden, also has a Lady Mobile companion. (Call Kid O to order, 212-366-5436)
A hand-crocheted solar-system mobile--with Pluto! It must be vintage!
This Calder-esque Elephant Party Mobile has been popular with kids for over 30 years.
This sleek Danish mobile brings together the two tenets of Scandinavian design: simplicity and beauty.
This floating fish mobile is made of finished wood.
A harlequin mobile to entertain your little one. (Pictured here at Elisabeth Dunker's house.)
We love how you can personalize this postcard mobile by hanging holiday cards, family photos or vacation snapshots.
Following Julie's instructions on Craftastica, Cookie assistant editor Mireille Hyde prepared for Easter Sunday by dying eggs naturally with onion skins--but you can also use tea, coffee, cabbage, etc. The verdict? Gorgeous and surprisingly easy. See Mireille's pics below.
"My friend is having a baby shower but she didn't do a registry. I'm nervous that I'll bring the same thing as everyone else. Any gift ideas? P.S. She's expecting a boy." -- Katie, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Great question, Katie. If you're worried about doubling up on a gift, go for something quirky and unique. How about this Japanese singing "bird"? It comes in a sweet little cage, and its warblings would brighten up any nursery.
Or a British cashmere blanket so baby and mama can cuddle up...
At this point, your expecting friend will be smack in the middle of her nesting phase, so she'd love this mini globe bank for her child's nursery. (And, in a few years, it can store his allowance.)
Once your friend has her sweet baby, she'll be very (read: VERY) tired. So treat her to this 100% natural Night Owl Balm. She can rub it into her pulse points--wrists, temples, behind her ears--to feel soothed and relaxed.
You could treat the little man to a dotted layette, so he can greet the world in style.
Or as your friend prepares for her new babe (and, a hem, her feet swell), you could give her these adorable flip flops. They have a sculpted arch for support, and a portion of the sale goes to breast cancer research.
Or you can choose from these 17 newborn gifts we featured in the magazine.
Hope this helps, Katie. Enjoy the shower!
We're eagerly anticipating spring over here...and Giggle's new line is really making us crave those days full of sun and flowers. Besides the adorable cashmere blankets (above), we're a fan of the super soft stuffed animals, organic cotton onesies, and pastel (yet still very cool) wooden toys. Maybe if you start decking out the nursery, Mother Nature will get the hint.
