I am not a seamstress

I imagined being a SAHM making slip covers while my baby napped. Late at night I would be fulfilling orders while everyone slept. The truth is my prototype was not what I envisioned. I am not a seamstress! I found myself in a rut. For a few months I wondered if this was a viable idea. When I had to go back to work I realised how important it was to resuscitate my idea and see it through to the end.

The universe kindly intervened. There was an upholsterer right around the corner from my house. I went there one day and asked for some advice. I went back to Purl Soho, selected more fabrics. Less than two weeks later I had the product I could manufacture.

Funny Little Pictures

I dusted off my sewing machine. I searched the net for appealing fabrics. I discovered Amy Butler and Purl Soho. I bought some fabric and materials, i.e, scissors, thread and zippers. Then I went to Babies "R" Us in Union Square and BuyBuy Baby in Chelsea to see which chairs were popular. I took measurements and drew funny little pictures. My mom helped me sew my first prototype.

The Perfect Rocking Chair

When I was pregnant there were about six other people at my job who were expecting as well. We were often talking about strollers and cribs, emailing links for shops, i.e., sparkability, urbanbaby and giggle. I was not big on shopping for baby at the time. I just wanted the basics. My Papas was the one shopping for cribs, bassinets and rocking chairs. I was totally fine with this. I just had to say yea or nay.

One day my partner asked me to check out this rocking chair on my way back from Cake Man Raven (the best red velvet cake in Brooklyn)…So, I stepped into Yu, a brilliant furniture shop in Fort Greene Brooklyn to check out this chair when I bumped into a wonderful woman from work who was expecting as well. She was there with her husband to see the same rocker. It was a low cowhide rocker mid century design, very narrow and sleek. Although I loved the design it was not functional for breastfeeding or rocking a baby. We started discussing how hard it was to find a nice modern rocker with form and function.

After our conversation my search for the ultimate rocking chair became expansive. Some chairs are ridiculously expensive and some of them are not very functional at all. The Collins Rocker is one of my favorites but at $1,300 is a bit too much. The Sleepytime Rocker looks great in the nursery online, but in actuality it is stiff and wabbles forward and back.

I went to giggle to try the Monarch Nursery Chair with lumbar support, it has no arms, you feel like your sitting on a thrown, not nestling to breastfeed. So the next stop was buybuy baby where my reluctant Papas agreed to sit in a Dutalier Glider B.U.G. he calls them for short(Big Ugly Glider). After a few minutes,“…we are going to have to get one of these” he sighed.

Well in the end a good friend gave us their rocking chair and saved us the expense.

I decided to make a cover for my glider and give it an upgrade. I said to Papas, "I think I could sell my covers so other people can bridge the gap between form function and modernity until the perfect affordable rocker comes on the market!"

Working 9 to 5

Finally! I have caught up to the right month. It was difficult getting to this point. I was not expecting to go back to work before the end of the year. With the stock market on the decline Papas worried that our future plans could be deferred.

I had to find a job, interview, find a Nanny and transition from SAHM to 9 to5 mom. The good news was after being at home for fifteen months I knew what I was looking for in the workforce. I felt confident of what I was worth, the type of schedule I wanted to keep and how much I wanted to earn.

Trying to find a job that would allow me to have some flex time was not very easy, but definitely worth the try. As an Interactive Producer it was hard to imagine a new employer would allow me to work from home 1 or 2 days a week, even though I think it is possible. I interviewed with 3 companies including my former agency. In every interview I laid down my cards, but only one employer was willing to negotiate and finally accept my flex time proposal. We settled on hard stop time at 5:00pm. Not so bad considering one can stay in the office until 7:00pm or even 9:00pm easily these days.

We decided Nanny care would be best for Marley. I had to search, call and interview again, this time for the right caregiver. At first I considered a Nanny finding agency like Absolute Best Care. One of the owners was kind enough to walk me through the entire process and his experience finding a Nanny. The bottom line was this option was too expensive a one tine payment of 15% of the Nanny’s annual income + application fee. Following the recommendation of another mom, I posted an ad on craigslist.com. In the end I found taking the time to read through the postings of various Nanny’s was the best way for me to find possible candidates. I met 6 to 8 people who were all wonderful. When I found the right person, I cried. I just knew in my heart I had found the person I could leave Marley with.

Since our Nanny was not available to start until the 1st of the month, Marley’s grandmother came to visit the week prior to our Nanny’s official start date. Leaving Marley with her Abuela my first week back to work also made the transition smoother for both us.

I was able to transition myself and Marley into a new routine, but there was one thing I could not get off of my mind. What about my blog, my photos, my dream to being a Momtrepreneur. Everyday I walked to the train I would daydream of what I thought I wanted for myself, my family and how I could get it. Going back to work gave me an urgent desire to follow through.

A Step Back

Semana Santa
Marley, Papas and I visited Guatemala during Easter Week (Semana Santa). We visited Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan and Antigua. Antigua Guatemala hosts a religious celebration with huge processions through the town’s cobblestone streets. Hundreds of purple-robed men move slowly through Antigua streets, their feet cushioned by carpets made of sawdust, flowers and other decorative materials used to create mosaics and murals along the routes.
Learn More: http://gorptravel.away.com/xnet/one-product.tcl?product_id=108348

A Potty for ME
May was the quiet before the storm. Marley turned one. We celebrated her birthday in Boston with family. We started potty training.

Z is for Zoo
Plenty of visitors during the month of June and I went to the Bronx Zoo and Children’s Museum more than I care to recollect.

Sub Prime Blues
July was not so hot.

“The market is not looking so great. Suz, you may have to go back to work sooner than later”

-Papas

August was even worse...
“Have you sent out your resume yet?”

-Papas

Back Online

It has been a long while, but I am back online. The last few months I have been thinking about my blog. Where did we go wrong? How come our relationship did not last? I have had interesting thoughts to share, progress to report, but I just let the days go by in silence. Well, no more!

I’ll learn from my past mistakes and take a stab at creating a new and lasting relationship. Allow me to bring you up to speed on what has happened the past months over the next few days.

birth

Thank you CPR STUDIOS for designing this beautiful graphic for me. I really love this design. This collaborative effort between "Papas" and his close friend, cpr is one that I hold near and dear because it represents so much. This was originally designed as a baby shower invitation to celebrate the coming of our daughter.

Even though we had these beautiful shower invites delivered and arrangements in place we never had an official baby shower. Marley was six weeks early and she arrived the week our engagement.

I wanted to have this design made into a wall decal for my daughter’s room, but it was too expensive and having it printed on fabric was also beaucoup bucks!

So, I hope to get some good use out of this design because it gives me warm and fuzzy feelings.

The very hungry caterpillar

I knew making baby food came with perks, but insects are not one of them! There was a caterpillar in my squash. I was screaming and jumping around in my kitchen, but had to take this photo before attempting to exterminate the creature!

Ways to earn SAHM

After winning my prize it got me to thinking, how could win more contests and make more money!!! My imagination was running wild. I could pay off my student loans, send my daughter to the preschool I have been dreaming about, pay off my mortgage, and invest in another property. All of these imaginative dreams happen during my daughters morning nap. It’s the first moment of the day I have an hour or two to myself. I just go wild! I try not to spend all of this valuable time on the internet, but I usually do!

I came across this article 10 Legitimate Ways Stay-at-Home Moms Can Make Their Own Money. It took me about two days to fill out all of the questionnaires needed to even be considered for focus groups. That was tiring. I have not tried to be a secret shopper yet, but it could be fun! Any how take a look at the article the suggestions are worth noting.

When I got into the car on my way to my baby fingers class I heard a great interview on Oprah & Friends XM Radio. The Jean Chatzky Show featured a mom who started a business called Mom Corps. They find work for people who have been out of the workforce for a while, primarily homemakers who want to enter the work force again. They also find flexible employers for stay at home parents who want to work part time or need flexible schedules that work with their parenting or personal responsibilities. The universe is definitely trying to tell me something…

i won

I was surfing online after putting my daughter to sleep when the bell rang. It was fed ex. I assumed the package was for my partner, but it had my name on it. I wasn’t sure what it could be. I opened it and there was another fed ex return envelope inside. “Is this a chain letter?” not sure what made me think that. When I finally pulled out the few sheets inside fastened by a paper clip the letter read, Congratulations you are a second prize winner…$1000 gift card and 2 complimentary round trip tickets …on October 2006 you were automatically entered to win…I have never won anything before. It’s pretty exciting!

Before and After

I finished crocheting my scarf. When I began my creation started to take on a triangular shape. I decided to start over, pull the entire thing apart and stayed up all night to complete my masterpiece. I was completely obsessed, but in the end this small scarf gave me a great sense of accomplishment!

Harlem Mom in Tennessee

Clarksville is a military town. I have never been on an army base or seen so many people in fatigues. It’s very different from being in Harlem. Fort Campbell lies on the Kentucky- Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, KY and Clarksville, TN where I was visiting.

I asked various people what it was like having a family member serve in the Iraq war. I wanted to know what the media doesn’t convey about being a soldier and being separated from family. Our country is so involved in the politics of war; I wanted to understand the people fighting in the war. I was connecting with people just like me, but they weren’t stay at home moms. Here is some of what I learned.

One person I spoke with expressed to me that the world cannot understand the sacrifice of serving in the military. Another said “…it’s unexplainable, imagine carrying an eight year old blown to pieces in your arms. How can you even start to make sense of that….”

“…and what about the mom with three kids whose husband is away. She cannot afford daycare for all three kids so she has to stay at home. They should make a reality show about that! People in the military do not make that much money. People still have to struggle.”

The resonating theme among most of the people I spoke with was that entering the army provided an opportunity for a job, to pay off debt, learn a skill and serve their country of course. The reality of being sent into combat was not as apparent as some may think. When most entered the army they did not think they would be called to war or asked to provide services outside of their expertise.

A mechanic for army vehicles said “…all of the sudden you are killing people and trying to keep yourself from being killed…you cannot prepare yourself for that reality…it’s frightening and I hated it…when I came back home I thought I was ok, but I am not. I am not the same person I was when I left.”

Tennessee Mom

I learned to crochet from friend Lara. During my stay in Tennessee I watched Lara crochet a blanket for her daughter. She seemed at peace. She showed me a beautiful scarf she made for her 2 year old daughter and the blanket she brought her home from the hospital in. I was inspired. We sat on Sunday having coffee, talking and crocheting. Lara said she never would have imaged getting so much peace from crocheting. “If I was twenty I could never spend an afternoon this…” I am so glad we are not twenty anymore. Only the Lord knows what trouble I would be getting myself into not knowing I would spend the rest of my life trying to reconcile that very moment. Crocheting is much safer and emotionally stabilizing than anything I would have been up to on a given afternoon at age twenty.

Playgroup

Here are my playgroup invitations! The plan is to distribute them to a few families with young children that live in my building. Hopefully I will be able to recruit a playmate or two for Marley.

Crack Is Wack

Crack Is Wack Playground is located on Second Avenue and 127th Street. Painted by artist Keith Haring in 1986, it is home to a mural about the crack epidemic in NYC. The playground was deserted the day I took this photo. It felt like a historical burial ground. It was nice to be able to walk right up the handball court and touch it after seeing it several times from a moving vehicle. I had only seen the front of the court until I visited the site and realized there was more to the mural on the back. Keith Haring died of AIDS on February 16, 1990.

Is Harlem Safe?

I moved to East Harlem six years ago. I was happy to have a clean renovated apartment. I paid $500/mo for a studio I shared with my boyfriend at the time. Toughing it out in the hood was an exciting experience to me. The truth is I never had a rough time. The fantasy of being a girl from a small town moving to the big city was all in my head.

After living in el barrio for a few months I ventured 2 blocks north of my home one day. I thought I would take a stroll around the block and get to know the neighborhood. It was a different world. I felt so out of place and people knew I did not belong on their block and they let me know it! This is when I discovered your neighborhood could be limited to just your block.

This experience did not make me feel unsafe. It made me realize there was a world beyond my safe haven and the route I took to the train everyday. I had limited experience living in an urban community and I stuck out like a soar thumb. Once I settled in, East Harlem began to settle around me naturally. It just took time.

Today, I am much more comfortable in my environment and know what to expect from my community. I see things on a daily basis that make the reality of living in the inner city disconcerting. Was that a “transaction” I just saw? Did I just see what I think I saw? I am not surprised, but caught off guard. I hope I am never in the wrong place at the wrong time, but couldn't I find myself at the wrong place at the wrong time in SoHo? Or on Wall Street?

Harlem is my home. Six years later I am trying to become more involved in my community. I am interested in making the quality of life better for myself and the people who live here. I do not foresee moving anytime soon. As much as I want to protect my family…I hope karma will keep us safe.

If you are planning on moving to Harlem there is a lot you can do to gain a sense of security about your decision. Here is my short list of considerations:

• Take a walk through of the neighborhood both day and night.
• Simulate your weekday and weekend activities; your route to the train and back home, visit the local grocery store where you will shop, visit restaurants you would like to try and the bodega you would frequent if you suddenly run out toilet paper!
• Become familiar with public transportation, buses and trains.
• Locate your neighborhood police station.
• Speak to local shop owners, especially those located at corner intersections around your home. Ask them to give you a sense of the neighborhood in the evenings and on weekends.
• Note the times various businesses close.
• Research finding a place in your community, i.e. community service or local politics.
• Attend a community board meeting.
• Research museums, parks, exhibitions and attend community events.

Get this

After the Harlem fire on Saturday my partner suggested I send the photos i took on the scene to Curbed and Gothamist. I did not think anything of it until my partner "papas" called me today and said he saw an article about the fire and wanted to know if I submitted my photos. He mentioned the link for more info on the story points to Harlem Fur and NY1, but not to my blog, of course. The post is called Scenes From A Harlem Fire. I am glad Curbed did post a link to my blog because the comment trail gets pretty nasty! People can write really awful things.

So, what is Harlem Fur? I visited this blog to see what it's all about. I discovered a whole community of Harlem bloggers and loads of information about Harlem.

I loved Harlem Bagel, but she is on hiatus right now, sad to say! I found another Harlem mom whose blog is called Uptown Mom. I had to show her some love and left a comment for her. She has some interesting content so check her out and encourage her to keep on blogging!

Tonight I have added a new section to my blog called Harlem Bloggers and I hope to add to the list!

kid o

I was first introduced to kid o by an article in New York Magazine a few issues ago. I folded the page over and made a mental note to look up the site when I had a chance. What interested me about the article were the references to educational philosophies, i.e., Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Bank Street. The article motivated me to research each philosophy further.

About a week ago after visiting the bank street bookstore, I went online to check out kid o. They have amazing toys, quite $$$. I did, however come across a few affordable items, one was the book Montessori From The Start. I figured I would make a trip to the store and if I did not buy anything else, because although their products are wonderful, they are very $$$, I would at the very least get this book.

I definitely recommend a trip to the store. It is a well organized space and very unpretentious considering the cost of their products. The sales people were very genuine. One even managed to sell us an Ergo. I was not expecting that all.

My partner “Papas” (since he rather remain anonymous) was carrying Marley(our daughter) in the Snugli back carrier and was complaining about how it was digging into his shoulders…the salesperson saw an opportunity and we totally fell hook line and sinker. She told us all out The Ergo and let Papas try it on.
He later confided in me that he actually bought it at the store instead of trying to find it online cheaper because she earned the sale…he is a banker…everything is about due diligence with him!

I was complaining a week ago about how it was impossible to carry our daughter around in the Baby Bjorn anymore. My pathetic cries went ignored.

So, if you want your husband, partner or significant other to buy into something or anything make them carry the 20lb baby on their shoulders, chest or back for a few hours.

Definitely check out The Ergo! Visit kid o on the web or in person, it’s much more fun!

3 alarm fire

NY1 featured this story. It turns out this was a 3 alarm fire. The fire started a little after 3:00pm. Several were taken to Harlem Hospital for minor injuries and smoke inhalation. Fireman saved two children left in the building when a resident was unable to return to save his grandchildren upon initially fleeing with other members of his family. Props to the firemen and good samaritans!

I was coming home today with my family. We pulled up to the corner of 112th Street and Lenox Avenue and saw flames shooting from a window of one of the buildings on the corner of 115th and Lenox Ave. I have never seen a blazing fire before. It was amazing to watch fireman work to get the fire under control. They truly are heroes.

It’s Sunday evening. This is the day of rest. It’s when we gather with family friends and/or chill at home. I hope everyone that lived in that building is safe, reunited with their families and that no one was injured bringing the fire under control.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Today I had the pleasure of taking in the sights and sounds of East Harlem.

I headed to the East Harlem Tutorial Program orientation for volunteers with my daughter in tow. The wheel on my stroller broke on my way to the orientation. It was a lot like breaking the heal off of a favorite pair of shoes. While stranded at the center, waiting for Papas to pick us up, I saw a student and his tutor giving the student's mom a run down on what was covered during their session. The tutee’s mom was so happy when she heard about her son's improvements in math. It would be nice to take part in a program like this.

Next on the itinerary was Food, located at 100th and Lex. It’s a great little restaurant with very reasonable prices and good food!

Oh, and of course I took more pictures! I found this radical mural on 117th and 2nd Avenue on my way to the East Harlem Tutorial Program. I must have walked passed this one a million times and only noticed it today!

We ended the night at Hughes House and listened to live music. Definitely a nice way to end the evening. Check their website for upcoming events.

During one of our weekend excursions last fall we decided to stop by romp. When we headed through the entrance there was a beautiful giraffe decal on the wall. We discovered Wallpaper Menagerie by Inke Heiland. Is romp the only place to snag these treasures in the USA?

SCRAPS

After months of searching for some nice, stylish and affordable bibs, I have decided to make some of my own for my daughter. I have some scraps left over from a few sewing projects. Now, i just have to add the binding, easier said than done!SCRAPS would be a great name for a line of bibs! Hhhhmmmmm…

REX

My machine broke about three weeks ago. I decided to turn my attention to starting this blog until my machine was operational again! My machine is finally fixed and I am finally ready to get crafty.

FLOR

FLOR is modular do it yourself flooring! Living in East Harlem sandwiched between The PJ’s a.k.a. The Projects, we wanted to bring some of the natural outdoors into our home. This is how we ended up with House Pet, a highly durable and wire-haired flooring solution. It’s like having a patch of grass in our living room. We have not gotten around to buying plants as yet. This was the next best thing. Now that Marley is crawling and cruising we got something fun for her floor as well. We were looking at the pattern Camoflower, but the new catalog featured these puzzle pieces aptly named, Jigs Up. The rest is history.

ga ga for GOMI

Have you heard of Taro Gomi? He is my favorite author/illustrator of children's books. I am in love with his work. My heart literally skips a beat whenever I discover another book I just have to buy! These books are such a joy to read. I have two books by this author and I did not realize this until yesterday. I made the connection as I read the books back to back and said the authors name out loud. The books posted above are my current favorites Todos Hacemos Caca (Everyone Poops) and My Friends. I am hoping to add to our collection soon. The illustrations are brilliant. I never get bored reading them over and over again and Marley, that’s my daughter, she loves these stories. Maybe its because of the sound effects I make. I was online last night looking up the author. Bankstreet Bookstore does not have any books by this author online, so I will call them tomorrow and ask if they can order a few books for me. There are several titles I would like to own. Taro Gomi has published over 300 books! If you are looking for books that are stimulating for both you and your little one, definately chack out Taro Gomi!

Being a Mom Made Me...

I received an email from a friend today about a story a particular magazine wants to do on how being a mom changed your life. I am still thinking about how to finish this sentence “Being a mom made me…” the first thing that comes to mind is "being a mom made my boobs sag." In all seriousness, being mom has made constant memories from the past overwhelm me. All of the things I ever wanted to do, but never had the time to do or put other things before I have the need to fulfill now. I wonder how I will answer this question in twenty years.

Bank Street Bookstore

I finally visited Bank Street Bookstore the other day. I was pleasantly surprised. On the lower level are books, music, DVDs, educational games and toys. Upstairs is pedagogy. It’s a small space, but it was easy to navigate. They did not have a million strollers and kids running around and the books were in great condition. I must have been there during off peak hours. I bought Recien Nacido, Llename de Gracia, No Quiero Dormir and Whose Mommy Is This? If that was not exciting enough, I joined the Baker’s Dozen Book Club…for free. Every 12 children’s books I buy, I earn 10% of the amount spent on those books! Now, if only they had a deal on tuition for the for the Bankstreet School for Children.

Oh my goodness!

It’s been a week since my last post, where did the time go? I have to get up to speed. I have been looking at so many blog sites. I have to say, what people manage to accomplish and post on a regular basis is absolutely amazing! I have been checking out Design Mom pretty regularly. Make It has become a favorite too. Make It is where I learned about Carolynn Duncan and her site The Hundred Dollar Business Experiment. I even took the entrepreneurial quizzes you can link to from her site.

So if I have not been blogging, what have I been doing this last week. I did take a few more photos around the neighborhood. The one above was my favorite by De La Vega. The messages read: “be mindful even if your mind is full” and “you are your best investment.”

A week and a day

It’s been a week and day since I started my blog. It has been coming along and so have my plans for starting my own business. I have written a life plan and business plan. I hope to post my first creation soon. What’s more inspirational and motivating are the photos I have started taking around my neighborhood.

I have lived in East Harlem for six years. My community has been in constant redevelopment. Gentrification is a concern for Puerto Rican residents who have lived here for decades who feel their heritage is being challenged by the influx of Mexicans, low, middle income housing residents and market rate developments on every block.

For me, this community has been a window of opportunity. I live in a diverse community on the verge of change. I recognize this has both positive and negative implications. I have become a home owner, something I only dreamed would be possible on the island Manhattan.

In an attempt to capture a community that has been welcoming a wonderful to me, I have started a photo blog to capture this period of transition. Check it out on flickr.

I got a free ride

I got a free ride from the MTA because my baby is soooo cute and the funny thing is she was sleeping at the time. I got on the bus with two dollars in quarters in my hand. Before I could put the change in the appropriate slot the bus driver looked at me and he melted at the sight of the sleeping 20lb+ baby hanging from the BabyBjorn in sweet slumber. Hell, I saved two dollars today! That’s two dollars I can invest in my business.

Woe is me...

I feel like a big box of puzzle pieces. I know where each piece should fit, but the amount of pieces makes this process so overwhelming. Honestly, part of the fear is of failure. StartupNation outlines 10 steps to open for business. I found StartupNation through the small business resource government website. I will focus on one step each day in order to manage my anxiety. I cannot do EVERYTHING at once. Besides, I have to change diapers, play, make butternut squash puree, bathe the baby, bathe myself, clean the house and make dinner, just to name a few things.

The first step I need to take toward starting my business according to StartupNation is to Create a Life Plan. Well that’s a good thing! Everyone should take the time to create a life plan. Ok. I will do it! My goal for today is to think about my life plan.

I did manage to take a really cool photo today! Next, butternut squash.

I wanna be a MOMTREPRENEUR!

While reading UrbanBaby Daily NYC one morning, I came across a new product for kids. Something invented by a mom for moms and or dads and their kids! “Hey! That’s my invention!” I thought to myself. Does that ever happen to you? You see some new invention and you think to yourself, if only I had done that sooner or followed through, or really believed I actually had a good idea…I turned to my partner and gasped, “I had that idea, why didn’t I follow through and make that into my business?” Then I turned on him. “Why didn’t you encourage me to make that into a business of my own? You’re a businessman, tell me what I need to do to make my idea’s into reality…I have to start something, I have to make one of my ideas into a realistic product this year!”

I am not sure if it was out of fear, surprise or if he was just excited to hear me speak. I had been in a funk for about week, very moody and premenstrual. He wanted to be on the safe side so he encouraged me and told me I could do it, I could do anything! I basked in the momentary glory and support. I was enthusiastic and ready to take off. I could not sleep that night, my mind was racing. I hate when that happens, because a racing mind is not good when you are trying sleep, but I was excited. The next day I started to put my thoughts on paper and tried to organize all of the ideas I had since becoming a new mom. I started listing the things I needed to do, I started to read the blogs, something I was never really into, but have come to enjoy immensely, visit the websites, design a website, get a domain, etc. Wow! This was becoming overwhelming and I hadn’t really started anything yet.

One of the things on my list was to start my own blog. Here I am making my first post so I have the momentum to continue moving forward.

While researching ideas for my business I came across some great products, stores, blogs and projects. I thought my blog would be a good place to share my research, experience, thoughts and eventually I hope my very own product.

How could I not point you to the website and product that lived in my imagination for all of two months before it was realized and immortalized on my computer screen that faithful morning my life changed yet again…Check out Petite Vilolette for Food Smocks, what a bright idea!

Read more about their fabulous product in the article below:
http://newyork.urbanbaby.com/ub_daily/120606daily.html