New 2016 Calendar -- Jennifer Young Studio x Good on Paper

I'm so excited to announce my second collaboration with super talented photographer Jennifer Young for our 2016 Calendar! Inspired by Jennifer's travels around the world and our love of clean, minimal design and copper foil printing, it is available in a special limited edition of 250 in each of our shops--each calendar is hand numbered on the front cover.

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper), Twitter (@good_on_paper), Pinterest (@goodonpaperdes) and Tumblr (hellogoodonpaper)
+ Buy it here in my shop or here in Jennifer's shop
+ As seen on Anthology Magazine, Rue Magazine, Shop Sweet Things, Mother Magazine, Oh So Beautiful Paper, and Shutterbean
+ Also available in these awesome shops: Social Studies, Len Collective, Left Field and Ruby Rose

Favorites: Fall Cheese Plate with 34 Degrees Crisps

I've been prepping this week to host Thanksgiving at our home. It's my favorite holiday of the year and I love everything going on in the kitchen. On the menu this year is turkey (brining is key), roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar, butternut squash soup with ginger, homemade pumpkin pie with gluten free crust and Nick is making a homemade non-gluten free apple pie. Our family will be bringing cranberry sauce, salad, mashed potatoes and my mom's making shrimp fly lice (aka fried rice!). :)

I usually like to put out a cheese plate for guests to nibble on before dinner. Remember the fancy spread I put together last year with 34 Degrees crisps? I collaborated with 34 Degrees again to put together a simplified plate with just a couple of cheeses (I used Cambazola and Manchego from Whole Foods) and some flavorful crackers like the Toasted Onion, Rosemary and Cracked Pepper. Beautifully simple and a delicious start to a giant feast!

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper), Twitter (@good_on_paper)
+ Find me on Pinterest (@goodonpaperdes)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Favorites: The Butterfly Joint

Last weekend I took Lucas to the grand opening of The Butterfly Joint in San Francisco. Visiting this amazing woodworking studio has been on my to-do list for quite some time now and I'm so happy we had the chance to go.

The Butterfly Joint is a woodworking and design studio for children ages 18 months and up (and adult classes are offered as well). There are individual classes as well as camps. Students clock in with their own punch cards, strap on an apron and start working on their projects. I love that the goal is to create an heirloom-quality piece to bring home and keep in the family forever. Could you imagine how proud the kids would be?

The grand opening party was so much fun! There was a tool treasure hunt where Lucas had to complete a different task at a work station--luckily there was always someone there to help him out. He got to use tools he'd never heard of before--a vise, a dozuki saw and a bit brace! Once he completed the treasure hunt, he got a bag full of goodies from some of our favorite companies like Petit Collage, Hello Lucky, Bitte, Mapamundi Kids, and Plae. Lucas' favorite part was pulling that steam whistle at the end!

Safety first! Love that homemade first aid kit!

Lucas accidentally cut himself with the dozuki saw and owner Danny Montoya came to the rescue!

Find out about more events in the Bay Area like this one at Red Tricycle.

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Theo and the Temescal Alley Barbershop

A few weeks ago I took Theo to the Temescal Alley Barber Shop in Oakland to get his first real haircut -- aka not a bowl cut from Grandma. Remember when Lucas was a total champ getting his first barbershop haircut? Theo was still using a paci!

When we first arrived Theo seemed totally stoked on getting a haircut -- we talked about it in the car on the way there and he was excited. But when it was his turn, he started crying screaming that he did not want a haircut and refused to sit in the chair. The barber was so nice and tried everything but nothing worked. I stayed calm and told him we would take a break, get some donut holes (because they cure everything, right?) from Pizzaiolo next door and try again after that.

Miraculously, that little break (and maybe the donut holes too) did the trick and Theo was ready to get back in the chair, this time with a big smile.

Bowl cut be gone! Though I must say I secretly kind of miss it -- made him still look like my baby guy.

Look! It says Theo!

And then this happened -- Theo move a tiny bit and the clipper's buzzing sound got super loud for 2 seconds and scared him. Poor guy!

Signature Theo rocker face on the right.

He looks so grown up with his new haircut!

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Favorites: Ginger Caftan

When my friend Lisa told me about her latest business endeavor, Ginger Caftan, I was super excited for her (and her business partner Nan). I was excited to design her logo/branding and knew she would do amazing things. Several weeks ago she hosted a Ginger Caftan trunk show in her beautiful home. Complete with a signature ginger mocktail and delicious catered Mediterranean food, the trunk show was a hit and nearly every piece was sold out. So proud of my friend!

To be honest, when Lisa first told me about the caftan show, I didn't hesitate to say yes to attend the show for support -- but I am not a caftan person. I instantly thought I would look like Mrs. Roper in a mumu. But after seeing the fabrics (from vintage styles to bright patterns to neutral tones), the expertly designed details (like pockets!! I love pockets!) and the flattering and comfortable fit on all body types, I can now say I'm a caftan convert!

The next Ginger Caftan trunk show will be Friday, August 28th from 6 pm to 10 pm at Piper's Shoe Parlor in San Francisco. The new collection will include super soft linen, chambray, French beach stripes and a few fun retro prints in three sizes (S, M, L).

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Favorites: Tea Adventurer Campaign

I can't believe Lucas will be starting kindergarten this Fall. I don't think I'm over preschool yet -- he's ready, I'm not. Tea Collection recently asked me to help them launch their back-to-school campaign by sharing Lucas and Theo's hopes and dreams for the year with their #TEAADVENTURER campaign, a Tea-take on the already popular back-to-school tradition of First Day posters. I'm really loving their latest collection inspired by travels to Argentina and Bolivia (remember Lucas and Theo in their last collection inspired by India?).

We spent a Theo and mama day at Pizzaiolo (one of my favorite restaurants) in Oakland where we devoured pumpkin spice donut holes, a frittata and an almond latte, and then getting Theo his first real haircut at the the Temescal Alley Barber Shop.

Lucas wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Thunder, the Rayo Graphic Zip Hoodie in Heritage Blue and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Forest.

Theo wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Arabian Spice and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Olive Drab.

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Lucas' 5th Birthday Party

For the last two years, I've been asking Lucas what kind of birthday party he would like to have. He didn't have much of a say for his 1st or 2nd birthdays, but starting with his Superhero 4th birthday last year, he's been very clear about what he wants. Of course, he gets the modernized version of it because that's how I roll.

This year Lucas turned five (can't believe I have a 5-year old!) and without hesitation, he said he wanted a "Wild Kratts" party. If you haven't seen this show, it's worth checking out. It's an educational animated series on PBS, created by and starring brothers Chris and Martin Kratt.  The show is full of fun facts about animals, ranging from polar bears to geckos, and each episode features a particular critter's unique "creature power". Lucas gets really excited learning about animal powers and defenses, and I love when he enlightens me with new animal facts! This year we decided to throw a joint animal-themed birthday party with Judah, Lucas' good friend from school, who turned five the day before.

This year I partnered up with Whole Foods Market, which provided the amazing appetizers, entrees, beverages and desserts for our party. The super-talented catering teams from the two Berkeley locations created a delicious picnic style meal that included fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese, deviled eggs, strawberry/spinach salad, a yummy cabbage crunch salad, "turtle sandwiches" and cupcakes in two flavors. In addition to the lunch menu, they created some amazing food sculptures to go along with our animal theme.  Mice out of lemons? Porcupines out of watermelons? Chickens out of eggs? Crazy cool and fun, right? And as a special added touch, the team at the Gilman store location were kind enough to make us custom paletas in three flavors -- blueberry cream, apple/pineapple and fresh strawberry.

To modernize Lucas' vision of a "Wild Kratts" party, I decided to go for a more generalized animal theme, with "Go Wild" as a primary graphic element. Starting with the invitation design, I painted abstract animal patterns using simple black watercolor paint, and hand wrote "Go Wild" which would later become a logo for the party. I took a cute photo of Lucas and Judah and used it as a custom envelope liner. The envelopes were finished with matching wraparound address labels. The invitations, liner and envelopes were made with recycled paper.

For dessert, I baked a yummy red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, decorated with rainbow sprinkles and five wild animals on top.

If you've seen our other birthday parties, you know that donut holes are a Jackson family  tradition. This year's donut cones were made with the animal printed recycled paper.

Judah's parents got each birthday boy a Wild Kratts "creature power" suit as a gift. Lucas started off as "Chris" (green), but by the end of the party had traded with Judah to be "Martin" (blue).

I love this photo of Lucas testing out the t-shirt favors.  He wasn't crazy about having his photo taken, hence the pouty face. I couldn't resist. 

For the party favors, I made a giant rubber stamp of the "Go Wild" logo, and hand stamped white t-shirts in various sizes that I ordered online. Each friend got a t-shirt to wear at the party and take home. (The shirts were also handy as a change of clothes for several kids who got grubby or cake-covered during the party). 

We originally scheduled the party for Saturday, and had all the invitations printed up. We later changed it to Sunday due to Little League conflicts. I didn't want to waste the old invitations, so I cut off the old RSVP information, and used the top half to make "creature power" trading cards that accompanied each t-shirt. Each trading card had fun facts about different animals. Cute AND educational! The bottom of the invitations were used to create name tags. Big thanks to Jocelyn, Judah's mom, for ironing and packaging each shirt with a custom hand written tag!

Jeremiah (Judah's little bro) and Theo!

We also set out a bunch of animal masks which the kids loved!

Partnering up with Whole Foods Market to provide all the food and desserts was a dream! The catering team was fabulous to work with.

How cute are these "turtle sandwiches" made of turkey, cheese, cucumbers and fresh bread baked especially for us by Whole Foods Market Gilman?

As the party's main event, we had Lick Your Eyeballs present a fun, informative and hands-on animal show. They were amazing! From geckos and frogs, to a kingsnake and caiman lizard, the kids were very brave and gentle with the animals.

Elsa holds a jar of gecko egg shells.

One of my favorite ideas for the party was to make "polar bear ice," aka popsicles. There's a Wild Kratts episode called "Polar Bears Don't Dance," and I wanted the "polar bear ice" to tie into that.

The team at Whole Foods Market Gilman made custom paletas in three fruity flavors (blueberry cream, apple/pineapple and fresh strawberry). All were a huge hit on the warm day.

I designed some packaging for the pops using wax food bags, snipped at the bottom and  sealed on top with a hand lettered label. The package kept the pops from sticking together in the cooler, and also doubled as a place for the melty drips to fall. But as you can see, the package was ripped right off. Devoured in seconds!

Birthday boys waiting patiently to blow candles.

I had no idea Whole Foods Market catered kids' parties, but now I'm spreading the word because the food was spectacular, and the catering team was open to my ideas, accommodating, easy to work with, and even delivered onsite (including compostable plates, utensils, napkins and adorable cups and straws from Susty Party). Special thanks to Lizzie at Whole Foods Market Berkeley for collaborating with me, to Jocelyn and Aaron (Judah's parents), and to my husband Nick, all of whom helped make Lucas' 5th birthday party a smash! For more information about Whole Foods Market catering you can contact the team here.

+ Featured on 100 Layer Cakelet
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox.  You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

This and That Lately - All About T Ball

When we signed up Lucas for T Ball, little did I know how much time it involved. From Nick being an assistant coach, the little league parade/carnival, to banner making and games/practices every Saturday, our lives are about to be consumed in T Ball for the next two months -- and he hasn't even played his first game yet! But Lucas' excitement to be "a baseball man" is pretty priceless. Plus, a huge part of Lucas' Team Express consists of his friends from school - he's making new ones too. I love that he's learning about safety, being part of a team and what it means to be a good winner and a good loser. 

Um, how cute are 5-year old warm ups?

The Albany Little League Parade and Carnival is an annual tradition that's no joke. We're talking closed off streets led by the Albany Fire Department, banner contests, carnival with a dunk tank. Scroll down to see who gets dunked!

What a good sport Nick was to volunteer himself for the dunk tank! We were so proud of him for being such a positive force on the team and getting dunked in that freezing brown water.

GOOOOOO TEAM EXPRESS!!! WOO WOO!!!

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox. Just click here. You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Favorites: The 52 New Foods Challenge Book and Williams-Sonoma Event

Last week I got a super sweet invitation from my friend Jeanne of Shop Sweet Things (one of my favorite lifestyle blogs) to attend a private dinner at Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco's Union Square to celebrate the latest book by Jennifer Tyler Lee, an award-winning author, game creator (Crunch a Color), and healthy eating advocate. The 52 New Foods Challenge book launch party was so much fun! And even more fun was meeting Jennifer, watching her cook and getting totally inspired by her tips on how to make it fun and playful for kids to eat healthier and try new foods.

Stay tuned for an Instagram giveaway next week!

The Williams-Sonoma team really brought it together with a beautifully simple tablescape that included fresh and pickled jarred vegetables and along with fresh flowers.

Here's the lovely Jeanne introducing Jennifer. That gigantic open kitchen is a total dream!

Another highlight of the night was meeting Amanda Haas, Director of Culinary at Williams-Sonoma, founder of One Family One Meal and author of Cooking Light Real Family Food. We follow each other on Instagram so it was nice to finally meet her in person. She's such an inspiration and a total sweetie with laid back style and humor.

These Quinoa Crumble Cakes were surprisingly one of my favorite dishes of the night. I made quinoa cakes before and they did not taste anything like these! Ha! I had about 9 of these that night.

Also loved the Clay Pot (but not made in a Clay Pot) Chicken Fried Rice. Super easy to make and so good! My kids would love it so it's on my list to make soon (like this week!).

Remember to check in next week as I'll be doing an Instagram giveaway for the book!

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts updates delivered to your inbox. Just click here. You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.

Favorites: Public Mini Kids Balance Bike

One of my favorite childhood memories was riding a bike around our neighborhood. My brother, who taught me how to ride my one and only Sears Spyder Bike with rad banana seat, and I would ride around the street in the late afternoon until my mom called out that it was dinner time. Those were the days.

Needless to say, learning to ride a bike is something I really want my kids to know how to do early on. This past Christmas we decided to get Lucas a new balance bike. The previous one he had was pretty cool but didn't fit him quite right and admittedly, we didn't take him out riding enough. This time around we chose the Public Mini V Kids Balance Bike in green. How cute is it with its retro styling, bell, and leather handles and seat? After quickly adjusting it for the proper height, Lucas gave his new bike a whirl around his Nana and Grandad's flat driveway. Note: Lucas always wears a helmet when he rides, but we forgot it at home that day and figured it would be okay for him to try out his new bike in the driveway without one. I'm a staunch advocate for wearing a helmet and we love our Nutcase 8 Ball helmet.

Initially a tad too high for Lucas, Nick was easily able to adjust it to the proper height.

Of course, Theo wants to do everything Lucas does so we let him have a spin. :) Get that paci out, Theo!

Love the cotton candy sky here.

Not a fall, but Lucas saying, "I'm SO tired, mama!"

Public is offering an extra $50 off bikes with promo code SWEETHEART until February 17th and 10% off all non-sale accessories with promo code 10OFFGEAR. The Mini Kids Bikes are on sale for $99.

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+ Subscribe to receive the latest posts and Good on Paper updates delivered to your inbox. Just click here. You could also use Blog Lovin' or Feedly to follow along.