How do you keep a toddler (or child) entertained while they learn? (Or, keep emergency numbers or important information easily accessible for babysitters?) For kindergarteners, my sister uses magnetic message boards. I borrowed her idea to create changing art for the walls of Gates' nursery.   NOTE: The magnetic alphabet letters I used are a choking hazard; they don't pass the toilet roll test. When I start using the message boards interactively with Gates, we'll be using either a Jumbo Magnetic Foam Letter alphabet set (available in lower case as well as upper case ) or a handmade felt set .     Supplies Scissors Velcro Metal platter(s) Alphabet Letters   Instructions Test your metal platters to see if magnets will stick. (If you're buying platters at Goodwill, bring a magnet with you so that you buy the right ones. Our platters were from our wedding so we didn't purchase them specifically for this project. Half of the platters weren't usable for this project...

The trend in weddings this Spring seemed to be hand stamping. Every wedding blog had either invitations or favors that had been hand stamped by the bride and groom. As most featured type, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites on today's Type Tuesday round up.   The Inspiration (top left clockwise) : Designed by Lost Bridge Designs ; Designed by Ellie Carolus ; Designed by Kyan Ruth Gilbertson ; Designed by Chelsea Fuss ; Geometric Slabserif 712 Bodoni, designed by David Senior , featured on For Print Only ; Photographed by Candy Capro .   Hand stamping is not for the faint of heart. It's a time consuming DIY project. How do I know? We hand stamped blue and purple roses on our invitation envelopes and on all of the place cards . But, if you want to do it, and are looking for fonts that not everyone will have, look for a vintage stamp set or a couple and mix and match. Here are a few sets on Etsy that I liked.   The Finds (top left clockwise) : Stamp Set, $29.99...

Saturday night we ventured down 24th in search of sushi; we were looking forward to our first night out as a couple since Gates was born. As usual, Sushi Bistro was the happening spot. We decided to do things a little different -- go with specialty rolls -- rather than order our stock favorites.     It's often said the best guest is the one you wish didn't have to leave so soon; this was definitely true of Arwa and Todd. I was sad to see them leave last night. While here they treated us to not one but two meals out without Gates and a night out on the town (which for me turned into a full night's sleep).     We started out date night with drinks at Pops which is across the street from Sushi Bistro (we even got to see the game ending catch that sealed the win for the Giants over the A's). When our table at Sushi Bistro was ready, the host gave us a call. This is a super cool service: directs business to other local businesses and frees up the sidewalk in front of th...

For most of my childhood I wanted to be a civil engineer. My understanding of what civil engineers did was create software programs. (I'd learn at the end of my freshman year in college that I really wanted to be a software engineer (CS degree path not CE degree path).) While I no longer work as a civil engineer what I loved about it as a child is central to what I do now.     In high school, I was lucky to participate in a summer internship my junior year through Enterprise for High School Students at an architecture and engineering firm. In college, I became an engineering aide at the firm. Working in civil engineering helped motivate me to keep going when coursework got tough. When I graduated, civil engineering jobs were in short supply; I joined a high-tech start up as a technical writer. I wondered what it would be like to work as a full-fledged civil engineer, and two years after graduation landed a job as a civil engineer.   Public works projects move very slow...

Family descended on San Francisco this week from Detroit and from Portland. We welcomed Arwa and Todd by transforming our dining room (the staging area for all of our moving boxes).     Those nightstands in our temporary guest room? Camouflaged moving boxes. To give them a little class, my mom and I draped curtains from IKEA over them and topped with silver platters from our wedding.   How do you welcome guests?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

This year's resolution could best be summed up as less is more or keep it simple stupid. Maintaining three plus blogs meant quality was suffering; I wasn't happy with the photography or the writing.   In November, I combined all the blogs here - my original blog. As this is your blog as much as it is mine, I'd like to hear from you. What do you like? What do you dislike? Please take a couple of minutes to complete this five question survey.   Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.   Thank you for your support and participation! Eden

Last weekend we headed down the peninsula to San Pedro Valley Park for a birthday picnic. As our group is known to dress to impress, I chose a retro-inspired shirtdress from 1980s, paired with a red leather Liz Claiborne belt from the same period and red Palizzio sandals from the 1960s.     On Thursday, I'd been looking around for a tote large enough to hold a wrap . Unable to get a new purse in time, I chose an old ammo bag, the perfect size for all my gear. With the exceptions of my hat ( ADS Hats ) and bag ( Berkeley Surplus ), all items were purchased from Etsy sellers.   Would you repurpose military gear for a purse?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.  

This past Saturday, my blog quietly turned six. Since then I've spent some time reminiscing, looking at where we've been and thinking about where we're going. Today I share three of my favorite spots to photograph.     Empire Mine State Historic Park : I began frequenting the Empire Mine State Historic Park when my paternal grandparents retired to Grass Valley in 1994. Since that time it's become one of my favorite spots for getting away from it all. (Three of the photographs shared on this blog in 2006 were taken at the park during a brief period of unemployment.) Depending on what time of year you head up to Gold Country, Grass Valley specifically, this park has something for everyone. There are trips down into the mine. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the mine goes back in time with Living History weekends .   I especially like the park in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. I typically approach the park at Penn Gate off of East Empire Street and hik...

Most days when I'm traveling between my home in San Francisco and my office in Walnut Creek, you'll find me catching up on the blogs I follow. Here are six other blogs that I follow.     The Knotty Bride I've been a fan of Alison's since I was planning my wedding. Her personality and wry wit have me hooked. She shares all that is wrong with The Bachelor/ette Reality Shows in her lengthy recaps . I'm glued to my Twitter feed when the shows air; occasionally if a comment is too good, I'll actually cue up the episode the next day to fully appreciate her commentary. She's one of the few bloggers to feature Boudoir sessions, in addition to the typical Engagement Sessions and Love Shoots. Twitter: @TheKnottyBride . Making Magique I love purses. I came across Making Magique by diligently following a photograph of a Chanel purse from Tumblr down various alleys and dead ends on the Internet. I'm glad that I did not abandon my quest. Over the time I've fol...

Looking for suggestions on how to improve your online influence? For guidance on your Twitter influence, check out Twitter Counter .     Their Twitter Profile Checker utility offers advice about Followers, Ratio of Who You Follow to Who is Following You, and Average Tweets. The utility also "reviews" your basic information. For example, do you provide a URL where you can be reached? Have you uploaded an avatar? Do you share where you're tweeting from? Twitter Counter provides recommendations for keeping this information current. At the bottom of the report, Twitter Counter gives you a grade. Currently my overall score is 79%; I need to work on my Ratio (they recommend a ratio of 5 and mine is 3.7). Do you think Twitter is a dying social network?   Is Twitter a dying social network? If it is, does your Twitter influence really matter? Depends on who you're trying to reach and what networks they're on. Regardless of whether you care about Twitter, you should jo...

Classic TV shows continue to please. Take a look at the popularity of TV Land and its TV Land Awards. We're especially drawn to the 1960s as evidenced by the popularity of Mad Men. TV Land too runs 1960s/1970s shows. The shows they include reinforce a skewed view of "The Good Life."     How was "The Good Life" defined in the 1950s and 1960s? Television shows and advertising clue us in. TV Land airs popular 1960s/1970s television series. Those they're currently airing feature women as homemakers (Bewitched, Leave it to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show); shows from that period where women follow their dreams are absent (Laverne and Shirley, Rhoda, That Girl, The Mary Tyler Moore Show). The visual for The Good Life from this sampling of shows was a middle-class family of three (or four) where the man worked while the woman kept the house clean, cared for the children, and prepared wholesome meals.   Advertising pamphlets from the 1960s had similar messages for ...

Every place -- or most places -- that you rent have less than inspiring window treatments: offwhite blinds. Today as I sat at my desk staring out the front bay windows, dreaming (no wishing) I was somewhere else, I thought about how nice curtains with type would look.   The Finds (top left clockwise) : Letters from Paris, $7.80 per 1/2 yd (more yardage available); Travelogue, $8 per 1/2 yd (more yardage available); and Love Letters from France, $8.50 for 1/2 yd ; French Postcards, $12 per yd .   None of these options would work in our living room (all of our accent pillows are striped), but for a teenaged girl studying French or dreaming of a year abroad they're ideal.   What's on your windows?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by their respective Etsy sellers: Fabric Made , Grandma's Fabrics , Rue 51 Paris , and Trinkets in the Attic . Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

Growing up I would have been caught dead in Keds. All the cool kids had Nikes while my sister and I had Keds. If ours had sported polka dots though, my mom might have been spared some headaches.   The Finds (left clockwise) : Polka Dot Band Fedora, $9.80 ; Lauren Peasant Top by Ralph Lauren, Coral Island, $54.50 ; Polished Cotton Capris, $78 ; Keds for Madewell Polka-Dot, $62 ; Echo Handbag, $48 .   Unfortunately, these lovelies aren't available until August 9th. On the upside, that gives me time to find a cute shirt dress to pair with them.   Do you love or hate Keds?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by their respective sellers: Ann Taylor , Forever 21 , Macys , Madewell , and Nordstrom . Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

It's easy for days to run into each other, for time to slip through our fingers. Today I took a break to savor those everyday moments that I'm grateful for that can get forgotten in the hustle and bustle.     Getting the kitchen unpacked Enjoying meals at our new kitchen table Waking up with my husband next to me (thank goodness SpriteKat shares!) Working on my homework with SpriteKat for company while Gates sleeps Are you on Instagram? For more everyday moments, you can find me on Instagram @EdenHensley.   Happy Friday! Eden   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

Last March when I took Blogging Your Way , we were advised that all blogs should include a blogroll and that we should view that blogroll as we would a garden: regularly visiting the recommended blogs and pruning any broken links. More importantly we were told to tell our readers why we followed those blogs.     I haven't had a blogroll on this blog since I started combining my blogs in November. Last Thursday, Chelle of Everyday Polish tagged me in her Thursday Talkback: 11 Things post. This gave me the perfect opportunity to #FF eleven of my favorite bloggers in my 11 Things You Might Not Know About Me post and return to the task of updating my blogroll. With the exception of two blogs, I've been following most of these blogs for at least a year. Along with why I follow a blog, I've included their Twitter so that you can easily strike up a conversation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Next Friday, I'll share why I follow the other six blogs. In the meantime...

We're going to a picnic this weekend. As the weather in the Bay Area changes quickly and I get cold easily, I'm dreaming of a tote in which I can stash a wrap. My planned outfit is white with black polka dots topped with a hat with a black bow. This Kate Spade NY Horseshoe Cove Judson tote would be the perfect accent (and it's on sale!).   The Finds (left clockwise) : Lace Polka Dot Top, $14.80 ; Black Twill Shorts with Sash, $78 ; Neo Noir Fedora, $24 ; Horseshoe Cove Judson, $179 ; Polka Dot Heels, $47.99 .   I just love how Kate Spade makes the interior of their bags fun. Like my diaper bag, this tote sports hidden polka dots.   What are you doing this weekend?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by their respective sellers: Ann Taylor , Forever 21 , Kate Spade NY , ModCloth , and Nordstrom . Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

I love purses with clasps. Here are some of my favorites from my closet.     To view larger photos of the purses, visit my " purse " photostream on Flickr.   Do you pay attention to the hardware on your bags?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

Wherever you live (or work), something should bring a smile to your face each day. An assignment in an eCourse I'm taking ( Do What You Love for Life ) had us step outside our front door and capture three things that made us smile.   The three things that made me smile were all summer blooms. In June, almost every garden around our neighborhood is brimming with flowers of all kinds. Classic roses.     Camilias.     Climbing roses.   What brings a smile to your face?   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for cool packaging. Line up two products I've never tried before -- if I have no knowledge of either brand -- and I'll grab the one that's visually appealing. Imagine my delight when a package from The Honest Company arrived in the post.     Rarely does one find packaging that's so well thought out or consistent with a brand. The designer(s) of The Honest Company's packaging left no detail, no matter how small, untouched. (You can check out the actual product packaging in my " The Honest Company " Flickr photostream.) I'm highlighting the shipping box in this post as it's a brand component that many companies neglect to consider and one that I thought The Honest Company designed exceptionally well.     I typically don't look inside an empty box. When I looked inside the box from The Honest Company, I was surprised to see a thank you note.     Of course, I then examined all sides of the box as well ...

I haven't bought new kitchen towels in at least four years and I've never really put any thought into their design until now. The four designs I chose from three Etsy sellers reflect our love of cooking.     I went with Whisk and Stir from Pony and Poppy for the first set of towels. Of the three sets, these are the thickest weight -- very absorbent. In order to get the pattern to show, I need to fold the towels in thirds before I hang them. The unfortunate drawback to this is that the stripe is not visible.     The second set of tea towels are from Nesta Home (an Etsy Seller whose Beer Towels I featured in my " Tending Bar " post last Tuesday). The Essential Herbs towel set represents herbs that are frequently used in our kitchen. I especially liked how when paired side by side the text increases in size and then decreases in size (or vice verse) across the words. The weight and color of these towels were exactly what I was expecting. With the exception of R...

For me, a place isn't home until I have the kitchen sorted. Earlier this week, the furniture we chose for the breakfast area arrived (I shared the table and chair options we were considering a couple of weeks ago). With the furniture here, I had no excuse for not putting the last odds and ends away.     I dislike moving. A friend remarked that the best part about moving was the opportunity to organize everything. (I'm paraphrasing what he said badly.) Once I started putting dishes and sundries away, I understood what he meant. Looking at neatly organized stacks of dishes, drawers of utensils, shelved formula, and so on after the chaos of moving boxes was incredibly calming.     Now I may have gone a little overboard putting everything in its place; this is the largest kitchen -- besides my mom's kitchen -- that I've had in a place where I've lived.     (Can you see my retail experience rearing its head? All labels turned out and all product pulled to...

Time has been flying by. I can't believe Gates is now two months old. She's changed so much since we brought her home from the hospital.     She smiles. She tracks you with her eyes as you talk. She's expanded her vocabulary beyond six main sounds. She's finding her thumbs and/or fingers consistently to self soothe. She can propel herself three to five inches off laps and changing tables, and across play mats. She occasionally sleeps 6 to 7.5 hours at night.   Ciao Bella! Eden   Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life. In The Nursery is a monthly series, published on either the second or fourth Monday of each month, depending on whether Gates has a well baby check up or not, that chronicles Gates' growth during her first twenty four months. This series was inspired by Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely 's series for her two children: Eleanor and August .

If someone you didn't know asked you to share eleven things about yourself, would you? What would convince you? For me it came down to personality and to perceived openness.   Yesterday Chelle of Everyday Polish tagged me. Her About Me bio (changed since this post was originally published and now tamed in tone) and her Thursday Talkback: 11 Things told me all I needed to know. If you like women who aren't afraid to speak their mind and tell it like it is, you should head over to her blog and engage her in conversation (or debate). In the meantime, here are 11 things you may not know about me.   11 Things About Eden (Q&A) If you had 10 minutes to be on a popular television show, which show would it be? I'd enjoy being on Bones as a lepidopterist (an entomologist who focuses on butterflies). In eighth grade, I volunteered at the California Academy of Sciences in the Entomology Department getting to help identify and display various endangered and rare butterflies ...