One winning couple is about to receive over $10,000 in wedding services including stationery design from us at Hoot, event planning and photography!

Zach and Gina Bickel welcomed Evan into their home with lots of love and an awesome Simply Yours print.  Join us as we Follow the Print and The Bickels as they begin their journey as parents and nursery room design extroidanaires.  Enjoy these amazing photos below, compliments of Darbi G. Photography!

We think the Simply Yours print fits perfectly with this beautiful family and nursery.

A closer look!

Gina was nice enough to take the time to fill us in on her experience with Hoot and her new life as a parent!

Baby's Name: Evan Paul Bickel

Baby's Birth date: 07-08-11

Baby's Weight & Height: 10 lbs. 5 oz; 21.5 inches

Parents' Name and City: 
Zach and Gina Bickel, Overland Park, KS

1. What is the best thing about being a (new) parent? Watching how much our little guy changes day to day. It’s amazing to see him becoming more active, learning new things, and the best part – his first smile!

2. What is the most surprising thing about being a (new) parent?  How amidst all the challenging aspects (constant diaper changes, feeding schedules, and lack of sleep), we are happier then we have ever been!

3. Was it fun decorating the nursery? Definitely! I used to work at a baby boutique so I had seen lots of really adorable nurseries, which gave me lots of great inspiration for my own. I knew I wanted it to be masculine, yet still have a babyish feel. I also wanted to avoid traditional colors and patterns, so we opted for the owl fabric in fun/funky colors (brown, green, red, teal, orange, etc..). I think this print was a perfect addition and brought great personality to the room!

4. Was the Hoot Baby Print a surprise for you? If so, what did you think when you first saw it? Yes! My husband, Zach, surprised me with the print on Mother’s Day. I was not expecting it at all and was super excited! I think the best part is that my husband wrote each phrase. I love that he took the time to come up with something special/meaningful for each letter. I will never forget that this was my first mother’s day present – something I will always cherish!

6. What is the most surprising word or phrase they picked for you? I like all of the personal touches that reflect important aspects of our life- “F is for fun in Cayman” and “S is for cuddling with Stella” LOVE IT! 

7. What is your one word of advice for new parents?

It is OK if you don’t know everything! You will learn as you go and that is part of the fun!

Speaking of decorating the nursery, Gina shared a photo of Evan's nursery as well! 

Thank you so much to the Bickels for letting Hoot, Follow the Print! 

Until next time Hootettes,

ZwG

This Follow the Print is very exciting for us at Hoot Design Co.! The DeBacker family printed our very first LETTERPRESSED baby announcements! Hoot worked with the amazing girls at 1Canoe2 (more on them later!) to print these fabulous letterpress announcements, using our Simply Yours print. So little baby Mark, not only has a very special 18 x 24 print, but one of a kind announcements too.

The Simply Yours Print, printed on Mohawk Superfine paper in the 18 x 24 size

Now for the special part! Hoot offset print the inside of the announcements to save money and get some more color on these puppies! Then, the front and back were printed in a bright orange chosen by Mark's momma, Rachel. Rachel also supplied us with some amazing cardstock from Paper Source where she used to work. We think it looks just fabulous. Each announcement was hand printed on 1Canoe2's 70 year old Chandler&Price press.

ummmm....GORGEOUS

then the DeBacker family was gracious enough to fill us in on what it's like to have a new baby, and send us some adorable pics of little Mark. Thank you DeBacker fam, it has been AWESOME working with you guys...Love KGB.

Photo courtesy of: Brandy Crist-Travers of Modern Toile Photography.

Baby's Name: Mark Octave DeBacker
Baby's Birth date:  August 6, 2010
Baby's Weight & Height:  9 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches
Parents' Name and City:  Rachel and Jason DeBacker:  Alexandria, Virginia


1. What is the best thing about being a new parent?  The best thing about being a new parent is all the joy and wonderment Mark brings to our lives.  We can't get enough of him.

2. What is the most surprising thing about being a new parent?  What's not surprising about being a new parent!?  Really, we can't get over how quickly babies get strong and smart.  My husband said- he's just so much more fun as a small baby than I ever thought he would be. 

3. Was it fun decorating the nursery?  I really got into that.  It was a challenge because we didn't find out if we were having a boy or girl, so I needed to keep it neutral and still make it a fun space.  Many of the items in the room are handmade by myself, family and friends.  I wanted our baby to feel how much he is loved by our family.  You can read more about it here.

4. Where did you find the Simply Yours Hoot print?  I honestly can't remember- probably Young House Love.  I got hooked on your blog and decided I really needed Hoot help for Mark's birth announcements.

5. What is your favorite phrase on the print?  My favorite phrase is C is for Catch and Release.  Jason came up with that because he's a fly fisherman and I know he can't wait to take Mark fishing as soon as he's big enough.

6. How did you decide on letterpress announcements?  I have a fondness for letterpress.  Our wedding invitations were letterpress from Paper Source.  I think it really elevates the specialness of the text, and I wanted that to come across for Mark's birth announcement.  I can't wait to frame his announcement.

7. What is your one word of advice for new parents? Confidence!  My husband reminds me all the time.  That and to relax.
 

This Follow the Print is about Jess, a blogger who writes A Fritos Kinda Life. She and her ADORABLE daughter Lea and husband Kevin let us peak into their nursery and their lives! Thanks Jess!

The Simply Baby Print in Jill....located in the bathroom, great idea!

Jess made the mobile herself!

The adorable family on game day :)

And here are Jess's answers to our Follow the Print questions!

Baby's Name: Lea Calynn
Baby's Birth date: 9.19.09
Baby's Weight & Height: 8 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches long
Parents' Name and City: Jess & Kevin, NC


What is the best thing about being a new parent?

Before I got married, I actually thought I'd never want children. But, as time went by I yearned to be a mommy. I didn't know what to expect, though. Was I going to enjoy being a mom? Would I even be good at it? As it turns out, I love it more than anything (and I like to think I am pretty good at it, too)! Nothing compares to looking into my daughter's eyes and actually seeing myself and my husband... all in one person. Now that I know what it's like to be a mommy, I want more children!

What is the most surprising thing about being a new parent?

Honestly, the most surprising thing to me is how much I truly enjoy being a mom. My husband and I joke all the time about how we like to take our daughter places just to 'show her off'. We are such proud parents!

Was it fun decorating the nursery?

I started getting things for our nursery before I even became pregnant! Obviously I didn't know if we'd have a boy or a girl, but that was ok since I knew I didn't want a totally gender specific design. Believe it or not, my favorite color is brown so I wanted to incorporate lots of brown in the nursery. Once we found out we were having a girl, we threw in some pink accents. Since I am a very crafty person, I painted some art work, painted a toy chest and made the mobile hanging over her crib. The theme is sort of 'nature meets woodland creatures meets birdies'. I just love it!

 How did you find Hoot and the Simply Baby Print?

A friend of mine told me about them and when I visited the site I fell in love with the designs. Having something custamized just for you is such a special gift.

What is your favorite word or phrase on the print?

My favorite phrase on our print is "I is for Itsy Bitsy Spider". Lea loves that song!

What is your one word of advice for new parents?

As hard as it is to do, DON'T STRESS! I know, I know... easier said than done. But trust me, your instincts (and the baby's instincts) will kick in and take over... it you let them. Take all the advice you can get but only use what works for you and your family. Each parent, each baby and each situation is totally unique so you really have to listen to your inner voice. If something doesn't seem right or if it's just not working for your family, don't do it. Take a deep breath and try something else. Keep trying different things until you find something that does work. And, trust me... you WILL find something that works so try to relax and enjoy the journey.

This Follow the Print is especially neat. This is our second post on Mommy Blogger Morgan Shanahan, the author behind The818 blog. She supplied us with some INCREDIBLE photos of her funky, hip nursery and her cute little fam. Hoot did a Simply Yours Custom Print for the Shanahan's and their little girl Delilah. Morgan did a custom color palette, and 15 unique letters. She then framed and matted her print, and as you can see, it looks fantastic.

Morgan also supplied us with a hilarious interview. Visit her blog, and you'll see why she has become such a popular Mommy Blogger. She has a fresh, honest and edgy approach to mommy-hood, one that leaves you wanting to know more. Check out her amazing nursery and read her open interview with Hoot below. Love KGB.

very cool shadow box created by a family member for baby Delilah. I love the wedding photos too!

We actually featured this same mobile in our Mobile R O U N D U P earlier this year!

The Simply Yours Shanahan Print!

The color palette looks so perfect with the room...product of good instructions and photos from Morgan before we got started.

Very cool flash cards from Bob's Your Uncle, which look great with the Simply Yours Print I might add!

Adorable baby Delilah!

The A D O R A B L E Shanahan Fam! (check out Morgan's blog section on "Things Scott Says," I laughed out loud:)

And without further ado, Morgan's answers to our oh-so-probing questions!

Baby's Name:  Delilah George

Baby's Birthday:  October 8th, 2009

Parents' Names:  Morgan and Scott

Location: Los Angeles, California (The Valley.)



Are you a full time blogger? Um...kind of? Technically I'm a full time screenwriter who blogs and consults on the side, but there are weeks when it certainly seems that I'm doing more blogging than screenwriting. It ebbs and flows. My readers have been very understanding about my sudden absences when work heats up. I just started blogging daily for an amazing site called cargoh.com, and I am loving it. I hope the site grows and grows so I can do more with them.



How did you get started blogging? Well...I've always been a bit rambly and an over-sharer. I started the blog in January of 2009 as a new years resolution, although I post-dated some posts I had been storing in iWeb on my computer for a few months. I made a new years resolution to write every day (which I failed miserably at) and when I discovered I was pregnant about six weeks later, I slowly started blogging about that experience.  Apparently being rambly and over-sharing goes over well in the pregnancy blogosphere, prorbably because anyone who has ever hosted another human in their uterus in the digital age has sat in front of google and let their fingertips wonder WHAT IN THE HELL IN HAPPENING TO ME?!   



What is it like posting so much of your life online? Scary. Rewarding. Weird. Often I freak out and want to delete it. I've been called out by friends for over sharing, and I've been called out by readers for under sharing, so it's a really hard balance to find. Pretty much everyone I know in real life knows about my blog - colleagues, family, friends, medical professionals, and it never ceases to amaze me how many of them seem to keep up regularly, which can be quite disconcerting when your Mom's friend from work feels comfortable asking you how your postpartum stitches are healing.  



What has been the most surprising thing about blogging, reactions? Comments? Attention? It shocked the hell out of me that people started to read. At first I couldn't figure out where they were coming from. When I wrote my first post, I sent an email to 10 friends saying "I started a blog, I'm kind of embarrassed, but apparently if no one reads it there's no incentive to post." After a couple of months strangers started to comment and email me, and that was really wonderful, to see my writing have an impact on it's small audience and getting immediate feedback, because in my professional life I can work on a project for literally years without ever having a pair of non-critical eyes read it. It's an incredible outlet.


How did you decide on the Delilah's name? It was a long process that sort of clicked into place when we found out she was a girl. We'd been floating around names and had narrowed it down to three boys, three girls. When we walked out of our big ultra sound we just didn't feel like she was a "Grace" and "Olive" didn't flow as well with George, which we knew we wanted as our middle name. We kept Delilah between us and close friends and family until she was born, just in case we didn't feel like it suited her. It definitely does.



Was it hard decorating her nursery? Did you and your husband agree on how to go about it? It was hard, but also one of my favorite memories of my pregnancy. It took us forever to find inspiration, but ultimately it came from figuring out our crib, which my husband made himself and the rest of the room sort of flowed from there. Now it's our favorite room in the house. We spend hours in there, and I really feel like we've created a fun space for Dee.
 
What made you want a Simply Yours Custom Hoot Print?  We had come to a complete and total nursery progress halt when Dee was born, just short of completion, with our bare lime walls. I am a huge typography fan so when I saw the Custom prints, I knew I had found the perfect thing to complete Dee's room. I was right. I love it.



Was it hard coming up with the words and phrases? It took us a while to find our groove, but once we figured out which direction to go, it was easy peasy.



What is your favorite word or phrase on the print? I think "U is for Across the Universe" which is the song we walked down the aisle to at our wedding.



What is the most surprising thing about being a new parent? The crazy psycho baby love. I would eat her up if there were more of her.
 

Hoot is doing a very special Follow the Print this week as we go behind the scenes with Morgan Schechter, the mommy blogger of The818.

Here is a preview of her awesome nursery and the Simply Yours Custom Hoot Print we designed just for her family. Later this week we'll be showing you more pics of Morgan, her fam and of course the print, as well as an in depth interview with Morgan herself. Check out her blog! (as a non-parent, I love reading it...it's fresh and very real, trust me, you'll laugh out loud:) Love KGB.

One of my best friends, Courtney Daum, introduced me to the gorgeous Kristen Pizzolato about two years ago in Chicago. She is also one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. So when she got pregnant last year, Courtney wanted to make her the Simply Yours Custom Hoot Print as a surprise shower gift.

Courtney hemmed and hawed over the words, names and phrases for the print, and in the end we did a test print to give to Kristen at her shower, and then allowed her to make changes so that she and Mike would have exactly what they wanted for the arrival of their baby girl.

I also love the color palette we did for Kristen, we tweaked the "Jill" a little bit so that the pink was a little bit pinkier...I think it turned out great.

Kristen and Mike are originally from Chicago but moved to Los Angeles recently when Mike was recruited to play for the LA Galaxy. So needless to say, there are a lot of Chicago references, and S is definitely for soccer baby:)

Congrats on your BEAUTIFUL baby girl guys, I hope I can meet her soon in person. Love KGB.

close up of the print so you can get a good look!

And here's what Kristen had to say about little Keira.

Baby's Name: Keira Leigh Magee
Baby's Birth date: March 23, 2010
Baby's Weight & Height: 8lbs and 21 inches
Parents' Name and City: Kristen and Mike - Manhattan Beach, CA


What is the best thing about being a new parent? It is the most surreal experience, every day is a new day and we fall deeper in love with our little baby girl.

How did you choose the baby's name, was it hard? We've always thought Keira was a pretty name and first heard it because of Keira Knightly the actress! And the middle name Leigh has been passed down in my family!

What is the most surprising thing about being a new parent? How fast Keira is growing! Her personality comes out more and more each day. Making her smile and hearing her coo's are the most exciting!

Was it fun decorating the nursery? We had just moved into a new house while I was 9 months pregnant so decorating the nursery was quickly mixed into the whirlwind of Keira's arrival... but it has been very exciting to see everything as it comes together!

Was the Hoot Baby Print a surprise for you? If so, where did you receive it and what did you think? It was! My best friend Courtney put it together and picked up on our nicknames for family members to incorporate into the print. She gave it to us at our shower and I was completely surprised and emotional when I read through it the first time. We were in awe and could not believe how thoughtful it was!

What is the most surprising word for phrase they picked for you? We were just surprised with how wonderful our family members fit in with the whole theme.

What is your one word of advice for new parents? take too many pictures! so you can remember each moment

Thanks Kristen & Mike and congrats again!

This Follow the Print is about the adorable Garino Family out of Chicago. I met them at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago last year, and they ordered the Level Two Simply Yours Print. And boy did they need all 26 letters:) I think this might have been one of the most intricate Custom Prints I have ever done! It was so fun working on theirs because of ALL of the family members they were able to squeeze in. Beth and Ryan were so creative about getting the most use out of every letter, and it makes the print all the more special for them! We also printed 200 cards for them using their family's work of art, and they kept them blank on the inside. It is such a good way to show your personalized alphabet to your family and friends, and leaving them blank gives you the most flexibility.

I was wondering where they came up with "W is for Wowie Zowie," but as soon as they opened the door for me to deliver the print, their little boy Gabriel yelled out "WOWIE-ZOWIE!" It was so cute! Also see the incredible framing and matting job they did with their print, I am definitely holding on to these pics to show future clients how to really make the print pop off of your wall!

Scroll through to see Beth's hilarious answers to our curious questions, my favorite is definitely the last one:)

So thank you Garino family for letting me into a little bit of your life, and thank you for these AMAZING photos from Courtney Van Alice Photography.

Kids' Names: Gabriel Emilio (4 ½ years old); Theodore Americo (8 months)… we call them Gabe and Theo           
Parents' Name and City: Elizabeth & Ryan Garino, Chicago IL

1. What is the best thing about being a  parent?  Being viewed by my sons as the most beautiful person in the world, even when I haven’t slept or showered in days and I’m still lugging around 10 extra baby pounds.

2. What is the most surprising thing about being a parent? How cunning little kids are!!

3. How did you go about decorating the playroom?  Ha!  If by decorating, you mean conducting interior design by triage… seriously though, we tried to go with a simple palate that would grow with them.  I really like teal blue and have it in almost every room of my house, so we made that the accent color in the playroom.  We installed FLOR carpet tiles because they are durable and versatile (big stain that won’t come out?  Just replace a foot of carpet!).  We also had a mural of a map of the world painted on a blank wall and used magnetic primer on that area, so when my son gets a postcard, we stick on some magnetic tape and put it on the appropriate place on the map.  We set up the playroom in two sections--a larger area for floor play (building, cars, etc) and a smaller area with the couch and TV and a plush carpet for watching movies and for the baby to crawl around on… so far it has worked out great!

4. What did you think when you first saw YOUR Hoot Print?  I was really impressed with how it turned out.  It is so fun and reminds me of so many favorite parts of our family.  It is the perfect welcome to our playroom!

5. Was it hard picking out the words or phrases?  Not at all!  It was a fun little activity.

7. What is one of the funniest things you've heard one of your kids say?  “I understand Mommies are mommies because they carry the baby in their bellies, and God is God because he makes all the people… but what makes a daddy a Daddy?”  Gabe at age 3, while I was pregnant with Theo.  I was SO not ready to have the birds and the bees talk at age THREE!
 

Thanks again Garino's! Have a great weekend everyone! Love KGB.

Today's Follow the Print is about the ADORABLE Chatterton Family. David and Sarah Chatterton just had their second baby, Beatrix in January. (Winn is her lucky older brother:) We did a Custom Hoot Print for them that hangs in the dining room of their house....surrounded by other family photos.

They are the cutest and neatest family, with an incredible house too! Their nursery for little Beatrix is so cozy and cool, I could have stayed in there all day:) And I was obsessed with their paper crane mobile by the artist Sonya Nicholson of Sonya Bird who inspired the Mobile Roundup earlier this week. (notice the cranes are made from old maps!) This is the perfect example of a hip mobile that parents and kids alike can appreciate.

Enough of that though, enjoy the pics from their super cool nest and their response to our questions about parenting!

Kids' Names: Winn Thomas and Beatrix Ann Chatterton
Kids' Birth date: 3/24/08 and 1/4/10
Parents' Name and City:  David and Sarah Chatterton Columbia, Mo.


1. What is the best thing about being a parent? How much you love your kids. People can tell you about it but until you experience it yourself, words just don't do it justice. Its magical.

2. What is the most surprising thing about being a parent? David : How getting pooped on does not bother you.
Sarah: How little you shower/sleep and how you still make it work.

3. Was was your favorite part about putting the nursery together? The room came together with the help of friends and family.  We borrowed the crib and reused Winn's bedding, my parents picked out the chair and curtains!  It is my favorite room in the house, it is a perfectly peaceful place.

4. Was the Hoot Baby Print a surprise for you? If so, what did you think when you first saw it? Yes, It was a Christmas gift. I cried and cried!!!

5. Who gave you the print? Good friends and clients.  Jill Graham and Susan Mcwilliams

6. What is the most surprising word for phrase they picked for you? I was most surprised by Yai Yai. That's what we called our grandmother, she was very important in my life, and I miss her very much.  

7. What is your one word of advice for new parents? Stay calm and relaxed.... No really, TRY  to stay calm and relaxed...and sleep when your baby sleeps

8. What is one of the funniest things one of your children has said? David loves the way Winn says Awesome...Winn totally draws out the word and sorta sings the beginning...like awwwwwesome....too cute.  I love the fact that before Winn was born I would say things like "I didn't want to say No in front of him because I didn't want a child who said No all the time"....No was pretty much his first word....nothing like high expectations for parenting....
 

So this Follow the Print is about some of our very good friends, The Bickel Family. Whitney gave birth to little Taylor November 1st of 2009...and she is the prettiest little girl EVER!

Josh surprised Whitney with the Simply Yours Custom Print at a baby shower we had for them in the late summer. The colors were based on their nursery and bedding, and now permanently reside in the Julian Simply Baby Print! The perfect color palette for the "surprise" in the delivery room.

Whitney also had some BEAUTIFUL pregnancy pictures taken by the wonderful Hazelton Photography. They are gorgeous, I love how emotional they are.

I also love their nursery:) It turned out so cute and comfy with light greens and blues. It is nice when you wait to find out the sex of your baby so you don't get flooded with pink and blue EVERYTHING before the peanut even arrives.

Their Simply Yours Custom Hoot Print:

Some ADORABLE pics of the family and little Tay today.

I LOVE the swimsuit pic!!

And here is what Whitney had to say about being a new parent.

Baby's Name: Taylor Madison Bickel
Baby's Birth date: November 1, 2009
Baby's Weight & Height: 7 lbs 14 oz. 20.5 inches
Parents' Name and City:  Josh & Whitney Bickel, Chicago IL

What is the best thing about being a new parent?
Seeing her smile each morning, makes you feel like your doing a good job as a parent...  melts my heart!

What is the most surprising thing about being a new parent?
What lack of sleep does to you...  some nights are very confusing.  Can't remember when we woke, fed, etc...

Was it fun decorating the nursery?
Decorating the nursery was hard for us because we did not know the sex.  However, I would not have done it any other way.  The "surprise" after labor was worth it!

Was the Hoot Baby Print a surprise for you? If so, what did you think when you first saw it?
The gift was a surprise for me, my husband knew about it. I teared up when I got it. Kristen you have created such a thoughtful/personal gift and and I was so flattered you made this for us!

What is your favorite word for phrase they picked?
I like the phrases that include my daughters great grandma's because she is so lucky to have two in her life on top of everyone else that loves her.

What is your one word of advice for new parents?
If you plan to breast feed...  give an additional bottle of formula each day so that when you go to wean the baby off the breast, the process is not so hard.

THANKS BICKEL FAM! Miss you:)