Modern trees: Designing your family

Ever look at what's available for family tree art?

There are an infinite number of companies offering different styles, sizes, colors. Many are traditional. But if you are looking for something different, here they are.

Tracing the Tribe can see these as delightful baby gifts and for any gift-giving occasion. All items in this post are very contemporary designs from Jen O'Neill, who lives in Vermont.

This tip comes from my daughter in New York who found "My Tree and Me" noted on DesignerSpongeOnline.com, a site launched in 2004, dedicated to home and product design run by Grace Bonney, of Brooklyn, New York. DSO covers student design, national and international design shows, and is updated 6-10 times a day. Find interesting store and product reviews, videos, podcasts and trend forecasting. If you are into design, or know someone who is, let them know about DSO.

Reviewed on DSO, Jen's site, My Tree and Me, provides very modern family trees.

She became interested in family history when her first child was born.

As a new mother, it felt incredible to take my place in the long line of mothers who had come before me. And in the more challenging moments, it was comforting to think that all of these generations of parents had raised children, day-by-day, year-by-year, through the highs and lows, and they made it through! I didn’t want to lose that sense of connection. By graphically interpreting our history, our family tree serves as an emotional reminder that we always have the wisdom, humor, and experience of generations to draw upon.

She hopes that in creating these modern charts, "your history and your connections will serve as a very personal form of art on your walls—one that inspires curiosity, reminiscing, and storytelling. " Jen also donates a portion of profits to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Charts come in various sizes and colorways, and can be customized for specific occasions, such as birthday or wedding date. Depending on the style selected, some can be customized to feature siblings, while others have room for only one name at the top of the tree.

Read Jen's site carefully to understand about ordering and creation of custom charts - which take about 2-3 weeks.