Ask Design Mom — File Cabinets

Ask Design Mom Question:
I was wondering if you could recommend some websites that sell attractive file cabinets. Specifically, I am looking for a vertical 4 drawer unit that will be visible from my open family room. We live in a condo. Maybe something silvery and retro? Many thanks — Elissa

Design Mom Answer:
Hi Elissa. Thanks for the question! Here are a few ideas. If you're looking for silvery and retro, ebay or college surplus sales are a good place to start. In fact, one of the pieces of furniture we left behind in New York was an old-school, Steelcase, 4-drawer filing cabinet that I picked up at a university surplus sale for $10. Woot! And then spray painted black. (We've since switched to file boxes stored in a closet — in case you're curious.)



If I was to do it again, after hunting down an older file cabinet, instead of painting it, I would take it to a metal shop and have it stripped and polished to look like one of the beauties from The Old Cinema pictured above.

Want something new? I think the Precision Kurve cabinets from Metalon are very good-looking.

Feeling a DIY moment coming on? You could buy a standard cabinet from Staples and customize. Decoupage? Huge shipping stencils? Giant magnets?



What about you, Dear Readers? Seen any good-looking file cabinets lately? How do you like this wall of extra-tall file drawers — as seen in Jill Brown's store. Lovely, no?

A Bedroom for Two Sisters

Just days before we left New York, I stopped at my friend Kathryn's house to snap some photos of her daughters' bedroom. I intended to post a little house tour on Cookie. And then (sadly) Cookie was no more. : (

Browsing through iPhoto this morning, I came across these pictures and remembered how darling this room is. Kathryn loves shopping. Kathryn loves all things vintage. And Kathryn is really good at shopping for all things vintage. Plus, she has a fantastic eye. In fact, I bet that Kathryn could open an etsy shop, sell off every item in this room and fill it up again from the goodies in her garage.

What about you, Dear Readers — do you have a friend like Kathryn? Someone that's really good at visual displays? Someone that can find the hidden gems at any estate sale? Man. I miss Kathryn.

P.S. — If you have similar talents to Kathryn, but live in Denver, please make friends with me — I need a shopping buddy who knows all the good sources.

Ralph's Bedroom

I promised Ralph we would work on making his room super cool. What if we started with a big oversize music poster — like these I saw on Apartment Therapy. Cool right? And maybe add in a couple of these amazing pillows from Erin Flett that I spotted on Decor8.



Dear Readers, did you ever collect records? My brother had a collection and I loved looking at the covers. CDs and cassette tapes could never compare — they don't have enough real estate.

Kantha Throws

Dear Colorado, I have been cold since October. Please send one of these gorgeous Kantha Throw Blankets (made from vintage saris) to warm me up. kisses, Gabrielle

via A Little Sussy

Gleena Ceramics

I'm pretty much enamoured with these wee tea cups by Gleena Ceramics. Made to order with the letter of your choice.

Holiday Giveaway #12 — Old Town Imports

Giveaway number twelve is sponsored by Old Town Imports — everybody's favorite source for elegant, sophisticated serving pieces. And the prize is stunning — you could win the Grand Punch Bowl with Ladle. The lines and proportions are quite perfect, don't you think? (You can see more pics here.)

I'm pretty much in love with this and have added it to my wishlist. FYI: the punch bowl retails for $190.



This is exactly what you need to throw the most wonderful Christmas party ever. Can't you just imagine it full of some gorgeous cranberry punch concoction?

Bonus: Design Mom Readers can use discount code: DESIGNMOM for 10% off your entire purchase throughout December. Plus. Old Town Imports is offering free shipping on orders over $75 every day (you can even use both discounts). Nice. They have all sorts of pretty things. Here's a peek:



Leave a comment to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Find out more about Holiday Giveaway Week here.

---------------

Congratulations to Kand/orK! You are the lucky winner. Happy holidays!

Ask Design Mom — Dinner Help

Ask Design Mom Question:
Dear Design Mom, dinnertime and menu making is my nemesis. How do you handle your dinner planning? — Margo

Design Mom Answer:
Oh Margo. This is a question I should be asking. Dinner is my nemesis too! Tonight we ate spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread — so exotic. I have a few suggestions, but I'll mostly leave this to my Dear Readers, who no doubt will give you excellent advice.

1) Look for blogs and websites that post weekly menus. My lovely sister-in-law Erin posts hers occasionally (all menu links are in her sidebar). And there are other great menu sites as well.

2) Look for recipe books that focus on fast or simple dinners. Martha Stewart just published one called Dinner at Home. Her company sent me a copy and the first recipe I tried was #3:

Roast Salmon and Potatoes
Mustard-Herb Butter
Haricots Verts with Tapenade

We used green beans instead of Haricots Verts and skipped the Tapenade, but otherwise, made it as directed and it was a big winner with the whole family. Plus, it really was easy and fast. Plus also, since it's a Martha Stewart book, it's really beautiful to look at.

Dear Readers, how do you handle meal-planning, menus and dinner ideas?

--------------

Note from Design Mom:
Hey Friends! My inbox is still crazy full of Ask-Design-Mom questions. So instead of waiting a few months and then hosting another Ask-Design-Mom-Week, I thought I'd try dedicating Mondays to your questions. If I get feedback that no one is into it, I'll definitely rethink. — kisses, Gabrielle

Moose

Going through my email this morning I found this image. A moose light. It made me happy. Doesn't it seem like a good fit for a house in Colorado? What do you think. Would this work in any of the rooms in your house? From Atelier Abigail Ahern.

Ask Design Mom Week — Playroom Mats

Question:
Have you ever put together a play room for an infant learning to crawl and walk? I'm looking for something for the floor. I've been looking at Jigsaw Mats but wondered if you've ever come across anything a little nicer looking. Thanks. — Sarah



Answer:
Fun to put together a playroom! Those jigsaw mats look cute, but I think an easy upgrade would be Flor tiles. They come in dozens and dozens of patterns, thicknesses and colors. And they are designed to be easy to care for. In fact, with some of Flor's options, if you have a spill, you can just pick up the individual tile and run it under the sink. Nice.

In the Room To Grow article I designed for Parents Magazine, we used Flor's circular rug kits and they were adorable.

Dear Readers, what do you like on your playroom floor?

Ask Design Mom Week — Salt & Pepper Shakers

Question:
I am in the market for salt and pepper shakers. I'm looking for something small and preferably not in the shape of a little person or animal (wink). I figured you would have a great recommendation for something stylish and chic. If they make "chic" for the salt and pepper crowd. Thanks. — Cari



Answer:
Ooooh. Salt & Pepper shakers. I haven't shopped for these in at least a decade. Fun to think about new ones! If you're looking for small and not-kitchy, my first instinct is to stop in at a place like DWR or the Conran Shop.

I like a classic diner shape, like the one pictured. But I just stopped by DWR and found these little silver ones. Chic, no?

What about you Dear Readers? Seen any great salt & pepper sets lately? Please leave a link in the comments.

J Caroline Home Giveaway - EXTENDED

NOTE FROM DESIGN MOM: This Giveaway was supposed to end yesterday (10/5), but my site was super-wonky over the weekend and yesterday too. So I'm extending it for another day. I'll announce the winner tomorrow. I promise. I've moved this to the top so you can find it easily. But there's NEW CONTENT just below. I hope you'll scroll down. : )

------------------------------------

Are you loving this week of pregnancy-related posts? Me too. So much fun, right? And here's some more fun. For today's giveaway I've got a collection of beautiful items from J. Caroline Home up for grab. Pillows and ottomans and chair covers — and YOU get to pick the fabrics! Which is custom. And custom is awesome. Also. Did I tell you this collection is worth over $200?!



One lucky winner will receive:
-Ikea Child's Poang Chair
-Chair Cover in fabric of your choice
-Small Cylinder Ottoman in fabric of your choice
-Small Cube Ottoman in fabric of your choice
-One small personalized pillow in fabric of your choice

So many happy patterns and colors — what a treat to browse the collections. Leave a comment to enter. I'll pick a winner on Monday, October 5th (Extended! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, October 7th). BONUS: get an awesome 20% discount on your J Caroline Home purchases by using the code DESIGNMOM at checkout. Sweet!



Yay for J Caroline Home and yay for giveaways!

----------------

Update: Congratulations to Suzanna H! You are the lucky winner. Have fun picking out your favorite J. Caroline Home fabrics.

Mormor Kitchen Series

In another life, I will have a kitchen that's all white with a little bit of blue. And I will fill it with things like this from the Danish Mormor Series.

Mika Nash Prints

I think these prints by Mika Nash, titled Crayons, Mountains and Trees, would be fun to design a room around.

Eco-Me Cleaning Supplies

Eco-me, a company offering mix-your-own-cleaning-supply-kits for home, body, baby and pets, has come out with a new pre-mixed line featuring simple ingredients. No, I mean REALLY simple ingredients — think vinegar, baking soda and olive oil.

Has anybody tried these? The packaging is pretty. I'd love to know your thoughts on how well they clean.

Wild Thing Mural

The internet just delivered something wonderful to my inbox. A time-lapse video by Grassroots Modern of a Where The Wild Things Are mural being painted on a bedroom wall. (For the record, I didn't intend to focus on Where The Wild Things Are this week, but sometimes themes just happen.) The mural artist is Tony. You can see still images of the mural here.

Time lapse films are pretty freaking awesome, don't you think? I never seem to tire of them.

Thanks for the link, Azucar!

Th Big Boy Room from Creede on Vimeo

Harvest

I'm late to blogging today, but how can I sleep without getting my creative fix? Blogging...oh how I love thee.

I saw this little "ode to a summer garden" on Sugar City Journal and fully related. Our decent-sized garden spot has been a study in neglect this year. The tomatoes are still arriving in all their glory. The cucumbers were glorious. But almost everything else has suffered at our out-of-town-too-much hands.

How goes your harvest? I'm still holding out for some decent mini-pumpkins...

Mirrored Stairs

Just got a dose of inspiration from these beautiful stairs. Via etc.

Spotted on Kirtsy via the amazing MaryEliz.

I Dream of Izze

This is what the top shelf of our refrigerator looks like just after we get home from the grocery store. We heart Izze at the Blair House (peach is my personal favorite). Seeing the pretty colors makes me happy every time I open the door.

Alphabet Drawing

Cute alphabet print by Denver artist, Chris Gregori.

Ooooh. Just thinking. There are so many cute alphabet prints floating around out there — I should do an Alphabet Artwork Roundup.

Ladybug Art

Still putting together more details in the toddlers' room. Check out these darling handpainted hangers from Ladybug Art. They have lots of options, but I had to have the dinos. So cute!

Stackable Fridge

It's Lego meets Electrolux. Stackable fridges in great colors. Adorable. Makes me want to kit out a dorm room.

Via Inhabitat. Thanks for the link, Salem.

Well Hello August.

Hello Friends! How was your weekend?

A few of you (read: really, just my mom) will be happy to hear that The Rocking Chair Project — after stalling in July, what with all the travel, conferences, etc. — resumed full speed on Saturday. Three out of seven have been purchased. And it looks like I'll have two more by tonight. Bonus: we're well under the $50/chair budget. Sweet!

Every one is a different shape and size. Each one more charming than the next. Once I have all 7 in my possession, I'll start painting. Can't wait to share photos! Also fun — on Saturday, Ben Blair and I had our first Five Guys meal. Which was, yes, delicious. How about you? Anything fun happen in your life over the weekend?

image from This Might Change Your Life

Mae's Fabric Wall Stickers

Here's something new and cool. Instead of vinyl wall stickers, these beauties from Mae's etsy shop are made from fabric. And they're completely reusable. Renter's rejoice! You can bring these with you when you move.

Sent in by Eliza, (who asked me not to link to her blog, but swears the wall stickers are the bomb).

Copper Baths

Ooooh. Beautiful, free-standing copper bathtubs.

Trendex Home Giveaway

I'm in Chicago. Blogging it up at BlogHer. Help me celebrate all that is good in the bloggity blog world with this giveaway. You could win a $150 gift certificate to Trendex Home by leaving a comment below. How rad is that? $150 to spend on floral tablecloths, beaded napkin rings, or to stock up on cloth napkins. You'll be throwing dinner parties (may I suggest fondue?) left and right. Yay!



Thanks to Trendex Home for offering up this generous prize. Have fun browsing the pretty fabrics and accessories — imaging the sophisticated table you'll set. Leave a comment to enter. I'll announce a winner when I'm back at my desk on Monday. Bonus! Get 15% off at Trendex with code: DESIGN.

------------------

UPDATE: Congratulations Amber Larson! You are the lucky winner. Yay!

Thinnerware

I just read an email about a line of dishes called Thinnerware and I'm kind of fascinated. The dishes are good-looking, and they have measurements disguised in their design. So for example, inside the bowl, the lowest green stripe measures 1/2 cup, the next stripe measures 1 cup and the top stripe measure 1 1/2 cups.

An interesting way to be aware of the portions you're eating, without pulling out the pyrex. Is it great? Is it a gimmick? Is it a pretty gimmick? Thoughts?

You can find out more about Thinnerware here. Thanks for the link, Sharon.

Goldfish

I wanted some artwork to hang over Oscar's and Betty's beds so I consulted with my kids and Ralph suggested a really big painting of a goldfish. I loved the idea. It's bright. It's gender neutral. It's friendly. Perfect. So we made one.


Ralph drew a sketch of what he had in mind. I bought a 40 x 30 canvas at Guiry's for $19.


We used acrylic paints — water cleanup makes them easy for kids to work with.


Based on Ralph's drawing, we sketched directly on the canvas.



And then everybody had a turn painting.

We think it turned out great (and extra big thanks to Ralph)! How about you?

I haven't done much painting since college and don't really know what I'm doing. I was wishing my mom (who is currently on a mission in Russia) was here directing this project.

P.S. — I haven't forgotten the post about how to build the toddler beds. Still working on getting some better images...

Our Beloved Red Shelf

I've been working on Oscar and Betty's bedroom this weekend and I love how it's coming together. Things we did:

-Built and upholstered two toddler beds (expect an awesome how-to post about this coming soon.)
-Painted a big canvas to hang over their beds.
-Sewed some toddler size duvet covers.
-And repaired our beloved red bookshelf.

I had this shelf built when Ralph (now age 11) was one and Maude (now age 10) was 6 months old. We had just purchased a tiny little house and the baby's bedroom was a little nook on the attic floor. I saw a larger version of the shelves in a Neiman Marcus catalog but couldn't afford them, so I had a set built — with the scale of a smaller house in mind. There is something so wonderful about showing up to a carpenter with a sketch and a photo and seeing what happens.

I just wish I could remember the carpenter's name, because if memory serves, he only charged me $100. For reals. And it's just about the cutest piece of furniture a person could own.

Sears Design Summit

The Design Summit I attended yesterday in Chicago is on my mind. Sears and Kmart have committed to step up design and quality across the board in their home departments. And they're living by that commitment. They've assembled a world-class design team — bringing in people from Pottery Barn, from Ralph Lauren Home, from Martha Stewart — and it clearly shows in the new lines.

Plus. They launched a site called Kmart Design with a nicely-done series of videos showing the design team's process, including trips to Paris and New York for trendspotting. I was impressed. Fo shizzle.

My favorite things:

1) Table top in the Country Living line is terrific. There were like 10 different french-looking mugs I was coveting.

2) There is a fantastic lamp with an oversize shade in the Ty Pennington collection that I fell in love with.

3) They purposefully coordinated colors across the Sears and Kmart lines. Meaning, the red throw pillow in the Sears Country Living line will match the red striped sheets in the Kmart Country Living line. So smart! And such a benefit for consumers. Makes it easy to mix and match and stick to a budget.

4) Getting to see their full design process. From seeking trends. To making inspiration boards. To seeing the cad drawings of the designs that came from the inspiration boards. To seeing actual samples of fabrics. Very cool.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how these new product lines are displayed in store, imagining how that will change and improve the shopping experience. You can find lots and lots more photos on my flickr page here.

Stephanie Levy

Loving the sunny collage work of Stephanie Levy. See her portfolio here. And her etsy shop here.

I want this one. It's little (about 6" x 6") and the price is a bargain ($35) for original artwork. It would be lovely in a square, white frame.

Do You See What I See?

The cherries are starting to ripen.

Both Ben Blair and I grew up with cherry trees in our yard. And we both have parallel memories of cherry pit spitting contests. Cherries feel like summer. What are your summer foods?

A New Trowel

Last night's main course was a vast salad which included greens and sugar snap pees from our own backyard. It reminded me that I never regret time and effort spent attempting to grow food. So after dinner, we gathered the kids and used the rest of the evening to weed the garden spot. Then we ate Grandma Jenny's famous slush for a treat (which tastes a lot like someone froze a carton of pine-orange-banana juice).

Thing I learned: my trowel is a piece of junk and must be replaced. Possibly with the beauties pictured above from Labour & Wait.

Print*Pattern*Paper

Print*Pattern*Paper is offering 3 new posters that are worthy of note. A drenched-in-color world map. Plus friendly Number and Alphabet posters — both are successfully gender neutral. They are big, well-priced, and as always, made with 100% recycled heavyweight paper and soy ink — they'd look great in nurseries and playrooms everywhere.

18x24 for $42 or a bit smaller at 11x14 for $32.

Pick out your own poster at a discount. Use coupon code P3THANKS to get 20% off. (Code expires 7/15/09.)

Cannot See

Isn't this blind-embossed print neat?

What you need
but cannot see
is right in front of you.

18 x 24 inches. Available at Jen Khoshbin's shop.

What Once Was — by Guest Mom Stacy

Seven Smooches was founded on pieces made from repurpose fabrics. This was not our sole purpose. It just sort of happened. We felted sweaters, cut them up, made tiny new sweaters & hats. Then we brought in vintage buttons — so much prettier & more interesting than the standard new ones. We were being green without really trying. How au currant! Unintentional, but a great side effect.

I didn’t really realize that I have often been drawn to repurposed things, not solely for their environmental friendliness, but for their beauty. Pure & simple.

My husband is from south Africa and we have had the privilege of traveling there a couple of times. So many amazing things to see — and take home! One of my favorite finds had a previous life. The plastic bag animals really came into being after plastic bags were banned in cape town. The bags were a litter nightmare, blowing all over & into the ocean. But with some wire & a crafty hand, they became these amazing little creatures we had to bring home! I still recall stopping on the side of a very slanty road, bartering with a man until we ended up acquiring nearly all of his animals for sale. They were the exact treats I wanted to bring back to my family and friends at home, not to mention keep in my house forever.

The chickens are available online here.

Rocking Chair Project

So this house we're renting comes with a pretty fantastic yard. There are mature fruit trees — cherry, apple and peach. Two strawberry patches and a raspberry bramble. An herb garden. Lots of good cutting flowers. A large garden spot (large for suburbia anyway) which we've planted with tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, melons, pumpkins, salad greens and beans. Plus a good sized patio/deck with an awning.

We left our outdoor furniture behind in New York and have yet to replace it. In lieu of the traditional table and benches, I'd like to fill our patio with an assortment of rocking chairs instead. I'm thinking 7 mis-matched rockers in bright colors. I've set a budget limit of $50 per chair and now I'm hunting them down.

On Saturday I found a great turquoise rocker in metal for $75 that I hope to barter down this week. And a squatty, bright yellow one in front of a costume store. It wasn't for sale, but if I show up with cash, maybe they'll change their minds?

I'm willing to add a coat of paint to a non-descript rocker, or embellish with colorful cushions, but I do want to challenge myself to keep to the $50 per chair budget. If you've seen any rad rockers around, please let me know.

Also: if you live in the Denver metro area and know of a trustworthy upholsterer, I'd love a recommendation. Please. Pretty please?

image from kitby

Books by Color

Last night, we organized the book shelves in the living room by color — they've been so drab every time I walked by, I'm hoping this will be the fix. You like?

Other than that, it feels like a funny day. I wonder what's up? We returned an air mattress at Target. Then bought a new lamp shade. And some light bulbs. I went grocery shopping. We made cinnamon rolls (the super easy Rhodes version).

Now all I want to do is watch movies until it's time for bed.

Feel free to join me. Happy weekend!

Family Tree

Ben Blair's cousin, John Groberg, has come up with a cool new online service. Take the pile of ancestral photos you've been collecting, and use Geneartogy to turn them into an elegant family tree — printed, delivered to your door, ready to be framed. Wouldn't Martha be proud?

If you'd love to make such a display but don't know how to start, take a minute to read John's advice:

"You might feel intimidated at the prospect of collecting all the photos, names and dates. Don't be. You do not need to have everything assembled before you start. Just start with what you have — even if it is only your parents, then add more as you go. We store it all on our site and you can log in and work on your project whenever you want from wherever you are. If there are a few photos that just aren't available, don't let that stop you either. You can input the names and dates and use an attractive looking male or female silhouette (which we provide) in the photo place."

There are currently 3 templates to choose from and Geneartogy is looking to add more. If you're a graphic designer and would like to design additional options, contact John through his website — I know he's looking to hire.

I'm such a fan of any family photo displays. I totally think I'm going to try this.

Vintage Printable

Friends! Find of the year!!!

Vintage Printable has FREE high resolution images of botanicals, architectural prints, old travel posters, and all sorts of other lovely things (like the two examples above). There are dozens and dozens, maybe hundreds and hundreds are gorgeous options. The illustrations are curated by Swivelchair, an anonymous biopharma worker.

To be clear, the images have a high enough resolution, that you can print them up poster size and they'll still look great — not pixelated or fuzzy.

Print one out on the oversize printer at your local copy center, then frame it in a ready made option and you've got fantastic wall art on the cheap. See a great example here.

Sent in by Laurie who spotted it on I Suwannee.

Work Spaces that Work For Both Moms and Kids — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

For my last post as Guest Mom, I'm going to tackle a big one: work-at-home-space. This year I moved my studio back to the house and the topic is on my mind. As any working mom knows, it’s sometime hard to balance home life with work life. But striking that delicate balance is all the more difficult when there is no defined line between home and work. The most important design tip I can offer moms who work at home is to find a way to incorporate your kids into your work space. They will be less apt to interrupt if you give them something to do, and a place to do it in. Kids like to feel included and there are creative ways to do that.

Once you've established your work area, it’s a good idea to add a toy desk for your kids. There are quite a few space-efficient and attractive options out there, like the Klick desk and chair set. If you don’t have enough space to offer them their own desk, then reserve a special spot at your desk. Another great multi-purpose solution is a daybed. If your work space permits, a day bed is a great way to accommodate overnight guests. Otherwise it makes an excellent spot for kids.



More ideas:
-I like to put aside a special box full of crayons and pens so that they can do their homework beside me as I work.

-In my office, I have a grass cloth tack board where I keep my ideas and reminders. One side of the board is reserved for my stuff, while the other is reserved for my daughters.

-Similarly, we have a marker board in the office. One side is for my drawings and measurements. The other side is for the girls. -When the kids do come into the office, I can keep them busy by giving them a “job” to do — little design tasks that (hopefully) keep them busy and buy me valuable time to catch up with work.

It's been a great week! Thanks for the comments, questions and feedback. Thank you to Gabrielle for having me. Last question goes to you: What are your best ideas for managing work-at-home-space?

My Daughters' Bedrooms — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I love to design kid’s spaces because there is a lot more room for whimsy and daring. When I was designing my daughters’ rooms, it was an exercise in balance. I wanted them to feel empowered to make design decisions (they are after all two very creative little souls), but I also wanted to make sure that their rooms flowed with the rest of the house.

We started with by defining color palette: one that the girls loved, and one that also fit with the rest of house. From there we chose complimentary but distinct wallpaper patterns as the base of the design.



The next major step was choosing the right bed. Both girls wanted “cananopies,” as they called them, so we had to figure out how to give them two similar but, again, distinct canopy beds. For the elder, we chose a vintage bed. For the younger, I custom designed a high canopy bed for the tight space; the large pot drawers below provide extra storage.

Next we considered durability. We chose furniture and finishes that are non-toxic, but also multi-functional. We also kept in mind the fact that kids use their spaces heavily — there was no reason to spend a fortune on something like bedding. We took a standard coverlet from Bed Bath and Beyond and added a bit of appliqué. Suddenly, we had what looked like custom bedding at a very budget-friendly price.

And since it’s important to me to instill a sense of heritage, I mixed in family heirlooms with the new features. We put a vintage French vanity that has been in my family for years in my younger daughter’s room as her desk. And my elder daughter has my grandmother’s rocking chair in her room.

The result is two similar but distinct rooms that are fun and youthful, yet quite timeless. We hope the girls will enjoy them for years to come.

Trash to Treasure DIY — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I don't know about you, but for me, Spring brings out the urge to turn the house upside down for a yearly purge. As I'm hauling things out to the curb I have to remind myself: don't be too quick to throw away the stuff you find in your garage — remember to keep your eye out for hidden treasure.

Some of my favorite trash-to-treasure projects so far (pictured above — click to enlarge the pic):

-I turned an old bank door handle that I bought years ago from an online auction into a new towel rack for our guest bathroom. A new coat of nickel plating and presto, it’s good as new.

-I found a group of old lamps from the seventies in storage and were able to revive them as Mediterranean-esque sconces for a client’s bathroom.

-I took vintage Moroccan lanterns and replated them with nickel. One made the perfect hanging fixture for a regal bathroom for a client. The other two were hung in my own kitchen.

-I also love to mix modern and vintage so when I found some amazing old claw foot bathtub pedestal feet, I refurbished them and used them in my master bath. They go really well with the clean lines of the modern cabinetry.

-It’s also relatively simple to take a tired old chandelier and give it new life with a few simple touches.

-And you can easily re-invent something by simply changing its function. I found a vintage Lucite umbrella stand ages ago but have recently started using it in our bathroom as a toilet paper holder.

Are you a trash-to-treasure kind of girl? Any success stories?

Table Project Update

More sneak peeks of the table project!

Isn't it amazing? It's enormous. And weighs 300 pounds or so. I love it so much! I know I owe more details and sources — a full post with more pics is coming. Now. Do I leave it as is? Or try to age it to look like this one?

Reincarnated Kids Furniture — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I think being a mom, and understanding moms’ needs, actually makes me a much better designer. When choosing furniture for kids (my own or a client's), I try to keep a few things in mind. The pieces must be durable, safe, and preferably timeless. I’m a huge proponent of pieces of furniture that ‘grow’ with your children and can serve multiple purposes. This prevents parents from constantly replacing and throwing away pieces — clearly not the most sustainable or affordable option.

For example, I love the Oeuf crib that converts to a toddler bed or the Stokke convertible changing table that can become a desk, play table, or even a CD rack when your baby outgrows its first function.



Another example, the Tottoman, was created for one of my clients who needed additional storage. But we raised it on casters and added safety hinges so that toddlers could use the over-sized soft ottoman as an impromptu walker. It also makes a great hiding place. : ) As the child grows, the ottoman can be re-upholstered in different fabrics and live a long and useful life.

A third I idea I love to see implemented: converting old heirloom dressers into hip changing tables. Once your child outgrows them, you can re-convert the table back to a chest of drawers. A new set of hardware and a new coat of paint can update any tired old piece of furniture into a new and timeless piece. Brilliant.

Have you reincarnated any of your furniture? I'd love to hear your stories!

Be Kind to Mom Space — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

Hi Ladies! Happy to be blogging here this week. My first post is all about mom space.

Ideally, all moms would have a “Be Kind to Mom” Space at home — a separate room where husbands and kids aren't allowed. Obviously, not everyone has such a sanctuary, but here are a few tips on how to carve out some Mom space in any home.

Start by locating a spot in the house where you can get a bit of privacy. For some this might be the bathroom. If that’s the case, invest in some scented candles and Lucite necklace stands. Set aside some space on the counter where you can display all the things that make you feel lovely. Make the time to take a hot bath. One of my favorite tricks: bring in some orchids and steam them in the shower with you. A few small touches and any bathroom can feel like a spa getaway.



If you're lucky enough to have a dressing room, take full advantage of it. I've filled mine with happy things — framed artwork that reminds me of my years in Paris as a student, and drawings by my kids. I love how the cowhide rug feels on my bare feet.

For some moms, your space might be a little reading corner in the living room that you can make cozy and welcoming. Invest in the perfect chair, then pair it with a little vintage table where you can set your tea. Add a great cozy throw and not-too-bright-lighting, and you’ll feel miles away from the craziness of everyday.

And if you really can't find a space to carve out, then create a mobile sanctuary. There are several companies that make great drawers set on casters. Fill the drawers with pretty things and make any small space in the house your own with a mobile mom sanctuary.

How about you? Do you have any special mom space in your home? What would you include in your mom sanctuary if you had one?

Steel Furniture

I don't need a new dresser right now, but I want this one — it's fashioned from raw steel.

Painted Piano

The piano looks so good! If you've been thinking about painting your piano, then run, don't walk, to your nearest paint shop and get yourself a quart of high-gloss enamel. You don't have to paint it green, or any particularly bright color. But if you feel like your piano needs a fresh start, this is the cheapest, fastest way to go.

I had been wanting to do this project for 9 years and kept getting intimidated by it. But there was no need for fear. It was actually very straightforward and is one of the most satisfying projects I've finished in ages. Here are my notes, in case you're considering a paint job.



The best candidate for something like this is a piano that's not worth restoring. Ours was perfect. It was the piano I grew up with and it was pretty beat up when my parents originally picked it up for a bargain $300. By the time I inherited it, it was even more war-torn and the first thing I did was get 3 bids on having it refinished and restored. All three refinishers told me it would be about $2000 to restore the inside and $2000 to restore the outside and that the inside was just old, and even if it was restored it wouldn't be as good as new. All 3 recommended sending this one to the junk yard and buying new.

But new was out of our budget. And so was a $4000 restoration. I got some other opinions, and it was decided that the piano was good enough for lessons for the kids (the kids were babies at the time), and that we could get a more serious piano when and if our kids became serious piano students.

So we just kept the piano as it was and I dreamt of at least giving it a shiny coat of paint — for 9 years. Some years I thought a glossy black would be lovely. But then I felt like black would seem like I was trying to make the instrument more formal than it really was. Later I thought maybe a white coat that we could sand down and make sort of rustic would be nice. Then for about the last 3 years I decided turquoise would be the right thing to do, but I never made it happen. When we were moving, the piano was so depressing I almost left it behind. But Ben Blair said we should bring it to Colorado.

Saturday morning I was craving a challenge so I decided to finally tackle the piano paint job. When I got to the paint store I had a vision: go big or go home. I decided on Grass Green then and there. I bought one quart of hi-gloss enamel, one quart of primer, tinted to match the paint, and a paint brush. Grand total: $40.

By Saturday afternoon I had primed it and painted 2 coats of paint. At that point, I decided the green was a little too yellow, so I took the remaining paint back to Guiry's and asked them to green it up a bit. They spent a half hour with me (as the store was closing) getting the color just right. And they didn't charge me. (I will be a customer for life.)

Saturday evening, I added one more coat and then came back to the project on Monday. Monday I did two more coats. Tuesday I did some touch ups. And tada! It's finished.

Unexpected thing: I can already see this will be the signature piece in our home. I had never thought about a signature piece for our home, but because I went with a bold color, now we have one. Every person that comes in the house is drawn to it. Everyone wants to touch the keys. It's been played more in the last two days than it has been in years. Ben Blair wants to host a recital and call it Variations on the Green Piano.

Other unexpected thing: a piano is big. Physically and visually. It's not just a small accent piece. Once you have a green piano, you basically have to design the room around it instead of just work it into the existing space. Which means I need to talk to the landlord about painting the walls...

Seeing our newly painted piano makes me super happy. I think the only thing that makes me happier is when I watch my kids playing it while they're standing on books (wink). Green wouldn't be right for every home, but it's perfect for ours. I feel like I just bought this piano 10 more years of life. Next up: time to get it tuned.

Edit. To answer some of your questions.
1) The color is Benjamin Moore Yellow Green (but in my mind it looks more like grass green).
2) I didn't use oil-based paint.
3) According to the paint store: yes, you should sand off any existing hi-gloss finish before you prime.
4) I don't have any "before" pictures to share. I did have some. But they are gone. Because I am an idiot and mistakenly erased them.
5) Yes, I painted the bench as well. When I have the room more put together, I'll share a photo tour.
6) I did not disassemble the piano, but an expert or less-lazy person would have. I painted with the keyboard closed. Once the paint was dry, I opened the keyboard and painted around it with a smaller brush.

Happy painting!

Projects

It's late here, and I'm just sitting down to the computer for the first time today. Feels a little strange.

Here's the thing. I got all excited about some house projects and I pretty much let them take over my life. For example, my piano is now green. Benjamin Moore Yellow Green to be exact. Also. I am now the proud owner of a sheet of metal measuring 60" x 114". My nephew Josh and I spent the better part of the day hunting down said metal and we both feel pretty accomplished about our success. We plan to make a table top out of it.

Expect reports on both projects as they progress.

One more thing. Saturday morning we had the pleasure of dropping by Duffey's Cinnamon Rolls. We were told they were the best cinnamon rolls in the world. We were not disappointed.

Downtown Chic

Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday? Downtown Chic. The book by Sixx Design — the husband-wife interior design collaboration. (Remember the interview I posted with Sixx Design? It was awesome.)

Friends. This book is the best design book I've read in ages. There are at least 10 ideas I want to copy right this minute. No really. Just last night I started drawing up plans for a new master bed and a work table for the art room based on images from the book. It is inspiring from start to finish and will leave you wondering why you didn't think to buy a horribly ugly building on the edges of Soho and make it beautiful.

Also. I love the glimpses into the life of any big family. I love seeing the similarities between the house I grew up in, the house I run now and the house in the book. Big families just engender a certain amount of chaos that is appealing to me.

My personal favorite part of the book: seeing my little sister Jordan's blog, Oh Happy Day, featured on page 20. Anyone who is a fan of Jordan is good by me.

Fun Shops to Check Out

Some of my recent posts at Cookie's Nesting blog: 1) Great baby announcements and invitations from a new-on-the-scene company, Paper Culture. 2) Haciendo el Indio, a design and illustration shop in Spain that is producing beautiful children's products. 3) Adorable plates and placemats from Smiling Planet.

New Sofas

We left our tired, well-used sofas on the street as we packed up our house in New York. Which means we now have very little to sit on and are in couch shopping mode. Here are four I'm considering:

1) The Florence Knoll Sofa in fabric by NJModern pictured at top.


2) The Bucktown Sofa by Chiasso.


3) The Bantam Sofa by DWR.


4) The Abby Sofa by Chiasso.

These are all between $1100 and $1800 — about what I expect to pay for a good quality sofa in not-extravagant fabric. For a total bargain, there's also this simple silhouette:


The Buse Sofa from JC Penney. More of an over-stuffed feel than I'm looking for, but you can't beat the price: on sale for $499.

Thoughts?

Draw-Your-Own Wallpaper

Spotted on kirtsy. Kellie of Scrapblog redesigned her long hallway with 2 gold paint pens, a step stool and 3 hours of time. She based her pattern on an image (the one at top) she found in a Fossil catalog. Fabulous!

I like this so much I might have to copy. Lots more photos and details if you click through.

Sidenote: have you been browsing the links at kirtsy this week? So much good stuff. Don't miss out.

Paring Down & Upcycling — by Guest Mom Starr Keller

I will never forget the look on my sister's face several years ago when she first walked through the front door of the home I had full intention to buy. Old, yes. Nearly dilapidated? Check plus. As my sweet honest father walked around and pointed out things of great concern: exposed electrical wires, etc., she just took a big breathe and said, "Well, Starr. I'm certain you will make it nice."

We laugh about that conversation now — both of us were going through divorces and finding our own way as 20-something mothers, and we were literally bulldozing our way through each day and minute as it came. I decided on a house to own, as she signed lease papers for an apartment in town. Often during those first months of realizing what I had actually gotten myself into would my thoughts drift to how easy she had it with no yard to look after (or poison ivy vines to rip off her siding, for that matter!) and when a maintenance issue arose, she simply dialed the front office of the complex.

Regardless, the elbow grease and long hours of scrubbing and such have paid off — my little humble abode is now quite comfy and although my growing family of five now fills every nook and cranny, we are decidedly happy with our surroundings.

One thing that I absolutely had to quickly come to grips with in our historic parlor home was that space was, obviously, a big issue. And my years of pack-ratting (I'll admit it, even though I do love organized chaos) things from high school and even love letters from my grade school days were over. With the main renovation underway in the form of a spacious bathroom, I relearned what it took to stay organized, on-track and dedicated to creating space for my family.

My saving grace, especially while contractor numero uno came and ripped my entire center of living space and left me with literally no walls and a standing toilet (talk about relearning the importance of privacy!), was to first: cleanse and purge high traffic areas. But the best part, and the point of my sharing this post: finding organizational tools to make this momma's life easier.

Here are a few of my favs and pointers on how I stayed sane during the rebuild of my bathroom and how a discovered "secret closet" became my laundry nook.

1) I pared down. Anything: lotions, sprays of all scents, laundry items that were not used were tossed. I made myself stay on one or two shelves so that the rest of the space could be used for a work area (folding laundry, etc.) And instead of turning to the trash, I asked my mom and sisters and friends if they were in need of some of the things I just didn't use - some of the scents and such were more their "smells" than my own.

2) Because I don't like to dry most of my clothes, I installed a hanging rack that actually folds into itself for easy storing. The Frost from Ikea holds 20 yards of clothes and fabric, which is quite spacious. Another favorite: The Jabba, a 16-clip drying system that comes in the most adorable shade of blue and green. For around $5, it is a steal.

3) The most important thing, as we geared towards moving into our new space(s), was to have accessible "storage" for our kids. Ages 6, 5 and 3, they are all quite independent when it comes to getting their own coats, hanging up bath towels and the like. I liked the idea of storage hooks, but if they were going to be in plain site, I wanted something different. Worldmarket has the best options: For $10-20, you can find pieces that are three-prong and have a great vintage feel.


4) I needed a place to put my personal jewelry collection - the things I make to sell are packaged away as they are created and posted on my site, but as for the pieces that I wear everyday? I had not a clue how to display. While cleaning up after our new freezer was delivered, I found a black rack, of sorts, in the bottom of the cardboard pile. I turned it over and over again in my hands and instantly knew what it was going to be upcycled to be: my jewelry organizer! It's functional and matches the other black accents in my new bathroom space, and it's nice for me to display my pretties when guests are in our home.

5) Finally, as the finishing touches were coming around, decorating was of course on my agenda. I have a soft spot for all things upcycled and wanted to be as eco-friendly and as easy on my pocketbook as possible. I walked through my house and piled everyday items that I looked at day in and day out on my big dining room table. From that gleaning, unexpected artwork came to my attention: My collection of antique bottles from the 1800s were split apart and placed on a barn-siding cabinet in the bathroom to serve both as decorative bits and also perfect tiny vases for spring blooms. A hand-stitched tea towel that I kept setting aside for fear of staining it in the kitchen became a unique wall-hanging. A woven basket placed under our open vanity sink is a perfect container for our kid's washclothes and hand towels.

Now, our renovations are at a standstill until the fall, when Indiana weather pushes us back indoors. Until then, I keep re-organizing and reminding myself on what my family really needs to have around and what we can give away. And even though our space of home is becoming more spacious, I keep my eye out for inexpensive "cures" to chaos ills!

Pretty Things for Mother's Day

For Mother's Day I was spoiled. My kids gave me a beautiful table cloth from Orla Kiely's Collection for Target and the gracious folks at Seeing The Everyday (have you subscribed yet? You must. It is excellent.) sent an unexpected bouquet of gorgeous gerbera daisies. They were delivered by Flowerbud.com and the packaging was out-of-sight lovely.

I hope you felt equally spoiled and celebrated.

Handmade Gardening — by Guest Mom Starr Keller

When I was diagnosed with adenomyosis last year, I started desperately doing research on the cause and effects of the disease. All signs pointed to what I was putting into my body, and unfortunately for a lady that loves sweets and the occasional fountain soda (caffeine!), all things that fell in the "refined" processing categories were out. No more food or drink with gluten, which meant a big change in my cabinets and grocery lists.

I grew up in a home full with natural parenting and organic eating long before it was en vogue, so calling upon my roots, I knew how to steer my ship and my family's dinner table into a more healthful way. This was the way our family garden was born: eggplant, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes of all hybrids, sweet peas, and recently, herbs. It has constantly amazed me, and our three little ones delight in how we can take rich soil in little peat pots, tiny seeds, a few days of warm sunshine and a bit of watering and walah! The end result is that we have bright veggies, fruits and herbs of all sorts to enjoy.



Because our kids are still young (ages 6, 5, and 3) labeling what seeds we have planted is of utmost importance. Our first year out, we had 35 tomato plants and one cabbage...so, I turned my efforts to etsy to find creative ways to identify our plantings. I like to support like-minded folks who are supporting themselves, so handmade stakes from Artisan Hands are perfect! And three stakes for $20 is a reasonable price for these little pretties that can be used again. The frequent watering help from little hands won't soil these pretties either.



For little bits of vintage loveliness in the garden, I like the offerings on from the etsy shop Monkeys Always Look. The idea of upcycling old pieces of silver into functional markers is so creative, and eco-friendly!

Happy gardening, made easier with handmade loveliness. It doesn't get any better than that!

Happy May

So happy about an early Mother's Day gift for myself: a new toaster for our new home. A four-slicer, no less! We've been managing with an inadequate-for-our-big-family-2-slicer for many, many years now, but it was time for an upgrade. Meet the Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster. This beauty is scheduled to arrive on my doorstep today. The kids can't wait to break it in.

Need your own Mother's Day toaster? Here's how to get a deal: use the code “TOAST2MOM” for 20% off any of the Breville Smart Toasters (2-slice or 4-slice). Good the whole month of May!

Happy May, Friends! Be here on Monday for a big week of Mother's Day Giveaways. Awesome stuff every single day.

From Tree to Chair — by Guest Mom Amy of Progressive Pioneer

I go weak in the knees over the right piece of furniture. I love the warmth and honeyed color of real, solid wood. There is really nothing I'd rather sit down to a good meal in, than a great, hand-crafted chair. Growing up in Maine, where everything is steeped in history, we had our fair share of centuries old furniture. That's the wonderful thing about wood; it only gets better with age and a little love and care. Here are a few of my favorite heirloom-quality furniture makers:



Thomas Moser
I mention him first because he has been the inspiration for so many furniture makers and you can see his influence everywhere.



Kalon Studios
I recently discovered Kalon Studios and love their aesthetic; kind of eastern, kind of eco and kind of classic. Their baby furniture is beautiful.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Salt Lake's own Ivory Bill. We own and love the cabinet pictured at top. It currently holds stuffed animals and binkies in Sam's room and is the perfect height to sit right next to the nursing chair.

Beautiful furniture that you'll have forever is worth the wait. We're currently saving up for the perfect dining room table, one that will hold an abundance of loved ones, that will hold the stories, candlelight, traditions, Sunday dinners and Saturday morning breakfasts within it's grain and grow richer and more lovely as the years go by.

City Chicks — by Amy of Progressive Pioneer

Maybe it's the economy or a greater awareness of where our food comes from, but backyard chickens seem to be everywhere. We jumped on the bandwagon and were pleased to discover that Nellie and Rockefeller, our Plymouth Barred Rock and Araucana, practically take care of themselves. They're the perfect pets. I've loved watching our sweet babe watch "his" chickens as they grew from little fluff balls to the brazen teenage chicks that now stroll the yard. At only a year he's learned to feed them, how to pat them gently and he's learned to love them. He has a special laugh he reserves just for their antics. Come August or September they'll be gifting us greenish-blue and speckled brown eggs every morning.


If building your own coop sounds intimidating check out these sleek options from Omlet, a British company that has recently started selling their adorable Eglu hen houses state side.

Manhattan

Knowing how homesick I already am for New York, Katie sent me a link to this great map of Manhattan designed by Jim Datz. Available at Three Potato Four.

Play Tents

The etsy shop Mignon sells adorable play tents. And they'll even make a custom one for you from the fabric of your choice.

Wire Hangers. Now with Names.

Just saw these personalized wire hangers on Say Yes to Hoboken. Completely unnecessary. Which makes them a perfect gift. (By the way, if you click on the link and it says "sold out" don't stress. Each hanger is a custom order, so just let the shop owner know what you're looking for.)

Giveaway — Chick Chair from Mahar Drygoods

Is it true? Am I really hosting back to back Giveaways? One ends yesterday, another starts today?

Yes. It's completely true. I've got another great Giveaway today. And I've even got another one to tell you about this Thursday. So keep coming back. Keep entering. Because you know I only host the best sorts of Giveaways. Period.

Today's Giveaway sponsor is one of my favorite little shops in the world. Mahar Drygoods. You've seen them featured here before, but just in case you've forgotten, let's recap what they're all about. Mahar offers vintage and artisan crafted items for children. Often handmade, always beautiful. And the prize they're sponsoring today is quite incredible. Take a peek:




It's the Chick Chair. By Roebuck Studio. It's both adorable and functional. It's completely covetable and comes in six different colors (the prize chair is the black one pictured). It was even featured in Cookie Magazine this month. And it retails for $220.00. Isn't it charming pictured in that delightful bedroom? Isn't the scale just right?

Roebuck Studio is the brilliant collaboration of husband and wife team Kate and Barret Roebuck. Their furniture is beautiful, functional, durable, and created in an environmentally responsible way. Based in historic Chelsea, Michigan, the Roebucks manufacture locally, buy materials from local sources and have complete control over the fabrication process, to ensure that only the best and safest products will reach your doorstep.

Roebuck Studio is exactly the kind of quality artisan that Mahar Drygoods makes a point to feature and stock. Which is one of the reasons I'm such a Mahar fan. Take a minute and check out all the Spring goodies that Mahar is stocking right now — from a tie-dye egg kit to this bunny scooter — your heart is sure to melt from all the sweetness.

Let's all give a big thank you to Mahar Drygoods!

-------------

Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Wednesday, March 25th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The winners will be randomly picked and announced Thursday, March 26th.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Rikshaw Design

My fascination with Indian block-printing (done by hand) continues. Look at this pretty line of baby bedding and baby accessories from Rikshaw Design. Aren't the patterns delicious? A little birdie told me the line will be available in twin sizes shortly.

Ami Suma

I believe this is the first time I've ever seen Japanese-style illustration done as a mural for a child's room. I can't believe how much I like it. All of these spaces were done by Ami Suma. She is clearly a rock star. And if you visit her about page, you can see her standing below a rainbow. Which is awesome.

Tamar Mogendorff

Dear Interwebs,

I found these photos of Tamar Mogendorff's creations and I want you to have them (click to make them bigger, and see many more on the tmogy site). I think we'll all sleep better knowing there is someone out there making the world so beautiful. Not sure where or how to buy them, but you could certainly send fan mail from this link.

kisses,
Gabrielle

Potatoes and Printing — by Guest Aunt Kelly Wilkinson

Image courtesy of my talented pal Lisa Coris. This is the Healy Pass, just up the road from my in-laws.

I’m jumping the gun on St. Patrick’s Day here, but this is my first year as a new Irish citizen (courtesy of my husband), so next week has special significance.

While other people mark the day with plastic hats and green beer, I’ve recently learned that many gardeners mark the holiday by planting potatoes. That's because in Ireland, the soil is finally warm enough to sow seed potatoes — a fancy name for small potatoes with a sprouting eye.

Potatoes are dead easy to grow, and no other crop delivers the same sense of mystery and satisfaction. When you dig into the soil and unearth a crop of potatoes, I promise that you’ll feel like you're five years old again and just found the prize at the end of a treasure hunt.



My dad grew potatoes when I was little, and my sisters and I can still summon up all the sentimentality and smells of that experience. Hopefully we'll pass that onto the next generation: My niece helped me tend our potato patch last year, and this fall, she dug up her very first crop.

If gardening isn't for you, consider that potatoes aren’t just food — they make a great craft material, especially in the hands of someone as talented as Lotta Jansdotter, who shows us how to print with a sweet potato right here.



Thanks, Gabrielle, for having me as a Guest Aunt this week. And thanks to everyone who took the time to write — you’ve been wonderful and encouraging, and it's been great to be in your company!

At Cookie's Nesting Blog

My latest two posts at Nesting — featuring a new line of beautiful children's rugs by Momeni and charming (well priced) artwork by Schmooks.

Giveaway — Sheet Set from Serena & Lily

Friends. Dear friends. I've got another gorgeous Giveaway today.

You know Serena & Lily? I've partnered with them on 3 or 4 different contests. And the feedback I get over and over from you guys is: we heart Serena & Lily — more Serena & Lily please — keep the Serena & Lily products coming our way... My response: done and done.

Enter your comment now to win a sheet set from Serena & Lily. Any sheet set. Any style. Any size. Winner's choice. Woot! Woot!



Let's be honest. This couldn't come at a better time. Even with snow still on the ground, March is officially here and we can't help but think of Spring and warmer weather that is sure to come our way. No doubt, all of our homes could use a little freshening up. A little spring cleaning. It is certain that a brand new set of sheets (free sheets!) will do the trick.



You could pick sheets for your child's bed. Or (more fun) sheets for your own bed. Either way you can't go wrong. You may already know that I love the Serena & Lily concept of children's rooms. Nothing too cutesy-cheesy. No commercial characters. Somehow sophisticated and child-friendly at the same time. Plus super high quality.

But it's not just kid's bedding anymore. Serena & Lily have expanded their line. You can find many of their sheet sets in queen and king now. In fact they have a whole section on their website featuring their luxurious grownup offerings. Like the Tess and Fiona. Gorgeous right? I'm thinking they're my new Serena & Lily favorites. Very up-to-date. Great colors.




If you don't already subscribe to their catalog, I highly recommend it. It's full of dozens of inspiring shots — all sorts of interior design eye candy. You can ask for their free catalog here.

Thanks, Serena & Lily!

-------------

Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, March 8th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday, March 9th.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Alvhem

While catching up at Black Eiffel this morning, I fell in love with these images and the whole idea of Alvhem.

According to darling Rachel: "Alvehm is a site where you can find Swedish homes for sale with lovely styled interiors like those pictured here. It is a truly unique brokerage concept where they convey housing as a entire lifestyle using photographers and an art director to help sell your space." Isn't that a wonderful idea? I want one.

I know they say homes sell/show better when they have furniture, and if homes looked like the Alvhem variety, than I can see why. (But in reality, since most homes are not professionally styled, when house hunting, I much prefer to see a space completely empty — so that I can project my visions on it like a blank canvas.)

via Purple Area

Hang Em Awl

Okay. The photo isn't glamorous. But. If you hang pictures very often (raising my hand) then I'm thinking this is the greatest new tool ever. Tiny. Reusable. And very clever. There's a real-time 2 minute video of how to use it on their site.

What's the saying? The simplest ideas are often the best ones.

Ruby Lu

I saw this handmade owl dishcloth today and I wanted one. You too? Lots of cute things at Ruby Lu. All handmade. But the dishcloths and potholders are definitely my favorites.

Pre Fab Homes

Pre fab/kit homes are on my mind. At least the gorgeous ones are. So I wrote about them at Cookie's Nesting blog.

Have a great weekend. And please feel free to enter the Poloppo T-Shirt Kit Giveaway through Sunday night. Five winners. Five!

Affordable Art — by Guest Mom Stephanie Brubaker

I spent my college career mainly studying Art History; and while that was long ago, I still appreciate the visual power of a work of art. Over the past several years I've slowly discovered a few artists that not only speak to me in a creative way, but appear to be quite affordable as well. This aspect makes the art even easier to love! And with the idea of "affordable art" being more popular now than it's been in a long time, I couldn't help but present you with a few options for your viewing pleasure. Some you may be familiar with, and some may be new to you. Either way I hope you enjoy how lovely they are...



1. Chad Wys...a thrilling discovery last year on Etsy; his modern landscapes are what I like to look at every day. He is also really, really nice :)

2. Labokoff...Fabienne mixes photography and painting in a such a beautiful, dreamy way. After visiting France I wanted something to remind me of that unique part of the world, but didn't want it to be a touristy tchotchke. I imagined something I could display in my home, something that wouldn't look out-of-place. These prints fit the bill! And even if you haven't visited France, they are still beautiful prints to have on display.

3. Kelly Neidig...a Blurb bookstore discovery (you must check it out!); there is something about the boldness of those lines and that color combined that plays on my mind in just the right way.

4. Blancucha...I can't get enough of these whimsical child-like-yet-still-grownup prints from Spanish designer Blanca Gomez. They are perfect for a playroom but I've seen them in a living room space as well and both look equally as fabulous.




p.s. You can easily obtain a custom-framing look without the hefty price tag, by using the Wood Gallery Frames from Pottery Barn and then having a custom mat created by a professional framer. These frames of good quality and are often on sale! While you are at the framer, ask him/her to attach wire to the back of your store-bought frame. This will make hanging it 10 times easier and only costs about $2.

Find more of Stephanie at Stephmodo

Wooden Mobiles — by Guest Mom Stephanie Brubaker

About six months ago my little family walked towards Paris' Luxembourg Gardens in search of some old-fashioned fun. En route we passed a toy store called Pentagram with a window full of gorgeously crafted wooden toys. The display was breathtaking and I ached to take a look. Thoughts of Christmas gifts danced in my head and I convinced my husband to move along without me (and take the kids!) while I perused the beautiful books and the German and French toys for a few minutes. It was heaven to be in a store full of toadstools, stacking blocks, and mobiles...and no plastic :) It took a great deal of self-control to only buy two little toys per child, especially since everything was very reasonably-priced.

Perhaps my favorite purchase was this wooden mobile I gifted my son. It depicts a mischievous little boy from Sweden named Nils, who spends his days riding on the back of a goose and discovering the world around him. I thought it perfect for my own little mischievous boy! As we discover more about Nils from the book I included with the mobile, I'd like to think my little guy will go to sleep dreaming of his own adventures. Upon further research I found other beautiful mobiles made by the same German company...Kinderkram, and was thrilled to find it possible to procure them in the US too. I think mobiles are a clever way to add visual interest to a child's room and also create a more finished look.




Here are a few other wooden mobiles I thought you might love:
Airplane Mobile
Goose Girl Mobile
Falling Stars Mobile
Flower Fairies Mobile

Find more of Stephanie at Stephmodo

Budget Bedroom Makeover — by Guest Mom Stephanie Brubaker

Over the course of the past year, I've attempted to completely revamp our bedroom, which over the years had become a dumping ground of sorts (am I the only person that falls into this trap?!) Somehow everything we didn't like ended up in this room. Finally, after almost 9 years, I decided I was over it all and ready for a grownup space. There was a catch though...I had to bring out my inner "recessionista" and style the entire space on a lean budget. I gave myself a budget of $1000 for the entire room — accessories, furniture, linens, everything plus whatever I made from selling the old furnishings.

As I found a few key pieces for great prices, the room started taking shape. I let it flow organically from there, based on what I liked, what I found, and what fell into my price range. I shopped my usual favorites — Craigslist, KSL (my local online classifieds), Target, IKEA, TJMaxx, Anthropologie, and a few other local spots. Also added were a couple of free items from a home decor swap and art from elsewhere in my house. I can't express enough how nice it is to have a little sanctuary to escape to at the end of the day. I believe every mother deserves that kind of respite.

While I forgot to take "before" shots (darn!), I do have a few "afters" to share.




Find more of Stephanie at Stephmodo

Sixx Design Interview

Remember all those wonderful questions you came up with for Sixx Design? Well, my friends. I've got answers. Here's the interview. For you. By you.

On Interior Design & Sources:

1) Tell us about your new book. How did it come together? What was your favorite part of the experience? Do you have a chapter that you love the most?

The book was an amazing experience which journals our first 10 years of designing and creating homes. All the chapters were fun because each photo and story brings back memories (good and bad!), but I think the home in Great Barrington, Mass. will be a lot of reader’s favorite project. Looking back, we have learned so much, yet we are inspired and learning constantly. It keeps us humble and sharp.


2) Lots of readers were inspired by the pictures filling the staircase wall in your Great Barrington Home. They want any practical picture hanging and picture arranging advice you might have. Like, what height should pictures be from the rising stairs? What about working with a variety of frames?

The photo wall is an on going process. We are not perfectionists; the frames are different sizes, high and low end, custom and store bought. A couple of tips are to lay the frames out on a floor area first, put the largest photos on top and toward the center, and play around with it. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There is nothing a little spackling paste, paint or even another picture can’t hide! Have fun and let it grow.

We have only family on the wall from cousins to great grandparents. It is cool to see the family tree and resemblances. All our photos are black and white. With digital cameras, it is easy to convert your color photos.


3) Rumor has it that your family moves into a house, makes it fabulous, and sells it. If this is true (and we hope it is!), we'd love to know how you pick the area to move to and how you pick the house to buy — how do you spot the "diamond in the rough?" Stated another way: what do you look for in a house you're planning on renovating?

When looking for a “diamond in the ruff,” look to where the creative community is moving to in your area. They are always the first ones in.


4) Where do you go for inspiration? And what inspires you?

Big Cities inspire us.


5) Spill, please. Where are your favorite flea markets?

Good fleas are hard to find these days. The Paris Flea Market is a place everyone should go at least once in his/her life.


6) Will you please share the source on the amazing rug under those 2 turquoise chairs in your Great Barrington house? How about the source of the turquoise chairs themselves? And also, the source on that amazing Union Jack?

The turquoise chairs were 25 dollars at a tag sale that we refurbished for cheap. The Union Jack is by an amazing artist out of London named Anne Carrington.


7) We love the way you use natural light in your projects. Do you have any advice on bringing natural light into a space that's lacking in it?

Add high hats for more light.


8) What are your strategies for keeping a home both child and adult friendly?

Reducing clutter is the key to an adult and child friendly house. Be organized and ask yourself if certain things are essential. Keep valuables and art out of reach of the children. Relax, it’s just stuff. Home making should be fun. A well designed and functional house should be just that. Next time your child breaks something, remind yourself that “it’s just stuff.”


9) How about tips for decorating a nursery or child's room in particular?

Children’s rooms and nurseries don’t have to be decorated in a theme. Again, keep the clutter to a minimum: a desk, a bed and a place to play. Children, like adults, don’t need that much. Less is more.


10) Once you're moved in and settled in a home, how often do you change your decor?

We seem to move before we change our décor. Certain pieces will travel from home-to-home with us and it is fun to incorporate those pieces within a new space or a different aesthetic.



On Work/Life Balance & Parenting:

11) Obviously, you have a busy and full life. What is one thing that you do with your kids that you would not stop doing — no matter what?

Travel.


12) If the "moving often" rumors are true, how do you create continuity for your family amidst all the change?

We try to create a fun life and solid foundation for our children. Happy parents equal happy children.


13) How do you handle education? Public school? Home school? Tutor? Private school? A combo?

Great question. Our children are all very different; strong students, weak students, both confident and shy, great athletes and weak athletes. With seven, we truly see both ends of the spectrum in many regards. Our children attend private school. My feeling on private is it helps the weaker students or mediocre ones get over the hump. Good public schools work well for stronger students, but my experience has been some students can get lost in the pack at a public school and not receive the attention they deserve.

Robert and I are both liberal thinkers. We feel each child learns differently. The key is to keep your children humble and hungry. I would urge all of your readers to watch the Ted Talks on tedtalks.com (check out the one on education by Sir Ken Robinson).


14) We've read you're big on world travel. Neat! How many trips do you take a year and to where? Is every trip a family trip? Do you have a favorite vacation spot to take your kids?

We go to Brazil every year to our home. The kids love the beach and the outdoors which they don’t get as much of living in New York City.


15) We are amazed and inspired by you. How do you do it all?! More specifically, how do you manage/juggle the business and the kids?

By running our own company we are able to make our own schedule. It enables us the luxury to schedule our meetings around our children and our family time.


16) Which parts of the day to day (of both the business AND the kids) do you manage yourselves and which parts do you prefer to hire out? Nanny, housekeeper, bookkeeper? Chauffer, stylist, assistant?

We always have at least one baby sitter with us. When Robert and I do get a little time to just the two of us, we need two sitters. We have yet to find anyone to watch all seven. Even Mary Poppins and Nanny Mcphee would not take on that task! Besides that, we have coaches, tutors, sewing teachers, etc always helping. We are firm believers that it takes a village to raise a child.


17) Many moms seem to be born with "guilt" feelings. Is there any aspect of being a working mother that brings out the guilt for you?

Guilt is a wasted emotion. I have always tried to make and live with my choices. Also, it’s very important that all mothers treat themselves well, no matter how many children they have.

What great responses. Yay for Sixx Design!

Keep Em Busy Activities — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

As essential as planning the food is organizing a few activities to keep the kids engaged. Once again, we keep it pretty simple and try to involve our kids in the planning and preparations. In fact, it has become so routine, our oldest sets up 'activity stations' on any given weekend evening, regardless of whether guests are scheduled. A few insights:

Kid's-height table = Kid magnet.
I have found that by centrally locating a few small tables and covering them with 'curiosities' I ensure two things: the kids keep busy AND they congregate where we want them to. I strategically place a few engaging items on the tables — pipe cleaners, crayons, puzzles, etc. Inevitably its almost always the first place the kids explore when they arrive at our house. It also makes things a little easier for child that is shy or uncertain of who to interact with when they arrive. Before dinner we just clear the tables and use them for kid-height-dining. An affordable & easy- to-clean option is the IKEA Lack table. We have a few of them on hand and pull them out depending on the crowd.



Yin/Yang Activities.
Weather permitting, we always hope to be outside for some portion of the evening. In the winter, we may try to squeeze a pre-dinner sled in and our summer parties almost always end around the bonfire. Regardless of whether we are in or out, we always try to start with something something active and end with something quiet.

Favorite Active Activities.
-paper airplanes: launch and chase, launch & chase.
-bear hunt: into the 'woods' (or basement) .... sooo scary.
-dance party: great inside or out. remember the balloons. we also love "flashlight dancing" in the dark.
-obstacle course/relays/sack races: great energy expenders.
-'recess games': kickball, t-ball, four-square ... adults have a blast playing along!

Favorite Quiet Activities.
-coloring: we set out a few Ed Emberley books, crayons & a stack of paper and its magic.
-crafts: sculpting/collaging/anything semi-containable (no glitter & glue unless outside!)
-movies: we love anything by Miyazaki or we might Tivo 'Oswald' for the little ones
-story-time: librarian-style (up front, kids at feet) or mommy-style (in BIG bed, mash of kids)
-bonfire: after the initial s'mores & excitement, this is fall-asleep-mesmerizing (we even sometimes set up a tent for 'snoozers')



Interactive Desserts.
The meal may be the main course for the adults but for the kids its all about sweets. My kids anyway. When we entertain with kids we often indulge their sweet tooth just a little bit. Ok. Sometimes a lot. Our favorite trick is to make the dessert 'interactive' .... we figure that they are burning through some of the sugar-energy while they are creating. And I swear they eat less after they have 'played' with the goodies.

Our Favorites:
-Cupcake Bar: We pre-frost the cupcakes and let the kids decorate with colored sugars & little candies. Sunday bar works too (but we reserve this for summer).
-Cookie Sandwiches: We bake chocolate chip cookies and then put out 2 or 3 icecreams and let the kids make their own 'icecream sandwich.' To simplify, you could purchase Nabisco chocolate wafers. Roll sandwiches in sprinkles for added excitement.
-Marshmallow "Snow People": bamboo sticks (structure), marshmallows (body), a touch of frosting (glue), licorice (scarf) and some colorful candies (eyes, buttons, etc) make the cutest snow people! you can also make aliens or clowns .... just vary the candies.
-S'mores: the quintessential interactive dessert. Use chocolate graham crackers and white chocolate for a twist on tradition.

On that sweet note, its time to say "adieu.' I have really enjoyed posting this week ... its been such fun to share ..... and while I realize not all tips will be useful to all of you (ie. bonfires in the city???), I hope everyone gleaned some little tidbit of inspiration!

Miscellaneous

I've got a new post up at Cookie Magazine's Nesting blog. Featuring Nameflat custom posters. And I also have a report about my trip to Mexico on Cookie's Going Places blog. But my favorite thing at Cookie this month is an article about painting your kitchen chairs. Love it!

Oh. This is fun. Tomorrow, I get to attend the Red Dress Collection Show at fashion week. Can't wait! Last year's show was memorable in every way. I'm sure this year will be too.

The Foods. — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Rather than menus I thought I would talk about the specific foods we heavily rely on when guests are coming. The premise with all of our menus is that the kids dinner can be a variation of the adult dinner. Of course, the kids are always welcome to eat what the adults are eating but I can work the ingredients into a meal that appeals to even the pickiest eater.

Chicken: I generally purchase chicken breasts and cut them into 'tenderloin size pieces.' In the summer they get marinated with a little olive oil, S&P, garlic and lemon and go on the grill. In the winter we bread the chicken (dipped in egg & homemade bread crumbs) and bake it. The kids love these chicken 'fingers' and we serve them with veggies and dip. For the adults I may toss the chicken in a salad and serve it with crusty bread or I may make an easy chicken parmigiana like this one.



Pasta: Of course, the possibilities are endless. I love to make a tomato & cream sauce that is really simple and appeals to vegetarian friends and kids alike. Its basically a 'vodka sauce' minus the vodka. I just use a heavier hand when garnishing the adult portions with basil & good parmesan. This is also excellent served as a side to the chicken. Or with turkey meatballs.

Pizza: Most popular at our house. Our easiest 'time-crunch' menu is to order thin crust 'take & bake' pizza which we may then embellish with goat cheese, roasted tomatoes & fresh herbs. Even better is to pick up pizza dough (or make it yourself) and have guests make their own individual pizzas.

Salmon: (wild, preferably!). My kids love salmon. I just brush a filet with some olive oil and then cover it completely with thinly sliced lemon & dill. It is so quick and simple and crowd-pleasing. Couscous and a salad (or crudite for the kids) complete the meal.

I will end the week with a few of our favorite activities that keep the kids entertained ... stay tuned ....

Food & Drink — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Today I thought I would just chat about all things food …. and drink. In addition to suggesting a few of our favorite things to serve I thought I would start with a few of our food-and-drink-related rules of thumb.

Happy - Appy's.
Snacking is seemingly when my kids get 'their fill' especially in social situations. So I make sure I include a few healthy appetizers. The staples are veggie sticks (carrots, celery, cuc's, endive leaves) and some kind of chip & dip: pita chips & hummous, blue chips & guacamole, pretzels and sweet-cheese (mix roasted sweet peppers & cream cheese in the blender). The key is having a 'dippy' — my kids are dip-crazy!

Another direction I sometimes take is to do a bruschetta. The reason it works so well is that through slight modification it can appeal to both kids & adults. For example, in the kids version you might just omit the pesto. The other reason I like it is that is can be varied in so many ways and can be seasonally specific. It also just plain looks pretty!



Noshing Tray. What I generally do is put all the appetizers on a platter or "noshing tray" so that I can move the snacks from room to room or inside to outside as the party progresses. I also scatter around little bowls of (mildly) spiced almonds (up higher if little little ones are around). They keep beautifully in the freezer so I make a big batch and just toast them in the oven for a few minutes before guests arrive.



Pitchers, Pitchers, Pitchers. And glasses. Having a pitcher of water ready to go before the meal is served is a huge time-saver at our house. Otherwise, I am up and down up and down up and down. I always use one (or two) at parties. Allowing the kids to 'help themselves' really helps me. And for the adults, a pitcher of a signature cocktail is always festive, pretty & easy. A favorite is champagne, pomegranate juice and a splash of Grand Marnier. Perfect for Valentines Day.

I also suggest giving each child a unique or personalized glass. Anything that identifies the glass as their own alleviates extra dishes & waste. I have a set of vintage glasses with numbers on them (the kids love to pick their age) or you can personalize paper cups with cute name-tags.

Pot Luck. My friends are always more than happy to bring something and I am always more than happy to take them up on it. One thing I often suggest my guests bring is fresh fruit. The kids love to snack on it before, during and after the meal and fruit goes well with nearly everything. Dessert is another easy item to assimilate and seeing what friends bring often gives me sweet inspiration!

Skewer it. My kids will eat almost anything if it is on a skewer. We skewer fruit, veggies, meat, or a combo of veggies & meat. Skewer and serve with a dip and its almost fool proof! Skewering works well when grilling out but I also skewer food after it has been cooked, no matter how it has been prepared (ie. sauteed chicken & blanched broccoli). A variation on this theme is to give the kids toothpicks and a bowl of fruit or veggies and let them at it.

Tomorrow I will talk a bit about our 'go-to' menu items...

Setting the Stage — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Today I thought I would talk a little bit about pre-party considerations. I've dubbed it "setting the stage"...

Everybody Helps:
We have learned that having the kids help with the preparations benefits us twofold — it keeps them busy before guests arrive and it heightens their anticipation. It also gives them a sense of 'party-ownership' which they really love. Of course, the preferred pre-party task is 'dessert making' and we indulge them on occasion. But we may also ask them to organize a fun 'kid' activity (staging an obstacle course) or to help with the decorations (making placemats for each guest). And tidying up rooms & play areas is a necessary pre-party task.

If the season permits we take the kids to the farmer's market in the morning and let them pick out one thing that we will incorporate into the evening — it can be a 'strange' veggie or a bouquet of wildflowers. Their choice.




Pick a Theme (any Theme):
I have found that if I chose a 'theme' everything falls into place a little more seamlessly. Note: I am using the word theme somewhat loosely (no elaborate disney-inspired affairs required). But any element — whether its color, season, holiday, cuisine — that pulls things together helps focus the evening. For me, it serves as a point of reference so that all aspects of the party — the food, the music, the decor, the activities — fall into place.

There is almost always a holiday to cull inspiration from. For instance, February parties most likely involve hearts and xoxo's. Or we might focus on the food — do a 'taco bar' which would inspire Mariachi music, lime-aid (or Pacifico for the adults) & a pinata. We also may invite the younger kids to 'dress up' — which for our family means princess and pirate rather than "sunday best."



Make it (a little bit) Special:
It may just be a Saturday evening in March but with fresh flowers, lit candles, linen napkins (admittedly, I like to iron) and bagged ice even the average evening is exalted. And my kids love anything that smacks of 'fanciness.' My husband and I think it may even improve their manners. Nothing needs to be fussy or overdone. Flowers or branches clipped from your yard and put in a jelly jar can be just the right touch. I really believe the old adage 'eating take-out on good china makes it taste better' rings true. If we are eating inside and the kids are a bit older I prefer to serve their food off of 'real' china and their drinks out of 'real' glass. Again, nothing too precious. Thrift stores have adorable/inexpensive options.

Another special touch is to send out a hand written invitation beforehand which, in turn, is a great way to have the children practice their penmanship or artistry. What kid doesn't love to receive an invitation in the mail? Or I may send the kids home with a favor bag. Again, nothing overwrought — it can be filled with their artwork or craft and a simple treat. And goodie bags also offer just the right amount of encouragement to get in the car when its time to say goodbye.

Thomas Filicia Book

Remember Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? My favorite of the fab five was always Thom Filicia. I liked them all. But for sure Thom had the biggest job. So he was most impressive.

Anyway. Thom has a book out called Thom Filicia Style. It's brand new. And I'm loving it. He's funny and practical and has great ideas. Lots of good tips. Like tip #9: Don't let your house boss you around:

"More times than I can count, I've visited prospective clients who never cook and never entertain yet have a fully decorated, pristine dining room. It's an incredible waste of space that would work so much better if it could be converted into a home office, library/den, or family/media room.... Just because an architect wrote "guest bedroom" on a blueprint back in the day doesn't mean that's how a space should be used."

Isn't that fantastic? What a smart guy.

Bailey Doesn't Bark

Favorite discovery of the week: the ceramics at Bailey Doesn't Bark. Intriguing. Sometimes sort of icky. Always beautiful. If you want to give me a gift (Ben Blair), this is the place to shop.

Paper Source Calendar

It's not too late to get your 2009 calendar. Heck. It's still January. Sort of. Here's a gorgeous one from Paper Source. On the back of each calendar page are templates to make things like pillow boxes, hang tags, gift tags, bookmarks, and file folders.

It's also not too late to enter the Seven Smooches Giveaway — featuring a $150 gift certificate, plus a lavender filled cashmere dove.You have until Sunday night at Midnight PST. Click here or scroll down for details.

Thanks for the link, Jackie.

Oras Clocks

Aren't these clocks beautiful? Made from natural walnut. The hands are available in four colors. Blue, pink, orange and yellow.

Nesting

Lots of great stuff over at Cookie Magazine's Nesting blog lately. I mean, it's always good stuff. But January has been especially lovely. Here are links to my two most recent posts:

1) An ingenious dishwasher button
2) Gorgeous Animal Counting Prints from Milk Moon Kids

Mexico Peace Prints

I'm no doubt influenced by my recent trip, but these exclusive, limited edition prints by Print*Pattern*Paper are super appealing to me. Half of the artist's proceeds from these posters help fund PEACE's ongoing community programs.

Trailer Park Upgrade

This is a mobile home? Hawt. I'm thinking it's the best looking mobile home ever. By architect and furniture designer Christopher C. Deam. Need a guest space — just have one of these delivered to your backyard. : )

Thanks for the link, Eliza!

Winborg Sisters

Colorful, friendly artwork for children's rooms by Winborg Sisters Design.

Mini Moderns

I love this photo from Mini Moderns featuring their collection of wallpaper designs. Such a great display. Makes me want to find scraps of good-looking fabrics and papers and frame them up.

While I was visiting Mini Moderns' site, I noticed they are offering their designs on canvas bags now too — available by the end of this month. Nice.

Pretty Things

Pretty things in my house that made me smile today:

A flock of cranes above the kitchen table. Our friend Audrey, who took wonderful care of our kids while we were in Mexico, filled the house with their art projects while we were away. We took her to the airport this morning (sad) but the cranes are still with us.



My new handbag. By Casselini. The exact perfect shade of gray. Super-soft leather. Found on sale at Anthropologie. I'm in love with the oversize clasp. (No longer in stores, but I just found one on ebay here.)



Olive. And her new hat. We picked it up during the holiday boutique at Grand Central. From the Little Mis-Matched booth. So cute.



Good-looking boxes by Dorset Cereals. I spotted these at our local Stop and Shop. Uncommonly pretty for single-serve boxes of cereal. I haven't tried them yet, but I hope they're as yummy as their boxes.

What's pretty in your house today?

Blot Paintings

Spotted on kirtsy. I know there are probably elementary school students making something similar today simply by accident, but I think these blot paintings edged in ink, by Kaitlyn Sullivan are gorgeous. And I totally want one. They would cheer up any room in the house. Plus, you can't beat the price for a signed original.

Blocks Elevated

These blocks are so beautiful. Designed by Michele Bosak and sold in her Mimidoodles etsy shop. Her drawings are xerox transferred onto each block by hand and finished with little felt feet to protect your tabletops. Apparently, they are more to be looked at and admired than played with. I would love a collection displayed on a desk or side table.



And take a minute to poke around the rest of her shop as well. Her drawing style is lovely.

I spotted these blocks on a new-to-me blog Paper n Stitch.

Favorite Things: Post It Calendar

I love a pretty calendar in my office, but for the last 7 years or so, our main family calendar has been built each month on the kitchen bulletin board. We use post-its if we have them. Or cut squares from colored paper if we don't. We staple the squares directly to the bulletin board.

I created the first one when Ralph was very young and couldn't comprehend how many days it was until Halloween. The distinct squares helped him understand — and we crossed out each day as we went along. But it ended up being so functional and helpful, that we've made it a permanent fixture in our dining area.

Thumbs up:
It's a nice monthly ritual. My kids help. Maude likes to remove last month's staples. Ralph likes to pick out colors for the new month — typically based on any applicable holidays (Red or Green during December, Orange during October. On the calendar above the colors aren't significant of anything in particular. Ralph just collected an assortment of post-its that he said "felt like January"). It helps everyone understand the different number of days in each month.

Also, it's big. So we have plenty of room to write our daily activities. In fact, on the months I cut out my own squares, we can even go bigger or smaller as we see fit. I like that kind of flexibility and control.

Thumbs down:
There's only room for one month at time on our board. So thinking ahead to next month gets tricky.

I'm considering moving away from this method and keeping a family binder instead. Maybe something with a calendar, sections for each child, and pockets for invitations or notes from school. But I'm afraid I would miss the big visual reminder. How do you handle the family calendar?

Want to see more of my favorites? Amanda posted some of them here.

Religious Prints

As a churchgoer, I like to keep religious reminders around the house. It's a nice surprise when I find prints that are clean and bright instead of dark or medieval. Persimmon and Pink offers lots of options in their etsy shop. I think these would be pretty in my daughters' room.

Mini Cake Stand

I know it's sold out, but I'm still coveting this little Scallop Cupcake Stand from Whitney Smith Pottery. Dear Whitney, please make more. Thank you.

Found via Say Yes.

Catalog Christmas Tree

Jill of Blue Poppy Jewelry sent me pics of the Christmas tree she fashioned out of catalogs this year. Built around an over-turned wire tomato trellis. Things I can learn from this: celebrating Christmas should not require a major output of cash. And. The transformative power of twinkle lights should not be underestimated.

Advent Calendars

One way the blogosphere really shines in December, is when it shows off a new crop of advent calendar ideas. A few worth noting:

An adorable advent garland at Jessica Prague — designed by the talented Candice Stringham.
A textured, textile advent creation at Pretty Swank.
And this one spotted on kirtsy. A simple solution in festive colors. By someone who speaks French.

Ask Design Mom: Stocking Display

Ask Design Mom Question:
Dear Designmom, I was wondering if you had any fun ideas of where and how to hang up stockings. I have no fireplace or cute mantel. (sigh.) Do you have any suggestions? — Allison

Design Mom Answer:
I feel your pain, Allison. I too have a fireplace-less home. In fact, over the last decade, I've lived in a series of 3 fireplace-less homes, and I've solved the where-to-hang-the-stockings-question a few different ways.



1) Right now, our stocking are hung in a row over the piano — using very small nails. They look great! And if you don't have a piano, this would work just as well over an entry table.

2) In years past, I've used the banister on the stairs for a stocking display. If you have an open stair case, this is a wonderful solution. Just use pretty ribbon to tie the stockings along the length of the hand rail. Bonus: it's easy to the the spacing nice and even by using every other opening in the banister.

3) My friend uses the side of a tall bookcase to hang her stockings in a vertical row and it looks fantastic.

4) I think Christmas Stockings hung from the footboard of a bed are just about the most charming things ever.

5) Last idea: when I was about 5 years old, my family was living in a small apartment while we built a home. I remember watching my mom hang our stockings from the ceiling. And thought is was wonderful.

What about you Design Mom Readers? Where do you hang your stockings?

Laidback Home

It's been kind of a whirlwind few days. The kirtsy girls came to town on Monday. We all stayed together at the Hudson Hotel. We hosted a Hands on Kirtsy session that night. Awesome. Met oodles of interesting people. Then followed it up with a Meetup. See Gwen Bell's pics here. On Tuesday we made a field trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hung out with Jesse Engle and Aaron of Tomorrow Pants. Amassed chocolate. And more chocolate. This morning — Wednesday — it was business meetings back in the city. And then I dropped off the crew at LaGuardia this afternoon. And now I'm home. In reporting mode.



One of the people I was lucky to meet at the Hands on Kirtsy session is Tina Shoulders — designer and brain behind Laidback Home. Gorgeous pillows. Hip totes. From textiles she designs herself.

And my addiction for/crush on textile designers continues...