Category Archives: design

creating a room to play

When we moved into our home there was this odd little “room” right by the kitchen, attached to the family room.  It’s considered a room but isn’t completely closed in as there are two large, half wall cut outs and no door.  It’s separate from the family room, but still sort of part of it.  It is very odd.  But we have kids and therefore, the perfect playroom.  I love it, it’s a great space for the girls to play, stay supervised and keep their toys.

We bought a rug (Lusy Blom Ikea rug) an awesome kids table (Land of Nod) and then it basically got filled up with toys.  It’s an adorable little space, but lacking in some order. I have art hanging on windows, random letters from a set of “ABC” prints on top of some closet trim, animals living on a window ledge and a leftover piece of furniture with 4 storage cubbies filled with randomness.  Every playroom should have the following: FUN, FUNCTION & STYLE (in no particular order).  This room is visible from the moment you walk through our front doors,  it can’t look like a sloppy mess.

A playroom is their space, a place to read, imagine, build and create.  I love a good . . .

  • book nook where books are easily accessible – with a floor pillow, window seat or comfy chair to read
  • play table to color, write or have a tea party 
  • wall decor/art display something to inspire and show case all that creativity
  • floor space to play
  • storage to put it all away. . . to organize, provide structure & get the most of those toys

So I really need to work on wall decor & organization, oh and something for the windows.  My plan is to finish the ABC wall project I barely started with my cute ABC prints.  Buy a cork board or something to display art.  I need a better storage system . . . Ikea Expedit has great options, Pottery Barn Cameron Storage Systems have always been my favorite or these knock off Baby Mod Walmart Systems also look like a good alternative. Stay tuned . . .

*random photos taken by Stehlik Photography during Amelia’s infant photo shoot

Some playroom inspiration . . .

Traditional Home (we  have & love that Ikea train set!)

Real Simple – love all the organization!

A Sloan Mauran design . . just simple, classic & adorable (I have those ABC prints!!) Check out this post by
Jacqueline Reese Baby & Kids on how to get this look for cheap.

by Steven Gambrel . . .lovin the yellow

Coastal Living – awesome cork board

Elizabeth Dinkel design – great roman shade for this space

Project Nursery – that’s a lot of chalk board

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happily ever after . . . in pink & gold

My sister got married last March and I finally got some copies of her stunning wedding pictures!  What a gorgeous wedding.  Took place at the beautiful Avila Country Club in Tampa, FL.  Her colors were pink & gold, it was a simply classic fairytale of a wedding.  My little princess Adeline was one of the flower girls and I was still pregnant with Amelia.   Check out some of the beautiful details . . .

A family affair, we were ALL part of the wedding.  The bridesmaids consisted of all my nieces and sisters…imagine finding a bridesmaid dress that suits an age range from 13 – 30 something AND a pregnant one, well, she found it.

A beautiful and incredible couple.  My favorites – definitely the color scheme and flowers, cute gift bags for the kids (kept them occupied during the reception), the gold chairs, photo booth, cappuccino station, ribbon wands for send off.  Photography by the fabulous Stehlik Photography.

A sweet moment.  I had left the house early with Adeline to get ready at the ceremony site.  It was a crazy morning and I hadn’t seen James (also the best man) all day, until he caught up to me right before the start of the ceremony to check in.

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Our kitchen chandelier is here!

So a few weeks back I did a post on chandeliers in the kitchen… .  Well, we finally picked one and went with the St. Regis from Crystorama.  It’s GORGEOUS.  Even better than I expected.  It sparkles and shines and lights up the whole kitchen.  Not to mention we feel like royalty during dinner! Here are a few pics from the night we finally got it up…(right in time for the holidays).

So pretty…makes me smile every time I sit down to eat (its the little things…). :-)   Now, kitchen project #2 – window treatments.  I think roman shades…flat, relaxed? white or patterned?? hmm….

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Lizzy’s Cupcake Soiree

Right before the holidays I had the pleasure of getting talked into planning my sweet nieces 14th birthday party.  Lizzy loves baking and her specialty is cupcakes (and the girl can make some yummy cupcakes).  I combined her love of cupcakes with a teal, red, pink color themed cupcake soiree!

Lizzy’s favorite show is TLC’S “DC Cupcakes” and we surprised her with a dozen cupcakes from the show’s bakery – “Georgetown Cupcake.”  Yup, we had a dozen cupcakes shipped from Washington, D.C. and yes, it was definitely worth it.  They were wonderfully packaged and arrived in perfect condition (I was impressed) and so yummy.  It was definitely one of the main features of the party and a big highlight for Lizzy!  I made individual cupcake stands for these decadent treats and the girls later had a “guess what cupcake flavor” activity with 6 of them.

Our dessert table was filled with pink yogurt pretzels, sour patch cherries, cookies and cupcakes from our local grocery store, Georgetown Cupcakes and yummy peanut butter fudge cupcakes made by Lizzy herself (these were also provided as boxed take home favors).  The girls had a blast with the cupcake tasting contest, a scavenger hunt and making their own felt flower clips (this was a huge hit – I just provided them with a hot clue gun, a variety of felt squares, alligator clips and some inspiration pics found online).

Keep Calm and Eat a Cupcake poster is from Poster Pop. Paper striped straws and cupcake paper lines are from Dime Store Buddy.  We used circular lanterns (from Just Artifcats) in different sizes to decorate the dessert table and other areas throughout the house.

All the party printables (cupcake toppers, food labels, birthday sign) were created by me using the adorable digital paper designs from Moo & Puppy.

**Photography by Kasia Baginski

Don’t you just feel like having a cupcake now??!

 

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Holiday decor

With the Thanksgiving festivities behind us (our Turkey turned out great by the way) – it’s time to get those Christmas decorations out.  Christmas is my favorite holiday.  I love the weather, the spirit, the festivities and most importantly, the reason behind it all.   It’s so easy to go a bit nuts with all the lights, glitter, garland and elves – sometimes simplicity is key.  I love these holiday features pictured below . . .

House Beautiful

Country Living

Elle Decor

Coastal Living

Traditional Home

And DIY projects?  I’m going to attempt a ginger bread house with Adeline this year.  Not quite sure I will be brave enough to do it completely from scratch, may just have to buy the kit or try this neat Graham Cracker one from Martha Stewart.

Other fun ideas I found on Pinterest are to make a wreath or garland with pom poms…not quite sure who would have more fun with this, me or Adeline?  Check out some of the other fun holiday ideas I came across on my holiday Pinterest board!

Follow Me on Pinterest

Speaking of crafts….so in the beginning of Fall I posted a little “Fall To Do” list to complete with my 2 year old.   (I love that she is old enough to participate now!)  It’s awesome to see a child discovering the seasons and reasons why we do these things right before my eyes.  It’s so pure and genuine.  Anyways, our “Fall To Do” list didn’t get 100% completed, but we did 7 out of 10 – not too bad.  Here are some pics! (I definitely hogged the entire wreath project, I loved this project – check out the great tutorial at Take Heart

 

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Thanksgiving printables – part 2

Here is photo of the Thanksgiving printables available for download from the previous post.  I have attached one more - Iamthankfulcards

We are using these for a family activity between helpings at the table.  Each person writes down something they are thankful for on a piece of paper (could be serious or funny) and puts it in a jar.  We pass it around the table, everyone pulls out a card, reads it out loud and tries to guess who wrote what.   A simple, fun little family activity for kids and adults.

So I previously mentioned that we will be attempting to make our first turkey this Thanksgiving….a rather large bird that can be a bit intimidating.   My husband is trying to take charge of it, but I’m just as ready to take it on.  We came across this interesting recipe and instructional video from Chef John – check it out on his blog Food Wishes.  Hopefully ours turns out as delicious as his looks.

 

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Thanksgiving printables

Where did the month of November go?  Thanksgiving is next week already…eek!!  In our household all the Thanksgiving festivities are usually held at the home of my wonderful parents…however, this year they will be visiting my newly married sister in her new home state of Ohio (they will freeze).  Due to these circumstances Thanksgiving dinner will be held in my home for the first time ever.  We will be attempting our first turkey (only took 6 years) and make a 11 person seating area out of our current dining room table that only seats 4.

Let the Thanksgiving dinner planning begin!  To make dinner a little more festive I’ve made a Thanksgiving print, place cards, table tents, pennant and cupcake toppers (or could be used for favor tags/embellishments).  I’ve attached all five files below -  you can use these for your own Thanksgiving celebration (for personal use only) – just download, print on card stock and cut.  Let the entertaining begin!

Thanksgiving Sign

Thanksgiving Food Labels

Thanksgiving Name Tents

“Give Thanks” Thanksgiving Pennant

Thanksgiving Toppers

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a kitchen chandelier

I love a crystal kitchen chandelier, it’s traditional and classy while still making the perfect glamorous statement.  It’s the perfect touch for my kitchen nook (which currently has no lighting).  I’ve been procrastinating on this one as it’s one of the many things on our long “house list” that still needs to get done.  But with the time change and our evenings getting so dark quickly – our kitchen lights are just not cutting it anymore.  I feel like I’m eating in the dark so the search for the perfect kitchen nook chandelier has begun.  I need something elegant and classy but with a little trendy/modern touch to it.  It requires crystals, but not complete overkill.  Here are some wonderful inspirations of kitchen chandeliers . . .

Southern Living

MyOhMymama.blogspot

Southern Accents

House Beautiful

 

And here is my space…

(window treatments next on the list)

 

And some contenders:

 

Clockwise: 1) Flanders Circa Lighting 2) St. Regis Crystorama 3) Maison De Ville Murray Feiss 4) St. Tropez from Noir Furniture (found at Layla Grace)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And some I wish could be contenders!:

   1) Marigot Circa Lighting 2) 19th C. Rococo Iron & Crystal RH 3)Florentine Clear Jayson Home 4) Paris Flea Market Circa Lighting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the empire chandeliers, but many of them are a bit over the top (and $$).  The one from Noir Furniture is very cool, but at 38″ wide may be a bit too much of a statement, but it’s still definitely very cool.  Hmmm…what to do…

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i love the POUF

The pouf! What is this fun little thing?  It could be foot stool, a seat, a play table for the little ones or just a piece of decor.  I first spotted this traditional Moroccan piece in the Serena & Lily catalog a few months back and  have been on the look out for one with a smaller price tag.  Amazon and Overstock  carry a variety for around $200 and I spotted a fun silver one (pictured below) for $199 (not including one of their many discounts) on Horchow   (which may just need to be a future “investment” of mine).  I could just picture one in Amelia’s nursery….or in my “office,” or even in the play room…lovely

It appears that I’m not the only one with a love for the pouf as they appear to be all the rage at the moment. I have been spotting a variety of “poufs” popping up everywhere.  I’m still holding out for my Moroccan pouf, but here are some alternatives with a smaller price tag.

1. CB2  Knitted Pouf $89.95

2. Urban Outfitters  Free Trade Pouf $109.00

3. Target Missioni Pouf $79.99

4. Home Decorators Collection  Whitney Square Ottoman $71.00

5. World Market Knitted Pouf $69.99

6. Urban Outfitters Globe Trotter Pouf $149.00 or VERY SIMILAR one by

Baby & Child Restoration Hardware for $129

7. Etsy Aletafae 18″ Pouf $75.00

8.  Okay, this is a small fortune…but GORGEOUS Pouf by Global Views

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Master Bath – roman shades

I’m currently working on some window treatments for our master bath as the paper shades are just not cutting it anymore (and yes, they are being held up by packaging tape). I found someone to custom make new “cordless” inside mount roman shades, I’m very excited about it! Here are some of the fabric options I have chosen (all from Premier Prints) as they have decent options and honestly, you can’t beat the price. I’ve decided to go with the second one from the left (style Traditions – Cloud/Linen) – I think this fabric will provide a nice contrast against all the white but not compete with it, just provide a softer overall look.

We had to completely remodel our master bath due to some serious damage/plumbing/water leaking issues before we moved into our home last spring. I fell in love with “Mrs. Limestone’s” bathroom from a brooklyn limestone in progress (check out her beautiful home!) I am obsessed with that marble/subway tile look (did the same thing in my kitchen) and used her bathroom as my inspiration. Here are some sneak peaks of what we have done so far.

Basketweave marble floors, Restoration Hardware sconces, Gatco mirrors, chrome Moen Waterhill faucets/rain head shower, dark chocolate cabinets from Lowes, white subway tile, Ikea PAX closet system

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