Papier Mache Magazine

I'm so impressed with this new online children's magazine from Australia called Papier Mache. Gorgeous with a capital G.

Thanks for the link, Brianna. Nice find!

2218 Blake Street, Berkeley CA

Because Jared & Liz are moving to San Francisco, Jordan is trying to recruit the rest of the family. She sent me a link to this charming house in Berkeley. I want.

Bold Move

So the latest gossip/news among my siblings is that Jared & Liz (of Say Yes to Hoboken) are moving to San Francisco. We're all very excited. And at least one of us is very jealous (that would be me). I heart the city by the bay.

Their big news is good news to someone-yet-to-be-determined — because they'll be renting out their gorgeous house in the Avenues of SLC. Know anyone looking for a place? Tell them they can find more info and photos here.

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.

5 Things You Could Buy for Father's Day

What? It's really the end of May?

Here are 5 things I've been considering for Father's Day. (Ben Blair, don't read this.)

1) T-shirt from Robotcha.
They come in kid size and grown up size. Ben Blair is sort of obsessed with robots.

2) Custom Fingerprint Cufflinks from Womily.
Womily has this amazing line of jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, keyrings, etc) called Touch, that feature the fingerprint/thumbprint of someone you love. They send you a kit to capture your print, you send it back, and they form it into jewelry. So cool! You could capture your babies thumbprints. Or if you have two kids, you could capture one fingerprint from each. Ben Blair is all about a great collection of cufflinks.

3) Comic Book Wallet.
Made by the disabled from pages of recycled comic books. Available as passport holders as well. I don't think Ben Blair read many comic books as a kid, but they are certainly the basis of his favorite movies as an adult.

4) Belt from Strapped Belts.
Made in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (where we honeymooned), I think these glass buckles are beautiful. And manly enough to keep Ben Blair's jeans around his waist.

5) Black Lacoste Polo Shirt.
Apparently Ben Blair's most recent version of this shirt was misplaced in the move. Bummer. Because he looks really good in it. In fact, I'm not sure if I've met a man that wouldn't look good in a black Lacoste polo.

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?

Hello Lara Fishman

A new Guest Mom this week! Her name is Lara Fishman and she's an interior designer in LA. I don't know her in real life, but I do know this: she's the genius behind Designers Call — a new company with the goal of bringing professional design services to those who previously haven't had the time or funds to hire a designer. Intrigued? So was I when I heard about it. That's why I thought she'd make a great Guest Mom. (Plus there's something called a DesignWagen, which sounds rad.)

Here's a bio of Lara I stole off of her site:

Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Lara was influenced by her mother's passion for interior design, antiques, fine art, fashion and her talent for merging disparate styles, colors and patterns into beautiful cohesive living environments.

After studying French Literature at Tulane University and living in France, Lara cultivated a deep interest in European design traditions. In 1998, she completed a four-year course of study at UCLA's prestigious School of Interior and Environmental Design, working concurrently as a furniture designer to expand her knowledge of the custom-design process.

In 1998, Lara joined Kelly Wearstler Interior Design (KWID) as a senior designer and design team supervisor for residential and commercial projects such as The Viceroy and Maison 140, before founding her full-service interior design firm, Storm Interiors, in 2000.

In 2008, Lara launched Designers Call, a specialized decorating service that addresses the growing need of consumers seeking professional design services but lacking the large budget or time required by the traditional design process. Lara is an allied member of ASID.

So ladies. We have a professional interior designer with us this week. A woman with a mission to make design services available to all. I think we should take advantage of this opportunity by asking her lots of questions, no?

Sisters Gulassa Shop

Sisters Gulassa — the cross continent textile design duo — has opened up a little online shop. I think their cards are so handsome. Also. Don't miss a peek into one of the sister's homes on Cookie.

Steel Furniture

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

Jane Says

My brother Jared gave us tix for Jane's Addiction tonight. Woot! Will I see you there?

Memorial Day

Today was the first day in a whole month that I've a had a scheduled sitter so I could get some solid work done. It feels so good! Working without interruption = sweet satisfaction.

My mind is all over the place. Friday was the last day of school. We're making mental adjustments to the idea — because school won't be out in New York till the end of June. And really, I barely had time to learn the teacher's names and the school year is already over. To celebrate we went hot-tubbing at our friend's house and had a sleepover.

Memorial Day was ideal and played its role as the first day of summer perfectly. We had a laundry/clean-the-house morning and then BBQ'd with the cousins through the afternoon and evening. Some of the party festivities: Football in the shared green space behind out house. Hamburgers, brats and hotdogs. Rain. Guitar Hero. Playing patriotic songs with the chimes. Watching the Nuggets/Lakers game. Fireworks on the wet patio.



The kids made cute little votive holders a la Nie, and hung them in the apple tree, but it was too wet to light them. Nobody minded. : )

Giveaway — Lisa Leonard Designs

Ladies! Today's Giveaway is a dollop of pretty on top of a bowl of beautiful. Some lucky lady will receive a $150 Gift Certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs! Her pieces are lovely. Each one is handmade — hand-cut, hammered, antiqued and polished from sterling silver. Perfect for everyday. And $150 is enough to pick out something for you, and for a bff.



You can create a custom necklace or bracelet (maybe even something to remind you of the loved ones we remember on Memorial Day). Or you can pick from her inspired offerings. Either way, I'm betting you get compliments every time you wear a Lisa Leonard Design.

Leave a comment to enter and have a fantastic weekend. Since I assume you'll all be BBQ'ing on Monday, natch, I'll post the winners on Tuesday. Happy Memorial Day!

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Update: Congratulations, Whit! You are the winner. Thanks for entering, everybody!

Cinnamon Bears

Apparently certain candies are regional? I don't think I saw a cinnamon bear the entire 8 years I was in New York, but they are widely available here. Happily, I heart cinnamon bears. Which is why, when I came upon the 5 lb bag of them during a midnight run to the grocery store, I said: yes, please.

Five pounds is a lot of cinnamon bears. A lot. If you're having a craving, please stop by so I can share them with you.

Western Eden

See the picture above? It's the desert near a small town in Utah called Grantsville. Beautiful in its own right, but not very inviting or inhabitable. My Aunt Janet and Uncle Gary own several acres of that very land and have spent the last 10 years turning it into their own Eden:




Amazing, right? And having spent several idyllic afternoons on the property, I can tell you the pictures don't do it justice. I'm not sure if I know anyone that works harder than Gary or Janet. You can read more about what they did in an article here. (More pics too!)

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!

Table Progress

I've been trying to figure out what kind of table I want in our dining-room-turned-art-space. Should I buy one? Maybe the Strut Table I've been in love with for ages from Blu Dot? Should I build something? Maybe use trestles from Ikea and a hollow core door? Except Colorado doesn't have an Ikea. (What the?!)

Then I saw this photo in Downtown Chic, the Sixx Design book I just posted about, and fell in love. It's so old and worn and beat-up and beautiful. My kids could paint on it or cut on it or dent it and it wouldn't matter even a little bit. So I hired my nephew Josh to help me build something like it. We don't really know what we're doing, but the rough nature of the finished project allows for mistakes. Which is perfect. Here is our progress:


We're building it as big as we can based on the sheet metal that was available. We think when it's finished it will be able to seat 10 very comfortably, and 14 pretty comfortably. Once it's built, I'll decide on the finish. Possibly I'll try to make it look aged. (I have no idea how I would go about doing this, if you have any tips, please share.) Possibly I'll just paint it.

Once it's finished (assuming the table turns out cool), I'll write up something with more details, sources and instructions.

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?

Mini Moderns — Now in Clothing

Mini Moderns, one of my favorite wallpaper/textile design shops has partnered with Clothkits to create a collection of easy-to-make dresses featuring Mini Moderns print designs. How cute is that? I've never tried Clothkits before but now I'm all curious.

Kind of a wallpaper theme happening today. Unexpected, but I like it.

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.

The Perfect Dress — by Guest Mom Starr Keller

I'm in love with this dress from Anthropologie. I want to wear it for the family photos I've been trying to schedule for months. If the family photos never happen, at least I'll have this pretty dress to wear.

Betty's Birthday

Betty Blair turned 3 on Saturday.

Of course, that is probably a lie, because I can not imagine such a thing to be true. I started this very blog on the day she turned two months old in an effort to ward off post-partum depression. (It worked!) And that was only like last month or something.



We put together a little party for her on Saturday afternoon. Pink cupcakes and a few simple presents. I scrambled through a few yet-unpacked boxes in search of the gift wrapping and party decorations and found this darling flower garland from Martha Stewart's craft line to add to the festivities. Perfect!



Highlights of the day:
-The Sabey cousins came by with a ginormous bag of Skittles, which are Betty's favorite.
-We lit the candles and sang Happy Birthday four times in a row because Betty loved it so much and kept asking us to do it again.
-After the kids were in bed that night, Ben Blair and I scouted out the nearest theater and saw Star Trek. Go see it too. It is awesome.