Tag Archives: decorating

DIY Dreaming…

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I don’t know about you, but I saw this and immediatly felt the need to paint my bedroom.


Nicole from Making It Lovely recently posted a detailed guide to DIY painting. And I’ve been thinking that it’s time to step up my DIY efforts…so this might be a good place to start! (By the way – did you read the caption? I can only aspire to that level of DIY expertise…)

We moved into our house three and a half years ago, right before my twins were born. While we were able to get most of the rooms painted (via professionals this time – I mean, give us a break – with an 17 month old running around and twins ready to be born at any minute, we needed help!)

The master bedroom didn’t quite make the cut. So I have been looking at dreary bone white walls for years now.

I think a complete bedroom makeover may be in order. And the first project will be updating a couple of boring white lamps and repairing and painting the rickety side tables. But painting the walls is high on my list of musts, so I’m holding onto this article.

I totally think I can do it myself. We’ll see…

Nesting Newbies and The Treehouse Press

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A couple of things today…

First, I found a new online magazine last week called Nesting Newbies (also see the website: nestingnewbies.com). It’s all about “homemaking,” really – specifically, cooking, entertaining and decorating.

The layout is well done and the features have something for everyone. My favorites were…

…this series of table set designs (complete with “get the look” suggestions):





…and this great lamp makeover:



Then my adorable IRL friend Christy of A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit sent me a link to an Etsy shop she found on Urban Grace: The Treehouse Press. They make glass decoupage plates using only vintage papers like paper dolls, old maps, wallpaper scraps, children’s books, antique prints, etc. Here are a few of my favorite images:





Pricey – yes. But pretty special (especially that baby plate).

That was quite the big finale Friday for me…two subjects in one post. Nesting Newbies and The Treehouse Press – check them out!

New Online Magazine: Laura Day – Making Rooms for Living

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I happened upon this “webazine” the other day and thought it was a really interesting take on online magazines. While it has some elements of traditional print magazines (features, advertisements, etc.) it is much easier to navigate as a website.

You may recognize Laura Day from TLC’s Trading Spaces. But her own NYC home, which is the focus of this first issue, is nothing like what we saw on that slap dash decorating show…

While I wouldn’t stay that her style mirrors my own, I do find her interiors very warm and innovative. And I like how much value she places on personal inspiration.

I LOVE the site index (looks like a color swatch):


My favorite feature was “The Closet” in which she takes one of her rooms and translates it into a travel wardrobe.



It will be interesting to see what comes next. And since it’s bi-monthly, we won’t have to wait long…

Two New Additions

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This Christmas, we had a couple of exciting new additions to our dining room.

The first was a present from my mom. This pretty little chandelier:




She really hated the admittedly ugly lighting fixture that was up when we purchased the house three years ago (sorry – no before pics – never occurred to me to capture its hideousness on film). I never cared for it myself, but when pregnant with twins, moving house and chasing after a 17 month old, one can only focus on so many home improvement projects…

The other gift was from me: a charming oil painting from Lisa Hirst, whom I’ve featured here before.



She’s beeen a favorite of mine for months and it makes me so happy to have one of her pieces in my home.

We actually got another painting from my brother, but I’m going to do a separate post on that tomorrow. So check back then!

The Well Dressed Home

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I completely forgot to tell you about the best giveaway I won on coco + kelly a couple of months back. But this post on Lobster and Swan reminded me.


The Well Dressed Home by Annette Tatum is by far one of the most beautiful design books I’ve ever seen. It’s like the sugar frosted French pastry to your typical baguette of a coffee table book. Just paging through its loveliness is like an act of decadence. And the copy I won is SIGNED (I have a bit of a thing for signed first editions).


The topic is personalizing your living space so that it reflects your fashion and style sensibilities. And the photography would inspire the least style minded reader.


It’s not uncommon to hear a differentiation between “being into fashion” or “being into home interiors” but personal design taste really has to encompass both. What you choose to put on your body and what you put around it are so closely related.


Especially since both are terribly challenged by the amount of money you have to spend. Possibly one of the biggest reasons why many choose to just give up and not even try.


In the end, it takes more than a few days to dress a home, and for most it can take a lifetime. But the process of collecting treasured things and developing personal style can be enjoyed just as much as the end result of home dressed to the nines.

Hot Air Balloons from ish and chi

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One thing I love about gay dads is that they can eclipse the most en fuego of Type A first time pregnant moms when it comes to nursery planning.

When I was pregnant with my first and doing the registry thing, I also had uncounted friends with registries. So I became extremely well versed on what should be on the list, what was totally ridiculous and what details should be in your profile to help a buyer make their off-the-registry choices (those damn renegades…STICK TO THE LIST!)

Anyway – every registry had a notes section where the parents could describe their nursery decor. I saw everything from “the nursery is blue and yellow” to “The nursery is painted yellow and the bedding is Beatrix Potter.” But the best by far came from a gay couple, “the theme of the nursery is ‘Hot Air Balloon.’” Simple yet – so much in there… Creative, un-Disneyfied and whimsical – that nursery didn’t just have decor, it had a “THEME.”

Anyway – I saw this adorable cut paper design from ish and chi and immediately thought of those Type A gay dads.


Too bad they’re done having their babies (and they had a different theme for each nursery anyway). These would have been perfect.

More Red

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I recently mentioned how much I’m loving the look of one bright red piece in a room.

While I can’t afford a new piece of furniture anytime soon, this lovely butterfly that Ish & Chi makes in Amy Butler fabric would be a more affordable option.




For $25, this original cut paper piece (it’s not a print) would make a great holiday gift. And it comes in other patters too.




Could make a sweet little series above a bed or crib, along a hallway wall, in a cozy corner…

So Bright Red Isn’t Just for Lipstick and Mid-Life Crisis Sports Cars…

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Here is one color that I never expected to love for home interiors: bright red.


I usually gravitate to blues and greens. Pale yellow is my neutral of choice. I have fairly traditional taste, and bright pops of color have only just started to sneak into my decorating fantasies…


Bright red wouldn’t be the first rogue color preference to surprise me, but I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately.


It’s probably the hint of orange that gives this hue a very classic feel. The shiny enamel effect says chinoiserie to me. It looks rich. And it would easily fit in with my current design aesthetic if paired with the right design.


Okay – so that last one is a little out there for me. But I do like it…expanding my horizons maybe?

Images from Absolutely Beautiful Things, Little Green Notebook, The Lil Bee and MadeByGirl.