I am having a love hate relationship with PBkids lately..they are so darn expensive on some things (I think) and really is the quality of the furniture that great (you can comment if you love yours, i really do want to hear) but i just dont see that my 4 year old needs an $800 bed. Just me, I like old stuff and it is really sturdy (usually) BUT at the same time I am really seduced by the glossy, tidy, ORGANIZED looked of their rooms, you can certainly get great ideas! I love going through the catalog over and over and over.. When I get in the store, which is so cute, much like Janie and Jack, i am usually really umimpressed with some of the fabrics (dont be offended if you just bought your little girl a $200 (twin size) quilt there because I do really like some of their things, like the pique crib bedding, and now they have boxed bumpers..love that)..AND it never fails, i find a toy or book or accessory i love..yesterday it was these plates..are they not the cutest?? and the best part, they had them in ACRYLIC which means CHEAP or cheaper..they were $5 each instead of $39 for the set and i dont need the girly bird one..i may hang these in the new playroom/bedroom as as a nod to the room’s previous use;; or we will just use them for plates..the thing is, we all love using plates on the wall but more and more places or making really great acrylic versions. For instance, Target comes out with a reallly cute new plate (acrylic) every week it seems, have you seen the hot pink damask or the blue square one with chainlink design..they are $2-3. So back to Pottery Barn, tell me..how do you really feel???

I just love Fran Keenan..like our girl Heather Chadduck, she was an editor at Cottage Living..i am sure she is doing wonderful things on her own now..I just adore her little cottage in Birmingham and how she mixes traditional and modern and USES SMALL SPACE..very inspiring since I am feeling cramped in my own little cottage right now.. Love this picture, note the storage and her use of pattern in the entry, on the chair, the bench grouped with chairs, etc.. (and her cute baby bump)..if anyone has the image of her little girl’s room that appeared in the same issue (the one with the large houndstooth chair and handpainted letters on the wall, please email;;

[image from Cottage Living, 2007]

[Update: notice my readers in the comments found this image..thanks yall!
isnt little Ella's room just darling?!]

The nice people at FABRIC.COM are offering the readers of this blog a $5 off coupon! The coupon code is blogholly. The coupon is valid for one week, from 2/19 to 2/26. There is no minimum purchase and the coupon is a one time only coupon.

Isn’t that nice??! Thanks Fabric.com

And I must say I have ordered several times from fabric.com and I am always happy..the prices are great..in fact, I am thinking of this Waveryly fabric for baby’s bumper (if it is a boy) I just love it..only $10 a yard too!

We are such anglophiles around here..here are some images that show traditional sort of British colonial-like style, more modern Brit vibe and of course good ol Shabby chic. I love this first image via Urban Grace.
..

I cant wait to decorate Drew’s room like this when he is about 12 (of course he will probably be appalled.)

here.
anddddd, have you heard?? Target is getting some things designed by the great Brit girl, Orla Kiely… i have been in love with this bag of hers forever..it would even make a great diaper bag.. so far i have only seen organizational bins and kitchen items but i am hoping they will get bags too! In the meantime, you can find some of her things

and of course, something from the shabby-est Brit of all;;

....i love the union jack wallhanging..in her store (which I hear one is opening in Houston this year unless the enconomy has changed plans..right now they have one in Austin!) she has a huge Union Jack pillow like this and it has wonderful vintage brooches and pins…very cute for a little girl;;

I am back on girl nursery ideas this week…there is no reason, I still dont know for certain what I am having (will know in three weeks hopefully) and I really do feel like it is another boy (and i love that idea) BUTTTT I realized today, “OMG if it is a GIRL we could do WALLPAPER”..I love wallpaper, we have just a tad bit in our bathroom but my husband is really good at the wallpaper thing and the room is super tiny…. SO I found a few “ideas”..I know i also said “red for a girl with not much pink” but notice all of the loud pink wallpapers (imagine with white furniture and plain white linen crib bedding, maybe one big monogram somewhere)..must be the hormones. One part of me says “this poor little house cant handle too much pink or another pattern” but another part of me says “go whole hog, more is more and pattern and color on the walls of a tiny room is just always good.” We’ll see. Poor Daddy!

I am also sentimental because I had wallpaper in my room when I was a little girl, yellow check (can we say late 1970s) and later, a dark navy with little pink flowers. And my dad hung it and it just a sweet memory, made me feel very girl and special to have wallaper in my room.

So here are a few samples..none are expensive, I intentinally stayed away from Colefax, Nina C, etc.. any books or sites that you love for wallpaper???

Enjoy!

with brown, always a good combo..and more childrens rooms/stuff, always on my mind these days;;…images are courtesy of Serena and Lily.

I *heart* this mobile..on sale at Pottery Barn Kids! and of course this red letter hung on a wall done in my beloved chalkboard paint..and still loving this trenna lange room done with touches of red..hmmm, you think the new nursery will have red????

[edited to say]..the red letter picture is from blue castle..she has a lot of cute, very budget friendly ideas..