I think it works for a boy or a girl and its SO reasonably prices…$13.99 a yard!

I am such a conflicted shopper..When working with e clients around the country, i love the convenience of Pottery Barn, West Elm, target and Land of Nod to name of few!  But a huge part of me really believes this…

{recently captured by my friend Christi}

That being said… y’all have to see this west elm rod! When i was doing drapery rods for drew’s room when pregnant with Henry, i had in mind that we (meaning my husband and I) would create the rods out of pipe and various piping plumbing accessories and it would be so industrial chic.  But we are NOT the Novagratzs and it became very clear to me in the aisle of the local Lowe’s that it wasn’t going to happen and that abandoning the project would be good for my marriage..so for once, i said “forget it baby” and i went and bought and alan + roth rod off the shelf and we had a much nicer Saturday…if only there had been this west elm rod!  Snap it up people! Sometimes buying at a chain store is for the greater good, well sort of…

And thank the Lord for etsy…it is not only a great resource for vintage, textiles, smalls and even seamstresses but it feels so good to send clients that way and not to a big corporate site.

I love this seller for burlap tablecloths and shams..they are great! Much rather buy these off of etsy!

But at the end of the day so many of us rely on the ease and availability of big  box stores occasionally.  I have always loved Land of Nod but honestly felt many of their pieces weren’t much  better quality or any less “plastic” than target..though i have always loved their art and print offerings and their selection of cool toys and accessories.   Well this catalog they outdid themselves…some great new products like this jenny lind bed in colors (but hello you can  buy those at garage sales and paint them) but if its good for your marriage to just buy one you have the option at land of nod! ha! Bottom line…corporate images/catalogs etc.. can inspire people to upcycle products from local sources..we all know this!

Also new to Land of Nod this season are these buffalo check duvets  they would be so cute used with items you already have…or find locally at an antique fair or grandma’s closet.

imagine it styled different…without so much extra green…mercy that is a lot of green all together…it also comes in blue and pink…but if you ordered just the duvet you could style it like this…

{source my pinterest..if it was more organized i could give you the exact link!}

And last but not least..good ol Pottery Barn..i have been a little critical of the Pottery Barn lately but you still can’t beat them for a basket and honestly a whole lot more… This is a good one..trust me!

It is called the Workmans basket and i love the dimensions and strap! And its on sale and i doubt you can find a basket this size in an antique store or Round Top for $63…

So there you go..commerce in America..a mix of etsy, big box and local..what are your faves lately?

Why? a little boy is awaiting new siblings from overseas.  In fact, his mom is visiting the orphanage this week.  Andrew will likely be blessed with a brother soon, maybe TWO brothers or an entire sibling group. (Let’s just say mom has bunkbeds and a crib ready just in case)  So his mom and I wanted to make a fun and colorful bath for the new family members to share with Andrew but not TOO colorful and crazy. This new life will be an adjustment for everyone after all.

This is the before.

Above are the elements of the room as its coming together…mom painted the old wood cabinets and doors and we added ONE colorful piece of art and towels. 

Art is from land of nod and towels from garnet hill.

She also found the cutest numbered hooks! The chevron shower curtain is from West Elm and of course the metal letters spelling BATH from Anthropologie. The mason jar soap dispenser is from Delta girl! The light is the Pullman light from Shades of Light..i just love this light!.  We planned to replace the mirrors but dad thought the big sheet of mirror would be good for multiple little faces crowding in the bath…good thinking Dad!

The paint colors are (1). Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal on cabinets, (2.) Martha Stewart’s Bedford Gray on walls from Home Depot, and (3) good ol’ Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray on the doors!

So it may seem strange i am mentioning adoption and a kids bath in the same post but I am thrilled to be a part of this project…I can’t wait for these little people to meet their new family and crowd into this fun bath to brush their teeth and giggle..it may be a long road before those fun times but a mama and family have been preparing/nesting and waiting for the littles to arrive home! 

God bless you Gerbig family!

First off, my toddler is under the weather so i would appreciate prayers for Henry today.  We recently moved Henry out of his crib.  He and Drew now both have twins beds in one tiny room (I did not go with the bunk idea after all)..last night at 2:30 I went in to see why Henry was fussing (not feeling well) and he was in bed with his brother!  Drew said “get him out of here and put tape over his mouth”  oh my!  Its been a transition. (and this means i have some crib bedding for sale if anyone is interested!)

My super husband brought me coffee this morning even though he doesn’t drink coffee nor know of its supernatural power..thanks E! You are my hero!

(Drew will love this post!)

I have been working a lot lately both online and locally!  It’s fun but requires time managment skillz and the help of nana, our great babysitter and super Daddy.  I am so thankful for their support, can’t say it enough. I plan to share more snippets of projects this year and just bought a new camera lens so hopefully i can get better shots as well! I need to take better kid shots too..i have just stopped taking photos it seems..not good.

Its nearly February so i guess i should share some resolutions…main one and why you haven’t seen as much blogging is my desire to stay off the computer more when kids are home or awake..wow that is a hard one..my clients are so supportive and patient.  Second one is going to the gym and giving up sweets.  Haven’t even tried yet but maybe saying it out loud will mean something.  I started with the baby step of drinking more water..does that count?

Oh and after the last post i am sooo looking forward to taking up my black floral rug and putting down something natural on floor for spring and summer!  And some blue pillows maybe if i can find the right print!

That is all I know today. What is on your plate??

{no idea where fabric is from, minifigures found here}

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please click back over here and tell us your take on natural rugs..particularly if you have dogs or small children and your experience with caring for them, cleaning up messes and softness..i think that is really an issue for people with small children that have kids playing on the floor a lot!

I will say that i often recommend the flat braided jute rug from PB..i like the look and softness but it is THICK which can make furniture sit uneven.

but its a accessible and soft like i said and comes in large sizes!

I will also say i have heard the natural rugs from Ballard ravel really bad..is that true or is it a certain rug they sell?  I also know that overstock sells some for great prices…as does IKEA..anyone have experience with the ikea or overstock rugs????

The rug below i recently boough for my boys..from PB…its the Chunky Wood and natural jute blend and very soft and warm but thick!

It looks very natural but is really more wool…like i said, i am happy with it but its light!  hasnt been an issue YET!

OK your turn…what is your experience with natural rugs in your home..faves??? and thanks Lauren!

And Latika from Kravet

Latika makes this classic Kravet toile below (lutece?) look fresh and yet still classic in my opinion!

add a little geometric and we are in fabric heaven!

Duralee’s amazon hot pepper!

These fabrics are  all Kravet AND available for under $30 a yard at housefabrics.com and I wanted to share…They dont pay me or advertise with me and they arent even my fave site but i wanted to pass along these fun and classic fabrics!

oh and can i just add..i am weirded out that Pottery barn is selling suzanis for $1200..I know it may be hard for the average non world traveller to get their hands on one but i just find it interesting that a big box store is doing this..would love to know the backstory on how they are getting them and production etc..i guess its no different than things Pier One and World Market (and dealers hello) have been doing for years, or is it? Remember when World Market did that weird Eat Pray Love sales campaign?? I want to be consistent in my views but this just bothers me…

they ARE gorgeous.

The description on the PB suzanis says :

Each of our exclusive limited-edition suzanis was carefully selected from a collector who buys the elaborately hand-embroidered textiles from homes throughout the Middle East and Asia. Each vibrant panel is handcrafted and completely unique with artful patterns created by piecing together scraps of fabric.

• Pieces range in age from 50 to 80 years.
• Comes with a certificate stating the age of the piece and the region where it was originally created.
• Panels bear the rare character and beauty of handmade, vintage cloth; they may include patches or other signs of wear accumulated over time.
• Each piece is unique, let us choose for you. (which is another thing that bothers me..give me $1200 and let me choose FOR YOU..for $12 i am examining things to get the best one..do people really go for that??)

this one is gorgeous, love its color, except its sold out…just curious, would you buy something like this from a big box store like Pottery Barn? A part of me likes that it makes things accessible to people who dont get to travel etc but something feels strange about it..anyone agree? Or is this being unfair to Pottery barn considering items of similar nature that other stores or antique dealers have been selling for years..maybe it is the scale that makes their marketing and business so unique!??

 I love this bellacor lantern…It looks great “as is” or painted, the possibilities are endless!

its only $89 (the small version)and i have had clients get it (the smaller version, fyi there are two sizes) for $60 with coupons…I had another client paint it black for over her kitchen table recently..turned out so cute though she broke a pane in the process.  She said it was easy to replace and worth the hassle. I think Tessa is the person to turn me on to this lantern.  She used it in their playroom, in the original color and it looks so great I started recommending it to clients..THANKS TESSA!

This fun green lantern is for a little boys room..two brothers and the walls are navy and they will have big orange on white monogrammed shams atop their navy stripe serena and lily duvets!

  The mom color-matched the green on these chairs from Land of Nod (the parker chair) to get the perfect preppy green!

{the Land of Nod chair is more true Kelly green like the lantern and not as it appears in this photo}

The lantern will be hung tomorrow and i promise to share photos next week! Just had to share!

After working, i met up with my good friend Camille and we hit this classic FW establishment for burgers

and then “the shops” as my oldest son likes to call ‘girl shopping’…which included speculating about the perfection of this bag at J Crew

BTW, I may be heading to San Antonio for a weekend of decorating in the spring (april?)? So if you are interested in becoming a part of that “weekend o’ decorating,” let me know.  Also have considered trips later in the year to New Jersey, Connecticut and the Cincinnati area…I ’m not able to do this kind of travel alot but i do love going and working on spaces in person..so drop me a line if you are interested!

More updates on various projects coming soon!  Hope you have an amazing week!

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i cant believe the woman that first emailed me about “not really wanting anything on windows” or too much color  now has these fun drapes!

cute lantern!

below was the look before the chevron drapes

oh how i love this..notice the barn doors on bookcase..she did this herself!

This was before when the shelves were bare minimal, then she added the color and more to shelves!

..i love that orange/red stool from urbanoutfitters.com!

I had nothing to do with this below but i love it!

Remember now, this was the bedroom before

pretty but not polished and finished like she desired..i actually loved how she had the bed styled. but i adore the new shelf and drapes and subway art…

Subway art was a gift to her husband for Christmas with names of all of the places t hey have lived!

I see she added another pillow…when you have the basic bedding and linen drapes you can do that!  Thanks for sharing Mrs E-Client!;;

aren’t they gorgeous?! and their cute dog!

and their gorgeous front door!!!  I mean really what could i add to this home..yep, FABRIC!

See this is a great room (both above and below) but they live in a chilly region of the country..i started beggging her to let me add fabric and just a bit of color, she really likes  a clean look which i respect…

but lights over the island PLEASE????!!!!! she agreed and these are from home depot i believe..so reasonable!

So, it took some convincing to get her to add some color and pattern…even just some new pillows added so much, we are still working on the living room drapes;

 but she is so glad she did and even her hubby likes the new light!

and the colorful little bench adding some warmth and fun to a blank wall in the living room..i was amazed how i mentioned a shabby little chippy bench and then days later she found this at a local (and huge) flea market!  Often finding that perfect little piece can take much longer but it fills the space perfectly and is usual for her young family!

and drapes in the bedroom too please.

nothing fancy..just some linen from good ol IKEA on the windows and she covered the headboard as well!

she added the ledge over the bed for more art rather than the lonely mirror she had and added the drapes and new pillow and lamp.and voila!

In her dining room (which you could see a peek of at the very top) the windows are crying out for drapes.i love how this blue ikat looks! Hopefully she will let them stay and add to the other window!;

and her kaboo chairs of course..just a pillow please!

So dont feel overwhelmed with your decorating goals for the new year..you know  you have them;;  just consider a new light and some fabric to start with! Or paint your front door that fab color!