The Mudroom

Madcap Cottage: A Visual Antidepressant

themudroom — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:59:16 +0000

It is cold, rainy, and desperately depressing here in Boston right now.

After a spring-tease in April, we’ve been treated to nearly nothing but clouds since May started.

Out went the kelly green shorts, coral blouses and peep-toe espadrilles from three weeks ago. Back in came the black cashmere and boots of fall.

And I am SO over fall clothes.

I didn’t think anything could jolt me out of my precipitation-induced coma, until I saw the designs of Madcap Cottage today.

Have you seen? They’re like visual antidepressants.

Candy colors! Stripes! Florals!

John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, the talents behind Madcap Cottage, might as well have their M.D.s, ’cause I feel a whole lot better after an hour in their world.

Image credits: Madcap Cottage

Pomegranate, Inc.

themudroom — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:25:39 +0000

{Love that pink and green}

I started shopping at the fabulous One Kings Lane more than a year ago and have scored some seriously fabulous deals. But even better than the deals are the home artisans, designers, and companies to which I’ve been introduced, and Pomegranate, Inc. is the latest in a long list. A couple of weeks ago when Pomegranate came up as one of OKL Sales of the Day, I was immediately attracted to the bold colors and block printing. The price was right, so I picked myself up a pair of much-needed oven mitts (yes, much-needed…our current singular oven mitt was given to us eleven years ago as part of a wedding gift), as well as a birthday gift for a girlfriend (the item and print shall remain nameless for fear of revealing the recipient!).

{Aforementioned much-needed oven mitts. Cute, no?}

The pieces arrived today and I love them even more in person than I thought I would, so I jumped on the company’s site and scrolled around to see what else they had to offer. In addition to the pretty aprons and table textiles Pomegranate sold on OKL, the company also offers inexpensive curtain panels, fun embroidered cocktail napkins and hand towels and sweet twin quilts that would be perfect in a child’s or guest bedroom. Have fun shopping!

{Quilt made in soft cotton voile}

And if you haven’t tried One Kings Lane, you really must! It’s by invitation-only, so consider yourself invited!

Harvesting.

themudroom — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:29:49 +0000

So what did you do this long weekend, friends? It was gorgeous here in Boston and we took full advantage of the weather, spending time as a family at birthday parties, soccer games, the beach, and a local apple orchard picking more than enough apples for half a dozen pies.

{Not apples. Cherries? In October?}

When we got home from the orchard, I continued the harvest theme by gathering the blossoms off our newly-planted hydrangeas. So beautiful!

{Endless Summer, indeed!}

Finally, I started a project more than a year in the making. Last year when I hit Brimfield with my friend Cheri, I got some really fabulous pieces (including the guy featured in this post), most of which I justified by saying, “when I get home I’ll just paint/strip/reupholster this!” Turns out I’m using a lot of what I bought as is, BUT there was one piece that had no purpose without a little work. So this weekend, I finally took a few hours to start working on what I think will be an awesome addition to our living room. Stay tuned!

{Could the perpetual project starter finish something? We’ll see!}

David Butler’s Parson Gray

themudroom — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:00:11 +0000

Have you heard? Amy Butler’s husband, David, is launching a new fabric line! With three boys in the house (yes, I’m counting the hubs), I’m excited to see his new line of “guy friendly” prints. No website yet, but you can follow the winter introduction of Parson Gray on Facebook.

Leslie Graff: Artist, Mother, and More.

themudroom — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:49:14 +0000

When I first heard about Boston-based artist Leslie Graff from Design Mom, I instantly fell in love with her work. Tuesday night, while at Pivot Boston (an amazing event that brought together women who want to make or have made a change in their careers that bring them more joy/fulfillment/peace of mind/etc.), I squealed a little when I realized she was a panelist (actually it was more of loud WOOT! followed by a burst of clapping). After hearing her speak about the journey to her “pivot,” owning an original Leslie Graff shot to the top of my wish list.

I’m particularly fond of Leslie’s Domestic Series, a collection of paintings that features an unidentified woman (turns out they’re self-portraits) in fabulous heels running her household and raising her children. While the scenes could be straight out of the 50s or 60s, the clothes are just modern and sexy enough that I feel like Leslie has captured today’s working mom and honored her in acrylic.

Learn more about Leslie’s background, see her portfolio, and buy her notecards and prints here.

Image credits: Leslie painting from her blog Smart Mama; “Ironing it out” notecard from the Pivot Boston goodie bag

What are you doing this weekend?

themudroom — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:46:15 +0000

I’m off to Vermont this weekend for a family wedding (congratulations Lauren and Justin!)…how about you? The wedding is in the north country, so I’ll have lots of time to catch up on reading on the way up and back. It’s been a really long time since I’ve spent hours getting lost in my favorite blogs, so I’m really looking forward to it.

See you soon!

Want to get lost in The Mudroom? Start with my most popular DIY posts:

An easy inspiration board

Making bookshelves pretty

Paint can lighting

Naptime? Makeover!

Image credit: Mary Sarah Holland

Kate Spade at Bed Bath & Beyond

themudroom — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:00:33 +0000

Does it annoy anyone else that “Bed Bath & Beyond” isn’t “Bed, Bath and Beyond”?

Just me?

Okey dokey.

Anyhoo…in case you haven’t heard, Kate Spade has made her way to BB&B. Maybe this is old news, but since I had a temporary absence from the design blogosphere, I missed the announcement until about three weeks ago. She’s got some VERY cute stuff including dinnerware, crystal, and linens. But my very favorite piece in the entire collection is this little number…

One hundred percent cotton bedskirt perfection.

Love.

{And yes, I promise my next post won’t be about stripes. Perhaps I should add “stripe-obsessed” to my profile?}

Photo credit: Kate Spade Heirloom Roses Bed Skirt, Bed Bath &Beyond

Horizontal Stripe Drapes

themudroom — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:00:24 +0000

I love this horizontal stripe shower curtain from West Elm…

…but I like it even better as easy-peasy drapes for my in-progress kid’s room. $120 to add three graphically-awesome, light-killing window treatments to my early riser’s room? Yes, please.

Want to do the same? Go here for directions (only this time I used fabric glue instead of fusible webbing…an even lazier, er, I mean, easier approach).

Photo credits: Stripe Shower Curtain, West Elm; Paige Lewin‘s mad photography skills

Let them eat cake!

themudroom — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:31:27 +0000

In another life, I was a pastry chef.

Seriously.

I can barely cook an egg, but man, can I bake a good cake.

Ok, so it’s usually from a box, but I make it really pretty when it’s done, just like these…

{aren’t they divine?}

{spring is just around the corner…}

{‘scuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin}

{makes me want to get married all over again}

These sweet paintings are the work of Paul Ferney, husband of the lovely Jordan Ferney (whose panel on the fine art of Throwing a Great Party I attended at Alt, and boy-oh-boy does she throw a fabulous fete). While the original cake paintings have long sold, you can buy the 5×7 prints (printed on an 8×10 sheet with a border) for a mere $25 during The Great Cake Sale.

Don’t miss it, or you’ll have to settle for crumbs.

Image credits: all images are the work of superbly talented Paul Ferney

Jellybean Rugs

themudroom — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:40:02 +0000

About six years ago, I developed an unhealthy obsession with hooked rugs. My husband and I had been invited to spend the weekend at a quintessential Nantucket home, complete with a garden full of hydrangeas, comfy slipcovered furniture and a serene wooden mermaid perched in the front hall welcoming visitors and friends. And on every floor were hand hooked rugs in the most gorgeous patterns and colors I had every seen.

Unfortunately, the rugs were way out of my price range (just like everything else in the house with the exception of the paint color, which I immediately copied and have used in every house I’ve owned), but it didn’t squash my love for them. So when I arrived at my stepmother’s house this weekend and saw this beauty from Jellybean Rugs, I was immediately smitten.

Although it’s not hooked, the look is so spot-on that I was immediately, well, hooked. And that was before learning that it retailed for $30 and was indoor/outdoor…perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, and welcoming guests or pets. Here are some of my favorites…

Cute, no?

Image credits: Paige Lewin’s iPhone and Jellybean Rugs; online retailers can be found here.