Posted in Kids' Stuff, Make It, Shop It, Tabletop on November 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »
It’s 24 hours until Thanksgiving…have you set your table yet?
Get yourself over to Boston Mamas to see my elegant and kid-friendly Thanksgiving table, then hit your local craft store for the supplies. It will keep your kids busy and get your table ready for family mayhem. Promise.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Posted in Décor, Floors, Furniture, Inside the Mudroom, Kids' Stuff, Linens, Organization, Outside, Shop It, Tabletop, What Do You Want to Change?, What Do You Want To Do? on April 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »
A few weeks ago I made the long trek down to IKEA to pick up a bookshelf for my younger son’s room. He has about 2,763 books and I wanted to poke my eyes out every time I went into his room because it was such a sty. When I was visiting my mom in North Carolina, we went to a pretty little museum shop in Chapel Hill and I fell in love with their display shelves. Turned out that they were from IKEA’s BESTA media storage line, so I hightailed it down to my local shop as soon as I returned.
I don’t know about you, but every time I go to IKEA I’m sort of blown away by how awesome it is. I’ve been buying IKEA wares for nearly 20 years — from furnishing my first post-collegiate New York City apartment to replacing my most-loved stock pot just a few months ago. Mid-century-inspired furniture, Swedish holiday accessories, live plants (including fiddle leaf fig plants — I scored three the last time I was there!), the design-y P.S. line…I love it all. Here are my five favorites right now:
1. BESTA Shelf Unit – Used as a museum store display, intended to hold living room electronics, purchased for my son’s excessive library. I no longer want to poke my eyes out every time I go into his room. 2. SOCKER Vase (set of 2) – got them in the coral and aqua (couldn’t resist). 3. RENS Sheepskin – graces the back of my office chair. 4. UPPTACKA Shopping Bag with Wheels – perfect for flea- or farmers-marketing. 5. EIVOR Throw – super cozy, light, and graphic.
What’s your favorite IKEA item? Tell me below or on the Mudroom Boston Facebook page. You’re a fan, right?
Posted in Art, Décor, Floors, Furniture, Inside the Mudroom, Inspiration, Interiors, Kids' Stuff, Lighting, Linens, Organization, Outside, Shop It, Tabletop, Walls, What Do You Want to Change?, What Do You Want To Do?, Windows on August 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »
As a mother of two who has dedicated nearly my entire professional life to aligning large organizations with causes, I am excited to be a part of Macy’s Shop for a Cause fundraiser supporting the March of Dimes!
Did you know that the March of Dimes was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, inspired by his own battle with polio? In fact, March of Dimes funded research for vaccines developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin — the vaccines that ended childhood polio. In 1958, having addressed its primary mission to end the polio epidemic, the March of Dimes shifted its focus toward birth defect prevention. Today, the organization is focused on preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, as well as advancing maternal and health research. For those of you who have had babies in the last decade or so, you’re probably well aware of both their folic acid and prematurity awareness campaigns, both of which have worked toward healthy, full-term pregnancies for all women.
Now’s your chance to support March of Dimes and get up to 25% off your purchases at Macy’s — all for $5.
Simply buy a $5 Macy’s saving pass that will provide 25% off on regular, sale & clearance items, including home items (please note that you will receive 10% off electronics, watches, furniture, mattresses, rugs/floor coverings), and Macy’s will donate 100% of the $5 cost of the savings pass to the March of Dimes to help give more babies a healthy start in life.
So you want to know the details?
From now until August 25: buy passes in-store (good for in-store purchases only)
August 25 only: buy a $5 savings pass online at macys.com (good for online purchases only)
SHOP, SHOP, SHOP on August 25! Use your passes online or in stores (depending on where you bought them). Two stores in Massachusetts will hold Shop for a Cause on Friday, August 24 AND Saturday, August 25 — Boston (450 Washington Street, Boston) and Berkshire (170 Old State Road, Lanesboro). So if you want to get shopping early, you can go on August 24 to either of these two stores, buy a pass, and shop.
Want to see my Shop for a Cause wish list?
Gold is having a moment throughout the house, and I’m LOVING this Marchesa by Lenox hostess set!
The shape, shade, and color of this table lamp from Pacific Coast are perfect.
My husband and I were given a single glass cake stand for our wedding 12 years ago, but I could find many uses for this one from The Cellar collection. Great for displaying baked goods or using as a tiered centerpiece filled with fruit and flowers.
Add texture to your living room with these faux bois vinyl coasters from Chilewich. (psst – they’re a bargain closeout!)
These Sandpiper tidbit plates from Kate Spade would be a great hostess gift, or framed out in shadow boxes and hung on the wall.
On a trip to Atlanta last year, I fell in love with a natural fiber cocktail table, but decided against it because the shape didn’t work with our sectional. This cocktail table is perfect!
With two boys and a mountain biking-husband, I use indoor/outdoor rugs throughout our home. This runner from Couristan is a beauty! (Please note that rugs are excluded from Shop for a Cause online purchasing, but are eligible for the discount in-store!)
Inspired? Purchase your pass, help babies, and get shopping!
Image credit: all images from macys.com
Complete details about Macy’s Shop for a Cause fundraiser can be found here.
This post (+ my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about the March of Dimes/Macy’s charitable fundraiser. All commentary, opinions, and fabulous finds are, of course, my own.
Posted in Kids' Stuff, Linens, Shop It, Tabletop, What Do You Want to Change?, What Do You Want To Do? on October 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »
{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!
Posted in Art, Fashion, Inspiration, Interiors, Kids' Stuff, Shop It, Walls, What Do You Want to Change?, What Do You Want To Do? on October 6, 2011| 1 Comment »
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
Posted in Art, Décor, Furniture, Kids' Stuff, Lighting, Make It, Organization, Reinvent It, Shop It, Walls, What Do You Want to Change?, What Do You Want To Do? on July 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »
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:
Image credit: Mary Sarah Holland
Posted in Art, Kids' Stuff, Shop It, Walls on March 1, 2011| 1 Comment »
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
Posted in Floors, Inside the Mudroom, Kids' Stuff, Outside, Shop It on February 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »
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…
Image credits: Paige Lewin’s iPhone and Jellybean Rugs; online retailers can be found here.
Posted in Art, Kids' Stuff, Shop It, Walls on February 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »
In case you hadn’t heard, Phil predicted an early spring.
Yeah, right. {she says, staring at three feet of snow outside her bedroom window}
Anyway, Phil isn’t the only good thing coming out of the great state of Pennsylvania these days. On a recent trip to the land of Etsy, one of my pals showed me a piece she picked up for her living room. She had been staring at a giant empty space above her fireplace for a couple of years and finally knew she had to do something about it when her six-year old son took note .
“We need some color in here, Mom. It’s totally boring.”
So she searched Etsy, the place to find fantastic, one-of-a-kind art pieces (among other handmade delights). She wanted something whimsical and colorful and LARGE…all for a good price.
And she found it.
Whimsical, colorful, large and an amazing value…Bucks County Frames totally delivers.
I love this one…makes me want to get on my Gary Fisher, pronto.
And this one? It conjures Vermont in July, watching the parade go down Bristol’s Main Street.
I’m so ready for the beach.
I’ve never been a huge fan of fine art photography for my home, although I think it’s a perfect fit for plenty of others.
It’s nice to know that my mind can always be changed. {Thanks for introducing me to Bucks County Frames, Michelle!}
Image credit: all images the work of Carl Christensen, Bucks County Frames and can be found here. Also, click each image above to find it in the shop. Support independent artists!
Posted in Décor, Inside the Mudroom, Interiors, Kids' Stuff, Lighting, Make It, Reinvent It, Shop It on February 2, 2011| 2 Comments »
And while we’re on the subject of new lighting…
This image, from the Style At Home booth at the Interior Design Show in Toronto, has been floating around the web for the past couple of days. The painted floor is amazing, as is the fabulous bright springy styling — a sign of things to come for those of us being socked by winter weather right now. But what’s really terrific is the use of paint cans as lighting fixtures.
It reminded me that I had recently snapped an equally cool use of paint cans as light fixtures…except this one was a little less sleek.
Just as inventive though, don’t you think?
These fixtures — using brand new paint cans or well-worn ones or any other vessel entirely — are super-easy to make on your own. All you need is the object of your choice and one of these:
And if you want to hardwire it rather than plugging it in and hanging it from a hook, pick up one of these:
Have you ever created your own lighting? Pendant? Chandelier? Lamp? Please share!
Image credits: Re-nest (originally from Poppytalk, similar image can also be seen on Aubrey+Lindsay’s Blog); Paige Lewin; West Elm Pendant Cord Set; West Elm Industrial Pendant Conversion Kit
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