Pagoda Love

in celebration of the Chinese New Year of course! I will gladly welcome a calm year of The Rabbit after an intense year of The Tiger. I'll also rejoice in any holiday honoring Spring. Sending a bit of Pagoda beauty and a peaceful year your way.

sources and images: ohhdeedoh - this bedroom is darling isn't it?, salt and pepper shakers:, letter press stationery through Missive Etsy, Katie Ridder, my new pillows: Nanjing in jade Schumacher, vintage pagoda: revival fabrics, Designer's Guild Pagoda, Sugar and creamer: New York Public Garden Shop, Jonathan Adler, High Gloss Magazine - Jamie Meares, Horchow, always fabulous pagoda chandeliers image: lonny, available through ebay, circa who and Pieces Inc.

Inspiration 12.2

Ok, confession time -- I find that I really struggle to get excited about homes that are practical for families with children (I know it's awful, but I just can't) and I that I really, really struggle with family homes that also happen to be in white-washed Manhattan lofts.

Something about those spaces reminds me of a ridiculously pretentious pre-school atmosphere where kids can draw on the walls because some Swiss study from 1972 found that giving kids free reign over their aesthetic environment boosts self-esteem and creativity by 1.8 percent, and the whole this is just......UGH.

So I couldn't believe my eyes when I found one of those homes that I not only don't despise, but actually really like. In particular, I appreciate the restrained color palette (white, marigold and royal blue is quite nice compared to the typical primary color explosion in a lot of similar lofts) and the fact that it doesn't pander to the kiddies, with a level of refinement that I think might just do a lot more for the kiddos than a more infantile design.

So how bad am I? Will anyone else climb out on this limb with me?

(Originally featured in Martha Stewart Living)

Friday Favorite: Vintage Children's Clothing

Last year I took Liam vintage clothes shopping for the first time. What I realized is, that its not easy to find vintage clothes for kids. (I also realize it isn't easy to preserve clothes worn by little munchkins) So, I was so excited to find these fab pieces on Bluebird Vintage. The site has great clothing for everyone, but I love picturing my little guy in a vintage Member's Only jacket:)

Un Lion a Paris: Charming Illustrations from Beatrice Alemagna

From an outsider's perspective, it seems like children's book illustrators don't get as much respect in the art world as they deserve. Not only do they capture the forever-chased after imagination of childhood, they're also responsible for some of the most iconic images in our memories. There are few books that have developed my creativity the way some of my very first books did -- think about The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Where the Wild Things Are and The Little Prince (a great list is available here)

So even though I barely know anyone with kids, let alone kids themselves, I get super excited about really great work in this field. By way of some circuitous route through the "series of tubes" that is the World Wide Web, I discovered the work of Beatrice Alemagna, an Italian-born author and illustrator, who as a child herself, aspired to be a "painter of novels." In particular, I fell in love with her collage-style illustrations for Un Lion de Paris in which a very fierce (and very adorable) lion tours the sights of Paris. More of Beatrice's charming work below:

Friday Favorite: Knoll For Kids

Ooh, I'm so excited about this! Modern design for kids from Knoll. I say down with plastic cartoon character furniture! Great design can be very fun and functional for the little ones too. Just don't leave magic markers around...if you know what I mean;-)

Go With The Flow

So I've got a kid who obviously likes to express himself. I figured
why not just go with it! Far be it for me to discourage a kid's desire to be creative.
I selected a few of my favorite school projects of Liam's and framed them myself.
I just went to an art supply and bought some simple frames with nice mats.
I also hung them at his eye level so he can see his own work.
I tell him how much I like them all the time:)

Why Didn't I Think of This?

I'm so mad at myself for not having thought of this! Jenifer of Nectar and Light (formerly Athena Says), began a photo blog for her four year old daughter. Adie Loves Polly, chronicles the toddler's point of view, via her mother's Polaroid camera. I don't know if it's the mommy in me, but I think this so adorable!! I already know I am going to copy this idea. I don't have a Polaroid, but a disposable camera could work too. I guess with supervision, I could let Liam use my small digital camera. He already has a toy camera that he uses to mimic me taking pictures from all angles...its hilarious. This is such a great idea for baby books, or gifts. I can imagine grandparents would love to see pictures from a little one's perspective. Hmmm, Mother's Day is coming soon.

A Toddler's Treasures.

This is a funny story, I thought I would share. Earlier this week my son, Liam and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, he started picking up sticks,(mostly so he could poke me with them). As we kept walking, I spotted part of a hubcap on the side of the road. Since it is part of a car wheel, and very shiny, I knew Liam would love it. When I gave it to him, you would have thought I gave him the most fantastic toy ever made! He was so excited. Anyway, he walked down the sidewalk picking up more sticks and banging them on the hubcap. When we returned home, I didn't want to make him throw away his treasures, so I suggested we display them in his room.

I found a vintage cannister, that I never use because the lid is missing the handle. Luckily, the hole was just right for our sticks. I placed the sticks on a shelf in Liam's room and then hung the hubcap behind it. (Yes, the wooden figure is from Ikea).

Now, Liam points out his "mirror wheel" to me all the time. I love this idea, because he feels like he has a part in decorating his room, and I can remember a fun afternoon we shared together. Please excuse my painting, I painted it for a class I took in the fall. I copied some talented artist's good painting, and came up with my not-so-good version. Although, Liam likes it because he says it looks like "moons and stars."