A Great Day...

he was thrilled - a barrel ride and blue ice cream

and this chunky monkey (as cole likes to call him) will be 1 in two days... i can't believe it.

A Foxy Trend

i'm really loving all the foxes i see everywhere these days and especially the girly versions of it.  if my son were old enough to start school, he'd be sporting this backpack for sure...

fantastic little fox coat by little goodall, minikin lucille fox masks, plush fox pillow by laura frisk, melaine platters by the mad platters,

 tshirt by gnome enterprises, mustard plush fox by sleepy king, clever as a backpack from land of nod, and wire sculpture via pinterest

Baking with Bass

cooking comes natural to many people, but i am not one of them.  in fact, my husband does the majority of it in our house and i gladly just follow his instructions.  however, i do get an urge to bake now and then and i find it therapeutic, especially when i've got music playing.  my son really loves to sit on the island and help and i'm happy to let him.  he's a picky eater and is more likely to try something that he's made himself.  i haven't baked in a while and this is all inspiring me to get in the kitchen, crank up the tunes, and spill stuff all over me...

edible poster by artist anna garforth (i love her work - you can see more here)
and i would learn to cook just to spend time in this kitchen via house beautiful

angel food apron, colorful ceramic scoops, wooden utensils inspired by canoe paddles,
a milk bottle measuring cup set  and parent and me rolling pin set via romp.

and how cool are these!?!  up-cyled vintage suitcases that are
 "a fully functional boombox with vintage class and feisty sound"
i'm sold.  feisty and vintage are two of my favorite words.
to see more check out case of bass

Trees + Tents

we had a project filled weekend around here - my favorite kind!  i used a sawzall for the first time ever to trim our pine trees and let me tell you it was empowering.

and my husband (mostly) and i made some pup tents... i saw these online and wanted to make them for a while

 and we finally got to it!  pictures of our version to be featured in a later post.

pup tents via lindsay and drew

while looking for the best model i was amazed at what else i found tent-wise, even ones for me.

 i have been talking teepees for our boys for a while now too...

recycled canvas play tent, land of nod teepee (no longer available) and white one via pinterest

and i've always been a sucker for circus style tents...

blue stripe canopy tent, pink circus tent, and you can actually buy this altair tent

and treehouses...how beautiful!

On the Hunt

my friend jenny and i love to go antiquing and we got a chance to escape the other day.  here's some of what we saw...

both gorgeous, but she's camera shy.

you can't tell, but the pencil drawing says "school days" at the top

we both wanted this, but it was $90
it's our dream car - just needs to be white.

dean was also along for the ride

and finally our puchases - a hat, stool and agate paperweight for her
and a basket, rooster, garden tools and horse for me

he was a huge hit!

Artist Ann Carrington

i've loved her work since the first time i saw it a few years ago. she's an english artist who's been commissioned by everyone from interior designers to the united nations, and even the queen of england.  i find her work breath-taking and i envy her patience. 

the pearly queen - buttons on canvas

manhattan mettle - metal punching, dollars, dimes, subway tokens, spanners, nails and pins

fresian longhorn - bone handled knives

flags commissioned for the Bungalow Hotel

to see more of her work visit www.anncarrington.co.uk/

The Evolution of Our Yard

we recently had friends over after renovating our backyard and they said they couldn't remember what it looked like before, so i decided to show a before and after.  we bought our house over six years ago and we feel in love with the back yard as soon as we saw it. for the burbs, it was a huge lot with a ton of potential and we immediately got to work taking advantage of it.  

our first step was to put up a privacy fence (we have two big dogs), minimize the size of the garden beds and replace the red mulch that filled them. there were no plants in any of them. seriously, no plants, just red mulch as far as the eye could see. I wish I had that before picture!

  BEFORE

here's what it looked like the first couple years... a concrete/brick slab, a pergola that we attached painters tarps
 to for curtains, new plants and a lot of furniture that wasn't really designed for the outdoors.

a few years later... a little updating with a new table and chaise lounges,
 and an electrical light we converted to a candelabra.

then last year we made the decision to tear down the pergola because it was rotting and build a deck in it's place
 to make things safer for our two little ones. then there was the domino of projects that would come with it.

we added shutters and put in a sliding glass door where the window to our dining room used to be.
we couldn't believe the difference they made to the interior of our house too.
  our dining room became so much brighter and felt twice the size.  we also replaced our back door
 with a glass one to add light and visual space to our hallway. 

then this spring because of hail damage we replaced our pink roof and replaced the metal siding with vinyl.
we also added a shed and a brick paver path and patio.  we still can't believe the results...

  AFTER

it's been a lot of time, money and hard work, but totally worth the end result.
 it feels like a vacation every time we walk out our back door
 and the memories we will make with our boys will be priceless.  

and special thank you to my father-in-law... we couldn't have done it without you!

On the Go & Wooden Ya Know

we recently added a brick path to our backyard and it's become a racetrack for my sons and their friends.  i've been looking for some more riding toys and these are as beautiful as they are cool.

Yellow Plasma Car, Silver Speedster via Land of Nod, Svan Creativity Cruiser, Radio Flyer Classic Lights and Sounds Trike, Angeles MyRider Chariot Tricycle

i love wooden toys and i consider them heirlooms because they keep their charm even as they get worn in.  from primitive to ultra modern - i would "accidentally" leave these out after i've put the rest of the toys away.

Whittle World wooden cargo ship & truck and wooden sailboat via Romp

my friend bought this green SUV Automoblox for my son's birthday and he absolutely loves it!
it can be taken apart and combined with different models and they come in mini or original size.  Check out the whole collection HERE... even the girl's aren't left out.

Playsam Oldtimer, Rocket, and Airliner via Wayfair


and would you believe these are made of wood?  so sleek and cool even kids at heart will take notice and want one.  i love that the first is called "Oldtimer". 

Red & White and Arrows All Over

i'm loving the combination of red and white lately and all the arrows i'm seeing everywhere.  i think the horizontal arrow necklace is in my future.  here's what i've seen and where i've seen it...

1. sew Zinski ceramic owl  2. Vintage Marquee Lights 36" arrow  3. eleventy five arrows organic printed onesie  4. West Elm pouf  5. Pottery Barn Kids organic star sheeting  6. Sweet Pickins Furniture hello sign  7, 8, 13. images via Pinterest  9. The Oxford Trunk arrow ring and horizontal arrow necklace  10. foudre blanche yuchi zebra arrowhead necklace  11. farouche you are here now print  12. Land of Nod storage is the best medicine box

also i might have to get this via BubbyandBean so i can read it and be reminded of it every day. 

The Novogratz Family

the first time i read about robert & cortney novogratz years ago i couldn't help but be intrigued.  they are self-taught new york based designers that do it all with seven kids!  i'm one of seven siblings and i am amazed at how they have managed to achieve the ultimate balance of work and family.  their FAMILY rug is now available at cb2...

rug also available in black & white at CB2

their current home (before and after)

the kitchen

girls room

their previously renovated home

rooftop basketball court for their kids - so cool.

the second season of Home By Novogratz is currently airing on HGTV
and to see more of their portfolio check out their site.