My daughter's new creative corner

Even during my absence, I have continued to take photos and mentally compose posts, some of which I'm planning to share with you. Today, I would like to show you a new space my four-year-old daughter and I carved out in her room for her to write, draw and dream.

It is here where I can often find her, drawing away. The other day, she and her six-year-old brother took turns sitting at her little desk as they collaborated on a small book they created about a little boy who goes to school. She drew the illustrations and he wrote the story to go with it.

I can honestly say that this lovely corner was my daughter's idea. A few weeks ago, I was all set to rearrange furniture in her room. When I last wrote, I told you that I would be redoing my kids' rooms to reflect the fact that they are older and their interests are changing. Essentially, we are moving away from the toddler stage and into the early school years. Of course, I consulted my kids regarding paint colors, artwork, etc. but thought I knew enough about their tastes and habits to do the major planning on my own. Wrong!

On the morning of the big day of moving furniture around, I handed my daughter the book "Children's Rooms Stockholm" (Jeu de Paume). I was hoping she would find something to inspire a new arrangement in her room and keep her busy as I began taking all the furniture out of her room. Instead, she came running up to me saying, "I like this!" she said, pointing to a picture of a girl's small desk. "Can I have this?"

Hmmm, how to explain that I hadn't planned on buying any new furniture? I was momentarily stumped, wondering if The Big Reorganization of My Daughter's Room had hit a snag. Thankfully, I found a simple solution. Some of you may remember reading here about the small Ikea table/desk that I painted and decoupaged after finding it for five dollars at a thrift store. I originally placed the table in my office as a space for my four-year-old daughter to use when we were both in there, which frankly turned out to be sporadic. Thanks to my daughter's inspired suggestion, this little table has now found a new home in a corner of her room.

After seeing my daughter's new space, my son decided it was time for him to get a new desk. Stay tuned ...

A sweet little reading nook

It's not as if my kids don't have anywhere to sit down and read a book. I mean, kids will sit anywhere. In the aisle of a toy store. My closet. The bathroom floor. You get the drift.

But when you want them to love reading, I think it's important to create a special place for them to sit comfortably with a book. It was in that spirit that we created a sweet little reading nook last week.

Previously, the carpeted area stood empty, a sunny place for us to do puzzles or play with Legos.

As you can see, my kids' new reading nook is right below the new little art wall I just wrote about here. Actually, it was the new art that inspired me to create this little reading spot for my kids. They enjoyed looking at the colorful new artwork so much that they wanted to put the paintings in their rooms. Instead, I proposed keeping these paintings in the family room to designate their own corner of the room for reading or whatever they feel like doing.

The best part is that I didn't go out and buy anything. The wicker chair had been looking for a good home after I bought it at a thrift store a couple of months ago for $3; the Anthropologie rug (a steal on Ebay a couple years ago) was moved over from another area of our house; the basket holding the books cost 35 cents at another thrift store; and the Bla Bla pillow pal has always been in my daughter's room, usually on her bed. Somehow, everything came together as if each piece had somehow been destined for this spot all along.

(By the way, please ignore those yucky looking child-proofing foam pads on the table in front of the window, but we've had a ridiculous amount of eye injuries from kids running into tables. And no, not while reading books!)

I am blessed with children who do seem to love reading as much as I do so they immediately began using their little nook.

They don't always sit in the little chair, but I'm thinking that merely having a chair there is like an invitation to slow down, pause and grab a book.

Really, it's quite simple to create a reading nook. All it takes is a little chair (or something soft to rest on as shown here) and a container for books. The rest of decorative touches are optional, but certainly do make the reading nook more inviting and cozy.

Remember, to see more reading nooks, click on the "kids' nooks" tab on the upper right or just click here.

Kids' rooms, Pottery Barn style on a budget

OK, am I the only one who has conflicted feelings about Pottery Barn? On the one hand, I love their perfectly styled rooms, especially those that blend the modern with vintage touches. On the other hand, I really don't want my home to look like a replica of the rooms in their catalogue.



This will come as no revelation if you read my post here, where I showed you a tour of a Pottery Barn outlet near my home and confessed my love-dislike relationship with the mass retailer.

My solution? Pick just a few items I truly love, then use the Pottery Barn styling ideas as inspiration only to create an entirely new look.

My little dilemma now resolved, I just couldn't resist when I received an e-mail invitation to take a free decorating class at my nearest Pottery Barn Kids store recently.

I was particularly interested in hearing behind-the-scenes styling tips, like those featured in the Pottery Barn Kids book that I often thumb through for inspiration. The book features great kids' spaces showcasing great decorating ideas and stylish organization. Most importantly, they are rooms with plenty of fun for the kids who will use them.


My son would love the traffic light featured in this room

My daughter would likely swipe the lifesaver from the wall and use it to practice her swimming moves while in bed!

I did glean a few nuggets of wisdom from the class I attended along with 10 or so other women who attended the Saturday morning class.

Perhaps the best lesson I learned is that you don't need a ton of money to achieve the Pottery Barn look. Yeah, I know I shouldn't be surprised with so many budget-decorating blogs around. But I keep thinking of all the times I've walked through Pottery Barn stores (outlet included) where I've overheard shocked men exclaim to their female companions over the stores' high prices. This is why I was pleasantly surprised to hear the decorating class instructor dole out a few budget-friendly tips.

The instructor told us about PB Kids latest rug offering. It's a smart-looking striped rug, shown in the photo above, and is currently the only machine washable rug offered by Pottery Barn Kids and a great option for those who don't want to worry about spending extra to have a rug professionally cleaned. A similar version is offered in a red-and-blue combination.

Sometimes, even the smallest touches can make a world of difference. The instructor recommended changing knobs on a dresser for a distinctive look without having to shell out for a new piece of furniture.

If you are going to splurge, do so on a piece of furniture your kids will use a lot. Here, my son is sitting on a chair like the ones he and his sister have at home. I guess he couldn't resist sitting in it even at that odd angle. But I can definitely say it is comfortable since I sit on it every night when I put my daughter to sleep.

I am in love with the butterfly mobile, shown in the photo below.

But here is where I deviate from the Pottery Barn script and add in a few money-saving tips of my own.

1. Use some of the Pottery Barn accessories as ideas for a crafting projects. For example, the mobile below could probably be made with different sized embroidery hoops, or just simple but sturdy wiring covered with pretty ribbon or strips of cloth.

2. Rather than spending a ton of money buying brand new furniture at a Pottery Barn store, search the Craigslist listings for used Pottery Barn furniture. You could save hundreds doing this. The photo below shows the many styles of cribs offered by Pottery Barn, an enticing but costly option for those setting up a nursery.

3. Or even better, buy a vintage well-made piece of furniture and refinish it in a modern color of your choosing. Most of Pottery Barn furniture pieces are classic and traditional styles commonly found among furniture sold at thrift shops and garage sales.

4. Be patient. Wait until the Pottery Barn item you want is on sale. Most everything at Pottery Barn eventually goes on sale. You just have to be vigilant about monitoring the store's website and getting on their e-mail list.

5. Check out similar furniture and accessories from other retailers. A few stores, such as JC Penney, Ballard Designs and Company Kids (bookmark their daily sales page) have similar pieces of furniture for much less. Be sure to check reviews to note any comments on quality.



What are your thoughts about shopping at Pottery Barn?

A $5 table transformed

In recent months, I've noticed that I've done less and less work in my home office. As much as I've done to make the room a colorful and inviting place to work, I simply don't spend much time in there because it's not a place where my two young kids can play without getting bored quickly. I knew I needed to add a few more things to make the room inviting for my kids, too. To the rescue: a $5 table bought at a thrift store that I converted into a place where my kids can play and create their own arts and crafts.


The best part for me? I decided to write some passages from a Pippi Longstocking book on the table, as a sweet introduction for my kids to one of my favorite fictional characters.

I was waiting for the "perfect" antique or vintage table to show up someplace cheap, but my urge to get back into my office soon won out. Honestly, I thought the used Ikea LÄTT table at five dollars was a bit pricey but it was perfect for my needs.


Before: Here is the table when I brought it home.


Here is the table after I sanded it lightly and painted it with primer. I'm normally inclined towards lots of color, but the white primer in this case looked quite soothing so I decided to paint the table white instead of a bright color, as I originally planned.


I considered decoupaging the top of the table with a collage of Amy Butler stationery sheets I have.


Instead, I fell in love with this gift wrap paper I bought long ago for a special gift or project. These were the paints I originally considered for the table.


Here's the finished table. In the end, I painted the inside of the table legs a bright pink color to add some pizazz and so that the lettering would stand out more. I paired the table with a kids' vintage bistro chair I bought before my daughter was born and a little stepstool we use as a bench.


Here is the lettering up close. To save time, I painted the lettering directly on the table without measuring (!!) or writing in pencil first and the table is less than perfect as a result, but I'm happy with the overall look.


When he saw the table, my four-year-old son asked me to read the words. He giggled uproariously when he heard this phrase ("She tossed the pancake halfway up to the ceiling.") and wanted to hear more, so he reached over for the book and asked me to read to him. Perhaps he's another Pippi fan in the making? I've got my fingers crossed!

Now, I'm working on rearranging some shelfs, probably adding some art supplies and a few building toys for my kids.


By the way, the little bookshelf full of kids' books that is standing against those closet doors was destined for a garage sale, since I've had it for a while and hadn't found a place for it. Its new home works for now since I rarely open that closet but it is quite easy to move around if I need to do so.


Here's what my office now looks like, the red chalkboard and kids' sitting area hopefully creating an enticing and entertaining area for my kids so we can all work and play together happily.

A boy's book-filled room

Lately, I've been thinking my son's room is due for a make-over. Let's go in and take a look.



My husband and I chose the paint colors for our son's room before he was born, opting for a gender-neutral yellow since we decided not to find out whether we were having a boy or a girl. Almost on a whim, my husband said he would like to paint one wall red. I agreed, and the red wall that first greets us upon entering the room has since become a favorite feature of mine.



As my son has gotten older, I've tried to add toys and items that reflect his interests, like this replica rocket ship and vintage Babar book sets and toys.



By far, my son's favorite feature is his reading chair, which he recently moved on his own one night to a spot in front of his bed. This minor redecorating is what got me thinking we may be due for some changes.



This was the scene that greeted me the morning after he moved his chair.

"Hey, did you move your chair by yourself?" I asked him.

"Yes," my son responded.

"Oh, OK. Uh, why did do you that?"

"Well, I was thinking of trying different things."

Huh?! On the one hand, I'm proud of my little decorator. On the other, he's four years old! What "different things" does he need to try with the furniture in his room?

Well, I guess it's my job to figure it out. First of all, we may need to consolidate his books. Yes, this is a recurring problem for us since we have so many books, at least five hundred children's books spread out on bookcases and other holders (baskets, boxes, etc.) in my kids' bedrooms, our family room and kitchen.



This red box holds the current crop of reading books next to my son's chair, though he has a large bookcase anchoring one corner of the room.



This is what this part of his room looked like before he moved his reading chair.
From the start, I always knew my kids' rooms had to have one thing in addition to a crib. A bookcase, preferably one that could hold lots and lots of books. What I didn't bargain for is that the bookcase would look so messy and lack the kind of decorative appeal I'd hoped for with so many books jammed on it.



It's still a mystery to me why he moved the chair in the first place, away from the bookcase and from one of two lamps in the room. Lighting is a problem since we need it to read, but we also need it to be out of reach of my two very curious kids.

Safety is always a concern, especially since we live in an area with a high probability for earthquakes.



So, how to clean up the bookcase without purging too many books? Perhaps include more decorative touches, like this vintage See's Candies container and wooden abacus?



What to do about so many books that my son loves to spend hours deciphering?



I should mention that I'm not too fond of themed rooms and have simply filled the room mostly with things that my son loves, like this Land of Nod transportation quilt.



But now I see that the books have really taken over the room. My solution has been to buy more furniture to house all those books, like this Company Kids bench that I use as a sort of bookcase.



OK, this is a little embarassing to show, but there's even a bookcase in his closet, which houses his train books and a couple sets of Sesame Street encyclopedias. To be fair, it was an $11 sale find that I bought at Target because it was a "firehouse" bookcase.

So there you have it, folks. In this reorganization, I would like to streamline the book storage, make the artwork more spiffy and, hopefully, also showcase his artwork and other creations.

Any ideas you may have are welcome. Meanwhile, I'm off to check my magazines and favorite blogs for ideas. And, of course, to quiz my son on what he would like his room to look like after our reorganization.