(Over)indulging in my favorite things

papier mache

Unbelievably, the weeks have sped by and I must confess that I've been overindulging in pretty much all my favorite things. Crafting, reading books and magazines, decorating, shopping the thrifts, spending time outdoors. Not much time on the computer as some of you might have noticed. I always forget how much more time I need to devote to the kiddos in the summertime. But I do plan to get busy with my camera this week since I have a few things I'd like to show you.

Meanwhile, do meander over to the latest issue of the online Australian magazine papier mache. Their latest edition is devoted to all things deco. It contains many pretty images and much to be inspired by in interviews with creative artists and others. The home shown in the photo above belongs to Barbara Hvidt, a Danish mom and co-founder of a beautiful children's label (Soft Gallery). I love the relaxed and stylish look that her living room exudes.

I hope you're indulging in more than a few of your favorite things as well.

Hugs,

Lucky Kids magazine: Modern kids' rooms

With the kids out of school for the summer, updating their rooms before they return to classes is a priority on my list. I figure summer is a perfect time to make some minor changes that will better reflect new hobbies and interests my kids have acquired as they've gotten a bit older.

I don't plan on making any major changes but I would like to incorporate some minor touches to give the rooms a more modern and cohesive look. I recently happened upon the debut issue of Lucky Kids, Lucky magazine's first issue for kids. The magazine's spread on kid-friendly decor immediately caught my eye for the stylish yet streamlined rooms they featured.

Serene is the first word that comes to mind when I look at the playroom above, though I would not usually associate playrooms with a sense of serenity. OK, so the room doesn't belong to an actual kid. At least the magazine didn't say it did. I should note that the magazine enlisted the talents of prop stylist Kendra Smoot to create the playroom with a woodland theme. As a mother of two young kids, I think the look is a realistic one to emulate. The natural yet bright colors just draw me in and the window shades give the room a wonderfully dreamy look.

The room above has some great imaginative features, so it may not be surprising to learn that it belongs to the son of a fashion designer. Among other things, fashion designer Lela Rose created the colorful quilt on her son's bed out of his favorite childhood T-shirts and used rubber bands to give a new look to a worn Eames chair. The quirky headboard is one I would enjoy having as my own.

Simplicity was the name of the game when it came to designing the nursery above. Architect Elizabeth Roberts told the magazine that the room is a temporary abode for her son until he is old enough to move to a bigger room, a reminder that though we put much thought into our nurseries the time will come soon enough when it's time to make some changes.

One thing I'm definitely looking forward to doing in this latest round of changes to my kids' rooms is involving them a bit more in the process since both of them are old enough to voice preference for decor that goes beyond just color as they did in the past.

Do you have any decorating projects you would like to complete this summer? I'd love to hear about them.

Images: Lucky Kids

Magazine files: The ultimate family home

Today, I found inspiration in the pages of ReadyMade magazine. I'm not about to get out my power tools or embark on any hardcore DIY projects, but I do appreciate the magazine's can-do aesthetic, especially when it features a great home belonging to a family in South Africa.

Check out the toys crammed in the corner next to the door in the photo above. I love this room for the way all the seemingly disparate items come together in such a well-composed manner. So often, I see interiors magazines featuring family homes showing cute, smiling children but only one toy in the entire photographic spread. Of course, few of us go to interiors magazines to see messy houses strewn with toys but many of us are looking for ideas on ways to incorporate our kids' belongings (all of them, not just one toy) into our decor.

The home belonging to Morné and Kerryn Fischer, shown in the June/July 2010 issue of ReadyMade magazine, immediately caught my eye because it provides so many great examples of a beautifully decorated family home. Perhaps it's no surprise that the couple works in creative fields. I'm sure Kerryn's expertise as the former South African editor of ELLE Decor came in handy during the remodeling and decorating phases.

As you may remember, I usually gravitate towards rooms with lots of color, but this home shows us how a simple palette allows an eclectic assortment of belongings to shine. The bright kitchen above looks like a great place to work in while the kids run around (though not near the stove! ... as I tell my children).

Again, the simple elements of the entry above are put together in such a way that it creates a cozy and welcoming entry, someplace where I imagine you could come home and kick your shoes off while perusing the mail.

I could really go on and on about how this home had me practically taking out my magnifying glass as I admired everything in it.

I don't know whether the dark gray walls in the bedroom above had wallpaper on them or simply chalkboard that had been painted over in a pattern. Either way, it gives me a great idea for something new to do with the chalkboard wall in my kitchen. This magazine spread is brimming with so many great ideas for a family home that it's going right at the top of my inspiration file on family homes.

Don't you just love it when you come across a home that completely mirrors what you're trying to achieve in your own home?

10 Easy Christmas crafts from Marie Claire Idees

One of my favorite activities at this time of the year is looking for crafting ideas throughout my Christmas books and December magazines that I've collected through the years. With two little kids afoot most of the time, I have to be realistic and tend to choose super-easy projects that deliver instant satisfaction.

One magazine I constantly find myself going to for ideas and inspiration is Marie Claire Idees. Today, I was thrilled to discover many of their projects in an online photo gallery. Here are a few of my favorites from their Christmas gallery that I thought I would share since I know many of you love homemade but are pressed for time even if you don't have young kids around. Clicking on the link below the photo will take you to the page online with a more detailed description.

Christmas card advent calendar

1. This Christmas card advent calendar offers a wonderful way to recycle and display those beautiful cards or gift tags that you just can't bear to throw away.

An alternative wreath

2. The decorated clothes hanger above is a great alternative to the traditional wreath and looks super easy to make. I know I always have a few ornaments that I'm not sure what to do with after I'm done decorating the tree. Perhaps I'll make two of these using a couple of my kids' smaller wooden hangers to display some of their favorite ornaments in their room.

Simple cloth ornaments

3. The simple cloth ornaments above can easily be machine or hand sewn, or dare I say it, glued together. I know my kids could spend hours gluing things together, but it's also a simpler way to do this project if you are really pressed for time. A few sprinkles of glitter or beads completes the project, or you could dream up more sophisticated ornamentation.

Felt ornaments

4. These felt ornaments are a perfect craft for kids. Since my kids are so young, I would first cut out some felt shapes for them and then have them decorate the ornaments with glitter, beads, ribbons and whatever else strikes their fancy.

Personalized store-bought ornaments

5. This is another super-easy craft that would be perfect for my two little kids, though the results might not be as professional as these. It's also a great way to recycle those ornaments that just don't fit your decor anymore. Or you could just go to the dollar store for a package of simple ornaments that you or your kids could dress up.

Paper Angels

6. Paper art and crafting always appeals to me because of my love for paper goods and vintage ephemera. In the example above, simple white paper is the perfect look for the angel, but you could easily use a different color to fit in with your Christmas decor color scheme.

Paper Trees

7. These sweet little trees really drew me in. Again, these are simple to make and a great way to recycle cardboard and paper. These trees could be used to dress up your mantel, as place cards at the dinner table, or as a gift tag in lieu of a bow.

Paper Flowers

8. These colorful paper flowers could be joined together to make a pretty garland for your mantel or a wreath for indoors.

Gift tags

9. These gift tags, yet another simple craft for kids, could be saved by the recipient as a memento or bookmarker. Or make them a little smaller and use them as tree ornaments.

Silver star garland

10. The silver star garland is an easy afternoon project that would serve well as a Christmas or New Year's decoration.

Handmade cards

11. (A bonus craft!) I included these beautiful handmade cards in this round-up though I know these kind of cards can take a bit of time to craft but they are so pretty that I couldn't bear to pass them up. Just think how sweet it would be to give one of these handmade cards to someone special like your child's teacher, grandmother, mom or a best friend?

You can find more of these simple craft ideas, as well as more sophisticated projects if you're an advanced crafter, at Marie Claire Idees. I think the magazine recently revamped their web site to include images and ideas archived from 20 years worth of Marie Claire Idees. It's a real treasure trove where I got lost for a couple hours, just enjoying all the handcrafted goodness.

Will you be doing any Christmas crafts this season? Where do you turn to for inspiration to decorate your home for the holidays? Do share.

Bold grey interiors

Long ago, I wanted a black bedroom. It was more of a fashion statement than a design sensibility, reflecting the fact that I mostly wore black in those days (including black lipstick when my mom wasn't looking). This time, I'm craving dark grey rooms. I can practically hear my mom sighing, anticipating the onset of another "weird" phase in my life. But no, this time, it's because I think the color can make rooms look so stylish and cozy.

House and Home in Ireland

Can't you just picture having the best party in the room above? The dark grey walls are a perfect neutral for a hodgepodge of accessories. I'm so used to seeing all-white palettes with a punch of color here and there, but dark grey walls accentuated with just a few chosen accessories in bright colors are still unusual. Let's face it, it takes courage, or at least confidence, to go for such a bold combination.

The home above was designed by interior designer Abigail Ahern on a tight budget for her sister, detailed in a spread in the Irish interiors magazine House and Home earlier this year. The colors and style are consistent throughout the rest of the home:

If you crave a less eclectic look, take a look at a similar but more subdued color combination at a home that appeared in Country Living last month:

Country Living

The bedroom really called out to me for its elegant vibe, but I was completely smitten with the dressing room below. Isn't it divine? The rug design is actually painted on. Again, the designer created these looks on a budget, which proves once again that imagination reigns over a sky-is-the-limit budget.

Even the kitchen is a dramatic yet inviting gathering spot.

Do you think you could live in either of these homes? Or, for starters, how about having just one room or a wall in your home painted a moody gray?

If you like the grey look, be sure to check out designer Abigail Ahern's blog, where just yesterday she posted the latest photos of her own home, shot for Instyle in Turkey. The home bears a similar color combination as the one she created for her sister.

Storage ideas for magazine addicts

A minimalist, I am not. I've made my peace with that. I definitely crave my books, magazines and countless other bits and bobs all over my home to make me happy.

design sponge

That doesn't mean I like clutter. Quite the opposite, I've found that the best way for me to appreciate everything in my home is to be well organized and to curate my collections down to the very best.

Why then, do I have so much trouble culling down my magazines piles?

Check out the home above of stylist Annette Joseph, who uses rubber tubs recycled out of tires to store her magazines. Let me tell you, that tiny tub wouldn't hold even a small portion of all my magazines. My magazine piles look a bit more like those of stylist Irina Graewe, shown below.

design sponge

Heaps and heaps of magazines. I don't store mine in the hallway or else hubby, who rarely says anything about my decorating choices, would certainly have a word or two about a fire hazard. But I do have little piles everywhere. On my nightstand. In my closet. Inside a large antique chest I have in my living room (shown in the sidebar). In the garage. You know what I'm talking about, right? I know I'm not the only one. Look at these two homes below.

design sponge

ekenstam via desire to inspire

The photo below shows my feeble attempt to corral my pile of current magazines:

This side table in our family room holds at least 50 magazines in the little shelf. I naively thought I would be able to contain my magazine habit to this table. Then, someone on Freecycle gave me her entire five-year collection of Martha Stewart Living magazines. Right about that time, I noticed that my public library sells used magazines for 25 cents each. Let's not forget that we magazine addicts also tend to have numerous subscriptions. I won't even mention that, as a freelance writer, I need to keep certain magazines around for reference.

I do read several magazines almost on a daily basis, but I have finally started doing the sensible thing, which is clipping tear sheets of my favorite pages and filing them away. I am realizing that is going to take me forever, so I have started to fantasize about other ways to store my enormous collection of magazines.

Hus & Hem

I adore the clever way that the homeowners above have solved their dilemma for storage of magazines and books. The color coding heightens the visual excitement. This is definitely an idea for me to file away since I have wide hallways on my second floor.

Sunset

Here's more color coding on bookshelves, which provides a striking contrast to the all-white palette of the magazine holders on the lower shelves.

design sponge

Magazine holders seem like the obvious solution for someone with so many magazines. It creates a clean, uniform look, but there are plenty of other options if you're seeking something more unconventional.

Country Home

The photo above shows magazines housed inside a former chicken coop, creating a graphic and unusual display.

The photo above is one I took while doing a store tour last year (you can see it here). The magazines were for sale but this idea is one that can easily be incorporated into various styles of decor.

Sundance Catalog

I've been pining for this bookcase from the Sundance Catalog ever since I first saw it. The storage possibilities for magazines and more are endless, with so many different sized cubbies and slim drawers beneath.

Living Etc.

If you're looking for a quick solution, just stick all those magazines into a bookcase. Somehow, the piles don't look as unappealing.

Anitta Behrendt via desire to inspire

Or, just grab a basket or other container.

ReadyMade

If you're pretty handy with your tools, you could follow the instructions to make the magazine table, shown above, from Ikea magazine files. Go here for the instructions.

Speaking of magazine files, I fell for the magazine holder shown below, from Etsy seller paperdoll woodshop.

paperdoll woodshop

I'm also rather keen on the side table, shown below, making it possible to hold several neat little piles while making your magazines easily accessible. It's from Etsy seller flatpatterns.

flatpatterns

Whatever your preference, there are certainly plenty of options around. Though I'm not going to buy anything new for my magazines, it is heartening to know that, with a little imagination, I can house my magazines in a stylish way. Storage and organization has figured in my posts lately as I make my way through our home in a major decluttering effort before the holidays. This week, I'm focusing on our magazines and books. I'll show you the fruits of my organizing efforts in the weeks to come.

How do you prefer to store your reading material? Are you a magazine addict like me, or have you found a way to curb your magazine habit? Do share!