Annechovie

Recently I discovered a really talented artist and blogger, Anne Harwell.  She does illustrations of exteriors, interiors, and her greatest talent in my opinion is illustrating interesting chairs. One of her chair illustrations made its way to the movie "It's Complicated." I also love the giclee quotable prints that I think could add warmth of color and playfulness to any room.  Looking at her work, you see that she has a way of bringing life and personality to mundane things through her use of color.    Check out her blog and Etsy site.  annechovie.blogspot.com

Organized bookshelves

I love to see ideas for organizing bookshelves and these really impressed me.  The shelves are from IKEA and I love the matching storage boxes, magazine organizers, open bins and toys at the child's level, and the general overall feel.  When organizing shelves, first remove everything before putting it back.  You may want to do something fun like cover the back of the shelves in a fun wallpaper or paint them an accent color.  Be very critical about any books, magazines, or collections you feel like you need to keep.  If you really don't feel that you'll ever read the book again or it's not a classic, consider donating it.  I also go hard-core on getting rid of any self-help or parenting books that are no longer relevant.  Ditch the travel books that are out of date--chances are if you go on a trip you can borrow a book from someone else or a library or find all the information you need on-line or through your phone.  As far as kids' books, make sure they are age-relevant to your kids.  Donate the others unless you feel like you need to hold onto the classics for your grand kids, and in this case keep just a few and store them away in a bin (in a previous post I recommended keeping ONE bin of this kind of thing for future generations of kids or for a special friend's kids, etc.).

Picture found on oohdeedoh.com

Serena and Lily Love

I am in love with Serena and Lily bedding for kids' and adults' rooms.  It is definitely pricey, but when you find something you adore sometimes it can be worth it.  A local store here in Mt. Pleasant has almost all of their beds adorned with a few Serena and Lily pieces.  Watch out for their sales and sometimes you can find some of their products on EBAY.

Young House Love

One of my favorite blogs of the moment is Young House Love younghouselove.com--the story of a young couple falling in love with their house as they transform it into the house of their dreams.  The DIYers have become very popular and have even been featured on HGTV and in various publications.  Visit their blog to gather home improvement tips and to follow how they transformed their home step by step.  They have great ideas on paint colors and great places to shop.  You can send them pictures of your own home and they will come up with ideas about what you can do to create a space you love.  One recent post I saw on their site was about "vacation jars,"  a really neat and funky way to display vacation memories using simple (and cheap) mason jars.  The next time you go on a trip, bring back some sand, shells--if not the beach a ticket stub, a matchbook, a plane ticket.  Put the objects in a mason jar and create a nice label for it and display them somewhere on a shelf.  Don't forget to write yourself a postcard from the trip to include in the jar!

Native Christmas decor

I recently saw these original Christmas greenery arrangements in my parents' neighborhood. I love how this home owner has used greenery native to our area to decorate. She used palm fronds, tied with magnolia leaves, and holly. I also am a big fan of magnolia wreaths. I have been so busy, and not able to post much. I hope to get into a better routine in the new year!!

Sunbrella in velvet!!

Sunbrella is an incredible brand of fabric. I have used it for years for all of my outside pillows and cushions. It is incredibly durable, waterproof, and washable. For these reasons some people advocate using it as an interior fabric, especially for rooms where kids are often present. Now it comes in velvet and looks like the real thing. I saw it featured on a morning show the other day. You can spill a cup of water on it and it doesn't soak in and wipes right up.

Too Many Toys

One of my favorite children's authors is David Shannon and I love his book Too Many Toys. I am sure most parents have frequently felt overtaken by the number of toys in their home. Before Christmas gets here and it is literally just around the corner, I suggest taking a few hours to do a major purging of your kids' toys or else you may be totally overwhelmed by adding new toys to the mix. Consider that your sentimental attachment to some of these toys may be greater than your child's. I have hardly ever gotten rid of something that my child has asked me about later. Remember that a kid's world is transient. If they do not play with the toy anymore, simply get rid of it and think about how you are perhaps giving it to someone who may appreciate it more. I think one of the most common reasons for not letting go of certain toys is this sentimental attachment or also the thought that, so-and-so gave my child that (a dear grandmother for example) so I can't get rid of it. This is understandable but just remember that toys are material objects and should not hold the memory of that person. If you would like to hold onto a few sentimental items, buy one bin in which to store some of your favorite toys and books--good quality ones that may be handed down to grandchildren or nieces and nephews. Limit yourself to this bin and keep it stored in the attic. Happy purging!