Scout about it…

I’m a huge fan of Birch & Bird and the vintage handmade markets they hold every few months. My gal pals, Kim & Ann, joined me for the preview event for Scout Market last night in Abbotsford, BC. It was a love fest for all things vintage and fabulous. We nibbled on delicious cheese and cupcakes, sipped lovely wine and coveted EVERYTHING we saw. The market is running all day today. If you get a chance to drop in, I’d highly recommend it!

fairytale paper art…

Helen Musselwhite’s paper artistry is absolutely beautiful, and I just wanted to share some of her work with you. It would be exquisite on a child’s bedroom wall with white shadow box framing (that’s not to say I wouldn’t put it in my living room as well). I wish I could give credit to the blogger who introduced me to this exquisite paper artist, but for the life of me I can’t remember!

photo courtesy Helen Musselwhite

photo courtesy Helen Musselwhite

photo courtesy Helen Musselwhite

photo courtesy Helen Musselwhite

photo courtesy Helen Musselwhite

online 3D decorating…

I just came across this very cool online interior decorating website–Decorate It Online. I live on my computer (which explains why I stared Nicole Jane Home), so I love the idea of being able to consult with a decorator online anytime I want.

They have varying levels of service and provide decorating advice and shopping lists. At a higher level, you can even get 3D pictures of the rooms you want to decorate. What a great idea!

Gotta love Before & After shots!!!

photo courtesy of Decorate It Online

photo courtesy of Decorate It Online

Here is a collection of some of the 3D photos they provide to clients based on questionnaires about personal likes/dislike and room dimensions.

photo courtesy of Decorate It Online

new age nesting…

When my children were born, I was not…how shall I put it…decor enlightened. My little lovelies, Sam and Jane, were lucky to get a few stars and clouds sponged on to their baby-blue walls (they shared a room in our little cottage). I was a little preoccupied with the rigors of motherhood and the blur of the first few years to even know what I didn’t know!

So now, when I come across children’s furnishings and decor, I find myself experiencing pangs of guilt about missed opportunities and neglect–then I snap out of it and remember that I’m not interested in taking out a mortgage just to redecorate their rooms! There are days, though, when I would happily bribe them with the prospect of flat-screen TVs and bar fridges just to get them to keep wet towels, empty cups and dirty socks off the floors.

For those of you who have your act together way more than me, here are some beautiful nesting ideas. If they aren’t your cup of tea, perhaps there’s a color combination, a display arrangement, or an organizational idea you like.

I think the bull’s-eye hooks are so cool (OMG, Mom, nobody actually says that). I can see them working in a child’s bedroom too. (photographer: Rachael Smith via Gap Interiors)

I came across Little Nest , an Australian company that designs kid versions of classic designer chairs and furniture. This is for the uber-junior-fashionista!

photo from Little Nest

courtesy of Little Nest

I never would have considered chartreuse (kinda sorta) and lilac. It’s such a fresh design The bumper pads on the bunk-bed rail are practical and fun at the same time.

courtesy of Style at Home

The next three rooms are featured on HGTV.com. This coquetish little room is for zee really girly-girl (lame attempt at a French accent).

courtesy HGTV

I know some grown-up girls who’d luuuuuvvvvv this room.

courtesy HGTV

The wood-panelled porthole shelf gives this room the perfect edge. It will help transition the room from preschool to high-school. See those little orange armchairs and ottoman? I want the grown-up version in my living room!!!

courtesy HGTV

I like that they used a narrow striped paint treatment instead of crown moulding in this sweet little room. The pom-pom chandelier is the icing on the cake!

courtesy HGTV

I can see where this is going…I’m going to be one of those over-the-top grandmas who insists on meddling in the room designs for each of her grand-babies (in another 50 years or so…’cause I’m that young).