batman

Very cool non-traditional Batman wallpaper. Jackson and Cade would love it, and I would love it too.

And this one too.

village under the tree

Our village under the tree - of cereal boxes and other assorted boxes- is growing. This year has seen the addition of some castle blocks and a deer or two.

Here's last year's:

And here is a store display in Williamsburg (thanks, Jess for the picture!) that I want it to look like some day!:

our home on etsy!

Thrilled to have a little article about us last week on the Etsy blog's Get the Look Decor - -

click HERE to see it.

The best part was reading all the lovely comments! The swing was a really big hit!

again with the raccoons!

In our backyard last night! This is Brooklyn, not the country! Go home!

No need for this pillow, although it is pretty cool.

big boy beds all around

So among other big changes recently, Cade has moved to a big boy bed ~ since he's pretty much potty-trained and needs to be able to go....although he won't, on his own, yet..... We put Jackson in the bigger side of the two rooms and Cade's now is in Jackson's old bed and room. Jackson's sleeping in the daybed I got on Dean Street - the mattress on the floor next to him in case this happens, a high probability, although he's getting better.....

chalkboard wallpaper drawing

In June, Barbara asked me to draw "wallpaper" on chalkboard walls of a bathroom she designed for Country Living Magazine's House of the Year.  I was inspired by scenic/chinoiserie wallpaper, although it didn't really turn out like that.

One Saturday afternoon, while Jon played with the boys, I went into the city and drew for 7 hours straight.

I think it turned out nice.

{Photo by Max Kim-Bee.}

oh dear!

Wishing I had the energy to attempt something like this giant paint-by-number mural in Jackson's room.

From Land of Nod's blog.

little gold elephants

My latest project at Mint is up. Thank you, Mimi, for the gorgeous peonies.

easter's on it's way

We're busy getting ready for Easter......



I want to make these awesome easy carrot garlands, that Abbey made on Aesthetic Outburst. Since Jackson's really good at cutting strips of paper, I think we can manage this.

I want to make some modern looking easter eggs tomorrow.

  

We've got a bowlful of bunnies for cupcake toppers.

And I just want to sit and stare at the bunnies in this picture. (Found via Sparrow and Spark).

And wish I had the time to hand-paint an egg like this one.

Happy Easter! 

i faux bois-ed my desk

Unsolicited, Cade just came up to me and said, "I like the new desk."

Thanks, buddy! I faux bois-ed it, while you were napping!

I learned from the master - Tom Eberharter, the gentleman in this video -  himself.

PS: I do want to put brass hardware on it someday. 

lift-off

Cool rocket poster. For Jackson. Because he likes rockets.

(via here).

chalkboard labels

It's taken me two and a half years to change the labels on Cade's bin from the "B" (for Baby) that I did before he was born. I got these chalkboard labels at Staples. I'm pretty excited about them. And pretty excited about feeling organized. Not that I expect them to last though- we'll see who figures out first that the letters wipe off quite easily. OR that the labels themselves might be fun to peel off the bins (Cade, ahem, I'm looking at you).

Mama's little helpers

File under: Not Really Sure What I Was Thinking.

Looks like a recipe for disaster. Luckily, I was able to distract them with something else (Cars) before it took a turn for the worse. Thanks for the bookcase, Kate!

bird silhouette collage

Ahh. I love that bird silhouette collage on craft paper. I want to go make one with Jackson right now. (Don't worry, I won't let him use the exact-o).

(from 16 House blog).

undecorate

This little girls room is from the book Undecorate by Christiane Lemieux. I love the sparse architectural drawing in the white frame.

Cade's room, formerly Jackson's room, has an ongoing collection of prints. Nothing white and pretty and pink though.

 PS I would like this book for my birthday, Jon.

deer with butterflies

Surfing the web, looking at bedding, saw the print that Jackson has in his room.



PS It's 16x20 - $60.00, Edition of 75. Paid - $3.00, thrift store.

reading nook

I like this 'children's reading nook' in this month's House Beautiful. It's kind of like Jackson and Cade's two cushions propped on the floor next to the bookshelf. Haha.

to keep or not to keep?

I found us a new coffee table. I've been so afraid of someone clocking themselves on the head with our white lacquer cube one. The jury is still undecided. It is old, round, and small. The underside says Walnut in old-timey hand-writing but I don't know.

At the very least, it's a good size for Legos.

Oh, stoop sale, $10. :)

PS Also, I thought about doing this to it. Casters too. Good instructions here.

that's what I call grinning from ear to ear

 Last week, this picture of Jackson arrived in the mail. Jackson's grin was as big when he opened the package as it was is in picture. Thank you Auntie Nikki! It's on Jackson's wall, and every time Cade sees it he yells, "BOAT!!!" even though, technically, there was no boat.

And here is Cade a few months ago. You can see the collection on Jackson's wall has been slowly growing.  AS HAS CADE. 

napkins in a drawer

On of my favorite pieces of furniture is this vintage farmhouse desk/table that Nonno found. In our old apartment it was here:
 
Now we are using it for our dining room table. It conveniently has a drawer on the side which I use to keep our napkins. Cade so thoughtfully replaced his dirty one after he used it. I found it the other day when I opened the drawer to get a new one.


{After four years of opening the drawer from the underside, I finally splurged and got this handle at Anthropologie.}

Thanks, Cade, for cleaning up after yourself.