The Softer Side of Neon

Have you noticed this trend? At first I found it a little jarring to the eyes, but now it's growing on me...

Via Door Sixteen

Bolaget

Ikea Family Live

Apartment Therapy

HomeLife

Apartment Therapy

Thoughts? I think I could incorporate this trend into my house, how about yours?

Boy Do I Have Some Work To Do.

Sometimes a deal comes up so great that all "design plans" fall to the wayside and your priority becomes "decorate around the deal" right? This is my reality. You know how I was trying to decide on some fabrics for Holly's room? Well a trip to good ol' Len's Mills on Monday left me with a whole lotta this adorable fabric:

Cute right? What makes it even cuter was the price! Yes, this sweet Michael Miller fabric was discounted again and again...to 3.08 a meter!
Now I have to get on this project, because Holly doesn't understand why this fabric is not up in her room now. I'm still trying to decide how to make them! Help me sewing friends! Pinch pleat? grommets? (are those out?), tab back? Remember my sewing skills are minimal....
And then there is the issue of this fabric inspiring me to paint a coral-y pink on the walls instead of the barely there paint she has now....hmmm....

To theme or not to theme?

Themed kids' parties are so cool. I loved having Emmett's mustache party at home. Eleanor will be turning 3 (!) in October so I am starting to think about parties.


I think we will make this one fairly small and limit it to kids that Eleanor plays with regularly, as I feel the 3rd birthdays begin to be about the kids rather than the parents (did I say that, LOL?).

We've loved attending everyone's parties so far and each was so different. Holly's was uber-stylish and cute, of course and we have also been to non-themed house parties and one at the Little Gym. Eleanor loved them all. So what should we do?

Eleanor's turning out to be a pretty girly-girl and went crazy over the fairy dress her Nana and Pop brought from Australia. So I think some sort of girly theme is definitely in order, however I don't know if we will be inviting any boys. So I'll have to put some thought into it.

Here are some ideas I'm loving:

In the Hushed Hours Via The Sweetest Occasion

LOVE the antique-colours and garland! This party is to die for!

The Sweetest Occasion

 Um, what is there not to love about individual hats in bright colours?

Martha Stewart

Is this not the most gorgeous girly cake you've ever seen?

Do you have a big birthday bash for each of your kids' birthdays? Do you theme them, have them at a party place or do a down-home thang?

Ultra Feminine Interiors

Maybe it is just me, but there is a trend I have noticed lately; a resurgence of feminine taste in decorating, whether it be in palette (thanks Pantone, for selecting pink as the colour of 2011!), pattern, or materials (Lucite or velvet, anyone?). Which brings the question, if you were given carte blanche, would you dare?

 

Elle Decor 

Tufting and chandeliers...

Lonny

A fresh, feminine palate and floral print!

House beautiful

Canopy beds...

Madebygirl

Chanel inspired glamor...

Making it lovely

Vintage chic and pink...

High Gloss

Soft drapes and venetian mirrors! I can't help but fall in love with images like these, maybe this is why I've been craving more mirrors, crystal chandeliers, and pink in my house! The key will be to strike a balance between this love and my love for clean mid-century design. What do you think? can it be done?

Colourful Cushions!

My living room was becoming decidedly monochromatic, and whenever I would suggest new furnishings to Rachel, she would sigh because they were inevitably grey, black or white!

I had a fab piece of the green Echino Doves which I wanted to use but I knew that it wasn't bright enough on its own. So we made a trip to our local fabric store (a treasure trove, plus you have to search a bit to find the right thing so it's always very satisfying) and found these cool fabrics. I whipped up some covers out of them and am sooo pleased with the result!

How do you add colour to your rooms?

Tickled....

Yes! I finally have some pink in my house (aside from my daughter's room). One of the many projects finished this weekend took this wall from ho-hum...

To very exciting! thanks to Pink Flamingo, one of my new favorite colours in Sherwin Williams retro suburbia line...

I love it! The colour adds just the right amount of zest to this kitchen, and compliments the gray tiles perfectly. I must apologize for the odd colouring of the pictures though, as much as I would like a picture in sunlight, it looks like we have rain all day (these doors are enough to brighten my day today though). I was also glad to hang up those funny little fish guys, they always make me laugh (a ten cent find a long time ago). What do you think? Hope you guys had a great weekend!

Guess what I want to do this week?

This is Glamorous

Flickr

Where your heart is

Apartment Therapy

Lonny

I thought it would take some major convincing of my husband but apparently "It doesn't matter". I will take that as a yes! It is just the hit of colour my kitchen needs. Stay tuned for the results!

Holly's Big Girl Room

I adore kids rooms. Like nowhere else in the house can you experiment with different design styles, use bold colours and a sense of humor and whimsy. Our last house was a rented two bedroom, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that our first house would allow me to design a room just for my youngest. I want to make this room feel special albeit the lack of closet, slanted ceiling and a small 7 by 10 blueprint; make it girly without being frou frou, and give her enough floor area to play with her toys. It all clicked when I saw this picture in the spring issue of Ivy and Piper:Not only is the colour combination one of my favorites, but the room manages to squeeze in a ton of storage in what looks to be a small room.With this picture in mind I have been sourcing out fabrics in this colour combination of pink, teal and white, like this beauty from Amy Butler (found here):

Or something whimsical, from here:
What do you think? So many fabrics to choose from in this palate, so suggestions are welcome. It is already a work in progress but I am excited to show you all. DIY projects are already underway so stay tuned, as I will be working within a *very* limited budget!