Lacquer Boxes

About a year ago, I was super inspired by this image of lacquer boxes in bold colors with sharp black borders.


The price tag was in the hundreds for these boxes though (I think from Vivre or Plantation Home?), so I went the DIY route with some basic wood pieces from IKEA.

I gave them all of the boxes two coats of turquoise craft paint.


Then I taped off the edges and painted in the black borders.


Then I spray painted everything with lacquer (though, if I was doing it now I would use my favorite Wipe-On Poly in gloss).



I don't think I'm tricking any visitors into thinking that I spent hundreds of dollars on these boxes in my office, but I like them!

* images courtesy of the bottom of the ironing basket

Children's Tables

I'm helping a friend decorate her new house and she is looking for a kid's table to go with these chairs from Conran.


She wants something similar to my kiddie table, that doesn't look too juvenile. I got ours at Home Goods about six months ago:



I love that it's solid wood and sort of a farmhouse style.

This one from PBK is beautiful, but it's pretty expensive even on sale at $299.


I think that a taller (at least 18" high) coffee or side table can make for a great kid's table. And they're always so cheap at yard sales and on craigslist.

Here are a couple from my friend's craigslist that we're considering. It's fun to think outside the box with these. A little paint would go a long way in making these look more kid-appropriate. Sunshine yellow! Fire engine red! Leaf green!








The IKEA Lack side table also works great as a kid's table. It is crazy cheap ($7.99), comes in a lot of colors, and is a great size especially for smaller spaces.
Do any of you readers have a good secret source for inexpensive but great kid's tables?

Painting Rugs

We currently have PB's Collette rug (wool) under the dining table, but I've been planning to replace it for sometime with something a little more durable/stain resistant.

I scored a great 8x10 Ballard seagrass rug for $90 (including shipping!) thanks to this post from Copy Cat Chic. So that will probably be going in the DR since I love seagrass and I think it holds up really well in dining rooms.


BUT before I bought the seagrass, I had stumbled across this post from a google search on "painting rugs."

The blog author used a very cheap (like $12) 9x6 outdoor rug, taped off a simple design and rolled on some paint.


I think the blue she chose is cute for the outdoors, but for a dining room, I would stick with black or white on the taupey gray rug base.


I think the possibilities here are pretty awesome: stripes! zigzags! Greek key! Trellis! Let your imagination run wild. Maybe try an over sized stencil from Whitewall & Co.?


And just in case it's bugging you a little (like me) that the edges aren't finished, you'll be happy to know that most flooring stores will bind carpet for less than $2 per linear foot. For a little more, you can get thick twill tape, like they use on natural fiber rugs.

I'm sad that I don't need to use this idea. Someone in need of a cheap, stylish and kid-proof dining room rug, please get creative and show me what you can come up with!!

the beauty of imperfection.

maybe its the juxtaposition of what's going on- the things placed together that really shouldn't be there.....they just equal perfection in my book. the white dress w/ the rain boots, that elegant kitchen w/ stainless steel cabinets (might be my favorite kitchen), the old medicine cabinet with the addition of jadeite pulls, and that screen- well, it's just amazing. period. they all make a space seem perfectly imperfect. and that's the way i like it.

*images courtesy of a life more fabulous, belle vivir, bhg, bliss

Girls Names

Hi friends,

How was your weekend? I'm starting to feel better and was able to get some progress done on my dining room.

I was talking to one of my girlfriends on the phone yesterday while I was painting my china hutch. I was telling (well, complaining to) her about how hard it is for me to sleep at night lately, no matter how tired I am. I shared that I'm a little stressed out about how fast this pregnancy is going by. I'm in the third trimester already, I don't feel prepared for her arrival and we definitely have not decided on a name yet. And to be honest, since this is our third daughter, I'm a little tapped out on girls names.

I saw this post on Sugar City Journal, and I was inspired to ask my stylish readers for their input. What are your favorite girls names? To give you a sense of our style, our favorites right now are

Evelyn
Annelise (or maybe just Elise?)
Vivian
Margot
Lillian

ALSO: does anyone know where I can get this exact bookcase? It needs to be wall-mounted.

the power of pink.

october is the month to raise awareness. a year ago i thought i found a lump...so did the the doctor. thankfully, it was not cancer. have you been checked lately? if not, you should.

on a lighter note- we got a new alarm clock...warren tested it out this AM by waking up extremely early. maybe the early bird does catch the worm...at least that is what he told me when he walked out of the door.

*images courtesy of blue lines, french essence, wifestyle files