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A Masterpiece!

18 Nov

Well, not literally. But bear with me…

My son is sweet and a little wild and can be incredibly focused. I had always imagined myself as the mom of a little boy, and then I got him, and he is a wonderful one. But sometimes…just sometimes…I look at his pint-sized lady friends and am envious of one thing: they color. A lot. And well. And for sustained periods of time. They just sit there, quietly, and they color. We don’t do that in my house.

Instead we play trucks. And shoe repair shop. And we dance. And then we get in our “truck” and go to the “shoe repair shop.” Which leads to photos like this, in which I am wearing running shorts but you can’t tell…

 

At least this was the case UNTIL TODAY, when I asked him to draw me a picture of our family. And then he produced this out of nowhere:

 

It’s called “Daddy, Mommy, Me, and Neuman in a swimming pool.” Neuman is our cat. I can safely say that all four of us have never been in a pool together.

I am so proud!

Save this stuff, guys. Not all of it, but some of it. And frame a few of your kids’ art pieces…they’ll be the least expensive thing on your walls, and they’ll make you smile.

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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Sneak Peek!

5 Nov

I snapped some photos today at a longtime client’s house, where we’re working on finishing up three kids’ rooms. I’m in love with the little girl’s space, and can’t wait to see the little boys’ rooms completed.

Here are a few sneak peeks:

 

This is a little girl’s room where we used an amazing light fixture as the focal point, and blended just the right shades of pink and green to create a space she loves and her parents can happily live with.

 

 

…and this is more of a staging area right now for a bunch of little boy items. Not quite ready yet, but it’s coming together. I do love the rug!

 

I haven’t taken portfolio pictures in long time, so there are many more to come in the next few months because I’m really overdue with documenting my projects. I’m super grateful for all of my clients – I love them all – and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to document our projects.

…If you’re interested in working together on one, I’m now booking for 2013!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

24 Oct

This post is actually about interiors…so bear with me.

Really. It is. You’ll see…

 

Sometimes I try to be a supermom and selectively arrange my son’s books on a shelf to highlight the season. Just like a librarian. This means I choose a few for display that have themes which reflect the current holiday or time of year. Now, that’s pumpkins and Halloween. But my favorite time to do this is when it gets really cold and I can put The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats on his special shelf. You must know this book, right?

 

 

 

Any parent knows reading to your child can be amazing and calming and often times fun; but with a bad book, it’s torture. This book is one of the ones that is always a joy to read, partially because the story is simple (and short!) and flowing, and also because the illustrations are just gorgeous. I am particularly fond of cut paper, collage-type illustrations in childrens’ books, and this one is no exception.

I love the patchy, boldly colored collages that make snow look anything but ordinary and white. It almost glows. And the composition reminds me very much of the photographs of Matthias Heiderich, whom I wrote about a few years ago; I wonder if he knows the book?

 

 

The one page that I always stop and marvel at is at is the one with the little boy sitting on his bed looking out the window. Why? Because I LOVE THE WALLPAPER. And by that I mean so many things beyond superficially liking the wallpaper: I like the way it looks, I like how it reminds me of something my grandparents may have had, and I like the sense of coziness and home and warmth it conveys. I feel like I’ve been in that room (and through reading, I have…many many times). It’s the kind of experience that I love to help create or re-create for my clients; a space that feels like home, that you never want to stop looking at. If I could find a wallpaper like it, I would buy it instantly. But I can’t find it!

 

 

Farrow and Ball’s Vermicelli Papers come sort of close…but aren’t quite right.

 

 

Guess I’ll have to keep searching…

 

P.S. – it feels GREAT to write a thoughtful blog post for the first time in, oh, about two months!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

 

Balloon Countdown Calendar!

27 Aug

This weekend we made a balloon countdown calendar for my son, to count down the days until preschool begins. I can’t fully take the credit for this idea, because I saw it somewhere before I made it. But I don’t recall where…so…you saw it here first!

 

It’s very simple to make:

Step 1: Blow up some balloons.

Step 2: String them up.

Step 3: Write numbers on them.

(Optional Step: Clear the area of all people who are sensitive to balloon pops, such as my husband. And my cat.)

Step 4: Pop the balloons as necessary.

 

And you’re done!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

 

Land of Nod Steals…for Adults!

11 Jul

Luxury is wonderful. But sometimes, a deal is even better. This simple fact is one of the reasons that I love love LOVE to peruse child-centric designs from time to time: there is always a deal to be found. Provided of course, that your adult-taste is whimsical, colorful, fun, and youthful. On that note, these new Land of Nod products do not disappoint. Here are five picks that would fit in many grown-up spaces beautifully, and for a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay at an “adult” store! Enjoy the whimsy…and the unexpected savings!

1.) Little Twigs Wall Mirror, $219; 2.) Licorice Rope Rainbow Pendant, $149; 3.) Magnificent Metal Letters, $34 each; 4.) Aquarium Gravel Rug, $299 and up; 5.) Camp Throw Pillows, $29 and up

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Rainbow School in Paris!

2 Jul

If this super neat building doesn’t motivate your kid to go to school, I don’t know what will!

 

This vibrant, colorful, and amazingly fun Kindergarten in Paris is the Ecole Maternelle Pajol; the concept and design was executed by architects at Palatre and Leclere, a Parisian architecture firm.  Originally built in the 1940s, the building has been adapted to embody a contemporary aesthetic while retaining the original structure. From the wall hooks to the bathroom stalls to the interactive floors, it’s just perfection for any 5-year-old. Don’t you love it?


 

Check it out some more over at Cool Hunter.

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

100 Things for Lunch!

24 May

This was a huge hit the other day.

 

 

A counting placemat + a bunch of finger foods + a picky-ish, bored-easily kiddo = lunch!  Laminated school supplies look great on granite, right?

In the spirit of full disclosure, we did swap out the usually-preferred almonds for some bacon. And we added some extra peas.


Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

It’s Been A While…A Few Updates!

11 May

I know that I haven’t been blogging much lately. While I’ve been offline life has been busy, but good. I think I previously mentioned that this summer (which began two weeks ago, for us) I am going to be keeping my son at home full-time (and by full-time, I forsee some type of irregular babysitting arrangement for  meetings and to cover my teaching schedule). His wonderful nanny recently (and deservedly) retired, and my husband and I concluded that keeping him home with me until August, when he begins daily six-hour preschool, is the best option. For those of you with little kids, I’m sure you feel me on the topics of “potty training readiness,” “behavior modification,” and just good, quality “mom time.” Here he is caught in a serious moment, which I believe was warranted by the excruciating anticipation of our neighborhood egg hunt last month.

So…how’s it going, you ask? Well, thanks to three-hour naps and a little bit of television, it’s going pretty well I think. Except for the blogging. The blogging is majorly lagging. But I am 100% able to keep up with my clients, and have even added several new ones over the past two weeks. I’ll be focusing on consulting this summer, and likely delaying any projects involving invasive renovations until the fall. In an effort to keep my productivity up in regards to my design practice, the blogging has had to fall behind; I expect this to be a trend over the next few months, but come fall I will be back to my regular almost-daily posting schedule. Who knows, I may even hold a few giveaways to compensate!

Here are a few other things I’ve been up to these past few weeks, in no particular order:

I started a project that is going to be using a lot of rusts and coppers, and I’m excited to see it through over the next few weeks. This rug is the starting point:

 

I entered a competition at a furniture vendor to design a chaise lounge, which if my plan goes right, will be MINE in a few months. Would love to show you my sketches but I don’t think I can…

I put together a few mood boards for a long-time client’s two children. This scheme, for a little girl, is a big time favorite of mine:

Lucky, the client favored this scheme, too. I love it when that happens!

 

Potty training. It’s been very very successful very very quickly. I don’t want to jinx it though, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.

And finally, last night I hosted a Stella & Dot Trunk Show for my cousin Joelly, who is a stylist. Fun was had by all, and there was wine and cupcake treats for all. You can check out, and shop for, some lovely Stella & Dot baubles here. I’m loving the four picks below!

1.) Carrie Bangles, $59; 2.) Bardot Hoop Earrings, $34; 3.) Chantilly Lace Cuff, $98; 4.) Bahari Necklace, $98

 

All in all, this summer experiment is working out. I’m thrilled to be able to maintain my ever-growing and currently thriving design practice, and I’m happy to be spending lots of time with my almost-always-adorable-but-sometimes-challenging three year old little boy. Pending any crazy shenanigans, I’ll be back next week with Color Friday and hopefully a post or two before that.

Until then…have a GREAT weekend, and if it applies to you, have a GREAT Mother’s Day on Sunday (which if I can really get organized, will warrant a Mother’s Day post)!

 

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Find of the Week: Natural Building Blocks!

30 Apr

Did you know that I love Jayson Home? Because I do. They are often my go-to for finishing off a space because they always seem to have “that one last thing.”

They are experts at neutral shades, and they carry tons of accessories that have wonderful texture and material: copper, wood, resin, bone…the list goes on. These Earth Blocks are no exception. As one of their less expensive offerings, they are $45 for 50 pieces.

(image via Jayson Home and Garden)

 

To be honest, I have no idea if these are intended for actual play or not. They appear to be substantial and cast like a resin, but something tells me that they won’t hold up to water (or apple juice) given that they are made from tree bark and tea leaves. But still, they are a wonderful addition to a sophisticated home that appreciates play and loves a little whimsy. If you take them for a spin in your house, do let me know how they work out!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Easter Eggs: 7 Ways!

4 Apr

If you have kids, or if you like crafting, it’s likely that you’re going to dye eggs this week at some point. That is, if you didn’t already do it last weekend (I did). Here are seven ways to dye your eggs that go beyond the typical methods. Some are complicated, some aren’t. But they’re all neat too look at and fun to make! Enjoy!

1.) These Neon Dip-Dyed Eggs from Oh Joy are mod, colorful, and look incredibly easy to make!

Neon Dip-Dye (image via Oh Joy)

 

2.) I made some of these Silk-Dyed Eggs (aka Tie-Dyed Eggs) from Our Best Bites this past weekend. Many thanks to my friend’s husband for sacrificing one of his silk ties for our crafting enjoyment.  

Silk Tie-Dyed Eggs (image via Our Best Bites)

 

3.) You’ve probably seen this image floating around the web, especially if you belong to Pinterest. Make your own Natural-Dyed Eggs via Two Men And A  Little Farm.

Natural Dyed Eggs (image via Two Men and a Little Farm)

 

4.) These Chocolate Surprise Eggs from Martha Stewart are not just edible – they’re DELICIOUS! A bit more work than dunking orbs in dye, but why would you expect anything less than “a little bit labor intensive” from Martha?

Chocolate Eggs (image via Martha Stewart)

 

5.) Thought I’m still not 100% sure how you make these, the Chap Stick Eggs from Oh Joy are stunning and perfectly imperfect. Give it a try!

Chap Stick Eggs (image via Oh Joy)

 

6.) These Graphic Eggs from Martha Stewart stole my heart: vibrant, typographic, and shockingly easy!

Graphic Eggs

 

7.) Last but certainly not least in this round-up are Kool-Aid Eggs from Hey Jen Renee.  I can’t say that I ever would have thought of this, but the results are stunning! I wonder if it works with Jell-o?

Kool Aid Eggs (image via Hey Jen Renee)

So there you have it: seven dazzling ways to decorate your eggs this Easter. I can’t wait to try them! What’s your favorite way to dye Easter Eggs? And do you have any other ways to share?

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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