Doesn't Get Much Cuter Than This!

This photo would bring a smile to any curmudgeon's face. Oh my, how precious.

So, looking at this cutie made me want to explore decorating ideas for little girl rooms. Here are a few of the many I found.







What a quick and easy way to add some fun to a child's room. These decals can be found at Etsy.

Summer Days Are Here Again.....

It has been especially hot this week in North Central Florida. I'm not complaining. I'd rather bear the heat than shiver from the cold days of winter. The sense memories of summer I have from childhood include the taste of salt, the smell of the ocean and the cool breeze of a fan blowing as I slept - no, we didn't have air conditioning in South Florida in those days. Imagine that!

So, all these summer dreams have me wanting to freshen up my rooms with clean, crisp, bright things. While looking for inspiration, I came across these "summer fresh" rooms - indoor and outdoor - and I can't wait to try a few new things around the house.

Photos courtesy of a life's design - Simply beautiful!




High Point, Here I Come

Looking forward to the High Point Furniture Market, Oct. 17-22 , the highlight of my year. Several years ago I found Revco International in Interhall (the ground floor of IHFC Building) and their booth displays always knocked me out.

Greg O'Neal, Vice President of Product Development and Marketing, has also spent the past six years as Revco’s design director. While I was a distributor of an import line of furniture and also showing in Interhall, I met Greg and instantly liked him. I couldn't wait to see what new inventive idea he would come up with for the booth. He never disappointed. The line has grown and transformed into a beautifully distinctive collection. The newest addition is a collection by Candice Olson.

Elsa Sideboard

Another fav is Palu, Ltd. Based in Seattle, great classic design.....

Spring Loose in the South

Spring in Florida is my favorite time of year. Tiny bright green leaves have sprung and phlox are abloom along the dusty back roads. The young squirrels in my backyard are raising a ruckus, chasing each other from tree to tree. And Sparky is losing his winter coat.....all over the house, ugh.

Rebirth, refresh, renew!

So the warmer weather brings with it the need for some new summer duds, right? I came across these adorable handmade shoes on Etsy . It just doesn't get much cuter than this. Jenny Plumb, from Fresno, CA has a love of nature that she translates beautifully into works of art for wee ones.

Jenny supports Blood Water Mission, a nonprofit organization which funds water projects for 11 countries. They bring much needed fresh water and sanitation training to more than 460,000 people in Africa. Thank you, Jenny!

....and you always need a place to prop your feet and enjoy the breeze.

Another way that I like to bring spring indoors is with cuttings from the yard. No need for flowers when you have a plethora of wild greenery at your fingertips. Just mix a few different textures into a vase or keep it classically simple with one type of plant. And it's free!!

OK, so get yourself outside and enjoy the day!!

Wine, Women, and a Camera

My daughter and I spent a few days with my sister last week. She decided to have an impromptu photo shoot of my girl. I think they are stunning. I know... I'm a bit prejudiced. But, the pics were taken without lighting effects and have not been retouched. Imagine what she could have done with all the bells and whistles that she usually has at hand.

Kathy Robinson Photography

A Visual Passage to Old Florida

Thank goodness there are photographers like Kathy Robinson who feel compelled to document the textures, colors, flavors and moods of Old Florida. As a Florida Native, she must innately feel that, along with her heritage, her swamps, mangroves and Motor Courts are disappearing faster than ice in July on a condo parking lot.

Allowing the viewer to fill in where she leaves off, the images magically appear as abstract paintings. In her hands, Photography is truly an art.

"While driving through a tiny town in central Florida where my Father grew up, I found this mostly abandoned building next to the railroad tracks", she writes. "The whole complex takes up one city block. I was fascinated by the colors and textures on the buildings. I called the company that now occupies the building (GroMor Fertilizer Co.), who told me this was originally the Shore Fertilizer Company, established by Mr. Shore in 1923. I'm sure Dad and his friends played there many years ago."

"Currently the home of the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center, this was originally a post office built in Fort Myers, Florida, in 1933 from funds provided through the Work Projects Administration. The facing of the building is made from coquina rock quarried in Matecumbe Key, Florida. It was brought to Fort Myers on flat cars and cut to size and shape on site. Periodically, when the post office was brand new, mangrove seeds in the rock used to sprout live shoots right from the side of the building."

In addition to architectural studies, Robinson also focuses on the natural world as subject. Trees, water, sky and earth are all common threads running through her work.

For purchase information, contact Kathy at: oakstreetart@gmail.com

A Space of Her Own

My daughter came across a wonderful organization while in Washington DC attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The Alexandria based program, SOHO , offers young girls year long mentoring through engagement in creative art activities and meaningful community service projects.

The girls are matched with female mentors who spend time creating artwork for their bedrooms. In addition, they offer life skills, communication and anger management skills, and homework support. Mentors do not need to be professional artists. They and the girls learn artistic concepts and techniques throughout the course.

What piqued my (design) interest was the idea of helping a girl create a place of her own. A calm retreat just for spending time with friends, doing homework, and other fun adolescent things.

A yearlong commitment is not doable for some, so what about spending just a few weeks putting together a new space with an at-risk girl. Many lessons can be incorporated along the way: organization, implementing a plan, cooperation, etc. AND....it's a lot of fun for us design junkies who can't get enough hands on decorating, not to mention the reward of seeing the face of a girl light up when the room is finished.

Here are some tips from Nate Berkus on making a smashing girl's room a budget.

• Let your bedspread inspire the look of the entire room.
• Choose a main color and an accent color from the bedspread.
• Accessorize the room with pillows and decorative storage boxes in the colors you've chosen.
• Use fabric and trim to cover any pillow.
• Don't be afraid to paint! Paint wood-finished bookcases white and add details in your accent color.
• Create a custom headboard or window treatment by wrapping material around the wood and securing with a staple gun.
• Glue silk flowers to a plain lampshade for a sophisticated look.
• Create a vanity fit for a budding actress! Add a skirt in your accent color to a multi-functional computer desk and hang a mirror above it. Mount strip lights above the mirror and paint an inspirational word in the accent color on the mirror.
• Replace cluttered bookshelves above a desk with clean wall-bracketed floating shelves.

My plan is to contact a local child advocacy organization in my area to develop a small program to do just that. Maybe you can do the same in your community!

The Peace Keeper

Oh, the calming effect of neutrals! Darryl Carter is a master of "rustic-meets-refined" style. Weathered surfaces combined with fine antiques make for a serene and relaxing retreat.




And, as the animal lover that I am, I love that his website features photographs of his adorable pup. Check it out.



CTC Pixels™ on the WWW!



My friend Jean Joseph, president of Chicago Textiles Corporation did a special video on CTC Pixels. They are 16" x 16" upholstered panels and come in a variety of fabrics. Just peel and stick to attach to the wall. I especially love those that have pockets to hold photos or folders. Talk about versatile!

Watch Jean showing CTC Wall Pixels in action click here

Lauri Henley Lewallen

Lauri is the driving force behind Stageworks Home Staging & Redesign. Her passion for interiors in infectious. As a mother of two boys, Hays and Max, she still finds time to devote to a rapidly growing business.

Home staging is a science as well as an art and Lauri's keen eye sees the possibilities and knows what gets a house sold quickly.

The redesign division of Stageworks focuses on simplicity. Their mission is to use as much of a homeowner's existing things as possible and by refinishing, painting or, in some cases, deconstructing (sample coming soon) they are able to save money AND save those items destined for the landfill. It's just another take on Eco friendly design.



Reading Room Update



The reading room shown in a previous post is now finished and the result is stunning. Every piece of furniture was transformed with paint, new fabric coverings and just a little elbow grease. It is still a bit shocking when we see how little was spent on furniture and supplies.

One man's junk is truly a design junkie's treasure!

Light it up!

This lamp was a very undesirable green color when I found it half buried on a thrift store shelf. Pearly white gave it new life. Add a shade and you're good to go. I love the funky shape which adds a little whimsy to a room.



Nursery Chic

Start your wee one off with style.



A nursery doesn't have to be frilly and lacy...although this is a good mix of frill and funk. Nursery design by Stageworks Redesign.

Fab Finds

Finding a diamond in the rough is so exhilarating! I came across these tables at the local Salvation Army thrift store. I saw the potential and scooped them up.




After a little sanding, a little black paint, and just the right amount of distressing, they now reside in this fabulous room along with the vintage mid-century lamps found on Craigslist. Using vintage and repurposed things gave the room an understated, yet unexpected element. And for a total of $30 for two tables and two lamps, we came in several hundred dollars under budget. That's a very good thing.