My Favorite Children's Artwork Shops on Etsy

Last week THREE of my friends had babies!  (Hello Griffin, Jack and Libby!)  So I thought it would be fitting to share my favorite children's artwork sellers on Etsy.  Nurseries all around are much cuter thanks to these wonderful artists.

Sea Urchin Studio- Adorable alphabet and numeric posters.  

Apple Blossom Print- Beautiful personalized graphic artwork using text.  We have the Monogram Initial Art in Cam's nursery and I've also ordered her Couples Names Wedding Date print for a friend. 

   

WallFry- Huge selection of cute animal prints.  I was going to have a custom portrait of Navy made to hang in the nursery before we had Cam but just never got around to it.  It's definitely on the to-do list!

Henry James Paper Goods-  Wonderfully whimsical personalized artwork.  We have the
Woodland Creatures at Sea print.  

Eastwitching- Gorgeous watercolor animal paintings.  These would look stunning as a 

series of framed prints.  

Pretty Mod- Simple, modern silhouettes.  

Sarah Jane Studios- I am absolutely in love with her Whale Dreams art.  How beautiful would this look oversized, hanging in your son or daughter's reading nook?

Cosas Minimas- Darling illustrated characters in city settings.  

Sycamore Street Press- This letterpress print brought tears to my eyes.  So sweet!

Navy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  See you Monday!

Art and Accessories for the Kitchen

For our five year anniversary gift to each other, Mike and I bought some artwork for the kitchen/ dining area.  It's a four panel map of lower New York City and we love it!  It's the perfect reminder of our home for the past 11 years and the city where we met.

I found the artwork at the furniture store (in Seabrook, NH of all places) where we ordered our sectional.  (I'm counting the days until it arrives!)  It's definitely an older map, although I'm not sure of the time period, and the colors match perfectly with our downstairs color scheme.

I had been hunting for a large-scale panel piece of artwork for the dining area for quite some time.  Since it's a large wall, I wanted it to have a few panels and look oversized to fill up the space.  I was inspired by Guiliana and Bill's octopus artwork and by the wallpaper panels on Little Green Notebook. At first I thought I could create the look myself by blowing up a print and using Ikea frames but I couldn't find a print that I loved.  And you definitely need to LOVE it when it comes to an over-sized piece of artwork.  So it was fate when I saw these map panels at the furniture store.  It was a map of our old home and the colors were perfect.  I even loved the fonts used in the map!  It was definitely a splurge but we love it and know that we'll have it forever.





But now that the artwork has been hung, it just highlights everything else that needs to be changed in the kitchen.  We have a lot more work to do:

I just have to keep reminding myself that it all takes time.  I have been adding some little touches though.  Like this rabbit hook that I found at Anthropologie:

He looks so cute perched by the back door.  And it's the perfect place to hang my keys.

And I love my Rifle Paper Co. Calendar.  It makes the kitchen look so cheerful.

And finally, here is the awesome rug that I'm basing all the kitchen colors off of.  I found it at a local junk warehouse called Building 19.  Have you ever heard of it?  They sell the most random things, from clothes to food.  Almost all of it is junk, but they have the most amazing selection of oriental rugs for some reason.  Like 9x12 Safavieh rugs for $300!  Incredible!  I think I paid $19 for this guy.  Seriously, it must be an interior designer secret around here.  Who knew?

So there you have a mini tour of our kitchen.  I still have a lot to do so I'm holding off on the reveal.  But it's slowly coming along!

Navy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  We're all heading to Kennebunkport, Maine this weekend, despite the rainy weather.  Be back next week with a few house updates!

Tips from a J.Crew Stylist

Not sure if you've seen this floating around pinterest, but I found Fashion Tips from a J.Crew Personal Stylist to be really useful!  My favorite part is how to roll sleeves.  I have a chambray shirt that I love but the sleeves always come undone.  I'm definitely going to try this trick the next time I wear it!

Pretty Umbrellas

My cousin, Theresa, recently clued me into the Elements of Style blog.  I'm obsessed, especially with her new home renovation.  It's a fantastic blog that you must check out if you haven't already.  (I'm always so late into the game!) So as I was perusing her blog tonight, I discovered her fashion line: Two Penny Blue.  Their main focus is blazers but they also have a great jewelry, bag and...wait for it... umbrella line!  I love the fun colors and they're at a great price point, from $29 to $57.  These will definitely make you stand out from the crowd on a rainy day!

Cam's Nursery Reveal

I'm so excited to show you Cam's nursery!  It's the first room in the house that feels "finished."  When we were in the rental we had Cam's crib set up in the corner of the master and it never really felt cozy.  This was the first room in the new house that I decorated and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

I went with a color scheme of gray and yellow which I thought could definitely grow with him.  And I wanted it to be cute but not overly babyish.

We started off by having the walls painted in Benjamin Moore's Gray Horse.  Basically I googled "gray nurseries" and this was the color that came up the most.  It's not too dark or too light and feels very warm and cozy.  I absolutely love this shade of gray.

It's hard to tell from the pictures but the rug is a 9x12' wool berber remnant in a cream and yellow check.  I purchased it from a local carpet store and it was a steal at $299.  I can't tell you how amazing carpet remnants are.  You get a fabulous, high quality rug for the fraction of the price.  I love West Elm rugs as much as anyone but they are thin, thin, thin.  The key to carpet remnants is to look for wool berber rugs instead of the plush rugs that is typical in wall to wall carpet.

Aside from the paint color, the curtains are my favorite part of the room.  I knew I wanted a wide yellow and white stripe but I was having a hard time finding the right fabric.  Then I discovered that West Elm had exactly what I wanted but it was a shower curtain.  But after measuring the windows I realized I could use the shower curtains as drapes by just cutting them down the middle and hemming each side.  It was soo easy and not to mention cheap! The shower curtains were just $39 each and for that price I got two panels.  Usually one curtain panel costs more than that!  I was thinking about lining them with a blackout liner but I was lazy and decided to use a blackout shade instead.  Eventually I'd like to embellish the shades a la House of Fifty, but I'm saving it for a rainy day.

The crib sheet is from Carousel Designs.  They have a fabulous selection of crib bedding in beautiful patterns and designs.  

The glider is probably my least favorite part of the room.  I really wanted an upholstered glider but we bought this glider while we were still in the rental.  We needed a chair that could come apart to get up the super narrow stairs to the master bedroom so this was our only option.  But really I can't complain.  A glider is a glider and this one works perfectly.  

I am a huge fan of Ikea frames... you just can't beat the price.  The Ribba's are streamlined and classic and it's just so easy to pop a print in it, hang it up and be done with the whole thing.  Without Ikea frames, I don't think I'd have any artwork hanging on my walls.  See the map above the bookshelf?  It's one of my decorating secrets... it's wrapping paper and it was only $3.95!  Most paper or stationery stores carry single sheets of wrapping paper and they have gorgeous designs.  They fit perfectly in a $20 Ikea Ribba 20x28" frame.  For less than $25 you have a large scale piece of artwork to fill your walls.  Awesome.

Etsy is my go-to for children's prints.  The selection is endless and there are just so many cute designs.  I'm going to do a post on all my favorites because it can get overwhelming sorting through them all.  The designers for all these prints are listed below in my source list.  

Finally, here are some detail shots of Cam's room.  

All in all, I'd say he likes it!  I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Source List 

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Gray Horse
Curtains: West Elm shower curtains
Crib: Walmart Baby Mod Park Lane
Dresser: Ikea Hemnes
Owl Lamp: West Elm
Arch Lamp: Found in our trash room
Bookshelf and Baskets: Ikea Expedit
Night Light: You Know Fine Night Lights
Frames: Ikea Ribba
Cameron Print: Apple Blossom Print 
Sea of Love Print: Henry James Paper Goods
Alphabet Print: Sea Urchin Studio
World Map: Cavallini and Co. wrapping paper
Picture Ledges: Ikea Ribba
Ceiling Lamp: Ikea Fillsta
Rug: Carpet Remnant from Pellitier Rug Company
Closet knobs: Anthropologie
Crib Sheet: Carousel Designs
Crib Skirt: Dwell Studio
Changing Table and Changing Cover: Land of Nod
Glider: Dutalier
Toy Basket: The Container Store Rugby Stripe Basket
Clock & Baseball Mitt: Vintage
Bunting: Directions here

Navy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  See you Monday!

The Best French Bistro Salad Dressing

The other night I made the best French bistro salad dressing ever.  It was delicious!  And it was all because of a secret ingredient: soy sauce.  I had read somewhere that adding a little bit of soy sauce makes all the difference and it truly does.  It gives it just a touch of umami without tasting like soy sauce. You MUST try this recipe!

French Bistro Salad Dressing

1 clove garlic sliced in half
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 splash of soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper


Add all ingredients to a small container and shake vigorously.  Remove the clove of garlic.  Drizzle over dark salad greens (I used arugula but any field greens are fine) and toss to combine.  Enjoy!

Navy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  Have a great long weekend!

Calligraphy Styles

Last spring I did several calligraphy projects for clients and friends.  Here are some pics.  I have to say, I'm my own worst critic when it comes to my calligraphy but the more I delve into my own signature styles, the more I like it.  My favorite style of the bunch is the last handful with the stamps.  But I might be partial; they were for Cam's birth announcements!