brightening things up

Finding good lighting has always been really hard for me. It's up there with finding pillows. I have a nice collection of rejects in my basement of both :) So I thought I would share some finds I'm happy with and some sources that could be helpful to anyone looking to brighten things up a bit. 

As far as the north fork goes, white flower farmhouse, beall and bell, and the many thrift stores out here have lots of hidden gems...

velocity

chandi design made this but I designed it. it was actually a lot of fun and they made it easy.

ikea

greenport thrift store

abc

circa lighting

beall and bell

car rides and bon jovi

You gotta do what you gotta do to get through the car ride...especially if it's nap time and your racing to get home before the kids fall asleep in the car and you lose your only chance at some free time! Even if it means giving up your Bobbi Brown lip gloss, you just gotta suck it up sometimes and say, what the freakin hell...i'll just get a new one tomorrow. Even if it means your screaming Bon Jovi or Rod Stuart or "JAMIE!!" at the top of your lungs, and you look like a complete mental case, you do it anyways. And then you offer up your precious iPhone to play with, because when all else fails and you lost your lip balm, your mind, and your car is a total wreck, you'd do just about anything to get some sweet r&r :)

the romantic winter beach

southold

greenport on ice

One of the really great new additions to Greenport over the past couple of years, is the new winter skating rink. I have always said I want to take Lea there, but always been a bit nervous if she's too young and how it would all go. It's also just so hard to motivate in the winter to do something new! BUT, this past weekend papa and I took her and it was awesome, she was a champ. The rink was so great with a little shack to get your rentals and helmet. They had bars for young kids to hold and it was so not crowded. It was cheap and easy, no lines, no fuss. They played music and it was so nice to be outside in the middle of town, right by the harbor, ice skating. It was a beautiful scene and a definite must if you come out here in the winter.

Greenport carousel in background, another wonderful addition to the town

blackboard

I thought I would show how the Urban Outfitters vinyl blackboard worked out. It was so easy to use and peel off and on again. I love it so far, you can really put it anywhere.

wow!!!

I was just watching the Grammys and saw a RIDICULOUS performance by the band Mumford & Sons singing this song, "the cave", and had to post about it. I'm definitely out of it being a stay at home mom and all, but so glad I tuned in and got a glimpse of this band. You can NOT help but do the "mama, you a silly mama" crazy dance to this!!! I can't stop replaying, what an amazing sound they have.

swinging chairs

For all those people wanting to add a little fun and comfort into their rooms..I suggest a swinging chair. And if you don't have room to put a big chair in your child's room AND a swing, how bout combining the two?? I have always wanted one of these for our upstairs play room or one of the kids rooms, even my room! They take the furniture off the ground and add a type of balance with the rest of the items. It's playful, functional, and stylish. You can find them here...

love this rug, love the room

simple design

 I just love how gold mirrors bring such warmth into this room. They give it some age. And the rustic stairs in the second picture make me want to expose some beams in this house. The third picture does such a great job at mixing modern, rustic and ethnic pieces. And the forth is where I want to sleep for the rest of my life!!!! (via emmas designblogg, brydiebrown and department if the interior)

mamas new bag

I would really like to check out this book. I can use all the advice I can get on raising a two year old!
 
Parenting from the Inside Out

"“Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Helps Us Raise Children Who Thrive,” is a parenting style based on relationships. Becoming a parent can trigger unresolved issues that we may unknowingly carry from our relationships with our own parents, and can interfere with us being the kind of parent we want to be. I work with many parents who are stuck in ineffective relationship patterns with their children. Because our book integrates both left and right brain processing, offering both narrative stories and neuroscience research on the brain and relationships, it offers a hopeful message to parents. The feedback I receive from parents often includes that their other relationships become more satisfying as well.

Learning to communicate is at the core of effective parent/child relationships. Reflective dialogue supports the child in feeling understood and strengthens their core sense of selves. When we are able to listen with an open mind and open heart, our child feels understood even if they are not getting what they want. Respectful communication is very important to develop, because when we have children, one of the things that we’re doing is we’re essentially telling them who they are. We are giving them an image of themselves, and we want to give them an image of themselves as being confident, capable and lovable." - Mary Hartzell, author.

Parenting from the Inside Out

The next thing that I would really like is this new bowl my neighbor found on Urban Outfitters. 4 for 20 bucks! A little tie dye keeps ya young. The picture does not do it justice.

And the next....I've been looking for a cool way to store kids toys because the baskets I've always raved about are just not cutting it. I need something that closes, and while I don't have such a modern style I do love modern toys and cool ways of storing things. This piece looks fun, like it should be for kids!

abc home

And lastly I need a new bag, BIGTIME. And this little baby looks like a "springs on the way" type of bag to me :)

Cynthia Vincent

so cute, no?

black and blue

Here are some more inspiring home photos. I just love the black and blue combo. I also love all the task lighting and modern fixtures (via 16 house).

what a great hallway!

hearts

I'm not a big fan of Valentines Day, but I saw this poster and thought it would be really cute in a kids room. I also just found this magnetic chalkboard that is very cute. The best find of the day though is this chalkboard wall decal. I really want to paint a wall with chalkboard paint for the kids but I can never decide where to paint...now I can put this on the side of my fridge. The greatest part is you can just peel it right off! No commitment :)

Brooklyn beauty

This Clinton Hill brownstone is just fantastic. I just love how the floors and stairs are painted in this dark high-gloss floor paint. I also love the huge crate and barrel kitchen table. You can see more here at remodelista blog, they provide a lot of good links. Makes me want to do my whole house over :) Enjoy!

bedtime

Bedtime for the kids is definitely my favorite and most difficult time of night. It's always hard because it's the end of the day and you are so so tired (and so are they), but you also get to really enjoy the kids because you know there is a nice break in your future. I find that it's always easier for me to give that extra bit of attention, read just one more book, enjoy the bubbles in the bath, and really see my kids for how completely adorable and precious they are. There is just something about kids in PJ's all snuggled up cozy in their beds....it's so hard to say no to them, you just want to eat em up! Tonight was one of those dreamy nights you hope you remember when your kids are all grown up.

Night time always makes kids rooms look so magical too. I had a lot of fun decorating Leas room. I think it's really important to keep a kids room fun and colorful, but also to make it a place you would want to be in ...cause your in it a lot! I love having a couch in their rooms. Not only is it great to sleep in on the sick nights, but it makes story time great when the whole family can read together comfortably. Also to use a good eclectic mix of furniture from a variety of sources makes it feel less styled and more homey, but still decorated. OH and dont forget the swing! Didn't you always want a swing in your room when you were little??

sleep tight xo

swing and pillow from abc, chair from beall and bell, rug from ballard, couch from ikea

have fun with little girl details. artwork by lea age 1 :)

curtains from Urban Outfitters. quilt from abc

pillow from John Robshaw

decorated plane with lea from Greenport Art and Design.
lights made by Megan from White Flower (egg carton cutouts over lights)

artwork Ruby Beets

sleep tight xo