Air plants

I am so fascinated by air plants. We saw some at our favorite garden shop the other day and I bombarded a  very patient sales person with questions (I couldn't help myself). Do they really not need water? How do you care for them? How long do they "last"? Do they grow? Where did these come from anyway? So here's the scoop. Yes, they do need water, but only in the form of a 20-30 minute soak in water (submerged) every couple weeks. Then you drain them (upside down to prevent rot) for another 20-30 minutes and back they go into their containers or trays or what have you, happy as clams. They "last" the same as any other plant, I suppose as long as they get proper care. They do grow! And some even flower. They are not new, though it seems that way. Apparently they were popular in the 70s (Aha!) and making a bit of a resurgence. I keep thinking about them.. so lovely for decorating. Living greens that are modern, and low maintenance... Perfect for a Modern Cottage!

Happy Valentine's Day

Is this not the perfect gift from the little guy to his dad? The hearts are made from vintage electrical plans. He personalized it with a little heart-shaped photo which he attached to the twine. Quite crafty for a 17-month old, yes? (Okay, so he had some help from mom :)

Scored!

We expected a bit of a wait for the chance to get our hands on some original Casalino kids chairs (since the recently released reproductions are not sold in the US and to ship them here would cost more than the chairs). However we are super excited to report we just nabbed a set on Ebay at $25 a pop and they are in near-flawless vintage condition compared to others I'd looked at that sadly were totally thrashed. Major score! 

The little guy is way excited to have his own chairs though he occasionally needs a bit of help getting in them - and then gleefully propels himself off to (most of the time) a "stuck" landing. Good thing it's not a huge drop. 

Of course white was the only acceptable color and these are just perfect. I really didn't want to add any more 'legs' to the space - they are currently living in our great room, which already houses our dining table, leggy chairs, and leggy bar stools - and these rounded, organic-feeling 70's era chairs (1973 according to the stamp - older than we are!) are the perfect balance in shape and style, adding a good dose of modern without being over the top. 

Husband is super thrilled too, and he was doubting me when I first became fixated on considered them. I got high praise the minute he saw them set up. We're also glad we ultimately went with the Casalino 0 (toddler size) vs the Casalino I (kids size) size which would have been a couple inches taller. The smaller ones are just cuter and even I can sit in them so I know they'll last him a long time. We've had a bit of an obsession with cool old chairs for well over a decade now so it's always fun to score something great for our 'collection'. Even better however when they are so delightfully functional! 

Space saver

I love simple solutions like this for tight spaces. Genius! It may not be as cute as this, but it does provides both storage and a dispenser. A very simple, modern design. From Urban Outfitters.