Island bliss

Loving these prints for Little Guy's room (since he continues to be Hawaii-obsessed -- can't fault him there). They have a distinct vintage flair and perfectly capture the slow-paced, worry-free bliss of a true Maui vacation.

From Etsy shops LupenGrainne and LifeInFrame

Oh buoy

I happened across these the other night. Smitten.

Good Gifting

 I am in love with these menswear-wool pillows with contrast piping. I would get the Euro size.

 This rhino from Indy Plush has stolen my heart.

New enamelware in grey and white instead of traditional black and white. Couldn't be more perfect.

I'd wrap it all up in this awesome paper I found on Etsy.

Have a festive weekend!

Paper store

 

Oh my goodness, IKEA's new assortment of paper products is adorable, and the prices fantastic, of course. In particular I am loving these basic styles...like the simple stripey notepad, above.

And I am always looking for classic card sets useful for any occasion. These ones have stripes and pin dots.

Then there are those times you just want to write your lists down, on paper. At least for list-lovers like me. Crossing things off is much more satisfying.

This one is sized nicely for your bag or car and comes complete with a stretchy band to keep things tidy. Any of these would make a thoughtful gift when paired with my favorite pens from Poppin.

I can't help but include one of the more playful designs. These are great to have on hand for kids' birthday parties. Like I said: adorable.

All go on the list for the next IKEA trip.

Fun finds

 

Here are a few items we are loving lately that won't break the bank - starting with this great clock from Crate & Barrel. Simple, modern face with fresh orangey-red hands...and the best part is the color - a glossy machine grey. At first glace in the catalog, I thought it was chrome and and felt a bit bored, but once I saw it in person and laid my eyes on that grey powdercoat, I was smitten. The perfect replacement for our master bathroom clock (which we took down for paint, and just haven't wanted to put back up because it had started to feel a bit too fancy).

Also - these acrylic block frames are the best. We got the unusual 5x10 size and use it vertically. We loved it so much we ordered a 5x7 as well, and both will live on our new fireplace shelves in the great room (hoping to have before and afters up soon, just waiting on the surround).

And from Urban (can't forget they often have really striking finds) this awesome denim flag. It may go in our little guy's future 'Big Boy' room - we are not 100% certain - but it is really versatile enough to go in many different places.

Just wanted to share!

Front gate

What can I say... it's summer and the days are packed. I wish there were a few extra hours. Well, there's that and the fact that we're doing some interior painting, FINALLY. Very exciting, really. Little by little we're transforming this house with a Modern Cottage soul into a true Modern Cottage - that means out with the remaining finishes and colors that are dark, dark, dark, and in with the white, white, white. Hoping to have progress photos soon.

And now to a project that is already complete: we knew for a while we'd need a gate at our front walkway - our little guy is FAST. But, we wanted something that wouldn't feel bulky or imposing. And of course, we wanted it built Modern Cottage style. The man for the job was Tim (who also took care of those oversized drain holes at our upper deck). He sweats the details just like we do, and is very patient in working to achieve our always specific vision (yes, we admit we're particular - but at least we know what we want! :)

We used 3" x 3" galvanized mesh and framed it into cedar. We chose galvanized hardware, too. We figured we'd leave the gate open all the time, and just close it when the little guy was playing out front. But seeing it finished, we love it so much it stays closed all the time. It's easy to open from the stairs (we certainly didn't want to shut out our neighbors or the UPS man) and we just use a little clasp from the hardware store to "lock" it when needed since that slows down our guy long enough that we can catch up to him.

It's simple and modern and ties in perfectly with the other galvanized accents (chairs, pots, entry hardware). And little guy can safely enjoy an impromptu run through the sprinklers on a hot, sunny day. (Please don't mind all the clover.. we have not been keeping up on our Hendrikus since time is so scarce, but I still refuse to use any pesticides! We'll hopefully get a handle on it again soon ;)

Bunny love

Am I too old to want this in my Easter basket?

Also coveting these pillowcases for the little guy's room. So cute.

Ok, maybe this, too.

Happy Easter basket building!

Good Gifting

Ok so I'm a little behind with this one (or maybe just in time for those of you with gifts still on your list!) but I couldn't resist sharing these great finds...starting with this simple galvanized barometer, above. Why not?

And this sweet herringbone moose - we nabbed a few for the tree this year.

I love this chair for a little boy's room. It feels rugged and yet comfy since the seat's made from canvas.

Pretty striped linen hand towels.

The colors and design of this print are fantastic. The subject matter is fun, too.

A compact combo tool. SO useful.

The coolest bottle opener I've seen. (Husband would love).

And a sweet little personalized airplane. It has such a great vintage look.

Hope you are enjoying the season! Good luck with your shopping and remember to break for the fun stuff. We've been enjoying extra trips to Starbucks, driving all the Christmas lights, visits to Santa (yes, more than one - little guy loves him. Maybe even more than the mailman, which says a lot), and lots of singing!

Oxo Tot

We are big fans of Oxo Tot, Oxo's line dedicated to little ones as they learn to use utensils and bowls and what not. Their product line is not cutesy or over-embellished; rather it's modern and sleek, while still feeling playful and fun. We have all of these items, except for the booster (I just think it's so well designed, and have a feeling we'll be ordering it in soon enough). The Oxo Tot product line definitely stands out among all the other brands from an aesthetic perspective, and I love to give praise to the companies that "get" the appeal of style and simplicity in product design for kids' stuff. Well done! 

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! 

ombré for baby

Gorgeous blanket from Land of Nod. Also, this book caddy.