Hurricane Damage? Pottery Barn Kids Will Help

I just opened up a nice e-mail from Pottery Barn Kids announcing that they are offering 15% off in-store purchases to families whose homes have suffered recent hurricane damage. That would include us. I'm leaning towards putting in laminate or hardwood floors in R's room instead of wall-to-wall carpeting, and one area rug I'm considering is this subtle pink trellis rug. A 15% discount would help quite a bit. Thanks, Pottery Barn Kids, for this offer!

p.s. I assume that the PBK stores will require some kind of documentation; since I am in nearly daily contact with State Farm at this point, this should not be a problem!

Help Me Decide

Breaking news- I just checked the Pier 1 site and the prices have been reduced on all mirrored pieces in the Hayworth Collection- the prices listed below were the original prices.

Remember I told you about the new Pottery Barn mirrored side table I was so excited to find for my bedroom? Well, it is sold out in the NYC area stores and is back-ordered online. In the meantime, though, one reader reminded me that Pier 1's "Hayworth Collection" is similar (and less expensive). So, I checked it out in my local Pier 1 store.

Here is the store's signage displaying the entire Hayworth Collection and its prices . I would only be getting a small table, but you can go all-out if you want (though I think getting too many mirrored pieces like this may be overkill, unless you're Marie Antoinette):


The tall chest of drawers ($449.95) is another nice piece that would work well on its own to glam up any bedroom:


Here you can also see the large mirror (which I like for any room) as well as the coordinasting Queen headboard ($449). I wasn't so crazy about the headboard; I think an upholstered one would soften the overall look.


The smaller night-table is very cute and affordable at $199, but I don't think it has enough storage for me:


I would probably opt for the bedside chest instead ($399) since it's slightly larger and has more interior storage:


The Hayworth Collection bedside table is actually the same price ($399) as Pottery Barn's table (see below), but I am still having trouble deciding. Which one do you prefer? Give me your opinions in the comments. Here they are again:

Pottery Barn:


Pier 1 (also shown in photos above)


p.s. A number of you have asked me about what fabric Tori Spelling used for her fantastic upholstered headboard (which is flanked by two mirrored bedside tables). I am investigating this (I may even be meeting Tori next week!) and hope to have an answer for you soon! I am also going to present more options for upholstered headboards.

Out of the Box

I have this set of Pink Gingham Nesting Boxes in R's room and it stores almost all of her keepsakes and cards from birth to age 5. The boxes range in size from a roomy 6.75h x 12w x 16l to a cute 4.25h x6.5w x11.25l. They're covered in pretty gingham fabric and bows and are reasonably sturdy- mine have held up to some tough handling. $59.99 for the set (shipping is free) at Target.

House Portrait Pillow

My parents just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this past weekend (Happy Anniversay, Mom & Dad!) and I gave them a custom silkscreened house portrait pillow ($59 including insert) from the Etsy shop Not Without Merit as our gift. I scanned in a photo of their home in New Jersey (which they have lived in since 1985, but will eventually selll) and Not Without Merit turned it into a beautiful keepsake which they will be able to cherish for years to come. They love it. I highly recommend it as an anniversary or housewarming gift! Visit Not Without Merit.

Electro Man

I chuckled when I saw this Electro Man Multi Outlet at my local Sam Flax store. Electro Man gives you four separate grounded sockets, each with an on/off switch. The red power light is located over his heart. Too cute. Better hide this one from crawling babies, though. $21 at Moxie.

Modern Dose

I am newly in love with the site Modern Dose. Its tagline, "Your affordable remedy for modern design" totally speaks to me and I'm guessing it does to many of you, too. Check out these cool products that will give a modern flair to your digs (no, they're still not cheap, but they are more affordable than most modern decor out there).

Elephant Clock ($68). Elephants are the "it" animal in this year's nursery decor. It doesn't have a ticking sound, so you don't have to worry about it waking baby.

Link Needlepoint Pillow (on sale for $49.95, reduced from $67, other colors available). This is not your grandma's needlepoint.

Aubrey Tea Table ($390). Yet another mirrored table I covet. Also check out this one.

Mustache Chalkboard Napkin Rings ($24 for a set of 4). A surefire conversation piece at your next dinner party- and, come to think of it, kids will love them, too.


Abigail Lamp ($438). This has an iron finish that goes with any decor. Not necessarily kid friendly, but maybe when you're out of the babyproofing years...

Like what you see? Check out more mordern home finds at Modern Dose.

NYIGF Winner: Manny & Simon

Of all the products which won Best Baby & Child product awards at last week's New York International Gift Fair, the top winner was an eco-friendly California-based company called Manny & Simon, which won the "Blogger's Best" award for its pink wooden stroller ($150) and wooden vehicles (about $36 each for helicopter, tow truck, fire truck ,and dump truck). You'll also spot Manny & Simon products everywhere from Giggle to Barneys. These not only are fantastic, high-quality toys, but make beautiful nursery decor, too. Visit Manny & Simon.

Just What I've Been Looking For

I've found it! The perfect mirrored bedside table to help me turn my humdrum bedroom into one that looks like Tori Spelling's powder blue, retro-Hollywood-vibe master suite (want to see my popular post about how to copy Tori's decor? Read it here). I was really excited to find this new Park Mirrored Bedside Table at Pottery Barn for $399 (I've looked around and this is a decent price). It adds just the right "flash" to a bedroom set without having to buy all new furniture. Next up- I'm searching for a great, custom-upholstered headboard. Stay tuned.

10 Favorite Baby & Child Products from NYIGF

Last weekend I judged the Best New Baby & Child Products at the New York International Gift Fair. As I write this, the finalists and winners have not yet been officially announced, but I want to tell you what were some of my personal favorites among the nominees (there were also other great products throughout the show which I'll share later on). You'll likely see some of these toys and accessories very soon at your favorite shops and catalogs (hint: Chasing Fireflies has expressed interest in one in particular).





Healthy Gourmet Salad for Green Eaters by Hape/Educo







Elemental wooden blocks by Uncle Goose Toys







Masterpiece kits by Kidzaw







Smocked dresses with accompanying storybook by British company Poppy







Animal canvas storage bins by 3 Sprouts







Gift notes stamp sets by Wee Gallery







Writeable and erasable chalkboard shirts by Chalkboard Tees







Pillows sized especially for kids by Australian company Madii & Dyl







Wooden dollhouse furniture by Maple Landmark Toys







Superhero collage wall art by Oopsy Daisy





Check back soon for more of my finds from the New York International Gift Fair.

Personalized Pillows

I've been looking into personalized throw pillows for my kids' beds and have found some really charming ones at Etsy. These all each available in other letters, designs, and color palettes, too:
Letter Pillows ($59.50).

My Monogram Pillow ($24.95) by Jane Says.


Sweet Letter "L" Pillow Monogrammed with Pink Buttons ($36) by Letter Perfect Designs.


Orange/Blue Custom Letter Pillow Cover ($18 without pillow inside) at So Bright Designs.


Custom Letter Pillow ($25) by Laura's Left Hook.

Before You Walk Out The Door

If I had more space for this near our apartment's front door, I'd consider grabbing this Windsor organizer and shelf on sale at The Company Store. There's a small chalkboard area for each day of the week where you can jot down meetings, playdates, and more, plus a ledge for keys and other small items, plus 6 hooks for coats or scarves. It measures 45x5¼x13"h and is on clearance for $46.99 (originally $119.00) at The Company Store. Check our their other clearance items, too.

Rush Hour

I loooove this rush hour wallpaper. While it might be a bit much for an entire room, it would look fantastic as an accent wall. Designed in Denmark (of course) and manufactured in Sweden, it costs the princely sum of $115 per roll. Check it out at Rare Device.

New from Serena & Lily

I've been perusing my Serena & Lily catalog and, once again, I'm wishing its gorgeous bedrooms (both for kids and adults) were within my budget:

"Think Pink" Bedding Collection ($88-$350). I think I would love this for myself even more than my daughter would.

If you're not looking for a complete re-do, Serena & Lily also offers some fantastic new accessories. I'm especially loving these new zodiac-themed items:

Zodiac Pillows ($88 each). Even if you don't believe in astrology, you have to admit these make a lively addition to a bedroom or living room. Or a unique baby gift.


I also like thiszodiac artwork ($98 each). Inspired by a 1970s print found at a California flea market, these screen prints include character descriptions for each of the 12 signs. If you have an unlimited budget, you could display the entire set of 12.


See what else is new at Serena & Lily.

Bed Head

I'm searching for a new headboard for R's bed. I'm not getting this, but I wanted to show you Target's Girls' Personalized Headboard, shown here twin-sized in Hot Pink (lots of other colors/styles for boys and girls are available here). Compared to what you might pay for a personalized headboard elsewhere, these wood frame headboards with polyfoam fill are a pretty good deal at $129.99. But if your daughter's name is not Abigail, Alexis, Alyssa, Anna, Ashley, Ava, Brianna, Chloe, Elizabeth, Emma, Emily, Grace, Hannah, Isabella, Jessica, Kate, Madison, Megan, Mia, Natalie, Olivia, Samantha, Sarah, or Sophia (or "Princess"- I hope that's a nickname), you're out of luck like my daughter R. (unless you want to buy the non-personalized version). Check them out at Target.

Chasing Fireflies Till You're Broke

As much as I love the beautiful selection of clothing and accessories in the Chasing Fireflies catalog, I am starting to wonder how this place stays in business (remember I posted last February about their sky-high prices?) Some of their offerings are so overpriced that I can't believe many people in this economic climate would really buy them. Here are some examples of what I mean, taken from the latest catalog:

Light Up Carousel Letters. $198 each. Yes, each! I'd rather put real fireflies in my kids' rooms to give them some extra sparkle! Six hundred dollars to spell a three letter word is not "F-U-N".

The Wizard of Oz Trunk Set. $290. Sure, it's Madame Alexander, but even my 6-year-old daughter still manages to destroy half of her dolls with crayon marks and missing limbs. Thanks, but I'll stick to Fisher Price.


Personalized Candy Corn Favors. $98 for a set of 36 favors. One hundred bucks for candy corn? I'm no Martha Stewart, but as a Halloween birthday girl I've hosted plenty of parties and I've always made candy goody bags for about a tenth of this price.


I've oohed and aahed over many an item at Chasing Fireflies (including some more reasonably priced clothing), but overall the prices have kept me from placing an order. Ever. I'm curious, how many of you have ordered from them and were you pleased with the value of what you bought?

Help Me Pick: Upholstered Headboards

I've had a king sized bed for years, but it's never had a headboard. And it definitely could use one to spruce up the look of my master bedroom. I'm trying to pick the right one to match the room's decor (I am going for a retro Hollywood-glam-for-less look, a la Tori Spelling's bedroom). I already have these mirrored nighttables from Pier 1. I'm leaning towards an upholstered headboard, either a tufted one (in a neutral solid or a soft pattern), or a linen-y one with nailheads. Which of these do you like best?

Raleigh Upholstered Headboard with Nailheads (starts at $599) from Pottery Barn


Eight Button Headboard in Pool Blue Velvet (starting at $299) at Home Decorators



Camden Tufted Brass Nailhead Headboard (starts at $359) at Ballard Designs



I also love this Colette Bed (starts at $1799) at Crate & Barrel but I just need a headboard, not a whole bed, and it's too expensive anyway. But the lines are so graceful and elegant.



p.s. I did a google search for upholstered nailhead headboards, and it turns out lots of other bloggers have written about this decor topic. Take a look at these links for some great ideas, and eye candy, too: Better Than Colette?, Tufted or Nailhead Trim, and Upholstered Headboard with Nailhead Trim.

From the Archives: Tweet Dreams

This post was originally published in September 2009.


I have a new favorite Etsy find. Chicago-based Etsy store Craftsquatch sells these hipster "social media and geeky pillows." Totally what I dig(g). There are pillows representing Twitter (and the cute little Twitter bird), Facebook, MySpace, and more. And they are supremely affordable- just $19.99 for each handmade 12"x12" square fleece pillow, including filling. Buy a couple for your office space! Visit Craftsquatch. I'm tweeting about them right now.

Safer Sleep

I'm about to take the plunge and transition S. (who is turning 3 in a few weeks) from a crib to a big boy bed. I've been researching organic mattresses ever since I read this very informative New York Times article and chart on the subject last January. A month later, I heard about the CPSC banning the use of phthlates in crib mattresses. For S's new bed, I've decided to go with a popular brand called Naturepedic. I do not always "go green" when it comes to furniture or bedding, but given my son's developmental delay I figured it couldn't hurt to make sure that the place he rests his head every night is as free of toxins as possible. I'm springing (pun intended) for the Quilted Organic Cotton Deluxe set which includes a twin mattress plus boxspring for $999. It's the most expensive purchase I've made in a long time, but if it gives my little boy sweet and safe dreams, it's worth it. I did find a free shipping coupon ("NOSTORE") at CouponChief.com, though, so that saves a bit of money. Check out all of the crib, toddler, and regular-sized mattresses at Naturepedic.

Moving Sale at Craftsbury Kids

Craftsbury Kids, a charming shop featuring (you guessed it) hand-crafted toys, accessories, and decor for little ones, is having a moving sale and you can save big-time (up to 70%) on beautifully designed products like these:

Zid Zid Kids Lion Table Set (reduced to $227.50 from $325). I've seen this set in person and it is gorgeous (p.s. there is one set left in stock that has a slight imperfection, which accounts for the discount).


Classic Work Bench (reduced to $18.20 from $26). You can never go wrong with this toddler toy as a birthday or big sibling gift.


Sock Monkeys Birthday Skirt Outfit (reduced to $85 from $100). This outfit is by Liliputians, whose birthday outfits I have bought for my own kids each year!


Sweetbeets Four Dominoes Card (reduced to $2.75 from $5.50). I've long admired Sweetbeets' kid-themed letterpress cards; the number series works individually as birthday cards or together as framed nursery art.

Check out more goods on sale at Craftsbury Kids.