birds

Feathering Our Nests

May 11, 2012

I apologize that my blog posts have been rather sparse as of late. But it is actually a good thing … I have been quite busy this spring helping many wonderful families feather their nests. It has been really fun.

And speaking of nests … my son Kyle and his friends found a lovely nest in one of the bushes on the side of our house. Imagine their surprise when they saw what was inside!

With squeals of delight I was summoned outside to see “the coolest thing ever.” Pretty cool, indeed!

Mama Robin had just flown off in search of food and I ran inside to grab my camera and telephoto lens. This little nest was less than 5 feet off the ground. Soon we heard Mama Robin above us on a telephone wire. She seemed to be eyeing us suspiciously so we skedaddled pretty quickly.

In the short time I was there, I was awed, not only by the baby birds, but by the quality and architecture of the nest. How long did it take that mother bird to find all of those pieces to create her perfect nest? And how did she possibly wind them together so tightly? It’s like a fortress.

Is she really any different than us mothers who search store after store, place after place, for the perfect pieces for our home … whether it’s a comfy sofa, beautiful nursery bedding, a plush rug, fluffy pillows, inspired artwork … all the things that make our homes the kinds of places our kids feel happy and safe.

So Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing Mama Birds out there who not only feather the nests for their family but do a million other things every single day. Enjoy your special day! I know I will!

(Notice the worm in her mouth … what’s for dinner at your house?)

Mother’s Day Weekend Shopping …

May 9, 2011

Hope all my fellow Mom’s had a fabulous Mother’s Day! I couldn’t ask for a better one. My boys treated me well!

After Friday’s post on my love of trays, I saw this beautiful picture on Honey We’re Home and thought it was so perfect. Now I’m on the hunt for an old crate that can be turned into a tray.

I spent Saturday with my own “mommy” and sister, a tradition we began a few years ago, shopping our favorite little shops along Third Street in Geneva. Let me tell you, it is an interior decorator’s dream! One year our car was so full of bags I could barely squeeze in the backseat!

Now, we’ve learned our lesson and make sure to bring a big ol SUV! This year there weren’t as many large purchases, size-wise … but we managed to do pretty well …

I snapped a bunch of shots with my iphone along the way of some things here and there that I found rather swoon worthy … although going back through the pictures now I see that there are more things I wish I had taken pictures of. Oh well … I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun … (and drinking Prosecco at lunch!)

How incredible is this coffee table made from a vintage drum?

Industrial chic chandelier, I want you.

Lovely chair, lovely fabric, lovely pillow … love!

You know how I love birds ….

Everything about this wall is swoon worthy … the mirror, the lamps, the antlers, the vintage prints …. I want you all to come home with me.

A charming old window pane turned chalkboard.

Numbers, and signs and birdhouses, oh my!

Speaking of birdhouses, how fantastic are these … they are made from old books.

And my mom and I each bought one.

Love these rustic baskets which are actually modeled after vintage French beehives.

And these basket lamps are just so fun for a breakfast nook …

Hope you all enjoyed yourselves too. I’m always kind of sad when Mother’s Day comes to an end. It’s nice to be Queen for Day and my royal subjects are pretty great.

Affordable Art

April 15, 2011

I first spotted this lovely bird print on one of my favorite blogs, Jones Design Company, in Emily’s office:

I thought …. hmmm. I love that. I wonder where it comes from?

Then I saw it again on another favorite blog, 6th Street Design School, as part of Kirsten’s $500 Guest Bedroom makeover.

Oooh … I thought … there it is again! Thankfully, Kirsten revealed her secret source! Amazon …. and it’s actually wrapping paper! For $4.50!

If you read my post on Pretty Plumes, you know I’ve got a thing for birds. So of course, I had to click on over to Amazon and check it out. Much to my delight, I found a whole assortment of vintage wrapping paper by Cavallini Papers each more swoon worthy than the next. With a simple frame, any of these could make a beautiful (and affordable) piece of art.

There are lots of old maps. How great would it look to hang a whole bunch of them together? These London and Paris ones are my faves. I might like to hang them in Braden’s room to go with all of his vintage airplanes ….

…kind of a la Chirstiane Lemieux, founder of DwellStudio and her children’s rooms:

from Undecorate

Speaking of Paris … have you ever been to Paris? I have a friend (if you’re reading this, you know who you are!) who got engaged at the top of the Eiffel Tower. (Lucky girl!)

It’d be fun to create a little Paris gallery with the Paris map and these ….

Vintage Paris postcards

Or, how about these in a playroom?

I also love these …

And what about this in your kitchen?

It kind of reminds me of this …

via Undecorate

Hmmmm. Which ones to get? At this price, I may have to get a few and just see where inspiration strikes!

By the way … if you noticed several of the photos in the post are from “Undecorate” … a great new book I just got yesterday and am hoping to make my way through this weekend. More on it next week!

Have a great weekend!

Pretty Plumes

March 16, 2011

When I was outside the other day, something felt different. What was it ? It took me a moment before I realized … birds were chirping! There is something about that sound this time of year that is so wonderful and hopeful. Spring has got to be around the corner. I walked out of the bank yesterday and a little robin was on the sidewalk in front of me. He cocked his head as if to say hello and the color of his red breast was striking against the gray backdrop of the chilly, gloomy day.

If you’ve been reading my blog from the beginning, you may have caught on to the fact that I love birds. In my post on pillows, I talked about the bird pillows I had made from a favorite fabric. In my master bedroom post, I talked about the bird ottoman on my wish list. I’ve got a few other feathered friends who have settled in around my house too.

There’s just something about birds … there are so many different kinds and colors. They are kind of like people with all of their different personalities … the wise owl, the cocky rooster, the diva peacock, the hummingbird soccer mom who’s always buzzing forwards and backwards at top speed.

So in honor of Spring and birds everywhere, here are my favorite ways to incorporate some plumage into your home.

I love this master bedroom of Kirsten from 6th Street Design School …

And of course, if we’re going to talk pillows, there are so many cute bird pillows.

ChicDecor Pillows

Dwell Studio

Milk and Cookies Canada

The trio of bird prints I have stacked up the wall in our house always make me swoon. Here is more aviary artwork that I love.

Wisteria

Vintage Treasure Shop

I found these tapestries from Thailand on Overstock. I think they would be stunning, framed and hung on the wall.

Overstock bird tapestry

And this canvas from Ballard is so dreamy, don’t you think?

I have drooled over this lampshade from Anthropologie forever.

And how cute is this tea towel?

Anthropologie bird towel

Of course, I mentioned the Katie Ridder bird wallpaper that was featured in Sex and the City in an earlier post. Here is another one I like from Walnut Wallpaper.