With 2012 zooming by at the speed of lightning, it’s amazing to realize spring is nearly here. And speaking of the passage of time, looking at the trends emerging from the runways, splashy neons are making their way back into our closets in a decidedly less ridiculous fashion than they did twenty years ago…meaning, no hair scrunchies or “Frankie Says Relax” shirts this time around.

As for home trends, though, sun-soaked vintage pastels are making a huge comeback, from warm sherbet hues to the ever-classic robin’s egg blue. A perfect example: cutie-pie Rachel Bilson’s new housewares line for Macy’s, Edie Rose, mixes and matches peachy patterned place settings with bird and hydrangea patterns, bringing a vintage chic element to the dinner table.

Target’s getting in on the action, too, with these soft microsuede throw pillows in a gorgeous, “give-me-that-right-now” Tiffany blue hue…and the best part is, they’re incredibly easy to clean:

Anthropologie — seriously, who doesn’t love Anthropologie? — doesn’t disappoint with its trio of peach, aqua and rose-colored nesting tables. If the $898 price tag gives you heart palpitations, take heart: these cuties are a DIY project in the making. With an abundance of mid-century furniture at vintage and thrift shops everywhere, it shouldn’t be hard to create your own set.

If your kiddos want to stay on trend right alongside you, PBTeen has a 1950s-inspired palette of striped sheets on sale online; or, of course, you could always just buy them for yourself. We won’t tell.

Photo credits: Macy’s, Target, Anthropologie and PBTeen. 

Here’s one of the things I love most about Target: the whole “designers doing it for a dime” thing they have going on. These celebrity partnerships have allowed millions of people to get super-fashionable goods at a fraction of the price…and the reality is, in many cases, these duds would have been unobtainable otherwise.

Like when the Gwen Stefani Mini Harajuku line for Target came out? I scooped up all sorts of it because I loved the style, and the prices were (and still are!) unbeatable.

The newest venture, though, has nothing to do with Gwen or clothing, for that matter. It has to do with crafty-sweetness and Todd Oldham. Yeah, you know, the guy that puts out uber-cool house stuff? And no, these craft supplies are not for us adults (we have Martha Stewart, after all), but for our kids that love to craft.

Some of his wares include neon-printed duck tape (though this is not a new concept and Target already carries this type of stuff + Hello Kitty duck tape, but the Todd Oldham stuff is different…); a handful of jewelry kits including felt-based and lucite-based; crazy crayons (Um, 64 colors in one ginormous crayon? Sounds fun!!); comic book kits (these look awesome) that include a blank comic book with specific markers and even templates to emulate comic book-style writing); and craft paper kits, which appear to be things like room lanterns and paper vases (though don’t quote me on that, I’m making an educated guess based on the video announcement).

photo credit: a bulls eye view/target

Are you done drooling yet?

Can you believe those were made by a kid no older than my twelve-teen?

And I’m not sure which I admire more: her cooking prowess or her ability to keep from licking the spoon.

These were created on the online-only show Kids Who Love to Cook. Part of the Season 1 line-up, these Chocolate Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting were created along with other culinary amazements like Brazino al Cartoccio, Mini Turkey Burgers, and Thai Shrimp.

The Kids Who Love to Cook website is devoted to getting kids in the kitchen with video segments, recipes, and tips and how-tos (from easy stuff like “how to boil an egg” to more complex stuff like “how to make a substitute for Mirin”). There’s even a section of the site devoted to “food trips” which includes the “best of food trucks” … I love it!

If you have a child that is interested in cooking, this is a must-view website.

What I love about it is the depth of the recipes. Most kid-focused recipes are for things like trail mix or flavored popcorn. Great for snacks but not complex enough for the kids to feel like they’re part of creating dinner. However, stream this on your iPad or laptop in the kitchen (or print out the recipes before hand) and ask your child to help create an entire meal. Then sit down and have dinner as a family.

Not only will your rising culinary star feel a sense of pride in his creation, he’ll also be more likely to try everything on his plate (even if some of it is green).

Check out the Kids Who Love to Cook website … season 2 will be starting soon.

What recipes will you encourage your kids to try first?

photo credit: kids who love to cook

What’s happening in the bookstore near you, y’all?

I love the googly-eyes on the second book that peeks out of the shelf.

Ahh, the joy of a real book. And a good editor;) And to have this much time on my hands to create something like this.

Image and video credit: crazedadman

Messy and outside, a toddler’s dream. Modern Playhouse has made an outdoor playhouse for all those times when you want to go out and play in the garden rain or shine. It’s called the Dacha playhouse, named for a Russian garden house. Not to be confused with danke, which is German for thanks.

The playhouse can simply provide shade or it can be a garden/green house or a lemonade stand or a club house or, well, whatever your kid can come up with.

Apparently this playhouse is tool-less, so even the clumsiest of handymen and handywomen can assemble it. They say it takes minutes. Hopefully their directions are somewhere in between IKEA’s no word mystery directions and the 10 page tome bicycle assembly directions. “Assembly required” is a parent’s nightmare!

Oh how I yearn for a yard to put this in. As it stands, right now we live in an apartment and we have no place, inside or out, to put a playhouse. Instead, we throw a blanket over the back of the chair and hook it over their little kitchen to make a “cave.” It works for now.

But this little darlin’ would be a hit!

Maybe come summer. Maybe.

photo credit: Modern Playhouse

Ahh, the one that got away. Gorgeous home, with a backyard. Simple, elegant, all done in neutrals with pops of color. Unfortunately, I’ve found it AFTER it’s been snapped up by some lucky buyer. Oh, and I don’t live in New York. Oh, AND, I don’t have $3.75 million. But still…it feels like the house I want to live in when I look at it: Jenna Lyon’s Brooklyn brownstone.

See, our family is house hunting right now, one of my all time favorite things to do. To tell you the truth, I could hang out in this voyerism land of going to open houses indefinitely. I just love to see the insides of other people’s homes and imagine how I would live there. I think it’s a sickness really, how excited I get on Sunday mornings. I’m not stalker-y or anything. I don’t rifle through closets or open cupboards. Much.

But check out these pics of Jenna’s house – you know Jenna, of J. Crew, style maven, dresser of the First Lady? She has a great section in their catalog called Jenna’s picks. Love her!

I seriously want this kitchen. Sooooooo simple. And yet, not. I might need more cabinet space above the counters but something inside of me wants to have such a clean space to look at instead of more cabinets. The seating area in the bay window is just magical, too. Can’t you just see hanging out having coffee while she whips up something delicious?

Let’s just look at that bay window again, shall we?

The “en suite” bathroom is a little literal. Whaaaat? I mean, it’s the same room practically with only an open archway for “privacy.” Um, door, please.

As for the rest of the house, I’m just in love. The black. The white. The wood accents.

I have found many photos of this house. My favorite is on Curbed because, well, I just love that website. The architect Ken Levenson, Fashionlog and Habitually Chic, too.

images via Habitually Chic, JCrew Afficionado and French By Design

Jonathan Adler, who was once told that he should just give up pottery already – by his professor, no less – clearly isn’t a good listener. And good thing! He’s come out with yet another line of pottery that I can’t take my eyes off: the Relief collection.

Inspired by Mother Earth, and really, what an inspiration she is! Oh, I want to be like her when I grow up. She’s so earthy and motherly.

Adler has made stalk, eddy and sprout vases that look, honestly, just like you think they would, only better. And more lovely. Don’t get me started on the thistle and bramble vases either.

His large anemone bowl is less ‘bowl’ and more ‘fold a leaf in half to make a cup’ bowl.

Talk about whimsy. Just like his mantra: happy chic. These pots may be earthly pots inspired by natural wonders, but they are heavenly for the home.

photo credits: JonathanAdler.com

Who knew there was such a thing? Oil cloth chalkboard placemats! I’ve long loathed the typical sickly sweet look of oil cloth. I’m sure I could find something that didn’t make me conjure a picnic back in 1950 but I have yet to find a pattern that I like. And yet, I love the idea of oil cloth. I mean, a wipeable table cloth or placemat that is easy to store AND clean.

Now, I don’t know if my kids would truly use a chalkboard placemat to ‘busy’ themselves before dinner and then magically change gears once the plate is served. Something tells me they’d be pretty preoccupied. That said, maybe this is just what I’ve been needing to add some calm around dinnertime?

Ahh. Probably not. But still. Fun!

Here are a few of my favs that I’ve seen around:

Polkadot birthday
Beautiful Life Photos
Bellocchio
And taking this all a step further, Chalkydoodles

photo credit: Polkadot Birthday

Last week, over at Smart Mom Deals, I had featured a sale at Brookstone. And while I was scoping out the site for the best way to use the sale, I spied with my little eye the iGuy.

Which I immediately fell in love with. It’s like a Gumby on steroids and it protects your iPad when the kids have it (which, as you know, can be a dangerous combination). A little background, though, about how we got to the iGuy to begin with.

I purchased my iPad during a ridiculously awesome promotion at Target (wherein I ended up getting $110 in Target gift cards!! Woot!!) just before Christmas. It became clear early on that, though I had purchased this, it was going to be a family toy. Obviously.

The one who picked it up the quickest? Ella. Our almost-two-year-old. Before we knew what happened she was streaming Super Why! on Netflix and playing with preschool apps, all on her own. I was both frightened an in awe of her speedy learning. I mean, after all, this is a kid that still licks the jelly off her toast and proudly announces when she has “booger-snoogers.” But as she came barreling out of the living room, the iPad swinging by just the hinges of the Smart Cover, I knew something had to be done to protect my precious investment.

The sale at Brookstone was a lucky—and well-timed—find.

I sent the hubs to the mall to locate iGuy—the seemingly superhero of iPads.

The concept is a great one. Your iPad nests inside this Gumby-esque device, cushioned from drops, tip-overs, and falls. It has these two great handles which are bulky and easy for little hands to grip, and all the buttons that control the important things like on/off and volume are tucked into the holes that you see on the left side of the orange iGuy above.

And that’s where my hate relationship begins. Those holes. This is the one major design flaw I can find with this device. Those holes are just big enough for little fingers to get into, but not quite big enough for adult fingers to get into. Meaning, if your kid cranks the volume and you think you’re going to quick turn it down, you’ve got another thing coming.

In fact, the first time this happened, I nearly dropped the thing trying to cram my fingers in there to get to the buttons. And I don’t have unusually large fingers, either.

Now, I think there are two problems with the design of the button holes; one is the depth and the other is the placement. I’m only speculating here because I don’t have a 1st generation iPad, but since the iGuy is designed to accommodate both generations, the holes had to be placed so that either design would work … and I think that’s why it’s difficult to reach the buttons.

The other issue I have with the iGuy is how difficult it is to get the iPad in and out. Now, I understand why it’s tough … it’s supposed to be. If not, your kid would be constantly taking it in and out, thus defeating the purpose of the whole thing. But when I say it’s difficult, I mean, in the “adult-proofed” sort of way. It’s like an aspirin bottle that you just can’t quite get open, no matter how aligned those two arrows are.

Not withstanding those two little issues, I think the concept behind the iGuy is fabulous. The feet, though narrow, are relatively stable and Ella really has to tap the screen hard to get it to tip over. And even when it does tip over, it’s nice and cushioned, no matter which way it goes.

There are a few things it won’t protect against, including spills and in the event that your screen comes into contact with the corner of a table. But other than that, your iPad is pretty bullet proof inside this thing.

Overall, I’d say it was well worth the $40 we spent on it. Over time, maybe I’ll get “smart” enough to easily maneuver the buttons and the in-and-outs. I’d hate to go out in public toting this thing … even though it is pretty cute.

photo credit: brookstone

Cooochichooochicoooooo.

Truth be told, it’s not hard to photograph babies. They are always so, so, so cute. But it is hard to take a GOOD picture of babies, what with all their moving, squirming, and drive-by smiles. You’ve got to be on your toes!

Here are few tricks I use when I’m at work – oh, yeah, did I mention my other job is taking photographs of families?

1. The hotter the better. Keep the room/house warm with babies. They like to nuzzle and snuggle so when they are cold, they are unhappy. Not good for the picture taking. Crank up the heat, even if that means you are sweating.

2. Level as she goes. Get the camera on their level. Don’t photograph down on them. If you photograph straight on, or even below their eyes, they tend to look like the majestic angels they are.

3. Quiet on the set. Tone down the background. If you can, make it all one color – a sheet, a big coat, a chair or couch cushion. Anything to make the baby pop right out of the photograph.

4. Strike a pose, juxtapose. Babies look best when they are either near really big things (to emphasize their smallness) or really small things (to make them look larger than life).

5. Moody, moody, moody. Don’t be afraid to snap away when the tears come. Or in the middle of a big yawn. Sometimes, it’s the absence of a smile that makes the memory stand out even more.

Bonus* 6. Back to basics. Even a photo from behind can capture just the right thing.

Now, it’s hard to photograph with a point and shoot or camera phone that has a delay. Really frustrating. My advice – press the button BEFORE you think you have to. You know your baby. You know when a smile is coming. Snap away. And don’t be shy, take thousands. You can always edit later.

One day, I hope that some baby will take it upon herself and photograph/video her parents trying to photograph her. Wouldn’t that be awesome, to see the faces we all make?

photo credit: MHMB

Too late for this year, but I can’t help myself. For my uncommon family – presents from Uncommon Goods I wish I gave this year, food definitely included!

For my daughters:

Mmm. Pancakes. Made better with a dip in the dish, to make the perfect pool of syrup.

For my husband:

Separate but equal. Sushi separator:

For my OCD brother:

A chef who takes to heart the old adage, measure twice, cut once. Even for veggies!

For me (cuz momma needs a little TLC, too, right?):

Soup and sandwich = comfort food!

I’ve stumbled onto Uncommon Goods too late for the gift giving season, admittedly. I can’t even think about more Christmas gifts right now. But that said, it’s a pretty cool online store just the same. You never know when you want to buy someone something, just because. Plus, don’t these dishes just look delectable?

photo credit: Uncommon Goods

Did you know that organizing is among the most often made – and probably broken – New Year’s resolutions? It certainly feels true when I talk to my mom or sister. It seems like all of us want to weed out. Clean up. Get a fresh start.

How about you?

And, I kid you not, even my 2-year-old is feeling the sorting need. Yesterday when I was trying to corral her for bath time she held up her hand and said, “No. I’m organizing.” Which, for a 2-year-old comes out more like, “No. I or-nice-ging.”

As I face my own closet, I’m keeping these tips from Joy Mangano (of the Home Shopping Network) in mind:

· Be ruthless. Grab a trash bag and weed out any fashion mistakes, garments that are irreparably damaged or anything you haven’t worn in two years or more.

· Give stuff away – and feel good. Earmark still-serviceable rejects for pals or charity; kick the rest to the curb.

· Think beyond the closet. Could you move coats to a standing rack? Off-season clothes to bins under the bed or into cute boxes stacked in a corner?

· Triple your hanging opps. Swap out a mishmash of hangers for a set of super slim Huggable Hangers. Their velvety covers prevent clothes from slipping off onto the floor.

· Categorize. Make your favorite pieces easy to find by grouping like items together (long-sleeved shirts, dresses, jackets). That way, you can just grab what you need and go.

It’s not rocket science, but it does take time and determination. And a voice of reason.

So go forth. Conquer your closet!

Oh, and if you feel like you need more than just hangers, check out the Container Store. I got their circular in the mail (yes, the real mail!) and it convinced me to hit the store for some bins and boxes and much, much more. I know, I’m one of the reasons we all get peppered with so much junk mail which we all hate. But…sometimes, they actually DO have good information, don’t you think?

I know it’s been around a while, it being from sheep and all, but I’m just discovering how amazing felt is. Felt can be used for oh so many things. And, 100% wool felt is amazingly earth friendly – again, think sheep!

Think coasters, like these from Etsy. Since wool is naturally water resistant, it makes for a perfect coaster. One that won’t let your glass drip all over your table when you pick it up either. So no little dribbles.

What about folded and stitched into a bin for toys? Get a load of this adorable felt toy bin from Wooli. Oh, the possibilities.

Not to mention all of the out of the box uses…like rugs. I think this hall runner from Filz Felt is just the bomb. I wonder how slippery it is, but that’s probably easily fixed with one of those under rug pads that is designed to un-slip the slip. And as a circle rug. Divine!

And finally, get ready to have your mind blown. Felt window coverings (also from Filz Felt). Whaaaaat? Now, admittedly, felt window coverings aren’t for everyone, and they do require the right space. But used in a loft, or even as a huge room divider…I think it’s genius. Don’t think I’ll ever have occasion to live with felt window coverings, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the idea.

My mind is spinning and my fingers are itching for a DIY project! Felt, here I come.

photo credit: “KIUKO“