My childhood home was covered in wall-to-wall wallpaper. My bedroom in particular had a border depicting frolicking unicorns and castles far past the age of appropriateness. In recent years my mother has torn down nearly all the wall paper in the house and replaced it with paint, and vowed to never go back to paper. But I think I’ve found a company that makes such beautiful designs, it’s worth the hassle.

Flavor Paper’s designs range from riffs on classic damask patterns,  to modern geometric patterns, to crazy digital murals and photographic patterns.They have a variety of substrates that the designs can be printed on, so you can get your favorite pattern printed silver foil if you want. You also have the option to customize the wallpaper even further by choosing the colors. Or, if you have an entirely original idea of your own, Flavor Paper will print it for you.

Below are some sample patterns, but be sure to check out the “Installations” page to see some of the products actually used in the real world.

Uncovered Cover Art is a blog by children’s book editor Heidi Kellenberger, and is dedicated to the art of the children’s book illustration. It features beautiful submissions of reimagined book covers.

Another section of the site displays the actual published variations of books.

The site currently has about two pages of submissions, but hopefully that number will grow with more beautiful art work.

Deep blue feels like the color equivalent of one of those friends you’ve just met but feel like you’ve known all of your life.  It is “in” at the moment.  “The new black” as they say. Yet wasn’t it there all along? Paired with white in a bold stripe or standing in the background helping a fellow color really stand out.  Well now is this cool hue’s time to shine.

Here are a few ways I love to see it done:

Rustic and quietly striking with tan/gold and white…

Navy blue could not be a better mate for oranges, salmons, fuschias and corals. I really hope to have at least one room someday displaying this perfect match.

to see more about-and purchase-the items featured above, click here

What random found objects might you choose to represent your style?

I just had to copy Cup of Jo today and post these Beeeeeeeeeautiful embroidered book covers!

They’re by Jillian Tamaki and I want all of them.

p.s.  Finally going to see this one today.  A little nervous about whether i’ll like it or not but mostly just looking forward to it.

Please indulge me in a quick bit of shameless self-promotion:
I have a business, and said business has a new website, and you should visit it. Then you should hire me so I can continue to buy diapers. (For my baby.) That is all. Thank you.

I’ve made no secret of my fascination with Russia (exhibit A, B...).  By happenstance (or was it?) I recently came across the Eurasian taste in typography and design.  I would love to have a whole bunch of these on my walls.

found

found

For you major Type Nerd types, you’ll find your veritable feast at Daily Type.  From their website – “Daily Type is a creative project run by several russian type designers. Day by day, they create original typefaces and post their results along with routine”.

They go all the way back to 2004.  Go nuts!

I have a thing for off-white for Spring…

…and Winter and Summer and Fall.  It could be my favorite color.  Fresh and creamy, basic and versatile, delicate yet to-the-point, sneaky and smart,  just a teensy bit sultry and dirty….

It’s  goody-two-shoes White’s  little wild-side cousin

And it knows how to make a good deal apparently…

(header photo by the Queen of Cream:  A Beach Cottage. Go there now!…or uh… as soon as you finish this post)

Eggshell Leather Ferragamos for $38 !!

London Fog Trench 66% off

darling Swallow Bird Hair pins under $10

What a tease! Gauzy Curtain $20

get your fingers twisted in a Decorative Pillow $14.99

Lately I’ve read several articles on the importance of play to the development of children, and one suggested that simple toys like blocks, dolls, boxes, and bubbles are best. So, I went on a hunt for blocks and fell in love with the wares of Uncle Goose.They have all sorts of block sets to stimulate little brains:

Classic Alphabet and Number blocks

Something a little more modern

Counting blocks

Textured blocks

And Nursery Rhyme blocks (my personal favorite!)

The sets are all made with non-toxic, child-safe inks. I think these are toys that you’ll want to pass down from generation to generation.

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Unless you’re one of those feet-draggers who still hasn’t gotten their tree up (dad!), this post is not exactly helpful or instructional, rather–safely and softly– hedonistic for those of us that could never get our fill of cozy Christmas home.

And so today I have enjoyed collecting some of my favorite trees–their ornaments and settings.  Hope they do their part in keeping you in the spirit (that’s spirit with a lower-case s).  And to keep you in the upper-case S Spirit (’cause need we go over again what this holiday is about?)…  a song while you view.

(p.s. if you’re looking for those tree “wall stickers” or metal imitations or bare branches with socks hanging off of them or something else off-color and anti-all -that -is -good -and -right -and -Dickens about this season– sorry but you won’t be findin’ it here sir)

New England Cape

Elegant Simplicity with one of my favorite combos…White & Gold

There’s even a place for the oddly shaped.  (Charlie Brown would approve i think)

Well-done Traditional

Bare on the Beach Cottage

I heart blue and white for Christmas

Victorian.  Rich and Stately

Bonus just for fun: click on the image below for Elle Decor’s collection of some Griswold-esque over-the-top outdoor Christmas Lights