Lovely Little Room: Boys' Shared Space

7.31.2012

I've been a long-time fan of Danielle Thompson's home. The bright colors, the retro patterns, and the mid-century furnishings give the house so much style and character. Her boys' shared bedroom is no exception. Danielle managed to create a colorful and whimsical space (that yes even includes pink!) that still feels perfectly boyish.

Perhaps my favorite part of the room is the wall of brightly patterned fabrics clouds, which Danielle applied using corn starch - perfectly natural and removable. Genius!



I'm sure the boys' imaginations run wild in this wonderland of a room, and that their biggest argument is weather to play airplane pilots or soldiers on that particular day. Thank you so much Danielle for sharing your boys' lovely space with us! To see more photos of the boys' room and Danielle's home, visit her over at her blog - Thompson Family-Life.

The Other Side of the Ocean

a-lovely-life-other-side-of-the-pacific

Now we've seen the Pacific Ocean from two sides. One end of the world busy, crowded, full of life; the other our personal playground. Violet much preferred the 'baby ocean' (the pools left by the receding tide) to the vastness of the Pacific. She's a little girl, so I guess a little ocean is juuust right.

Steppin' Out Saturday

7.30.2012

We managed to get out just the two of us for a date night while we are visiting here in Oz (thanks to my parents, sister, and brother-in-law!) We walked up and down the beach and had dinner overlooking the harbor. It was fun to try to remember to say things like chips instead of french fries and that we weren't supposed to tip! We shared a delicious bottle of wine and the Mister convinced me to try a bite of pork belly (eek!) I didn't absolutely hate it but I much preferred my risotto.

Really the thought of certain foods just totally grosses me out. Like eating baby animals (lamb, veal, etc.), or ripping apart the pieces of something as gross looking as a lobster or crab and sucking out the innards. Completely horrific. But then again I think that they should change the name of 'chicken' to something more nondescript. I mean they don't call beef 'cow', am I right?! Anyway, he's a pretty persuasive guy and definitely way more adventurous than me. Thanks for getting me to step out of my box a little, love!

Sometimes I forget how important that one on one time really is - it was great to reconnect and just be goofy together.


Oh and here's what I wore:
Striped Top & Earrings: Borrowed from my sister's closet
Skirt: JCrew Outlet
Shoes: Nine West


xo, Lauren




Lovely Little Shop: Colette Bream


I'm completely infatuated with the magical world that is Colette Bream. She's the mastermind behind her namesake Etsy shop, full of whimsical and lovely things for little ones. Her passion for creating began out of a desire to surround her daughter with simple, natural, beautiful things. And beautiful they are - from her lambswool pillows to her linen bedding, her knitted garlands and her papier mache wands. Each of her creations is uniquely lovely. See more of her magical creations by visiting her Etsy shop here.

CORAL CRUSH (Plus a friendly owl)


clockwise from top left: dipped juice cup, rag mat, farmer's market basket, letter of intent journal, striped top, coral linen ballet flat, coral rope pouf, ceramic owl jar, dipped wooden bowl

Lovely Find: Pregnancy Announcement

7.26.2012

Isn't this pregnancy announcement just the bees knees? Melanie Blodgett of You Are My Fave just comes up with the most creative ideas! How did you announce your pregnancy?

The Next Best Thing

7.25.2012
a-lovely-lark-violet-sandbox-1 a-lovely-lark-violet-sandbox-2 Our beach trip got postponed because our ride (my sister) was knocked out of commission by the evil that is mastitis. (Thankfully she's now feeling much better after some frequent nursing and antibiotics). We're not quite confident to drive on the left hand side of the road ourselves in a strange
place, so we trekked just across the road for the next best thing - a giant sandbox. Violet was happy as a clam. It's great how kids roll with the punches and can be just as happy with the next best thing. 

Looks like Kevin is going to have a new project when we get back home :)

xo, Lauren

One Lovely Thing: Custom Name Sign


I'm completely smitten with this custom name sign from knock knock custom signs on Etsy. I'm incredibly into stars right now, so this caught my eye right away. It's hand-stitched using linen and gold thread, and the hand lettering is divine! It's definitely on the pricey side, but what lovely inspiration.

Lovely Little Room: 'Unruly' Animals

7.24.2012

Sometimes themed nurseries can be completely over the top, but this one got it just right. Alyson Brown of Unruly Little Things (as well as its grown up counterpart, Unruly Things) decided on an animal theme when she was expecting. She kept it simple with a handmade jungle animals mobile (made by baby Wolf's grandpa) and some fun art and accessories sprinkled on the shelves.

Everything is gorgeous, but the very first thing that caught my eye (other than the adorable baby) was the fern print. I was sure it was vintage and was completed shocked when I read that it was made by Alyson herself! I love that Alyson was able to pack so much style into such a small space (Wolf shares his nursery with the Brown's home office), and was able to pull off a beautiful nursery without a designer price tag. To see more inspiration from Alyson, visit her at Unruly Little Things here and Unruly Things here. Thanks for sharing Wolf's lovely space with us Alyson!

photos by Leah Verwey


Sources:

blanket - Pendleton muchacho
crib - Ikea
fern print - made by Alyson
mobile - made by Wolf's grandpa
constellation print - Little Bright Studio
little red bird - Stephanie Congdon Barnes
wolf puzzle - a gift from Wolf's grandma
zebra - Pier One, from Wolf's grandma
squirrel lamp - Anthropologie
bunny print - esoule
gold W block & stump - cabin 7
red & blue W blocks - vintage
wooden spoon - carved by a friend
wolf stuffed animal - oh albatross
wooden car - from an art show in Idaho

Sea to Shining Sea

7.23.2012
A few days ago Violet saw the sea for the very first time. Surprisingly she met the Pacific Ocean before the Atlantic. Tomorrow she'll meet that same ocean again - this time on the other end of the Earth. What an amazing world we live in where one can traverse an entire planet in the blink of an eye...

Lovely Little Things: Wooden Mobiles

One: DIY Wooden Trees Mobile by Melanie Blodgett of You Are My Fave
Two: Bird Trio Bamboo Mobile by Petit Collage
Three: Wildlife in the Forest Wooden Mobile
Four: Birds of a Feather Wooden Mobile

Trip to Oz: The First Leg

7.19.2012













Sorry for the silence, it's been a little while until I've been able to wrangle a laptop from the men in my family!

On the first leg of our trip to L.A. Violet did amazing. She was super excited about the plane thanks to some books we've been reading and a few clips from Sesame Street visits Hawaii. She watched a couple of movies and played with some of the apps on her iPad, and then had a tiny freak out before finally falling asleep for about an hour. She stayed asleep until we touched down in L.A., and the best thing was - no ear issues!!! Overall it was a huge success, which was great since we had two flights to go.

She loved the hotel - jumped around on the bed like a little jumping bean, rode the escalator over and  over, and ran around outside a lot. Our next flight wasn't until 11:45 PM the following night, so we visited Santa Monica beach and pier while we were there, ate at Rae's Restaurant and Sloopy's Beach Cafe - I'd highly recommend both. She saw the ocean for the first time but was a little grouchy at that point from the time change and lack of sleep, so it wasn't as big of a hit as we had hoped. We rented a car and drove around for the second half of they day while she slept in her car seat and saw all of the touristy stuff - Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive, the Hollywood sign, and a couple of overlooks. We'll be visiting L.A. a bit again on the way home, so I'd love to know if you have any places that you recommend visiting (that are fairly close to the airport).

xo, Lauren


P.S. You can follow along on Instagram @alovelylark

Recipe for Bathtime Fun

giggle floating ducks . wood toy shop wooden rubber band boat . boon bubbles suction cup bath toy

Lovely Little Room: Colorful + Crafty

7.17.2012



Being the self-proclaimed 'craft guru' (aka Lifestyle Director) at Parents Magazine, Amanda Kingloff knew that she would be tackling plenty of DIY projects in the creation of her son's nursery. From the window treatments to the dresser pulls, no corner of this space escaped Amanda's creative touch. As if that weren't enough, she topped it all off with a wall of my favorite Mountains wallpaper from Fine Little Day and a gorgeous Caravan Crib from Kalon Studios. The result is a bright, colorful, and creative space in which I'm sure little Oliver will enjoy many happy moments.





You can read more about the project on Amanda's blog, The Violet Hours, or over on Parents.com. A big thank you to Amanda for sharing your son's lovely space with us!

Photographs by Heather Weston

Lovely Little Things: Anne-Claire Petit

7.16.2012

These crochet rattles by Anne-Claire Petit are just the bees knees! Crocheted from organic cotton yarn by women who work from their homes in the countryside. Sounds idyllic, no? In bold contrasting colors (and a little jingle bell in each) - perfect for your little man or wee lady alike.

Recipe for Bathtime Fun

7.13.2012



Lovely Links


A little bit of flora.

Plus beautiful DIY crepe paper crowns.

Forget the kids - I want one for me!

Moonrise Kingdom nursery.

Handmade wooden baby gyms.

Check out my Traveling with a Toddler posts over on A Lovely Life: Part 1, Part 2

And a sneak peek at my little girl's new room

Have a lovely weekend!

Lauren

Lovely Links


Happy Friday all! I'm currently packing like a crazy person for our trip to Australia. I'm going to keep this photo in mind when it gets hairy during our flight(s). Serenity now...serenity now...

Here are a few links for your weekend - hope it's better than ours is bound to be!

Genius idea for traveling with littles.

Completely in love with these curtains. I'd like three for Violet's room

Seriously stunning home.

Pretty pajamas

One of each please!

Polka dots + stripes.

Perfection.

I loved my wedding bouquet, but if I did it all over again I might just choose this.

And posts from A Lovely Lark this week:

Beautiful monthly baby photo set up

A nursery starts with art!

Up, up and away!

Pop of green.

We leave bright and early tomorrow for Oz*, wish us luck - I have a feeling we're going to need it!

xo, Lauren

This is where I want to be print by Kurt Rahn via society6

*We have a house sitter and an alarm system

Technical Difficulties + A Sneak Peek

7.12.2012

Well somehow the post that I had prepared for you today has gone missing? And I don't have any time to rewrite it what with packing for the trip and all :/ But as compensation here's a little sneak peek into Violet's big girl room. I'm not sure if I'll ever really feel like it's finished, but it's close enough for now! I took photographs of the room yesterday and will hopefully be sharing them with all of you soon! Off to do some more packing while the babe naps!


xo, Lauren


P.S. You can follow me on Instagram @alovelylark

A Lovely Find: Monthly Baby Photo


I came across this lovely monthly baby photo setup over on Angela Hardison's blog. Little Margo is the cutest and her mama is so full of creative ideas and inspiration!

Lovely Little Things: Up, Up and Away!

7.11.2012

Up, up and away! These hand-knitted hot air balloons would make such a dreamy mobile above a crib. Snag a finished creation by shop owner Dawn Finney, or purchase the pattern to knit one of your very own. See more of Dawn's work over at her Etsy shop here.

Traveling with a Toddler: Part 2

Yesterday I talked about artsy activities to keep your toddler occupied while in the air, but for a six hour flight followed by a fourteen hour flight, that's only going to work for so long. Of course hopefully she'll sleep for some of that time, but it's always best to be over prepared in my opinion! When all else fails, technology to the rescue. Here are a few things we'll be taking on the plane to keep her entertained, along with some toddler-specific gear:

1. We each have an iPhone, so we'll be bringing those for sure. We loaded them up with her favorite apps, as well as a new never-before-seen ones to keep her excited. A few of her favorites are:

  • The Monster at the End of This Book & Another Monster at the End of This Book - Violet loves these interactive books. There's the classic original with just Grover and the second version which includes both Grover and Elmo. She gets to knock down Grover's brick wall, wipe off his glue, and untie the knots of his ropes - good times people, good times.
  • SoundTouch - this one keeps her entertained for a really long time. There's a lite version, but I definitely recommend getting the full version. There are pages and pages of different illustrations that she can choose - household items, animals, musical instruments, etc. When she taps on one it shows a real photograph of that item/thing and a realistic sound to accompany it.
  • Animal Puzzle for Toddlers by Eiswuxe - These puzzles are very cute and there is a lot of variety to them. She just drags the puzzle pieces to the correct spots and when she finishes a puzzle she gets to pop a bunch of balloons - win win!
  • Nighty Night! This app is just adorable and perfect for bedtime. She loves to touch each lighted window of the farmhouse to find a different animal who is ready to go to sleep. She turns out the light and each one settles down for bed. The narrator has a nice soothing voice and the illustrations are very cute.
  • DoodleBuddy - She'll have a Magna Doodle and Color Wonder markers on the plane, but drawing on the iPhone is still fun too! I love that this app has different backgrounds to choose from (including a tic tac toe board for older kids), you can alter the line thickness and color, and use a ton of fun stamps.
  • Peekaboo Barn - Violet loves to try to guess what animal is making noise behind the barn doors before she touches them to reveal the animal. The animal's names are narrated in a cute child's voice but are still very clear. At the end she loves to watch the animals go to sleep.
  • Make it Pop - Like the name says, with this app you can make different things pop - balloons, popcorn, bubbles, and fireworks. An added bonus is that each one is educational in a different way. The balloons help with letter identification, the popcorn with numbers, the rockets with colors, and the bubbles with shapes. 
2. We decided to save the iPad for movies. The plane will have some kid-specific movies, but we wanted to make sure we had the right ones for Violet. She loves Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Shrek 2, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and we also bought her a few new ones - Follow that Bird, Winnie the Pooh and Annie.

3. To make sure that she can hear her movies and apps without bothering neighboring passengers, we bought these Kidz Gear headphones for her a few months ago. We've used them periodically with her to get her used to them. Of course a plane adapter is a must (silly two-pronged plane outlets!)

4. The iPad and iPhone batteries are pretty decent, but not when you're talking a fourteen hour flight. So after a lot of research the Mister found this portable recharger - I'll be sure to let you know how it worked, fingers crossed!

5. This one isn't for entertainment, but safety. We've opted not to bring Violet's car seat as we have one waiting for us to use over in Oz, so we purchased the FAA approved CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System). It just slips over the back of the seat to provide a safe harness for your little one during takeoff, landing, and any potential turbulence.

So that's it! I'm still looking for some new fun apps for Violet - if you have any recommendations for a two-year-old I'm all ears.

xoxo, Lauren

P.S. Tomorrow I'm going to share a few of the books that we've been using to prepare her for flying on a plane!


Lovely Little Room: Neutral + Green

7.10.2012





I love spaces that are mostly neutral, but have a bold pop of color here and there. This green is so unexpected and different that it caught my eye instantly. Paired with the natural wood, tans, taupes, and grays it looks striking. It's a perfectly soothing space for sleep but still fun for a child. And aren't those posters just to die for?!

The space was created by Nicole Rosenberg of Little Liberty. Nicole is an interior designer specializing in children's spaces, including nurseries bedrooms and playrooms. Unfortunately for us Yanks, Little Liberty is based in Melbourne Australia, but Nicole does offer E-Decorating services. You can visit Little Liberty's website here and blog here. Thanks Nicole for sharing this lovely space with us! You can read more about this nursery here.


Traveling with a Toddler: Part 1

We're leaving in five days on our trip across the world to the land of Oz*, and it's all hands on deck. We're in serious trip preparation mode over here at the H-Haus - shopping, list-making, and planning like crazy. While I've been to Australia twice now, I've never been with a toddler. Let me tell you, it's scary stuff! We're trying to have every possible resource ready and available to make our trip a success. For the past few months I've been researching tips and tricks for traveling with a pint-sized companion, and I'm going to share them with you this week here on the blog, starting with plane activities. Here are a few of my favorite plane-friendly artsy activities for little ones:


1. Crayola Color Wonder Markers & Paper - This is a life saver on a plane. The markers only show up on the Color Wonder paper, so no need to worry about a huge mess.

2. Foam Alphabet Stickers - Add these to your kid's drawing to spell out letters of names, words, etc. Really any stickers would be just fine, but the foam adds an extra element of fun and the educational aspect of the letters is a definite bonus.

3. Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pads - I love these sticker books, because they not only contain stickers but backdrops on which to place them. My favorites are the Habitats sticker book where kids can place animal stickers into different landscapes and the Play House! sticker book, with a variety of interior backgrounds on which your child can add furniture, people, etc.

4. Fisher Price Doodle Pro Travel Doodler with Light - Another fun no-mess surface on which to draw, write, and erase. This one is a great compact size perfect for travel and features a light.

5. Pipe Cleaners - basic and simple, but you can create a ton of fun projects with this no-mess medium. Just to name a few, you could try this shiny alphabet, these fun faces, or these super simple bracelets.

So that's what I've got so far. I still have a few days to prep for the trip, so if you have any suggestions for fun plane-friendly toddler activities I'm all ears!

xo, Lauren


*Yes we have a house sitter, so don't race over to steal my TV!
 

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