Neat and tidy.
A place for everything.
Everything off the floor…
I have never lived this way.
It would be the ultimate luxury.

via home designing

via house of turquoise

via urban comfort

via the decorista
(Mint and gold is my new color crush.)

via caitlin creer

via home designing

via design sponge

via ohdeedoh

via bolig magazine

via pure style home

Are you a tidy person? What is your secret?

If you follow me on Twitter you probably know this, but I work next door to an interior design studio and curated boutique called Birdhouse Collectible. I love it for a few reasons–the owners are great, and Alice loves to wander down the hall and peek inside. But mostly, it’s become my favorite secret, home-y, tucked-away place in Omaha to find original and affordable furniture and accents for my house.

Jessica McKay, the owner of Birdhouse, scours antique stores and flea markets for vintage well-made, solid furniture pieces modernizes them with fun fabrics or a fresh coat of paint. She also sells fabulous pillows, barware, gifts, books, and all of that nifty home stuff that could have been pulled straight out of a magazine. Once every month or so, Jessica also hosts events like “Design and Wine” where she tackles a tough design topic like choosing good vintage pieces at thrift stores or arranging a picture wall, or an art opening featuring an amazing local fine artist. Anyway, they are good neighbors, and all of my favorite things in my house are from Birdhouse. When I first met Jessica I actually hired her to consult me about my floorplan which was also her design. We rearrange often, but this is nice and open for Alice to play during the day.

It’s hard to compromise on decor when you live with another person sometimes (sidebar, is anyone else loving Emily Henderson’s new show on HGTV Secrets from a Stylist? I want to meet her so bad!). You can see Mr. Lasertron in the bookshelves–his books always start up a conversation, and our special things are so great to look at every day: a photo from our wedding, a papier-mâché pig that I made as a child, a stack of Magic: The Gathering cards, a vase of dice, an original Winnie the Pooh illustration, a postcard Mr. Lasertron sent me when we first met. Many things that are an important part of our personalities.

But although we don’t often agree on what to bring into our home–I like preppy minimalism, and he would be happy living in a goth-y dungeon scene out of World of Warcraft (and we are still fighting the black velvet curtains and burgundy paint battle)–we both love everything that we have purchased from Birdhouse. I think that re-upholstered/refreshed/updated antique look that Birdhouse has helped us to identify is a great consensus that makes us happy to be home.

xo
meg

I re-designed Alice’s room this week with the intention of creating a safe and engaging place for her to learn and play. I put myself in her place–literally looking around while laying on the floor–and thought about putting together the best possible place for a baby rather than the most convenient possible place for a parent.

This week I have spent a lot of time at my local library…one block away from my house. (ENDLESS THANK YOUS to reader and former customer Micki for teaching me about the wonderfulness of the library!) I have been reading books about Montessori and Waldorf education philosophies and I just love it.

It’s not that I’m committed to one method or another. The reason I am so excited about these unconventional philosophies (in my culture, anyway) is because I always knew that children can have more from their education that our traditional system offers. My mom knew it too. I am convinced that she devoted the entirety of her 20s and 30s to helping my brother and I reach our potential and be our best selves by choosing to listen to her intuition about educating us.

My mother fed me knowledge and facts and experiences endlessly. I was like a starving baby bird frantically taking in everything around her. My brother Matt, on the other hand, learned very differently than me. He needed more individual attention and patience, and liked to calmly repeat things over and over until he got it perfectly right. Our childhoods were filled with trips to museums, art and science camps, lemonade stands and other sidewalk entrepreneurship, rocket making classes, kitchen chemistry projects, forts, tons of fun babysitters…I really feel like she got us. She knew how we learned best because she worked hard to observe and understand our personalities and behavior as a parent. Her parenting really set the stage for me to follow my own path throughout my whole life. Sometimes she agrees with my choices and sometimes I have disappointed her, but she is always proud of my independence.

So. Throughout my life I have always asked why we do things, and as I grew up and became an adult, I just naturally stopped doing things that I saw no reason for. I got married in a bar. I don’t wear a wedding ring and I didn’t wear a white dress. I don’t work 8-5. And I have approached parenting the same way–doing what works for us instead of what works for the writers of parenting books. It makes no sense to blaze your own path, question every institution, and then accept the public education system and send your kid into that with no thought.

I mean, we certainly could do public school! Mr. Lasertron and I did and we loved it. But I think I at least ought to learn everything I can about the alternatives. The more you know, right? I don’t know what we will do for school yet. There is a Montessori school in our neighborhood, a cute elementary school in a beautiful historic building on our street, and I’m not opposed to homeschooling (or unschooling, as they say). I’m learning more about the possibility of starting a charter school next door to CAMP. And there’s a local school for deaf children that accepts normal-hearing kids as “peer mentors” who learn alongside the hard of hearing that I think sounds like a blast.

Anyway, I don’t think I can go wrong, and it’s so fun to learn about.

Back to the room.

Here are some of the changes I made and things I added:
…Put a mat on the floor for sleeping. I like it because it is still a dedicated place for sleep, but Alice is free to leave the bed herself (and get back in bed) without getting hurt. I have so many quilts to use that are stacked up in my closet and this is the perfect way to use those too. This one in my favorite colors was made by Rachel Denbow.
…Hung a wall pocket organizer for Alice’s personal items to de-clutter the dresser top. Right now it holds her two pairs of shoes, baby Tylenol, diaper wash, tiny washcloths (we use them as wipes), rash ointment, aspirators, lotion, clips for her diapers, and massage oil. I got the organizer in the dollar section at Target!
…Secured a mirror next to her bed.
…Removed a lot of toys and clutter. From now I plan to have certain toys in certain places in the house so there is variety wherever Alice is playing, but not an overwhelming amount.
…Bought a baby gate. I already love it. And Turbo loves jumping over it.
…Bought a space heater just because that room is freezing right now and I want Alice to be able to be sockless while she learns to walk.
…Put rolled-up towels under her changing table and dresser to keep things from rolling underneath. (Advice to parents–don’t pick baby furniture with space underneath!)

Where my things came from:
…Bed: Two Bloom Alma crib mattresses pushed together and covered with sheets and a quilt.
…Panda bolster: Ikea
…Chandelier: Urban Outiftters (similar style here)
…Rug, Shelf, & Changing table: Target
…Cart: Kaiku Strollkart
…Dresser, School desk & Rocking chair: Vintage
…Deer head: Cardboard Safari
..Wall art: Blik
…Cloth kitty block: Plaiderpillar
…Pull toy: Melissa and Doug

Finally, think good thoughts for Alice today because today she is going to her first day of Kindermusik! Grandma signed her up for the Village class and they are doing that together on Thursdays now. (So Thursday is my new day for meetings–fun photoshoot at CAMP scheduled too!) Anyway Alice goes everywhere with me and is with adults non-stop, but I think she has only played with another baby twice. I can’t wait to hear how she does with all the other little people!

Radvent day two!! Today’s theme, “organizing,” is not about making your life perfect or forcing yourself into new habits, because that’s a sure way to feel like a failure (which you are not at all!). The point of organization is to clear out all of the things that make you feel bad, that let crappy feelings bubble up to the surface, and making room for good feelings, for better things, for family, friends, hobbies, health.

I don’t know many people who feel organized, but I know a lot of people who have a beast in their life that they want to tame. Without the burden of the clutter and disorganization, we create openings in our lives. And as you become more organized and are filling your new-found space and new-found time with things that bring you joy, things that are beautiful and useful and matter, some of those old not-so-great habits may no longer seem to have a place in your life. This allows yet more time for creating the life you desire – without trying too hard.

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Focus on one drawer, table, or surface today and spend 15 minutes making it pretty! (And take a pretty picture afterward to motivate yourself!)

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I decided to clean up my bathroom cabinet because it had been bumming me out ever since we moved into our house last year and I shoved all of my jewelry, perfume, makeup, bottles, EVERYTHING inside there. I would shove things in, shut the door, and hope nothing fell in the toilet.

I threw away empty bottles, moved a brooch I’ve always hated to my “giveaway” box, and put all of my pregnancy stuff in the hall closet. I put some nails in the side of the cabinet to hang my favorite necklaces. I decided to organize the shelves by who can reach them–Dave’s on top, my stuff down low–and used pieces from one of my tea sets to store cotton balls and jewelry. We also have blackboards in our bathroom so I arranged a pretty jar of fresh chalk.

It just really makes me happy to see all of my favorite nail polish (it’s matte from Urban Outfitters!), perfume bottles (Flowerbomb, Lolita Lempicka, and Demeter’s Wet Garden), and favorite vintage brooches arranged so everything is in view.

I put my makeup and hair stuff in this vintage box and my watches, rings, and chunky necklaces in the teapot! I put bracelets around the spout.

I actually spent about 25 minutes on this because I got motivated and ended up cleaning the bathroom!

if you don’t know what to do,
do the next thing. water
the plants. cut the crusts of old bread
for the birds and feed the fruit
rinds to the garden. empty
the grounds from this morning’s
coffee and tuck them in
with the hydrangeas, prepare
them for winter. let their black sleep
give way to blooms of springtime blue.
open the windows. unsettle
the dust on the sills and in the corners
so there will be space for new air.
let the rooms have room
to breathe, to be filled again
to the brim. there is much we can do
when we don’t know what to do.
remember there is strength
even in standing still. let the world
do what it will all around you.
let the history of what was –
the old molecules of skin, hair and bone –
fill you up. let them become you.
you will carry them with you,
wherever you go, whenever
you are ready.

-fall cleaning by laura burhenn

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closets * schedules * junk drawers * ideas

“the key to successful organizing is to pay attention to your personality, then come up with a plan that conforms to it, rather than trying to work within someone else’s system.” -melissa picheny, declutter and design

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Click on the thumbnail below to download a printable .pdf of today’s radvent journaling prompt! Or check out the graphic on Flickr.

Are you writing your own radvent responses in your journal or blog? Feel free to share the link–they are awesome sources of inspiration for everyone!

1. Wendy Townley – Radvent 2010: Finding Peace in Organization
2. Aimee – Radvent 02
3. Amanda – Radvent Day 2
4. Rachael – Radvent 2010 Organizing
5. Cherith – Radvent 2010 – Day 2
6. Lenore – Radvent Day Two
7. Georgia – Radvent: Dec 2nd – Organising

xo
meg

Last week I went to a fun party hosted by Birdhouse Collectible called Design & Wine where interior designer extraordinaire Jessica McKay shared her best tips and tricks about mixing color, pattern, and texture in your home. We laughed, had wine and homemade bread (thanks to Mr. Birdhouse!) and everyone left feeling super motivated to go home and make something beautiful!

So here’s what I did.

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…before

yes, it needed improvement

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…and after!

We finished painting that damn wall.

I added a big mirror to our couch table in yellow, because that’s the color I really wanted to bring out in the space.

I hung two of my favorite posters on either side of the window for symmetry.

I pushed the chairs farther against the wall and moved our coffee tables so Alice would have room to move.

I stole a vintage industrial stool from CAMP and stuck it in the corner for extra seating, and to display some of my favorite home decor books and bring out the red accent color that we’ve got goin on. (I even picked a tissue box in my favorite color!)

I cleaned up our coat rack, hung a little flag banner (which you can see in the mirror), and aranged some photos.

I added a metallic bowl to the couch table to catch all of our clutter–remotes, Alice’s baby lotion, matches.

I used pillows in three different fabrics and textures that all have yellow and gray tones in them.

I moved the big rug to a different room…I’m looking for something in canvas with yellow and white in it now.

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Finally, here’s a little look at what I wore to Design & Wine.

Sweater: Robin
Skirt: Forever 21
Belt: Forever 21
Necklace: Tiny Hands International
Tights: DKNY
Shoes: Michael Kors
Coat: Forever 21

If you want to come to the next Design & Wine event at Birdhouse Collectible, watch their blog and follow them on Twitter to catch the next date!

3 eggs
1/2 C milk
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
1/2 C flour

First, whisk your eggs in a large bowl.
Then, add the milk, salt, and sugar, and mix well.
Finally, add the flour a little bit at a time and whisk it all together until there are no lumps. But not too long, or the pancake won’t be fluffy.

Pour the batter in a large greased skillet–any kind works as long as it’s 9” across. Or you could divide the batter and make tiny ones if you have smaller pans. Sometimes I make small ones in my 4” cast iron skillet.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes, until the edges are brown. Watch it after about 10 minutes because it’s so fun to watch the surface bubble and grow! This is a fun thing to make with kids.

I like to eat it with butter, powdered sugar, syrup, or strawberries. Or all of those things at once.

The silver lining in that catastrophe was that my mother got to completely redecorate.
…black and white checkerboard floors
…black cabinets with wainscoting
…a gigantic picture window
…thick black trim and baseboards
…a gigantic new shower in the master bath

Re-doing a house is fun but it’s the accessories that make it feel like home again. Like a collection.
My mom collects Iowa plates and dishes. When the swamp house was fixed up and re-done, she began to move all of her belongings back into the home and found a special place for her collection.

Everybody who visits the house stands in front of them and scrutinizes every piece–the words, the hand-painted illustrations, the interesting differences.

I can’t believe that this many state-themed plates exist in the first place.
Let alone that my mom seems to have found them all.

I love that this detail in my parents’ home is so personal to them–not just bought for the sake of displaying, but a collection that brings my mom back to her roots in beautiful Iowa.

I don’t have any collections personally. I can’t find the right thing.
Do you?

I started the day by visiting CAMP, my new studio and coworking space, with my friend Eric Downs who will be working there with me. The buildout process is starting this week and I wanted to get another look at the unfinished space and visualize the styling for the furniture and decor. I’m still torn on what to do with the floor. What would you do? Maybe just give it a good polish? Leave it raw?

I also started some flower seeds that were given to me by my friend Emily who works at the bank. Planting them in little peat cups just made my day and I hope some of them germinate so I can transplant them in my front yard!

So lots of manual labor and work–cleaning, yard work, and going for walks. I’ve been having hard but irregular contractions all day, and right now we’re in a tornado watch. So cross your fingers that I have this kid in my basement next to the cat litter.

And thanks to my sweet husband for the waffles.

This is in the bathroom.
Family picture!

I really didn’t know what to expect–would they be super shy? Too cool for school? Distracted? But I was so impressed through the entire hour, everyone paid attention, seemed interested, and even interrupted me throughout my presentation (which I loved) to ask questions and share their opinions. This one kid had even drawn a logo for his company and he was so proud. I love that.

I was asked to speak about how I started in 2005, my struggles and successes, give them some advice and answer questions. If you follow me on Twitter, maybe you noticed me asking what advice you would give to middle schoolers about starting a business. I got some great responses that I included in the slide show I created.

I uploaded the little presentation to SlideShare so you can see it too if you want:

Today Mr. Lasertron got off work at noon and we drove to my hometown lumber yard to get some materials to make a square foot garden and compost heap. It was such an adventure. Hauling armfuls of 4x4s didn’t put me into labor (darn) but now we have everything we need for our projects.

And Turbo tried to run away and got in a fight with a stray cat. What a dummy! Dad to the rescue.

I wish I had taken more pictures at the hardware store/lumber yard because it’s that kind of old-fashioned small town shop that you don’t really see anymore. There were rows and rows of boxes full of nails and lag bolts and screws and other fasteners that you scoop out with a little spoon and weigh. I was kind of getting the eye from the workers though so I kept the camera off.

Thanks for all the headband orders! I am going to start working on them tonight. And you still have until Monday to win my headband and boutonniere set on Rockstar Diaries.