Make Mom Feel Special on Her Special Day...By Helping Her Organize Her Keys!
This is one of those time-consuming and important household tasks. It only takes a few minutes, but when we don't get around to making those copies and we lose our keys, it's a major hassle and expense to change the locks and deal with getting access to the house.
So, help Mom out by asking which keys she would like copied, and going to locksmith to have two or three copies made. It's important to check that the copies work, because a small mistake in the copy and the key won't work. (We just had six copies of a new key made at a local home accessories store, and none worked, so we speak from experience. A locksmith who knows what he or she is doing would have been worth the two blocks' extra walk.)
Mom will be grateful to have those extra keys ready to go. She can tuck a set in her office desk or leave a set with a friend or in a secret nook. A small gift with a large impact.
And, while you're at it, dress up the keys with a fun keyring; there are so many cute ones, and the more unique, the easier to keep straight the extra set straight from other keys in the drawer.
Since many moms were a Girl Scout when they were young, one fun key ring is the official one from the Girls Scouts' website:
http://www.girlscoutshop.com/gsusaonline/GSProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=MEDALLION+KEY+RING&sms_ss=email&at_xt=4dc2fc8456cf7438%2C0
If you want the Tiffany blue box as part of the present, we like this titanium one; it's the little black dress of key rings:
http://www.tiffany.com/shopping/item.aspx?cid=288154&Sku=26195594&search_params=s+1-p+1-c+-r+101297640-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+-k&selectedSku=&selEmailSku=&utm_campaign=Email_This_Item&utm_medium=site_generated_email&utm_source=social-links%20&utm_content=text_link&utm_term=&omcid=SGE1
Coach, the bag and accessories store, has always made fabulous key rings to use as purse accessories as wall as key holders. Two fresh ones are the gold-toned Queen Bee and silver-toned poppy enamel hearts:
http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/ProductDetailWrapperView?storeId=10551&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&partNumber=92916_b4mc&langId=-1&storeId=10551&om_suv=
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To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day! We know we can never thank you enough for all that you do for all of us!
The Best Graduation Gifts
As we roll into May and June, we have many graduations to celebrate. Other than cash (green is, after all, nature's harmonizer), what are some gift ideas that will still be used by the graduate when she is celebrating her 25th or even 50th reunions?
There are three home items that really stand the test of time and can be used in every home across the decades: a great mirror, an incidental table the height of a desk (28" or 30"), and a small area rug (3' x 5' or 4' x 6').
Whether the space is a dorm room, a studio apartment, a starter apartment, or a bigger home, we always have a hallway or wall that needs a mirror, a desk that needs a credenza or front hall that needs a place to drop small items, and a bedside or nook that could use the color and texture of an area rug. As we then carry these items from home to home, they gather memories as well as wear, and make a new space feel like ours.
A long mirror, like the Rococo Mirror from Jonathan Adler, can be used sideways to light up a hall, or lengthwise to work as an almost full-length mirror. http://www.jonathanadler.com/Rococo-Mirror/?cat=0&initial= . The Ditto Table from Crate and Barrel, at 29" high, is a versatile height, it won't damage easily, and it adds the note of black we like to see in every room http://www.crateandbarrel.com/furniture/accent-tables/ditto-table/s348922. And finally, the Brandon Persian-Style 3' x 5' Area Rug has a palate and style that would work with a lot of different design schemes, and is a mix of colors that will age gracefully http://www.potterybarn.com/products/brandon-rug/?pkey=e|brandon|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-
Congratulations to all those graduating in 2011, and the families and friends that made their successes possible!
Organization Tip for Any Holiday: Red!
With the recent holidays of Easter and Passover, we have been striving to dress up our dining room tables. Now comes graduations, reunions, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Valentine's Day....the cycle of celebrations never end. How to avoid having too many boxes and drawers filled with holiday-specific linens that are never ironed when we need them to be? Restaurant white is an option, but we can also discover the power of red!
It doesn't have to be lipstick red - it can be crimson or red-orange. But a shade of red works with almost every holiday. Valentine's hearts, fall harvest, candy canes, patriotic fever...the common thread is a red one.
Even for Easter, mix the red with its analogous colors of purple, orange, and yellow, and the table will look like someone had a lot of fun dyeing Easter eggs. By investing in a great, deep crimson table cloth, then buying several set of cloth napkins in many different colors (white for formal, mint green for a modern Christmas, deep blue for Bastille Day), we can have a great holiday table without bothering with linen storage.
Add some flowers and some holiday-themed candies scattered for effect, and we're ready for the bet part of holidays: the food!
Pottery Barn has some sharp new table linens in the latest shades of red. In particular, take a note of the Jackie Floral http://www.potterybarn.com/products/jackie-floral-table-runner/?pkey=e|jackie%2Bfloral|4|best|0|1|24||4&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_- , and Leila Block-Print tablecloths http://www.potterybarn.com/products/leila-block-print-tablecloths/?pkey=e|leila|6|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_- .
The Indispensable Hand Broom!
So, when we got a hand broom for the dining table as a Christmas gift, we thought we were adding another useless item to the bottom drawer. It's cute in restaurants when the waiters use a little broom and pan to clean the bread crumbs off the tablecloth before the dessert course comes, but we don't usually use a tablecloth at home, we don't have crumb-producing bread all that often, and we rarely have any kind of official dessert course. And, although we'd love it if some fabulous waiter was part of the mix at dinner time, we don't see that happening, either.
But we were so wrong. It's wonderful having a little broom and pan that is well-designed and attractive in the dining area. It is great to grab it for a quick table cleaning. And it also works beautifully on the crumbs on the floor, or the dust bunnies in the corner that got missed, or the paper bits that fell when the three-hole punch got tipped upside down.
We find that we are using this little hand broom every day, and don't know how we lived without it. It's a lovely accessory to look at, and a helpful one, too. If only we used our KitchenAid as often!
For the Porsche of hand brooms, visit the website of Fjorn Scandinavia: http://fjorn.com/sk1600660.html
Flooring: what to do when your friends wear stilettos?
Bathmat Mania
Here are two great bathmats, one from Crate & Barrel: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/bed-and-bath/bath-rugs/reversible-stone-bath-rug/s655221 , the other from Garnet Hill: http://www.garnethill.com/lilly-pulitzer-26-23174-3b-chinoiserie-bath-rug/bedding-home/bath/bath-rugs/129475
Not your typical lighting website
Sorry i've been MIA for a couple of days. A terrible stomach bug has taken over the Room Juice studio. Luckily I am feeling better this evening and I have a FANTASTIC find to share with you all!
As I've said time and time again, we all put off lighting until the end of our design project which is a BIG no no. Lighting is super important in achieving a pulled together and finished space. Lighting also determines the mood of the space and determines what your color palette will look like. So, perhaps lighting should be first? After all, an investment on a beautiful pendant fixture for your entry may go from home to home with you as the years go by, but so many of us tend to put more money into a sofa that will be sunken in 5 -10 years. The point is, think about your project and prioritize what you are going to spend on and what you are going to save on and consider lighting as a top priority.
If you are on the lighting bandwagon with us, take a look at this great website http://www.firefarm.com/. We're so excited to have found fire farm for a few reasons. The first being that they make CUSTOM LIGHT FIXTURES! A designers dream website.... the ideas are already dancing in my head. But, for those of you who don't dream day and night about non-existent pendant lights, you can browse their product line for some great inspiration and very unique fixtures like this Small Tympani Chandelier below. Check it out if you're as bored as we are with most of the other lighting sources on the internet!
Upholstered Headboard DIY
Upholstered headboards- comfortable, practical and beautiful...and expensive... The only downfall we could think of. But, GOOD NEWS- Making your own upholstered headboard is SO simple and very cost effective. For just about $100 you could make the headboard you dream of. Follow this link for instructions on how to do this DIY project.
http://simplystated.realsimple.com/home/2008/05/headboard-revam.html
COLOR Triadic, monochromatic, analogous...
Color schemes are the glue that hold a room together. Without a good scheme, you will most likely end up with a mish-mosh of mismatched items. We often pull our color schemes from a fabric, a piece of artwork, or an area rug. But, there are times when you're really stuck and you can't even find something to start with. That's where this amazing tool we found comes in VERY handy. It's called color scheme designer and not only is it a fun procrastination and spare time filler, but you could find the perfect color scheme to start your room design with! http://colorschemedesigner.com/
And believe it or not, there are actually reasons behind pairing certain colors. We all remember in elementary school when we learned to mix tempra paints to make different colors, and that red was complimentary to green. But, most of us didn't learn the rest of the amazing pairings that exist. Monochromatic, complimentary, triadic, analogous and more. Take a look at the site and you will learn about the color scheme science and you may even find the perfect one for you!
Urban Outfitters- boho chic home decor!
Urban outfitters isn't just for clothing anymore. I just discovered their amazing collection of home decor. Right now they feature some bold patterns and colors that are sure to inspire. Base your room around one of their wallpapers or bedding collections.