The Tree!

As much as I don't love milestone birthdays (oh, the pressure!)  I DO love special gifts that mark a milestone.  I spotted this C. Jere tree at Retro wanderlust some time ago, and what a surprise to walk, bleary eyed, into my kitchen on my birthday morning and to see it in the dining room topped with a mylar bow!  My husband had been hiding it in the garage, and apparently my older daughter, accidentally in on it, has been giving him knowing and meaningful looks every time I talk about my birthday, or anything remotely related.

There are a couple of spots where this tree could ultimately land, but for now I love it right where it is: visible when I walk in the front door, when I am standing at the kitchen island, and every time I come down the stairs.

I love that this will be part of my girls home memories: remember that golden tree with the birds nest and three tiny eggs?  Eleri is already promising to polish the brass leaves.  All of this is just further proof that decorating can be magic.

This is 40

Well, it came.  My 40th birthday.  I woke up, just the same.  Don't feel any different.  Except maybe relieved that it is no longer in front of me.

I will linger on this no longer, only to say that I decided that I wanted a couple of specific gifts, and that I would selectively treat myself to them.

1. Artwork

One of the things that has been so great about getting all the furniture and big statement items done around here is hanging artwork.  We don't "need" anything more, but I love that there are little spots here and there to fill over the years.  For now, I wanted something small and colorful and not too pricey.

Mequitta Ahuja, "Dream Sequence: Winged" 8x10

Just discovered Grove and Ceremony through Joslyn, who I believe also has a birthday today!

2. A rug for the kitchen

This is one of the last pieces for the house.  I often take up the kitchen rug in the summer, but it is decidedly winter around here.

These are all vintage persian rugs from eSale rugs, which is where I got my entry rug.  The top one one here is my favorite but its dimensions are not as good--it is several inches wider than the others.

3. a Serious, grown-up bag

I haul a lot of stuff around, almost all the time.  And my bags are shot.  The thing is, I'm not much of a handbag girl, so doing the research is a snore.  But the idea is to invest in something that I cancarry all the time for the next 5 years (or more!)

These are some that caught my eye.  Top row: Ellington handbags.  Bottom row: Madewell.

4. A really good design book

I bought this for myself, and then my favorite design-loving Aunt sent it to me, too.  Great minds!  I read it cover to cover this weekend.  It features the homes of a collection of the designers influencers, and it is totally fascinating to see how she has indeed drawn inspiration from varied sources to create her own totally distinctive style.

5. Surprise!

And then my husband surprised me with an AMAZING vintage C. Jere tree sculpture from my favorite vintage emporium, retro wanderlust.  It reminds me of the delicate bronze min-statues my grandmother had when I was growing up, only, you know, 5 feet tall.

Photo coming soon!

Tweaking a Girls Room

Wow, it's December!
Where has this year gone?

Just popping in to share some updates to my niece's room plan.
Originally, my brother and sister-in-law were feeling inspired by a page from the Land of Nod catalog.  See the inspired boards we came up with, here.

Flash forward some months and they decided to hand their own mattress down to Lael, and it is a Queen, while the wicker headboard we selected only comes in a Full.  After thinking it over, we agreed that an upholstered headboard would be more practical anyway.  I sent over a number of tweaks, but we all agree this is the most "Lael,"

Can't wait to put it all together!