Dream(ing of) Home

To keep me going through late nights roaming the aisles of home improvement stores, I dream about what features are new home will have.

First, and foremost, we (at least the kids and I) hope it is a two-story. 

Daniel Contelmo Architects in NY via Georgiana Design

We don't need anything quite this grand, but it certainly is lovely to have an "upstairs."

Meg Braff via Hamptontoes

I don't need a butler's pantry, but a kitchen where we can spread out would be nice. Marble countertops, white cabinetry, and some fabulous light fixtures wouldn't hurt, either. 

Tia Zoldan via Modern Palm Blog

Of course, I'm pretty sure that no matter what kind of dining situation we end up with, I will have a banquette.

And, of course, lots and lots of windows. Drama windows where we eat our cereal. Drama windows in the living room...

Architectural Digest

Maybe even drama windows near my bubbles...

Inspired-Design

Built-in bookcases to style and to store all my books. A fireplace for Santa to slide down the chimney every December. Leopard-printed anything...

Allen Kirsch and Associates

A sunroom, a pool (why not? I am dreaming), and lots of big, beautiful trees...

Howie Guja via Cargo Collective

And one of these gates in our backyard.

HGTV

It all adds up to a little slice of Heaven. 

What features are a must in your dream home?

Who Wants to Buy Our House?

There is a touch of Fall in the air here lately. Which makes me excited for football games, cozy sweaters, and long walks through fallen leaves. 

And yet it's not quite August so I'm still wearing my summer clothes: white jeans, a citron striped shirt, shoes without socks...

All of which has not a thing to do with what I've been up to lately. Other than to say that by the time Fall is really in swing, maybe just maybe, we'll be moving to a new house.

On Sunday our realtor came over. I had spent what felt like the entire weekend cleaning and organizing and styling our house. We've been up late doing projects every night after working all day. And there is still so.much.more to do. How in the world did we accumulate so much stuff?!? For now, despite all my organizing adages, I've resorted to cramming stuff under beds. I suspect that won't at all work with kids in the house; they've already found some piles of old toys and gotten them out to play. 

Exterior of a pretty house in a great neighborhood at a fantastic price, but not a house we will be buying.

As fun as it is to look at real estate, I'm not getting my hopes up about any of the houses that are currently on the market. We have to sell our house first. {my mantra} To help speed things along, Saint Joseph is in the mail and on his way to us.

All the effort will be so worth it, though, when we see a "Sold" sign on our front lawn. And even better, get the keys to our new home!

As soon as the house is actually listed and the photos are online, I'll be sure to let you know. Some of the best tips for getting better pictures were in this post by the Nester.

Now it's your turn...

Tell me your best home-selling tips!

Non-Traditional Advice for Storing Toys

It occurs to me that it has been far too long since I have shared a good ole organizing post with you all. And this is one that I need oh so badly with two children and roughly one million toys.

The problem is not so much the toys themselves. I love to see the kids playing and having fun being kids. But how to store it ALL? Because it's not one doll, but seven assorted baby dolls and American Girl friends plus a tiny high chair, cradle, stroller, and armoire, and nearly as many clothes as my child has. Plus dress-up costumes, Barbie dolls and their assorted homes and automobiles, My Little Ponies, Polly Pockets, a dollhouse, and more puzzles, games, and art supplies than you can shake a stick at. Of course, that's just one kid. And this is the reason that other posts about storing toys never seem to really get it for me.

So, my own take on the Rules for Creating Great Playrooms:

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1. You don't need a ton of space to create a great little spot for your kids to enjoy. 
In fact, I'm re-reading Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic The Secret Garden right now and it reminds me how much children love a spot they can claim as their very own. Find a little unused closet, nook, or corner of a room in your home and turn it over to their imaginations! Use shelves up the wall for assorted toy storage. A little bench or toy chest (possibly with even more storage space inside) topped by a cushion...and DONE! 

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You can make it fun like these parents did by adding a cute awning and some bins for easily grabbing and putting away smaller toys.

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Or completely go the other direction and disguise the toys by tucking them away behind doors and inside the drawers of a large piece like this one from Layla Grace. 

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Skirted ottomans can also be used to hide away toys when not in use and create an elegant look. Be sure to use a washable fabric if your kids are still very young.

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2. Baskets and trays are lifesavers when organizing.  
I don't know if you can have too many baskets and trays. Use a tray on your coffee table to create a styled tablescape that works for the way you live. Fill a beautiful bowl with Matchbox cars or puzzle pieces and stack it on top of a bunch of classic children's books instead of coffeetable books. Make a sculpture out of LEGO blocks. Have fun with the fact that you live with kids! Use baskets to hide away the toys that aren't as pretty to look at (but still so fun to play with).

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3. Create a place on the wall for the kids' artwork.  
By grouping it all together in a designated spot, it becomes a colorful gallery. You can also avoid having tape (or glue!) damaging your walls.

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4. Floor space.
Be sure to leave plenty of room for the kids to spread out on the floor to play trains or race cars or whatever. Don't forget yourself! Add someplace comfy for you to sit and observe or snuggle up with a good book.

Thoughts On How to Do the Great Toy Purge:
While most of what I have read suggests that parents should involve their kids in clearing out old toys, I think that might not be a step one project. For example, I'm going to be going through the mountains of toys in our house by myself. Before I take anything to the consignment store, I'll involve my kids to make sure they're okay with letting something go. But too early in the process and it'll just make everyone crazy and bring on the tears.

If you feel overwhelmed by all the stuff, use the 12-inch square method. This works pretty much as it sounds. Grab everything in a 12-inch area, decide whether to keep or not, and put it where it goes. I like to move around a room in a clockwise motion in order to stay on task.

Don't feel like you have to get rid of everything. Sure, it's nice to make donations or earn a few bucks, but it's also fine to hang on to perfectly good toys in case you have more children, want to pass them down to a younger cousin or friend, or even to show your grandchildren someday. And, yes, a minimalist just died somewhere...

Inspiring Kids' Rooms

Part of making our house feel like home has to include a design plan for the kid spaces. I've been working on Griffin's and Bela's bedrooms for awhile, but I'm not quite ready for the big reveal. So until then... some great kid spaces from other bloggers!

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I love this sweet room for a little boy from Almost Home. The post is chock-full of tips on how to inexpensively decorate a child's room.

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Not surprisingly this little boy's room is on a blog called i love that! The room has such a great mix of colors and patterns, but what I'm most loving are the huge stripes on the wall. 

I have to mention the very chic lucite book shelves, too. I've seen them in a few other blogger kid rooms but had to hunt down the link. You can find them here; they range in size from 16 inches to 48 inches and are a great price!

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Finally, Classic Style Home has a fun sports-themed gameroom. I love how all the "stuff" is contained in the bins and coffee table tray. And very affordably, too.

Do you notice a theme? I am loving the blue & white stripes in all three spaces.  It's a look that I've already starting building on in Griffin's room. And one day, I'll show you!

For more kid spaces that I like, please visit my kid room and playrooms boards on Pinterest!