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inspiration board: girly girl meets mod mom

8 Feb

So you’ve got a modern home.  And you’ve got a little girl who’s grown out of her crib, conversion kit to toddler bed, and those cute monkey wall graphics you bought while in the ‘nesting’ phase of your pregnancy.   What’s more, she’s decided she loves pink.  LOVES pink.  Oh, and Mom, she’s also really loves princesses.  And tutus.  And anything shiny, glittery, or reflective.

At RFYO, we’re here for you.  So let’s take a deep breath.  And let’s start with a wonderful compromise. . . a vintage bed frame.

I discovered this  reupholstered set of french ‘shabby chic’ bed frames at an Etsy shop called Antique2Chic, based out of Birmingham, Michigan.   The beds are $600 each – I agree, a bit steep – but consider them the centerpiece of the room.  The fabric is a beautiful blush-toned linen, perfect for you to play with your pinks and also to be a bit brave with the rest of your decor.  And the nice thing is that once you have the bed in place, you’re now free to use super-new and modern pieces to offset the vintage feel of the piece.

So, Mod Mom, what’s next?

How about going black and white and really BOLD with your graphics?  I think butterflies would be a pretty good bet too.  Here’s my suggestions, including a mix of Kartell, George Nelson, IKEA with some Target thrown in for good measure.  Click here (girly chic) to enlarge the PDF.

1.  French hand-painted mahogany twin beds with linen upholstery, $600, Antique2Chic, Etsy

2. Flannel brocade hook rug, $473 (large size), Layla Grace

3. Set of beautiful 5×5 photo prints, $8.50 each, Lola’s Room, Etsy

4. Circus stripe black and white curtain panels (shown – $180 each at Rosenberry Rooms), similar fabric available for $6.98/yard on Amazon

5. George nelson Ball Clock, $385, Velocity Art & Design (an excellent shop)

6. “Princess” paint color swatch, Benjamin Moore

7. Xhilaration Pixelated Butterfly bed in a bag, $64.99, Target

8.  Edland dresser, $299, IKEA 299

9. Crystorama (!!!) Angelina blush mini chandelier, $229.91, Lamps Plus (A great find, and small enough to look cute)

10.  Kartell Optic storage cube in clear, $283, Design Public


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inspiration: richard scarry

29 Jun

Apple car shirt, Cluchtees.com

I recently found a great book on the closeout pile of one of the big bookstores. Called “The Busy Busy World of Richard Scarry,” this tome of a book could be best described as a love letter to Scarry, written by his long-time editor (Walter Retan) and art director (Ole Risom), and dedicated to his fans worldwide.

There’s a lot in this book; certainly too much to cover (and too many great images to be nostalgic about) for a single post.  So I thought I’d start with a list of three things I’ve learned, which now endear him to me even more than before:

Richard and wife Patsy, courtesy The Busy Busy World...

1.  He met his wife (Patty) through his work – she was an accomplished copywriter, he was an art director.  They both left advertising.  She became a children’s book author.  He became Richard Scarry.  The two of them led quite a glamorous life, jet-setting and sailing, then moving from Connecticut to Europe and eventually settling in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Best Word Book Ever, biography, Biggest Word Book Ever

2. His books were truly trail-blazing in concept and design.

In 1963, “Scarry wanted to create a different kind of word book for children, one that would arrange words by categories instead of by the alphabet.”  His publisher at Doubleday rejected the idea.  He took the Best Word Book Ever to Golden Press, and ten years later, over seven million copies had been sold.

In 1985, Scarry’s Biggest Word Book Ever was the largest scale children’s book ever published to date (2 feet high), and also one of the most expensive (at $29) and costliest to manufacture.  Random House sold out the entire run.

photo from the book

3. He never thought it was beneath him to sell (a selection of) merchandise based on his work. (I was too old for the video series but hear that it was quite wonderful).  I laughed out loud when I saw the caption under this photo.  It reads, “Dick looks at a variety of samples of stuffed toys based on his characters.  Merchandise and other licenses resulting from Scarry’s enormous international popularity added considerably to his income.”

lowly worms, amazingly handmade by stitchcraft creations

But what’s amazing about Scarry’s influence is that, to this day, people are still inspired to create their own Scarry-ific toys, stuffed animals, busy worlds and clothing.   The McDonalds toys are still around on Ebay, and the videos (as above) still exist, yet folks are staging their own birthday parties (check out stitch/craft’s website) and turning Scarry’s book pages into amazing up-cycled playthings.

Here are two of my favorites, courtesy of Etsy artisans:

blocks by LiliaRose, Etsy

Lilia Rose covers oak wood blocks with vintage ilustrations, then glazes them with a non-toxic, water-based sealer.  The images on the five blocks above are sourced from the Best Word Book Ever.  Find them here for $15.

collage by aboundingtreasures, Etsy

Wow.  Dallas, at the Abounding Treasures shop, makes amazing 3-D collages.  This one happens to feature hand-punched butterflies from Scarry books.  I love the delicate, yet sophisticated, beauty created in these collages – and at $15 for a 5.5″ x 7.5″ you really can’t go wrong (save your money for double-matting and framing!)  And please check out her shop to see other patterns and shapes.

storybook wristlet, Flamingice.com

Lastly, one for the nostalgic moms out there. I found this wristlet, created from the pages of Please and Thank You, then coated with some type of vinyl to keep it from tearing.  It’s $35 and such a cute piece – maybe it could be used in a nursery or kid’s room to keep wipes or small toys?

The only thing I haven’t been able to find is any kind of textile; I suppose you can create your own via Spoonflower … that is, f you were to keep it to yourself (no one likes a copyright infringer).  I’m sure a Richard Scarry bedding set could do a cracking business – has anyone out there seen any?

esther’s recommendations: butterfly mobiles

5 May

Just a quick post tonight (we’ve had a long day).  After my most recent post, my web buddy Esther made a few butterfly suggestions of her own.  (By the way, if you don’t know Esther, and you have a small child (or one on the way), open a new browser window NOW.  Her website, titled buy modern baby, is a fantastic resource and buying guide for parents who love modern furnishings and design.  She also maintains a great blog, where she does shopping roundups, introduces new discoveries, and creates room collages and inspiration boards.  I honestly don’t know where she finds the time and I envy her!

Anyway, I adore the butterfly mobiles she’s recommended.  So without further ado:

The Original Butterfly Mobile, LilaGraceDesigns on Etsy, $60

This is the mobile that started them all.  When I began blogging, I remember seeing a do-it-yourself tutorial on one of the websites- which I will go back and look for.  I suppose you could create your own, if you’re enterprising enough or deep enough into nesting-induced craziness.  For my $60, I’d rather support an Etsy businesswoman – with whom you can correspond and select your own colors and/or shapes.

 Flensted butterfly mobile, available at Genius Jones, $48

Flensted swallows mobile, Design Public, $28

I freaking love Flensted mobiles.  In fact, we had the swallows mobile (above) hanging over Fionn’s changing table until very recently, when he discovered that paper birds are fun to swat at and especially fun to pull down.  But I deem it a success that they lasted for a full eight months of changing time.

Origami butterfly mobile, RoundhouseDesigns on Etsy $45

But this one is my absolute favorite.  I love how the delicate origami butterflies (here shown in pinks and stripes, but available in multiple color combinations) are balanced on the bamboo sticks, and how clever the design is overall.  As with most of the items on Etsy, these are handmade and one-of-a-kind.  I think I want one for my own bedroom…

Night, everyone.

esther's recommendations: butterfly mobiles

5 May

Just a quick post tonight (we’ve had a long day).  After my most recent post, my web buddy Esther made a few butterfly suggestions of her own.  (By the way, if you don’t know Esther, and you have a small child (or one on the way), open a new browser window NOW.  Her website, titled buy modern baby, is a fantastic resource and buying guide for parents who love modern furnishings and design.  She also maintains a great blog, where she does shopping roundups, introduces new discoveries, and creates room collages and inspiration boards.  I honestly don’t know where she finds the time and I envy her!

Anyway, I adore the butterfly mobiles she’s recommended.  So without further ado:

The Original Butterfly Mobile, LilaGraceDesigns on Etsy, $60

This is the mobile that started them all.  When I began blogging, I remember seeing a do-it-yourself tutorial on one of the websites- which I will go back and look for.  I suppose you could create your own, if you’re enterprising enough or deep enough into nesting-induced craziness.  For my $60, I’d rather support an Etsy businesswoman – with whom you can correspond and select your own colors and/or shapes.

 Flensted butterfly mobile, available at Genius Jones, $48

Flensted swallows mobile, Design Public, $28

I freaking love Flensted mobiles.  In fact, we had the swallows mobile (above) hanging over Fionn’s changing table until very recently, when he discovered that paper birds are fun to swat at and especially fun to pull down.  But I deem it a success that they lasted for a full eight months of changing time.

Origami butterfly mobile, RoundhouseDesigns on Etsy $45

But this one is my absolute favorite.  I love how the delicate origami butterflies (here shown in pinks and stripes, but available in multiple color combinations) are balanced on the bamboo sticks, and how clever the design is overall.  As with most of the items on Etsy, these are handmade and one-of-a-kind.  I think I want one for my own bedroom…

Night, everyone.