casapinka

Hanging Train Table

 

I managed to just squeeze Junior's hanging train table between the radiator and dresser. Living in an apartment makes a proper train table nearly impossible. Having a two year old makes a train table almost necessary! So, I went to the Ikea bargain basement - you know all those random discarded countertops and bits of wood that are already smooth? I bought one for $7, primed and painted it, glued the tracks down and left room for him to build some of his own tracks. I then mounted a heavy picture hanging kit onto the back and here it is!

I need to find some good storage for the trains/trees/stoplights etc. I think .a nice bright bucket underneath might be just the thing.

While mounting the hanging hooks on the back I accidentally went all the way through. Thus, the funny circle of tracks which covers it up. It also lets him launch the trains off of the table which of course causes lots more noise and chaos (i.e. a true success.)

Peter Hunt Silkscreens

Last year at a garage sale I saw these, loved them and bought two of the four available.  Not only do they look so, so sweet in the kiddos' room, it seems they weren't such a bad investment, after all.  And when asked why I'm spending $40 (we're garage sale cheapskates) on two dumb posters,  this makes me want to say, REMEMBER BLYTHE, suckah.

Thrifted globe and Tracy Nors interview

Week 3: Continuing on with the Home Cure, I thrifted this globe with a wooden base for $5.99! Perfect because my daughter has been wanting a globe. I haven't been able to work on the landing strip (no Husband, not the bikini wax - cool your jets) because am still working on kiddos' room and kitchen. If I have too many projects going at once nothing gets done!

I imagine it (landing strip) will look something like this (via Domino.) No link to Domino because you will be directed to Domino's "sister site, Architectural Digest." I doubt a cow ever stood in a doorway in Arch Dig. Decorating wise, does it get ANY MORE DEPRESSING? Luckily, sfgirlbybay has archived most of Domino's decor files.

 

Oh, and don't miss SFGirl's interview and gorgeous photos of Tracy Nors' home (and her blog, don't forget that: Boboho.) I just adore what she's done to her house.

Vintage orange school chair

Today I had a case of the Mean Reds, but this little chair came to my rescue. There I was, innocently driving down the street, when it called out to me. I swear it said, "Hi Pink!" in a little squeaky voice. The windows were down since it was a beautiful day, and when a chair talks to me I pay attention. I'll have to spend some time tonight with Chair Fag to figure out how to refinish it (oh, and hide it from Husband who never understands why something 40 years old and peeling - hey wait, I'm almost forty - is better than a new chair from Pottery Barn.) But shhhhh...you and I know that this little chair and I were meant to find each other. Isn't she beeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful?

Happy Bedding

 

As you know, for the AT Cure I'm working a lot on my kids' room. I just finished this quilt for my daughter and am going to work on some pillow cases this week (if I can find the time with all the kitchen cleaning I'm supposed to be doing!). This was my first "big" sewing project and I completed it this last weekend. I used a flat sheet that we already had for the backing which definitely made the construction easier. I think it looks great with the newly done dresser and not too girly for my son, who sleeps on the pull out part of the trundle bed that a friend just gave to us.

 

 

To Yellow or not to Yellow

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Anna and I have been discussing the kiddo's room. I posted some sheets that I found, thinking I would make the white background one into a duvet cover for my little girl. Anna thought lemon yellow would be a perfect color for their room but the Gatekeeper is having a bit of trouble with yellow. No matter how I put it to her, she agrees to the yellow but looks at me with these big eyes and tries the "But mommy, my brother really likes pink." She just really doesn't care for yellow so I've been on the lookout for other ideas and inspiration. I've done nothing to the Casapinka this weekend (after an actual trip to the ER for severe abdominal pain in my daughter on Friday.) I do, however, have some rooms here that I find inspirational for one reason or another. I'm leaning towards something fresh and crisp with white beds as Anna and I discussed. As always, I love your suggestions and links so please don't be shy if you think I might like something. Thanks Kim and Jo for posting those rooms for me - you guys are just great. Apologies for not Photoshopping them - I just don't have the time to do it.

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Love aqua. Aqua and white look so clean and pretty. I doubt Junior wants his room to be pretty, though.

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I hope I'll be forgiven for not having Juniorette's room pink. I still remember how my parents got me a cutout purple carpet and how even at the age of three, it was a defining factor...not sure in what, but it was. I love how they do a wall of sixties wallpaper. I wonder if we could do a wall of toile or something.

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I found these gorgeous sheets. Perhaps we could get them in blue and white (I've always loved blue for little girls) and Juniorette could have a pink shelf or something. These pink and blue striped sheets look pretty together - Pink and blue is so cliched but I bet Anna could help me make it beautiful and originial. I'm not crazy about the green ones. I'm very picky about green - I hate that muted green that loads of people use in nurseries and Pottery Barn uses in baby boy clothes. Please don't suggest it!

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I love the use of lanterns and these contrasting colors. Just beautiful.

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I think the bold graphics are so witty and original. That toybox, however, ruins it. I wish I could boot it to the side!

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We also discussed gingham for Junior's duvet color but Anna felt it was a bit too kitschy.

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I'm not crazy about the design itself but I love the idea of allowing an empty frame to show the stripes on the wall. Clever.

Anna has really gotten me to like white as long as there are plenty of colorful accents. While I still don't quite know what to do with the kiddo's room, I'm really going to work on inspiration for it this week. I think I want something with some fifties toys (remember my inspirations previously) and I've already started putting the paper dolls in a shadow box.

Nina Campbell

I usually only post my own house at Casapinka but while soaking in the tub and having a good read, I came across a bed so absolutely perfect I nearly drowned. When I look at this, my heart rate slows and I want to cry with joy. What an amazing idea (can you hear the wheels turning, Anna?) and I love the idea of birdcage wallpaper in a kiddie room - is anyone brave enough to try making a bed like this? (Me! Me! Pick me!) Fabric and wallpaper available from Nina Campbell's collection for Osborne and Little. Honey, you know those new hardwood floors...
(Seek shelter everyone, you'll be able to hear the reaction wherever you are when husband reads this.)

Bambini

We have just started talking about how to do the kiddies' room. I have a boy and a girl (5 months old and three years old) and they share a bedroom. I found these vintage paper dolls at the flea market as well as these fun wooden blocks. We are using them as inspiration and I would love to put the paper dolls into some sort of large shadow box. As you can imagine, Juniorette is campaigning for a purple or pink bedroom (I think one pink room in a house is enough!) and Junior is pretty much set on anything that doesn't highlight spit-up. I can't wait to see where this will go!