Everything Eventually Comes Into Fashion If You Wait Long Enough

I've been in the catalog business for most of my career, and many hours on location have made me a fan of a product known to photo crew members as "goop".

For years, I've been sticking photos, postcards and other things I like to my walls with goop. I add and subtract as I go, and my walls become sort of a living display of my family's and my current interests.

I've always liked this method of photo display because it's easy, I think it adds nicely to the casual vibe I have going in my home, and it doesn't require the time commitment of sizing, framing and hanging all my photos. In short, it's perfect for a working mother of three.

I'd like to thank the stylists and magazine editors who've recently made just sticking photos randomly to the wall a style statement. I'm seeing it everywhere now:



Any trendsetter who popularizes the easiest possible decorating idea is doing all of us working moms a big favor. If I could hug each of you I would!

Art in the Everyday

My friend Brian Andriola just did a great article for Country Living magazine all about his collection of white bowls.


The article, and the images that came with it reminded me that everyday objects can be the most beautiful things in my home. I remember when I was growing up, my Mom had very few decorative things in the house, but always had very beautiful baskets that she displayed throughout the house, hung on the walls in place of art, and used for storage. Now I understand why -- with kids crashing through the house 24/7, unbreakable accessories are a good idea. After 13 years of kids in the house, and 13 years of addressing new and various organizing challenges, I've accidently built quite a beautiful basket collection of my own.
I've got painted french wire that I acquired on a trip to London

Vintage fishing creels collected from Sun Valley

Several laundry baskets purchased in my quest to find the perfect size and shape

African Wedding Baskets that were some of the first decorative objects I bought when we moved into our house

Willow trunks that have held anything from toys to baby clothes, to bike helmets in the garage

Some metal boxes and vintage suitcases that have been with us since the very early days of our marriage

A garden trug I purchased at the Paris Flea Market


Katie and I will be spending this rainy Saturday afternoon trying to make sense of it all. Thanks, Brian for the inspiration. And drop by if you've got a minute.

Bringing My Own Bags to the Grocery Store is the Least of my Worries

How have I never noticed this before? It's not just the grocery stores -- everyone gives you a bag when you shop. On a recent shopping trip, if I hadn't taken some control, I would have ended up with about ten bags for approx. $100 worth of purchases. I bought a tube of lipstick and the salesperson tried to give me a bag for it. I realized then that I need to bring my shopping bags with me everywhere.

I love FreePeople, because they give you a very cute reusable bag when you shop there.

However, I'm a little old to shop there regularly and, while I wish they would sell their bags, they don't.

I've had my eye on some shopping bags for awhile and haven't managed to buy them, but now I think I will.

I like these because they're cute, but also because:
They don't look like grocery bags
They are sold in a set of 5 that roll up into a pouch that's 9"x6" so they're easy to carry around
The website I like ReusableBags.com, participates in 1% for the Planet, an organization that inspires it's members to donate 1% of their sales to environmental causes around the world
A very cool green living expert Antoinette Nue likes them too

And best of all, I won't have to feel compelled to carry my lunch to work in a giant Nordstrom shopping bag, just so the bag won't go to waste.

Green Your (Fill in the Blank)

If you read Suburban Zen regularly, you know I'm very interested in the topic of sustainability. With children in the house, I feel a responsibility toward organic and sustainable living for three reasons: to build a healthy home for my family, to do what I can to ensure that future generations inherit a clean and healthy planet, and to set a good example for my children.

Being a working mother of three, sometimes I find something other than sustainability becomes a priority in my decisions -- I've been known to buy the little individual bags of Grahamy Bears for the convenience of it. However, I do try hard. The biggest challenge is sorting through the volumes of information to decide what's right. A resource that I rely on regularly is the website GreenYour.com. This site allows me to find ideas for greening pretty much anything, just by typing the subject into their search box. For example, a search for "Green Your Family Dinner" returned this:

Tip: Grow your own organic vegetables
... trips to the gym, and the environment. Get the whole family involved—kids like growing vegetables, although they usually like ... makes it handy to harvest fresh vegetables for tonight's dinner! How big should my garden be? Start small. ...

Tip: Choose organic coffee
Organic coffee is harvested sans chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Choosing organic coffee allows you to savor what many believe is not only a more flavorful cup o' joe, but also a healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative to standard brew ...

Tip: Choose reusable food service items
... snacks : Whether you’re packing daily lunches for the family or sharing coffee with a colleague, stay away from throw-aways like ... meals : When hosting family and friends for a holiday dinner, skip the paper cups and napkins and use reusable ones instead. You may ...

Tip: Choose a high chair made from sustainable materials
Your baby's perch at the dinner table may look green after a meal of pureed peas , but plastic and ... toxic chemicals protect indoor air quality and your family's health. Many high chairs are made of plastic, which is a ... them soft is a form of polyurethane (part of the urethane family of chemicals), that can contain many toxins, including (but not limited ...

Tip: Use paper product alternatives
... : Whether you’re in need of napkins for tonight’s dinner or this weekend’s party, look for reusable cloth napkins and put away ... ? Read emails on-screen, send electronic letters and family updates instead of paper cards, and pick up e-books (online, that is) to ...

Tip: Choose nontoxic baby dishes and utensils
... is playing a spoon-on-bowl symphony to serenade your dinner, it’s easy to see why plastic is often used to make durable ... gas belonging to the VOC (volatile organic compound) family of chemicals. It is widely used in personal care products, building ...

Tip: Shop locally
... caught fish and local farm meat for your next family meal. Ultimate local choices - DIY Avoid shopping ... travel the average 1,500 to 2,500 miles, it arrives on the dinner table shortly after it was picked, ensuring that it's much fresher. ...

Each excerpt links to a larger article with great information drawn from many different sources. There are three types of information that searches return:
Facts which aggregate research on environmental impact
Tips provide recommendations and simple steps to help you take action
Products list products and resources that have been vetted by the GreenYour editorial staff of experts and meet their green criteria.

While I still have to do most of the work, it's nice to have a resource I can rely on to point me in the right direction. I'm hoping that the Green Council will spawn a whole series of sites like this: IronYour.com, PutAwayYour.com, CleanYourHouseforYou.com. When you think about it, the possibilities are endless.

Every Family Room Needs a Recliner -- But Does it Have to Look Like That?

The prevalence of flat screen TVs has spawned a whole new business called "motion furniture." To you and me, that's a fancy name for the chairs otherwise known as recliners, gliders, and swivel chairs. They used to look like this:


But in the last five years or so, motion furniture design has come a long way. It used to be one had to choose design or comfort when choosing a chair for the family room. Now it's not too much to ask for both.

When choosing a recliner, consider the following fundamentals:
Is the chair constructed well for lasting comfort?
How easy is the mechanism to use?
Which recliner is best for the amount of space I have?
And then choose a chair that looks great in your room.

There are a few sources I think are especially good for recliners that are well constructed, easy to use, and don't look like recliners:

Design Within Reach
If you want to make an investment, DWR's Flight Recliner is a great one. It's designed by Jeffrey Bernett who drew on his experience designing ergonomic inflight seating for Northwest Airlines. It's beautiful and comfortable.


Barcalounger
Next to LaZBoy, Barcalounger is probably the most well-known name in the recliner market. The company was founded in 1940, and has done a great job of keeping their designs current and still focusing on the ergonomics that make a recliner comfortable.


Room and Board
If you're looking for an eco-friendly recliner, Room and Board is a great resource. All of their upholstery is made of sustainable materials. While their furniture is generally pretty modern, you can find some classic and comfortable pieces if you have the patience to sort through their giant assortment.

If you've got an old recliner that you like, that just needs a little update, The Urban Sherp is a great resource for advice on eco-friendly upholstery fabrics that can update your old fave. Like this one from the new studio Oliveira Textiles:


The recliner's had a bad rap as the piece of furniture that's all brains, no beauty. But no more. Now Dads all over America can breath a sigh of relief, knowing that their wives will once again allow the recliner into the family room.

New Paint or Mittens in the House?

JP's and my first house was the typical starter house with the cheapest, non-washable paint in existence. We learned quickly that the washability of interior paint is as important as the color. Maybe more important.

Little did I know that the abuse a newly married couple can inflict on painted walls is nothing compared to that of three kids and a dog. For as long as I've had children and pets in my house, I've had fingerprints on my walls. Sometimes footprints. At a glance, my children appear to be very clean. Katie and Jack both love water, and Andie seems to shower about three times a day. However, from looking at my walls you might think they never bathe at all. And Jasper seems to pace up and down the hall, rubbing himself along the wall as he goes.

There are many paints on the market that are low VOC (see post "where can I get a cute gas mask that goes with my decor?" 6/4/08) and many paints that are washable. Finding a paint that's both is the challenge. Benjamin Moore's Aura Line is my favorite paint that does both. This video shows how Aura stands up to the standard abuse inflicted by children, demonstrated by the video host's 2 year old daughter Emma. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will.


Now, if anyone has any useful advice for me on how to keep my floors clean, I'm all ears.

Design Trends I'm Happy to See Emerging from the Recession

As much as my job requires me to embrace capitalism, I've always struggled with the blind desire for acquisition that seems to have defined the last 20 years or so. The current recession carries with it a lot of baggage, but there are a few good things that will come out of it for the design world:

A Return to Tradition
I am happy to see that some very traditional silhouettes are returning to popularity. Especially the recent renaissance of Federal Style in both architecture and furniture



The style, which first came into popularity after the American Revolution, drew many elements from the Greek and Roman empires after which the American government was modeled. Many houses on Main Street, America are designed in the Federal Style. In fact, my husband was raised in a Federal Style house that his parents owned for 30 years. I just love a design trend that carries a history lesson with it -- any opportunity to trick my children into learning something.

The New Family Heirloom
The concept of integrating hand-me-downs from the family is returning to popularity. Rather than filling an entire house with brand new furniture, people are getting to know their local upholstery or finish craftsmen and breathing new life into old pieces. StudioBonTextiles is a great website filled with upholstery fabrics designed specifically for recovering vintage pieces.

It's not cheap, but if you're going to invest, vintage pieces handed down through the family is a good place to do it. And those vintage pieces are a great way to keep family folklore alive. My sister is a master at integrating family pieces into her house, and a compliment about the furniture piece always leads to an interesting family story.

The Return of the Kitchen as the Heart of the Home
Focus in the last 20 years has been on rooms that are more for show than function -- the formal living room, the foyer, the formal dining room. As money and possessions become an increasing source of stress, family, friends and relationships become an increasing source of comfort. As a result, many families are returning to that great American Norman Rockwell tradition of gathering around the table at the end of the day. The meal itself is a small part of the Family Dinner -- there's also the ritual of preparation, the natural tendency of everyone to pitch in and help, the easy conversation that happens around the table, and of course, the little opportunities for etiquette lessons throughout the meal. I, for one, am happy to see the family dinner make a comeback, to see the kitchen regain it's rightful place as the hub of the family home.


While there is plenty of stress that goes along with a global recession, I think the family home will be better off for it. More tradition, a renewed respect for family history, more time together.

I Need A Birthday Present, Stat!

It seems like someone's always having a birthday or a baby. That presents two challenges: coming up with a present and wrapping it.

At the beginning of the year I like to stash some presents away in my cupboard so we're ready to party at a moment's notice. This year our picks are:
The Guinness Book of World Records for Jack's buddies

Recharging Stations for Andie's friends

Puffy Tea Sets for Katie's friends

And my favorite old standby for new moms, "Working Moms Rock" TShirts from honestbaby.com

Once my cupboard is re-stocked with presents, I stock up my arsenal of wrapping supplies. Nothing is worse than having a present with nothing to wrap it in. To keep it simple, I usually use newspaper, pages from magazines, brown kraft paper or tissue paper as the base. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll use a Williams-Sonoma floursack towel.

To spruce up my recycled base, I have a stash of pretty ribbons that I buy at my local craft store

And a few boxes of these pretty labels from Chronicle Publishing

Et, Voila.

From the moment Andie says "Oh, I forgot. Bridget's having her birthday party today" to wrapped present ready to go: about ten minutes.
I have to admit, though, that there are still some last minute requests that throw me. Like "Oh, I forgot. I need a pair of black movement pants (whatever those are) for this afternoon's theatre practice."