After I came back from a short trip to Pittsburgh, I told Miles that we needed a birdhouse. My sister’s small city garden in Pittsburgh is a bird’s paradise. There is gourmet birdie food and fresh water daily. You hear chirping all day long. When I came home, I realized how silent our yard  was. So we went to the Wild Bird Center and picked up all the bird necessities. We set it up and waited. It took 3 days for the birdies to discover the new restaurant. Oh my goodness, it is out of control now. So many different kinds of birds. Cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, gold finches…..

The yard is full of chirping and it is so peaceful. I see how we are inspired to decorate with birds.  We see birds in lots of nursery decor. So cute for  baby. At the same time as our birdhouse was set up, these charming clocks came into the shop. Handmade in the USA.

There will be more birdie decorating stories in the future.

See you.

Christina

Bright clear colors were everywhere in Atlanta. It was all about fun.  I love these ball chairs. Great for a playroom. Comfortable for even an adult to sit in. I saw the same chair on the 5th floor in  Barneys in the city the other day. Oh, except it was in black, of coarse…

Love this chartreuse wall with the white animal heads…

How nice for  a girl’s Bohemian bedroom…

Polka dot happy…

I couldn’t resist  purchasing these large metal flowers made by a surfer guy from California. They are cut from recycled metal and spray painted.

Pink and orange is a combo I am working on with a few clients..

Midcentury reproductions for the midcentury spirited child.

These cool boy and girl lamps have shades made of mylar..

This lamp is over 5 feet tall and is perfect for a glamor girl…

It was my first time in Atlanta. I brought home some great products for the design end of the shop.

See you…

Christina

Back from the Americasmart and happy to be home. I feel inspired and design rejuvenated. I can’t say there were many baby products that were new, but some of the showrooms were filled with solid  design ideas.
I arrived in Atlanta just in time to sit in  on a talk given by Suzanne Kasler. I love her interiors. It was nice to hear about what inspires her. Like most ” visual people”, she is not just inspired by an interesting spaces, but by unexpected color arrangements, fashion,and the fine arts.  Anything that may catch her eye, she ” files” for future references. Her own foyer is just beautiful.

After the lecture, I started to make my way around the showrooms. The interesting looks of industrial influences were apparent from the get go. It seemed like a celebration of the industrial revolution. Just great for  a boys bedroom or even nursery. Check out this funky dresser.

This little cube seat duals as a storage unit could  also be used as an ottoman.

I love these large wooden  letter plaques. The entire alphabet is available.

They can be made into side tables as well.

More interesting looks….

A kid who loves adventure could use some of these decorating ideas…

Love this ottoman..

What a nice lamp for a baby’s nursery…

This lamp will make it’s way into Cici Crib this Fall.

Next up it was all about color…

See you…

Christina

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It has been so busy this week at Cici Crib. Kids are away at camp. Mothers are coming  into  the shop redecorating the kids rooms before they come back. Cici Crib babies have been born this week. Their  gift registries need to be updated. Current projects are coming into fruition.   And I need to plan  for the Atlanta gift/home shows at Americasmart . I leave tomorrow feeling a bit unprepared.  It is the biggest show of the year for retailers. Four buildings full of stuff.  It is my first time in Atlanta so I am not sure what to expect. Every summer I go to one show outside of the New York area. Last year was Dallas. The year before was Los Angeles. So this year I decided to go where most retailers find their products, Atlanta.  This is one of the best parts of the job. We see trends in colors and styles. Check out all the new products. It will be a busy 4 days, but I look forward to it.

See you after the show.

Christina

I just got back from Pittsburgh again. It seems I go often now as my Mom is not well. I like to spend time with her. She loves to hear the  stories about the shop.

This time I was there long enough to check out some of my favorite shops.  I always love Toadflax on Walnut Street. It is a garden based shop with soaps and linens and antiques to enhance the beautiful flowers.  The smell and sounds are so sweet. Jeff Pierce, a co-owner, is inspiring and oh so talented. His dog, so comfortable in the shop, greets her favorite customers. Jeff has yet to set up his website which is such a pity. His work  spans from  museum galas to New York parties. He is understated and genuine. His touch is everywhere in the shop.

A nice little excursion.

See you,

Christina

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We wanted to go out with the boys  before they left for their summer journeys. So last night we went to see the broadway show, Fela. Wow the music and dancing were so original. So cool. So much fun. It was a true story of a legendary man named Fela Kuti.  The Shrine was the name of Fela’s nightclub in Nigeria during the 1970′s. It was a wild time. The costumes were great and the set was interesting. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of it. Too bad. It was so colorful. One corner was decorated in African masks.

It’s clear that tribal  masks can make a great design statement. Check out this room from Elle Decor.

A real feeling of Africa come out of these tin animals I have in the shop. They are made by artisans in Zimbabwe. They would be a great inspiration piece in a baby’s nursery. All lined up on a shelf. How neat is that.

It was a fun night out!

See you.

Christina

Bummer the US lost. But that has not stopped the kids love for soccer. I came across this great boys bedroom designed by Kate Hume. How fantastic  is this…

I love those light fixtures. What about this one..

Decorating with soccer in mind can just be a matter of touches.  To create nice bedding we could make a eurosham  with soccer fabric and denim piping.

This is fabric is of nice quality..

Mix it with a denim quilt and  shams…

Use a simple white sheet set or mix it up with  a Serena and Lily sheet set to say GO USA…

There is plenty of artwork available that focuses on soccer..

Maybe a distressed hand painted picture will do…

Use a vintage poster…

We can’t forget the girls…

See you…

Christina

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Ok I had some major computer issues with my blog this week. I am finally back writing posts thanks to my happening computer guy.

Well, it is the  last day of school for my boys.  The last day of school is a huge celebration when you have teenagers. No more nagging. No more trips to the tutor.  No more worrying about grades.  No more getting up at the crack of dawn.  I am just as happy as they are.

The boys have a busy, but incredibly fun summer schedule.  Fencing is heating up as they prepare for a national tournament in Atlanta over 4th of July.  After wards they  will visit with friends and family for a week .  Then it is off to Whale Camp.  Whale camp is something so special to them.   Camp stories trickle out from them all year long.  It is always a touch of sadness for Miles and me  to see them leave. But they can’t seem to get to the airport gate faster. We are lucky to get a 2 minute phone call during their 3 week stay.  A customer told me once that our job as a parents is to give our children roots and wings. So I guess this is the wings part of the equation.

In the shop we are changing our window display in celebration of summer.  We will  have this lovely diving diva making a splash. They are cut from wood, painted and are about 48″ long. A nice vintage feel.   They would make a real statement in a beachy bedroom.

We are using some of the other items from this company to   decorate  a client’s  Jack and Jill bathroom. Touches of teal and some nice art for a little boy and girl. I love a bit of the mysterious. So we will use this mermaid picture.

Moby Dick  will also make an appearance.

Celebrate summer!

See you.

Christina

This Viennese lithograph came into the shop this week. It dates back to the  turn of the century and is in great condition. Colors are clear and the size is quite large. It is absolutely lovely.  It appears that the  young subject is  Herta Zuckermann.

This picture would be a lovely piece to use as inspiration for a nursery or little girl’s room.  Maybe create  a little nursery  with European feel. Children’s rooms in Europe seem far more relaxed and playful, but not cutesy.

Some  Swedish rooms from Lila Villa Vita   Blog

Vita Nyanser’s blog has some sweet children’s rooms.

Lot’s of old linens and quilts could be used to create a very cozy space.

Simple crib bedding using white pique fabric and a little red gingham piping would work nicely.

I saw this light fixture in Pittsburgh last week. That would be sweet to use.

If it is a traditional nursery then we definitely could use this crib from Newport Cottages.

How one picture can inspire the decor of the entire room.

See you

Christina

I am in the city again to take the kids to fencing.  I  have about 2  hours to kill. Sometimes I pick up merchandise at vendors. Sometimes I have to shop for clients and sometimes, it is just time to blow off before pickup. Those days I get to check out the new shops. Limelight Marketplace opened recently.

A mini mall of pop up shops. Actually,  it is more like a tasting menu of shops. Each one is a small version of a main shop found elsewhere in the city.  One of the most interesting shops is Old Hollywood.  First you have to find it. It takes turns and steps and little passage ways to get to. It is a jewelry shop focusing on indie designer collections.  Their jewelry has such attitude and great vintage feel.

It looks like you walked into a 1930′s prop department.  Wow  I love it.  I know it  can border on creepy, but so inspiring.

Just another afternoon in the city.

See you.

Christina