Cici Crib will be closed for vacation from August 23rd until August 31st.  Vacation plans changed quite abruptly  in the last weeks of the summer. We were supposed to go to Paris and meet with friends and then continue on to Provence for a self guided, gastronomic, bicycling tour.

As many of you know, my mom has been struggling with an auto immunne disease that attacks her liver. Primary Biliary Cirrhosis(PBC) is a slow progressing disease . Towards the end,  it comes on like a freight train.  Next week my mom will receive part of my sister’s liver, in what is called  a live donor transplant.  It is complicated, but at least she will have a chance of  having a normal life again. My sister is really just remarkable!   I don’t know how else to describe what she is willing to do.

Family, friends and customers have been so incredibly comforting. I would like everyone to know how appreciative I am. For the next few weeks I will be in and out of Cici Crib.  Posting will be sporatic.

For now I will post a photo of a place that my sister and my mom think of as a  little place of peace.  It is very near to where I grew up.  It is Winterthur Museum. We used to just go up to the museum after school and walk the grounds. My mom loves this spot. We used to sit on the bench and just look out  and chat.

See you…

Christina

How lucky to live right around the corner from the NYIGF. Store owners, designers and bloggers descend  from all over the world, to check out all the new looks. Most of the vendors I had already seen at the Atlanta show. But New York always brings out a different feeling.

I go with a shopping list so not to forget customer requests. I got the new blablas for one customer. Leo Leoni books for another.  Organic doll is still outstanding.  Another asked for a moroccan pouf on steriods. Check, I  found  one. Wow, 36″x16h”!

Even though they had a whole new baby and children  gift and decor section, the vendors seemed to be the same ones I had seen before. Nothing really striking  sticks  in my mind.

But the home decor vendors showed some flair.

I just loved Pacific Connections lacquer ware.

Mondrian inspired tables…

The color of the inner section of this table can be changed out to any color requested….

And of course they are known for their boxes. So I asked if they could make a  chic little diaper caddy. Maybe, he said…

I noticed some really nice chairs for curling up and reading a book. Could work in a chic little girl’s bedroom..

A bit campy…

A Bit Bohemian…

Oh soo cool…

And then there was Jonathan Adler kids …..

Just as I was about to leave for the day,  I came across Tedde.  Tedde is made in NYC. Cici Crib is a little too populated right now with other stuffed animals. Maybe they will find a home at the shop next year. But I really felt like they did. It was a long day at market.

See you…

Christina

This new picture frame came into Cici Crib this week. I love the delicate pink and orange.

I really don’t like creaming a room with “fun” colors just because you are decorating a kid’s room. It can still have the same bad effect. Just too much of everything. This is an inspiring pink and orange room.

So I am doing some girls bedrooms with pink and orange. Gathering ideas is so much fun.  We will not use all these items, but they are ideas to throw around.

Wallpaper…

A clock…

Some pillows…

An original piece of artwork from Jeff Canham…

The bedding and furniture will be  quiet for the most part. Although, I have these vintage bedside tables that I want to paint in a hot pink or orange.

We already chose this light fixture..

We love these boy and girl lamps I found in Atlanta for the bedside.

It will be a delicate pink and orange room.

See you…

Christina

The boys came home from camp with piles of dirty, stinky laundry and stories. Oh boy  the stories. Justin, my oldest says camp was soul revealing.  There is always something so calm and zen about him. Fiery James, says no way.  He goes on to tell me he received a formal behavioral warning for climbing on the roof of the dorm and pouring a bucket of water on a counselor. It was an act of retaliation for a super soaker incident that happened 4 years ago when the counselor was a camper. My  2 boys are polar opposites.

The house was tidy and neat when they were gone . Now it is back to normal. The kitchen counter is full with ipods and books and hats and sunglasses. Sneakers and jackets all over. Messy again. All of sudden I was reminded of the few vintage items I found at the flea market recently. A sweet little doll,  from the 1940′s and a 1950′s picture created by Johnson and Johnson “dedicated to mothers and fathers of America.”

Ok so the poem is a bit corny, but how the house so changes when the children are around.

So there are no more diapers, but loads of t-shirts and shorts.  Baby cereal is replaced with Lucky Charms. Beautiful cribs are replaced with messy beds. The red faced cherub is now a teenager sleeping until noon. But the feeling of having them home is the same,  joy  and heartwarming. My oldest will begin his junior year of high school this fall.  Time at home is fleeting . Enjoy every moment…

See you…

Christina

This past weekend Miles and I  decided to do a last minute getaway. It was the last weekend before the kids came home from camp.   In order to maximize the down time and minimize the hassle, we decided we wanted to stay close by, but we wanted to be on the Atlantic Ocean. Not many choices fitting  that criteria. We decided on the Panoramic View in Montauk. Although the place was “renovated” , it seemed so tired.  It didn’t take long to really appreciate this hotel. Clearly it had been around since the 1960′s. For the time being there are no spas or fancy restaurants. The main attraction is the ocean. It is the last sound you hear when you close your eyes at night and it is the first sound you hear when you wake up.

A Canadian high settled over us for the weekend, creating the coolest of mornings, the driest of days and the most spectacular sunsets. The beach was quiet, private and beautiful.

Other  favorite moments were the bike rides around Amaghansett’s Napeague Harbor.

The fish tacos and the fruity Rosé at the Fishbar in Montauk. Who knew the lovely chef was just on Food Network’s Chopped.

The wine was so nice  that we picked up a case at the Wolffer Estate vineyard on the way home.

We stopped for lunch in Southampton. Checked out some of the shops. Loved Hatchlings for children’s clothes.  I liked the embroidery at The Elegant Setting.

The Ralph Lauren Home shop with it’s side entrance,  felt like it was in a tiny carriage house. A memorable little shop…

We’re home now  and I still can’t forget those sunsets…

See you…

Christina