New York International Gift Fair

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

The New Birdhouse

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

Colorful Atlanta

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

Summer is finally here!

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

Art for a little girl's nursery

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

Love the dot

Sometimes when I mention polka dots as a decorating idea, I get a groan from my customers.  Yes, it  has been over used. Dots on the bedding, dots on the window treatments, dots on the rugs, and painted dots on the walls. Too many dots! Seen too many times.  But that simple circle can be quite inspiring. Check out Emily Clark's little girl's bedroom. Aren't those exaggerated dots fantastic? It sooo easy. You can just paint the wall  and use the wall stickers to make the circles.

A little more of a classic polka dot for this little girl who loves pink and green.

Love the oversized dots..

Another room that used wall stickers.

See the dots in Cici Crib that are also wall stickers.  Easy decorating for a nursery.

A painted chest of drawers in a bedroom or nursery can create a nice statement.

A simple shade in polka dot is definitely not overdoing it.

Polka dot decorating is endless. Just don't overdo it.

See you.

Christina

The perfect little side table for a nursery

The other day I was checking out Restoration Hardware on Broadway. I was so inspired by the light weathered woods of the furniture.

Around the same time, I saw this  perfect little side table . Sometimes, a customer is just looking for a little table to sit next to a glider.  A table that will be large enough for a bottle or glass of water, a burp cloth  and cell phone. A little one can bang on it like a drum. No worries. These are the small requirements.

So the little table is now in the shop.

See you.

Christina

Decorate with lavender and silver

I am currently gatthering ideas for  decorating a little girl's bedroom. It is in the idea building stage. We definitely would like a lavender and silver coloring in the room. I liked the idea of using circles as a bit of inspiration.  Of course these ideas aren't logically ordered.  I know I need to find proper storage, a bed, etc.. It's just the beginning. The little girl aready has a chandelier which  is perfectly acceptable. But if I could change it , I would l love  to use this flush mount fixture.  It also works because of the 8' ceiling height.

I saw this really soft rug in Dallas last summer that has a  hint of lavender and silver.

I picked some samples of fabric from Silk Trading Company. They recently moved out of ABC Carpet and have moved into their own space a few blocks away. The solid fabric is a silk velvet. I love the sheen. I want sphere fabric for throw pillows. The fabric is lying on top of a wallpaper memo from Zoffany. An abstract floral. Window treatments are simple blackout rollers with a gauzy lavender shimmery sheer. The room will be dreamy.

This lamp is really lovely.

The little girl loves Barbie prints. We will do them in frames of silver.

We decided she needed some seating so we chose this perfect fainting couch.

We are just getting started.

See you.

Christina

Barbie's comeback

I was at the D& D building the other day doing some research for a few clients, when I stumbled upon this Italian fabric. A nice vintage feel. Wow this would be a great boudoir pillow, on a chaise in a pink houndstooth. Great for decorating a classic girl's bedroom.

The Barbie prints that hang in the shop would fit in nicely.

One of my sweetest customer purchased a lavender Barbie  and put in a plum mat to enhance the print. Now it is perfect for her daughter's bedroom.

Barbie reminds me of the head vases my mother collected.She loved the kitsch factor.  She lined them up on the piano.  Unfortunately, She got tired of the collection and sold it. I wish she held on to them.  I could find a nice spot for them at Cici Crib.

Jonathan Adler took a crazy turn in celebrating Barbie's  50th anniversary. He completely amped it up.  It's over the top. It's Barbie's dream house in Malibu.

In Cici Crib there is a nice desk chair for the studious Jonathan Adler Barbie.

Barbie's style is always changing.

See you.

Christina

Silhouettes

I took a long weekend away from Cici Crib to visit with my family in Pittsburgh. My parents moved to Pittsburgh  after I graduated from college. My sister followed  after burning out of the New York fashion scene a few years ago.  They live in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh, a  beautiful neighborhood bordering Carnegie Mellon University.  Because the city is so rich in history, the best antiques and vintage items  that have passed through Cici Crib come from Pittsburgh  auction houses.  My mother and sister are avid collectors of just about everything. They were excited about these 19th century children silhouettes the moment they saw them at the auction preview last month. I loved them. There is a lot of discussion amongst the three of us.   I set a budget and actually won all of them. The children are cut from paper, then enhanced by pencil.

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The silhouette of the boy is just so sweet. I will keep him . The picture was small enough to fit into my luggage.  He sits in my livingroom now.

Silhouettes have always been popular. I have some from the 1920's that are in my powder room.

This is a fun one.  It's on an old cake tin.

Modern silhouettes have been reinvented  using different materials.  Some are cut from vintage wallpaper.  They are large. They are an easy way to decorate. Great for playrooms to nurseries. I love these by  Inke Heiland that are in the shop now.

Some silhouettes are cut out of  vinyl. Because the  vinyl is micro thin, the images  almost look painted onto the wall. They are a breeze to apply and most are removable. A great invention. Your child outgrows them and they can easily come off. There are so many brands  and the images seem to get more complex and interesting every year. Here are some that are in the shop.

Painted silhouettes can also make a great design statement in a room.

How cool!

See you.

Christina

Keepsake Boxes

Keepsake boxes have different meanings for different ages.  Traditionally, for adults we like a nice box to keep our most treasured possessions. I like this box, handmade in Brooklyn. One can put a birth announcement inside the glass lid. It is lined in a chic gray velvet.

For children, a keepsake box can have a slightly different meaning. I remember having a tiny doll's suitcase where I stored all my very important items. I don't know what happened to my orange suitcase, but any day now I bet I will find it at an antique fair. My older son, Justin began collecting rocks from the garden when he was around 2. As he learned about dinosaurs the rocks became fossils and a collection was born. He needed a large keepsake box.  Really a mini display case was more in order. I found one at a flea market and was thrilled because it fit so perfectly on his dressser. He is a teenager now, but his box is still there. So I removed the cool sunglasses and the  ipod and his Beats  that lay on top so I could peer  inside.  Fossils,bones, rocks,shells and even the glass insect we purchased in Venice years ago. All the things that were special to him as a little boy.

My younger son, James still adds to his small keepsake boxes. I see some amber he purchased last year.  He is far more tidy than his brother. He even labeled his "My Display Case."

In the shop there is a large jewelry box for a little girl. The ballerina twirls to the sound of "The Nutcracker".  The top can be personalized.

Of coarse, there are some nice suitcases to store special cars and trains and dolls and all their accoutrements.

A vintage ballet case would work well.

Or  some new suitcases  that are even  large enough to hold sleepover essentials.

Everything to keep your child's special items..

See you

Christina

Poufs

The poufs are in.

Poufs  can add a stylish element. They can be a great alternative to an ottoman. In a nursery , use one with a glider. They  add additional seating that is low enough for kids to use.  Use them in a bedroom at the foot of the bed. Use them in a playroom.

So many places...

Kelly Wearstler used them in her little boy's bedroom.

What's not to love about poufs...

See you

Christina