Habitat Kid

ENJOY: Paintings from Ingrid van der Kamp

The first piece of original art I ever purchased was a small painting of a girl surrounded by a large halo of gold leaf, so it's no wonder I'm attracted to these paintings by Ingrid van der Kamp with all of their delicate metallic touches. I love their simplicity and innocence, and the way the colors seem to be just barely touching the canvas. Just the sort of art I would enjoy looking at all summer long.

SLEEP: Summer Sheets from Serena & Lily

Serena & Lily have some of the prettiest sheets for kids right now that are perfect for snuggling into after a long hard day of play in the sun. I want the crab ones!

PLAY: SEE SAWseat / see sawSEAT

Now here's something you don't come across everyday: a seesaw that turns into a bench! Don't you love it when people design multi-functional things like this? Conceived by Dirk Ploos van Amstel of d van dirk, the design is simple to change: Fold the bench in half and join the feet together to use as a seesaw, unfold for the bench and press the handles down flat. Now who gets to use it first – adults or kids?

via handmade charlotte

SLEEP: Bedding from Anorak

Anorak's punchy graphic animal prints are easy to fall in love with, and these bedding sets are so perfect for kid's rooms. They also have like a gazillion more matching products to choose from - I'm particularly in heart with their sleeping bags and picnic blankets. Maybe they will inspire me to be somewhat outdoorsy yet!

PLAY: Marble Run

And I'm back at last! After a whirlwind trip to gorgeous Seattle, we settled on a house and are waiting for everything to fall into place. I know this is mean, but I will save the details until things are more finalized and we know it works out. :) Sorry to keep you in suspense!! I am busily daydreaming about things I want to change and today the bonus room has been on my mind... I think it will double as a family hang out room/playroom. I came across this marble run mounted to a wall and instantly wanted to put one in the room. What a delightful little place to play! And if mounting it directly to the wall seems like too big of a commitment, you could just do what is done here, by gluing it with wood glue to a separate board and then using screws to mount the board on the wall. Totally a one afternoon project and sure to be a hit when it's finished! (psst: I turn 30 today! Yikes. Guess it's time to start acting like a grown up?)

via Miluccia

DISCOVER: New Territory

Image by cocochula

Well it's about time I shared my big news with you! We are moving to Seattle this summer! After a long three years in NYC, we are moving from a land of skyscrapers to a land of trees and I am so looking forward to the change. I have never been there, so this will be completely new to me, but as a lover of trees, green, and rain, I think I'll be just fine. :) We fly out there today to look for a home (first home I will have lived in since high school!) and we are crossing our fingers that we find something during the few days we are visiting. I'll be consumed with pretending to be a grown up, so I am going to take a short break from blogging. I will return in a week – hopefully with more good news!

In the meantime, I'll be lusting after this project from Sanna Annukka for Marimekko. Her work reminds me of what the Pacific Northwest might be like, with all of her forest animals and pine tree graphics. I think we just might need these cookie cutters for a rainy day (and I'm sure there will be many).

PLAY: Playgrounds by MONSTRUM

Happy Monday everyone and a late Happy Mother's Day! I am so excited to start off this week with some amazing playground photos from design team MONSTRUM. Founded in 2003 in Copenhagen, the team has put together a slew of mind-blowing designs that respect children's need for fantasy and challenging structures. According to their website, they state: "We see the world as a place full of colour. We meet boys that like pink and girls that likes trees, so why only play on a monkey frame and a sandbox, when you can play in a moon crater or a submarine or a giant spider or an enormous snail or a Trojans horse or a rocket or an ant or a princess castle. The fantasy is infinite."

It's quite refreshing and invigorating to hear designers who think like this and who don't limit themselves in their creations. I'm also impressed with their desires to keep playgrounds safe, but still provide children with risk-taking opportunities that can help them grow and develop. After all, a playground is just a preparation for real life, and can help them build confidence in themselves if designed appropriately. Well done, MONSTRUM!

IMAGINE: Imaginary Friend

Did you have an imaginary friend growing up? I know I did. His name was Ben. He was just an ordinary looking kid who liked to follow me around and talk to me. When my mom became pregnant with her third child, a boy, I was convinced it was Ben coming to join our family and get a real body so everyone could see him. Weird, I know... I begged my mom to name him Ben, but he ended up as Dallin. :) It will be so interesting to see if my daughter London gets an imaginary friend one day. What about you? Any imaginary friend stories from your childhood or your children today?

via Little About

ENJOY: Early Bird Light from Alma's Room

I do believe that unique lighting is my main decorating weakness. I think designing lights has got to be one of the best jobs there is - maybe one day... These new handmade ceramic lamps from Alma's Room definitely fit into the unique lighting category and are sweet on their own, or hung in a grouping. The seven different pastel colors are so pretty, too! Designed by Amy Adams of Perch! Design and available at these retailers.

REST: Table and Chairs from Soopsori

Soopsori is one of my favorite toy brands, so I'm excited to see that they are working on developing a table and chair set for children. Their signature is the use of different types of natural wood and linseed oil finishes, and the absence of artificial paints and dyes. This prototype of a table and chair fits right in with their toy collection and has some neat features including adjustable table legs and chair seat, rounded corners, and even a little plaque on the back of the chair for having a child's name engraved if desired.