Making it Lovely

Category: Filing Cabinet

  • New Old-Fashioned Technology

    New Old-Fashioned Technology

    I love the look of vintage technology. The ability to fix up old electronics however is not among the skills that I possess. Luckily there are plenty of new items that have the same styling as the classic old pieces. Here are four of my current favorites.

    1. Robers Revival Radio
    2. Retro Flip Clock
    3. Allaire Desk Fan
    4. Crosley Princess Phone

    Do you have any similar new/old tech pieces in your home? I have three vintage-style phones: a red one in the bedroom (from Pottery Barn), a white one in my office (by Crosley), and a wall-mounted white one in the kitchen (also by Crosley). It’s sort of surprising that I don’t have that pink one though, eh?

  • Ask John Gidding

    Ask John Gidding

    The Twitter Chat with John Gidding will take place tomorrow (Thursday) night at 8:30p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. PST. If you haven’t already, be sure to add your questions for John to answer. And remember too that by commenting on that post you’ll be entering to win one of ten great prizes! Really, I’m a little jealous.

    Good luck in the giveaway, and I hope to see you tomorrow on Twitter! We’ll have tons of solutions and advice for you, so be sure to follow along with #AmexHome to participate in the chat. Of course, feel free to follow John (@JohnGidding) and I (@makingitlovely) as well.

  • Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway!

    Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway!

    You remember the lovely bedroom redesign that I did with the help of Membership Reward Points from American Express, yes? Well now I am working with them again to host a Twitter Chat with HGTV designer John Gidding. John will be giving tons of advice next Thursday on how to decorate and find creative ways to stretch your budget — just like I did using my points.

    John and I will be on Twitter for one hour on Thursday, July 29 at 8:30p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. PST (search #AmexHome). John will be answering your home design questions about anything from creating amazing guest spaces to choosing the right colors for your home. He’ll also have plenty of inexpensive ways to get your home ready for sale and ideas for upgrading rooms on a tight budget.

    Now, you may have noticed the whole HUGE giveaway thing we’ve got going on here…

    How do you enter to win?

    Comment on this post with your questions for John and we’ll discuss some of them during our Twitter Chat. By leaving a comment, you’ll be entered to win items like a KitchenAid mixer, a Bissell vacuum, or a set of Cuisinart cookware (all of which can be bought with Membership Rewards points). There will be ten winners in this giveaway! Here are the prizes:

    1. Cuisinart® 10-Piece Commercial Cookware Set
    2. Cuisinart GR-4N Griddler
    3. Krups FBC2 6-slice Convection Toaster Oven
    4. All-Clad 6.5 Quart Stainless Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert
    5. KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Attachment Pack ( Empire Red)
    6. Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Block Set
    7. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum Cleaner
    8. DeLonghi Esclusivo Magnifica Super Automatic Machine
    9. Viking® Professional Digital Hand Mixer
    10. Le Creuset® 7.25 Quart Round French Oven


    (All of these items are available on membershiprewards.com.)

    This giveaway is open to US residents only, one entry per person. Ten winners will be randomly chosen on July 30 to win one prize each. International readers are welcome to participate in the Twitter Chat and submit questions, but are not eligible to win. Remember you can ask anything about design and home improvements — this is a fun chance to get advice from an HGTV designer!

    I know many of you are following me on Twitter @makingitlovely, but you can also follow John @JohnGidding. If you want to get some ideas for home improvement immediately, go to membershiprewards.com/home. And be sure to follow along to #AmexHome with John and I on Twitter next Thursday.

    * Update *
    Thanks for joining us for the Twitter chat, everybody! Comments (and therefore entries) are now closed. Congratulations to the ten winners: Aimee (aimeeroo), Mim (mimsfam), LeeAnn (leeannhuber), Sara (naturemurph), Sarah (Sarahquail110), Cara, (cara.andersen), Suzy (sayitaintsuzy), Sarah (Pooglit), Devon (devon.cook), and Kc (kcerveny).

  • Wallpaper for Eleanor’s ‘Big Girl’ Room

    Wallpaper for Eleanor’s ‘Big Girl’ Room

    I am in love with this bedroom for two little girls.


    (via Style-ing with Children)

    I think we’re going to move Eleanor straight into a regular bed when the time comes, even though those MINNEN toddler beds from IKEA are pretty cute. The wallpaper though? Love.

    My dining room is wallpapered in Mibo’s Clackett Lane, but before I decided to go with that pattern I had actually bought several rolls of a vintage design on eBay. I didn’t use it for Eleanor’s nursery (obviously), but I have been planning to work it into her ‘big girl’ room when she’s ready. I’ve already used some of the wallpaper to line the drawers of Eleanor’s dresser that I painted pink, but there is still plenty left.

    I know the style is much more vintage and less graphic than the Marimekko Unikko flowers, but here’s another wallpapered wall that’s more similar in style. This has been one of my favorite rooms for a long time, even in spite of the color palette (which is lovely, but I’m not a big fan of blue).

    Bedroom detail 1
    (photo by lutterlagkage)

    Can’t you just picture it? I’m not ready to start on another room project quite yet, but it’s so much fun to think about. I adore working on nurseries and kids’ rooms. I need to get Smart & Lovely (my design service) up and running so that I can do more of them!

  • Twenty Pounds Lighter

    Twenty Pounds Lighter

    Losing twenty pounds was number six on my 30 Before Thirty list. Following through with number five (stop drinking soda) certainly helped, so that’s two more off the list!

    My BMI now officially puts me in the normal weight category, which is fantastic considering that I had edged into obese territory after pregnancy. I certainly didn’t feel obese, but medically, there I was. I gained 40 pounds while I was pregnant with Eleanor, and I’ve since lost 60, making me twenty pounds lighter than my pre-baby weight.

    Line Diet

    I did it very sensibly, losing two pounds per week. I followed the Steve Ward diet, which is not actually a diet but rather a way to keep yourself on track. You just draw a line on graph paper from your current weight to your goal, eat normally when you’re below the line and watch your meals when you’re above. I’m a visual person, so the graph was immensely helpful to me. It kept me motivated when I felt like nothing was happening because I could see my progress (even before I could see a difference in my waistline). I also liked being able to look ahead and see where I’d be by a certain date, assuming I kept on track.

    * Edit: I didn’t do the broccoli only thing that the Steve Ward diet calls for — that’s too extreme. I just ate a little lighter overall when I went over the line.

    I never followed a strict exercise plan or diet. I went on more walks and for longer distances, and I often used a baby carrier for Eleanor instead of a stroller. I had been reading a lot about opting not to partake in the Western Diet (all of the crap that Americans typically eat), and so I was mindful about making healthier choices. These are some of the books that helped me:

    It’s hard to change a lifetime of eating habits so I still have some work to do, but I’m making good progress. I have hardly eaten any fast food, and in fact the times that I did revert to it I found that I didn’t like it as much. Still, I’m not one to deny myself an occasional cheeseburger or pizza, so I let myself indulge sometimes. The difference is that I really do think of it as an indulgence rather than a normal weeknight option.

    So that’s how I did it. I lost weight the baby weight and then some with diet, exercise, and graph paper.

  • Constructor Craft Fair 2010

    Constructor Craft Fair 2010

    The Constructor Craft Fair took place in my neighborhood on Sunday, June 6. Here are some of my favorites from the show…


    Funny plush from Steff Bomb (Eleanor grabbed hold of a stuffed stump and wouldn’t let go — I bought it for her.)


    Venn diagram embroidered clocks from Diffraction Fiber


    Adorable dresses for little girls from Lily Sky Designs (Eleanor owns two of these now.)


    Cool photography from Heath Hays


    Delicate ceramics from SODA by amy


    Metalwork jewelry from Alisa Miller


    Iconic Chicagoland prints from Leslie Hamer


    Plush mustaches and wee ninjas from Shawnimals


    Hipster embroidery from Moxiedoll


    Clever shirts and onesies from Bernie’s Girl


    Charming prints from Paper Parasol Press


    Porcelain jewelry from Sofia Masri


    And of course, there was a photo booth (where we snapped our adorable family shots) from Magnolia Photo Booth