Making it Lovely

Tag: Emily Henderson

  • On My Nightstand

    On My Nightstand

    This is not a clever new title for a post about which books are metaphorically on my bedside table. No, it is literally the stack of books and other things that I have been making my way through lately. Like a “what’s in your bag?” post, but heavier! Unstyled for authenticity (though I did take the picture this morning, as opposed to last night when I actually wrote this).

    So many books to read! So little sleep!

    Let’s dive in, shall we? Very brief summaries ahead.

    The Humorous Memoirs

    Why Not Me?, Mindy Kaling
    Her first book was a collection of things that had happened to her, but this is more of a peek into why she thinks the way she does. A brilliant, funny, and inspiring read.

    Furiously Happy, Jenny Lawson
    We’re all a little weird and wonderful, Jenny perhaps more so than most (and that’s why we all love her).

    The Magazines

    One Kings Lane: Style Your Season
    Impulse buy at the checkout. “One Kings Lane made a magazine? Is this a regular thing? Buying that.” A pricey impulse buy ($14 for a magazine), but I was curious. It is the new Domino model (create a magazine to drive sales to the shop) in reverse. With a holiday twist!

    House Beautiful
    I subscribe, and this is the magazine I most look forward to every month.

    Martha Stewart Living
    Another subscription, another I always look forward to. Martha, my love.

    The Decorating Books

    Pink, Lisa Cregan for House Beautiful
    Well of course I bought this. (The author, Lisa Cregan, wrote a piece on me ages ago for Chicago Tribune Magazine! To this day, I think it’s the only bit of press I’ve received that my dad is aware of.)

    Styled, Emily Henderson
    There is decorating info to be gleaned from the book and the photos are beautiful, but the core of the book truly is about how to style (especially for photos) vs. how to decorate or design a space.
    I suppose it should be noted that I did not use Emily’s tips to style the photo for this post. If I had, you would have noticed smaller, neater stacks, a color story, and perhaps a throw placed just so. Also real flowers. And a plant. And some ceramic bells on the wall.

    Habitat, Lauren Liess
    Whereas Styled is about the finishing touches, this is about the substance and planning that goes into a successful room. The field guide approach is smart, and this has been the best read of the decorating bunch.

    Beekman 1802 Style, Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell
    Photos are pulled from the Country Living archives, making this a sort of highly edited Pinterest board (albeit from a single source) come to life. That said, the photos and point of view are fantastic and I love their take on historical homes and new country style.

    Modern Mix, Eddie Ross
    Inventive layouts and photo spreads (pulled straight from the Martha Stewart Living handbook it would seem), with useful and inventive ideas for rescuing and repurposing finds you may have otherwise overlooked.

    Absolutely Beautiful Things, Anna Spiro
    A riot of color and fun, and of course, absolutely beautiful things.

    The Board Books

    Daddy Loves Me, DK
    This would be creepy if it were there for me.

    Pajama Time, Sandra Boynton
    Some are pink and some are green. Some are the ugliest you’ve ever seen.

    The Extras

    Fake flowers that are so fake it makes me smile (those peonies are the size of my baby’s head!) and a brass lamp. An alarm clock, an iPhone, a toy iPhone, a dimmer switch, and Nintendo 3DS with Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Glass water bottle with a small motivational quote below the heart (“it’d be really nice if you had your shit together a little more.”), Rosebud Salve, two pairs of glasses, and my daughter’s hair tie. Missing: the usual assortment of Star Wars guys that somehow make their way over here.

  • DIY Chalkboard Holiday Favors

    DIY Chalkboard Holiday Favors

    I was asked to contribute to her Holiday Guide by Emily Henderson, so I came up with this DIY chalkboard holiday favor. They look cute at each place setting, and you could use them as place cards too.

    After dinner, your guests could write their New Year’s Resolutions on them. Then you, as party host, can impose your iron will upon everyone to make them pose with their chalkboards as photo props. Pose, unsuspecting party guests, POSE!

    I think party favors can be a little silly sometimes. What do you do with them after the party? That’s why the holiday doodad is removable — so the favor can be hung as a simple chalkboard the rest of the year.

    It’s a simple craft that doesn’t cost much, and doesn’t take much time (other than waiting for paint to dry). Want to give it a try? See page 228 in The Holiday Guide by Emily Henderson for a list of materials needed and the full instructions.

  • The “I’m a Giant!” Challenge

    The “I’m a Giant!” Challenge

    I’ve really been feeling the urge to just start decorating a whole new house from scratch. I love our home, but there’s something to be said for starting at the beginning again. So I’m going for it. A whole new house!

    OK, a whole new dollhouse. Is it weird to be as excited as I am about this? Because I am very, very excited here.

    Emily Henderson is putting together the biggest little challenge in blogland: The “I’m a Giant” challenge. Here are the bloggers participating:

    …And you! We would love to see what everyone else out there can come up with. Oh man, Etsy. Prepare thyself for the onslaught of searches for dollhouse furniture.

    “Eleanor is going to have a really awesome dollhouse someday.”

    That’s what I said two years ago when Brandon gave me the miniature designer chairs that you see above. So I have a good start, but dollhouses are not furnished in chairs alone. I’ll be looking for miniature furniture, making things, bringing in lots of color and pattern, and decorating my heart out. I loved making shoebox dioramas and decorating my dollhouse when I was a kid, I loved creating models when I was studying architecture, and I’m going to love this challenge. I’m doing this for me, but also for Eleanor and August. I want to create something so magical for them that not only will they love it, they’ll also want to share it with their kids and tell them about how their mom made it.

    I adore the way Emily describes the challenge.

    It’s like a virtual Quilting Bee. Just a bunch of people crafting together and not making each other feel weird. Let’s not be ashamed of having a ‘hobby’. Let’s not be afraid to love the detail that goes into miniatures, the workmanship, the obsession. It’s a forgotten craft that we are going to give its due respect.

    There are big plans to organize a show in LA of the finished houses, and we’d like to feature your projects there and on our blogs. So, do you want to get in on the fun? We’re going to start now and finish our houses by December 15. Of course we’ll all be sharing our progress as we go. I’m using a Walton dollhouse courtesy of Melissa and Doug for the challenge (and they’re offering 15% off with the code DH15 if you want to use one of theirs too). You could also make one, get your own, or maybe find a vintage house that needs some love. It doesn’t even have to be a traditional dollhouse, or even a room! Think art project. Think conceptual. Just think of something, because we want you to play along too. We want to spread some fun, see some creativity, and work on a big internet craft project. Together.

    Obviously I’m in. Are you?