And they are delicious.

I’d better get moving on the rest of my list though. I have less than two months to go and still 19 items to complete. Yikes. And here I thought I was making good progress…

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Homegrown Tomatoes | 29 comments

(I’ll be taking a photo of Eleanor sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing her pin each month until she’s two years old.)

Previous photos:
The First Year • Thirteen Months Old • Fourteen Months Old

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Fifteen Months Old (Eleanor’s Monthly Photo) | 37 comments

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.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Ask John Gidding | 3 comments

Orange (James’ favorite color) is back, though it’s a brighter happier shade now for a kid’s room. It shows up in the bedding, bedside table, and the floor bin that they fill with toys. Blue is a perfect complement to orange, and it’s on the walls, in the striped rug, and even in accessories like the lamp and clock. The simple bed is low to the ground and small in scale, so it’s the perfect size for a child’s room. Their little boy is a big fan of robots, and James and Eugenia are happy to indulge him. He has robot sheets on the bed, and a little robot coin bank on his nightstand. The Space Invaders style wall graphics are a playful addition to the room, even if the game was a wee bit before the boy’s time (he just likes the way the aliens look).

Making it Yours, Fifth Edition

We’ve seen the mid-century rocker chair in five different rooms now, completing this edition of Making it Yours. Remember, these looks are meant to work with any vintage or reproduction Danish Modern chair, whether it’s a rocker or not. Did you have a favorite room from this time around? I’d love to hear what you thought!

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5e: Little Boy’s Room | 41 comments

I’m feeling a bit… overwhelmed, trying to get back into the rhythm of things. Do you ever feel this way? Already today I have overnighted a package to a magazine for a fun project in the works, invoiced an overseas customer for a bulk order from the shop, processed five other Pink Loves Brown orders, and I am now working on a crafty tutorial to go along with that package I shipped to the magazine. I also let Eleanor nap on me this morning which didn’t do much for my productivity, but it is one of my favorite things to do. Anyway, it’s wonderful to be so busy (so much better than not having any work coming in), but it is sometimes difficult to find enough hours in a day.

And oh my, Brandon bought The Twilight Saga for me. No, I hadn’t read any of them, and I hadn’t seen any of the movies, and I hadn’t intended to. We were discussing the series the other day though and I mentioned that I hadn’t heard of anyone being disappointed in reading the books. I said that while they are certainly not serious literature, they must be fun to read. So he surprised me with the full set. Hardcover. Complete with a decorative slipcase and limited edition print. I’m already almost finished with the first book (they go quickly), and I can’t wait to keep reading.

I’ve also been greatly enjoying reading your questions for John Gidding. If you haven’t added yours yet (for the chance to win some pretty amazing prizes), feel free to do so here. We’ll be answering as many as we can on Thursday night at 8:30 EST during our Twitter Chat (follow along with #AmexHome), but you’ve also given me some ideas for future topics here on Making it Lovely.

Let me leave you with this photo today. I think it’s hilarious, but it also makes me think I should just stop for a few minutes, close my eyes, and relax. Om…

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Om | 58 comments

• Note to self: this is an excellent possible tattoo location (though I fear that may be a painful spot).
• You know, I use to draw my outfits all the time. This makes me think I should start again.
• These travel documenting diptychs are so smart, and beautiful. (via sfgirlbybay)
• A clever and adorable laundry bag? It exists.
• I think I need to give up on the slipcover idea for my office chair (not that I’ve been working on it lately anyway), and just reupholster it instead. Look at how well these chairs turned out!
• You know how sometimes people take a bunch of mismatched items and then paint them in a unifying color to make them all work together? I am a fan of that.
• Here’s a labor-intensive but lovely gift wrapping idea.
• Pink, pink, lots of pink.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Honor Roll (No. 12) | 34 comments

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, Thursday, July 29 at 9:30 p.m. *
Thanks for joining us for the Twitter chat, everybody! Comments (and therefore entries) are now closed. I’ll update tomorrow with a list of winners.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway! | 1570 comments

Organizing the catch-all closet in my office was one of the tasks on my 30 Before Thirty list (item number 12).

It’s hard to tell, but one of those bookshelves was already there along the back of the closet. I put it against the right side instead and brought up one more from the basement. All of my copies of Lucky and Blueprint (along with a few other magazines and catalogs) fit along one shelf.

Winter gloves, hats, and scarves are in the pink box on top of the bookshelf. There are also hooks above the shelves to hang a few things.

I gathered my many IKEA shopping bags into one big bag (the red one), and corralled the rolls of vintage wallpaper into a big plastic container. The green and white bag holds some random decorative knickknacks.

The coats are still hung along the left wall, along with my wedding dress at the back.

The end result isn’t as pretty as my bedroom closet, but it’s so much better than it was. I didn’t spend any money either, though I would have liked to have all new, coordinating storage boxes. Some day I do plan to replace that bare light bulb, but that can wait for now.

Have you tackled any similar projects lately (or are you going to now)? It’s not fun while you’re in the middle of working, but it’s so nice when you’re done!

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as My Organized Office Closet | 51 comments

Eleanor can sit on a ball. She is very proud of this (as are we). She can then multi-task and play some Yo Gabba Gabba tunes. Is she a genius or what?

Cool tricks, cool tricks!

This is an improved technique for her, by the way. Last week she was setting the ball down and then doing a whirl around hopefully-my-butt-will-land-on-the-ball move.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as My Little Trained Seal | 50 comments

Have any of you seen this yet in the store? Customer service is lacking at the Macy’s near me, and nobody even answers the phone in the clothing department (I was actually told “yeah, they’re not going to pick up over there, try calling another day”).

found via Better Homes and Gardens, August 2010

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as General’s Jacket | 28 comments