I’m in Toronto, checking off a few Lovely Life List items. Crossing the Canadian border… check. Giving a keynote speech… that’s happening tomorrow at BlogPodium. I’m excited (and a smidge nervous)!

I’ll be taking Monday off to spend some time with my family after being away this Memorial Day weekend, so I’ll be back here Tuesday. In the meantime, here are the things that have made this week’s Honor Roll.

• Vanity Fair has rereleased their Impossible Interviews from the 1930s as on online exclusive.
  p.s. I feel like this series is their modern counterpart: short imagined dialogues.

• This garden shed designed by Orla Kiely is as cute as you’d expect.

• What’s that you say? You haven’t yet had your fill of Orla? Oh, all right. Here you go!

• Comma rules rule. I like to think that my grammar is pretty solid, but I picked up a few things.

• “You only need one confetti [ring] to remember the party.”

• I want two Clump-O-Lumps. One each for Eleanor and August.
  Plus, two is just way more fun. Gotta mix ‘em up!

• Turn your recycling into truly recycled toys. Clever!
  There are some cute stickers to be had here, but I also got a lot of crafty project ideas.

• Hello, glittering shoes of awesomeness.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Honor Roll | 5 comments

I bought this pink ballet maxi skirt earlier in the month, and posted about not being sure how to pull it off. I still need to find a good black and white striped top (what kind of blogger am I to not own one!?), but I’ve owned the skirt for three weeks and worn it three times. Pretty good for a completely impractical item of clothing, I’d say.

Get the Look

1. Ballet Maxi Skirt

2. Leather Obi Belt
   Similar — mine was from Anthropologie.

3. Fanned Alloy Necklace
   Similar — mine was from J.Crew.

4. Regina Wedges
   You’ve seen these before.

5. Brass Teardrop Bangles
   Similar — I’ve had mine for ages.

6. All of Blushing Bag
   OK, this would probably rip the skirt to shreds. “Look out kids, mama’s got her spikes today!”

7. Sheer Sleeve Sweater

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Style: Pink Ballet Maxi Skirt | 23 comments

The värde was c/o IKEA, and we’ve had that orange daybed for years. It was originally in our short-lived guest room (now the nursery). It should be good on the playroom side of the basement, and I’m going to skip a rug on that side. Kathryn pointed out that her kids actually prefer a bare floor to slide around on, so we’re going to give it a go.

We’ve had the 4 Seasons in Chicago (first edition) print for a while now too. Brandon gave it to me as a gift, and I’m looking forward to having it up on the walls. And speaking of the walls… I’m rethinking that grellow color. I chose it thinking that the floor on that side would be offset by the black and white rug, taking up most of the space. now that it’s gone though, I’m not sure I like the way it’s looking. I’ve never painted a room white before, but might like it here. I’m still thinking about doing a paint-by-numbers wall mural too. How awesome would that be?

It’s kind of a commitment though, eh? And you know that if we ever move, it will suffer the same fate as the dragon that I painted over when we moved in.

Update:
I made a mockup.

It looks awesome.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as The Basement Studio and Playroom Plan | 36 comments

Thank you COOL WHIP for sponsoring this post.

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Yesterday for lunch, we barbecued for the first time this year. It was so good we grilled again for dinner! This was the scene.

Ah, those leaf plates. I’ve had them for years and I still love them. It was Brandon’s idea to add them to the table, and a good one at that, though somewhat surprising (because he hates them!).

We need to get out there and clean up the garden. I ignored it last year (excuse: I had a baby and a toddler), and this year things are bad out there. It is, however, much easier to overlook the garden being overgrown and overtaken by weeds if your peonies are in bloom.

A patterned tablecloth probably helps too. This is the same one I used for Eleanor’s birthday party, but I think I like it outside even better.

My family always used paper plates and plastic cups and cutlery outside, but I like to use our regular dishware. We do use plastic/melamine plates and cups sometimes (we did for dinner yesterday), but I still like those better than disposables. Plus the wind doesn’t toss a real plate like it does a paper one.

How do you set the table outside? I like to set out stacks of plates too, and let everyone help themselves, buffet-style.

Eleanor was so excited about being able to eat outside. I think we all were.

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as First Barbecue of the Summer | 41 comments

• Upside down Ns — they’re everywhere, gah!

• I love a good business card, don’t you? (p.s. My new cards still make me smile when I hand one out.)

• This photo series will blow you away.

• ZOMG. Can you imagine picking up a hitchhiking John Waters?

• Please let the new Mindy Kaling project be good.
  (I kind of love her.)

• My favorite indoor/outdoor rugs. I bought one for the basement and I’ll write about it here next week. Can you guess which one?
  not so subtle hint —————>

• An end table for geeks! I want one.

• Have you seen the new web series, Olive Us? It’s really sweet.

• The new Orla Kiely line for Bed, Bath & Beyond is out.

• I’ve started writing a column for Better Homes and Gardens’ new Style Spotters blog! My first post featured graphic flat-weave rugs.
  (I guess I’ve been on a rug kick this week?)

I write for Glidden’s My Colortopia, and right now they’re partnering with Circle of Moms for a Dream Nursery Giveaway inspired by What to Expect When You’re Expecting (only in theaters).

Check out the nursery I designed, and enter to win!

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Honor Roll | 5 comments

The wheels on her skates are plastic and terrible, but they’re adjustable (locked, rolling forward only, and freewheeling) and they fit shoe sizes 6-12. I figure they’ll be good for getting used to being on eight wheels, and eventually we could get her a real pair. Three is a little young for full-fledged skates anyway, right? I chose the green “boy” version so they could be handed down, but Eleanor says we should get August a pink pair.

Here’s my girl on her inaugural run.

(Looks like Elle DeGore is working on a kids’ issue.)

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Eleanor’s First Skates | 26 comments

• This is why you should have a life list, à la Maggie. (Here’s mine.)

• On business and motherhood.

• I wish this camera was real.

• The best take on a flying carpet ever.

• This font automatically makes different charts (pie charts, bar graphs, etc.) out of the numbers you type out. Makes me wish I had some infographics to prepare.

• Oh yeaahh!

• I suppose I should have posted this book on May the Fourth, eh?

• Now you’re cooking with gas charcoal! (Every year, I want this grill.)

• A whole bunch of cute, affordable ways to update your bathroom.

• Do you ever try to match shoes with your kids?

• Oooh, burn!

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Honor Roll | 4 comments

I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

I don’t usually do a direct comparison here between Eleanor’s and August’s photos, but I had to chuckle when I saw that they both struck the same pose at fifteen months old. Translation: “Come get me! You know I must be held at all times.”

August’s Previous Photos
The First Year • Thirteen Months Old • Fourteen Months Old • View All

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Fifteen Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo) | 15 comments

If I have to bend over to pick something up (say, I don’t know, a child or two), the skirt touches the ground. Fine in a dressing room, not so great when out and about. Yet I still love it.

The skirt nearly grazes the floor if I wear flats, so heels or wedges are a good idea with it. And I kind of have no idea what to wear on top, because I haven’t worn a maxi skirt since I was a teenage goth (and duh, you just wore a black band tee with your black skirt back then). The shirt I tried on with it looks good, but the skirt needs to have more than one partner. I like my clothes to be polyamorous.

Hey there, black and white striped sweater that I saw in the window of J.Crew (and that I can’t afford). I feel like you would go nicely. I want this whole look, actually.

Now that I see how much I like the longer skirt length on me, I’d wear this dress too, but the ballet maxi is the only big clothing purchase for me right now. I know I can find another striped top to wear with the skirt, and a white cotton tee in the right cut would look fantastic too.

It’s times like these that I wish I kept up with fashion blogs and glossies, because I’m sure I’d have a million more ideas. I know the maxi skirt trend has been going strong for a while and I’m just jumping on board now, so any tips?

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as What Do You Wear with a Maxi Skirt? | 61 comments

The big conductor train engineer turned 34, two days later.

The party invitations promised train whistles and caps for all, and we delivered. Bandanas, too.

My idea for the table was to create a forest in the center with train tracks all around, and little bits of scenery. The cats destroyed my maiden hair fern centerpiece almost immediately though, so I went to a big box store for more plants and found the selection lacking. I ended up with a rubber tree plant, and I used the moss I had leftover from making my terrarium to fill in as shrubbery.

We had the usual party decorations up too, and pretty packages all wrapped up for giving.

The Marimekko tablecloth on the table was the one I’d written about last year. I didn’t buy it at the time, but I thought of it when I was trying to find something that would suggest a landscape for the table, and I was able to find one on eBay. We had a birthday cupcake train, led by Thomas. The cupcakes were from a bakery, and Eleanor and I made the flatcars out of graham crackers, mini Oreos, frosting (from a tube, used like glue), and wafer cookies (as axels, for stability).

It was a good day, with no confusion or delay.

Happy birthday(s), my loves.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Eleanor’s Third Birthday Party | 45 comments