Designer Decoupage

I first happened upon these beautiful decoupage accessories at the annual Nutcracker Market in Houston and I was blown away. Don’t be mistaken, these aren’t your dollar store decoupage items. They are gorgeous pieces of art handmade by true artisans. When you look at them up close it’s hard to believe the main ingredients are paper, glue and water.

You are probably thinking you can make a visit to your local craft store and recreate these accessories, but I promise you it’s not worth your time, money, potential frustration and disappointment. Marye Kelley Decoupage has mastered this craft for your enjoyment. My favorites are the frames, catchall tins, glass coasters and waste baskets (yes sometimes even your trash deserves a pretty place).

Below are just a few of their dozens of designs. Pick one up for your office, home, kid’s room, nursery or for a gift. Pair it with a special photograph and parents, teachers, baby shower hostess gifts, mothers-to-be and friends will all enjoy your thoughtfulness and great taste!

Gifts

Your Daughter's Room

Your Son's Room

Where to shop: www.marye-kelley.com

Monogram Madness

I am truly obsessed with monograms. I love designing them, stitching them, finding new ways to add them to home decor-if I could I would have them all over my house. Most of my customers want a custom design to coordinate with their bedding and I love the challenge. There are endless possibilities of how you can customize a monogram and what you can place them on. Blankets, pillows, bumpers, lampshades, burp cloths, onesies, bags, bibs, towels, ribbon, and furniture-the list goes on and on. Below are just a few of my designs and I mean just a few. I have tons of designs archived just awaiting their debut.

Top Ten Cutest Chairs for Kids

Elle Décor’s April ’09 issue features their top ten picks for the most stylish choices in children’s seating. I especially love the Lou Lou Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck but a more economically option is the Leksvik chair by Ikea. Click on the image above to enlarge (my apologies for the awful scan, uploading this image was brutal!).

All of the above are sure to add a touch of sophistication to your child’s room, but a few of these are definite budget busters. Below are some more affordable options left off the list but sure to bring a sense of style to their room.

1 2 3


4 5 6

7 8 9

Chairs 7 and 8 are the most affordable of group and from Ikea and chair 9 is a modern eco friendly option. With the exception of the two Ikea chairs all are available at http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/.

Design Tip: Check out this cute idea on how to customize the chairs by Pottery Barn Kids. You can easily add their name to any of the wood or plastic chair options, just visit any online custom decal store for design ideas.