A Painting and a Rug

You know those days when you have the kids all ready for school just in the nick of time and then right before you walk out the door, you remember its picture day and have to completely re-dress/re-style kids and fill out pose forms to be sent with them...ya...I had one of those:)

And since I'm still a day behind because of the holiday, I'm going to keep this post short and sweet.

I spent a good chunk of the day yesterday painting- when the mood strikes as it were...I finished off a piece I've been working on for a while entitled 'Millicent'...and though I didn't plan anything about how she'd look and where she'd go...

...the minute I hung her in the teenager's room (aka #projectgetroomsreadyforkids) alongside my new INCREDIBLE e-carpet gallery (aka an AH-MAAZING online rug store that ships stunning luxury rugs anywhere in the US and Canada....with PS, no duty/brokerage for us Canucks thanks to a Canadian home base:))))))....

 ...silk rug...

...the stars aligned as it were...

Sooooooo happy.

Now I just need a mattress, some bedding and a few pillows.

A final reveal is coming soon:)))

xo

FLOR Summer Sale

Oh! Just saw that FLOR is having their annual summer sale right now (through the end of June it looks like) where everything is a whopping 25% off. I've been dreaming of the Vintage Vibe tiles since popping in their Atlantic Ave store a couple weeks ago and completely falling for the small scale Moroccan-inspired pattern. (and it looks like Kirsten used these in her living room recently, so you know they must be chic!)

With this sale going on, I'm so, so tempted to make our first rug purchase for the new house. I think it would be the perfect choice for the family room that's right off the kitchen (working on floor plans right now to share!). If the last two homes we've lived in have been any indication of our future, the rug nearest the kitchen sees the most spills.  :) It would be a dream to be able to totally replace the tiles in the areas of greatest offense.

That was my favorite part of Abbey's entry project using FLOR tiles. Depending on the pattern you want, they can be a bit of an investment, but they hold up SO well. And I know Abbey's been able to reuse her carpet tiles in her newest apartment, so they must travel well too.

Vintage Moroccan Rag Rug

Speaking of new rug purchases, I've started doing work again on the girls' room lately. About a month or so ago I ran in to West Elm to pick up some things in the Market section (so good) and I saw two or three of these vintage Moroccan rag rugs from across the store.  Moroccan rugs of all varieties are always so expensive so I was thrilled to see these marked way, way down.

I love the texture to these rugs. You can often find them on eBay, but I loved that these had been completely cleaned. Not a speck of dust or a trace of musty odor on these.

I was really taken with this one with the smaller pattern, but the size was too long for my girls room.

So I ended up getting the wider, shorter rug with the bigger pattern, which turns out is perfect for impromptu games of hopscotch.

I layered it on top of the Madeline Weinrib dhurrie I picked up two years ago (that probably is due for a professional cleaning - I spy a crayon mark here!), and I kind of like how the shapes in the two rugs play off each other. 

The off-white color is actually a metallic silver. Love it :)

I feel like this type of rug was just meant to be in a kids room, don't you think? It's soft and casual and charming. Also, when we forget to put Linus in his crate at night, he chooses to sleep here on the rug in front of the girls' bunk beds. What a guy! Protects babies and enjoys a good Moroccan rug.

New Living Room Rug

I was sad to see it go, but we decided to replace the jute rug this month. I loved that rug, and still think jute is a great option for some people, but those people are not pet owners. :/ Linus had two throw up accidents on the rug and I scrubbed and scrubbed and vacuumed for hours both times and there was a bit of unfortunate discoloring. Big bummer.

Also, the rug had dried up a bit during the winter especially the part that sat over the floor grate, and it was starting to shed a little bit. It wasn't a huge deal on its own and actually I think I was supposed to be misting the rug with water once or twice a month to prevent the over-drying, and I never did. But between the shedding and the discolored spots (which you can sort of see in these photos), I felt like it was time to start looking for something else.

So here was my thought process.

1) While I loved the pop of red from the persian I had layered on the jute, I knew I wanted something more neutral. I'm going to bring in a bright orangey red or a hot pink on new pillows I think (I loved that combo with the green velvet sofa).

2) This rug needed to be a wool or wool-like pile for clean up purposes. For stain-hiding, I am a big fan of persian style rugs, so I was hoping to find something neutral but with a bit of an irregular pattern.

3) In apartments especially, where 90% of the action happens in the one living room, it's pretty inevitable that spills and stains are going to happen with kids and pets in the house. During my search I actually found a completely gorgeous antique silk Oushak in beautiful light colors from one of my dealers for about $3500. Pricey, but it was seriously worth every penny. I thought long and hard about investing in that rug. It was stunning, but what happens when someone sneaks juice over into the living room or when Linus has an accident? It would be hard to not freak out, and that's just not how I want to feel about the stuff in my house. So I passed on the Oushak and I kept looking.

I had my eye on this rug called the Beaumont Adileh in Natural from Rugs USA for a couple weeks. I was sold out in the 10x13 size that I wanted, but they have this feature where you can give them your email and they'll contact you if/when more comes in stock.

The reviews were good and they were having one of their famous 50% off plus free shipping sales, so when I got the email that the large size was back in stock, I moved fast. And I'm so glad I did! I love it. (Just checked - the latest sale is 60% off!)

I love the range of colors in the rug: cream, gray, taupe, black, brown, even a hint of apricot. It's totally one of those rugs that changes colors in the light.

And I think it actually looks kind of worn and old. Or at least, it doesn't scream out cheapy fake rug when you walk into the room. My only complaint is the binding on the edge, but for this price, you win some, you lose some.

Man, I love the black in that border!

The rug is 100% Viscose, which surprised me with its softness, even though the rug is pretty thin. And it's hard to tell in the photos, but the viscose gives the rug a really silky look. It honestly looks so much like the sheen of the Oushak that I loved, I just couldn't believe it when I rolled the rug out. And just like silk, it totally changes color when you rub your hand against the pile.

Oh, hello, soft and pretty rug...

So while I miss the texture of the jute a bit, I'm totally in love with the new rug. It is bright and airy and it cleans up like a dream. I'm a very happy customer and now I'm thinking of getting this one for my office... :)

#projectbaby, Steven and Chris and Rugs USA

Welcome to the new week.

I've got a lot to share so let's get down to buznus.

1. Big personal news...my husband has officially landed his dream job...

/v/

Halla-farkin-lujah!

I don't mean to simplify things but let's just say that said new job means that this lady can resume buying some good shit up.

And by that, I mean that #projectbaby can officially get underway.

Wallpaper can happen...and so will giant sheep...

...pretty bedding...

...curtain panels...

...and hopefully, some furry mushrooms...

...oh and some great art too...

Woot.

As you can probably tell from these peeks, my plan for #projectbaby has taken a radical turn towards the more neutral and serene...it seems as though my desire for white and creamy neutrals has officially taken hold.

Surprising.

Happily, the amazing folks at Rugs USA...

...helped my new 'mood' out and elevated it to new ecstatic levels when they sent me the INCREDIBLE Flokati rug you had peeks of above...

It really is SO gorgeous...fluffy, HUGE (8x10), so so soft and perfect for a baby's room- little knees and tummies are going to luuuurv it.

A ginormous/mushy wet kiss to Rugs USA for gifting this beauty to me.

If you aren't yet obsessed with their website and amazing rugs, then you're very silly.

Rugs USA has a ridiculously good selection and their prices, CRAZY TOWN good...I think there's literally ALWAYS a sale happening.

I've already used their rugs for #projectlitttlemiss and #projectvicarious and totes plan on more.

Oh and they ship to Canada, which right there means I heart them greatly.

Check out their fabboats selection of rugalia on their website.

Oh and ::whipsers:: my Flokati fabulous will be making a little TV appearance soon.

Without giving all my secrets away,  I can tell you that a version of #projectbaby will be airing on the Steven and Chris Show very soon - I'll be taping my idea of a dream 'high/low' nursery this Thursday and it will include much of the goodness you see above.

I'll keep you posted on air time.

And because I seriously am busier than I've perhaps ever been in my life...in a sort of a ridiculous 8 months pregnant sort of way...I actually missed my last

 Steven and Chris segment that aired this past Friday

 (Jan. 11th)...

/v/

Thankfully, modern technology means I was able to watch it online, which also dictates that you can too...if you want...and if you live in Canada.

So, if you're dying to hear all about my thoughts on where and how to use wallpaper, you can:

1. watch the segment on the CBC website....episode 55.

A glimpse of what transpired...

It was fun like rain dancing.

2. Read my tips on how to incorporate wallpaper in your home...



...on the Steven and Chris website.

And with that, I'll say toodles for now.

Check back tomorrow for #projectvicarious and #projectalreadyfabulous updates.

Some changes be happenin.

xo

How to Bind Two Natural Fiber Rugs

I'm working on a really fun rug DIY right now that I'm excited to share with you next week. It's a rug that will be layered on top of my two braided jute rugs from the ABC clearance basement, originally made by FibreWorks. I thought today I'd report back to you on how those rugs are holding up (since we've been using them for about two months now in our main living space).

Long-time readers will remember when I had a BIG problem with a jute rug way back in the day. This rug I've been a lot happier with. I know now to only use a dry rag or this powder to clean up messes (though I've only had to use the powder once). For good or for bad, this rug hides a multitude of stains and crumbs. I give it two thumbs way up.

If I had to give any teeny tiny complaints, it would be that the rug sheds just a little bit. But pretty much every rug does in the beginning. It's really not bad, and if anything, just encourages me to vacuum up all the hidden dirt I'm not seeing! :)

Since the living room is long, I was able to buy two 8x11's and save a ton of money over going with a custom size. I used upholstery thread to bind to two rugs together.

I started with the part of the rug that goes under the sofa, and after getting the hang of it, I found it was best to stitch mostly in the middle and the underside of the rugs' edges, so the thread wouldn't be visible, and then I pulled very tight on the thread every foot or so. It's almost impossible to tell where the seam is in person! The weave makes it so the two edges fit together like puzzle pieces.

If you need an odd-sized, large natural fiber, and don't want to break the bank, try binding together the IKEA Tarnby (or Pottery Barn's Jute). Also, I think the ABC clearance basement still has some of the FibreWorks jutes left? They have sales often, so wait until they are 30-50% off.