Modern Furniture for a Much Needed Makeover

The nasty carpeting has finally been pulled up in my former dining room and I have what is essentially a blank slate for William's future toy room (when I last wrote about this, the room was to be his bedroom, but we decided to have him share a room with his big brother and create a space for toys, coloring books, crafts, and learning).

I've been thinking that it would be great to decorate with a bit of a Mid-Century Modern vibe to echo the architecture of the house. And I turned to All Modern, a branch of the wonderful CSN, for aome fabulous Modern Furniture to and set to dreaming.

Right now, there is a coach style lamp that hangs down too low into the space. I Love the George Kovacs Bling Bling Pendant. It has all of the clean lines that I'm looking for at the reasonable price of $200.

The walls will be a very pale blue grey and the floor is going to be painted brown. The room will need and area rug and the Soho Blue and Brown Accent Rug by JoJo Designs fits the bill, should hide toddler stains well, and comes in at the great price of $34.99.

These Eames Storage Units by Herman Miller are fantastic! They address the storage needs of a kid's playroom, have classic lines, and can grow with William. Herman Miller also offers a matching desk, and both the desk and storage units can be bought in all blond or dark wood. Starting at $449.

The Arper Catifa 53 Four Leg Stackable Chair is available in White, Light, Black, and Sand with a frame of Brushed or Stainless Steel. Better yet, it is made of Polypropylene, aka amazingly easy to clean stuff for a kid's room. The chair comes in a set of four only, but is priced amazingly well at $244. I think they'd look great in a dining area as well (and my dining chairs are on their last creaky legs.

Right now you can share in the love as CSN is giving me the opportunity to give away $40 to any of it's wonderful stores. To enter, leave a comment telling me what you'd love to have in your home from All Modern.

For a second entry, become a subscriber to my blog and let me know in a separate comment. If you are already a subscriber, just leave a comment letting me know that you are.

If you blog about the giveaway, you'll get another entry (just let me know in another comment). If you Twitter about it, you'll get another (you can use the following entry: $40 CNS Giveaway at Dropped Stitches! http://tinyurl.com/4f2vzld )

You have until Wednesday, February 9th to enter the giveaway. Good luck!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

So I'm jumping on the Polyvore bandwagon and creating a look that is very me. It's full of fantasy items (doubt I'll ever get the Cartier Love Bracelet or spend $310 on a scarf), but it's fun to dream.

Boho Chic by Erin Wallace featuring stiletto heel shoes

So all of you fashiony types, get thee to Polyvore and play! Release your inner fashion editor; you might just find yourself lost in Polyvore land!

Mid Century Modern

I found some of the most Amazing Mid Century Modern advertisements on my quest for an image for yesterday's post. In fact, I think I found enough ads to make this Amazing Ad Week. How quickly do you find yourself passing up ads in magazines these days? They have to be pretty spectacular for me to even take a second look. These are pretty spectacular.

All images found on Flickr

Custom Imperial

I live in a brick ranch built in 1968. Since the day that casa Wallace was born, nothing has been changed in it. Sure, it's gotten some paint and repairs, but the kitchen, bathrooms, built-ins, everything is pure 1968. I know from HGTV that my first act upon moving into the house should have been gutting and remodeling the house - but I bought it because of the time capsule charm. I love my yellow tub.

I've written about my super cool kitchen before. Now that I have a photography class under my belt, I thought I'd share some better pictures of my fab cooking space.

Are you a Boho girl?

The giveaway is here. Go enter, then read some more!

As per my magazine-o-holic ways, I picked up the magazine Boho simply for the name. Then the love story began. Boho is a top-flight fashion magazine with an eco-friendly mission. This isn't The Clothing Utne Reader , it's Vogue gone carbon negative.

Boho is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. It has a rating system for how green each of the products or services it covers are. And the products are beautiful. There is an emphasis on hand crafted goods (etsians are prominantly featured). The ads are for companies like Oxfam Africa and Earth Watch (and even they are pleasant on the eyes).

The fashion pictorials are amazing. Boho proves that eco-friendly, sustainable clothing isn't just about upcycling and scratchy linen. It is haute, chic, amazing stuff.

This issue of Boho was dedicated to Paris. Oui, svp. There are two (yes, two) articles about the macaron. Carol Gillott would be pleased. There was also a beautiful article on eco-luxury spas, and stories about Alexandra Cousteau and designer Bahar Shahpar.

Boho comes out 4 times a year. A subscription is $21.99, news stand price is $5.99. Go spend a few bucks. And fall in love.

Bloggy Housekeeping

If you're looking for the giveaway, go here! Get some free yarn, and loads of it, too!

This great photo can be found here.

Just a quick note on some general blog housekeeping. I'm not very happy with the look of my sidebar, so in the next few days you may find that the blogroll is missing from it. I am currently writing a post with all of the blogs from the blogroll, plus a few new ones, that will be linked to a shorter something in the sidebar.

I'd also like to add header tabs that would link to Home, the Blogroll, About Me, and I'm not sure what else. But first I have to write all of the articles, and the Blogroll is the only one that I've started on. Of course, I could find a prettier way to do this in the sidebar, which would negate the need to add tabs.

So my questions for my much more experienced bloggy friends are

1) What aesthetic changes have you made to your blogs that you are happiest with?
2) Are there good references for totally html illiterate bloggers like me to help me through all of this?

Any advice would be much appreciated! Now back to the blogroll!

In The Bag

I though I'd give you a look inside my knitting (which is temporarily my crochet) bag.

I have decided to crochet a blanket, as it is National Crochet Month. The yarn is Lion Brand and Cookies and Cream cotton. I've found that Cookies and Cream splints quite easily, especially when subjected to a crochet hook, but it is inexpensive, soft, and comes in some really great colors. The blanket is being done in a double crochet stitch with random striping throughout. The varigated cream/blue and solid cream will be the predominate colors (done in 5 to 7 row stripes), as this is what I have the most of. The other yarns will be stitches as one or two row stripes. What you end up with is similar to the cotton blankets that you can buy at the linen store, but with cooler colors and stripes. Will post some photos as it gets a little bigger.

Also in my bag are a blue pouch that holds tapestry needles, a tape measure, more hooks, stitch markers, a small pair of scissors, a pen and pencil, and whatever paraphanalia that I think I need. The grenn book is a graph paper pad which I use to sketch designs and come up with cable patterns. Behind it is a copy Interweave Knitting Accessories 2009, which I happen to be perusing at the moment. On the bottom you'll find a ruler (for figuring yarn weights) and a pair of Susan Bates 7mm aluminum needles. I think I have a small skein of waste yarn in there, too.

So that what I've got in the bag! What are the essentials that you carry with you? So you have a special bag? I'd love to know!

I Want a Gustavian Home

I'm thinking I want a classic Swedish home. I love blue and white, especially the icy blue of Gustavian design.

Who wouldn't want to live in a home so light and airy?

I love the mix of newer antiques with the classic colors. I could live here; go on, twist my arm.



When I saw this picture of a coffee shop in Sweden I thought "That would be a beautiful kitchen."



These living rooms are sublime.





Wouldn't you love to see these spaces in your home?







I'm afraid if I had these bedrooms, I'd never leave them.




(Aren't these headboards beautiful? They are $749 each on Wisteria.)

Check out this site for more beautiful Gustavian design.

Photos from Google.

Etsy finds for Will (and Mommy)

William's third (THIRD!) birthday is the 26th, so last night I took a tour of etsy trying to find items I might buy for him. As always, I found some wonderful stuff!

At Lisa J Honey's Sweet Things you can find the most Amazing felt food. Check out this cheese tray for $20. Looks good enough to eat!



Speaking of felt, asherjasper offers The Cutest egg people. They start around $15, but for $70, you can get this custom ordered set of your own family. Email a picture and you will receive this amazing set (even with the family pet!).



This woodpecker print would be perfect for William's animal room. From Studio Lyon, $18.



Studio Lyon also offers these ABC prints; with a modern graphic they are a nice way to introduce the alphabet ($8).



I love this owl shelf for Will's room. Maple shade Kids specializes in eco-friendly Room Decor and Art. $59



It's hard to find great boy's clothing, but I think this car shirt from BabyBolt fits the bill. It's $20, and would thrill Will, who loves anything with a car.



These two are more for mommy. You may have gathered by now that I am fascinated with saints. Blame it on catholic school. But this St. Therese of Lisieux ($18) is detailed and just the cutest little saint ever. Saintly Silver and Saintly Sewing offer any saint you can think of, all intricately stitched and highly detailed. And cute!



Kelly Street Vintage (one of my favorite shops on ebay) has this wonderful late 1800's - early 1900's wooden alphabet toy. I so want this (I doubt Will would ever get his hands on it - this is a mommy toy, too). Priced at $82.50, I think it would be a wonderful addition to my antique collection!