Birch + Bird Vintage Home Interiors

I should have known better than to boast about all the sleeping in I was hoping to do this past weekend.  Like Lily, a lot of my time was spent nursing sick kids back to health.  So, no sleep-ins for me but I did manage to squeeze in a nap which made up the difference ever so slightly.  Thankfully, my girls were brave patients and they bounced back to health, ready and raring to go to school on Monday.   Lily mentioned yesterday that we put our plans for a Spring market on hold. I have to admit that we are both feeling a little down about the whole thing. It seemed like the right decision all things considered.  However, when one door closes another one opens. Right?

 Moises Esquenazi & Associates via CocoCozy

Chimay Bleue

 Dwell

 Laidlaw Schultz Architects

 Jose Villa

Sunset
 Smith & Hawken

 10 Downing Street

ThinkCamera

 News from Colourman

  Domino November 2008

I wouldn’t mind seeing behind Door #1 and #6.  How about you?

Hello, hello! How was your weekend? Ours felt very long and leisurely, as the kids were off school on Friday and Brad happened to have the day off as well. Our youngest came down with the dreaded stomach flu on Saturday (always a joy) but I’m feeling very thankful that it didn’t last long and seems to have skipped the rest of us…for now anyway! After a lot of thought, Rachel and I also came to a big decision to not to move forward with our plans for a Spring market. We know that a lot of our vendors and customers will be disappointed but it just wasn’t the right time for us, especially with Rachel’s big move coming up. Instead, we’re going to put our focus onto a few changes around our blog and we’ll be investing a lot more time into our poor neglected Etsy shop, not to mention stepping away from our computers a bit more and zoning in on our family lives. We’re not closing the door on hosting future handmade and vintage markets, just taking a little breather until we adjust to the changes ahead.

Dandee

My middle daughter, Sadie, has a birthday just a few days before Valentine’s Day and, lucky for her, there are always a plethora of pink hearts and other festive goodies available to help us decorate each year. This year, she asked to have a tea party with some of her little friends and we’ve been looking for some creative crafts to make and give each guest instead of the usual dollar store filled goody bags. Here are some sweet Valentine’s that could also double as party favours…

Oh Happy Day

The Farm Chicks

Needle & Nest

Twig & Thistle

Eighteen 25

Looking for the perfect card to give your lover? Here are just a handful of my favourites…my 8 year old son couldn’t stop laughing at the first wooden brooch!

Havok Designs

1. Hello Lucky! 2. Ashley PahlHello Lucky!

1. Eva Juliet 2. Letter Happy

The Sweetest Occasion

I don’t generally go too crazy decorating for Valentine’s Day but I do like to send some sweet treats along with each of the kids to their classrooms and I think these arrow cupcake toppers are beyond adorable! Do you have any DIY projects in the works for your kids or to give the one you love? Please share and have a great week!

This week was too busy and I’m so glad that it’s the weekend.  The girls are off school today because of a Professional Day so that means we didn’t have to rush anywhere this morning or the next two.  Yes.  A long weekend.  I’m looking forward to sorting through some more boxes, tea with my mom and her granddaughters, a family movie night, maybe a few errands and some housework thrown in for good measure. Speaking of housework, I make my bed almost every single day.  It helps our bedroom look tidy even if it’s not.  And I like getting into a neatly made bed rather than an unmade bed.  How about you?

 The White Company

  Blanaid

Lily and I stayed in at the Hotel Sierra in Redmond last year with a couple girlfriends and they had the most heavenly beds, I swear.  The pillows, the featherbed, the duvet, the feel of the sheets, and the weight of the blankets. Pure bliss.  We still talk about those beds.  If someone could tell me their secret, I would spend a pretty penny to have that every single night.  Is it just me or do the messy beds look cozier than the beds made neat and tidy?

House & Home

 Empire Village

 le souk

 Katrine Martensen-Larsen

 West Elm

 a few things from my life 

I hope you can indulge yourself with a sleep in or two as well and we’ll see you back here all refreshed on Monday.

Well, it’s been quite the dark and soggy week around here and a big change from the bright white snow that we got to enjoy last week! So, I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to browse through some light-filled and inspiring interiors. The work of Portland-based Jessica Helgerson has caught my eye several times in the past few months and, once you browse through some of these photos (all taken by the extremely talented Lincoln Barbour), I’m pretty sure you’ll see why…

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Rachel featured this amazing home last fall, and I totally agree with her thoughts that this rancher is what dream homes are made of! In fact, each of the homes featured in the design team’s portfolio are equally drool-worthy and have the perfect combination of traditional and modern elements, in my humble opinion. The use of natural wood, clean lines and white walls is my ideal mix of West Coast style with Scandinavian simplicity. Each house seems to flow from one room to the next and was built or renovated with family living and sustainability in mind…

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Now, you know how much I love the Oregon coast…can you imagine getting the chance to stay in this beautiful cottage? It’s a very impressive cottage at that, built for a large family (the project was managed and designed by Jesse Moyer) and be sure to check out the view from the bedroom window below…I don’t think I’d ever leave!

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

I’m pretty sure I first saw the following living room in a past Benjamin Moore colour book (but I could be totally wrong!) and then saw it again featured on Design*Sponge last year. This whole house is pretty fantastic…vaulted ceilings, window seat, open plan, a fabulous kitchen…yes, please! While I’m not generally a huge fan of dark wood, I could definitely get comfortable with the espresso floors and massive kitchen island in this space…

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

This next home won the 2011 Pacific Northwest Award for Best Home under $400,000 and was also featured on Design*Sponge. It’s pretty impressive that Jessica and her design team were able to create such a fresh modern home out of a one hundred year old house without stripping away the original character, isn’t it? I think so! Something that I love about Halgerson’s design approach is her use of timeless materials and a neutral base for each project. Each space will be able to age gracefully and be easily updated with colourful accessories and other furnishings over time…

Lincoln Barbour Photography featuring Jessica Halgerson Interior Design.

Lincoln Barbour Photography featuring Jessica Halgerson Interior Design.

I’ll leave you with some of the design firm’s key questions that are asked of each client:

“At the beginning of each project, Jessica likes to start with the same questions: What’s the best design for the client? What’s the best design for the building or space? What will stand the test of time, stylistically and functionally? For any project, her goal is to ensure that the fundamental design and the materials are classic, long lasting, and appropriate to the building and its period. Then she likes to layer on fresh, contemporary elements—such as lighting, furniture, and art—that feel just right for the clients and for the moment.”

Some questions and thoughts that I’ll definitely be running through before diving into our own future projects. Have a great Thursday!

I thought I should probably think about Valentine’s Day earlier this year than last as my sweetheart is many miles away.  I won’t have the luxury of waiting until the day before to put something together like I usually do.  I think the girls and I will bake some cookies and put together a Valentine’s Day care package filled with love.  Since it’s on my mind, I thought I’d send out a friendly reminder that the day will be here before we know it.

 HoKiou

 something’s hiding in here

 Sweet William

 Design*Sponge

John Cullen Photography

 Oh, Happy Day

 Baking in Heels

Happy Hump Day, everyone!