ROAR...Nikolas is FOUR! A Retro-Inspired Dinosaur Party Sneak Peek

I can't believe my baby is turning FOUR years old! It was just yesterday that he was born weighing in at 3 lbs, 4 oz and 2 months premature!

Here's a sneak peek of his Dinosaur Party we're having tomorrow. I've been having a blast making all the little details come together. It is the ultimate challenge to try and keep with the theme your little boy desperately wants when you had your heart set on something, a little less SCARY to say the least.

"Mommy, I want Carnitore decorations at my party," says my lil' man while stomping around the kitchen gnashing his teeth and roaring like t-rex. Hmm, guess I'm not getting that adorable Vintage Toy Party I so had my hopes set on this year.

So like any good mother, I reorganized my thoughts to dinosaurs....but maybe Retro Dinosaurs would be a good compromise.

My mother-in-law and I made these birthday hats last weekend. I couldn't find anything cute enough to go with our Retro Dino theme, so we crafted some ourselves using glittered cotton balls and cupcake foil wrappers.

I couldn't find a cute shirt for his party...surprise, surprise...I know. So, I decided to make that tonight as well. It took about 20 minutes to create the graphic on the computer and then I used iron-on transfer printer paper and Voila! He has a custom Retro Dinosaur T-Shirt that matches the party theme for tomorrow...and the best part is that it cost me a whopping $2.49 for the shirt at Hobby Lobby. I'm a Bargain Betty, you know.

Stay tuned for fun party details like Candy Kabobs and Cupcake Toppers from our Retro Dinosaur Party tomorrow!

Introducing Itzy Bitzy Designs...

Ever wonder who sketched out "Farmhouse" on the wall in my showroom? I get asked this question all the time. Everyone thinks its one of those vinyl peel and stick decals. It was actually FREEHANDED by my extremely talented friend and artist, Lynda Clark of Itzy Bitzy Designs.

Just check out some of her art work!

Mermaid

abc

first bloom

aubrey

She's done a lot of beautiful work for her little girls' rooms but after begging her to collaborate on some design projects with me, she's finally starting to do custom work for clients. (Primarily kid's artwork)

Until her web site launches, you can visit her Flickr Page to see more of her amazing work.

I look forward to working with Itzy Bitzy Designs on lots of nurseries this year!

Craving Coastal Trends

I've been caught up in all things Coastal this month. It may be the weather or that I'm longing to be at the beach, but I can't get enought of it. Sea blue colors, shells and sand instantly put me in a happy, relaxed state of mind.

I just picked up these glass candle hurricanes encased in wicker baskets. They are my favorite new accessory sitting on our coffee table on a vintage wooden tray.

I added some natural sand and chunky pillar candles. I love the texture of the sand and the coral. It instantly says Summer to me.

I also painted my kitchen island in a Coastal Sea Foam blue to give the neutral space a splash of color. I love how it livens up the room without being too overbearing.

At Urban Farmhouse I've started adding lots of Coastal elements as well. One of my favorite dining sets is the new Coastal Collection I just finished. See more pics at Urban Farmhouse.

Inspired by the Sea...Dining Room Inspiration

So I've been a bad blogger :-( So sorry...I'll try to be better! Lately I've been incredibly inspired by coastal design and I've wanted to paint everything in a color I've named Sea Glass. I can't get enough of it!

This table was so beat up and needed a lot of TLC. If it hadn't found it's new home so quickly, I may just have kept it for my new dining set.

I can't wait to see how the new owners plan to incorporate this set into their newly built home that has a Cottage Coastal vibe to it.

I'm also hooked on white dishes and cake stands mixed with glass cloches. I think it adds such a crisp and clean element for spring.

Oh and this little breakfast table and cane back chair set was supposed to be cream...and then I got a crazy idea to try a Sea Foam green. I love how it turned out with a tobacco glaze giving it depth.

I'd love to see some of your "Sea Inspired" design ideas. I must be ready for summer sunshine!

 Have a great weekend!

Our Newest Arrivals

So what can I say? Things have been busy over at Urban Farmhouse. So much so, that I can't seem to get new pieces on the floor because they're spoken for before I even load them into the truck. First off I want to say thank you to my loyal customers! You guys ROCK!

I love getting to meet you at events and when you come up and tell me that you love getting email alerts :-) It is so exciting for me, you have no idea! I feel like I'm truly living my dreams this year and to know that even one person out there may get some inspiration from my work is so rewarding.

So since I've been so swamped, I haven't really had much time to really focus on this blog like I had intended when I started it. I've had big plans to do a room redo for my three-year old, Nikolas, but that project has been moving so slowly that I just hope to get it done before he leaves for college!

So maybe I'll just focus on what's new in the Farmhouse for now and promise to try and share what's inspiring me lately in hopes that it inspires you a little too!

I must be going through a "black phase: lately...I've been painting everything black and I'm into heavy distressing of these pieces. I cannot resist cane back chairs either! They come out so lovely everytime. I loaded two very heavy dining sets into the showroom today but they look so amazing! One day I hope to find the time to do one of these for my own house. :-)

Aside from black, I love a pop of turquoise. This little side table was easy to look past until it got a paint makeover. It's taken on a whole new life and become the focal point of my Easter display.

Not only was today a day of moving new pieces in, but I had to find a way to move 3 crib sets into my suite. Tight squeeze but I really love how my favorite cream armoire showcases the baby sets.

I would have kept this media console if it was a tad shorter for my small space in our living room. We actually took out the bottom drawers and converted it to open shelving for all the dvd and cable boxes. I think I'll get some wide baskets for the 4 open shelves.

When I saw this vintage dry sink, the shape of it screamed changing table to me. I'm really loving all of the curves and character it has and the little shelf above is perfect for wicker baskets to hold wipes and diapers.

I did decide to keep one crib in the showroom. The bedding just showcases better to me in a real crib, but it takes up so much room that I may end up having to remove it and finding another way to showcase the crib sets. Any ideas??? Hmmmm, this will be keeping me up tonight.

We are having a "Grand Opening" at the Mercantile on Saturday, March 13th...so please come by and say hi! It really does make my day! :-)

xoxo,
Kristen

Pirate Style

Okay, so I've been a slacker on getting Nikolas' room finished. Urban Farmhouse has been taking up every waking minute I have...even in the snow this week in fact, I've been trying to keep the workshop warm so I can finish custom refinishing projects. Who knew paint doesn't like cold weather?

At any rate, I've been struggling with a theme. I know those of you with toddlers won't relate, but my three year old bounces from one "favorite thing" to the next before I can bat an eye. Tonight while we were reading our bedtime stories, it came to me...Pirates. It's certainly not a new idea, but it is something he can grow with and I plan to keep it neutral enough that when he's sick of pirates, we still have a basic color scheme and look to the room that we can theme or leave themeless.

So I've spent the last hour searching the web for "Pirate Inspiration." Here's the best of what I've found:

My favorite, by far...I love this simple idea of taking a sheet, table cloth or drape panel to create a sail above the bed. Who said canopies were just for girls? This is definately a masculine take on one. How cute are the pendants that carry over to the window treatments and bookcase?

Photo Courtesy of Ideal Home Magazine

Elaine from Our Semi Homemade Life did her adorable son's nursery in a Pirate theme. Order the wall stencils here. I love how the beadboard stands out against the dark blue walls. It helps me visualize our beadboard wallpaper against the light blue walls. Throwing in accents of navy or even black will be a nice contrast.

Pottery Barn Kids keeps with the navy, white and light blues in their Pirate Room as well. Love the mast above the bed with the initial on the sail.

I'd love to get some opinions on the new theme! If you've done a similar room, I'd love to see it! Oh and I just got his cute little window seat cushions custom made in navy with white piping. They really stand out against the light blue walls. Now on to window treatments! It never ends!

Happy Snow Day! :-)

Model Home Tour...Inspiration!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was so inspired by the model home that we recently toured in Castle Hills Estates. It was chalked full of great ideas and very similar to my floorplan. What was so refreshing to me was that it subtly mixed cottage, beach, and formal elegance together in a way that flowed seamlessly.

I'll try to guide you through the house with the pictures I snapped below:

When you entered the formal sitting was off to the right. This is the same room that my house opens to. The very room I've been struggling with since we moved in. I've been trying to make it my new office in a structured, formal kind of way. One idea I've been toying with is adding built-in bookcases on either side of the front window. This gave me the motivation I need to move forward with that plan!

I'm also diggin' the soothing barely blue wall color they chose. I'm drawn to these colors but wasn't sure how to incorporate them into my open floorplan since each wall blends into the next room. Furniture placement is another problem, and I'm really liking how they made a circular path with the upholstered ottoman in the center.

The long hall leading from the front door to the Great Room is lit by these fabulous hanging lanterns. Again, incorporating elements that would be found in the outdoors and giving it that subtle beach theme.

The lantern theme continues into the kitchen over the center island. Our kitchen has a center island and we've debated what to hang above it for years now. We also have the light granite counters with the cream cabinets. I am sooo excited about the blue island! I never would have thought to use that color but it really works against the cream antiqued cabinets.

Our island was never finished out and remains sheetrock around the sides, but we have the built-in cabinets below (where I keep Nikolas' art supplies) and so this really helps me to visualize what finishing it out will look like. Adding the posts gives it the look of a piece of furniture....loving that style!

In case you want to know....I found out that the color used on island is Benjamin Moore's Granada Villa with a tea stain over it.

The living room is opposite the kitchen and breakfast nook and the shades of the sea continue into this room as well. I love the plush velvet upholstered sofa....makes me wanna curl up with a book!

The Master Bedroom

Okay, a girl can dream, right? Look at the floor and the built-ins, Oh and the Sconces!!!

I NEED a round Ottoman in my bathroom now with a tray of seashells on it!

Who doesn't want to take a bath with a big chandelier hanging over them?

Going Upstairs and Falling In Love with the "Family" Wall...

We have a Gameroom (former playroom) that I've been trying to decide how to make it more inviting and convert it more into an upstairs living room. I have these large expanses of walls on both sides that need some character...this wainscotting picture ledge wall is the perfect solution. It really breaks up the boring wall and I'm all about wainscotting!

This little girl's room is so precious...almost makes me wanna try for another baby...(almost!)

Hmm...houndstooth in tan and frost blue....inspiration for baby bedding?

The stenciled border around the room reads" In a World Where You Can Be Anything...Be Yourself. I am Kate."

Guest Bed...I like the textures of the different linens.

I hope you found some inspiration as well! The design group that did this model is I.B.B. Design Group based in Frisco.