clever!

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Leticia Maguire

Isn’t this a clever design?

green decor

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Leticia Maguire

I’ve been thinking a lot about my house over the past week. I have just started organising a playroom for the kids, and it got me thinking about how to work on my home decor without buying lots of new things. I’m trying to avoid buying Things in general. I’m trying to live in a more Friend-of-the-Environment type way which obviously involves repurposing and recycling. And I am very conscious of my life being inextricably tied to the Stuff I already have. I’m tired of being governed by boxes of inanimate objects. So. I’ve been searching for ideas to get my decor where I want it to be without cluttering my life even more than it already is.

Apparently old wooden ladders are very useful.

ladder bookshelf I saw at dudecraft.

another antique ladder idea from a rustic garden blog.

there’s always a cute new idea at apartment therapy although I’m not sure how to attach them to the wall.

truck spring stools, I think I’m in love, the chic ecologist.

for the resident biker in my house, recycle chicken.

{yawn}

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Leticia Maguire

I am tired. For some strange reason I haven’t slept very well over the last 3ish nights. I had one ridiculously late night a couple of days ago {and I have no one to blame but myself for that one!} and then I just haven’t been able to catch up on the sleep loss since then. The girls have been restless and I think I’ve been hearing them randomly through the night.

So on a more cheeful note, I want to make one of these for the kids play room. I am actually in the process of culling a lot of their toys, and just keeping the basics and favourites. I’m keeping things like lego and dolls {as these are great sets that can be added to} and their kitchen/cooking toys. I’m getting rid of a lot of bitsy toys, and soft toys that were gifts – and just keeping the favourites. I’m going to donate some of my nice sets of toys to the local community preschool. And I figure that getting rid of excess toys will give me more room to do some decorating like the teepee in the picture. I’m going to make some nice areas with cushions and books, curtains and things to create a lovely space for the kids to play in. I’m thinking about how I will do the teepee – there are some instructions here, but I am not sure if I will follow them or not. I think I’d be better off making my own plan. I do love the fairy lights, though!

This style of tent might be another option, and it would still work well indoors too as a cool cubby space. Obviously much easier but not quite magical enough for my liking!!

This book also has some gorgeous ideas {my favourite is the cubby house table cloth}. There are some great ideas for different things that can be done with fabric, like the puppet theatre {pictured}, creating playmats with a picnic or tea party stitched on in 2D, and sewing a hopscotch mat.

I have a single, foam mattress which I’m going to put on the floor near the window with a nice sheet on it, a bookcase next to it, and a pile of cushions. I’ve always liked bunting, so I might make some more of that {or just buy it on etsy}.

This little shop is so cute, and could easily be done with minimal supplies. The only purchase would be wood for a basic frame, and the shelves are the same as those cheap wooden shoe racks I’ve seen around the place. Some blackboard paint on some wood could be the perfect sign. It would be great to have a ‘specials’ blackboard too. I have baskets around the place the kids could play with, and bull clips to put signs up. We’ve got lots of containers that could be fruit and veg boxes. Ahhh I’m feeling quite motivated now!

Stumbled across this cool idea too. Not sure about the sides, but a chalkboard table for trains and cars is a great idea for drawing your own cities and roads, and it leaves a lot of room for changing it on a whim!

early morning home inspiration

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Leticia Maguire

It’s 7.30am and I should be organising some stock to take in to the NRAG shop. But here I am, sitting at my new notebook {xox} surrounded by boxes of Stuff. There are toys strewn all over the floor. I need to clean up but I just can’t motivate myself…let alone trying to organise stock to take to the gallery. My brother and sister-in-law have booked their tickets for Hong Kong, leaving in the last week of July. So I’ve got a month and a half till I can sort this house out. And even then, I’ve still got a room full of boxes that belong to two other families! So for the next 3 years or so, I’m going to be in The Waiting Place. ‘…for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants, or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.’

So I am amusing myself with things I’d do to my house if I had a house and if I was in it all by myself!

this picture rail/shelf is cool