The bird was probably more scared than me, but you wouldn’t have known it if you had heard me.

My husband, a neighbor and a few brooms later it was out a window.

How did it get in and upstairs?

This is my second bird-in-the-house episode in fifteen months.

I do think any of the above would be a much better alternative.

Here’s to the rest of the week being a little less dramatic.

Photo Credits: Michael S. Smith, Miles Redd (2 & 5), British Homes & Gardens, Louise Body

to my wonderful parents. Mom’s call to tie the knot 2.14

XOXO to M&D

photo by Eric Piasecki

My other posts on NOLA click here and here.

I will be back there in a few months with another recap….

]]> http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/02/08/aint-no-aints-anymore/feed/ 15 http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/01/31/got-snow/ http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/01/31/got-snow/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:04:52 +0000 laura http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/?p=5669 How happy our little boys are that we are covered in snow (and ice) in Charlotte.

While we spent a good chunk of time outside yesterday, it was snowing ice and not so great for my nice camera so here are the boys (rare blog appearance) in their snow gear. This picture is from our trip up north over Christmas. Thanks for pulling the sled dad!

Are you snowed in or frozen too? Hope it’s a good weekend.

Photo Credits: First photo by Laura Resen

If you don’t want to commit to paint you can put up removable stickers on the walls in fun shapes and colors. The Colorful Childhood Store online has tons of fun ones for all ages.

Bookshelves are a great way to store books and lots of parents get nervous about kids climbing up the bookshelves. Here is a good idea from Martha Stewart on how to easily build one into the wall.

Fun window shades are easy to make if you are handy with the sewing machine. If you want some inexpensive shades but don’t have a sewing machine or time to learn ask the seamstress at your dry cleaners or tailors if they can.

Aura and Natura are the Benjamin Moore paints I use the most. They are a little more expensive but well worth the investment. The paint dries so quickly and is basically odorless that you no longer need to worry about being out of the house for long periods of time to repaint.

Flor is a great company that makes removable floor tiles. They are great in kids rooms, basements and kitchens. These two patterns would be fun in a playroom and there are many more choices. If you already have carpet down but want to make a craft area to protect your area these are 20″ x 20″ and a grouping of them under an easel and craft table would helpful.

Need an afternoon idea? Make your own tent. My sister and I used to make forts when we were little and I know my boys will love doing this too.

What have you done in your playroom? I would love to hear any ideas that readers have and I will put a follow up playroom blog up soon with continued ideas. Anything drive you nuts in your playroom? Don’t have a playroom and need one? What do you do to keep the play areas tidy?  Let me know!

Photo Credits: BHG, Martha Stewart, Cottage Living

The houses are original, enchanting and most of them have fabulous porches. I have loved looking at this house since I was little.

I have to say I am partial to this one…and the great porch that wraps around the back.

The roads are like this,

and there are beautiful waterfalls

which were especially gorgeous with all of the rain that the northeast recently had.

This one has been spotted on a regular basis this summer. I did not take this picture, but did see him about 15 yards from my car.

I hope you get to spend some time this summer in a place that is as special to you as this one is to me.

Photo Credits: Laura Casey, all except for the bear (phew) taken by Britton Fisher.

Mrs. John L. Strong Stationary   (now gone 5.22.09)

Whitney English’s fun notecards.

I wish my handwriting had been this beautiful!

I grew up outside of New York City. She gave me an appreciation of the arts and music, and I fondly remember our  ”New York Days”.  She also taught me how to work in the garden. Our azaleas were recently in bloom. 

On Mother’s Day I am grateful for my two little boys. Normal Rockwell got it right.

Sometimes I have the feeling that they are thinking this…

but they are really as sweet as can be….

My mother influenced my creative side, without that I wouldn’t be a designer or blogger!

What did your mom impart onto you?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Photo Credits: Mrs. John L. Strong, Whitney English,  Love, Jenna (via Elements of Style), Norman Rockwell, Two Little Boys

Using the exterior limestone on the inside was a way of bringing the outside in, originally one of the priniciples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture. You can see on the right how there are three sizes used which makes for interesting patterns. A variety of natural materials were used in the construction of the home. The slate which was used in the front hall, living room and dining room was brought to the house from North Carolina. I love the original front door with the windows centered on the mullions.

The house had a very contemporary floor plan for the time. The public spaces- the Living Room, the Dining Room and the front hall all were in the center of the house. The private spaces included a wing with the bedrooms to one side and the kitchen, a playroom and back entrance to the carport were on the other side. The ability to go from the kitchen to the bedrooms without having to go through the public space was somewhat of a new concept. The frosted glass wall and connecting partition to the left also allowed for greater privacy in the Living Room. Only some of the original furniture is here. The house was featured in a local magazine on August 27, 1950 and the article says “Mrs. Davis and her decorator chose an ebony coffee table and ebony Eames chairs with a plush red sofa for accent.” Sounds extremely hip, note the Noguchi coffee table which is a classic today.

The original table, chairs and sideboard. My mother-in-law is the left portrait.

The division between the LR and DR also had a fireplace. Mr. and Mrs. Davis wanted a division of space, an open feeling and a fireplace. The architect solved it by centering the house around the fireplace, also a concept that stems from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Originally the play room, this room had cork flooring as did one of the girls bedrooms. A sustainable and durable material, cork is used today and considered to be eco-friendly. Gabriel was ahead of his time.

Cork flooring and built-ins in one of the girls bedrooms.

One of very few houses in NOLA to have an O’Keefe and Merritt gas stove. When the hurricanes would hit and the electricity was out everyone wanted to come over to boil water.  The stove is currently at one of the sister’s houses in FL. It is a vintage treasure.

The frosted glass was also used in the kitchen as an interior window. Behind the window was the playroom. By sliding the center bottom window pane mom could see the girls in the playroom and send snacks through.

All of the other furniture was custom designed by the architect to fit each room. Built-ins like these were an incredibly modern feature. LKD was my husband’s grandmother. I do not have a picture of the master bedroom but one of the most forward technologies of the house was that all of the lighting for the house could be controlled from the master bedroom. There was a cabinet built around the headboard so that one could turn on any light in the house before getting out of bed.

An on/off switch for heat in the bathroom. I love the art nouveau inspired grill work.

The open floor plan, full width open doors and a greater connection between the house and nature signaled a trend of houses incorporating more modern elements. The house had a great screened in back porch with sliding doors. The lightweight awning type aluminum framed windows allowed for maximum ventilation throughout the house.

The pool was added to the house  a few years later. It was great to swim in the pool and then go play cards and have some lunch on the back porch.

After being sold, the house was torn down to our sadness in 2004. Thankfully though when Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005 the house and all it’s family treasures were spared. I was fortunate to be able to visit the house many times and love the wonderful woman who called that house her home for five decades.

(above images from BHG)

I think that it is the hand made things around the house that makes Christmas the most special.

Our beautiful stockings needlepointed by my mother-in-law, favorite ornaments made by Brooks (3)

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Thank you to all of my readers who have been in touch in the past few weeks. Your comments and emails have been much appreciated, and I hope to hear from everyone in 2009. I am going to enjoy the next ten days with family and friends and hope you will too. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

In my free time I love to be with my husband and my two sons.