Decorating with flags

This past winter, our kids were given beautiful Tibetan prayer flags by one of their grandparents.  As we returned home from the festivities, I thought briefly about absconding with the flags and adorning the outside of our home with the bright colors and messages of peace and good fortune.  Remembering that the flags were, in fact, a gift for the boys, I adorned the inside of their rooms instead.  With a push pin here and a push pin there, the flags have added movement and joy clear across each their rooms (and up from their often-messy floors).

And it got me thinking, wouldn't life be more fun with more flags?  Like these...

or these...

    or even these?

 Have you ever decorated with flags?

Image credits (from top to bottom): Paige Lewin, Pottery Barn, Wal-Mart, and Country Living 

Fashionable fix

Have an empty wall in need of some color? Here's a quick fix: hang up an under-$10 pegrail from your local home supply store (I got mine from Lowe's for $8), and resurrect some of those scarves that you collected during the pashmina-craze of the late '90s that work with the colors in your décor. In addition to brightening up your walls, you get the added bonus of incorporating some of those long-forgotten beauties back into your wardrobe.

Night Night, Amy!

For those of us who are fans of the bright, modern, fresh designs of Amy Butler (I sometimes wish I had a daughter just so I could dress her in clothing made with Miss Butler's fabrics),  there's something new to covet -- a just-released line of bedding available at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I had heard word from fellow home design bloggers that Miss Butler would be releasing a line this summer and have been checking in on her site ever since.  Thanks to a late-night Twitter check-in tonight, I hear it's finally available online!  Five collections, delicious colors, 400-thread-count sheets and 100% organic...get a good (and beautiful) night's sleep! Image credit: Amy Butler Design

Toss One On

One day recently, I was at a friend's house consulting on a living room reinvention (maximum change for minimal cash) and I spent some time extolling the virtues of throw pillows and their ability to pull together a room through pattern, update a couch or chair, or just generally add visual interest to a space that's spare on accessories.  So on that note, let me share some of my faves from this season:

Look to CB2 for some great cheap and chic options, including the Kala Pillow, featuring a collage of bright fabrics in graphic bars.

For a summery addition to your living room, look to L.L. Bean's new Maine Isle Throw Pillow collection including the starfish motif in navy cotton.

As the Fourth of July approaches and I reflect in my renewed sense of pride in our country, I'm loving the American Pillow Cover Collection from Restoration Hardware, particularly that little boudoir Flag pillow cover.

Because there are so many unique, affordable options for pillows from major retailers, as well as local artisans through sites like Etsy, I wouldn't normally advocate for a spending a ton of hard-earned cash.  But after catching a glimpse of John Robshaw's new collection which includes a series of stunning handpainted pillows, I'm advocating.  If you can spare it, I support it...and feel free to pick up the Painted Stork for me while you're at it.

Image credits (from top to bottom): CB2;  L.L.Bean; Restoration Hardware; John Robshaw

A Lamp of One's Own

The very first time I saw the "U-Fill-It Lamp" from Circa Lighting, I fell in love. Dining room? Fill it with elegant glass marbles. Craft room? Colorful skeins of yarn. Office? Gumballs, definitely. I had an idea for every room in my house, but at this point in my life I can't justify a $315 lamp that I don't really need, no matter how gorgeous.  Luckily, as I was perusing one of my favorite blogs, This Young House, I came across this perfectly terrific look-a-like, available at Amazon.com for $99.  Until the whopping daycare payments are out of our monthly budget permanently, these will do the trick!    Image credit: Circa Lighting