10-Minute Styling: Mantel

On the way to a friend's house this morning, I received an urgent text from her. "I have a mantel that needs editing. HELP!"

She was right.

SudMantelBefore

I understand why my friend had a challenging time styling the mantel since it's very shallow and quite long.

The fishing pole, particularly special to her angler husband, wasn't going anywhere.

It's hard to see, but the round vase is a total showstopper. It has these beautiful abstract horses all over it, perfect for my friend who spends a few evenings each week riding, so I knew that needed to stay. Front and center.

HorsesClose

I cleared everything off and we went hunting around her house using the vase as a launching point. When we came back and assessed the options, I found that there was nice collection of pottery and wooden objects.

AnimalsClose

Using the vase as the focal point, I created groupings that followed the line of the pole. I weighted the center, and left the right side of the asymmetrical mantel empty, letting it sort of recede visually.

SudMantelAfter

Not bad for 10 minutes and zero dollars.

SudMantelBeforeandAfter

Do you have a 10-minute, use-what-you've-got styling that you want to share? Send images to mudroomboston@gmail.com and you might be featured in an upcoming 10-Minute Styling post!

My Favorite Blues

Who doesn't love blue? Not me, that's for sure. I think I've had at least one blue room in every house in which I've lived and loved every single one. Contrary to conventional color theory, not all blues are soothing, as is the case with one of my favorite paint colors -- Benjamin Moore's Peacock Blue. I used it in a dining room, and it hardly put my dinner guests to sleep. See? BlueDiningRoom

Right? No sleeping allowed in those funny paper hats.

You can't go wrong with blue walls, but you can choose the wrong blue paint. The six blues below -- my Ain't-Got-No-Blues Blues -- seem to work for me every time.

Ain'tGotNoBluesBlues

Do you love blue, and if so, what's your favorite shade?

All images by Paige Lewin. Dinner guests include isabelka and A Philosopher Who Practices ArchitectureAll paint colors by Ben Moore, natch.

SHOP FOR A CAUSE! Macy's + March of Dimes

As a mother of two who has dedicated nearly my entire professional life to aligning large organizations with causes, I am excited to be a part of Macy's Shop for a Cause fundraiser supporting the March of Dimes!

Did you know that the March of Dimes was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, inspired by his own battle with polio? In fact, March of Dimes funded research for vaccines developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin -- the vaccines that ended childhood polio. In 1958, having addressed its primary mission to end the polio epidemic, the March of Dimes shifted its focus toward birth defect prevention. Today, the organization is focused on preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, as well as advancing maternal and health research. For those of you who have had babies in the last decade or so, you're probably well aware of both their folic acid and prematurity awareness campaigns, both of which have worked toward healthy, full-term pregnancies for all women.

Now's your chance to support March of Dimes and get up to 25% off your purchases at Macy's -- all for $5. 

Simply buy a $5 Macy's saving pass that will provide 25% off on regular, sale & clearance items,  including home items (please note that you will receive 10% off electronics, watches, furniture, mattresses, rugs/floor coverings), and Macy's will donate 100% of the $5 cost of the savings pass to the March of Dimes to help give more babies a healthy start in life.

So you want to know the details?

From now until August 25: buy passes in-store (good for in-store purchases only)

August 25 only: buy a $5 savings pass online at macys.com (good for online purchases only)

SHOP, SHOP, SHOP on August 25! Use your passes online or in stores (depending on where you bought them). Two stores in Massachusetts will hold Shop for a Cause on Friday, August 24 AND Saturday, August 25 -- Boston (450 Washington Street, Boston) and Berkshire (170 Old State Road, Lanesboro). So if you want to get shopping early, you can go on August 24 to either of these two stores, buy a pass, and shop.

Want to see my Shop for a Cause wish list?

Gold is having a moment throughout the house, and I'm LOVING this Marchesa by Lenox hostess set!

The shape, shade, and color of this table lamp from Pacific Coast are perfect.

My husband and I were given a single glass cake stand for our wedding 12 years ago, but I could find many uses for this one from The Cellar collection. Great for displaying baked goods or using as a tiered centerpiece filled with fruit and flowers.

Add texture to your living room with these faux bois vinyl coasters from Chilewich. (psst - they're a bargain closeout!)

These Sandpiper tidbit plates from Kate Spade would be a great hostess gift, or framed out in shadow boxes and hung on the wall.

On a trip to Atlanta last year, I fell in love with a natural fiber cocktail table, but decided against it because the shape didn't work with our sectional. This cocktail table is perfect!

With two boys and a mountain biking-husband, I use indoor/outdoor rugs throughout our home. This runner from Couristan is a beauty! (Please note that rugs are excluded from Shop for a Cause online purchasing, but are eligible for the discount in-store!)

Inspired? Purchase your pass, help babies, and get shopping! 

Image credit: all images from macys.com

Complete details about Macy's Shop for a Cause fundraiser can be found here.

This post (+ my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about the March of Dimes/Macy’s charitable fundraiser. All commentary, opinions, and fabulous finds are, of course, my own.

Madcap Cottage: A Visual Antidepressant

It is cold, rainy, and desperately depressing here in Boston right now. After a spring-tease in April, we've been treated to nearly nothing but clouds since May started.

Out went the kelly green shorts, coral blouses and peep-toe espadrilles from three weeks ago. Back in came the black cashmere and boots of fall.

And I am SO over fall clothes.

I didn't think anything could jolt me out of my precipitation-induced coma, until I saw the designs of Madcap Cottage today.

Have you seen? They're like visual antidepressants.

Candy colors! Stripes! Florals!

John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, the talents behind Madcap Cottage, might as well have their M.D.s, 'cause I feel a whole lot better after an hour in their world.

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Image credits: Madcap Cottage

Harvesting.

So what did you do this long weekend, friends? It was gorgeous here in Boston and we took full advantage of the weather, spending time as a family at birthday parties, soccer games, the beach, and a local apple orchard picking more than enough apples for half a dozen pies.

{Not apples. Cherries? In October?}

When we got home from the orchard, I continued the harvest theme by gathering the blossoms off our newly-planted hydrangeas. So beautiful!

{Endless Summer, indeed!}

Finally, I started a project more than a year in the making. Last year when I hit Brimfield with my friend Cheri, I got some really fabulous pieces (including the guy featured in this post), most of which I justified by saying, "when I get home I'll just paint/strip/reupholster this!" Turns out I'm using a lot of what I bought as is, BUT there was one piece that had no purpose without a little work. So this weekend, I finally took a few hours to start working on what I think will be an awesome addition to our living room. Stay tuned!

{Could the perpetual project starter finish something? We'll see!}