Style Lush

Words Speak Louder Than Actions

Editor's note: For our last week at Style Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Leah

As a way of helping send this site out with a triumphant fanfare (even as I've wept myself into a puddle over the loss), I'm going to try to answer the question "What was your favorite Style Lush post ever?" Three-plus years of archives! So much incredible content! How do I choose? Here's how: Knowing a lot of things that surround me are thanks to this site, I just closed my eyes and pointed, and when I opened my eyes I was looking at my perfectly organized boots, courtesy of a tip from Sara, featured on Style Lush in December 2010. A little bit of genius, that.

As for pointing you to one of my best posts for the site, I'll go with the biggest crowd-pleaser, which is this Balloon Garland How-To, from January 2011. This is a big hit with the Pinterest crowd, and I love it so much we're doing another version of it for my son's fourth birthday party this weekend. If you can make a bigger, more festive impact for less money, I'll eat my aforementioned boots.      

***

Now onto my next, and final *sniff*, find:

Okay, I'm a little embarrassed this tip is something I picked up from a Pottery Barn catalog, but then you know what they say about inspiration: Sometimes you pick it up from a Pottery Barn catalog. 

I saw this image and was instantly charmed:

Seeing that simple note on the o.j. carafe would bring a smile to anyone's face.

My first thought was that this would be a lovely touch to add to breakfasts when I have house guests--I wrap their towels in ribbon and leave a cookie on the nightstand, so why wouldn't I wish them good morning via juice?--but a beat later I realized this is a perfect, easy gesture for any old day, and any old meal. Heck, bring home pizza and tie a note around the 2-litre jug of Diet Coke that says "I dig you, so dig in!" (When kids roll their eyes at Mom, it means they love her best of all, right?) 

Thank you, all of you, for reading and commenting here and helping build up a community of friendly faces that we're all richer for knowing. I dig you and hope to see you around!

Currently Coveting: Weather Vanes

By Leah

Partly because I spend all day at home, and partly because while I'm at home I watch a lot of Nate Berkus Show reruns, all I want to do anymore is cover every last centimeter of my home with stylish accessories, both inside and out. This week's obsession: weather vanes. I don't know what I love about them most: that there are so many (too many) options? that they're charmingly old-timey? that they're completely and utterly unnecessary? A few that have caught my eye:

 

The copper sailboat is a favorite.

Although this whaler ship is pretty magnificent. And only $1,600 for the 12-inch version! *gulp*

My son would love this golden flying horse, like in the classic kids book Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown.

I'm not much into decorating with barn fowl, but I have to admit this rooster would look mighty handsome on our traditional farmhouse-style Craftsman.

There are plenty of foxes to choose from, but this one seems more special than the others.

A Schwinn! Adorable.

NERD ALERT. NERD ALERT.

Balloons. Cute cute.

Someone with three boys pleeeeeeeease buy this right now.

If you're getting the impression that you can find pretty much anything on a weather vane, you're right. Alien spaceship? Check. Rabbit pulling carrots from the garden? Check. Mary Poppins coming in for a landing? Check. Google away and let me know which ones you're coveting.

How To Remove Glitter Nail Polish with Foil

By Leah

My New Year's manicure has seen better days. My New Year's manicure also feels about 100 watts too sparkly for everyday SAHMhood.

I don't remember where I saw this (Pinterest?), but if you've ever had a bull of a time trying to remove glittery nail polish, and without scratching up your nails in the process (mine are extra wimpy), here's a quick trick to do the job. All you need is cotton balls, nail polish remover, and tinfoil.

1. Cut five cotton balls in half to make a total of ten fingernail-sized pieces.
2. Soak the cotton ball halves in nail polish remover.
3. Finger by finger, apply the cotton balls to the nails and then wrap each fingertip with a small bit of tinfoil--enough to keep the cotton ball in place.
4. Leave your hands like this for three or four minutes, giving the nail polish remover time to work its magic, and then pull off the tinfoil tips, pressing down slightly so the cotton ball sweeps over the nail and takes the polish with it (but being careful not to scrape the foil across your nail, of course). 

I tried this for the first time tonight and it worked like a charm. Next time I'm going to see if I can use "foil fingers" as an excuse to get someone to feed me grapes whilst I lounge on a divan.

Trend: Silver Mercury Glass

By Leah

True to form, I'm finally ready to hop on a bandwagon a few years after the rest of the world. Hey, I may not be at the forefront of style, but at least this wait-and-see method ensures the trend has some longevity and I'm not wasting my money on something that will be passé in just a few weeks.

So: silver mercury glass! I'm ready for you! It's a little shiny, a little shabby, and it fits into most decor styles. Here are some things I'm loving:

 Target small hurricane, $25

 

Pottery Barn set of three leaf-topped bottles, on sale from $69 to $34!

 

 

Nordstrom owl, $10

 

 

West Elm vases, various sizes and shapes on sale from $13 to $27

 

 

West Elm candle holders, on sale for $3 (you should get these if you're hosting a sparkly New Year's party)

 

 

Grandin Road lamp, $69

 

Crafters! Here's your cheap and cheerful mercury glass DIY for fancying up the clear-glass vases, hurricanes, mason jars (yes indeedy), and even old windowpanes you have stashed in a closet. Anna from Take the Side Street has a great tutorial.

Weight Loss Simulator for Goal Setting

by Leah

Here's one to bookmark for January 1, or maybe earlier if you're taking part in this round of Biggest Blogging Loser and have been letting the holidays get the best of you for the past few weeks (ahem). What we have here is a pretty straightforward weight loss simulator, and there are probably hundreds of them out there, but this is the one I came across (I forget how), and I thought it was cool so I'm sharing it with you in case this sort of thing is your jam. 

You can input basic details (height, shape, bust) to compare your current body with your body at your goal weight, and if you've ever spent way too long making a video game character look exactly like yourself (ahem), you can also pass a few moments customizing features like skin tone, hair color and style, and the shape of your nose. And rest assured, as with all good character simulators, you can totally pick a beach background.

(P.S., There's one for men too.)

{Photo credit: www.modelmydiet.com}

DIY Star Wars Snowflakes

by Leah

My husband is a strict observer of the "No Christmas Decorations Until December 1" rule. It's too bad for him that he married me, then, since I'm equally devoted to the "Get Them Up While You Can Because Your Life Is Crazy" doctrine, which usually means taking advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend to deck the ever-loving crap out of our halls.

This year the prospect of one special winter craft ("winter"! not necessarily "Christmas"!) may have softened his obstinance a little. Ladies, gentlemen, spouses of geeks, and moms of little boys in particular, I present to you the Star Wars snowflakes:

The 2012 collection is available as free PDF downloads here, and last year's are here.

Who doesn't want to tape Billy Dee Williams to their living room window for the entire neighborhood to see, amirite?

The designer, Anthony Herrera, suggests using an X-Acto knife for the fine details, so this isn't an activity for little kids, but that doesn't mean they won't ooh and aah over their parents' skillful rendering of a prismatic paper Yoda. Awesome you will be.  

Family Vacation: Legoland

By Leah

We just got back from Legoland and, always the intrepid Style Lush reporter, I'm here to share what I learned in case you or anyone you know is considering a trip there. (Note: This is all about Legoland in California; I can't speak to the one in Florida.) Here are my tips and impressions:

• Everyone we talked to--online friends, IRL friends, the pilot on the plane--told us that my son, at age almost-four, was the perfect age for Legoland. They were right. Younger kids are too short to ride all the rides and older kids might think a lot of the attractions are a little babyish, but my son loved everything in the park and was juuuuust tall enough to ride the biggest rollercoaster, which was as awesome as it was shocking because it was pretty intense. Kids age three to about eight or nine seem to be the target audience.

• I don't know what the park is like during other seasons, but going on Saturday in early November (before all the Christmas stuff gets into full swing) felt like a sweet spot. The park wasn't crowded, and all of the lines moved quickly but one (see truncated screed below). The weather was pleasant--a little chilly at times, but better than burning hot--and none of the water park stuff was open, which means we were able to focus on just the main area (and not have to worry about bringing an extra set of dry clothes). The one minus about going in fall was that the sun set at 4:30 and the park closed at 5, giving us only 7ish hours to explore the park (which sounds like a lot but it went really quickly). I wish we'd had another hour or two, but I also wonder if that would have put us into overtired-meltdown territory, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

• Get the apple fries. They're like cooked apples wrapped in churros dipped in whipped cream made in heaven, and they are to die for. (Thanks for the tip, Miranda!)

• Go clockwise through the park. This will put the gentler rides at the beginning and the bigger rollercoasters at the end. It will also put you near the food court at around noon. (The Burger Stop in Fun Town has great cheeseburgers, and Fun Town Hot Dogs serves insanely hot chilis, if you're into that sort of thing.)

• Do MinilandUSA last. We could have spent hours there, but the kid would have been crazy-bored, so it worked out well to do it at the end of the day, when my son's energy was waning, the light was fading, and the park was closing down, meaning we had to move through the displays pretty quickly instead of staring in awe at each one for ages.

• Don't wait in line for the Sky Cruiser. I could go on and on about this, but let's just say the line is THE SLOWEST EVER and the ride is dumb and a waste of space, the end.

• On some of the rides that tend to have longer or slower waits, there are areas stocked with Legos so the kids can build and play while the parents stand in line. This is flat-out GENIUS and something that should be done at every amusement park the world over.

• If you only have one day at the park, don't spend the money on combo tickets that include the aquarium and/or waterpark. It took us a full day (7+ hours) to get through the main park, and we only rode one ride twice (The Dragon rollercoaster, which was my favorite). There's more than plenty to do at Legoland proper for one whole day.

• The tickets are pretty pricey at about $75 for adults and $65 for kids between 3 and 12 (cf. $90 and $80 for Disneyland). We won ours in a promo contest and, after the first few little baby rides, were congratulating ourselves for not having paid for such a dumb park, but by the end of the day, and after seeing how much fun my son had and how he really was at the perfect age for it all, we decided it was worth the asking price (although we were still glad we hadn't paid for tickets and could therefore spend more money on apple fries).

Anyone else been to Legoland and have info to share?

Plantable Paper Goods

By Leah

'Tis the season for thanks, thankfulness, and thank you cards. And soon it will be time for Christmas cards and gift tags and new calendars and finding great items for all those mothers-in-law/preschool teacher/boss-types who are impossible to shop for.

This year I'm going to fly my hippy flag high and proud and pick up some things from Botanical Paperworks, who specialize in plantable paper goods of all kinds. Check it out:

Plantable seed thank you cards.

Plantable seed journal.

 

Plantable seed calendar. (My favorite. Each page grows a different herb or vegetable. LOVE THIS.)

 

Plantable seed postcards.

 

Plantable seed confetti (for decorating your Thanksgiving table).

 

Plantable seed wine glass tags.

 

Plantable seed cards and envelopes for all occasions.

They have cards for holidays and special occasions, and also miscellaneous things like wedding stationery and favors, business cards, promotional products, and memorial products. (A friend of mine sent seed cards when her dog died, and although that might seem weird out of context, it was actually really lovely.)  

Lots of great ideas here, for the holidays and beyond. (And the calendars are genius, aren't they?) 

The Perfect Family Rug

By Leah

There are a lot of things I'd like to change about my house, but until I win the lottery and become the kind of person who can decide with authority, say, what color of exterior paint I can live with for the next handful of years, I'm keeping my goals modest. One of those goals is to buy a new rug for the t.v. room. 

Of all the rooms in our hundred-year-old Craftsman, our t.v. room is the most modern, what with its media equipment and streamlined Ikea furniture in basic black. The rug we've had in there for the past five years, however, is anything but modern--think Oriental-style flowers and vines in a dark maroon/tan/navy palette. It camoflages messes well, but it's not very cute or current.

I long for something more updated and graphic, and I'd love for it to feel a little fun too, since the room doubles as our playroom. Here's the latest object of my affection: 

I think this Family rug from the new Novogratz collection at CB2 is wonderful (and there's a color version too), but my husband thinks it's totally cheesy. (He may have compared it to vinyl wall quotes, which are...not my favorite.) I'm convinced it would be cool and understated, since a big portion would be covered by a wooden coffee table, but then I wonder why bother getting a rug like that if you can't actually read it. Would it be enough that I know what it says?  

Perhaps my biggest reservation is that everyone in the world will buy one of these and then before I know it they'll be on the receiving end of mass eye-rolling. There's also the matter of having a half-white rug in a household that includes two small boys and two barfy cats, so maybe this isn't the best piece for us right now. I still love it, though.

Opinions? Wonderful or cheesy? Is this the sort of thing we're going to see all over Pinterest in approximately five minutes and therefore have to pretend to dislike just because it's overdone (like those striped paper straws I hate that I love as much as I do)?

Diaper Pod to the Rescue

By Leah

If you've heard me talk about baby and kid gear before, you know I'm a lo-fi gal. I'd rather not spend my money on stuff I'm just going to get rid of in a few months when my child has outgrown it, and I especially don't want to buy more things I'll inevitably have to haul all over kingdom come. Now that I have two kids, I swear that between the car seat and the stroller base and the diaper bag and the baby wrap and the big kid's backpack and my purse, I'm more pack mule than mother. It's bad enough I have to lug all that stuff between the house and the car several times a day; please don't make me carry all that crap on my person when I'm shopping or out to dinner too.

This is why I love my diaper pod. Down with gigantic overstuffed diaper bags full of everything you might need but usually don't.

That one's from JJ Cole and is an updated version of the one I bought four years ago and am still using for my second son. Inside is a matching changing pad (hooray for always having a clean surface) and room for a few diapers. We throw in a small container of wipes and a travel-sized baby powder, and boom, that's all you need for quick trip to the grocery store. I of course try to keep a spare onesie and anything else I might need in the car for dire situations, but otherwise I just clip the pod onto the strap of my purse and off I go. I guess if you use a stroller all the time, you could just throw your giant diaper bag in there, but for babywearers like me, the less stuff you have to carry that isn't the actual baby, the better.    

Also, I think these diaper pods are cute. I'm not saying you should use it as a casual clutch purse, I'm just saying you could.