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Dec3Life Outside the Nursery: Decor That Can Survive the Terrible Twos
Carrie

Working at the desk behind the couch in my living room, I tend to procrastinate by daydreaming about redecorating (And chocolate. And a hair appointment.) Watching too much HGTV isn’t helping. Luckily, I’ve found that just rearranging things that I already have can sometimes stop an online shopping binge dead in its tracks. That’s why I’d like to make a conscious effort to only buy things that can be used in a variety of rooms.

The big problem? Kids’ rooms tend to have the most single purpose items. Nobody wants to eat dinner off of the old changing table, right? I can’t think that the ExerCauser would be too useful as a desk, either. There are some things, however, that have just the right balance of playfulness and beauty that make them appropriate for both nurseries, as well as more grown up rooms. Here are some of my favorite picks for multi-purpose decorating.

1. Rabbit Coasters
Sesame Letterpress
$16.00 for set of 8
I love anything letterpress–and these coasters are no exception. Sesame Letterpress makes these cute coasters with images of rabbits, cats, foxes, starfish, zebras and much more. They’re perfect for hanging above a crib because they’re safer then a heavy framed picture (a nursery no-no). And when you get sick of them–just take them off the wall and serve them up at your next party!

2. One Lump or Two Lamp
Anthropologie
$198.00
This teapot lamp reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. As adorable as the lamp is, I can also imagine it fitting perfectly on a sideboard in a dining room or kitchen.

3. Ferris Wheel Print
Cassia Beck
$8.00
I recently ordered 9 mini prints from this photographer based in Brighton, England. Her prints are very affordable and her subjects are charming and whimsical. Her colors are soft enough for a child’s room, but her compositions are edgy enough to keep you interested for the long run.

4. Hot Spot Rug
Land of Nod
$79.00
This handwoven cotton rug is designed to evoke the feel of a vintage oven mitt. I can imagine this rug being put to good use in the kitchen, a bathroom, or even a screened in porch (if you’re so lucky to have one!).

5. French Bulldog Bookends
Modcloth
$55.99
There’s something about the soulful, sad stare of a French Bulldog that invites a smile. I’m tempted to order these right away and put them up on my bookcases, bypassing my son’s room all together.

Disclaimer:
Ad Hoc MOM was in no way compensated for these items and we are in no way affiliated with the above items nor have we received any of them for our review. Should you wish to have us review something or compensate us, bring it on and email us.

Filed Under: ad hoc CHIC
Tags: beautiful things, design

7 Comments

Oct15Loony Bins: My Container Store Habit
Carrie

The Container Store is a heavenly place. It is my higher power. Its organized aisles are the pews upon which I worship whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed with anxiety and dark thoughts, such as:

I do not have even one of the seven habits of highly successful people. Actually, I don’t even know what those habits are, I just have a feeling I don’t have any of them. How could I not know what those habits are?? I need a mantra. I need to meditate. I need to use The Secret ™ and the Power ™. I need a signature scent. I need a new style–how can I be Fabulous at Any Age(tm)? Take a deep breath. Maybe all I need are…some bins. Bins to put my stuff in.

Because I work out of my home, I have even more of a need to get organized. I fantasize about bins that can file and separate my work life and home life into two distinct places. Before I had my second baby, I gave up my home office. My desk moved to the living room and I knew what needed to be done.

Years of reading Martha Stewart convinced me that all it took was getting the right containers to store stuff in and everything would be fine. Martha said that if I organized everything, I would have left over time to buy and keep pretty little birds and dogs and kitties and chickens and transfer ware and succulents.

I bought 27 bins in the months before my son was born. Most of the bins went to organizing my office/design supply closet. Everything was going to be fine if…I…just…could…get…the…stuff…in…bins.

But guess what? It’s not fine! It’s hideous! And you know why?? My papers are ugly, my towels are dirty, and my electronic cords are too dusty. So my perfect little bin-filled closet is STILL awful. It’s just like a perfect grid of disorganizational horror.

I learned my lesson. I get it. I’m not a total idiot. So I’m going to throw everything away and go to The Container Store to buy all new things to put in those bins. Pretty ribbon. Folded tissue Paper. Colored paper clips. Unopened packages of index cards. Which will work just fine as soon as I quit my life as a designer and mother and become a seasonal gift wrapper in a department store in the year 1973.

Filed Under: ad hoc CHIC, Cleanliness, Disorganization
Tags: Anxiety, neurotic issues, Stupidity

11 Comments

Oct12Frightful or Delightful? The Cloafer
Carrie

The Daily Candy picked this shoe from Swedish Has Beens as one of their favorite Fall shoe picks:

We here at ad hoc MOM love a good, comfortable, yet ugly shoe trend. OK, well some of us here–as in me and Paula. I’m not ashamed of my love affair with clogs. You either like ‘em or you don’t. But what to make of this combination loafer/clog? They’re selling them in Williamsburg boutiques, so we know the hipsters like them. But is this a case of the clog jumping the shark? You tell us…would you wear these? Will I be wearing these?

Filed Under: ad hoc CHIC, Fashion, Frightful or Delightful?
Tags: cloafer, delightful or frightful, important issues, overlooked awesomeness, things I write when I'm drunk

10 Comments

Oct4(Real) People
Carrie

My friend Kate knows when she’s rocking a true ad hoc MOM style. That’s why, when she was feeling *really* fabulous, she had her husband snap this picture of her. Lickety split, he whipped up this magazine cover for her. Don’t we all wish our husbands would see us as paparazzo-worthy?

Filed Under: ad hoc CHIC, Fashion
Tags: comfy pants, full fashion frontal, get that camera out of my face

6 Comments

Sep23Cruising The Catalogues
Carrie

My friend Doreen is one of the most stylish New Yorkers I know. An Art Director working in SoHo, Doreen has a classic fashion sense, but is never afraid to rock a trend. She always does it effortlessly, tastefully and months ahead of the rest of our girlfriends. Do you want to know the latest shoe trend? Invite Doreen out for a drink, and her feet will tell you what to buy in the next three months.

When I met Doreen out at a bar in Brooklyn the other night (a very cool bar in a very cool neighborhood, thank you very much!), the conversation turned to clothes. Talk soon took on a confessional tone as we both excitedly talked about some inspiring new shopping destinations. A boutique in Boerum Hill? Hardly. A vintage store in Williamsburg? Not even. More like–L.L. Bean, Land’s End and Eddie Bauer!

OK, so these retail outlets aren’t exactly known for their cutting edge style. So why are they suddenly so appealing? Classic styles, utilitarian materials, sporty fits, comfortable cuts and a healthy dose of irony combine to make a lot of their clothes irresistible. Here are a few things that Doreen and I picked out. Call us crazy, but I think we’re on to something.