House & Home

I would naturally gravitate toward a Duchess Peony scented candle any day of the week, but take that scent and use it to conjure the idea of a Powder Room with it, and consider me sold.

This is how I discovered LAFCO House & Home Candles over the weekend, and I am not sure how I ever lived without them.

Conceptualized with the purpose, "A Candle for Every Room and A Candle for Every Home," you can imagine my enthusiasm exploring such virtual spaces as: Boudoir, Kitchen, Guest Room, and Country House.

Each soy based candle is displayed in a well-weighted, art glass vessel. Although the price point may be considered on the high-side by some ($60 each), I can promise you these candles are worth their weight in gold. The size is very generous - 16 oz. compared to a 6.7 oz. standard Diptyque candle at the same price - and guarantees 90-hours of burn time.

My top three favorites? Ranch House, Patio, and Music Room.

xx JN

Well-Feathered Nest

I did not fully appreciate that sentiment until I had a family of three + a pooch in a quaint, 2-br apartment in New York City! With a tendency to be fairly anal retentive about my personal living space (alright, completely), I am always evaluating and re-evaluating what stays in and what goes out.

Spring is here - for me, the moment I can open the windows again means it's time to clean every nook and cranny of our apartment! With four distinct seasons and limited closet space, I automatically do the wardrobe switcharoo at then end of every winter and summer.  But there are also a few other things that happen as well:

Clean Those Windows

Yes, this means I pull a proverbial Spiderman and hoist myself out the window and onto the fire escape with a bucket of 1-part vinegar to 2-parts hot water, a sponge, and paper towels. The screens come off and are scrubbed down in the shower (yes, a full bath/shower scrubdown commences afterwards!) and the windows look divine when they are done.

Bring it to the Floor

Sorry, kids, but unless you mop every single week, your floors will need some extra TLC a couple of times a year! I take the opportunity to scour the floors, the grout and and wipe down the baseboards, too!

• Hardwood & Ceramic Tile: Murphy's Oil Soap will leave a gorgeous shine without a sticky residue. It really does do a beautiful job on both hardwood and faux wood flooring as well as tile.
• Grout: make a paste of water + Ajax, get a heavy duty scrub brush and a toothbrush and work in sections. You don't want the paste to dry, so after you've scrubbed the grout back to life, take a wet sponge and rinse the area. This combo works far better than any grout cleaner I've used, and it has serious staying power. You'll find that doing this once a year (barring a major disaster involving red wine or marinara sauce) will keep your grout clean and bright. Your biceps will enjoy the process as well as your quads from all of the up and down!
• Baseboards: If you haven't already vacuumed them, you can also take a dryer sheet and wipe them along the edge where the baseboard meets the wall. You'll be amazed how much better they look after this process! 

The Fridge

Take the time to go through your fridge and purge those mysterious leftovers, expired pickles and anything else that you can't recognize! I like to remove the shelves and the drawers and give them a good scrubbing. It always amazes me what a difference it makes. Also, use this time to replace your water filters and baking soda, too!

Flip the Mattress

If you're like me and you're changing outer linens seasonally, it's a great time to flip the mattress after the good ol' linen strip down! It's also a good time to vacuum up at the headboard where you usually can't get to ... you will more than likely find that spring has sprung with more than a fair share of dust bunnies!

Shake it Out, Baby

Now's the time to take down the curtains and fluff up the rugs by shaking everything out, as well as a good time to either wash or replace your outer shower curtain and liner. If you're windows are curtain-free, dust those blinds!

Virtually Speaking

In this day and age, it's probable that what we lack in actual closet space we make up for in virtual memory! 

• Go through your Contact List.
• Clean off space on your iPhone or other device by removing unused apps and extraneous photos. Create new playlists.
• Organize your Inbox.
• Clean up your Desktop.
• Purge the DVR.

Spot Clean

Now's the time to pick up a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and spot clean the walls for scuff marks as you go along. You'll love how much better the walls look!

Filter This

After all that dusting, cleaning, scrubbing, purging, fluffing and organizing, don't forget to change your air filters! Nothing like having a dust-free home until the air kicks on! This is also the time to change your filters on your humidifiers and air purifiers, too. 

Have your own tips you'd like to share? Make sure to comment below!

xx JN

Au Naturale

I'm currently in search of some new bath towels. Not only did I find some I simply love over at Serena & Lily, I think I may be inspired for a complete bathroom makeover! Aren't these neutral colors so chic and serene? Talk about the perfect escape after a long day.

Bark Gobi Bath Towels / Jali Marble Bath Collection / Ventura Shower Curtain / Aqua Broad Stripe Bath Dhurrie Rug 

Senegalese Basket (large) / Sullivan Mirror / Bark Border Frame Bath Towels

O Christmas Tree

I have had my very own Christmas tree since I was a young girl. It started with a very small tabletop tree loaded with miniature ornaments, and as time went on, it evolved into a 6' tree ... just in my room!

When I went to college, the tree and my ornament collection came with me. Talk about a treasure! Then, when I got married, Jim & I started with a tree full of ornaments, all while adding our own to it year after year.

After our first move to New York back in 2002, we lost all of our Christmas trimmings (among other things), and had to start from scratch. Needless to say, we were devastated. I actually went for 3-years completely banning the mere idea of a tree ...to the point where I didn't even look forward to the holidays. It wasn't until 2004, when Lyla was born, that I succumbed to the intervention orchestrated by Jim & my mom to start a new tree so we could establish new family memories.

In other words, it was time for me to get over it!

Through the years since, our family Christmas tree has become something I cannot wait to put up. In fact, having a child completely changed my holiday perspective. Trust me when I say, there are few people who have more holiday cheer than our Lyla. She is such a creature of traditions, and when I say the day after Thanksgiving is the day we deck the halls, let it go on record that at 9AM we are on our way to storage to get everything out!

This year, we had the bittersweet opportunity to add ornaments to Team Newman's tree after receiving ones from both my brother's collection and my Nana's. I cannot tell you how special our tree is for us this Christmas season. I must admit, I had no idea how meaningful it would be to have both of them represented in multiple ways on the tree. Just another visual reminder to keep their spirits in the forefront. And the stories they conjure in just a single glance.

For as hard as it is to go into Christmas this year without these two loved ones, I feel equally comforted. Rest assured it won't be easy, but on Christmas morning, I will celebrate them both when we turn on the lights and wait for Lyla to get up and see what Santa has brought her.

Memories are made in these moments! I'm curious to hear about the stories your tree tells ... it's your turn!

xx JN

Just a little snap of the tree - of course Jimmo has a Starbucks ornament collection!

My brother's first Christmas ornament - and the year I became a big sister!

There's really no place like home, is there?

Some of my Nana's ornaments - two of which engraved for her by students. She was an incredible teacher!

New ornament given to me by Mom this year. "The ones we love never truly leave us." Certainly poignant this year.

Homespun for the Holidays

If you're looking for some festive ways to deck the halls, check out some of these fabulous, and simple, DIY craft ideas. Make sure to click on the link below each photo for complete instructions.

Something for the tree:

 Button Tree Ornament via Modern Minerals

Something for the entry:

Holiday Ice Lantern via Oh My! Creative

Something for the table:

 Peppermint Holiday Carnations via Karin Lidbeck-Brent

Something for the mantle:

Vintage Style Putz House via Retro Renovation

Something for the front door:

Yarn Ball Door Wreath via Country Living

Tis the season!

xx JN

Delicious City Prints

I just discovered these Delicious City Prints by Roni Lagin, and I must admit I wish I had enough wall space in our Brooklyn apartment to display them all! The series highlights several cities both here in the US and abroad:

Considering our family vacation to the Carolina coast is a mere week away, I must admit this poster has me all the more enticed ... I'm considering it a culinary preview!

Check out all the cities represented here.

xx JN

Interview with the Mayor

He's been referred to as the unofficial "Mayor" of Park Slope due to his commitment & enthusiasm for our neighborhood. Here's my sit-down with longtime friend, Jason Belz:

View from Jason's brownstone down Berkeley Place

DD: Jason, your home evokes such a calm energy upon entering it - was it love at first sight? What first drew you to it?

JB: It was definitely love at first sight. After an exhaustive, year-long search that included about 45 apartments, I got off the subway and walked up this handsome, tree-lined block. I then entered this tiny, charming space and instantly felt the warmth of the old wood floors, tin ceiling, and the arch into the kitchen. Looking out into the small garden out front was just the icing on the cake - I knew this one was home.

DD: It's hard to believe your apartment is less than 300 sq. ft. How do you make such a small space feel so open and inviting?

JB: I have to give credit where credit is due. The former owners (a couple) built some incredible storage into the apartment including a lofted bed with storage underneath. They took advantage of every nook and cranny, adding shelving, storage boxes and the large unit in the kitchen which holds nearly all of my kitchen wares.

Despite its small size, there are dedicated and functional spaces: a comfortable living area, the queen-sized loft bed creates the feel of a small bedroom, the archway creates and a separate kitchen (well-sized for a studio!) with a full sized refrigerator and plenty of storage. The bathroom is a calming and relaxing space as well. 

Hand drawn floorplan I created for Jason's entry in the Small Cool 2011 Contest

DD: Have you always ascribed to a vintage-infused design aesthetic, or has your style evolved over time?

JB: My personal style has really evolved. I have always had a passion for older things and antiques stemming from my days flea market shopping with my mom as a kid. About five years ago, this really started to blossom. When shopping for my apartment and my wardrobe, I don't ascribe to any specific 'style,' but look for items I love for their beauty or particular uniqueness. Somehow, everything manages to work together. It is a wonderful feeling to come home every day and be surrounded by so many visually delightful objects.

DD: With a garden-level apartment, how important is the communal outdoor space, and do you have a hand in maintaining it? 

JB: Living on the garden level of a brownstone, it is impossible not to be intimately connected to the outdoor space fronting the street. When I met the co-op members for my interview, I made mention of my love for gardening. The board told me they had previously hired a gardener to come a few times each season for the front area, and I wondered aloud whether I might take over instead. They were agreeable, and for the past 5 years, I have taken on the gardening of both the space in front of the building as well as the 20 foot tree garden by the street. We have a beautiful 10 foot tall Japanese maple tree, a Morning Glory along the fence and lush beds of perennials and annuals. Neighbors and passersby regularly start up a conversation about the garden, so it's really been a wonderful way to meet people and feel a part of the community.

Candid shots I started taking in 2008 of Jason's 20-foot street garden - it literally stops traffic!

DD: Rumor has it you love to cook - but your kitchen has minimal counter space. Any recipes you care to share?

JB: I do love to cook, but with limited counter space I try to keep things as simple as possible. One of my favorite things to make is a pan of roasted vegetables with freshly picked rosemary from the garden, a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. It's healthy, easy, and when paired with a chicken breast and my favorite Brooklyn beer, it's the perfect summer meal!
 

Interested in what Jason cooked up above? Then make sure to join us on Facebook as he shares some of these delicious recipes with us.

More from the Mayor's place tomorrow!

xx JN

Creating a Gallery Wall

As we discussed earlier this week, my bedroom received quite the revamp over the weekend! One of my favorite features in our "new" space is the gallery wall my hubby & I now view at the foot of our bed.

Here's how you can create one at home:

1. Start by gathering the pieces you wish to feature. I recommend spreading them out on a flat surface so you can easily rearrange them (in this case, I used our bed):

Keep in mind that putting a gallery wall together is a bit like working a puzzle ... you will know when the pieces "fit" together. On this wall, I had a piece much larger than the rest. I worked at achieving balance by treating the largest piece as the "anchor" on one side of the space and filled in the other side with the rest of the pieces.

2. Choose the nails/wall anchors best suited for each piece you're hanging:

3. Measure out your wall space - I prefer the "eyeball" method, but you can certainly use a leveler/measuring tape - and start by hanging the pieces that either are on opposites sides of each other, or the pieces you will treat as center:

4. Add your remaining nails/wall anchors:
 

 5. Hang your individual pieces:

 

6. Tweak and adjust as you go to ensure everything is lined up properly - again, use your eyeballs! They won't fail you!

7. Voila!

 xx JN

Bedroom Makeover

Our bedroom went through a makeover this weekend. My side of the closet had exploded, and my mom intervened during her stay. Off to The Container Store we went, home came a rolling rack ... and the transformation began:

Organizing my vintage collection on my new Commercial Garment Rack & Platinum Huggable Hangers
from The Container Store

With clothing I love so much, how could this rack not become a focal point?

Transformed this Socker plant stand from IKEA to a dressing table

My statement necklaces hung on hooks, sunnies in a vintage plant holder & my Grandpere's christening gown from 1909

Duvet, sheets & silver throw pillows from IKEA | Printed throw pillows from Fab.com

"The Brooklyn Bridge" by our daughter using oil pastels & watercolors - great way to personalize your space!

Created a gallery wall at the foot of our bed with our favorite artwork & photographs

Ready to create your own gallery wall? Stay tuned for my DIY later this week!

xx JN