decorating our modern southern bungalow (modern southern bungalow week 34)

I want you to read this quote from a 1986 New York Times article about the late design superhero Albert Hadley:

“While Hadley always has his design principles firmly in mind, he also understands that interiors are for living, and that they should be enjoyed by the people who live in them, rather than reflect an idea of perfection imposed by a decorator.”

For some of you, 1986 doesn't even register. I may well have said the article was from 1886. For others, 1986 was all about dancing to Madonna in your bedroom and Top Gun and posters on your closet wall. Whatever. Suspending your age for a minute, what was true about design 32 years ago is still true about design today. Interiors are for living. Albert Hadley understood that. It would behoove us to remember this idea in the age of Pinterest and Instagram.

foolproof kid-clutter management

How do you stay on top of picking up after your kids? Do you fight the good fight Every. Single. Day? When you walk into a room is there always kid stuff on the floor? You know the things I’m talking about. Socks and books and toys seem to just fall off of your kids where ever they are and you are so over asking your kids to pick up after themselves. Good storage fine and all, but what about the stuff that doesn’t end up in its cute little identified storage space?

small spaces, living with kidsadrienne robideauxNovember 23, 2017kid friendly, kids, familyComment

kid stuff storage 101

The clutter of kids is unfathomable. The doll accessories, the Legos, the stuffed animals (oh, goodness, the stuffed animals!), the clothing, the school papers, the sports gear, the art projects… It’s enough to drive any parent mad. If only there was some way to contain the chaos.

Before you get all excited, I don’t have *the* magic answer here. My kids leave their socks in the middle of the floor and walk over them 30 times just like your kids. I do, however, have some tips to lessen the load. And let me get right to it by saying that my number one tip isn’t a decorating tip at all, but rather a way of life instilled in my husband by my mother-in-law that actually works: the old circular file is your best friend.

small spaces, kids, interiorsadrienne robideauxNovember 16, 2017kids, toy storage, decor, familyComment

The holidays are coming…are you ready?

Don’t you just want to throw something at me for even suggesting it’s time to think about the holidays? I almost walked out of Target a couple of weeks ago because I couldn’t bear to see the red and green everywhere. Then the holiday music channels started on the radio and it was enough to drive me over the edge.

I wasn’t always this way. In absolute truth, if there was a crazy cat lady equivalent for Christmas, it would be me. I grew up loving the anticipation of the season, the noise, the gatherings, the food… If you have been around here any length of time, you know I’ve written about our family Christmas history before. Somewhere along the way, when my step-kids were about the age that my twins are now, I lost the feeling for the season. The to-do lists were out of control. The gift wants were out of control. The people and the noise made me feel like the Grinch surveying Who-ville.

Christmas, kids, lagniappeadrienne robideauxNovember 9, 2017kids, Christmas, family holidaysComment

the magic of christmas

Christmas, kids, lagniappeadrienne robideauxDecember 1, 2016kids, Christmas, advent, family holidaysComment

make it: lego figure frames

The Legos. They are all over your house. Am I right? You try and try to manage them but it is almost as if they multiply overnight. And if you have a daughter who is into building and likes all the things and is spoiled by most people’s standards but is the apple of your eye, you also have 8,000 little Lego people all over the house from the 8,000 friends and princess sets that she has “collected”.

It took me no time at all to complete this project but - I’m not going to lie - it took me forever to start it and forever to get it on the wall. You won’t need more than an evening to make these frames once you have all of your supplies. This is a simple project that involves simple tools. You will need a frame, a level, a ruler, tracing paper or vellum, a pencil, really good glue, and Legos.

design, kidsadrienne robideauxSeptember 8, 2016kids, toy storage, diyComment

let's talk about everyday parties

Last summer, on a random Thursday, I threw a cowboy party for the kids. I gathered up some hats and bandanas, made some cookie dough, added balloons, and it was a party.

It was not a big deal in terms of preparation. It was certainly no mermaid party. But it was a fun surprise for the kids and all of them – even the teens – had a great afternoon.

kids, lagniappeadrienne robideauxJune 8, 2015kids, partyComment

party time: the mermaid edition (part 2)

Every time I throw a party, there is at least one point in the preparation stage, typically two or three days before the party, when I think to myself that I must by absolutely crazy to be doing whatever it is I am doing at that very moment. Last week, that moment came when I was painting glitter scales on a cardboard mermaid photo backdrop. For a birthday party. For five-year-olds.

lagniappe, kids, bakingadrienne robideauxApril 30, 2015kids, party, mermaid Comments

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