Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend with your families.  I'm spending mine here in Manhattan Beach in this glorious 70 degree weather.  Seems strange to be planning a beach day on Christmas eve.

Bunk Room Friday - Family Style

This is an interesting take on a bunk room...perfect for the weekend with your parents.  Mom and dad can sleep in the big beds and put the kids in the bunks right next to them.  Now this is what you call a true family room!

For 30 more bunk room inspirations to show your in-laws over the weekend as inspiration to help the over crowding during the holidays, visit this post by Freshome. They have put together a nice selection. A bunk room by Andrika King Design even made it in there # 15. 

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!  I'm going to try and take off blogging next week and will be back in 2012! If you need your Nursery Notations fix, just read through our archives.  You have three years of posts to rummage through!

Fabulous Find - Hand Carved Noah's Ark

Too late for Christmas, but still fabulous, how gorgeous is this hand carved Noah's Ark? With a $1030 price tag consider it more of a piece of artwork and family heirloom.

22" x 18.5" x 33"

Amsterdam Inspired Storage

I'm dying to design a playroom or bedroom around this storage case!  It can hold clothing or dress-up clothes as well as books and storage bins all behind closed playful doors.

 A pretty penny but available in custom colors and oh so chic and different!

Kast Van Een Huis

Gingerbread Houses

For those of you who like to bake and decorate, what combines these two better than making a gingerbread house?  Many local bakeries make the forms so that you can just have fun decorating without the baking pressure.  My son (with some help from dad on the roof and fence) decorated this one last week:

But if you have the time and patience, make one from scratch. Look at this genius little village below featured on Snippet & Ink.

Makes a fabulous centerpiece right?!

Or how about this one for detail?

via Pinterest

A club in Los Angeles makes this village every Christmas, it is amazing and takes 3 weeks to prepare! A miniature train even runs through it.

(This is just a quarter of it!)

New Arrivals $100 Gift Certificate Winner

Thank you for everyone's entries last week for the $100 Gift Certificate from New Arrivals Inc.  We had 32 entries and the lucky winner is Julie Ryan from Pawleys Island Posh - # 2

Tripp Gets a New Rug

Now that my daughter's nursery is almost finished (we finally took out the guest bed). My son's room is complete. No more toddler transition room for him.

I'm so happy about the new Dwell zig zag rug we decided to put down. An early Christmas present (well really for me). But is was cute, when he walked in yesterday he shouted ... "cool, new room! Wow!"

Bunk Room Friday - Aussie Style

I saw this bunk room via the Australian Blog Driftwood Interiors last week.  As you know I think simplicity reigns when coming to bunk rooms and this one is the perfect blend of sleek style and functionality, I mean look at all that built in storage!

Here is a loft playroom in the same space, (you know I love teepees).

images via Inside Out Magazine

Fabulous Find - Etsy Vintage Book & Map Prints

Add a nice vintage touch to your nursery or children's room decor with these prints on old books and maps.  I just wish they came larger!

Etsy $10-$20

Children's Rooms by Martha Agnus

I've been following designer Martha Agnus's blog Post and Grant for over a year now and if you need one more blog to add to your list, definitely follow that one.  Anyways, Martha's design is right up my alley.  She combines bold and refined elements in her interiors. As a classically trained painter she works beautifully with color and balance in her designs.  Here are some of her children room designs featured in her portfolio.

Tangerine Tango - Pantone 2012 Color of the Year

I'm sure you have read by now that Tangerine Tango is the 2012 Pantone color of the the year. I'm ecstatic as orange is my second favorite color (behind turquoise).  This reddish orange color works extremely well with neutrals such as black, white and grey; as well as with bold colors such as canary yellow, bright pink, turquoise, royal purple, teal, and stem green.

image via Apartment Therapy via Pinterest

Now you might be asking how will this fit into my children's decor...well in more ways than you think.  Pick it up with accessories or go bold and paint a wall or the ceiling. Don't paint a whole room or it will make you and your child crazy.

image via Flickr

tent-inspired stripes on the ceiling...

image via Pinterest

Paint the back of your bookcases...

Or go simple with some accessories like blankets, frames. trim and pillows...

Design by Anyon Interiors via Pinterest

via Martha Stewart

a design by Kay Douglass via Atlanta Homes Magazines

image via High Gloss

For more Orange rooms click HERE to search through some of my old posts. 

Will you use this color in 2012?

Fabulous Find - Moulin Roty Dolls

I like American Girl Dolls and everything but there is something adorable and so sweet and curly about these old school fabric Moulin Roty dolls from France.  I had one like this red head number below when I was a little girl and just purchased one for my daughter this weekend at a local store here in Manhattan Beach called Bella Beach Kids.  

They have a huge selection of these dolls in the store and on-line and are offering Nursery Notations readers 15% OFF through next Tuesday on any purchase in the store or on-line.  Use code TOYS15 on-line or print this post and bring it into the store.

Bella Beach Kids

225 Manhattan Beach Blvd.

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

www.bellabeachkids.com

Giveaway - $100 Gifts Certificate from New Arrivals Inc.

To brighten up your holiday shopping season, one of our sponsors New Arrivals Inc. is sponsoring a giveaway this week.  And what is the best giveaway you might ask?  Well a $100 gift certificate so that you can choose exactly what you want from their website!

To enter you must post a comment below with your e-mail address and a mention of your favorite item on their site and "Like" them on Facebook. You will not qualify for the giveaway unless you do both.

Since I have a new little girl and now need a place to clip and store all of her bows-to-come, I'd spend the $100 on one of their memo boards which also doubles as a wonderful bow holder.

If you need a new crib set, I really like their new Jelly Bean Parade & Zig Zag Baby crib set. Chevron is all the rage!

Good luck!  Winner will be announced on Sunday.

Wood Panelled Walls in Children's Rooms

Do you like the look of wood paneled walls in children's rooms?  If so stop by Project Nursery to see my post and more inspirational photos of rooms using wood panelling in modern and rustic settings.

Fun Holiday Craft - Salt Dough Ornaments

Looking for a fun holiday craft for the kids?  How about these salt dough ornaments?  I remember making these at school when I was a kid.  Just add food coloring for some color contrast.

Complete tutorial on Momtastic via Modern Parents Messy Kids

Fabulous Find - California Map

This map was mentioned in this month's issue of C Magazine and I love it so much I wanted to make sure my lovely readers didn't miss it.

Fabulous right? And reasonably priced at $64 from Bixby & Ball! 

Large Scale Mural Decal

Anyone else smitten by this large-scale skyline mural decal?

by Nono

Children's Rooms by Cari Berg Interior Design

I first saw the work of Cari Berg in the November/December issue of California Home Design (above).  I loved the simplicity of the boy's room with the oversized single initial (alternative view below) and hopped on over to her website to take a look at the rest of her portfolio.  She specializes in more contemporary design but also designs traditional interiors with great success.  I personally think her bathroom designs are fabulous. Her portfolio includes quite a few children's room images also...enjoy!