The Chicago Craft Mafia Presents:

Last weekend, I ventured out to the DIY Trunk Show here in the windy city along with my pal, a craft aficionado.  She was actually on the prowl for emerging artists for a huge craft exposition held in Chicago every year. The DIY show was filled to the gills with amazing, talented, and "crafty" exhibitors.  Holiday spirit was in the air and generous smiles and huge appreciation went hand in hand with our viewing and purchasing. (Yes, I did a little tiny bit of that just to support the economy, of course!)

There were beautiful paper objects created by "Up In The Air Somewhere" that literally glowed in their luminescence.

I saw some an amazing puppet theatre highlighting the most intricately created black paper puppets of many different animals and creatures by owly shadow puppets.

Colorful and happy people pillows for casual decorating in any environment exhibited by Brandy Agerbeck.

One of our favorites was ReUseful Objects. 

These two artists create the coolest repurposed glasses made from discarded and long ago finished beer and wine bottles.  The bottles are sandblasted and etched with a variety of patterns.  Then,  the glassware is presented in handmade repurposed wooden boxes.

Unique stone coasters created from a large stone are "sliced" and stacked back together as a unique piece of rugged art that will come in handy during the holiday entertaining frenzy.  Craftily designed by Stonesters.

Ever wonder what happened to all of those raffle and carnival tickets that you have gathered from various outings and events over the years?  Find some here...at Little Rumble.

Have a friend that just became engaged or married that needs a little assistance in the kitchen? A couple of these would be just perfect! Artgoodies is the place to find them.

Who knows who will be crowned some of  the next "Emerging Craft Royalty?" Maybe someone that we have met here?

Winter White

White is so calming, fresh, clean, and crisp looking. You'd think choosing a white paint color for your trim, walls or ceiling would be an easy task (much easier than choosing a color-color like blue or red, right?) Wrong! Talk about an urban myth! White is definitely one of the hardest paint colors to choose. There are some whites that yield more gray undertones and other whites that have more pink to them...some even have a tad bit of yellow! One thing I know for sure is that I like to choose whites that have a bit of a kick to them- I never choose just a plain stark white for walls. My whites tend to have some sort of undertone to them..I love creamy whites!

When you put a light color like cream on walls, it can indeed make a room feel much larger. So when you paint walls, moulding, and ceiling all the same shade of off white, it really does open up the room quite a bit and makes the space feel more airy.


I go back and forth a lot with color: sometimes I think that I would much rather have a really bold room that makes an intense statement; other times I wish I had an all white calming room in which the art gives the room its "wow" factor. What color of paint do you usually flock to? The calming creams or the bold/dark paint colors?


This bedroom feels very light and spacious. A natural rug in a darker neutral grounds the space and keeps all the white accents from floating away!

A white bedroom fit for a modern day princess!

Mostly creams in this living room...a few darker pieces help to balance out all of the light furniture.

We can't get enough of white on white kitchens! And neither can anyone else it seems like! That seems to be the new trend these days...white carrara marble countertop, white subway tile backsplash, and white cabinets! A darker floor helps to set off the white cabinets and make them more distinct!

I absolutely adore this breakfast area and kitchen! White on white on white. Pink and cream flowers and a bunch of decorative plates add some color to this neutral room.

Just lovely! This Living Room stays formal and elegant with cream hues and gold accents

As we keep saying, a lot of the times it is a good idea to balance the light with a bit of dark. A sleek, dark based dining set and glamorous mirror work well with the curvaceous, more traditional chandelier and white palette.

A little bit darker of a cream color here; however, this bedroom still stays nice and soft. I have always thought the artwork in the middle of the two sconces was so fantastic- and all it is, is a sketch of a face on an off white background- so simple but yet so completely unfussy.

If these walls and ceiling were painted any color but white, I have a feeling they would look like they were starting to cave in! The bed is already in a tight spot- anything darker would have made the room seem a lot smaller. An accent chair adds a bit of pattern and color to the room.

Ahh white on white kitchen bliss!

If you are in the market for some version of "white" paint color, here are some of our favorites:

Sherwin Williams- Dover White and Creamy

Farrow and Ball- Pointing and Slipper Satin

Ben Moore- Arcadia White, Seashell, White Dove, Navajo White, and Featherdown

Ralph Lauren- Whisper, Crescent Moon, and Victorian Lace

Eco Friendly Stools!

We love the earth friendly products at Terra Furnishings...especially their stools! They come in three different finishes- Brown, white wash, or tung oil.

Use these stools for extra seating, as an end table or a display stand-

Did we mention there was free shipping on every order too?

Each piece is hand-made from sustainable materials and produced with eco-friendly processes. The woods used in their stools, tables, wall panels and accessories are from tree species that are grown specifically for the wood carving industry.

Every room needs at least a few natural and earthy elements to balance out the space....might as well make them environmentally friendly ones while you're at it!

Coo-Coo for Cocoa!

With all of this cold weather....(wherever you may live), wouldn't it be great to have William Sonoma's Bialett Hot Chocolate Pot!

That rich and creamy cocoa looks so delish- I don't drink coffee, so I must have something to keep me warm!

Ladies Man?

There are two books that came out recently about Frank Lloyd Wright- seems the architect had more than just houses on his mind! Both books explore FLW's well known philandering.

In Loving Frank, fact and fiction come together to tell the tale of a man (FLW) who was having an affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

How they knew each other: her husband had commissioned Frank to design a home for them...(scandalous!) Novel focuses on their dramatic love story- I saw it at Borders the other week...might have to get it!

Then another interesting historical novel came out called The Women, written by T.C. Boyle. (Fun fact: Boyle currently lives in a home designed by Mr. Wright.) He details out the architect's real life relationships with four women.

Who knew there was so much controversy hidden behind Frank's prairie style homes!

Lunch with Lindy

Just when you think that you have enough to be thankful about, you are invited to the home of a dear friend for an engaging lunch with amazing women... what a warm and cozy home so perfectly decked out for the holidays.  Don't you wish that you had a stab at that pumpkin tureen?  

Starting to collect early in life!

I don't have kids, but I can only imagine how tiring and boring it could be for a young child to go from store to store with mom looking for antiques!

I was reading this month's O at Home and found the number one way to entertain your child on shopping trips to the flea market while at the same time, buying you some time to shop! On each trip, let your daughter pick out a framed portrait for her bedroom. Pretty soon, she will have amassed a collection of fun portraits and also have some great memories she can take home of the fun time you all spent together!

Why didn't my mom think of that? Such a good idea (and considering that I have always wanted a feminine portrait wall but now don't have the money or time to build up a collection!) But imagine what it could have looked like if I had started one at ten years old!

What a fun way to get your youngster into decorating at an early age and agree to go shopping with you!

Above is ten year old twins Tallulah and Bellamy's room featured in O at Home- their mom would just tell them "Girls, find a picture of a lady" and look what they came up with! They also picked out the paint color (Ben Moore's Wild Orchid). What sophisticated girls!

A Must See Showhome!

This looks like a good one!

Click here for more details on seeing the Luxe Showhome in Dallas!

There is more to Bookshelves than just Books!

I recently completed one of those "dream" projects where you get to collaborate with easygoing, hip, and cool clients that shared similar design sensibilities. They also exuded qualities from which I  garnered incredible knowledge.  I learned so much from them... and, I hope, that I gave them something in return.

Bookshelves, one of my passions, was on high alert for this home.  Bookshelves can become art of the three dimensional kind.  I love to layer artifacts, art, pieces from world travels, and book collections themselves in this forum.  I also like to use photographs, sculpture, and found seasonal objects.  Leaves, flowers, candles, and organic finds can complete this picture.

I had several areas in this amazing Chicago home for my craft.  Don't you think that it looks as if we had been collecting for years? (Fooled you!)   See how you can exhibit your favorite color, or books, or just a grouping of your favorite things?  Start with one shelf at a time... you will be amazed at what you can create.  Add a dash of holiday greenery or ornaments and you are set for the season!

Pier "180"

Pier 1 has really stepped it up lately and done a complete turnaround...when I was working on the pediatric dentist office in Georgetown, I went back and forth to Pier 1 alot- they had a ton of stuff this summer in the bright color scheme I was doing for the office and then by the time fall rolled around, it seemed like they had completely revamped their store. Tufting? Mirrored vanities? Velvet chairs? Who did they think they were- Z Gallerie?! We love the change and for prices this cheap, how can you resist!

Our favorite Pier 1 picks at the moment-





We hope that their new look is here to stay!