12 Best Wooden Toys for Christmas ...

With my oldest being eight years old, I feel like we have gone through just about every toy on the market.  Many don't last and hour, and some we have had an enjoyed for years.  My favorite toys are the ones that both look great and are fun for my kids to play with.  I enjoy well designed toys that when they are out, don't look like an eye sore.

Room Sources:  Velvet Sofa: West Elm Henry Sofa | Polka Dot Pillows: Ikea |  Rug: West Elm Wool Bullseye Rug | TV Console: West Elm Modern Media Console | White Bookshelf: Ikea | Globes: Thrifted | Wire Baskets: Urban Outfitters | Modern Rocking Chair: Overstock | Hape Toys Rocket Ship | Doug Fold and Go Barn |  Hape Toys Fire Station | Hape Toys Wooden All Seasons Furnished Doll House | Kid Kraft Kitchen | Plan Toys Parking Garage | Barbarossa Wooden Pirate Ship | Art Prints and Frames: Ikea

I wanted to pass along a few of our very favorite toys that we have had for years that we love.

With Christmas around the corner, I hope this will help you in making some easy decisions, plus many of the toys are currently on sale!

Affiliate links are used in this post

Hape Toys Wooden All Seasons Furnished Doll House |  Hape Toys Fire Station | Melissa & Doug Fold and Go Barn | Barbarossa Wooden Pirate Ship

Kid Kraft Kitchen | Hape Toys Parking Garage | Hape Toys Cash Register | Hape Toys Rocket Ship

Melissa and Doug Playdough Set | Plan Toys Parking Garage | Hape Toys Pull Crocodile | Melissa and Doug Wooden Tool Set

I hope you enjoyed my top picks for wooden toys.  Hopefully this will help you with your Christmas shopping and you can give some Christmas gifts that will last for years like ours have!

my home: living room progress + minted art ...

This post contains affiliate links.

Moving into a new home has been so exciting, but also so overwhelming.  I have a hard time living in the now, when I have so many plans for our house, and so many things I would like to do.  But, it obviously takes a lot of time and patience (and lets be honest, money too). 

So, I've come to terms, with the fact that our home will be a constant work in progress, and things are going to take a while to get to where I would like them.  For this room, I am thinking so beautiful finish work that will frame out certain walls, crown molding, and perhaps some wall sconce lighting around the Minted Art work.

So, while I still have a lot of vision for this room, I wanted to start sharing photos of our home and the progress.

Our living room is one of the first rooms that you see when you enter our home.  It gets amazing light, and is a room that I try to keep clean and picked up at all times just in case a visitor stops by.  I've always wanted a room like this, so therefore it is off limit to my kids so I know it is always in order.  They don't always listen, wink.

 I fell in love with Emily Jeffords art, and when I heard that Minted was selling her art prints, I knew that her Land of Plenty print would be the centerpiece to our living room.  I also was able to draw color inspiration from it as well!

When The Minted Art print was sent over, it came framed and ready to hang.  The quality is amazing, and colors are beautiful.

When I realized the color scheme I wanted, I knew that Caitlin Wilson Textiles and Lemmonlane pillows would be perfect for the room. 

We currently have a little love seat in there, but we will be moving our larger tufted linen sofa into this room when we find the right furniture for another part of the house that it is being used in.

I would also like to add another arm chair, a floor lamp, and a few side tables to make it more cosy and useable.

This was my inspiration board for the room.  I like how it is a touch feminine, traditional, colorful, and classic!

Sources:

Emily Jeffords Land of Plenty Minted Art Print

Tufted Linen Sofa from Overstock

Studded Loveseat currently in Living Room

Beige Arm Chair - Similar

West Elm Pinwheel Linen Curtains 

West Elm Oval Marble Coffee Table

Overstock Yellow/Ivory Wool Rug

Lemmon Lane Gold Honey Comb Pillow

Caitlin Wilson Textiles Bridge City Bloom Square Pillow

Caitlin Wilson Textiles Berry Deco Pillow

{disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post}

{all photos by me}

welcome sponsor: alice lane home collection + a giveaway ...

i am excited to introduce you to armelle blog's latest sponsor, alice lane home!

alice lane isn't a stranger to the blog world.  items from their amazing store, and their beautiful design work have made the blogging rounds time and time again!

owner jessica bennett named the store alice lane, after the street she built and designed her first beautiful home on.    her store showcases beautiful pieces available to purchase from, sofas to rugs to mirrors, to jewelry.  alice lane offers a large collection of high quality pieces for your home.

alice lane also has a talented team of designers that offer custom design services for your home.

they also have a wonderful blog where they showcase their latest client projects, new arrivals in their store, and home decor tips.  be sure to check it out, here!

and, exciting news for my readers!

alice lane is giving one of you this darling elephant pillow (shown front and back of the pillow side by side) that retails at $150!  here is what you have to do to for a chance to win!

congratulations to Jenn Kirk!!  Comment #36!  you are the winner of the elephant pillow!!

here are the rules for the giveaway:  (GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!)
1. you have until thursday, may 3rd, 2012  to enter this giveaway {the giveaway closes at midnight}
2. check out the alice lane blog.
3. then, make 1 comment on this post to enter. *opportunities for more entries, see below for details!
4. no anonymous comments please
5. usa residents only
6. winner will be chosen via random.org and announced friday, may 4th

*for more entries you can: {one entry per option! giving you up to five extra entries, please make a comment for each additional entry to be considered}
1. become a follower/subscribe to the armelle blog.
2. become a follower/subscribe to the alice lane blog. (comment and tell me you subscribe)
3. blog/tweet/facebook about this giveaway on your blog and put the link in your comment/entry.

4. become a fan of armelle on Facebook.

5. follow me on twitter.  @carolinearmelle.

**be sure to put one comment for each extra entry.

GOOD LUCK!!!

* this is a sponsored post.  all thoughts and opinions are my own.  if you are interested in becoming a sponsor on the armelle blog, please email me for current rates. carolinearmelle@gmail.com

{top photo by: allyssa vincent,  all other photos by nicole hill gerulat}

seeing stripes ...

while browsing ikea last week, i noticed they were putting out their summer outdoor items.
it made me excited for warmer days, and hanging out in the great outdoors.

they had some cute new things like:

a striped hammock

striped cushions

these great steel chairs that remind me of the ones in france where you can chill by the fountains at luxembourg or the louvre

and, of course the striped umbrellas.

are you excited for summer yet?

i know i am.

white desk ...

while browsing around at world market the other day, i spotted this josephine desk.

a very fun version on the west elm parsons desk, but with some hip legs.

i wish i had seen this when i was shopping for desks for my studio.

headboard ...

i love this headboard from lonny magazine.

i'm thinking of re-doing the headboard in my room (see below) with some fun fabric. any suggestions?

i used these instructions to make my headboard about seven years ago...  i think it's time to spruce it up with some new fabric.

dressed in white ...

there really is something to be said about decorating with white.  it's soothing, and looks bright and clean.

i love the home of design editor of style at home, ann marie favot.  it is white perfection.  take a peek.

i'm a tad bit obsessed with the kitchen.

what about you.  do you like white?

dining nook design board ...

so, after making plans forever ago... we are finally working on getting our dining nook area put together.

i put together this little board together of the main pieces for our kitchen dining nook area that we have purchased or are going to purchase.

my husband got me this kitchen table for valentine's day, i just ordered the chairs, and we already have the pendant light put in.  so, i'm feeling good that we are on our way.   it seems my plans take forever to come to fruition, so it's nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  don't worry, we've only lived here five years.

so, what do you think?  are there too many conflicting patterns with the rug, curtains, and wallpaper?  i can't decided?

{curtains photo via 6th street design school, tray via IHOD}

a little shelf inspiration ...

i love seeing how people style their shelves.

here are a few i love.

1. alice lane  2. caitlin wilson

3. domino via lgn

4. apartment therapy via dandee  5. martha stewart via stephmodo

6. design sponge

armelle jewelry + pretty interiors ...

i had so much fun at alt last week, and i am hoping to have a full report later today or tomorrow.

i just wanted to share a fun design pairing of some of my armelle jewelry and pretty interiors by amanda of re-cycled consign and design {if you are ever in cedar city, utah, be sure to check it the store in person}  i got to meet amanda at alt this past week, and she is just an example of the amazing people i met there.

here are a few of the armelle jewelry pieces she posted with pretty interiors.  check out the rest here.

how fun is that?  i love seeing my jewelry in a new way with these interiors.
long amour necklace
lucky you necklace
leona earrings

new dwell modern baby furniture ...

i wish this new dwell century furniture was in the budget for baby boy.

i love the mid-century modern look for little boys rooms.

i did, however score a really cool mid-century modern dresser and two night stands for under $50 that we just re-painted.

hope to share the before and after soon!