Family Chic

This candy tray was made from an egg carton. I cut off the top and the side flap and spray painted it black. Each compartment holds a surprise of candy or a small toy. I filled paper cupcake liners with M&M's and stuck lollipops in the holes of the peaks. This candy tray makes a great centerpiece for a child's party, but can also serve as a lighthearted hostess gift.

The perfect lollipop holder!

Kids love this!

An unpainted egg carton filled with Ghost Dots, eyeball gumballs and topped off with a skeleton finger puppet.

When I picked up this ceramic owl figurine at the Salvation Army it had a gold finish. I spray painted it with a black matte color to bring out the details and make it more dramatic for the season. I prefer a flat matte rather than glossy paint finish with this type of design.

This red glass footed-bowl holds apples and a rubber snake. I like to add surprising touches to my usual decorating style - my kids love to find these little tricks around the house.

A basket, spray painted black and decorated with a rubber black mouse, serves as our Halloween candy basket. My kids love to greet trick-or-treaters at our door with this.

A rubber mouse, purchased at a Halloween supply store, is hot-glued onto the edge of the basket.

From my backyard - a clipping of Virginia Creeper complements the curves of this thrift store vase. Sometimes, the easiest arrangements are the most striking.

Frames of varying styles and sizes are united once painted the same color. I chose frames with substantial detail and thickness in order to make this look work. To bring the theme further into the room, I painted the coffee table the same color.

You can leave the space within the frames empty or tack unusual items on the wall. I am a fan of decorating that I can change whenever the moment strikes me - I can tack up various items that catch my eye and change them out when something new appeals to me.

Interesting floral patterns always grab my eye.

With a simple top - the look stays crisp instead of messy.

With this type of edge - dry cleaning is the only option.

I purchased these miniature casserole dishes from TJ Maxx for less than $10.00 for the pair. I knew straight away that I could get my kids to eat anything I put in them - and I was right.

Believe me when I say this... the lids make the meal fun - kids love to be surprised!

For this recipe, which is called "egg in a basket" (got this from my Mom - see recipe below), Grace likes to loosen the edges and eat the bread and egg as one piece.

Jane prefers to use a fork.

I find that adding elegant touches like serving ice water in wine glasses also helps to appeal to children.

Taking a chance with a bold move can create drama in a small space.

I decided to paint a 6'x9' rectangle on the floor of our dining room to serve as a rug alternative.

Spills clean up easily on this surface.

A discarded umbrella stand finds new life as a planter; it sits on the top of an old post. Combining the two pieces gave me the height I desired.

Surprisingly, many people we know ask us what the "F" on our front door stands for. However, I like something clean and graphic and this metal letter from Anthropologie makes my kind of statement.

Our stairs are the first thing people see when they walk in our front door - so I decided to make them a focal point. Painting the risers a slightly different color from the walls and applying vinyl decals that I designed online - we created a look that gets attention straight away. Children love to count out the stairs as they walk up - so it doubles as an educational tool!

Our front entryway had a narrow cement path and a slim patch of grass to the right. We cut out the grass on the side and poured down pea gravel to create a larger walkway and also a sitting area. The side entry to our house makes our front door invisible from the street - this treatment highlights the entry to our home.

I can enjoy my morning coffee here while the girls play out front. I made these pillows from a towel I purchased at a thrift store - they are backed with Sunbrella fabric.

I choose plants with great leaves and good form.

This summer, my front window box was filled mostly with foliage; many times I find the leaf of a plant more attractive than the flower.

My galley kitchen is small, but there's just enough room to fit in a table that serves as an extra work surface and storage space.

After months of searching for pot racks and never finding anything I really liked or could afford - I came up with this solution. Created from pipe parts purchased at Home Depot I designed this pot rack; it has that industrial look that I am drawn to.

I know my ideas are good when my kids like them!

I like to collect paint by numbers paintings from the 1960's or earlier. I framed this collection and created a small gallery wall in my kitchen. It's fun and it makes me feel good when I look at it!

When I found this vintage phone at an antique mall for $15.00, my heart skipped a beat. I had an ugly exposed wall jack I wanted to cover up - this phone gave me that option - but it also works and looks great too.

When tea bags, sugar and salt are stored in french jars - they look great and can stay out on the counter.

Look for stylish storage options to free up space in your fridge and cabinets.

I love this aluminum bread box.

Instead of automatically going out and buying toys new - take a few moments to search local thrift stores and garage sales. I picked up these old doll prams for $10.00 and $15.00. They are well constructed, great looking - and my kids love them.

An old rotary phone is something really new and different to a young child of today. After I taught my kids how to use it - this phone has become a favorite when playing office. This was purchased for $1.00 at a garage sale.

A large chalkboard salvaged from a school renovation has found a happy place in our home. Kids love to draw on large scale surfaces.

Instead of purchasing plastic buckets and shovels for sand toys, pick up used muffin tins, large spoons and cake pans at a thrift store or garage sale. You will see that children love to use these baking tins to form "sand pies" - so much so that you may actually get a chance to read a book at the beach. These are also great for use in the snow!

Using pages from 2 books purchased at a garage sale, I papered my bathroom door to give my small powder room some interest.