Another summer memory from my teen years always recalled those earlier years of building sand castles.  Pat Boone had a big hit titled Love Letters In The Sand.  He even did the whistling.  “On a day like today we pass the time away writing love letters in the sand. How you laughed when I cried each time I saw the tide take our love letters from the sand.”  I always thought it was a song of the 50′s but recalled my mother singing it when we built those sand castles.  The song was first published in 1931 so it would have a lot more meaning for my mother.

Everyone has loads of memories of their childhood summers.  Care to share any with us?

-  Lorre Lei

Then I got to thinking why does this have to just be paint? Why heck, we have all these colors as the Karen Robertson Collection Stripes and as Wallfinishes, seen below.

Even some of our Organics  (faux bois and raw silk) would be a similar match to these colors and if not, you could customize it by giving us  paint or Pantone colors to match. Easy and limitless possibilities.

Now let’s see what all this might look like in a room setting. To do this, I use Olioboard to get a sense. I’ve pinned other boards on Pinterest.

Creative concepts make decorating a lot easier if you can conceptualize it before you have to do it.  Casart coverings makes it a whole lot easier than having to paint! Casart is one of the most versatile repositionable wallcoverings around. It can go over itself without permanently sticking + commercial grade so thick, durable and mold and fire resistant.

Try it with our products on Olioboard and see what you get. Let us know what other ones you want us to add.

If you missed our Mother’s Day sale, it’s not too late. You have until May 20th to order from any of our Botanical Designs. Contact us for the special code at contact@casartcoverings.com. This Pink, Black & White Flower Power was one of the more popular items on One Kings Lane. These flowers last long after the real bouquets fade.

One other extension of Mother’s Day that you may also find interesting is this article that proposes Mothers would make good business women. Why? Because they’ve been practicing the art of “conflict resolution” known as E=Q*A in business lingo. Read more here. It will make any mom feel good about child rearing and giving themselves often unnoticed (except one day out of the year) credit for all the hard work they do.

– Ashley

Bringing Up Be’Be’ sounded promising since French children always appear so well-behaved.  Pamela Druckerman is a former foreign affairs reporter for the Wall Street Journal and has a master’s degree from Columbia in international affairs.  All three of her children were born in Paris and she set out to investigate why French infants sleep through the night at two months, French children have good table manners, don’t interrupt adults or eat between meals. She concluded that it begins with calm, sensible French mothers, who don’t become overly self-indulgent during pregnancy.  Most American mothers rush to stimulate or satisfy a child while the French mothers allow the child to discover on their own and develop autonomy.

Since my girls used to call me Joan (as in Mommy Dearest), I can hardly wait to read Denise Schipani’s Mean Moms Rule.  Schipani is the mother of two and a freelance writer.  She explains her book thusly.  “Being a Mean Mom is, in my view, the surest path to creating good kids and ultimately, of course, good adults, good citizens of the world.”  She asserts that parents who coddle their children, try to be their “friend,” or take a child-centric approach to parenting aren’t doing their children any favors.   She goes on to say that her approach is mean because it doesn’t follow the parenting heard and involves the no word.  “And it’s mean because overall it entails taking the long view of parenting by often placing more weight on future outcomes than on present-day happiness. It’s like the slow burn of a warming campfire, as opposed to the brief flare of a match.” she concludes.  I think I’m going to read this one first then pass along to my children with a note, “See, I’m not the only mean mom!”

Pulitzer Prize winning author Anna Quindlen explores the realities of aging and the complexities of parenting and other relationships in Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.  She offers a graceful look at growing older, the joy of solitude and the difference between being alone and being lonely.  About the importance of female friends she says they are, “what we have in addition to, or in lieu of, therapists. And when we reach a certain age, they may be who is left.” About parenting-”We are good parents, not so they will be loving enough to stay with us, but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”  On second thought, considering my age and the number of people I know in the paper’s obituaries, perhaps I’d best read this one first.

To every mother reading this, I hope you get what you truly want for Mother’s Day and to my children, it’s not too late to stop at Barnes & Noble!

-  Lorre Lei

I’m always happy to see another female, family owned business take center stage. Lucy is the furniture designer and her sister, Holly, helps manage Lucy Smith, custom metal furnishings made in Anniston, Alabama, good ole’ USA. Kudos ladies to a great High Point showing!

Lucy Smith in her showroom. Like the wallpaper and LOVE her slide under chair table.

Worlds Away Showroom - color block accent walls with 3-d illusion vignettes

Elaine Smith - Venetian vignette - clever 3-d illusion

Tozai - Makes dripping paint decorative - darn right cool

Global Views - yellow room with mirrored wall and concave features

Global Views - mirrored wall with practical shelf inserts

Global Views - dark gray walls make these coral, white and black with silver colors pop with sophisticated-hip elegance

Finally a theme that I thought was totally unique was Cyan’s chicken coop comparing your home to your coop. Who would have thought fake grass could be fashionable? What can I say, I love chickens and yes, I used to raise them in my backyard. At one point, we turned the family play gym into our chicken coop. It was the perfect a-frame structure. I tended little cute chicks to full grown chickens there with fond memories.

Cyan - Carries the Coop theme throughout - totally unique + I love chickens

More inspirations to come….

 – Ashley

So be inspired and not intimidated. Here are a few tips from designers to get you started.

When it comes to collections, adopt a museum approach.  Gather all of the collection together in one spot.  A large grouping has more impact than lots of small pieces spread throughout the home.  John Loecke, designer

Page Price's collection of English ironstone and Red Cliff pottery-Decorating Shortcuts

Bigger is better.  One large piece of art or mirror creates a “Wow!” factor in a room.                   Donna Talley, stylist

Designer Emily Summers' CA home-Architectural Digest-April 2012

Put out fresh accents for a seasonal change.  Whites, seashells, light, airy objects are perfect summer accessories.                                                                                                                                                Jessica Savage, designer

Casart Karen Robertson Collection Oyster Stripe, Karen Robertson pillow and marine-themed art

Throw pillows can make an instant impact in any space.  I’m a big fan of 24″ square pillows.  Look for bright colors and bold graphic patterns to make the biggest statement in your room.            Tobi Fairley, designer

Looks like Kerry Ann Dame and Layla Altman of Pillow Folly are “fighting” over their pillows but you can see there’s so many to choose from you won’t have to fight over them.

Kerry Ann Dame and Layla Altman with their Pillow Folly pillows

A stylist’s trick to a sumptuous bed: layering.  A coverlet; large European shams; crisp ironed pillowcases; folded duvet at the end of the bed; one long pillow (not a bunch of tiny throw pillows).  And don’t forget a bench at the end of the bed.  It’s a must!                                                 Donna Talley, stylist

Suzanne Kasler's Atlanta home, April Architectural Digest

Use wallpaper in an unexpected way.  Paper ceilings.  Your eye travels upward and it’s a nice surprise.                                                                                                                                                                            John Loecke, designer

Casart Custom Ceiling Map

Casart Custom Ceiling Map

If you want even more tips from the experts, head to the May issue of House Beautiful to learn 101 Designer Secrets.

-  Lorre Lei