Leonore's Profile

Love the palette, especially the black on the wall molding against the blue! Achieved exactly what you wanted for emphasis without going overboard - perfect.

Houston (yes, we have local things too!)

- Southland Hardware, a real family-owned hardware store

- Brasil coffeeshop & cafe

- Brazos Bookstore (our only real indie bookstore, now a co-op)

I just finished Netherland by Joseph O'Neill and thought it was lovely. I highly recommend.

Well, we just got back from a trip to St. Louis tonight and I can say, first, that St. Louis is really a kid-friendly city. Beautiful zoo, architecture, museums, parks, etc. Who knew?

Having so recently returned, my biggest advice is that if you can't get two rooms to keep things separated, try to remember to bring some kind of little book light and an Ipod with podcasts on it, etc. for you (and your partner.) We were sharing our nice but single room with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and after they fell asleep at 8 pm, we were at a bit of a loss about what to do at night while they slept that wouldn't disturb their sleep.

Of course, we didn't do the rational thing and go to sleep at that time too (to make up for our usual deficit of sleep with two toddlers in our lives). Instead we were trying to find ways to read magazines in the bathroom, read the news on our cell phones, etc. A little light and/or an Ipod loaded with things to listen to together would have been really nice.

Also, if you have and can stand some kind of white noise machine, etc., hotels can be really noisy in the evenings, especially those slamming doors.

I also second the "bringing something new" to keep them entertained. I brought a few inexpensive but "never before seens" and they were a big hit.

Happy travels!

My little monster would love the monsters! And so would I.

These are great! I've had one of the runners in my kitchen for two years because we have a black slate floor that gets a little cold on the feet.

It's lovely, washable, durable, comfy, and pretty much non-slip because it's made of a rubber-y plastic (but looks modern and nicely made, not cheap). My two-year old and my four-year old love hopping along the circles and have been unable, despite their highly active running and riding various wheeled contraptions across it every day, to do any damage to it whatsoever.

Welcome to Houston and congrats on the new pad. My husband and I moved here 3 years ago from NYC and have been enjoying the cheaper cost of living and more space for our 4 and 2 year olds. We live near the Menil Museum, and I recommend checking out this area for good finds on mid-century furniture, if that's your taste. Arriving at area thrift stores like Blue Bird Circle Shop, The Guild resale shop, and others in the early morning before the dealers do, can yield a LOT of great pieces at good prices - we practically furnished our entire 2200 sq ft 1930s house this way (we had almost nothing coming from a tiny 1 bedroom in NYC.)

I concur with the others here that a floorplan (even a sketch you scan in) of your space would be really helpful.

Also, I agree with grngodes, DO NOT get rid of ceiling fans unless you are replacing them with better ceiling fans - they make a huge and money-saving difference, no matter how hideous they are.