Verdict: Womb Chair?

A while back, I posed the question to you Gimleters about the idea of purchasing a knock off Eames lounger.  Thanks for the insight and comments....I took all of them to heart!  At the time of that post, I had not yet made the "great reveal" regarding Project Baby Haynes 2011, so what I didn't tell y'all was that I was bandying about the idea of purchasing the Eames lounger (knockoff) for purposes of having a comfy spot for us to feed and rock the baby that would also transition to regular usage long after the baby no longer requires that kind of feeding and lounging (wah...they grow up so fast!) 

What do you prefer, real ones or fake ones? 

My practical side comes out regarding the purchasing of a glider or fancy rocker for purposes of feeding/rocking the baby for about 18 months at most.  I know that many people truly swear by gliders, but many others say that they are a waste of money.  I personally don't have a clue as I have never required one before, but I think that they are, overall, eyesores and the $850.00 (minimum) price tag makes me cringe.....especially for something that usually ends up just taking up space after its expiration date. 

I am sorry, but this thing is the equivalent of a mini-van! 

Very pretty from Serena and Lily, but not so sure about the short shelf life/$1,100.00 issue.  I don't love it for that price.

So, enter my brilliant idea of the Eames lounger for our family room wherein we would purchase something that would be extra useful for baby feeding and lounging and then ultimately enjoyable long after.  Well.  Even after fortified by your comments, I was unable to convince Beau to go for it.  He pretty much allows me free artistic reign over our house so when he says "ugh" or "no!" on something, I typically defer.  For some reason, he cannot stand the aesthetic of the Eames.  I will never understand. 

Beau's aesthetic and choice for the winner.

I would not stop at his "no," of course.  Rather, I decided to wow him with the comfort and beauty of the Eames lounger by taking him to our awesome DWR showroom this weekend.  Well, something surprising happened.  Beau became as giddy as I usually do over a piece of furniture.  Not the Eames, of course.  But, interestingly, the womb chair.

DWR's womb chair.

I love a womb chair as much as the next guy, but Beau was positively smitted with him.  I explained that it was designed by Eero Saarinen as a chair that Florence Knoll could curl up in, and he did just that.  So, do we have a winner?  Quite possibly. 

This one is faux.  Could you tell?

Here are some shots of the womb chair in action, particularly in more eclectic interiors like ours:

  from design sponge

from jubella

I actually found a decent amount of photos of parents tending to babies in womb chairs, but many of them seemed personal as they were on flickr.  Some were also kind of revealing for Gimlet Nation's tender eyes as there were some "feeding" shots.  Figured I would let you use your imagination. 

Hmmmm....a womb for the little baby.  And for us.  Someone on a message board deemed it the "king of cozy." That excites me with the Fall approaching. 

Cheers,

JSH

For Sale via Craigslist

Just a short post on this rainy and now-possibly-sunny Sunday.  I just listed this great mirror on Craigslist if any of you Gimleters are interested. 

Here is the mirror:

Purchased at Pier One for $185.00.  Listed on Craig's for $100.00 or best offer

Here is the official listing:

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/fuo/1925395228.html

I have wanted to paint it and place it somewhere, but, honestly, it has been in the guest room since we moved into this house, kind of homeless.  I just can't find a spot for it, and we now are purging (yet again) to make room for the new resident of Chez Gimlet!

Let me know if you are interested...I will give you a deal.  Trust me!

Cheers,

JSH

The Big Uneasy and Five Years Later

Tonight we were treated to reserved tickets to the world premiere of Harry Schearer's "The Big Uneasy."  I have been a fan of Harry for a long time, loving Le Show and trying to read his Huff Po blog as much as possible.  Although suffering from massive Katrina Media Fatigue, Beau and I were honored to be invited and gratefully accepted the invite.  (I am glad we did because we got to sit right behind Wendell Pierce, Brian Williams, Dr. John, and lots of other interesting New Orleans notables!) 

via The Prytania Theater

No need for my detailed commentary or review of the documentary.  Let's just say that I enjoyed it as an educational experience, realizing that I was blindingly ignorant about which levees broke, where various flood waters came from, how they broke, what the MRGO really is....etc.   Harry said that he wrote the movie not for us New Orleanians, but for the "rest of the world."  Well, even as a native, I needed to see it so I could better understand some of the mechanics behind the flooding. 

I was prepared for what the majority of the documentary is: an indictment of our federal government's epic failure to create and maintain infrastructure to protect us.  I was careful to take parts of the film with a grain of salt as most documentaries in this vein are not the most objective depictions of reality.  The reason I personally think people should watch is not to "hate on the Corps," but to actually understand the myths versus reality about "the event" as well as life in New Orleans post-Katrina. 

Some myths and respective clarifications:

1.   Katrina was not "the mother of all storms."  In fact, it barely pushed Cat 2 status when it was miles off the coast.
2.   New Orleans is not a big "soup bowl" sitting below sea level.  In fact, a majority of our city is above sea level.
3.   Don't call the flooding of New Orleans "the greatest natural disaster of all time."  It was man made.
4.   There is no standing water in certain parts of the city these days.  (I had no idea that people actually thought that still!)

If you want to check out the documentary, it is premiering on Monday night at theaters across the country.  In New Orleans, you can catch it at Canal Place (and have a martini!) or Prytania. 

Editor's Note: I promise that you will not be nauseated from the usual barrage of "Katrina images."  In fact, it is pretty "dry" and scientific.  In a good way. 

Now.  Next things next.  I thought long and hard about what I was going to write about Katrina, if anything, on its fifth anniversary.  The weirdest part is that once the initial flood waters receded, all we kept saying was, "Wow....it is going to take at least five years for any of this to be cleaned up..."  Here were are, five years later.  Lots of it has been cleaned up (literally and figuratively) and lots of it hasn't. 

My conclusion about what to post was that everyone has a Katrina story (EVERYONE) and some of us need to share them and some of us need to keep them private...all as part of the continued individual healing process.  At this point, five years out, there is still so much I could probably say, but my well is all dried up.  There is a permanent hole in my heart for about 1,000 reasons and talking-talking-talking about it isn't personally helpful to me anymore.  However, if telling your story is what you need to do to get through the still-raw heartbreak, do it!  (And, please, I beg of you, if you are in a position to listen to someone who needs to talk, lend your ear....)

So, onto what we have learned to do best around here these days, which is continue to move forward (in very small, sometimes seemingly inconsequential ways), despite the hardships that are ever present:

• The Saints are rockin' the Dome tonight and, in honor, it is Saints Day at the office.  Can I just say that a wise person once told me that it makes her 23.4789878978% happier to wear jeans to work on Fridays?  Truest statement I ever heard. 
• Dare I say that it is getting "cooler?"  The humidity seems to be less oppressive and, for the past three mornings, the air has felt different.  Hope springs eternal that Fall could be coming in about two months instead of three....
• This is personal to me, but we will have a tiny arrival in February!  I vividly remember telling Beau that  Mardi Gras was something that we would never ever again get to experience ourselves much less with a child because "how could it ever happen again...there is no way."   Joke's on me because I already bought two teensie "costumes" that will be worn by the tiniest reveler on March 8, 2011. 

No wreckage shots for this blog today. 

Where we are now, down here in the big uneasy.

Cheers,

JSH


P.S.  If you ever recover from Katrina fatigue (yep, people in New Orleans have it too, don't worry....), I have compiled a reading/watching list of books, docs, shows, etc. that I think are seminal in understanding what really happened and what life was like, before, during and after K.  If you are ever interested, please email me and I will pass my two cents along to you. 

A stylish and functional big girl room

When our O-town friends'  family expanded from a family of three to four, their daughter was upgraded from her  nursery to her very own big girl room.  Baby bro moved right into the gender neutral nursery.  Practicality that just floats my boat, I'm telling you. 

This particular child's room really struck me because of the perfect balance between whimsy and organization.  The color scheme of lavendar, pinks and reds is perfectly feminine without being stereotypical "girl!", and there is toy storage and play room galore.

This project was recently completed and, accordingly, the hunt is still on for a good rug for the center of the room.  Both of us are thinking circular.  Qualifications are as follows: 1) Cannot be white (or a large portion cannot be white, 2) Must be durable enough for kiddies and a big Rotweiler to enjoy.  Please feel free to send anything you see that may fit the bill my way!

Ho-hum.  Of course, the Madeline Weinrib zigs in red is the perfect option, but the occupant of this room must attend school and be fed on a daily basis.  Not in the budget!

Check it:

Note the fave Matouk bedding as well as the re-upholstered vintage stools... 

....accompanying an Ikea play table.  Perfect mix of high and low!

I refrained from moving the pulls so that they all faced down....I wanted to show the room as it looks. Lived in by a three year old little gal.

There is a red "Keep Calm" poster waiting for its frame to go in between the two lamps.

My fave part of the room.  The Expedit storage, of course.   

...also note that the books are organized by color. 

(Does anyone else spy and love that lady bug riding toy?)

One more shot from the hallway.  Let's talk about the ceiling for a sec.

Gimleters know my hatred/ understanding of the utility of ceiling fans.  I think they picked out a great ceiling fan for this room, though.  I know, I know, it is necessary evil in Florida! 

I also love the bite sized paper poufs.  I have used them for parties as big poufs, but the tiny size is perfect for a tiny girl. 

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my friends' O-town bungalow.  I sincerely thank them for allowing me to share their decorating know-how with Gimlet Nation.  Again, if you have sourcing questions, please do not hesitate to shoot a comment or email. 

Cheers,

JSH

Thanks for the shout, perch.!

The delightful Krewe of perch. gave us over here at Gimlet a nice little shout today.  perch. is "still loving zebra" and was inspired to post when it saw that Courtney in Orlando still loves zebra as well. 

Courtney loved the footstools she saw in perch. so much, she got them sent to O-town from Magazine Street in New Orleans.  Done and done.

If you haven't done so already, check out perch.'s blog here.  You can also simply link to it from my blogroll on the right for your daily fix (they also do fun giveaways from the store occasionally....it could be your lucky day!) 

Cheers,

JSH

Hey Good Lookin'

Here are two good lookin' things that we have purchased / are purchasing to better prepare Chez Haynes for the tiny arrival.  I will be posting things like this more often than not, I am sure.  The scary thing is that I am oddly pumped about both items and truly believe that they are, indeed, both practical and good looking. 

Exhibit A:

Cariboo Folding Bassinet

The little tike will likely sleep in here for the first four months of his/her life.  It is PERFECT for our minute spacial needs (and then subsequent storage limitations) as well as aesthetically pleasing.  Plus, it can move from room to room simply by folding up.  Friends have given it rave reviews. 

My mom liked it and approved of it because it "doesn't look like something out of Rosemary's Baby."  Point taken, actually.

Scary, but true.  Alot of bassinets do kind of look like the one from the 70s horror flick.

image from here

Exhibit B:

New kitchen sink from Lowe's.  We, sadly, cannot do an undermount, but this cast steel baby will work!  Anything to rid ourselves of the gross stainless that just never seems to get clean.  Oh, and is divided down the middle.  We both yearn for a single basis sink....and this is the winner (most likely).  Holding my breath until we actually purchase and install it. 

My oh my have my design crushes and purchase lists changed in the blink of an eye.  I will continue to post these things, but only if they are super super super mundane.  Just kidding-ish.

Cheers,

JSH

O-town Bungalow

Greetings!  I am back from O-town after a whirlwind weekend that included lots of shopping, delicious eats, two nice long walks, QT with friends, and some serious baby kissing and snuggling.

As promised, I was allowed to snap some pics of one of my favorite "no touch" rooms ever, all for your viewing pleasure.  I think it looks perfectly designed without any semblance of "trying too hard."  Unique, yet stylish.  Fresh and classic.  Real and lived in, but still special.

...oh, and did I mention that a three year old and one year old live here??  I know, impressive.

Without further ado, behold the "no touch" and dining rooms of this classic Florida bungalow.

View towards the front door. 

...there is talk of painting the fire place white.  I am in full agreement! 

Close up of the coffee table scape.

...benches are from perch.

Opposite view into the dining room.  Love those plaster curves in bungalows.

J.A. sideboard to the immediate left of the front door.  Do you not adore the touches of fuscia?  Incredibly current. 

(And, I must point out the Roy Barloga photograph of the fountain in Audubon Park where the couple was married.  Beau and I have the same one in our bedroom!)

Up close of the textural chair and the orange side tablescape.

A peek into the adjoining dining room.

Another view....another shared feature of Chez Gimlet, that great chevron rug from West Elm!

I hope you enjoyed this mini house tour.  If you have any sourcing questions, please email me, and I will try to get the answers you need.  Next up?  The new big girl room of my friends' three year old. 

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  Thanks C and C for a wonderful visit!  It was a perfect little junket. 

Baby Animals

Even if you are not a huge animal lover or a particularly cuddly/mushy/gooey/saccharine person, I seriously do not think that you can resist "baby animals."   I have never met a person who doesn't pause and at least say "awwww" at the sight of a baby farm animal email forward (you know who you are if you send them) or mall calendar. 

Dare I suggest that you have a heart of stone if you do not pause to think that this guy is at least somewhat cute??

Blaspheme if your heart doesn't melt just a tad! 

Anyhoo, where am I going with this? 

Well, I know you have seen this image floating through the interwebs and blogosphere.....

Baby Deer from The Animal Printshop by Sharon Montrose

BUT, have you ever reviewed the entirety of her site and explored the myriad of truly precious baby animal (and grown up animal) prints?  If not, here are some of her latest. 

The donkey and chick are brand spankin' new.  The donkey truly cracks me up.

My co-workers and I were all oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over which one was the cutest....and we cannot decide!

Some of our other faves:

Porky.

Bassett pup.

Bunny bum.

Now, I am completely inspired to save my pennies and do a grouping of nine of the babies for, well, the baby. 

I am accepting donations for the babe's "visual stimulation" fund....

I don't think that these prints are necessarily just for babies, though.  Imagine this guy in the largest version possible (30 x 40).

Or, a this cheeky pairing in a small hallway...

I would love to see a big ole camel above a desk in your office or study.

I highly encourage you to play around on The Animal Print Shop site.  Even if you have seen the tiny deer image before, I promise you have not seen everything Ms. Montrose has to offer. (There are even some wonderful grouping and framing tips!)

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  I am sneaking off this weekend to Orlando for a little fun in the sun with some of my favorite peeps.  I promise there will be some excellent blog posts to follow, including a mini house tour that I have brow beat kindly requested that Courtney give us while I am there.  If you are heading to the Saints pre-season game, please keep an eye out for the welfare and safety of Beau!  He is ready, ready, ready.

Save Our Cemeteries All Saints Soiree

Save Our Cemeteries is a non-profit based here in Nola that is committeed to the preservation of Louisiana's historically significant (and hauntingly beautiful) cemeteries.  The organization holds clean ups, educational lectures, tours of cemeteries, and fundraisers all with preservation in mind.  I was very fortunate to become involved with its annual All Saints Soiree last year and loved every minute of it.  Now, I am hooked and am, again, serving on the planning committee.

The All Saints Soiree is a unique fundraiser...certainly not an event filled with rubbery chicken/hotel food, sleepy music or two hour awards speeches!  Rather, a wonderfully eclectic crowd gathers for a night of great food and "spirits" (ha), dancing, and, the best part, evening carriage tours of our cemeteries.  Last year, the event actually took place in Historic Metairie Cemetery under tents, but we are holding it in a private home in the Garden District this year. 

Here we are at last year's event...I know, the pic doesn't really "show" much about the event!  (and certainly isn't a showstopping snap, but had to include it....)

The silent auction aspect of the event is always a hit, of course.  (Please tell me that I am not the only one who leaves those things with gift certificates for spas paired with a bottles of wine or men's belts and ties?)  Well, anyway, this year, the silent auction exceeds all expectations!  This year's "theme" for the event is a Masked Gala and, accordingly, the auction items nod to the concept.

Note the mask on all of the marketing materials....

Inspired by the masked gala idea, many of the big ticket auction items are going to be decorative masks, hand created by local New Orleans artists.  You can own your very own Amanda Talley and do good for Save Our Cems.  The masks are being posted on Facebook as they come in, but here are just a few of my faves thus far. 

"Copper Mask" by Amanda Talley

Untitled by E. Lee Jahncke Mead

I hoping that more well-loved artists continue to get on board and donate a mask or two!  ...dying to see what they can all come up with.

If you are interested in attending the event or simply learning more about the wonderful Save Our Cemeteries, here is the link to the extensive and informative website.  We also have a facebook page that is constantly updated with information about the organization as well as the All Saints Soiree.  I would love to see some Gimleters at this fun event....and will happily receive mask donations from any Gimleters/artists out there!

Cheers,

JSH

Uptown Girl, Living in a Downtown World

Dear friend and faithful Gimleter Emily is one of the most creative, witty and vibrant people I know.  She is also an incredibly talented chef and artist.  Years ago, Emily cleverly informed me that she was an "uptown girl living in a downtown world," meaning that her champagne tastes sometimes do not match her very-decent-bottle-of-liquor budget.  Emily has an excellent knack for living the good life without bankrupting herself and her equally witty husby.  She always looks like a million bucks (as does her home, parties, gifts, invites, etc.) and is never shy about sharing her secrets for fine living (within reason!) with her friends. 

Naturally, I was intrigued when I received an email from Emily, subject line: "A Poor Girl's Jonathan Adler."  And, oh boy, the email contents exceeded my expectations! 

Inspired by her mom's incredibly ingenius idea of using vinyl tile to create her own outdoor area rugs, Emily decided that her bathroom needed a Jonathan-inspired (and durable) bath mat.  Ta-da!

Clever and practical!

The project started looking like this:

El cheapo vinyl tile from Lowe's.

Emily explained that she simply flipped the vinyl over, cut out her shape (very easily, with scissors), and prepped for painting with multiple layers of Killz.  She believes that gesso may work just as well. 

After she painted the design to her liking, she waterproofed with marine varnish.  Done and done.

I think that it looks just like the "real deal," but is obviously a better choice for a wet environment, like a bathroom.

Jonathan's fluffy zebra rug.

Imagine the possibilities!  You could re-create all kinds of great designer rug looks for your own vinyl mat.  I think that flat vinyl rugs are always perfect in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor areas or play rooms.  They are perfectly durable and so easy to clean. 

Finally, my dream of the initial rug could maybe come true?

image

Let us know if you are inspired to make your very own vinyl mat for indoors or out.  Emily is a doll and will happily answer any questions you may have about the process, so please fire away.  Keep us posted on your own inspirations or projects!

Cheers,

JSH