Gender Neutral Grey Nursery Moodboard

March 14, 2016

Post by Sara Polacek of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

When designing with a monochromatic color scheme in your nursery, use gradations of grey. It is a gender neutral hue and a perfect foundation color for any space. To keep the look and feel of your grey nursery clean, be sure to choose products that have the same tone as some greys tend to be cooler, while others are warmer. Bring in pattern for added dimension and interest, with the bedding and an area rug.

Post by Sara Polacek of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

Nod Printable Coloring Pages: St. Patrick’s Day

March 11, 2016

Nod Fun Pages designed by Michelle Romo

Break out the crayons and markers because the tiny green leprechaun is on his way! Our St. Patrick’s Day printable coloring page can be colored all the colors of the rainbow and even comes with a pot of gold at the end. You can download the free printable coloring page HERE.

Share your kiddo’s finished masterpiece on Instagram using hashtag #landofnod or on our Facebook page and we may feature it!

FIND MORE FREE PRINTABLE COLORING PAGES HERE!

Looking for other fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts and recipes for the kids?

Glitter & Bubbles St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Cake is bright, vibrant, and magically delicious.
Shamrock Floats from our friend Jeran at Oleander and Palm is the perfect frosty treat for your littles.
Let your child help decorate your home with Design Improvised’s DIY St. Patrick’s Day Garland.

Michelle Romo is a self-taught illustrator and designer fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese and Scandinavian design, along with pretty much anything cute. When she isn’t working she spends her time eating good food, hugging her friends, playing video games and crafting.

Why We Make Our Sheets from the Finest 100% Cotton

March 9, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

Many of you don’t have the ability to walk through the aisles of a Land of Nod store and feel the quality of our bedding, so I figured I’d tell you a little about the thought that goes into selecting the fibers for all of our sheets. And, why merely touching a sheet at a given store, may not be reflective of the softness of that sheet long-term.

At Nod, every crib and kids sheet we make is 100% cotton. We absolutely never use synthetic fibers in our sheets. Why’s that important? Well, number one (warning, this is kinda gross) kids are sweaty little creatures. Cotton breathes. It will allow their sweat to evaporate through the sheet. Polyester on the other hand holds all that sweaty grossness in. And, I don’t know about you, but my 5 year old isn’t about to shower every morning, and I’m certainly not washing her sheets everyday. Plus, it’s just hot and gross.

Speaking of washing, being a natural fiber, cotton is extremely durable. It washes beautifully and will remain soft wash after wash. We use the finest fibers that won’t pill. This is super important because kids bedding needs to be washed a ton…what with the leaky diapers, potty training and aforementioned sweat. And, it’s important to us that our product stands up to all that washing.

And, when it comes to long-term quality, nothing beats cotton. It’ll only get softer with wear. Synthetics on the other hand are often treated with a finishing technique such as peaching. It may make them soft on the hand when purchased, but the peaching process breaks down the fibers, so over time with repeated washing the peached finish will wear away and the fibers won’t hold up.

Bottom line, we wouldn’t put something in your house that we wouldn’t use in our own. So, cotton it is.

Danielle is the Creative Director at Nod and an over-protective mother of two. She’s also completely obsessed with Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and her Kindle, but not necessarily in that order. Danielle loves to craft, sew and crochet. Her current craft of choice is weaving tiny wall tapestries.

Advice to Your Younger Self

March 8, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

In honor of International Women’s Day, we asked 13 women who inspire us to answer one question. What advice would you give your twelve year old self? Here’s what they had to say. And, we gotta say, we think it’s all great advice for any woman or man, no matter their age.

Michelle Kohanzo is The Land of Nod Managing Director, mother of four and a champion for artists and makers ‘round the world.

Roxy Marj Barrus is the designer and illustrator behind Roxy Marj. She studied at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City and believes design should be a slow and thoughtful process. Roxy’s quirky creations are loved by both kids and adults alike.

See all the incredible products that Roxy Marj has created for Nod.

Carrie Kiefer and Morgan Georgie are the designers behind Ampersand Design Studio. In 2009, Morgan and Carrie followed a long-time dream to start a company together. Since launching Ampersand Design Studio, their signature, bold patterns, which are playfully energized by shots of surprising color, have appeared on textiles, paper goods, home décor, fashion and accessories.

See all the colorful designs that Morgan and Carrie have created for Nod.

See all the cute items Michelle Romo had created for Nod.

Michelle Jewell left her job in 2010 to follow a dream of becoming a creative business owner. Combining her love of illustration and sewing, a line of quirky creatures formed. In the years since starting Finkelstein’s Center, Michelle has worked on design projects including stuffed animals, illustrations, gift wrap and more.

See all Michelle Jewell of Finkelstein’s Center creations for Nod.

Partnering with Etsy for their Open Call program, we’ve had the chance to meet and collaborate with amazing independent designers like Earth Cadets. Krissy Callahan started Earth Cadets in December, 2008 with a love for t-shirts. Since then, Earth Cadets has stayed dedicated to creating unique and hand printed home goods, accessories and clothing while also committing to maintain and respect our environment.

Checkout Krissy’s adorable clothing.

Partnering with Etsy for their Open Call program, we’ve had the chance to meet and collaborate with amazing independent designers like Baby Jives. Jahje Ives is the creative mama behind Baby Jives Co. She started her company in 2010 after the birth of her first babe, who was affectionately nicknamed baby Jives. Working with natural materials and her sewing machine she handcrafts each of her heirloom mobiles just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

See all the Baby Jives mobiles here.

Venture into New York City and you’ll find illustrator Erin Jang. Venture into Erin Jang’s art and you’ll find out why we love her so much. Erin’s art creates a world of colorful designs that are both simple and sophisticated. Her quirky and playful style is what makes every product she designs so great.

See all Erin Jang for Nod products.

Lots of artists got their inspiration from nature. But, not many got their inspiration from nature and from their mom’s orange floral drapes like artist Elizabeth Olwen. Her love (or obsession, as she would call it) of bold prints and patterns has led her to create vivid, outdoorsy designs for everything from fabric and apparel, to home décor and stationery.

See all Elizabeth Olwen for Nod products.

Ashley Goldberg has loved arts, crafts, creatures and nature her entire life. Her artwork tends to be simple, but with a sophisticated or stark color palette. She believes great emotion can be conveyed in a simple gesture or look. And, after looking at her artwork, we’d have to agree. The characters she creates are simple, humorous and empathetic.

See all of Ashley Goldberg’s creations for Nod.

Adrienne Antonson is an artist, clothing designer, and general maker of all things. She lives in a tiny Georgia town where she runs STATE, a women’s clothing label that celebrates small batch manufacturing and hand painted textiles. When she’s not running a business, she’s re-designing the nursery. She’s a wife, a mother to a young daughter and a pasta addict.

See our line of Baggu bags handpainted by Adrienne Atonson.

Shared Big Kids’ Bedroom

March 7, 2016

Post by Colleen of Lemon Thistle

When it was time to move our twins out of cribs, we decided their whole room needed a bit of a facelift. We wanted to inject some of their personalities into the space, and until now it was a gender neutral (navy) blank canvas. Having boy/girl twins can make decorating a bit challenging, so we decided on a neutral pallet of grey walls with black and white detail and wooden furniture. We brought color in with bedding and decorations.

Although we gave E navy and grey bedding and A aqua and pink- we kept them similar by choosing velvet Snug as a Bug quilts for them both as well as matching sheets. I’m totally in love with those gorgeous With a Chance Sheet Sets– they have a Scandinavian feel that I just can’t get enough of. The black in them also helps tie together the other black details we’d had in their room previously (metal book baskets, that arrow shelf, and the storage pouf with matching curtains) without adding more colors and patterns that are difficult to coordinate with. Adding a Fair Weather Garland carried the cloud element on in the room.

Without really meaning to, we ended up with a bit of a ‘sky’ theme to the room with the cloud sheets and garland as well as the constellation lamp and map, and the Twinkle Twinkle Wall Hook. The navy and aqua play into that theme as well.

One of the things we really needed to tackle in this room was storage. How can kids have so much stuff? The Take Five Wall Bin was the first thing I decided on for the room- I love how it gets all those stuffed animals off the floor without looking like a big pile of clutter. When they grow out of stuffed animals (although I don’t see that happening any time soon), it works great for books as well. The Bon Voyage Suitcases house smaller toys (and all my daughter’s necklaces!) while adding a pop of color to the space. I loved the colors in the suitcases so much I painted the morse code garland over the curtains (it says ‘love you’) in coordinating colors. The Rhino Bookends are also great to make a stack of books look under control.

This room is so special for us to see them enjoy. Being DIY’ers at heart, we put a lot of love into building the beds and nightstands special for them, sewing the curtains, storage pouf, and lettered pillows for them, as well as creating other special details (the hand lettered art, yarn and wood wall letters, and door feathers.)

We also wanted to make sure they would feel proud of their new ‘big kid’s space. When we moved them into their new beds, it was the first time they slept with pillows and had their own big quilts. They insist on tucking themselves in each night now that they are ‘big kids’. We also let them have porcelain nightlights (E chose a squirrel and A chose a bunny from the Woodland Mini Nightlight collection). Knowing that they are porcelain, they have been so responsible at carrying them only with two hands and want to show them off to everyone who comes through our doors. They love that they get to display the most recent art they created on the clipboards. The other piece of child’s art is the framed geometric painting. I love that one so won’t be switching it out like the clipboards.

We have a few more projects we want to complete before we call this room totally ‘done’, including a handmade rag rug (I think I’m crazy), under bed storage, and a closet organizer. But those are really all just bonus- it is so good to have this room done for them. We have a new baby coming in the next month or so and we wanted to make sure they didn’t feel like the baby was stealing their crib and all their baby stuff. For now, I’m glad that they’re so proud of their space and am really enjoying how their pride is translating into cleaning it! That’s all a mama can hope for, right?

Colleen is a wife, Mama to twins with one on the way, and the DIY and lifestyle blogger behind Lemon Thistle where she shares printable art and hands on tutorials for DIY home decor, parties and gifts. Colleen believes you can have a beautiful life, home, and party without spending a lot- we’re keeping it real on a budget so everyone can join in on the fun.

Product Spotlight: New School Bedding

March 4, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

One challenge I often find in designing a space is deciding on just the right bedding to capture the style and personality of the pint-sized occupant. This is where the New School bedding collection steps in to save the day. Whatever your design scenario, it is super easy to mix and match across the available color palette to achieve just the right style for your tiny human.

Blue Stripe Curtain Panel / Grey with White Dot Pillowcase / Hop to It Bunny Pillowcase /Pink with White Dot Sheet Set / Fun Throw Pillow / Hop to It Kids’ Quilt / Zebra Colorful Wall Art / Lion Colorful Wall Art / Chess Club Table Lamp Base / Make a Splash Kids Quilt / Make a Splash Whale Pillowcase / Rectangle Patterned Throw Pillow / Blue with White Dot Sheet Set /

Shared Bedroom: This is especially tricky when it’s a boy-girl shared bedroom, however, not to fear! With the New School grey and white sheet set as your base, personalizing each bed to fit a different personality is easy-peasy.

Yellow Stripe Curtain Panel /Grey with White Dot Pillowcase / Not a Peep Chick Pillowcase / Yellow Ruched Throw Pillow /Not a Peep Kids Quilt / Yellow with White Dot Sheet Set / Balloonscape Poster Decal / Woodland Mini Squirrel Nightlight /

Gender Neutral Nursery: Looking to steer clear of a pink or blue nursery scheme? The Not a Peep set is a great alternative! The yellow, white, and gray color palette is a perfect fit whether you’re expecting a baby boy or girl.

Green Stripe Curtain Panel / Grey with White Dot Pillowcase / Later Gator Pillowcase / Geometric Throw Pillow / Later Gator Quilt / Nature Trail Bear Wall Hook / Nature Trail Squirrel Wall Hook / Green with White Dot Sheet Set / Silver Between a Rock Table Lamp Base /

Boy’s Bedroom: We’ve got whales; we’ve got gators! Take your pick and put your own spin on it with fun throw pillows and wall decor.

Pink Stripe Curtain Panel / Grey with White Dot Pillowcase / Hop to It Bunny Pillowcase / Mint Bonjour Throw Pillow / Hop to It Kids’ Quilt / Bright Acute Felt Garland / Pink with White Dot Sheet Set / Gold Light Years Table Base / A Magnificent Metal Letter /

Girl’s Bedroom: Whether you’ve got a girly-girl or a chick with edge, you can easily play up our Hop to It bedding with colorful accents to fit your unique kiddo.

If playful and modern is what you’re looking for, then bring a little New School cool to your bedroom makeover!

Happy Styling!

Save 15% on exclusively designed bedding and blankets through March 14, 2016.

Post by Stephanie Geurkink, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

Creativity, Free Time and Open-Ended Toys

March 3, 2016

Post by Michelle of Avery and Augustine

What’s one of the best ways to foster creativity in your kids? Give them free time. Tons of it. Many early childhood experts agree that free time, clear of scheduled activities and lessons, is essential to a healthy, balanced childhood. Free, unstructured time gives your kids an opportunity to wonder, daydream and be resourceful with the toys and materials they have in their immediate environment. In essence, it allows them to be creative and innovative. Downtime gives children a chance to be initiators as well—ideas come to mind, percolate as they play and then are worked out and re-worked as part of the creative process. Children have a sense of ownership when they’ve thought of something on their own, which contributes to them being confident in their abilities.

Creativity, Free Time and Open-Ended Toys A Time To Play Blog 4

Another way to help your children be creative: provide open-ended toys for them, like blocks and this modular dollhouse. What are some of the benefits of playing with open-ended toys like blocks? They teach children that it’s okay to fail. Children get to try out simple design principles or ideas. When a design or structure doesn’t work out, kids will try a different way, again and again, until they get their desired result and find a solution. They are working through the problem-solving and trial-and-error process, both of which are so important for learning to figure things out all throughout life as a learning individual in school and later as an adult in the workplace. They also come to realize that their ideas have value and they see themselves as competent individuals.

Creativity, Free Time and Open-Ended Toys

Blocks are also tools for pretend play, which is an integral part of early childhood, linked to learning language and so many other important life skills. Childhood is a time to play!

Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending the items for this post.

You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

80’s Decor Inspiration

March 2, 2016

Post by Danielle, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

That time my 1980s charm necklace became kids room decor.

To say I’m excited about the resurgence of 80s design is an understatement. The bold colors, bubble letters and outrageous motifs are the stuff of my childhood. From Trapper Keepers and puffy stickers, to charm necklaces and banana seats, it’s all embedded into my memories of being a kid. And, maybe it’s just because of that nostalgia, but I really think there’s no better decade to celebrate the fun of being a child. I mean, some of this stuff is just plain nonsense, and what kid doesn’t love a little nonsense now and again?

You might be thinking, “Look I loved my 80s childhood, too, but I’m not covering my house in that craziness.” Or even, “Oh, I wasn’t even alive in the 80s, much less sporting an Aqua-net lacquered hairdo, so no nostalgia here.” To that I say, CUT. IT. OUT. (Cue Uncle Joey hand gestures).

Here are a few of my fav 80s inspired décor pieces, and some tips on working them into your home.

Hello Sunshine Pennant / Fun Zone Pennant / Pizza Pennant / Giggletown Pennant

First, our Team Spirit Pennants, designed by Will Bryant. These playful pennants make a great addition to a kids bedroom or playroom. They’re the perfect element to mix into a gallery wall to breakup the monotony of rectangular frames. They also look great grouped together.

Palm Tree Nightlight / Flamingo Nightlight / Banana Nightlight

Next, our Paradise Nightlights. These neon acrylic nightlights are the perfect way to add just a little punch to your space. They’re a small accent piece, that won’t overpower the room, but will add whimsy and a pop of color. I especially love adding touched of neon to bright white spaces. Neons are often unexpected in décor and add contrast that keeps a space looking layered and interesting.

I love this sketchbook table lamp, because it’s the type of décor element you might not notice on a first glimpse of a room because of its quite palette. But layered into a space it adds whit and humor. It’s the type of item that would make someone say, “Your house is so fun!” And, I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty much the best compliment I can get when it comes to my home’s décor. To keep the lamp on the understated side, pair it with a white shade. Or coordinate it back to your décor with a colored Light Years Shade to make it your own.

These Great Pyramid Wall Hooks add a great pop to any space. I love them lined up to hold dress up in a playroom, or by a back door to hold your purse and the dog’s leash. They reference mixes of poppy colors and patterns that were prevalent in the 80s, but the colors have been updated to tones that are prevalent in modern design. Aside from being functional hooks, they’re also art unto themselves. I would definitely consider adding a grouping of them, or even a single one to a gallery wall, to add texture and interest.

Last, but definitely no least, one of my favorite items from our new Spring Collection. Our Highlight Hamper was designed by the rad ladies at Ampersand Design Studio. The painterly black brushstrokes on the white ground make this hamper super sophisticated. But, paired with the neon orange metal base, it becomes playful at the same time. I’m considering buying 3 of these for my own home. One for a hamper for my 8 year old son, whose bedroom is light grey with lots of neutral tones and pops of bright color throughout. One for my own bedroom, which is designed to be a bit more artful and romantic. I think the black and white would add a great modern touch. And, one for our playroom to hold dress up clothes. It’ll look great with our Jelly Bean Rug. This hamper is so versatile, and just plain awesome!

I hope I’ve inspired you to have some fun with your décor. I really believe that a home should be a reflection of the family that lives there, so go for it! Have fun, create a home that makes you smile!

#CelebrateTuesday

March 1, 2016

Post by Danielle, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

At Nod we have a little saying…Celebrate Tuesday. We believe that memories aren’t just created in big epic events like over the top birthday parties or holidays, but rather in the small spaces between the hustle of the everyday. For example, the best part of your day might just be a belly laugh from your toddler over toaster pancakes. Even though there are dirty dishes in the sink, syrup in her hair and you’re running late, if your little one laughed, that day’s a successful one in our books!

Of course as parents we’re all grateful for our children and the joy they bring us, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not sometimes at our limit, totally frazzled and the thing we’re celebrating on a given day is simply that it’s finally, mercifully, bedtime. And that’s okay. We like to call this our no-judgement journey through parenting. Celebrate Tuesday for us isn’t about creating another thing that parents feel they need to live up to. Certainly we all have enough of those pressures in our lives. But rather, an opportunity to find the joy and humor in the everyday. The sweet and silly moments between the madness and chaos of raising a young family.

So, I invite you to Celebrate Tuesday with us. Tag #celebratetuesday on Instagram, and follow along on the blog as some of our friends share how they’re celebrating the awesome ridiculousness of the everyday with their kiddos.

Leap Day Contest!

February 29, 2016

Happy Leap Year! Hop on over to our Instagram page where we’re hosting a contest to celebrate leap year babies, today only! Share a photo of your leap year baby with the hashtag #nodleapyearcontest and we’ll randomly pick three winners to win a $250 Nod gift card!

Full rules and regulations can be found HERE. Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Odds depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.

Product Spotlight: Modern Modular Collection

February 26, 2016

Post by Danielle, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

I have a soft spot for Midcentury Scandinavian design. Actually, I’d say it’s more of an obsession. And as far as I’m concerned, the holy grail of midcentury furniture is the wall unit. Those incredible modular units that span an entire wall with room to hold all of your brass figurines, Eames design books and abundance of houseplants. I’ve been dreaming of finding one at a random garage sale or flea market.

Photo Courtesy of District Chicago, my fave midcentury furniture dealer in Chicago

So, I guess you can say I was pretty excited when I saw our new Modern Modular Collection. It’s an updated take on those classic beauties.

Modern Modular Collection

Larry the Llama Ride On / Grey Adjustable Height Everlasting Play Table / Now You See It Acrylic Desk Chairs / Flared Floor Lamp Base & Mint Light Years Floor Lamp Shade / Modern Modular Collection / Gold Mod Cube Bins / Casablanca Rug / I’d Ask Her To Do Unframed Wall Art / Monkey Feed the Animal Bank

The great thing about this collection is you can use one unit on its own, or bank a few together to fill a wall. You also have the option of a unit with two open cubbies, two closed cubbies or one of each depending on your needs. These pieces are perfect for a playroom to hold toys and games. Or, a nursery for baby essentials books and toys. And, I just love them in a shared space holding a mix of décor items and toys.

Modern Modular Collection

The powder-coated frame gives them a modern look, but the beautiful oak veneer harkens back to the 1950s pieces that inspired this collection, and keep the piece warm and inviting. They’re super versatile, and really beautiful. Best part, you don’t have to dig through an attic at an estate sale in the hopes of scoring one for your own home!

Modern Modular Collection

DIY Tassel Necklaces

February 25, 2016

Post by Rebecca of Not So SAHM

We’ve been kind of obsessed with all things tassel for a while now, but when I spotted The Land of Nod’s Festival Garland, my obsession rose several notches. The combination of tassels and poms is just so fun, and the bright colors almost promise that spring is on its way! We were totally inspired to try our hand at making our own tassel necklaces.

And it turns out that its incredibly easy! With just a little tweaking of embroidery floss (which itself brings back so, so many fond memories of friendship bracelets, hair wraps, etc.) and the addition of a few beads, you (and your kiddos) can make your own tassel necklace in just a few minutes. Seriously.

To make our DIY Beaded Tassel Necklace, you’ll need:

embroidery floss in looped skeins (like this) — one skein makes two tassels
clear stretch jewelry cord
7 mm jump ring connectors
spring ring clasps
nylon cording
brightly colored beads (we used this faceted set)

The tassels aren’t difficult to make, but you’ll need to gauge how much help to give your children depending on their age. Once you make a few, the necklaces really come together quickly!

First, have your child pick what colors they’d like to use for the necklace. They can help measure out the cording and decide how long they’d like the necklace to be (we liked when the tassel hit mid-chest).

DIY Tassel Necklaces

Once you’ve picked your embroidery floss skein, find a loose end and pull a few lengths of floss out (leaving paper bindings on the skein). Cut the floss you pulled loose — you’ll need it to tie the tassel. Carefully slide one of the skein bindings down to the other.

Open the top of the looped skein and loop a length of clear stretch jewelry cord through — this is forming the top of your tassel. Slide one bead over both ends of the jewelry cord until it meets with the top of the loop. Then tie a 7mm jump ring onto the top of the bead with the clear stretch jewelry cord. Trim the excess cord flush with the jump ring.

Take the extra lengths of embroidery floss you clipped in the first step, wrap it around the skein close to the top loop. Continue wrapping a few times and then tie tightly. Trim the ends of the tied floss. Then cut the hanging embroidery floss to whatever length tassel you’d like.

Save the other half of the embroidery floss skein — you can use it to make another tassel following the same directions!

Slide your tassel onto the colored cord and add as many beads as you wish — Cam loved this part. Then tie on the spring ring clasps and put it on!

Play around with colors, length of tassel, and the number of items on each necklace. We ended up making so many that I think we’ll use them in the goody bags for Cam’s birthday party this spring. Or we just might wear a new one every day!

Thanks so much to The Land of Nod for sending the Festival Garland — we’ve got big plans for it in a new outdoor space we’re working on for the spring. Stay tuned!!

Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.

Boys Bedroom and Playroom Design

February 23, 2016

Design by Sara Polacek of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

It’s always a dream for us when customers ask our Design Services team to help design more than one room or come back again for design help. Which is why we was so excited when Jen asked us for help decorating five rooms in her newly-built home. We worked through her home one room at a time, eventually designing two boys bedrooms, a bathroom, playroom and art room. We started the entire process with a phone call to discuss her room plans, design aesthetic, kid’s personalities and interests and the use of each space. Jen had tons of ideas to make her kids room special, like adding a trap door to connect the boys bedrooms, using chalkboard paint and lots of color.

We’ll focus on one of Jen’s sons bedrooms and the playroom to show you how the rooms came together. After the initial consultation, we start with a Pinterest board to work around the themes and interests chosen by the customer. The themes Jen was interested in were race cars, sports and nautical. We brought in bits of each through color and pattern to bring the themes to lie without being matchy matchy.

For Jen’s son Conner’s room, Jen decided on our Big League Bedding and we built the room around that using this Pinterest board. We also:

Brought in bright and bold colors with our Bar Rug
Positioned the furniture along the walls to create an open floor space for play
Added a playhome to the corner for a hide out and reading nook
Brought in sports prints and additional artwork that worked with the colors in the room
Walls were painted Benjamin Moore Pelican Gray with accent stripes of Once Upon a Time and Gun Metal

Bright Letter Throw Pillow / Blue Honeycomb Wall Shelf / Big League Sheet Set / Perfect Circle Corkboard / Bar Rug / Big League Pillowcase / Big League Sham / Big League Colorblock Pillow / Big League Green Printed Pillow / Two Ring Table Lamp Base & White Light Years Lamp Shade / Zebra Friends Wall Art

Jen had a small playroom so she wanted to make the most of the space, including a play area, TV spot, toy storage and coloring area. To achieve this, we used Pinterest to create space that:

Used vertical space in the room to make the best use of space using our Cubby Shelves
Book ledges were placed horizontally up the wall as a bookcase alternative that takes up less floor space
Placed the play table against the wall to open up floor space
Sliding doors were painted with chalkboard paint for drawing
Mounted the TV on the wall and placed District Bookcases underneath to provide media space and additional toy storage

See Clearly Wall Decals / Cubby Shelves / Grey Adjustable Activity Table / Red Numeral Metal Stools / Half Moon Rug

Product Spotlight: Little Sur Furniture Collection

February 19, 2016

Post by Danielle, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

A big part of how we create the look of the Nod brand is contrast. When creating a product or a room design, we like to pair unexpected materials, aesthetics and colors to create an eclectic look that feels layered and fresh. For example, if we were designing a nursery with lots of soft pastels, we’d add in a touch of black. Or if we created a vintage-inspired granny quilt, we’d use neon threads for the quilting. It allows us to create items that are at once familiar and new.

Little Sur Furniture Collection

An Adventure a Day Banner / Pizza Pennant / Fun Zone Pennant / Twin Little Sur Bed / Little Sur Nightstand / Big League Duvet Cover / Superstar Jersey Sheet Set / Big League Sham / Big League Printed Throw Pillow / Big League Color Band Pillow / Shoe Sketchbook Lamp Base / High Frequency Rug

Our new Little Sur Furniture Collection is a great example of contrast. The collection is crafted from the most beautiful oak. Each piece is truly unique, celebrating the knots and grains that Mother Nature created. The thing about oak is it can often feel very rustic and traditional, think log cabin. So, we’ve taken that gorgeous wood and used it in a collection that has very clean, modern lines. Resulting in pieces that are at once timeless and current.

Little Sur Furniture Collection

Aqua Fade Up Rattan Floor Basket / Little Sur 4-Drawer Dresser / Little Sur Nightstand / Mason Table Lamp Base / Dark Blue Light Years Lamp Shade / Little Sur Twin Bed / High Seas Bedding / Little Sur Bookcase / Bright Letter Throw Pillow / Natural Numbers Pouf / Unframed Snail Wall Art / Unframed Frog Wall Art / Unframed Woods Wall Art / Blue Bars Rug

One of my favorite parts about this collection is the fact that the bed, dresser and bookcase are all the same height. This can be really impactful visually in a room, as it gives an expanse of wall space that’s uninterrupted by the furniture. The designer in me loves the opportunities that provides for interesting wall treatments. You could paint the lower half of the wall one color, and paint everything above the furniture another. Or, hang all the art in the room so the bottoms of the pieces align on a plane several inches above the furniture, for a really interesting look.

Not only is the height advantageous visually, it’s also super functional. It allows for all sorts of interesting floor plans. You could back the dresser to the headboard and float the furniture in your room. Or you can bank it all together along one wall to create a storage system. It’s also a great height for the little ones to get in and out of bed, and access their dresser drawers and shelves.

Little Sur Furniture Collection

The last detail about the Little Sur that I love are the leather drawer pulls. Again, I think this creates an important contrast within the collection. Modern design can often feel cold, so adding in an organic, soft material like leather keeps this collection from getting too serious. Plus, it’s leather handles, people….they’re gorgeous!!

So, if you love the look of Nod rooms, consider adding a little contrast into your space. And, if you’re not sure where to begin, reach out to our Design Services Team. They’d be happy to create a custom room design for you, at no charge. I have to say, they create some pretty killer spaces.

Designing a Gender Neutral Nursery

February 16, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team
Whether you’re a parent planning to be surprised by the gender of your new baby, or just prefer to steer away from a gender-specific nursery design, you may find yourself faced with the challenge of designing a neutral nursery. Whatever your approach, here are a few tips to help you along the way.

Although it might sound basic, stick with a wall color in the gray family. Graytint by Benjamin Moore goes with just about every other color on the planet and you won’t feel the need to repaint again when your kiddo is ready for their big-kid bed.

Benjamin Moore Graytint

Bedding and décor are great places to add accent colors because they are much easier to change than wall paint. My favorite accent colors right now are lemon yellow and seafoam green with a punch of navy. I love using our new Semi Scallop rug in nurseries because it is a piece that will continue to work even as the baby grows into their toddler bed.

Making a nursery gender neutral doesn’t mean you have to skimp on personality. Why not go all-out with faux taxidermy animal heads, banners, and playful wall art? When it comes to a theme, the world is truly your oyster. Whether it’s forest animals, sea creatures, or geometric prints, so long as it doesn’t scream “baby boy” or “baby girl”, it’s fair game.

Ultimately, this is your time to build a nest for your new baby, so have fun and enjoy the process!

Happy Styling!

Camping Themed First Birthday Party

February 15, 2016

Post by Melody of Sweet & Saucy Shop

When it came time to plan my son Donovan’s first birthday party, I knew exactly what I wanted to do! My husband and I had a camper van while dating and early into marriage and we absolutely LOVED it and know our outdoors loving baby boy will be equally as obsessed one day so when I saw The Land of Nod’s Camp Wandawega collection and Jetaire Camper Playhouse, I was sold! I didn’t want to do the traditional camping party so the camper was the perfect twist on the parties I had seen all over Pinterest. Everything from the S’more the Merrier Campfire Set, to the Woodsy Floor Cushions and the Great Indoors Sleeping Bag (that is sadly no longer available in red) went along with the party theme perfectly and continues to be used daily in our household! The photo of my kiddos curled up in the sleeping bag will be one of my favorite photos ever I think!

For the cake I knew I wanted to pull in the invitation design from Posh Paperie as well as the adorable wooden Camping Buddies Set from The Land of Nod. I used the toys as accents on the backdrop the Carissa from JL Designs helped me put together and then we made fondant replicas of the toys for the actual cake! The dessert bar was filled with s’mores cupcakes, cookie bundles, candy bar cupcakes, mason jar “dirt” cake, camper van cookies and marshmallow french macarons.

I knew I wanted to go all out for his smash cake so we did a s’mores marshmallow on a stick and it was probably the highlight of the dessert table!

For activities we did a coloring station with camper van print outs, a fishing station, had The River & Bridge photo booth for people to capture their Camp Donovan moment to take home and then for their favors they got to pick the animal they wanted and Korrie Lukei Designs painted them a picture on the spot!

We wanted to create a relaxing, fun, outdoor party to celebrate our little guy and it turned out to be just that! Between snacking on s’mores and trail mix to drinking kombucha & sangria Camp Donovan was one day I will never forget and I hope my little guy can look back on it and know how much of a special blessing he is to us!

Photography by Carlie of Gabriel Ryan Photographers

Melody is the co-owner of Sweet & Saucy Shop, a high end bakery and cake studio in California with two locations, one in Long Beach and the other in Newport Beach. She fell in love with baking and entertaining in her early twenties and continues to be obsessed with it still! She most importantly is a mommy to Donovan and Blake and loves cooking and baking with them, remodeling her house, trying to get a nap in, and a good flea market or farmers market if all the stars align!

Free Printable Valentine’s & Coloring Page

February 12, 2016

Nod Fun Pages designed by Michelle Romo

There’s nothing more fun than creating Valentine’s when you’re little. So we created an easy way to pass on the love. Enter our free printable Valentine’s. All you have to do is color, cut and give to the ones you love.

To color and make these Valentine’s, download the full size printable HERE. Share the finished product on Instagram (use hashtag #landofnod) or our Facebook page and we may feature it!

Free Printable Valentine's & Coloring Page

Find more free printable coloring pages HERE!

Looking for other fun Valentine’s Day crafts and activities for the kiddos?

Oh Happy Day’s Valentine Party in a Box is the happiest (and easiest) delivery we’ve ever seen
Printable Valentine’s Day Bingo from our pal Christina Williams
Catch the weaving bug with Avery & Augustine’s festive Valentine’s Day Weaving tutorial
Make yummy Valentine’s Day Sprinkled Rice Krispie Treats with this recipe from Design Improvised

Michelle Romo is our newest Nod illustrator, she’s a self-taught illustrator and designer fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese and Scandinavian design, along with pretty much anything cute. When she isn’t working she spends her time eating good food, hugging her friends, playing video games and crafting.

Mother and Son Shared Home Office

February 11, 2016

Post by PJ of A Girl Named PJ

As a blogger, I can work almost anywhere as long as I have my laptop and an Internet connection. And for the first couple of months in our new home last summer, I did just that, shuffling between the dining room table, the living room sofa, and the local Starbucks.

However, constantly rearranging myself started becoming a drag – not to mention a hindrance on my productivity. I needed a home office, but our townhouse isn’t large enough for me to a room of my own. Instead, I can have an office nook in our finished basement.

As I began planning my home office in the fall, I realized that my four-year-old son, Levi, needed a workspace of his own, too. He had been using a pint-size play table in the basement for his art projects but always seemed to run out of room to work. Plus, he had to contend with his younger brother’s grabby hands constantly interfering with his cutting, pasting, and coloring.

So I decided to create a shared home office against a short wall in the basement for the two of us to enjoy together. Since I needed two desks and double the storage, I immediately thought of The Land of Nod’s Little Sloane leaning desk and leaning bookcase. They’re small enough to fit the space but large enough for a grownup (me!) to sit and work comfortably.

Our basement has goes-with-everything-but-looks-good-with-nothing taupe walls. Since we’re renting, however, we didn’t want to deal with painting. So before my husband and I attached the desks and bookcases to the wall, we hung Chasing Paper removable wallpaper for a pop of color and pattern. The process was literally as simple as peeling off the backing and carefully sticking the sheets to the wall; the hardest part was narrowing my choices to just one print! Although I was eyeing some darker patterns, I went with a white and blue geometric to brighten up the space.

Levi’s art caddy picks up the navy in the wallpaper (and keeps his scissors, glue, and washi tape collection handy), and these metal desk chairs introduce teal into the color palette. His crayons, markers, and paintbrushes are easily accessible on the shelf above his desk, while coloring books, stickers, construction paper and random art supplies fit nicely in a bookcase bin. The bottom bin also holds some oversize games that didn’t have a place elsewhere in playroom section of the basement.

Over on my side of the office space, I have some reference books, old magazines, and tear sheets on the bookcase. I’m always chilly in the basement, so I tossed a faux lambskin rug over my metal chair for a bit of warmth and luxe texture. Favorite postcards and small art prints add a personal touch to my desk area.

Eventually, when we move into a larger house, I still hope to have a room of my own. And if that happens, Levi’s little brother, Asa, will get my desk and bookcase for his art projects. (Some day they’ll both be using these desks and bookcases for homework, I’m sure!) For now, though, I’ve been enjoying sitting next to Levi, who likes to think that the “work” he’s doing is just as important – and fun! – as mine.

PJ Feinstein is the author of A Girl Named PJ, a lifestyle blog offering fashion and beauty tips, design inspiration, commentary on pop culture, thoughts on personal growth, and honest talk about motherhood. She lives just outside Washington, DC, with her husband, two young sons, and stubborn (but adorable!) small white dog.

DIY Modern Paper Dolls

February 10, 2016

Post by MJ from Pars Caeli

Hello, friends! This is MJ from Pars Caeli popping in to share an easy and modern take on an old favorite childhood craft. Remember the joy of a fresh pack of construction paper? I can still get the smell of the dyed paper in my nose when I think of it! My paper pack could never have enough red and pink because – Valentine’s Day!!! Oh, the paper hearts and strings of paper dolls that I taped to my bedroom walls (sorry, Mom, about all the tears in the wallpaper!).

Let’s bring back the simple joy of paper crafting with our kids and the surprise of the accordion fold. My children and I created these strings of modern paper dolls using items we already had around the house. Grab some paper, scissors, pencil, and glue stick. Also, do you have any old Christmas photo cards around? Either of your family or others? Bring those along, too!

First, place your doll template on the edge of the paper as shown. Mark the width of the pattern; this is how wide your fold should be. Now, accordion fold. Fold back and forth with the same width until the entire paper is folded.
Trace the pattern. On a letter-sized paper, you should have room to put two of these, one above the other. Next, you may need to jump in and assist your child, depending on their skill level. Cut out the doll out, making sure that the hands are on the fold and can connect the accordion. We added a heart in the center for this special Valentine edition.
Unfold! We created a pattern that has a thicker leg so that a skirt or shorts can still be trimmed out from the original design, should you want to create more original looks for each doll like we did.
Next up, grab old Christmas cards or other photos that you’re willing to cut for this project. We had extra photo cards that we wanted to use so I carefully cut out each person’s head for my son’s garland. This is also a fun way to add friend photos to your Valentine’s decor and bring them into the celebrations.
Glue the new heads onto the dolls and personalize. My son had one distinct way that he wanted to create and my daughter had a different so we created a garland for both of them.

Keep in mind that you will only be able to fit 3-4 dolls in each strand. Consider connecting garland with heart strings, fun striped straws, or simply continue the look of a long garland by gluing one strand to another.

These garlands bring a smile and might even inspire some imaginative play with your littles! Enjoy a fun Valentine’s Day, friends, and dig into the red and pink construction paper.

xoxo, MJ

MJ is a graphic and product designer, wife, and proud momma to three. She founded Pars Caeli (meaning a piece of heaven), a delightful blog and shop, to add more creative to the everyday. MJ worked with our team to bring her lunchbox jokes to life in our product Lunchtime LOL Notes, now available at The Land of Nod to bring on a case of the giggles!

Valentine’s Day Ice Cream Sundae Recipe

February 8, 2016

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery & Augustine

We’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day and thought that we would make ice cream sundaes with roasted white chocolate sauce for this year’s treat. If you’ve never tried roasted white chocolate, it’s time. Done right, it has an outrageous amount of creamy and buttery caramel notes distilled in each spoonful. And it’s beyond-your-imagination delicious.

I followed Saveur’s technique to roast about 9 oz. of Valhrona Ivoire white chocolate feves. Note: I lowered the oven temperature to about 240 degrees because I was afraid that the chocolate would burn, but you can experiment and see what works best for you. Usually it’s recommended that you use high quality white chocolate with at least 20 percent cocoa butter such as Valhrona or Callebaut for roasting. The typical supermarket white chocolate chips don’t work as well (and I definitely agree from experience). This Food52 article is also a wonderful reference and shows you what to expect at each step of the roasting process.

After the white chocolate has turned golden brown in the oven, bring a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream to a simmer and mix it together with the roasted white chocolate. And there you have it: roasted white chocolate sauce. One funny thing about it is that it looks like caramel, but smells like white chocolate.

Of course, you can add your favorite toppings to your roasted white chocolate sundae, but the sauce is pretty remarkable on its own!

Peach Half Dot Garland / Mythical Edition Plush Unicorns Set

Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending the items for this post.

You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.