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Bringing up baby with nature - DeNai Jones gets inspired

When DeNai Jones, head designer at Petunia Pickle Bottom, was expecting her second son recently, one of her prime goals was to create a unique nursery.

"I longed to make my second son Miller's nursery a place of tranquility," says Jones of her design process. "I love color, but this was going to be my one exception."

DeNai opted for soothing earth tones and natural imagery both she and her husband Braden would enjoy.

Here, DeNai Jones outlines her choices for this truly gorgeous baby nursery.

Inspiration and Color Choice:
I found inspiration in the design of my son's nursery from a few key pieces: our Misty Shanghai Boxy Backpack, this amazing wallpaper from Cole and Sons: Trees, and two pillows from Anthropologie. All of these pieces incorporated a shade of grey that I was hoping to use in the nursery and were the perfect elements to create a focus for my mood board. I love a nice monochromatic palette with a splash of color, much like the Misty Shanghai, and these pieces combined these two elements perfectly.

Furniture and Function:
The crib and changing table were the most daunting decisions for me. I love all the new modern and oh-so functional nursery furniture that can be found, but we own an older home so I wanted to find something that would strike the perfect balance of old and new. The Panel Crib by Newport Cottages served up just what I was looking for. As an added bonus-the wonderful people at Newport Cottages indulged me with a custom paint color to match the room's palette. Both pieces contain clean, modern lines, and the changing table converts to a dresser once you are done with diapers-an ideal attribute so that the piece can grow as Miller does.

Hands down my favorite piece is the Luca Glider Chair by Monte Designs. If I didn't have a busy little toddler running rampant I would sit and cuddle my newborn son in it all day-it's incredibly comfortable not to mention so stunning.
 

I love the Tamar Mogendorff mobile. Thanks to Grace over at Design Sponge for introducing Tamar and her incredible talent. The dolls/objects are made from linens, wool, Mohair wool, cotton, vintage fabrics, tweed, antique embroidery, pashmina and other fabrics. Each piece is handmade and the pictures on her website do not do them justice.

My intention when designing my son's nursery was to create a tranquil, organic, and textural experience.

The stump side table and owl night light rounded out what I wanted to achieve, and the cable rug I found at West Elm offers a nubby, wool weave with lots of texture to help soften and warm the room.

Two of the wall art pieces I used to finish the room were from Anthropologie. I liked the simplicity of the art and the organic nature of the two pieces. In addition, I always try to put in every room of our home some sentimental piece or photograph. The archival bird studies were purchased on a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. On a short day trip to Franklin we happened upon an amazing shop dedicated to archival sketches and studies of anything you could possibly imagine. I knew I would use these sketches at some point in my life and this was the perfect spot. Miller loves to look at these while I change his diaper.

Ultimately, the nursery is the most calming place in our home…so I believe I achieved what I set out to accomplish. Now with a two year old toddler and a newborn reeking havoc in our home, it's the place I like to kick up my heels and find tranquility.

Petunia's Scout Bag, and Orbit Baby on People.com

There's a great slide show today on people.com showing some of the goodies in Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry's baby nursery.

Among the cute  and clever items in the slide show are our client's Orbit Baby and Petunia Pickle Bottom's Scout Bag.

The Scout Bag for Gabriel, is shown here. 

Love it! Dose of Design features Illume His and Hers candles

We were happy to see that the blog Dose of Design loves our client Illume's His and Her's candles as much as we do.

In a recent post they said: "[His and Hers Candles are] perfect for a couple, put one on each of your nightstands and let the fragrances merge! Or a perfect gift for any guy in your life. If he thinks candles are too feminine, he won't once he sees it's meant just for him!"

To see the entire post visit Dose of Design.

Illume's Earth Rose gets OK'd

Our client Illume Candles recently rolled out a gorgeous new collection, Modern Naturals, which features a delightful fragrance called Earth Rose. 

The editors at OK Magazine loved the essential oil blend as much as we did and featured it last week in a story called "The Love Doctor is In The House".

The candle is shown in a segment of the feature about natural aphrodisiacs as a way to set the mood with a delightful scent. 

Illume one of Metro 5

If you happen to live in the Twin Cities, be sure to pick up the current copy of Metro Magazine. 

In the Metro 5 Section of the February issue,  our client Illume's 65 Hours of Love Candle reigns supreme. 

The editors chose the famous candle for its all natural soy and beeswax blend.  That combined with the candle's addictive musk and vanilla infusion fragrance makes it a winner.

Check for the image on page 24!

Biography of a fragrance: Earth Rose

Point a camera at a rose and you’ll almost always come away with something spectacular.  Macro shots reveal symmetrical lines and seductive shadows combined with ebullient color. 

From a distance a bud promises many things--while a garden rose in full bloom dappled with morning light is a metaphor for life itself.

It was this universal magnetism that drew the scent designers at Illume to create the Earth Rose Collection.  They were inspired by the concept of the complete woman.  One who exudes both luminosity and harmony; who is approachable...yet at close range, radiates a boundless mystique.    

The Rose is a universal symbol of love, friendship, beauty and peace. In Aromatherapy it’s the Queen of Flowers.  Many use its hypnotic fragrance to calm the mind, and create balance.  Known as a relaxing scent, it’s also wonderful for insomnia, headaches, and as an aphrodisiac.

By blending feminine rose and earthy patchouli, Illume has created a complex yet delicate fragrance.  Top notes of mystical Midnight Jasmine and Sparkling Mandarin make the Earth Rose blend entirely unique.

The Earth Rose Collection from Illume includes a Shea Butter Hand Lotion, Room Diffuser, assorted pillar candles, an oversized travel tin, filled boxed glass, frosted glass jar, and mini votives.

This just in: NYT's Frank Bruni loves Illume's Balsam & Cedar

When New York Times Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni says he loves something it's a seminal moment.

Foodies throughout this country hang on every salacious vowel that he types out.

So when we read that he has a weakness for our client Illume Candle's Balsam & Cedar fragrance from the limited edition Winter Bliss Collection we were enthused to say the least.

As reported on Refinery 29 yesterday, and picked up by the Gothamist, Bruni says, "I've long been a sucker for overpriced candles, and I like Illume the best. This scent smells like the essence of Christmas. I bought it for the first time about a week ago and it hadn't been burning for an hour when I was back out the door to stock up on more. I'm always convinced that things I fall in love with will disappear when I least expect it. Better to stock up."

As soon as the "Hot For" story appeared, Bruni's loyal fans responded without delay.  "A  food critic loving scented candles??" they exclaimed.  Just goes with what we said in our post yesterday about the Winter Bliss Collection being the greatest for parties of all kinds.  How could you not love something that gives out the gentle aroma of a Heavenly Valley ski lodge at Christmas?

Head over to Illumecandles.com to check out the storied candles before they disappear - as Bruni laments, they are a seasonal blend.

Bruni joins a well rounded list of celebs who are addicted to the essential oils blends of Illume Candles custom scents.  Paris and Nicky Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, and even California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger love Illume!

Illume Candles one of Lisa Quinn's, St Louis Magazine's Favorite Things for the holidays

She's San Francisco Bay Area's House Doctor - dispensing tips for making homes gorgeous on ABC affiliate KGO (channel 7).

So when Lisa Quinn picked our client Illume Candles Winter Bliss Collection as one of her Favorite Things for the holidays we were very impressed. 

Quinn loves the fragrance of Illume's Balsam & Cedar candles in particular because they imbue the house with that woodsie fragrance that everyone loves.  She also loves the warm scent of Cranberry Kir Diffusers and Vanilla Amberwood for the table. 

Watch a clip of the show by visiting the KGO Video Player and head over to IllumeCandles.com before Friday November 30th to pick up some pillars which are 20% off.  

The Illume Winter Bliss Collection also scored big with the editors of St Louis Magazine.  Part of this month's collection of products they love, the Winter Bliss Bubble Tins burn brightly on their pages.  You can see the online version by visiting their website here.  Their fav?  Balsam & Cedar!    

Illume's Winter Bliss Reed Diffusers picked for USA Today Gift Guide

They're dramatic, yet affordable.  That's why they're USA Today's pick as a gift guide best for Mom today.

Our client Illume Candle's Winter Bliss Reed Diffusers come packed in a choice of three retro boxes.  The fragrances, Balsam & Cedar; Cranberry Kir; and Vanilla Amberwood are a gorgeous accent for the home throughout the winter. 

The fragrance wicks up the delicate reeds, and lasts for about 120 days!  At just $30 each they're a fantastic pick for gifting. 

For more, head to Illumecandles.com, and pick up a few pillars (which are 20% of through the end of the week) or other selections from the Winter Bliss Collection. 

Orbit Baby part of Project7Ten

Project7Ten, a living teaching tool for environmental architecture, has included our client, Orbit Baby into their environmentally friendly kids room (shown left).

The objective of Project7Ten was to build an environmentally conscious home that would achieve a Platinum designation from The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, in Venice, California.

The home, located at 710 Milwood Avenue in Venice Beach, emits no harmful gases into the atmosphere; solar panels incorporated in the cutting edge design of the house produce its own energy; was built with numerous recycled materials, including insulation, concrete, counter tops, Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber; it reuses rain water and recycles grey water to irrigate landscaping; is surrounded by trees to provide shade in the summer and sunlight during the winter.

Project7Ten architects chose Orbit Baby's Bassinet and Rocker system, as well as the Orbit Infant System (which will be included in the sale of the house) due to the company's excellent environmental policies.

The proceeds from the sale of Project7Ten will benefit Healthy Child Healthy World. 

Holiday Decorating - dramatic and easy table top with Illume Candles

A dramatic table top for holiday dinners is a sure fire way to impress guests and set the mood. 

Giving the holiday table a custom look can be as easy as picking out a few color coordinated fruits and vegetables from the produce department and arranging them artfully around some gorgeous pillar candles.

Our client, Illume Candles, has a wonderful holiday collection available in stores and online.  The collection, WinterBliss, features classic fragrances that enhance and compliment the aroma of holiday dishes.

The arrangement shown here features a simple reclaimed board that was scrubbed and placed in the center of the table.  Gourds, red and green grape clusters, and a few handfuls of wheat are set around various sized pillars for a cornacopia style presentation.  This is dramatic, yet doesn't interfere with the sight lines of guests as they dine across from one another. 

Vanilla Amberwood from Winterbliss is an especially good pick for this - available in a variety of pillar sizes, the gentle fragrance and ivory colored natural wax warms the atmosphere.

Another great selection from Illume's catalog of products is their SimplyFall Collection.  Heirloom Pumpkin has a warm fragrance that will immediately put guests in a festive mood. 

All Illume candles are made of a 100% natural soy and beeswax blend and optimized wicks.   

a River runs through it....

Be sure to catch the article in the November issue of Town & Country about Giving thanks with Style.

Featured in the story are my pals Joe Marini and John Simoudis of River in Essex, Connecticut. (page 110)

The two give tips on holiday entertaining, from flower arranging to dessert presentation.

They also recommend using LocalHarvest.org, a website that lists small regional farms around the country, to find great ingredients. 

When in Essex, don't miss their store, River, located near the water front on Main Street.  (51 Main, Essex, CT).

Filled with garden inspired accessories and home furnishings, it's one of the best retail stores in the Lower Connecticut River Valley.

Visit new Illume online store and enter for a chance to win a $350 gift.

Their candle fragrances have long attracted fans like Paris Hilton, Will Smith, and Courtney Cox.  Now Illume is making their collections universally available by launching their all new online boutique.

The site, which can be found at www.illumecandles.com features the company’s entire collection. Shoppers can find Illume’s bestselling fragrances which include Gardenia, Angel Food, Flamenco, Tahitian, Keshi, Pineapple Cilantro, Lemongrass, and Coconut Milk Mango in all their favorite styles.

In celebration of the new site, during the month of August, visitors to illumecandles.com can enter to win an extravagant $350 gift basket filled with the company’s top selling candles.

The winning name for the contest will be announced September 3rd, 2007.