Command center {for all that school work and such}

With school starting for my son in 14 days, I'm looking to get organized and prepared.  I have a perfect wall in my kitchen that is just screaming to become a "command center" for my family.  A place that I can put the bills, school work, the calendar, etc.  It isn't a huge space so I need to choose and  place my items wisely. When I was made aware that Kirkland's had a selection of home decor items that would work well for getting organized for school I started searching for items I thought would work great in such a space, not only being functional, but also aesthetically appealing.  We all know I can't just slap something up on my walls that I can't stand staring at all the time.  I've had a iron tiered wall organizer for awhile that I thought would be great for our bills and "adult" paperwork and it became my jumping off point for this "command center."  Here is a board I created using items mostly found at Kirklands.com

 My tiered organization rack is similar to this Triple Tier Magazine Wall Rack from Kirkland's (3)

I think another item that will be great in this command center is a cork board for all those birthday invitations I'm sure we'll be receiving, or special reminder papers from the PTA that we want to keep in sight.

This cork board with ledge pocket from Kirkland's is a perfect size for those with a small wall space because it is only 15" wide, but has nice height.  (5)

I'm all about displaying my son's work from school, so having something to do so is a must idea for our command center.  With this "Look what I did plaque" from Kirkland's you can display three different projects or items from three kids. (2)

We all know it is nice to have a "catch all" basket available too and this chalkboard basket from Kirkland's is a great size and I love the contrast between the basket weave and the wooden handles.   (7)

This wall is also a great spot for a clock to keep us on time in the morning.  I like the round shape of this Ellsworth Industrial clock from Kirkland's (1)

And for anyone looking for an adorable calendar...I know most of you love chevron...here is a free printable created by Tiffany Ford of The Learning Effect (4)

Adding a bit of "green" to a space is always nice too...but if you don't have a green thumb this Grass Spray arrangement from Kirkland's will be the perfect added touch  (6)

Lastly, for a pop of color, an Owl Vase from Kirkland's can be used to hold pens and pencils.  (8)

Based off of these items and my design board, I got to working on my own command center wall and I think we are now ready for school to start.  We have a spot to feature the weeks most special school work, a place to pin up invitations or reminders, we have a calendar to mark the months happenings, we have a spot for bills and things to be filed and we have two clocks; one with California time and one for our family in Hawaii.  

If you are ready to create a "family command center" in your home, be sure to visit the links above for the featured items and many more.

Thank you Kirkland's for bringing to my attention all that you have to offer.  

(I was not paid or compensated for suggesting items from Kirkland's, I willingly am participating in their BlogLovin posts cause I love companies who love Blogs)

Flying Diamond {black and white nursery}

I'm on a black and white kick if you can't tell.  I'm just loving how clean it is and how each piece stands out on its own.  I also love the idea that with keeping the main items in a space black or white, you can then switch out accessories easily.  I tend to be a person who gets bored with design quickly, so to have the luxury of making a few additions to a space without breaking the bank makes me love the black and white palette even more!  I've been really busy with client designs (which I love) and wanted to just let out some unrestrained designing last night and finally threw together a room from a few items I've seen and loved over the past few weeks.

To pin point a few...The Twigeli mobile by Kim Baise offered through JOINERY is such a fun piece.  I tend not to suggest your classic baby mobile because they sadly can really conflict with the design of a space.  I'd rather see an eye-catching piece like this one.  And then use a musical item whether it be an ipod, a radio or a musical toy to serenade the baby.  Personally, my kids liked that "not so attractive" rain forest toy that I'd tuck away when not being used.  Do you know which one I'm speaking of?  =)

I also just adore this original pencil drawing of the lion by Revelle Taillon. What a beautiful piece!  And even more I love the idea of what the lion stands for...courage, royalty and power.  I think this really adds a sense of strength to this space.  Be sure to visit her Etsy shop where you can really see the detail in this amazing drawing.

Now for the design...

1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12