Another Give-Away!

Want to win a piece of Sherri Blum Designs artwork? Let's see how many fans we can get for Jack and Jill Interiors' Facebook fan page! I will draw a name on January 4 from all Jack and Jill fans to win this piece of wall art personalized for you or a friend! (This is the same design owned by "The Office" actress, Angela Kinsley.) You have to be a Jack and Jill Interiors fan to win. Tell your friends! Post about it, Tweet, Share on Facebook and anything you're able to do to help us out. (This is a limited edition presented as a 12" square giclee canvas- perfect gift for a baby shower, birthday or Mother's Day! Only 15 canvases were created in this special size.)
Visit the fan page for Jack and Jill Interiors and click "like" to join.
Thanks!

Wendy Bellissimo!

When I started Jack and Jill Interiors back in 2001, there were very few other designers who were specializing in nursery and/or kids' room design. I had been busily designing dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and more for a few years with my original company, Bare Walls Design Co. But as time went on and I was given the opportunity to decorate a few nurseries, I found that this was my true calling and decided to start a second company that focused only on nurseries and children's spaces.
I did some research online at the time and only found one person with a strong web presence...Wendy Bellissimo. Anyone who had decorated their baby's nursery, knew who she was and I was about to follow in her footsteps.
Wendy has met with huge success over the years and fortunately, my company has grown by leaps and bounds, also. I've always admired Wendy's strong sense of family and her impeccable taste in design, so when I was contacted by her company several weeks ago to be her Nursery Decor Expert for Nesting, I was thrilled and so very honored!

Please visit Nesting.com and consider joining. It's a fantastic forum for mothers and allows you to link up with similar women, discuss child-rearing issues and make lasting friendships. And while you're there, stop by my new page as one of Wendy's Knowledge Nest Experts and read the articles I've written there.

Happy Decorating,
Sherri 

Think PINK for 2011!

I think I've always loved every shade of pink. As a teen in the 80's, I wouldn't walk out the door without wearing at least one pink item. In fact, in my junior year, a friend bet me that I couldn't go a week without wearing pink and yes, he won. I was caught with little pink bows on my socks. My nickname to many was even "Pinky"! (If I can find a photo of the pink satin prom gown I had, I'll insert it later.)
When I "grew up" (yes, the jury is still out on if/when that has happened since I play with crayons, scissors and markers all day!), I even painted my first studio a very sweet, pale pink. The color just makes me happy and it also works well with my skin and hair tones. If I had my druthers, I'd have some pink in every room of my home...but living in "testosterone zone" doesn't allow me to do so!
So it's no surprise that when I heard recently that the Pantone Color of 2011 is Honeysuckle, I was tickled pink!
Last year's big color was Turquoise and I'm sure we'll continue to see many shades of this used in decor, especially for the boys. But bright and happy pink will be popping up in everything now from fashion to bedding and furniture. I guess it's time to break out my big pink purses and baubles again!
Enjoy some pink images from my designs, personal life and other collections below!

 Yes, my computer, and many items on my desk are pink. My company pens that I give out at conventions are pink, too!

 

I love my pink tool belt, and matching protective pink goggles.

Much of my wall art reflects my favorite color.

Many of the nurseries and rooms I've decorated were a sweet shade of pink!

Sneak peek at a recent girl's room I've completed for a television celebrity. Many shades of yummy pink here!

A favorite UGG purse I carry throughout the winter.

These boots are fun and really turn some heads! I wear them when feeling especially spunky and want to create a stir!

My favorite new cardigan available at White House Black Market.

I also love wearing my pink flower ring. I purchased mine at a little beach gift shop in Maryland, but you can find similar rings online easily.

I don't leave the house without my pink Ravens mug full of coffee. (Yep, Eric...you can take the girl out of Baltimore, but you can't take Baltimore out of the girl!)

And I always sport my pink Coach sunglasses. Notice my favorite fall jacket from Eddie Bauer, too! Lots and lots of pink in my wardrobe. And for the record...I've got more. But I'm keeping this a G rated post! ;)

Coach

Eddie Bauer

My first, and so far- only venture into crib bedding design was this pink Bird's Nest set.

"I'd like to take a moment to thank...."

As you know, I've been working non-stop to design  four rooms for a very special client. And as every good interior designer knows, you must have the very best resources on hand to help you pull together the most stunning rooms. For this particular client, I had to really call in the troops and depend heavily on my friends in the industry to ensure that the very best products were offered.
While I can't share photos of the completed rooms with you quite yet, I do want to take a moment to express how thrilled I am with the quality of products and the top-notch customer service of the companies who are helping to make these rooms jaw-dropping! You've got the check out their sites and consider them for your next big design project...I assure you- you will be thrilled!
Olena Boyko: Olena creates the most exquisite silk bedding sets for babies and children alike. Her attention to detail and pride in her creations is unmatched! The little cherub in the image above is sitting on the only peek into this project that I'm going to be giving you for a while!
Doodlefish Kids: These wonderful ladies produce top quality children's bedding that beautifully captures the spirit of childhood and will last a lifetime!
Charn and Company: Charn is an old friend of mine and she creates unparalleled custom lighting. She has come through for me with some stunning custom creations on several occasions!
Bratt Decor: The highly creative Mary Bauer (a dear friend and class act mother, friend, wife, designer and business woman) and her unbelievably talented husband Stephen have designed the world's most stunning baby furniture. Their creations adorn the nurseries of countless celebrities and their customer service is top-notch!
Marie Ricci: Marie hand-crafts the most beautiful ceiling medallions, clocks and plaques and her products will add that special touch to your child's room!
Stacie Dale: Stacie is such a talented artist! She has captured the hearts of moms and grandmothers everywhere by creating sweet hand-painted memory boxes that hold all of your cherished treasures for posterity.
Angel Song: This company's nursery gliders and rockers combine the most beautiful fabrics and trims and the comfort can not be beat! If you're going to be comforting your baby in the middle of the night, I highly recommend doing so on their super comfy chair. You'll not only rock your baby back to sleep, but you will likely catch some zzz's here, too!
I Lite 4 U: Is another lighting company who creates the most unique and high quality lamps and chandelier's for children. Joyce is a joy to work with and her products will bring a smile to the faces of everyone who sees them!
Little Worm: Kathleen Virtue creates the sweetest plaques, plates and more for children's rooms. Her product quality is unmatched and the artwork and sentiments on her plaques will tug at your heart-strings each and every time! On top of that, she is a joy to know and is a class-act designer and business woman!
Colonial Mills: Creates beautiful custom area rugs and has very short lead times! Best of all, their products are made in the USA! Their customer service is fantastic!

There are more companies that will be mentioned in a future post- but these links ought to keep you busy and drooling for the time being!
Visit these fine companies and know that you'll be working with companies who care about their customers, provide unmatched customer service and top-quality products! And tell them I sent you! ;)
Happy Decorating,
Sherri

Celebrity Client

 

I just wanted to drop a line to tell you that I've been hired by a celebrity client recently and I'm having a BLAST designing four kids' rooms for this special client. I wish I could share more, but I'm not permitted to do so until after the television special airs shortly after the holidays. What I can say is that this client has been absolutely wonderful to work with and that I can't wait to share all of the great photos with you after the show airs. 

I've also received a call from my own production company recently stating that there is renewed interest from a major network in the television show the producers created based upon my company. Please keep your fingers crossed for good news in the months to come.

Hugs,

Sherri

Designing a Gender Neutral Nursery

I'm just returning from a quick but EXTREMELY FUN trip to the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas. Once I recover from the jet lag and get a few minutes away from working on my super-cool client's nursery and kids' rooms- I promise I'll fill  you in on all I experienced!

Modern Berries by Oilo

As for now, I'd like to share my latest blog post for Home Workshop about Designing a Gender Neutral Nursery. I find more and more people (celebrities included!) waiting to find out the sex of their babies. This makes the job of a nursery designer a bit tricky, in that I really have to be careful to select furnishings and accessories that don't bend too far toward girl or boy.
Luckily, there are some EXQUISITE nursery furnishings and accessories available today, including wall art - that are perfect for a gender neutral nursery.
See the entire article here: Designing a Gender Neutral Nursery
Enjoy!
Sherri

Celebrity Nursery!

Watch my dear friend, Mary Bauer, President of Bratt Decor as she showcases the stunning nursery she designed for Mario Lopez on EXTRA today! And guess whose 4'x5' wall hanging will be seen front and center on the wall?!
See a sneak peek on the EXTRA website today. Mario, Courtney and Mary shopped for all furnishings (and my wall hanging) at Jenny Bec's in Los Angeles, CA. Stop in to see a duplicate sample of the Always Kiss Me Goodnight wall hanging at Jenny Bec's or contact  our studio if you wish to order.

My Favorite Designers Series- Katy Mimari of Caden Lane

As a nursery decorator and kids' product designer, I have the pleasure of meeting some of the world's most inspirational and talented women in the children's industry. Not only do I exhibit my  Sherri Blum Designs products beside them at industry trade shows such as the upcoming ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas or the New York International Gift Fair, but I also source their products to my interior design clients through Jack and Jill Interiors and now offer her beautiful products  in my own boutique, Jack and Jill Boutique. While I've met many good people during my ten years in the industry, there are a handful who have stood out among the crowd, not only as fantastic designers, but as women of integrity and substance.These women have not only put out a beautiful product of top-notch quality, but they've found a way to keep themselves firmly grounded in their values and have always put their families first even in the midst of their "fame and good fortune". I'll be introducing you to each of my favorites over the next few months in candid interviews that will hopefully give you some insights into the creative minds of these wonderful designers!

My first interview is with Katy Mimari of Caden Lane. I met Katy in 2008 at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas. I had always admired her stunning bedding collection, and about two seconds into my first conversation with her, I knew that the woman behind the company was extraordinary, too.  You'll have to visit Home Workshop to read the entire interview. Enjoy!

To buy Caden Lane products, visit our boutique: Jack and Jill Boutique for all the latest and greatest offerings!

Crazy Summer

I realize I've been very sporadic with my posts this summer. I have to admit it's been a whirlwind summer and I've simply had to prioritize everything and something had to give. It's been a great summer though...I've had my wedding reception, we've honeymooned in St. Lucia, I've taken my oldest son to visit three universities and have vacationed with my mother. I've spent lazy days at the pool with our four children and have worked on some great new business ventures.

I apologize for the lack of communication this summer, but promise to be more diligent once the kiddos are back in school and I have from 9-2 each day to work without interruption. I'll fill you in then on the wedding reception details and the honeymoon and all the other great things going on in my business world, as well.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite pics from the wedding. I only have a couple of them available today, as the photographer will be sending me more finished photos in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

My brothers, Jay and Tod.

Luke gave his Momma away.

Clocks are back!

Our popular Sherri Blum Designs clocks are back in circulation! We're re-releasing our Princess Clock and have created a Prince Clock as well. Our other best selling designs will follow soon. In the meanwhile, our friends at Rosenberry Rooms already have the first four listed for sale so get them while they're hot!

I'll be out of commission for a week or so while on my long-anticipated honeymoon in St. Lucia, so check back in August for some fun pics and the skinny on the trip!

Outdoor Playspaces

I'm really enjoying my "job" as a contributor to the popular blog, Home Workshop. This hot, summer month of July, I decided that it would be appropriate to write about outdoor spaces for children. While my career is focused on "interior design" and decor for children, I constantly encourage my kids and their friends to play outside in the fresh air whenever possible.
I loved some of the wonderful and unique spaces I found in my research and want to be sure to share the article with you.
 Check it out at: Kids Playhouses and be sure to write in and tell us about your own memories of outdoor playtime as a child and what you do now to encourage outdoor play for your own kids!

Find Your Kids Room Design Style

I was recently interviewed for a new HGTV.com feature called "Discover Your Child's Style" and had a great time helping Melissa Macron determine the characteristics of four main decorating styles for children's rooms. We decided upon the following four styles: Classic, Romantic, Eclectic and Modern. I defined the characteristics of each style, while Melissa came up with a clever quiz to help you determine your child's decorating style.
So take a moment and check it out here: Discover Your Child's Style and be sure to come back here to the blog and add your comments to share your child's style with us!
Once you do so, visit my Jack and Jill Interiors site to get some ideas as to how you can pull together a room for each of the four styles. I have room design samples for each posted in my Cyber Design section. If you wish to receive the shopping list for one of the rooms, contact me for further information. Happy Decorating!

Pink Toolbelt

A few weeks ago I posted about my love of all things pink and listed a few pink tools and accessories that I've had my eye on. Well the kind ladies at Girlgear Industries read my blog and were so generous as to send me their own version of the pink toolbelt! This belt is very sturdy, well planned, and has a pocket for anything and everything a stylish Tomboy would need to complete her projects in style! As  you can see in the image, I've loaded it up with my tools and am ready to dig into this week's project...adding the stone around the garage doors and all of the exposed foundation around our log home. This belt is going to get a good workout, for sure!
Thanks, Girlgear Industries!

Candice Olson!

My heart is still racing from my fabulous time with Candice Olson yesterday! She was so very personable and TALL! (She wears a size 11 shoe, by the way and played volleyball for the Canadian Women's Team!) I had the chance to ask her a few questions about her philosophy on designing for children as well as about show biz for designers. She had some great insights and was full of wonderful advice! I received an autograph as well, written on a sample of one of her newest wall paper designs, of course! I will be blogging in more detail about this wonderful designer and my experience with her, on Home Workshop blog. Stay tuned there for the post. It will likely go up in the next week. I have much to share!

Meeting My Favorite Designer!

Just a quick note this time...the wedding reception went off without a hitch on Saturday and was so beautiful with all of our family and friends present! I'm awaiting some photos to share with you, so in the meanwhile, you'll just get a peek at this shot Ethan (my youngest and our best man) snapped before the wedding.

I also wanted to share some exciting news- I will have the opportunity to meet my favorite interior designer, Candice Olson on Thursday! I'm going to try to get some images and will post all about it on Friday. Candice is an inspiring woman, designer and mother...I'm honored to have been invited to this little meeting!

Anyone know a "sun dance"???

Well our wedding reception is finally upon us. You may recall we were officially married by a JP in our home on October 1, but we couldn't have our families and friends there easily on short notice and on a weekday morning. So we promised our brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, along with our very closest friends- that we would have an outdoor reception for them in the spring, at Eric's family lodge in the mountains.
When I was dating Eric, he talked often about the "cabin" in Breezewood, PA that his father and he had built themselves on a 300 acre parcel tucked away in the mountains. He spoke of it as if it were a magical place and his eyes twinkled when he told me how excited he would be to take me there soon. Now, I've seen plenty of cabins and "get away" spots before, so I smiled nicely and told him how excited I was to see it. Well I have to say, that when he finally drove me up the picturesque mile-long driveway, this "cabin" took my breath away! It is so beautiful and really is a magical place. Every detail was attended to when this family built their vacation spot. Much love went into creating a special place for special family gatherings. Once there, I could see why this place meant so much to my new fiance. So I looked at him and said, "this is where we should be married!" You should have seen the smile on his face and later, the same smile on his father's face when we told him of our decision! This "cabin" as they call it (it's truly more of a 6 bedroom lodge!) was built with the sole purpose to bring family together. What better place could there be, to celebrate our love and family than this! So, while we were officially married in our home last October, we will renew our vows this time in front of all of our loved ones. This will be a perfect opportunity for us to thank those closest to us, for their support and love over the years. The people in attendance are those who have seen us through the rough times and have helped us get to this new, happy and loving place we are today. We have much to be grateful for and have the perfect location in which to celebrate.
So, final preparations are being made. The only concern we have now is the weather. We have a tent for the tables and caterer, but really want the ceremony to be outside on the lawn. We would also love for our 21 children in attendance to be able to play outside at this wonderful mountain retreat. So, if you happen to know a "sun dance", now would be a great time to do it! The Breezewood weather report is calling for rain!

Regardless, rain or shine, our day will be magical. With such a unique and true love, wonderful people and a magical location, we can't help but have a memorable day.

Royal Chic Crown Collection is finally here!

Our Royal Chic Crown wall hanging is back by popular demand! As seen previously on Access Hollywood and in People Magazine, Sherri Blum's popular black and white nursery wall hanging is now available once again for purchasing. Take notice of the adorable new version of our Chic Royal Oval Crown, too! Contact the studio for purchasing information and be on the lookout for more new releases coming soon!

This Tomboy Loves Pink!

While I might look like a girly girl on the surface, I'm a total Tomboy to the core! I grew up with a family owned horseback riding stable business that was a concession to the world famous Bedford Springs Resort. We had about 20-30 horses who needed to be groomed, fed, wormed, saddled, brought in and left out to pasture- each and every day. The barn needed cleaned, saddles repaired and oiled and fences mended. My two brothers and I had morning and evening responsibilities to the family business. We were hard-working and dirty by the time our day was done. I often joked that the horses ate before we could. Now, while I might have complained as a teen, you won't find me complaining today. I learned great work ethic during those formative years and learned how to wield and hammer and drill like no other girl I knew! And I absolutely LOVED my time with my Daddy! I enjoyed following him into the woods on a hunting adventure or by horseback to clear out a new riding trail, much more than I enjoyed learning how to cook in the kitchen with Mom. No offense to Mom, but I just always loved the guy toys and adventures more. (My poor hubby suffers to this day since I never did find my way around a kitchen!) And with two brothers always at my side, I had little choice in activities, anyway! Afterall, they hated when I broke out the barbie dolls and would put a bow and arrow in my hands instead!

Despite the tomboy childhood, pink was always my favorite color. I know this is a huge contradiction, but I do look good in pink and do enjoy feminine clothing and decor. I enjoy all that glitters and all the little things that make me feel pretty. Today, my husband owns every tool under the sun. Afterall, he did build our home himself! But given that I still enjoy having my very own tool box in my car, I find myself looking for quality tools with some girly bling to boot!
Allow me to introduce you to some of the wonderful new friends I currently call my own, or hope to shortly!

Charm and Hammer Eva Safety Glasses have a pink ribbon on the side in support of breast cancer awareness.

And any true tomboy knows how important a good drill is, and how much wear and tear it saves on the wrist!

Pink Tools for Tomboys has the perfect drill for you!

Find this screwdriver set at Amazon

Hammer away with this 13 oz hammer from Tomboy Tools.

Ladies Tools Online has this cute suede tool belt to keep all the necessities within reach. Now, I've searched for quality pink tool belts for a couple of years (while I'd love a Gucci tool belt like Nicole Sassaman, they're just not readily available to the public!) and in reading reviews about this one in particular, some have complained about the pink dye rubbing off onto the jeans, so I've held off on purchasing this and will just wear the plain tan belt in the interim. My dad does saddle repair work and works with leather like a true artisan. I've hinted as subtly as I can, but he still hasn't gotten around to making me a pink tool belt yet! I might need to be less subtle!

This one made my tomboy heart race! I am soooo getting myself one of these pink rolling tool carts when my new studio/design center is built! Every true tomboy will need one of these, for sure!

 Amazon

What are your favorite tools? They don't need to be pink, but I'd love to hear what you find you just can't live without.

Earth Friendly Nursery Design

Catch my latest post about eco-friendly nursery design options by visiting Home Workshop!
(Organic bedding by Serena and Lily )