Moms we know tend to display their children's photos in every nook and cranny in their homes--and that's not even counting the old fridge-turned-photo-collage trick. A few years ago, artist Lisa Golightly was craving a new way to show off her little darlings: Her (brilliant) solution was to weave their photos into her paintings.

Luckily for us, she now makes paintings with anyone's photos through her website Kiki & Polly. You can request a custom background (think: Neverland or Narnia) or choose from imaginative scenes on her site. "The painting [above] is of my son," she tells us. "Boys and paper airplanes seemed like a good fit." And, of the painting below, she says, "I live in Portland, so the umbrella scene came easily!"

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Cookie's travel editor Yolanda Edwards has a little travel buddy: her four-year-old daughter Clara. Perhaps sparked by her journeys, Clara's tastes veer toward glaciers, fairytales, dancing and pink--lots of pink. Her favorite book, not surprisingly, is Cinderella. "Girls are genetically disposed to it at that age," says Yolanda. "She's happy with anything that has a princess or ballerina." Here, Yolanda tells us about the wonderland she and her husband created for their daughter.

These days, parents seem to be moving away from traditional colors for children's bedrooms. What made you go for pink? "If pink is important to your child, you can't make her like navy. My parents were very heavy handed--'You can't have sugar, you have to be a vegetarian'--and now I'm the biggest meat eater and love cupcakes! I don't want my daughter to have certain traits just because they're reactive. If she ends up loving pink her whole life, that's great; I just don't want it to be because I denied it to her."

What ambiance were you going for? "We moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan, where we all shared a bedroom. To get Clara excited and comfortable about having a separate space, we told her she could have a 'princess room.' The cloth banner helps make the room feel festive. The pink garland at the head of the bed is actually a Tord Boontje card that stretches out." The banner is from Bell & Trunk in San Francisco, 415-648-0519. The Tord Boontje card is from Nest. The pink pillows are from ABC.

These pictures do a great job of combining childlike imagery--horses, bunnies--with a grown-up style of drawing. Where did you find this artwork? "My husband and I have always collected animal drawings and paintings. We got the charcoal rabbit drawings at a Swiss flea market. We found the dog dressed as a judge at a Manhattan antiques store. We never spend much."

How did you decide on the mix-and-matched frames? "Most of our frames are from IKEA. My husband hangs them with 3M wall mount adhesives, so we don't have to put nails in the wall."

Since you're Cookie's travel editor, does Clara go on business trips with you? "She comes on every trip. I don't go on any without her. She makes the Cookie trips authentic."

Does your husband come, too? "He's a photographer and fisherman, so if he has a trip, we'll try to travel nearby for Cookie and meet up."

These shelves look like a fantasy world. Houses, the Eiffel tower, horses... "If you're upgraded on KLM Airlines, they give you those little houses; Clara basically conned them out of everyone in business class. The bookshelves are for everything--shells from a trip, family photos, antique books."

Do you find things for Clara's room while on trips? "My husband and I are shop-a-holics. We've found things in San Francisco, Denmark, everywhere. We give Clara ice cream while we shop."

Do Clara's tastes seem to be changing as she gets older? "Right now, she's into everything. She loves dancing films--The Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain. I just found an Alaska train DVD--now she knows all about glaciers. She likes drawing, animals, growing a garden. Four years old is the great age."

The little lights are so magical. "They were super inexpensive at a lighting store. Clara loves them. They're her nightlight."

What advice do you have for other decorators? "Don't spend too much. It's often the little folly that completes the room. The pink lights, banner and card above the bed make this room for me. The drawings are nice, but you could always frame snapshots or magazine clippings. Every mom wants to do the best for her child, so you get sucked in and think, 'I have to buy this $1000 bed.' But why?"

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We all might dream of owning a Murano glass chandelier, but don't deprive yourself until that day arrives. This chandelier was a $10 yard-sale purchase and had a fairly ordinary bronze finish. With just a little spray paint, the chandelier was turned into a whimsical piece that fit seamlessly into a cheery kitchen. The body was painted sky blue and the bulb stems were painted gray, to give a bit of contrast. While this piece doesn't say luxe quite like Italian hand-blown glass, it's a perfectly beautiful stand-in that can happily make its way to another yard sale when you finally find (or can afford) the chandelier of your dreams.

1. Clean the chandelier thoroughly to remove dirt and rust.

2. To eliminate a step (roughing up the smooth finish with sandpaper to allow paint to stick) consider using Krylon Fusion spray paint, which easily sticks to slick surfaces like metal.

3. Tape off any areas that you do not wish to paint with painter's tape.

4. In a well-ventilated area, hold the can about 12 inches from the chandelier and spray using long smooth strokes to avoid drips.

5. Let dry for about an hour. Then come back and add another coat. Repeat as necessary until you have desired coverage.

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Brooklyn designer Andre Joyau makes a gorgeous line of wooden furnishings called Plus Grande. Why does this matter to Cookie, you ask? Because he makes exact replias in small-person sizes, as well. His Plus Petit line features some of the cutest, yet clean and minimal, furnishings we've ever seen. Each piece is made entirely of solid wood, and additional finishes are available. Andre Joyau, 718-963-2616, hepta20@aol.com

Square Chairs, $245 to $285. Credenza, at top, $1,820-2,180.

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When we at Cookie were little, we had the requisite teddy bears, plastic dolls and, in one editor's case, a piece of a silk slip. (To each her own.) But today's kids have a new set of (very cool) playthings. Following the trend of prints and patterns, fabric animals have been popping up around the country. The prints are cheery and eye-catching, while still maintaining a lovely vintage quality. Here are our favorites, for lucky little dudes or even mamas themselves (Wouldn't the giraffe, above, look nice on a bookshelf?).

Wren Handmade

Orange Button

Train Fantome

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This spring, Cookie's former fashion editor, Bronagh Staley, welcomed a baby boy into the world. (Congratulations, Bronagh!) Although he's only eleven weeks old, Fiontan is already appreciating his nature-filled nursery. Here, Bronagh's husband--artist Peter Staley--gives us the male perspective on the little guy's room.

What inspired the nature theme? "My favorite children's story was Where the Wild Things Are. When the parents left, the room turned into a forest. I wanted this room to feel like a forest. too."

The bird mobile is from Pomme. The crib is from Ikea. The crib set (with animal silhouettes) is from Dwell. The quilt was made, as a gift, by Cookie's home editor, Kiera Coffee.

The tree on the wall is amazing. Did you paint it? "Yes. Since a tree grows directly outside the window, I copied the tree's branches to pretend that it's growing into the room."

Where did you find all the great toys? "Ninety-nine percent were gifts when Fiontan was born."

You and Bronagh must have seen lots of nurseries through Cookie. Was there anything you wanted to avoid? "New York is full of loud colors and noises, so we wanted to give Fiontan a serene, calming space. He'll get enough stimulation as it is."

What does Fiontan think of his nursery? "He stares at the mobile and doesn't cry when we bring him in here, so I guess he loves it!"

The garland chandelier is by Danish designer Tord Boontje. The dresser is from Oeuf.

Email your photos and home-design questions here.

Cookie's home editor Kiera Coffee has the kind of whimsical apartment that kids (and kids-at-heart) dream about. With an Alice-in-Wonderland curiosity, Kiera has created a welcoming place for her nieces and nephew, who "can play with anything and everything," she says. Each corner has something to discover: Family heirlooms live happily next to modern furnishings. Plants cluster in a corner for reading. Shells spell out her name. And we love the way Kiera tweaks thrift-store finds--removing a shade here, adding fabric here--until they're just right. Let's take a look...

Where do you usually hang out in your house? "When I'm home, I spend most of the day in the dining room. My friend, a muralist, made the table, where I do everything: sew, work, eat. The four dining chairs were only $25 from the Salvation Army; then I reupholstered them in pink. The beautiful painting of a boat's shadow in the harbor is by Rex Lau." The desk chair is by Eames.

Your sofa is gorgeous. How did it come about? "My beige Roy McMakin sofa needed to be reupholstered. I fell in love with the 1940's fabric by Austrian designer Joseph Frank--but it was so expensive that I had to sell my couch! Instead, I found a vintage sofa and covered that instead." (Fabric available here and here.)

Were you initially nervous about the boldness of the fabric? "Interestingly, the man who reupholstered it wanted to repeat the same flower on each sofa cushion, and I said, 'Oh, my god, no!' I wanted to capture as much of the pattern as I could. Although he was dubious about my idea to keep it inconsistent, he ended up as excited as I was."

Who is the woman in the painting? "My mom--an artist--painted this portrait of my great aunt. She gave me the painting because I promised to frame it. Her boyfriend made the bookshelf; it was originally for his records. I love its old-fashioned feel."

Did your childhood home influence your design tastes? "My mother was very adventurous. She wasn't afraid to mix eras and was constantly redecorating--we moved the furniture around every month! When my sister was in junior-high, my mom painted an enormous rainbow around her bedroom. It was fantastic; she was really indulgent. I've been hugely inspired by her creativity."

What about that playful lamp? "I found it at a New Jersey thrift store. At the time, a silver Mylar shade covered the lamp. I took the shade off and thought, 'Now this is how I want it!'"

What a lovely nature corner! "I like sitting here and talking on the phone. The photo of a convict in the 1800's was part of an installation project by my boyfriend Michael Oatman." The chair is by George Nelson.

How did you decide upon the wall color? "I had an idea of the green that I wanted, but I looked at a million paint chips and none were right. Then I found a store that would reproduce a color if I gave them a sample, and I worked with my mom and her paints to get the color I really wanted. The cool thing is, the walls look different throughout the day. In the morning, they're leaf green; at night they're olive."

Where did you find shells to spell your name? "A friend brought them back from Miami. He had my house keys, so he left them on my radiator. He instructed, 'When you get home, before moving them, look at them very carefully!'" The photo of Kiera and her oldest sister is held up by an authentic chef's rack.

What's your favorite part of the house? "Since it's so eclectic, people feel like they can contribute. There's a constant flow. It's not just my stamp on it--it's a good, friendly space."

What's the story behind these not-so-tiny letters? "On my street corner, there was a lighting store called City Lighting for over fifty years. When it closed, I went to the construction site and stalked them for the letters. I thought it was funny to spell 'tiny' because the letters are so huge. I couldn't spell that many things with them. 'Light' seemed too new-agey."

As Cookie's home editor, you must have people constantly asking you for decorating tips. What advice do you give them? "I hesitate to give advice. We all have a different sense of what works. Look at my house: Most people would hate the green walls--and my couch, oh, my god! Each person should pay attention and see what feels right. I move things around really slowly, even little things, and just think about it."

See more photos of Kiera's apartment here.

Email your photos and home-design questions here.

One of our Blogs We Love, Print and Pattern, just posted some great-looking screen-printed fabrics. Made by Lara Cameron, an Aussie graphic designer, these patterns and more can be found at her Etsy. After getting feedback from her blog readers, Lara decided to use hand screen-printing to get her graphic ideas on fabric. Lara says she wants her designs to be "quirky, modern, and interesting," and they are. Her personal favorite is "Riverstones in Raspberry," pictured above. "Flowing Dots in Chocolate" would make a bold pillow. "Kari (wild geese) in Olive Green" has a whimsical feel.

Surfing through design*sponge, we spotted the new Meadow and Woods collections from Amenity Home in Los Angeles. The linens, which until now have been designed for grown-ups, are made from organic cotton and dyes. The female founders of Amenity Home say their prints are all about "bringing the solace of nature home," which couldn't be lovelier. Enjoy, little nature babies!

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As we've seen on this blog and in the magazine, a great nursery is all about the details. So instead of a ho-hum lightplate, what about cowboys or cars or the rumble-tumble Jack and Jill? Vintage-loving moms will appreciate that these plates are decoupaged using real wallpapers from the 1930's to 1970's. Available here for $10 to $15.

E-mail your photos and home-design questions here.