It was a regular weekend for us here at Cookie--until we stumbled upon the website Flutter Clutter and got hooked. An hour later, we were still hunting through their home goods, apothecary and books. The antique-y, Victorian aesthetic made us want to buy everything and move to a big house in the countryside with a couple horses and a sexy gardener. Here are a few of our favorite things...

If your kids are begging for a puppy, the least you can do is get them one of these chummy pillows.

Pick-up sticks. So simple, so genius, so free of bells and whistles.

Grow a crystal garden that looks just like Mt. Fuji in the springtime.

For more kids' toys and decor, read about making your own terrariums or displaying your kids' collections.

A mix of art and games, these Pearl Paper Doll Prints by Egg Press are utterly charming. Dress the friendly dog for deep sea diving, cattle herding, ballet classes or bedtime. Then play with them or hang them next to the nursery's closet for let's-get-dressed-every-morning inspiration.

Want more? Read our story about decorating with frames.

Scandinavian Designer Bjorn Dahlstrom is the mastermind behind "My House", an ingeniously simple polyester cloth that turns any table into a magic castle and your kids into princesses and knights. There's no easier way to morph your living room into an instant fairy tale world. Let the stories begin...

Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

Painter Rachel Stuart-Haas is not afraid of color. Her large-scale paintings are splashed with rainbow hues, and her home reflects the colors of the ocean. Even her son Liam has red hair. "I have no idea where that came from, but I love it," she laughs. Let's peek inside...

Tell us about your neighborhood.
We live in Shreveport, Louisiana. A ton of movies have been made here. We mostly get Jessica Simpson and Jack Black. You'll go to Target and run into shoots. It's surreal.

Are you originally from Shreveport?
My husband and I grew up here. We were high-school sweethearts.

What inspired the colors in your home?
We vacation a lot in the Caribbean, and I'm so relaxed there, so I wanted to evoke those colors. I did green in the nursery, coral in the living room and turquoise in our bedroom. It's a theme without being too cheesy. No floating fish!
The rug is from Lowe's. The apple pillow is from Ruth's Crafts.

Were you nervous to try such bold colors?
At first, I wondered if I'd have panic attacks every time we walked in the house, but I ended up loving it. My dad says you can't be depressed in here! Hell, it's just paint; if it looked horrible, we'd paint over.

Where do you spend time as a family?
Mostly in the living room. Two big French doors lead onto the porch, and we open them up. It gets miserably hot in Lousiana, but it's nice at night.

Since Liam's nursery is right off the living room, do you have to be really quiet at night?
We put a fan next to his crib to block out the noise. We love to have a glass of wine and watch TV.

Which shows do you like?
I got really addicted to Lost when I was pregnant. I rented the first three seasons and watched them around the clock for two days. But Season 4 hadn't been released yet on DVD, so I got on the computer and found a Japanese website. I didn't understand the language and it was so blurry, but I could figure out what was going on. I felt like a crack addict.

Is that your painting?
Yes, I sell my paintings in galleries in Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Shreveport, and Oxford, Mississippi. I've painted much less since Liam was born. He goes down at 7, so I try to do it at night but it's hard.

How did you decide on this specific green for the nursery?
The green goes well with his red hair. I've deemed green his favorite color whether he likes it or not. I'm sure when he gets older he'll be like, "Screw you, Mom, I like black," but for now he's putty in my hands!

Where did you get that awesome rug?
Target, of all places. I looked forever for a rug and finally did a double take in Target.
The woven basket is from World Market.

What about the glider and ottoman?
They were originally from Walmart. My sister gave them to me. People just give you things when you have a baby. It's this cosmic free-for-all.

What's Liam into?
Saying no. Everything you ask him is, nooooo!

That's hilarious.
Yeah, he has lots of toys but has no interest in them. He likes pots and pans, remote controls, old-school headphones, my cell phone...

The turquoise seems energizing. Is it hard to sleep in here?
I'm not the best person to ask, since I've always been a huge insomniac. In feng shui, you're supposed to paint your bedroom the color of your favorite dessert, like chocolate, to make it sensual. Regardless, it could be lavender and I'd still be like, I can't sleep.

The lanterns add a nice pop to the room.
My friend gave them to me as a birthday present. They're silk and really nice.

What advice do you have for new decorators?
Paint your furniture. It's an inexpensive, quick way to transform something. And don't worry if your home isn't perfect. I like homes that look natural, and I can't stand houses that look like hotels. In the same way, I like people with chipped nail polish; it's as if their life is so cool, they don't have time to think about it.

Craving more? Find past house tours here and find all our home stories here.

"We are moving into our first home in a couple months and I am buying a couch. We only have one family room, so I want to get one great couch that I am going to love. I have two children under 2--so lots of spit up, grubby hands, spilled milk. We have a microfiber couch, but I don't love it, and it is too small. I like modern furniture, but want something that I can clean. Any suggestions?" --Anna Low

We think your answer will be Crypton fabric, which blocks stains, moisture, mold, mildew, bacteria and odor. Crypton (available in tons of colors and fabric types) has a breathable moisture barrier, which means a little soap and water will easily erase your troubles. The good news is that many furniture manufacturers have the option of upholstering their sofas with "COM," which stands for "Customer's Own Material." It takes about 15 yards of fabric to cover a large sofa. And though Crypton is a sofa superhero, we'll bet your tykes will take a break from bouncing around to snuggle up to Crypton's plush polyester. Here are a few of our favorite mod couches available in COM:

Button-Tufted Club sofa from Gus Design Group

We've written about San Francisco mom Jordan Ferney before. And we'll probably write about her again. (She has such great ideas!) Today we want to show you her brilliant photo-booth photo album. Filled entirely with photo-booth strips, the album features Jordan and her husband:

And their new arrival Moses:
Adorable!

Want more? See our stories on family photo albums and unique kids' portraits.

This baby is adorable! (We also love his mom's head scarf.) Plus, watch the ridiculously cute Charlie Bit Me video, and check out our list of songs for you and your kids.

Every kid knows that when it comes to drawing, the walls, tempting as they may be, are a big no-no.  That is, until now...

Thanks to the brilliant Mini Moderns Colour-Me wallpaper from London-based design group Absolute Zero Degrees, the walls are no longer off limits. The paper, from sustained and certified forests, is designed to be colored in once on the walls. Your budding artists get the ultimate canvas for their creative outlets, and you get extremely cool, one-of-a-kind, wallpaper.

Spotted on Print & Pattern

We love this idea for wall art that is 1) good looking. 2) personal. And 3) totally doable by real, actual children--even toddlers.

Step One: Give your child a pre-stretched canvas and one shade of acrylic paint (both are readily available at any craft or art supply store). Pour out some paint onto a paper plate and let your child go for it. He or she can finger paint the canvas until it's completely covered. (No doubt your child will be at least partially covered as well.)

Step Two: While the paint is still wet, capture your child's footprints or handprints on the canvas. Let dry.

The possibilities are inspiring. You could make a series of these featuring everyone in the family--assigning a separate color to each person. Or feature this activity at a birthday party. Or make a set of hand and feet canvases for Grandpa's house. Maybe a larger canvas featuring several hands and feet? The ideas just keep coming. . .

Want to keep the projects going? Check out the best art supplies for kids.

Spotted on Tutus and Turtles.

Now that summer is in full swing, child-friendly fans are on our minds. We love this whymsical FlowerPower Floor Fan by Heckhausen + Zetsche. It has a powerful yet extremely quiet motor with an built-in safety switch that cuts the power if little fingers can't resist touching the soft foam blades. There's also a desk version in black.