Rory Evans, Contributing Editor

"If you ever have a baby--and then also ever plan on taking a shower--you need a bouncy seat." My sister-in-law Annie announced this to me and Jamie, my husband, last fall, when we went to California to visit her and our new niece Tatum, who was then just 10 weeks old.

Annie would put Tatum in this little bouncy lounger--oddly, for something that aims to quiet a baby, done up in a jungle motif--turn on the music, and shake mechanism, and we'd watch in awe as any fussiness just kind of magically dissipated.

Understandably then, a few months later, when I was standing in my bathroom, jeans around my ankles, blinking at the two pink lines on the little stick of plastic in my hand, these were my very first thoughts:

1.) Must buy bouncy seat.

And only after that:

2.) Have to call Jamie and tell him the news.

Since it was still so early in the pregnancy, and I didn't want to jinx anything, I actually executed number 2 long before number 1.

When I got around to buying the chair, I had already decided on my goal of DIYing as much as possible. But I also knew that a major component of the magic of a bouncy seat was the mechanics--the bounce and bells and whistles--that I can't exactly make from scratch. So I decided to buy the least expensive one I could find and then make a slipcover for it (that would coincidentally not look so bad in our living room). Also, since my sewing skills are kind of on the lower range of intermediate, I knew I needed to find a seat that didn't have too many angles or seams or geegaws attached; I needed something pretty basic to sew a cover for.

At Babies R Us, on the clearance shelf, I found the exact thing I was looking for: Simple-enough cover that slides on and off, made of organic materials, and has three musical settings: Lullabye, nature sounds, and "womb sounds" (which, trust me, has become the code phrase/excuse for lots of other sounds so far during this pregnancy).

BEFORE:

(Also, I am compelled to mention: It was in the bouncy seat aisle that it dawned on me--today's babies are born MP3 compatible. At least one of the bouncers hooks up to your iPod, if womb sounds aren't good enough.)

As soon as I got home, I got out my sewing machine and got busy. I took the cover off the frame and traced all the components--the main piece, the two back flaps, the crotch panel, the bar cover--and added a half-inch seam on all the pattern pieces. Then I started cutting and sewing. I decided to use a kind of watermelon-y red and light blue cotton flannel, with little accents of dotted cotton. I think subconsciously, I had the (womb-soundless) Oeuf bouncer in my head somewhere, because I added a blue stripe that looks, I hope, informed by their design as opposed to shamelessly derivative.

AFTER:

(I also made some little felt stuffed animals to hang from the bar--replacing the little jingle-bell teddy bears that came with it, and which our cat, Cletus, quickly attacked and then absconded. Those will be viewed in a coming blog post...)

Sarah Engler, Associate Editor

With these beauts, you're sure to attract some design-minded feathered friends.

Feeder Ball bird feeder, $60, Eva Solo, Unica Home

Folding bird house, $50, Jesper Moller Hansen and Dorthe Weis, MoMA Store

Geo-Birdhouse, $95, Kelly Lamb, Areaware

We recently discovered Craftynest, a blog (by San Francisco-based crafter Monica Ewing) just chock full cool, easy DIY projects--many of which are super budget-friendly and involve repurposed materials. Two of our favorites are the salvaged drawer bookcase (above) and the pant-hanger/drawer pull "frames" (below). See all of Monica's creations here.

Tina Roth Eisenberg, swissmiss

ShapeMaker is a set of 25 colorful, geometric, hand-printed, environmentally friendly, rubber wood blocks that can be excitingly arranged to create a menagerie of thousands of surprising creatures and tons of imaginative images. It's guaranteed to delight children from 4 years and up.

Jordan Ferney, Oh Happy Day

We love this circus party Caroline Armelle threw for her 2-year-old's birthday party. There are lots of fun details like the old-timey popcorn bags and the clown cupcakes. Go here and here to see more pictures.

Heather Pudewa, Creature Comforts

Wall graphics seem to be popping up everywhere these days (not that we're complaining), but the charming creations by Mae really caught our eye.

What makes these decals special (other than how wonderful they look), is that they are constructed from fabric, are removable, reusable and get this... washable!  Decorating with kids doesn't get any easier or sweeter than this.  See more designs in the Mae Store.

Sarah Newell, Contributor

As spotted on Katy Elliott's blog, now we simply cannot get Gry Fager's website and playful products out of our heads.  We love her playful spirit--especially when she inserts herself into an image in bite-size form a la Honey I Shrunk the Kids.  A recent graduate from The Danish Design School, she conceived this Pillow Puzzle project while working toward her Masters in manufacturing design.  We'd say she earned an A+ on this one!

The large floor pillows are inspired by jigsaw puzzle pieces. The covers are cotton fabric in a variety of colors and shapes (squares and polka dots). The stuffing is made from a fiber filling, and (bonus!) the pillows are washable.

I was just in Paris last week, and a friend told me I had to check out this new store, Merci, opened by the people who started Bonpoint. It's the kind of store I would open in my next life...a beautiful space, with lots of different shops: a used book store café, a flower shop (they had live chicks there for Easter weekend), a dreamy kids shop, a home and kitchen wares section, furniture, cheap and cool art, and even a DIY section with yarn, buttons, and fabrics.

Monica Perry, Contributor

Equestrian Advertising Director Kim Russell lives with her husband (Chris), their 5-year-old daughter (Ella), and their two dogs (Lucy and Katy) in a 100-year-old bungalow in Lexington, KY. The house was built in 1905 on a street with a variety of architectural and landscape designs--including one house on a 2-acre lot with horses. With her husband’s help, Kim was able to renovate and furnish their home with items she discovered at flea markets and antique shops and on eBay.

What inspired you to buy a fixer-upper, and when did you buy it?
We love old houses. We bought it from an estate 11 years ago. The man who lived there had been there for about 50 years and was pretty eccentric. The house had not been updated since about the '50s and came complete with all the junk he had accumulated over the years.

What parts of the house did you renovate?
We renovated pretty much everything. When we first moved in, every room had gross carpeting or linoleum covering the hardwood floors and layers and layers of wallpaper. We did all the work ourselves, except for refinishing the hardwood floors. We stripped wallpaper in every single room, except the kitchen, but it had three layers of linoleum we had to strip off of the hardwood floors. It's so funny--when we moved in, we thought the whole renovation would take a few months, and it's ended up taking years.

Where is this blackboard, and why did you want one?
It's in our breakfast room. It's an old chalkboard from a school, and we use it to leave notes for each other sometimes, but most of the time it's an ongoing art project. Right now, it's a city with people flying through the sky. It always makes me smile to see what Ella has drawn.

Where did you find that china cabinet?
At a secondhand store called Room Service--I found it right when we bought the house, and I loved its rustic look. The plates are tin, so we use those when we cook out. I just liked the color and thought they looked cute in the cabinet. We use the platters on Thanksgiving when we have a huge potluck with about 20 people.

There are a lot of classic portraits and cute animal paintings all over the house. Where did this one come from?
My friend Crissi painted it for me. It's a portrait of my dog Lucy Sprout.

Did you build the kitchen island?
Yes, we built the island--mostly, so we would have a place for a dishwasher. After living without one for 9 years in this house, I was really excited to have one. Now it's a great place for art projects and homework, too.

Where did you find this dog painting?
I found it on eBay for $15. It came with a really ugly frame, which I removed. Everyone loves it now.

This comforter looks so extravagant. 
It's a quilt from Pottery Barn. I loved the color and the Asian motif. I just loved the colors, and it worked really well with the army green color on the walls.

That is a very, very large armoire in Ella's room.
It's the largest armoire I have ever seen.  We bought it because our house basically has no closets, and we needed more storage. My husband and I found it at a used furniture store about 10 years ago when we first moved into the house. I think the store was glad to finally have someone that wanted it. It has been great for Ella since she can store her toys and her clothes in it.

Is that a hat collection on top of it?
I love old hat boxes and I also have several old hats. They are great fun for dress up.

Those illustrations are so adorable. Are they from a children's book?
I found them at an antique store. They're illustrations from the '50s that were used by teachers. I just fell in love with them. They are such sweet images of a girl and boy and their dog.

Do you have any plans for further improvement?
Our next project is our attic, which we want to turn into a playroom for Ella. We would love to put in built-in bunk beds, so it could be a cool sleepover spot for her and her friends.

Thanks, Kim! See all our house tours.

One of our fabulous contributors, Holly from decor8, got so many questions about the beautiful pear-shaped terrariums she bought in Germany that she sought out a U.S. source for them. (We agree that they are quite adorable and perfect for some of the DIY terrarium projects we recommended awhile back.) See where Holly found them and check out her kitchen renovation.