I would gladly live in one of these teepees if it meant the skies would be this blue every day. I'm back home at my "office" (aka Blue Marble Ice Cream - more on that here). I'm staring out the window, sipping my coffee, watching today's blizzard blitz Brooklyn... Again. I want to huddle somewhere by a warm fire and dream about a place where we never have to bundle to go out, shovel out our cars, or worry that our roofs are going to cave in due to snow accumulation. As I stare out at the slushy slosh, I feel like the abominable snowman will rise out of a littered snowbank and descend upon me, stealing my one last will to survive in this arctic tundra. Ok, that's a little dramatic. But if you have been lucky enough to survive this wallowing winter in the northeast, you get my (snow) drift.

It's days like these that a daydream gets me through. And what's better to dream about than sunny exteriors, inspiring interiors and perhaps some rainy day D.I.Y. projects? As one of Avery's wise nursery rhymes tells me, "life is but a dream".

I dream of one day giving Avery a backyard to run free in and a playroom where she can do a cartwheel without landing on furniture or smashing into a wall. Oh, and a teepee. Is that so much to ask for? I think not!

Awhile back, I was lucky enough to work on a fun kid's room project that involved a custom painted teepee. To be honest, I didn't really get the whole teepee thing at first. I didn't have kids yet, and it just seemed so massive and unnecessary to put in a kids room in the city. After some extensive research though, I realized that it was actually a thing. And a cute, fun and playful thing at that! An absolute necessity.  

Let's not forget the origins of the teepee. While spending time in Colorado, I learned that the main Native American tribe of Boulder County were the Arapaho. As nomadic hunters, they built animal hide teepees that were easily dismantled yet strong enough to withstand harsh weather. The design also called for ventilation for an indoor fire. Brilliant, right? I am in awe of their handiwork and intelligence. More fun facts on the Arapaho here. 

Luckily nowadays our kids don't need a teepee to be protected from foul weather (although maybe today!). They don't need to light fires inside them (keep the matches away!), and they certainly don't need to dismantle them (although they might for the sheer fun of it). What they do need is to read, learn, play and cuddle. And what better place for that than in a teepee?

Below is a round up of my top ten favorites, including some D.I.Y.'s and small space ideas. Hoonowo'oneinoo! ("Enjoy!", in Arapaho).

~L.S.