It’s hard to achieve design equilibrium when pulling together a nursery. Too many straight lines, and baby’s living in a box; too many pastels, and she’s dreaming in a marshmallow.

But Albert + Marie, a locally designed collection of screen-printed illustrations, strikes the perfect balance. The first series, Up in Air, celebrates cheeky animals defying gravity: a tree-marooned cat, a circus seal in a precarious balancing act, a determined mouse eating its way down a stack of cheese.

With flat shapes, the images have a nostalgic aesthetic inspired by popular illustrators from the ’60s (think Mary Blair). Plus, the palette of inky green, pink, orange, and yellow works for girls and boys.

Even Steven.

Available online at albertandmarie.com, $12-$20 per print; $60 for set of six.

VOGUE
Cut Arts Silhouettes
What: Artist Karl Johnson snips your wee one’s portrait in profile.
Why: Paper your walls with their likeness.
When: Small Frys, Wed., 1-5 p.m.; Mr. Mopps’, Fri., 2-6 p.m.; Monkey Bars, Sat., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Small Frys, 4066 24th St., b/t Castro & Noe Sts. (415-648-3954); Mr. Mopps’, 1405 Martin Luther King Jr. Way., b/t Rose & Vine Sts. (510-525-9633); Monkey Bars, 1339 Park St., b/t Central & Encinal Aves., Alameda (510-769-6905). Call the store for a reservation. Cost is $25-$30.

SHOP
Fall 2011 Outrageous Outgrowns Sale
What: The giant yard sale has thousands of hand-me-downs, with everything half price by Sun.
Why: It’s time to trade up.
When: Fri.-Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Pavilion Hall, 344 Tully Rd., at Monterey Rd., San Jose (408-391-5909).

READ
The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
What: A newly released heirloom edition ($40) of the classic tales.
Why: Lavish illustrations and fascinating endnotes delight.
When: They want to know what really happened to Cinderella.
Where: Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., b/t Pierce & Scott Sts. (415-931-3633); Green Apple Books, 506 Clement St., at 6th Ave. (415-387-2272).

Photo: Courtesy of Albert and Marie