lack luster

i got sucked into that deep dark swedish wormhole again.  oh, you of the multi-floored furniture displays.  you of the friendly flags + the meatballs + the dandelions from outer space.  you....you!

this time i left not lacking a coffee table for the sunroom.  ahh, the sunroom.  its been a slow progression since move-in day last july [that's july 2009, people] but we're finally getting there.  the hubs spotted this member of the lack crew and upon further inspection we decided it could make a pretty dandy addition to the house.

+ its cheap [and therefore we won't cry if the kiddo goes to town on it someday, a la this]

+ it has low, clean lines

+ it has a useful shelf for storing books or some slim baskets with small toys

+ it could easily migrate and become a bench with a cushion or some other functional piece in the house

so without further ado....here shines the sunroom with her new furniture arrangement. the only problem: i'm starting to really like her now + its going to be hard to acquiese ownership of her to the baby once he turns into a living terror and we need to cage him in there on a semi-permanent basis to keep him from destroying the rest of our home.  because that is what babies do, isn't it??

i would still like to replace the stock white square legs with chrome or nickel peg legs.  for a little extra panache. 

but it can wait while i work on enjoying the last of summer in our fishbowl room.

so as i said, progress.  some things old, some things new, some things borrowed [that branch! from nature!  HELLO!], some things....with a view.

clear as day

a photo a day....keeps the a.d.d. decorator at bay?

so maybe i'm not switching out mantle-top photos every day of the week, but i like having the setup for it.   i decided on a whim to print some extra [read: non-baby] photos last week while ordering up a good 80 prints or so of the little man. and yes i got the prints for free and yes i am dutch. since its nearly impossible for me to keep things in the same place for long, decor-wise, i thought it'd be convenient to have a frame available that would go with anything + would display atmospheric photos well, to correspond with whatever else is happening in the room at the time.

right now, this 5x7 acrylic frame sits on our fireplace mantle but it could just as easily migrate to another alcove of our abode.  but i'm enjoying the mantle location since the mood in our living room has mucho possibility for change....being that most elements of the room are a neutral foil for a variety of accessories.

i currently have mainly citrusy yellow + green tones flavoring our surroundings.  so first i went for a pop of sky blue....literally....with a photo i snapped this spring. for some crisp + clouded contrast.

after a week or so i decided to go with the shot shown above, that coincided with the existing accent colors.  this pup is a print that hails from a winter trip to domican republic. just what the d.r. ordered, eh?  ehhh?  [har..har....har] i was smitten with this street-side stand spilling over with golden greens + yellows.

future candidates for office include....

strawberry kisses [for a touch of warmth + texture]

 

wheels [are for whimsy]

cheerful chairs [that tell a story]

....and many more.  the options are endless, really!  and if there's a certain color or pattern i'd like injected into the space i can always seek it out, snap it + print it.  i like the personal story behind each photo as well, that briefly transports me back to the day + place i photographed that particular moment.

clearly, this frame looks to be $12 well spent [finally that 20% off coupon came in handy!].

[hi]atus

dear blog, how i've missed you.  i caught a case of summer, but not to worry, i'm all better now and feeling almost fall-ishly fabulous.  i've got all kinds of delicious things to show + tell.  an update on the master bedroom, an inspiration trip to see the chihuly exhibit, and a multitude of decor re-mixes around the house.

talk soon,

[e]liz

i will lift up mine eyes to the hills

our little man turned four today.  four months, that is.  might as well be four years though for how fast this is all going.

 
[sniff]

now that al gore is finished inventing the internet perhaps he can work on slowing down the passage of time.  i'll have my people contact his people.  we'll let you know.

thanks again to jen....for editing my photo!

hot[el]

back in january, at the start of our vacation, we stayed one night at a park + fly hotel in detroit.  we chose it for its cheapness however were sweetly surprised by its interior.  especially considering it fit the bill so nicely, budget-wise.

let me share....

the foyer had a screen made of metal ball chains. and a super slick fireplace.

and great furniture. and striking colors, with a backdrop of stark white.

 
the hallway by the elevators had a trio of lingerie lights....sexy sheer drum pendants that virtually glowed. and cast beautiful shadows on the ceiling.

the bar sparkled beneath track lights + tray ceilings.

heck, even the carpeting was eye candy.

i contemplated cutting out a square of it to take with me, but somehow i knew that crossed the line of what could be considered complimentary....

it seemed that everywhere i turned there was an interesting texture to behold.

clearly the room numbers did not disappoint, nor did the room itself.  it was a refreshing twist on the usual dose of stuffy faded fabrics, flimsy worn furniture and outdated lamps.

i took special pleasure in noting that the bathroom faucet was not only off-center, which is a great way to customize the look of a vanity without adding much cost, but also happened to be from the same kohler line as our tub filler.

[BIG SIGH].  just looking through these photos again makes me yearn to escape to somewhere....even just for a night.  say for a stay here, here or here!

....someday.

text appeal

so briefly back to the laundry room.  [briefs....so punny]

you may have noticed another little snippet of text in the room, aside from big red that is. if you're curious as to why it looks familiar....it was my test board for the living room artwork. i did a trial run before spraying the actual canvas so that i could be sure i liked the layout + application of the paint.  when a friend came over a while back and saw it laying in my painting zone she suggested displaying it too....and you know i love a free piece of pretty, so i had to agree that i should give it a go.  so for now its going all fat joe and leaning back on the counter, same as the poster, to keep the laundry room atmosphere casual.

sure its a little rough around the edges....and inside the edges too....but i like the raw construction look of it.

caught one!

father + son fishing on the dock at the cottage.

chevy chase

who knew shopping for wipes could be this fun.

during a routine diaper + wipe run this morning i had the pleasure of discovering this cheeky chevron'd queen.

and while i debated finding an excuse to keep the container on our main floor for viewing pleasure, it did eventually make it upstairs to the nursery.  i can't promise it'll stay there though!

 let's hear it for huggies!

wired.

while soaking in one of michigan's sleepy summer beach towns a couple months ago, i encountered this wiry sculpture.

after one sighting it was deposited in my memory bank....until just the right time for a withdrawal. i particularly appreciated the simple form + perfectly proportionate amount of quirk.

this july we were wandering back through the shop and my husband made the unfortunate disclaimer that i could have the air apparent rhino....only if he were made by hand.

he was.

and therefore our household gained a pet that day.  just the kind of pet i like, too.  no maintenance.  easy on the eyes.  an utter lack of mysterious smells.

for now he's positioned at our kitchen table + with the big new york print on the black wall, it feels a little like night at the museum in the middle of our house.  with free admission.

like lucite or acrylic objets, it simultaneously adds to the space while visually taking up no room at all. which works out well considering our kitchen table is in the middle of three rooms, so too many heavy decorative items would really break things up.