Sunday, February 28, 2010

{me}longings Love

I want to give a shout out and a hearty thank you to {me}longings. I recently noticed a certain Etsy username had favorited a number of my shop's items, and I found the blog associated with the username: {me}longings. I also found the Flickr account, and between the two sites, I was highly impressed with the aesthetic and the ecologically responsible theme. I bookmarked the sites for further exploration. Within a day, I checked back in, and to my surprise, I had been featured! This fantastic blogger wrote possibly the nicest words ever said about me. I couldn't believe the number of sources she pulled from to gather her profile of me. I like myself better in her words. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this blog and her associated Flickr album, and I encourage you to do so as well.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

"New"found Shop

Today I rediscovered an Etsy shop that I had taken note of in December: twoartdirectors. This shop opened in December 2009, but I hesitate to call it "new" because they already have 87 sales. As you can probably guess from the shop name, this shop is very well curated. The shop banner says it all: well edited home The full shop name is Two Art Directors and a Photographer. And let me tell you, their photos are enough to make me want to buy their entire shop and hire the owners to personally escort me when shopping for my own home.
Part of what makes the shop so pleasing is the monochromatic color palette.
As I said above, I am "rediscovering" this shop. In browsing their sold items, I noticed that I had already fallen in love with their rhinoceros bookends, and even written a post expressing my grief that they had sold.
I've run out of words to express my adoration, so I will leave you with a few more of their items to feast upon.
Fantastic, right? Be sure to go check them out.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tea Party

Today I am inspired to have a tea party. We can call it an unbirthday party, since it's certainly not my birthday. But it's *someone's* birthday, right? (A Merry Unbirthday by ahappyending.) We will need a very fancy teapot, like this silverplated one from AestheticsAndOldLace. We will also need a selection of tea cups for our attendees. I like this Very Merry Unbirthday Teacup from rottencupcakes. This ginko teacup comes complete with a matching saucer. I found it at soule. This set from hodgepodge arts has a cup, saucer, and spoon. This teacup and saucer from khphillips is discounted (!), but I think its offkilter posture would be perfect for our mad tea party. The mice can use this tiny forged tea cup and saucer from Jewelstreet. We can use this creamer from monkeysalwayslook.
And this sugar bowl from annabelleestudios will be just perfect.
We will need a tea spoon for all the sugar we'll be adding to our tea, it is a party afterall. This one is from VadimM.
GlazedOver provides us with little bowls for our spent tea bags.
We may need a few tea towels in case we find ourselves getting a little rowdy. This flour sack towel from thehouseofbouton will do the trick.
Jewelweeds offers this lovely linen maple seed tea towel, which we will certainly put to good use as well.
So, a Very Merry UnBirthday to everyone, excepting those for whom it IS their Birthday!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Home Study Preview

As I referenced in my last post, I've made some progress on organizing and decorating our home office. It's not done, but I wanted to share a few of the areas that are decent enough to photograph. The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Normandy. Above you can see a corner of the room that is next to the entry to the study. In the corner is an antique table with a dark gray/black marble top. The marble isn't actually attached to the table, and it's most likely not original to the table. But the marble has been on that table top for as long as my family can remember, and it seemed silly to separate them after so many years. The chair next to the table is one of my most recent vintage finds. I got an amazing deal on it - $10. We've needed a second seat in the study, and this chair seemed like it would fit the bill. There is a doctor's name written on the bottom, which I found utterly charming. Here is a closer view of the items on the table. A happy plant, sewing machine drawers, and a hurricane vase with several lightbulbs of varying vintage. Another apothecary jar with strips of bark from a tree in our yard (shed naturally), a bowl I made in pottery class, a weather radio, and a small electric fan. The lightswitch plate was recently installed. It was a Christmas gift from my brother, a blacksmith/metalworker/robotics engineer. (You can check out more of his work in his new Etsy shop, SelmerIronWorks. You can buy your own shield switchplate, or browse his businesscard holders or leaf sculptures.) Below you can see the stained glass lamp next to the wall-mounted table. The table is one of my very best vintage finds. I never would have guessed you could buy this much character for $9. Below you can see a detail of the vignette on the table: a few wooden boxes, an oldworld globe, and an iron ladder. One of my recent accomplishments was implementing a plan I've had for quite some time: installing curtains with two pieces of my grandfather's bamboo fishing pole as rods. This fishing pole is 3 segments long, attachable and detachable through brass fittings. I've started getting some things up on the walls as well. Below is a bulletin board next to the desk. Adjacent to the bulletin board are my grandfather's diploma from seminary and his class photo. Yes, same grandfather who fished. The washcloth is for wiping drooly mastiff jowls (see here for further explanation on that), and probably is only there temporarily.
There is a small nook in the study where someday we may install some built-in shelves. But until then, a bookshelf my father-in-law made fits perfectly. You can see that I did hang the 1936 Fortune magazine cover. Below that are a lamp, a vase with more bark, a framed watercolor of the chapel of Notre Dame acquired on my trip to Paris, a wooden gavel of my grandfather's, and a greenhouse from Ikea.
Right now the greenhouse is filled with oldworld globes. Something about that just cracked me up.
There is a lot more to show you, like the desk and the large bookshelves and all their contents. But those areas aren't quite ready. We also have to finish putting up all the wall decor, which involves finally getting my diploma replaced and framed (they issued it to me with the WRONG NAME), and framing all the antique maps I've planned to hang. It's taking some time, but I do love it when a plan starts to come together.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A Study of the Home Library

During yesterday's President's Day holiday, I spent a good part of the day organizing our home ofice. We call it the study, but it could also be called a library, I suppose. I haven't quite finished, so it isn't ready for photos, but I was inspired to look for great home offices. So between now and when I can take some pictures (to finish organizing and to wait for some light during the hours I'm home), feast your eyes on these rooms. I love the view and the shelves in this room.

Great wall decor above.

Rustic and simple, and another great view. These shelves are similar to mine, both in form and the many non-book items scattered about.

Speaking of non-books on the shelves... I doubt I could cram the mastiff into any of our shelves.
Sheer luxury, right? Space, lots of shelves, plenty of comfortable seating.
I doubt I could ever exercise the restraint necessary for a single item on a shelf, but it does elevate each piece, doesn't it?
Functional and utilitarian.
Another luxurious study with a wall of shelves, lounging chair, and a great rug.
This home office has Office Depot furniture, but I found it appealing. (Perhaps that praise is too faint. The desk very much reminds me of the current desk in our study. We inherited it from the previous owners, but someday I want a lovelier one.)
More like this desk. I want a beautiful, large expanse of workspace, and accommodating two chairs on either side. I love the rug, too.
Talk about accommodating plenty of people. Great shelves here, too, and beams on the ceiling. And a fireplace?!
But small can be lovely, too. I love a desk that can close and hide your mess. And live plants are always great.
Another well-organized, charming desk.
Big room, small desk. Beautiful from tray ceiling to hardwood floors.
I love library ladders, and this room is so warm.
Another library ladder, though it's at a university. I couldn't resist.
A handsome library in Manchester.
This image of shelving and a ladder is from an abandoned school. I can't believe someone hasn't broken in and stolen it all. If you've enjoyed this selection, I encourage you to pop over to everyeskimo, where she has a collection of desks. I often find that she and I are on similar wavelengths, and today is another instance.