Sideshow Sign Co.

Over on Valet, I spied some sweet artwork from Sideshow Sign Co., which just so happens to be based right here out of Nashville. 

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I love this guy's work.  From specs to twin brothers, it is so for me.

$90

$130

A Refreshing Weekend

The last few days have been filled with rest, exercise, and a bit of shopping.  I finally (after about five years) tracked down ranunculus.  Because I was using my counter/bar for some Specs Appeal Papers, I moved the vase to the bathroom.  (See my toothbrush in the background?  Hehe.)

And then I came across this post from Dear Heart (formerly Dept. of the Interior).  Then I saw an Instagram update from Jane at Ill Seen, Ill Said.  It seems that we all had the same idea for flowers this weekend.  Great minds, right, Jane?  :)

Mine came from Trader Joe's, and I must say that I'm enamored.  They're so free-form as extensions on curly stems, but the buds are rather geometric.  Nice little conundrums, those ranunculus.  (See what I did there with the nuns?)

And shhh....I'm off work tomorrow, too.  Look out, J.Crew Outlet.  Look out, Hunger Games.  I'm going to round out this momentous weekend of we-meet-at-lasts.

Gift Guide 2011: House and Home Edition

This edition of the gift guide features items to make life a little more cozy and/or comforting, and everything is under $20 (individually).  

These Restoration Hardware down-filled foot duvets for guys or girls are quite nice.  I have a pair (in the color to the left), and when I'm awake and not working, there's a great chance these are my footwear of choice.  $19

Wouldn't this glass carafe from CB2 look great in a guest room or office?  One selling point is that the style can blend in with whatever decor is happening--modern, classic, eclectic.  It's like a glass chameleon.  $9.95

 This funky felt owl from At West End could sit next to that fancy carafe and provide a bit of whimsy.  It could also work in a child's room, of course.  $12

Here's a glass food storage bowl from Fishs Eddy.  I could imagine filling it with sweet treats or spiced nuts and giving the whole shebang as a gift.  $5

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve is a no-brainer.  I use this in the winter to keep my mitts moisturized, and a dab'll do ya.  $13-$20, depending on size

A set of Moonstruck chocolate bars?  Why, yes.  Yes, please.  The included four flavors are: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate espresso bean, and milk chocolate Mayan.  $16.95 

Two of My Favorite Initials: W. E.

Can you even stand it?  My love for West Elm has been rather well documented at this point, but this picture that landed in my inbox almost put me in the (way-too-early) holiday spirit.  I love the mix of materials and colors but with the unified font.

Oh, and I went ahead and tagged this as an ad, mostly because it makes me want to buy, buy, buy.  Who doesn't need a monogrammed ice bucket?

Care for a Danish*?

I just love this--from the cool Scandinavian lines of the table to the stripes on the rug.  I'd probably do something different for chairs, but these do the trick fairly well.

At a cool G, the Oslo table would be a bit of an investment for me, but it should last a really long time.  Plus it seats, like, 30 with the extension.  :)

Thanks, Crate.  Thanks, Barrel.  I heart yaz both.

*(I realize that Oslo is in Norway, and my title refers to Denmark, but it was cheeky. And I was feeling it.)

Anywhere You Go, I'll Follow You, Down

I don't guess I've blogged much over the last couple of weeks.  Perhaps I'll say a little bit more about what's been going on in a later post, but I wanted to catch you up to speed on my latest purchase.

It's not these sweet sheets.  Oh no.  I still lust over them, even though they're mine, but it's these new pillows from Cuddledown.

Really, I can't say enough about them.  Or about down in general.  I have a down comforter that I got last year from Macy's.  It's currently encased in this.  And I like a down jacket for the winter.  And a down throw for the couch.  These pillows complete the set.  (Tip: Check out the final pages of apparently any issue of House Beautiful, as I did, to get a link to a sweet deal for these pillows.)

If you're allergic to down, you could go with a synthetic material to get a similar loft and cushy feel.  I bought a fairly lightweight comforter so that I can use it year-round.  In the summer, I use it with just a top sheet (and fan), and then I add blankets as the mercury drops.  My first down comforter was from Lands' End, and it lasted for years.  I still miss it sometimes.

When I read blurbs that say we spend a third of our lives in bed, it makes me realize the nice-ness of outfitting one's bed in a thoughtful way.  I like to take the time on Sundays to strip the bed, let the mattress breathe for most of the day (a Real Simple trick), and then start the upcoming week fresh, with clean bedding.  Right now my bed (pictured above) is subtly calling out to me, aided by the Aveda candle burning on the nightstand.

It's a great way to wrap up a weekend, whether it was go-go-go or slow-slow-slow.  Consistency is a quality sorely lacking in most places I look today, but this is one area that I know I can count on.

Anchors A'cheap!

Whilst perusing my local Target over the weekend, I ended up in the kitchen/dining section, which is not at all unusual.  However, this time I stumbled upon this nice glass trifle bowl from Anchor Hocking.  Immediately I pictured it above my kitchen cabinets.  Or maybe on top of a bookcase.  Or filled with delicious figgy pudding.  Ok.  Not figgy.

Then I looked at the price tag.  $10.50.  What?!  I knew that I had seen similar pieces at Crate & Barrel for way more--and not nearly as nice of a shape. 

Exhibit A:

The Miranda.  It is a cool shape, but it is also three times the price of the Anchor Hocking piece.

Exhibit B:

The Charleston.  It's fifty dollars.  That is 5-0.  And it's glass--no platinum or rims or anything.

Granted, the one I bought is not pristine, in the sense that you can see a seam here and there, but turn the thing around!  Sheesh.  I think this would be a great way to display flowers, seashells, potpourri (if you're into that), Christmas ornaments, etc.  You can't beat the design or the price.  With this brand, you know it will last a long time.  Mine will probably just remain a stylish space-filler above mostly empty cabinets for now, but it has tons of potential.

NOT Wallet-Friendly

So Nashville is soon getting two of my favorite stores ever.  And I'm stoked about it. 

First up, in August, is Paper Source!

It's going in the Hill Center, where it will live in excellent company--with West Elm, Whole Foods, Anthropologie, California Pizza Kitchen, and several other cool spots.  If you're not familiar with Paper Source, I have to ask what the holdup is.  They have some great gift ideas, along with cool papers and basic stationery goodness.  (This is a picture of the Atlanta store.)

Then, in November, The Container Store is opening!

It will be at The Mall at Green Hills, presumably taking over the space left vacant by the Davis Kidd bookstore.  I won't be buying so much here, but it will be a great place to browse and get ideas.  Again, nifty gifts can be found here.  Thanks for the head's up, Missy! 

Now...if only we could get an IKEA.  I think that would make my retail life complete.  I'll definitely take what I can get, though!  Who's up for Christmas shopping this year?!

A Taste of the Islands (Mon)

Imagine the quandary.  One digs the industrial aesthetic, but one has limited options.  Then one gets two catalogs back to back.  Exhibit A:

This is West Elm's interpretation.

Exhibit B:

A disconcertingly similar offering from Crate & Barrel. 

The difference?  Two Benjamins.  As a sidenote, I would love to have the specs chart in B.  Which would you prefer?  I'd take every seating option shown in both pictures, too.

What's a boy to do?

Nothin' Goin' On But the Rent

Do you remember how I'm recently obsessed with LearnVest?  Well, via LV I found this:

I think it's graphically appealing, but more than that, it shows which places in the country are smarter for renting versus buying.  It's just some cool food for thought.

(via Trulia)

Christmas, Real Simple Style

I may have hinted at this before, but if you're not signed up for one or all of Real Simple's free daily e-mails (or the magazine itself), you're missing out.  Today's message was no exception.  There was a nifty link to several decorating ideas.  To wit:



You know how much I like a shoe form.  :)

Aren't these cool ideas?  See more here.  Their ideas are actually doable and would not cost a fortune.  Oh, and I'm trying to get in the spirit.  Can you tell?

Valet Says: Try This At Home

I usually read Valet each day during lunch at my desk, or if I go out, I may or may not read it while taking a mini-break from work.  They're sort of hit or miss, in terms of what is actually wearable and/or affordable for most American guys, but they always have something entertaining.

To wit:

Today it's an assortment of home decor items based on clothing style.  The post is called Try This At Home.  This collection is called "Urban Rake," which made me smile.  I'm sort of a mixture of three of the four featured styles.  Can you guess which one did not make my list?



Aren't Hue Ready for a Quiz?

I had to.  This quiz was in my inbox today from Real Simple.  It's called What's Your Color Personality?.

I already knew what I would "score," but it was still fun to take the quiz and read the information at the end.  It only took about five minutes.  Give it a whirl, won't you?

My, My...So Resourceful

My pal Lexie introduced me to a really cool brand called Resource Furniture.  It's a line of completely multi-functional and ingenious pieces that are sort of like IKEA meets Transformers. 

Are you short on space but long on possessions?  Check out the video below for a demonstration of several products.  The clip is 6 1/2 minutes, but it's neat to watch, even if you're not in the market for new furniture.  Thanks, Lexie!

Gobble It Up

So I guess this is pretty much what a fantasy dining room would look like, huh? I like the wall color quite a bit, and even though none of it is particularly autumnal, it made me think of Thanksgiving. That's coming up, you know.

This year will be a little different because I won't be going to my Aunt Laura's house near Reelfoot Lake. She always cooks on Thanksgiving Day--no weekend before or after situations for her. It's all very traditional, and I'm only off work on Thursday. It's ok, though. Missing Thanksgiving will make Christmas all the better. Plus, I have so much to be thankful for right now. (Hmm...I just had a potental next-post idea.)

What are your plans?

More Like Wit's End...

Ok...so the title of this post is a bit dramatic. But I got a new Lands' End catalog today. And I realize that this picture is not a very big one. BUT it made me think of something.

THIS.

Is it not an almost complete rip-off?! One is autumn-y, and one is spring-y, but look at the primary colored door and the happy couple. Even the font for 'fleece' is verrrry similar to the Blueprint logo.

This reminds me how much I miss the short-lived but well received Blueprint. It was full of cool ideas and wit. And this reminds me how Lands' End tries extremely hard to be hip but usually just falls short. You may not be able to tell it from that top picture, but the guy's glasses are all wrong. :)

Hospitality

Last week I had a few errands to run, and I was able to stay with some good friends of mine. My pal Ashley's sister Amy was out of town and graciously opened her upstairs suite to me for the evening.

Here is her ultra cozy bed. It slept as well as it looks. Trust me.

Here is a small dresser that's being utilized as a nightstand. It was awesome. Amy even queued up a soothing playlist for me on her iPod; I wish I'd had time to listen.

Notice the excellent color on the walls. It's a very pale bluish/silver. And it's a huge improvement over the previous color.

Amy has great style. Here is an art piece that she found. She wanted me to make it clear that her room is not exactly finished just yet, but I think it's dang-near perfect. Everything works really well without being overly 'done' or complicated. Plus, she has excellent book and art collections.

Way to go, Amy! Thanks again.

Ehh...it's subjective.

"Art," of course. Even after my one college art course a few years back, I still challenge my own idea of what constitutes art. Van Gogh? Yes. A big red splotch on canvas? Probably not.

Then again, Pollock? Yes.

I think that art has now taken on a new context, and I blame/credit Trading Spaces. It's crazy, I realize. But people call candleholders art now. You know you've seen it and heard it. I guess I'm more of a purist.

At any rate, I recently grew tired of my above-bed...umm...decor. It was a canvas that I had painted a cool green color for the background and then started painting gray lines. I got lazy with it, and it ended up looking like a lop-sided Christmas present. Ehh...changes.

Now I have a big piece of striped paper from Paper Source in a wooden Ikea frame. The whole effect was accomplished for about $20, which is good. This picture is from farther back than I usually like because, ya know, there was a bed in the way. Plus, you can see my wall color. Oh, and that frame was super cheap, but the glass cracked like a nerd under interrogation.

Update on Weeds

Here's a shot of the same sprig of weeds that I sprayed with vinegar several days ago. I meant to get this picture posted earlier, but the best laid plans and all...

I must have missed a few stems on the side, but look at the result so far! Right after firing the shutter, I broke out the spray bottle for Round 2. It's probably a goner by now. And isn't it a bit ironic that this 'green' way of killing weeds actually turns green weeds brown? Just a thought.

A Fresh Start to the Week

Well, blog buddies, it's Sunday, and anyone who knows me fairly well will tell you that this is typically my cleaning day. Sometimes I'm done in an hour, and sometimes it takes 5 or 6. Usually it starts when I wake up (without an alarm clock, thank you very much) and strip the sheets off the bed. A bit of concentrated detergent and a method dryer sheet do the trick quite nicely.

At some point after waking up and eating a bite, I start the dusting process. It's really pretty simple with these handy microfiber cloths. I found these at Target a few years ago, and you may be able to make out the logo. Vroom. I did some searching online back then and found that--surprise, surprise--this company was a subsidiary of method. I'm not sure that's the case now. At any rate, they work like a charm! Usually I don't even use a liquid cleaner; I just run the cloth over my desk, nightstand, dresser, monitor, etc. The dust is trapped by tiny, tiny fibers until you shake them outside or toss them in the washing machine.

Then I break out my EnviroVac by Eureka! I guess that's not really an exclamatory sentence, but the word eureka just brings it out. This model is bagless and uses 33% less energy than regular vacuums. And it's a really cool blue color. I run it over my carpets and every few weeks use the attatchment to clean my pillows, mattress, baseboards, and windowsills. I like to vacuum after dusting in case any extra dust falls to the floor.

Today I decided to run the hose along the ceiling and in the corners. I even got brave and wheeled the operation into my brother's room. Yikes. It was necessary, though, because he was bringing down the property value.

Then I tried a new home-y trick that I learned from Ideal Bite, which is a great eco resource, by the way. They send eco-tips and tricks by e-mail on Monday-Friday. Sometimes they're a little far-fetched, but I always learn at least one new thing. Check them out! I filled up a cheap spray bottle with vinegar and attacked the little weeds that pop up in cracks in the concrete outside. I am anxious to check back in a day or so and see if it works. Vinegar is great for cleaning, too. It's super cheap and does not hurt the environment...except for those pesky weeds, fingers crossed.

Right before bed I put clean sheets back on, and I always sleep like a charm. It's probably a combination of mild exhaustion and feeling extra clean and cozy. Do you have any cleaning tips to share?