"I Want To Go To There" Wednesday

I'm in NYC!!!

The House: Good and Bad

I know I've been a little stingy with house updates, but nothing too exciting has been going on. We're in that stage of getting all the really bad stuff fixed before we can start on anything that might be relatively fun, and it isn't all that interesting to blog about. Especially when you run into some unpleasant (and expensive) snags. In case you ever wondered what termite damage looks like...

Yeah, not cool. There were spots of damage all around the house, bad enough to cause some structural concerns that had to be taken care of.



But most of it is taken care of now, and we have officially moved on the kitchen. The plan is to paint the cabinets a crisp white, get some new appliances (nothing fancy), probably do a neutral ceramic tile on the floor and paint the walls (no idea what color...). But before that, I have thirtysomething cabinet doors to take down, putty, sand, prime, putty again, sand again, then paint.

Let's not forget about the faces, too...

It's looking pretty rough, but I'm almost there, and I know once the cabinets are painted, it will make a huge difference. The painting itself goes pretty quickly, but I'm not really a huge fan of sanding.

In good news, we got a new front door!! I love the clean and simple side lights, and the guys did an awesome job putting it in without damaging any of the original wood trim.

And all new windows!! No more drafts - yay!

We haven't been working as much as we should because of the craziness of the holidays and everything, but hopefully we'll make a big push this weekend. I'd love to have the cabinets painted and then make a trip over to Home Depot to pick out some tiles and hardware next week. I promise there will be more pictures to come soon!

Thanks, Santa!

Remember when I blogged about this? Santa was listening! It's tiny and I'm not sure it looks a lot like the real Guggenheim, but I still think it's pretty cool. I spent a rockin' Saturday night eating Christmas candy and putting it together. Good times.

Another great Christmas gift I got was a surprise trip to NYC to see the museums with my Dad! We did this same trip together the summer after I graduated college and it's been one of my favorite memories. I loved the MoMA last time and I can't wait to go back. Apparently we're going to see some sort of Tim Burton retrospective and film project? My dad doesn't know who he is, so it should be interesting...Then we're gonna hit up the Whitney for the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit! Pure coincidence that one of my favorites will be there. We're also going to attempt to find this French restaurant we ate at last time - by far one of the best meals of my life. But of course we've both forgotten the name, so good luck to us.

I've set up some blogs for the rest of the week, and hopefully I'll be back on Friday to share some pictures from my trip. Have a good week!!

Monday Music

The "Dance Like You Feel" Edition



I have to say, this is much better than the original...

"I Want To Go To There" Wednesday

I'm right where I want to be :)

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Chic

Imagine my surprise as I walk into work on Saturday morning, latte in hand, and spot a Christmas gift with my name on it placed tauntingly on the counter. My fabulous boss lady Jessica had left me a hefty present, roughly the size and shape of what could only be an awesome coffee table book, and I just couldn't help myself. After about 10 minutes of mock restraint, I tore that sucker open. I know, I know. But how could anyone possibly sit in a room with a wrapped gift mere feet away and not open it?! That's crazy talk.

I'm not at all sorry I did, though, because it turns out that I opened one of the best design books ever! I've always liked what I've seen of Jonathan Adler's work, and his pottery is undoubtedly gorgeous, but I never realized how awesome he really is. I read the entire thing cover to cover that night and it dawned on me that we share the same design philosophy, an aesthetic he has dubbed "Happy Chic". Everything is fun and fabulous and colorful and happy and unapologetic in its boldness. And I love all of it. Granted, some of it is a little over the top, very 70's and sometimes even tacky - but that's the point. Jonathan Adler interiors are like the leopard print house -they don't care what you think.

In addition to having brilliant pictures, it's also well written in a cheeky, friendly way. I thought I'd share some of the best quotes from the book along with some of my favorite Adler interiors.

"In a stunning epiphany, we realized the utter pointlessness of good taste without fun."

"When you furnish your home, you should buy what you love rather than ponder what the Smiths down the street might think."

"Let your foyer say "Hello!" and "Come back soon!"

"Tchotchkes are life enhancing."

"I believe good design creates good moods."
(P.S. - There isn't a single thing in this whole room that I don't like. Perfection.)

And my personal favorite, as it basically describes me in a single sentence:

"I believe in dorky enthusiasm."

Jonathan and I are meant to be.

Alma

Warning: If you have a fear of creepy dolls, do not watch this.
Otherwise, watch it for the amazing animation and cute yet messed up storyline.

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

Head Up, Young Person

“Offered the opportunity to join in a print run of 250 business cards through university, I decided to screenprint my own and instead use the chance to spread a little happiness. Somebody who suffers from depression once told me that their therapist advised them to count chimneys if they were feeling down, as this increases the light intake through their eyes. I popped this hint on a card for distribution in low level places around Bristol.”

Monday Music

The "I'm Sick of Traditional Christmas Music" Edition

P.S. - Does anyone know of some better way for me to put a single mp3 up here? Seems stupid to put a whole "playlist" up for one song, but I can't find a decent video for the song....In case you didn't know, I barely know how to use a computer/the internet....

You Ugly

But you're also kind of badass. Rock on with your tacky self, house.

(via hello-holly)

Welcome to the Dollhouse

I love tiny chairs.

"I Want To Go To There" Wednesday

I feel like expanding on the typical IWTGTTW post today because it is a snowy, rainy, slushy mess outside and I am not a fan. Plus, this house is pretty awesome.

The entire design seems to revolve around the location, especially the oversized deck. I love how the subtle incline is like one giant, built-in lounge chair, perfect for sunbathing.



What I find really interesting is the contrast in architecture between the front and back of the house. So private on one side, so open on the other - it looks like two entirely different homes.





And not a bad view at all. Seriously, I would hang out with those kids if it meant I got to lounge on this deck all day.

(via Digs Digs)

Monday Music

The "I Have A Headache" Edition

"Sinusoidal"

I am ridiculously obsessed...

"At 5.2m high and 1.7m wide, the door is comprised of 40 sections of 254mm-thick Burma teak. Each section is carved so that the door integrates 160 pulleys, 80 ball bearings, a wire-rope and a counter weight hidden within the single pivot."

(via The Architectural Review)

That's Awesome!

Combining my love of Legos and Architecture!

Monday Music

The "Sparkle Motion" Edition

Rachel Reider Interior Design

I've got a major design grush (a girl crush, in case you were wondering) on Rachel Reider. Ever since I saw her work featured in Design New England, I've been pouring over her portfolio images trying to wrap my head around the details of what she calls her "soft modern" style. I love that - I've never really known how to describe my personal aesthetic, but that sounds about right. Rachel strikes that great balance of modern yet accessible with a little quirkiness thrown in the mix. Plus, the fearless use of purple is always something to be respected.

Hey, Baby

I have got babies on the brain lately. This weekend I got the great news that I'm going to be an aunt!!! My sister broke the news to the fam after months of trying, and we couldn't be happier. It seems like everyone is pregs! My sister, my lovely manager Jessica, even fellow bloggers Sherry and John over at Young House Love. Not only that, but my cousin and her husband are staying with us over the holiday and brought along their brand new baby girl, Amara. (They're Dutch transplants making a stop in Boston from Iowa before they move to Indonesia/Switzerland! A globetrotter at three months old!) My brain is already working on ideas for the new babies nursery, and of course I've taken to rifling through my inspiration files for some creative, not-so-cookie-cutter ideas...

Such a cool art installation - great way to add texture and color, not to mention start the learning early!

The dream dress up room complete with a Barbie Chandelier!

A Domino Mag classic - LOVE the wallpaper animals!

Another awesome way to use old wallpaper or craft papers to create large scale art

Black in a nursery? Somehow it works...And the best ceiling ever.

A happy and gender neutral color palette

For the super mod baby

OMG...

HERRINGBONE TWEED CHUCKS?!
I think my head just exploded...

Monday Music

The "Do The Molly Ringwald" Edition





Those are some great boots, actually...

Monday Music

The "Let's Go To Paris" Edition

WANT

These guys combine my love of chunky rings and crayons! Such a fun idea from local designer Timothy Liles.

"I Want To Go To There" Wednesday

I need to be wherever something like this is happening. Amazing.
(via P is for Party)