I am giving away a book from my own library. It's used, of course, since I read it! but is like new and instead of sending it to Goodwill or selling it to some random person, if anyone is interested I will send it to one of you instead.
See book description and reviews here.
If you are interested, just leave a comment. If more than one person is interested, I will pick randomly. Leave a comment by 10:00 PM on Sunday, March 8th.
image from amazon
We met this amazing little guy this past weekend.
I showed you the apartment of these dear friends of ours here. Wherever they live, they really know how to make a home for themselves. And the wonderful (500 square foot) home they have made for 6-week old Beckett is even more amazing.
A lot of people we know have had children, especially in the past couple of years, but no one as close to us as these guys. It is interesting experiencing things closer to home. I can clearly see one life-door closing and a different one opening up. In a way it is a bittersweet kind of experience. Life will never be the same. The world will never look the same. I don't know what is in store here on Price Street, but I do know that regardless of what is going on out there, there is hope and excitement for what is to come. We have big plans, don't we, Beckett?
"Great curb appeal is not about the size or style of your home, but making the most of what you already have."
Have any questions about or need help with suggestions on your home's curb appeal? Write to architect Hoyte Johnson and Cottage Living editor Rex Perry at the new blog at Cottage Living. Or just have fun checking out sweet cottages.
We are getting ready for weekend house guests. We live in a 3 bedroom house but right now the boy and I have the two extra bedrooms taken over by office functions so we do not have a formal guest room. This works fine for us since, with the exception of my SIL, our family lives within driving distance as do most of our friends and the ones who live more than a hour away come to visit maybe twice a year if even that. We decided that we'll surrender our beloved sleep number bed for one night and camp out on the futon in the family room. My friend is prego and there is no way I would subject her to a night on that wafer. As you may recall I have been shopping for a futon replacement. We have gone back and forth about whether or not to get a sleeper sofa, but for our limited guest accomodation needs I can't see spending all the extra money for one and haven't been happy with the choices. I am picky enough. Jeez. Once the futon is gone (and I can't wait for the day) we will use an aero bed. I've slept on them enough times to know they are great for a weekend stay and very easy to set up, break down and store. I just picked one up a a great discount at smart bargains.
There are lots of web resources suggesting ways to prepare ones home for guests and ways to make guests feel more comfortable. My main concerns are always that house is clean, especially the bathrooms and the bed has clean sheets on it. I also like to make sure I have food staples on hand and some healthy snacks too. Luckily my friends and I are pretty down to earth so you won't find me making up spa baskets or tieing my guest towels with linen ribbon. I did like the idea pictured (idea and picture from Martha Stewart) above of a way to put out some drinking water if you don't have a carafe. Use two different sized drinking glasses like a DOF and a highball. Simple and thoughtful. When friends and family come to stay, it should be about the time spent together catching up and less about whether your guest accomodations rival the Four Seasons'. I think.
One more post before I sign off for the night!
The boy and I always talk dreamily about one day owning an Airstream trailer, especially a Design Within Reach model. And I came across a unique and really enjoyable blog by Lynn and Michael who live in Colorado and travel around the beautiful state in their Airstream. It's called 63 Flying Cloud. Check it out.
This has to be simple (and happy) living at its best!
who:: Laura Normandin of WREN handmade
where (geographic):: Park Slope, Brooklyn
where (blog):: design*sponge
image from designspongeshop flickr set
We went to the Yankees game on Saturday.
And then we spent the rest of the weekend with friends in Jersey City. As promised, here's a mini tour of Annisia and James' great apartment. You can see the full size photos and tour here.
The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough by Sarah Nettleton
I definitely crave a more simple lifestyle and I love that someone has finally written an entire book on how our homes can either foster or work against the type of lifestyle that we are trying to achieve. In a time where we can go into any bookstore and find hundreds of books and magazines on de-cluttering, organizing and simplifying our lives and homes, our builders and developers around the country are still building hugely over-sized homes with more rooms than any family of four ever needs or even wants to take care of. Ms. Nettleton has identified this bizarre "disconnect".
Some highlights to entice you!
"The Simple Home is for people who crave a simpler lifestyle - not only in how they live, but also in where they live. The simple home is not an end in itself, but the means by which we can enjoy our own simple pleasures..."
"Shaker and folk crafts come from an era when time was much more abundant than the money to buy and ship fancy materials. Today, we have many more options in materials, but we need to invest the time to craft our own environment, to be selective about what we buy and how much we really need."
Ms Nettleton quotes Gaston Bachelard from one of my favorite books, The Poetics of Space. Bachelard wrote, "The home is a place that shelters dreaming." She elaborates, "He meant that the homes that nurture us are not fortresses of exclusion, but rather clearings in a busy world that help us dream new ideas and to be creative in our own way."
The book is filled with amazing photos of some of the most beautifully crafted new and old homes around the country. Even if you are not thinking about renovating your existing home or building a new home, you can get something out of this book if you desire a simple home. I think many of us want that, but most of us don't know what a simple home looks like. There is some great inspiration to be found in The Simple Home.
Photos from book by Randy O'Rourke.
Felicia reminded me about Domino mag and I remembered that I had not yet cracked open my new issue that arrived yesterday. Coincidentally, one of the features of April's issue is entitled "livin' large in a small space", the same as one of my blog categories. They featured Michael Bargo's 475 square foot apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Bargo is a 'young' interior designer and used to be Thomas O'Brien's (my hero) assistant! Lucky Dog! (This is where I smack myself again for not taking that un-paid internship with Aero)
If you don't have a subscription, go to Domino Mag, click on "Magazine" and then click on "flip through some pages of our current issue". You can see the first two pages of the article. Check out the bed in the middle of his living room. (photo from Domino Mag, April 07)
On the same topic, a new-to-me blog that I absolutely love is Hygge House. Their "Live Well. Live Simple. Live Hygge." mantra is right up my alley. The latest post by 'alex the girl' is entitled "Small Living".
Ever since I met two Danish girls on a beach in Greece in 1996, I have been so envious and intrigued by the Danish and their more laid back approach to life. And I'm so glad to have found a blog all about that. BTW: "The Danish word Hygge (hu-gah) is a feeling or mood that comes from taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary everyday things simply extraordinary." Also check out Alex's flickr photos. Some of my favorites! Especially this one below. I wish the US were more of a bicycle nation. (photo from Hygge House)
