Bathroom Light

So. Seriously. Eric and I both like this light, but should we get the brushed nickel? Or warm things up a bit, mix some metals, and go for the brass?

Nursery Inspiration Boards

Should our nursery be A) filled with lots of natural colors - white and earth tones with lots of light wood and elegant details or  B) have all white furnishings and walls decorated with cheerful prints, colorful toys, and quirky accessories?

A

Clockwise from top left: Bear of Few Words Print / Woodsy Alphabet Print (love this so much!!!) / Rug from TJ Maxx / Bear Face Mirror / Mr. Robot Pillow / Dovetail Animals / Knitted Pouf / Woodland Nightlight / Stokke Crib / Giraffe Clock (which I forgot to picture but should be listed nonetheless.) /

B

Clockwise from top left: Themis Mobile / Urban Outfitters The Rise and Fall Sleeping Fox Pillow / Mr. Snake / Solid Drum / Over the River and Through the Rug / Yarning Made Knitted Helvetica "Hi" Baby Blanket / Cape Girl Screen Print / Seventy Tree Big Fox, Big Bear, Big Panda Prints / Babyletto Crib /

I kind of feel like a) feels more infant and b) feels more childlike. We could always start with A and grow into B. Thoughts?

JCP

Suddenly, JCP has become cool. They now have lines by Johnathan Adler, Design by Conran, and even Martha Stewart. AND, everything in the home section is on sale this week. I'm quite tempted....

These sofas are fabulous:

Crescent Heights Sofa / Darrin Fabric Sofa / Bleecker Sofa

That Crescent Heights sofa is the perfect color of greige and the Darrin is only $849 right now. Eric, can we get another sofa? Or two?

These pieces are also on my "Awesome Home Wares" list: 

Charlotte Round Pouf / Design by Conran Luciana Table Lamp / Royal Doulton Mode Tableware 

I'd love that pouf (or one similar) for a nursery and those dishes (!). They come in white and putty and I would like 5 settings of each, please. I absolutely love the shape of the plates. I hope our JCP here in town has at least a couple of these collections. I will have to check it out tonight after work.

Sitting in My Shopping Cart: Artwork

Right now, our living room is a big, white void. Even the warmth of our red wool rug isn't enough to keep it from feeling like the slightest sound would fill the room with echoes.

As a result, I have been on the hunt for things to hang, and be pretty, and to stop sound from bouncing around so much.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Grid Objects Silk-Screened Poster by Ben Kafton via Etsy:

Monotype Prints by Raina Gustafson via Etsy:

Fox Hunt by Becca Stadtlander:

Pointy Poster by Make Like:

Hemispherical Neighborhoods by Edu Barba via Etsy:

Constellation Chart from Agent Gallery Chicago (I've been in love with this forever and the fact that it comes with its own hanging device is quite handy):

Tiger Says Meow by RK Design:

Himmeli Mobiles (L is plastic straws, R is brass; I actually tried to make one of these once, but the cat ended up eating it before I could finish):

Modern Wood Clock by Uncommon via Etsy:

Line-as-Pattern Planter by Half Light Honey Studio (love, love, love!):

Over the Weekend: Little Changes

A while back I ordered some new drawer pulls for the little dresser we have in the dining room; they arrived last week and Eric installed them this weekend. I really like them. They look much better than the cheap plastic-y ones that were on there before.

Eric also let me get another plant. It's a fiddle leaf fig. 

I'm thrilled with it! I've been looking for one for a while, but none of the plant stores on our side of town had one. We finally made it up to Gainan's in the heights and voila! They had a couple! And they were on sale! So gorgeous. I think I need to get a stool for it to sit on, though; right now it's a bit hidden behind our couch and I want everyone to see it the instant they walk through the door. :)

Weekend: Lighting

Our living room now has a ceiling light!

It's not exactly what I wanted (it kind of blends into the ceiling), but I much prefer it to the hole that was there before. 

Light!

Accessorizing: Ikea Trip

We've installed a few new things around the house since our return from Denver. I've hung some things on the wall, we now have curtains in our living room, and our den is (nearly) complete with the addition of a new, cozy rug. 

We can now arrive on time for social functions! And hang out in our living room at night without our neighbors seeing us! And lay by the fire in comfort! I really, really like that rug! Progress, people! Progress!

Accessorizing: Dining Room Light

Since we are going to ikea at the end of the month, I'm contemplating these two light fixtures for over our dining table. I like the the sleek black, but I prefer how the woven one will diffuse the light more. Choices, choices.

Boja Pendant: 

 Brasa Pendant: 

Accessorizing: The Return of the Rug Return

I got another rug for the den on Monday. And we took it back Tuesday.

It's kind of a riff on the Moroccan one I dream of, and the smaller size was nice, too. Plus, it was really, really soft; even Eric liked laying on it. But we decided to hold off until we are at ikea at the end of the month. Hopefully they will still have the one we want then.

Accessorizing: Artwork via Little Paper Planes

The search continues for artwork to fill our walls. Today, I came across the site Little Paper Planes. It is full of really great prints in an array of sizes that seem to be reasonably priced. Here are a few of my favorites:

David Linneweh

Julia Rothman

Alyssa Nasner

Caitlin Foster

Louis Reith

My only complaint about this site is that you can't see these pieces any larger than little teeny-tiny product images. I need to see texture, yo!

Would I actually hang any of these on my walls? Mmmm...not sure. Probably the house images if they weren't printed on stupid wood grain. Maybe the Julia Rothman prints on a giant, bare kitchen wall or in a kid's room. But for now, the search continues.

Sitting in my Shopping Cart

There are several home items that I have been eyeing for a while now. I periodically go check on them, put them in my online shopping cart, and then close my browser window and will myself to "save! not spend!"

I had a really close call this morning. I was literally at the page where you fill in your credit card info (in order to buy a Makelike poster I've been coveting), and then I realized that the site I was about to order from also carried Ferm Living's shower curtain and that if I was going to buy the poster, I should seriously consider buying the shower curtain at the same time in order to save on shipping. Then I realized that spending $30 for a poster is much more practical than $120 for a shower curtain and I closed my browser window and virtually walked away. Welcome to my brain. But I still really like this poster. It's sweet.

close-up

Another trinket I've been watching for a while: a cat tape dispenser. You did not hear incorrectly.

It's just so darn cute!

Washi tape is also on my list of must-haves:

At $5-10, this is a bit more practical.

Also, should I buy a cactus? I've been wanting one for a while but they only ever have teeny ones here in Billings, and finally Home Depot got some bigger ones in and they're really cool....but I researched them and their sap is poisonous and I'm not sure I want that around my cat though I don't think he'd eat them or anything.....I'm just not sure.

I couldn't even decide which one I'd get. Big spiky or little feathery? Both? None?

Dining Room Rug(s)

I have had rugs on the brain of late. Mostly because my house is filling with furniture and I really don't want to buy any more projects, er pieces of furniture. Plus, I want to protect our lovely hardwood.

I'm still working on finding the perfect rug for, well, practically every room, but I think I may have found a couple of options for the dining room.

I've been looking for something with a low pile (the dining room gets a lot of traffic and I don't want it to be instantly worn and dirty looking), something that has some black and a little grey (so that my dining and living chairs can be better friends), and something that is 8'x10'. Oh, and something cheap. Because that's what I am. I thought my search was over when I spotted Ikea's Alvine Rand, and then I realized it's only 5'7"x7'10". Boo. It would have been absolutely perfect.

Currently in second place, Ikea's Stockholm Rand. It's a bit more graphic (and expensive) than I want, but it is the perfect size.

 Although West Elm's Olin rug is the same size and $100 cheaper.....AND, they ship.

Decisions, decisions. Notice the Instagram influence creeping in already?

Mas Endtables

I try to hit up the used furniture store at least once every other week. Usually, a walk-through takes five minutes and I leave empty-handed. Yesterday, however, my walk-through took five minutes and I left with a giant grin and a car full of stuff. The stuff being these:

TWO of these!

I love them so much! They each had a slab of glass on top, which means they are pretty much pristine. You cannot beat $17 each! Perfect!

Now to figure out where to put them....
I guess I could always sell them on ebay, make a few extra bucks....

Living Room Art

This wall hanging by Pony Rider would be groovy over our sofa in the living room. Or would it clash with our rug? Who cares, I love it.

Dream Shower Curtain

I have discovered the shower curtain of my dreams. Well, two shower curtains of my dreams. Better than my dreams. They are both from Ferm Living, and I am soooo tempted to order one (or both) right. this. instant.
The first one is just black and white.....

Very cool. I made a print of this pattern once.
But I'm seriously WILD about the second one. I LOOOOOVE these colors! This would be such a cool, modern, stylish way to add color to our bathroom!

Dying! Should I do it?! I don't spend this much money on, well, anything! Super tempting....

Nice work, Fern Living!