Current Desktop Wallpaper

Two of my favorite design blogs are decor8 and Creature Comforts. The creators of these two blogs have teamed up to create free desktop wallpapers! It's nice to have free art I can change around on my computer, especially during a recession. The project is called Kindred. I have the Samantha Hahn selection set as my current background, and I am loving it. Very wintry and very me. The other selections available this month are available through the Kindred link.

Fun with Manzanita

In the last week I independently stumbled across two really fun items made from the Manzanita tree. Or branches of it. Possibly the Manzanita is a shrub. I don't know.

Anyway, they have this really fun organic feel, bringing the outdoors in but still elegant. In my mind, fairy tales castles are always decorated with things like this. The silver candelabra on the left here is from West Elm. They always have beautiful, classic, and modern stuff.


The second piece is a little Manzanita "tree" from RianRae. Here it's used to display jewelry, but it would be really beautiful with seasonal ornaments or little paper cutouts or . . . well, anything. Both pieces are priced right at $100, so neither will be coming home anytime soon, but I'm keeping them in mind for the long-term.

Design and Hot Men

First Row: Pink Tree from a.t. whim, Cobalt Blue Pillow from joom, Dear John Series - No. 3 from lottiefrank. Middle Row: Open Me from ara133photography, 5x7 Letterpress Print from elisejoy, I am Ignoring You from meowstro. Last Row: Honesty Print from theblackapple, Doorways from fineartimages, So True from dazeychic.


I have recently become very addicted to reading design blogs and subsequently have extended fantasies about decorating my room and the entire house. Although I'd need help with those whole house designs from my roommates, Tina and Shannon. Shannon has an artist's eye, because she is one - she just like up and paints things! Things she could sell! Crazy. And Tina has that sort of natural aptitude for combining unlikely things than I normally associate with the French.

Let me tell you, reading design blogs and window shopping at Etsy is a great way to remind yourself of how you have NO MONEY. I'm like "hmm, $13, well that will be an option . . . someday . . ." Yargh. I've also been having these freakouts where whenever something reminds me forcibly of Rome or Paris or Vienna, I tear up. Yep. As soon as it happens I am mortified by the prospect of explaining why a gilt mirror or fresh basil or a bowing man holding a door is making me cry, and I shut that feeling down real fast. Still, I think my body wants me to go to Europe. It is a A Sign. Of course, even with the Euro weakening nicely as we spiral into a financial meltdown, I still do not have enough money to go anywhere, possibly including North Boulder. Sad state of affairs.

Quick aside: Why are the carpenters on HGTV always so hot??? Is this how they cast them? Can I go to an HGTV carpenters' Happy Hour? Dude. Duuuuude.

And speaking of terribly attractive men, I've been perusing the website for Southern Weddings Magazine, which must be managed by a whole bunch of people who are my design clones. I highly recommend this site for color palette inspiration, floral design, etc. Every picture on this thing is spectacular. I found this shot of two guys playing Ultimate in their formal attire, and discovered that this image punches just about every button I've got. Yummy.

This is from a collage entitled Details: Anna + Nathan, Part III.