
Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal
Benjamin Moore Poppy

This bedroom, the same condo as the red library above,makes great use of space by adding the curtain to separate a sitting room from a bedroom. all photos: Chicago Home + Garden

Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

This bedroom, the same condo as the red library above,makes great use of space by adding the curtain to separate a sitting room from a bedroom. all photos: Chicago Home + Garden
Zimtstern "Leaves" from Zimtstern Snowboarding on Vimeo.
I'm running around pulling all of the last minute details together for tonight's 4th, Blog Out Loud event in Santa Monica { 3rd and Santa Monica Blvd.} at the beautiful, ever-inspiring, Design Within Reach. If you're planning on coming or thinking of coming {do!} our panelists are fantastic:
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beautiful tulip fields in the Netherlands shot from above. I'd love a flat weave carpet like this.
found courtesy of flavorpill
My Parents Were Awesome
In 2005 Scott Wayne Indiana put to use the unused horse rings that are seen all over Portland sidwalks. After a few months, he expanded the horse project and asked for some help. Now these horses are showing up all over Portland. You can find them in most parts of Portland now. You can find more photos on here.
This week we are so honored to have Margaret Russell chat with us about Elle Decor's newest book, 'Style and Substance'. We ask about her esteemed, 20 year career as Elle Decor's Editor-in-Chief and dig into some of her favorite rooms from the book {not an easy request when every page has something you want to bookmark} We even touch on blogging when we ask her directly, how she feels about blogger's using the Magazine's photos.
I have to say, in doing this show, I've been continually surprised {although I don't know why I should be} by the graciousness, the lack of ego and the general, down to earth attitude of our guests. Ms. Russell has all of this and more. If you're like me, you'll be left with not wanting the conversation to end. I know I say this about all of our interviews, but you really don't want to miss this.
Thanks to Elle Decor, a signed copy of this inspiring book was sent to me and has not been out of my hands a single day since.
I have an old dictionary that I found in the basement of a house I once owned. The book sat packed away by a previous owner, at the back of what had once been the coal room of the house. Being of curious mind and not especially wanting to live with some one's left over junk, I took it upon myself to clean out the space; sorting through boxes of old letters, canceled checks, candles still in their yellowed, cellophane sleeves, a stack of old greeting cards, carefully torn so that only their fronts remained, and boxes of books. Books with great titles such as 'The Dictionary of Poisons'. {which now sits on my coffee table} , 'Sex & Marriage' {which sits on a book shelf in my bedroom, of course} and "A Child's Canadian Alphabet" - which is another post in itself.Among the books was the 'Webster's New Standard Dictionary', with a 1911 copyright. It's yellowed pages,with their marbled edges, is fragile and well used. The broken spine holds the dark and mildewed cover together by tenuous threads; however within the battered cover, is a collection of gorgeous, fine-line engravings that are scientific and naive in a curious but visually compelling way.
When I first discovered this film, of John M. Carrera's story, I was awestruck that someone else {and it seems a lot of 'someone else's' } was drawn to these Victorian artifacts. The following film is an incredible documentary based on Carrera's story of creating a limited amount of, fine press editions, of The Pictorial Webster's Dictionary. The final product, complete with gold leaf engraving and hand sewn spines, is if anything, an incredible look at the art of book making - it's mind blowing.
Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.
Fortunately, Chronicle books is selling an affordable version of the effort at a mere $35.00
In celebration of the book's release, Chronicle books is giving away a fine press edition of the book. Enter to win here.

The owls, with wonderful names like, "Iago", "Mr. Guppy", "Pecksniff", "Rodrigo" and "Henchard" are made using found, vintage bits of Japanese boro textiles, paper mache´, Victorian bodice fabrics, Vintage buttons, World War I army blankets, even vintage threads. All are stuffed with wool and stand approx. 9"
I love this photo, depicting one of the owls in mid-creation. He looks as though he's wearing a monocle!
These are just amazing. And, mostly sold, but you can get on Ann Wood's mailing list to be notified of updates. It's well worth hopping over to her site just to see the full breadth of her work.
Chic Today U.K.coleen & company the washington post~ 'e-decorating'design public~"curated corners"
The Seattle Times~picks to clicksfgate