DIY desk

I will be working from home next year and am thinking about how I want my home office to be. I don't want to be stuck in my own room actually. I want light and I want a large working space that does not feel isolated. We have a very nice mid century desk with drawer columns on both sides. But I have always enjoyed more table-like desks and think I'll move to that. Here is a great DIY option I came across today. It even comes with instructions! via Cafe Cartolina

The Event of a Thread, Stunning Interactive Installation by Ann Hamilton

Here is a nice way to begin your morning. So beautiful.

“The Event of a Thread” was a stunning large scale, participatory installation by Ann Hamilton that recently filled the cavernous drill hall at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. The centerpiece of the installation was an enormous curtain of fabric that stretched across the width of the hall. An array of swings, available to the public, were tethered to the curtain by an intricate rope system overhead—when participants used the swings, the swinging motion caused the fabric to ripple and move up and down. There was quite a bit more to the installation: readers stationed at desks, flocks of pigeons, daily vocal performances…for more, see photos & video by Paul Octavious, and an official video from the Armory. The installation ran from December 5, 2012 to January 6, 2013.

From The Kid Should See This via Laughing Squid.

winter apartment blues

I have been in such a funk with my own apartment lately. No craigslist-ing. No rearranging. Basically ignoring huge sections of the house. I have been ignoring out plants, the living room as a whole, and never step into the guest room anymore (the cat box is in there and I'm pregnant so that a good excuse). I think it has to do with the gray skies and cold weather. Still it makes me sad. I just watch TV basically every night. Not cool. I have a couple updates on a list of to-dos around the place, so I should just get one thing done per week- I'll feel good about that. To dos include:
        -Switch dining room chairs
        -Mount and hang the reindeer Hyde
        -Prep the guest room for a long term guest
        -Organize and clean my closet
        -Organize and clean the pantry

In the meantime I saw these candle holders on Manhattan Nest today. Only 5 bucks a piece! I might have to go for it. I'll sit on it for a few days and think about it.

sulu-design

I came upon this blog today and can't get the place out of my head. I've been doing some casual apartment hunting myself recently, and would jump on a space like this. Clearly their taste has something to do with it, but I would love a completely open lay out. I think I'd need at least one little bedroom for bebe- but the rest of this layout is perfect. However, try including "loft" in your craigslist search for apartments, and I bet you never stumble upon a place like this. I shall try anyways.

another start

I clearly had a false start with getting this blog back up and running, and have thought a lot about whether I should still keep this up. I'm sure I'll have patches of "dark" again in the future, but recently there have been so many changes and things I see and want to share, it seemed like a good time to start posting again. There is a pretty big chance that we'll be moving later in the summer and have a baby to plan for, so there should be lots of good stuff coming up.  I feel conflicted about sharing too much on Facebook, so I'm hoping this will be a better space for that. As always I'll try to keep a good balance of personal and not, with my primary goal of documenting things that catch my own attention. I hope you enjoy.

*Image from our November Paris trip

Before and After: Bookshelves

For a while now I've been over the very large 5x5 Ikea Expedit bookcase in the living room. Don't get me wrong, it has been good to me over the years, serving as the first piece of furniture I bought my self for my little studio in Chicago. But recently it's just felt very heavy and it certainly takes up a lot of room. I was intimidated to take on putting up shelves by myself. However, luckily our good friend Bobby was there to help! (and by "help" I mean he did the majority or planning and labor).

Before:

So Bobby and I went to Home Depot for some simple pine (select) boards at a standard cut (thank goodness, no saws involved) and screws. Aaron grabbed site plastic brackets at 50 cents a pop at Ikea, and voila, after lots of carful measuring, we have shelves!!

So there you have it! I sold the Expedit on craigslist for $75, and the materials were only about $120. Not too shabby! Thanks Bobby for making this happen! I'm not very handy, so this was a pretty big step for me.

Oh, and do you see that BRAND NEW Design Within Reach Eames shell rocker? $150 on craigslist. Considering they're in the store for $467.00, this is a steal. The couple I bought it from got is as a baby shower gift and didn't want it. They could not have known the price. Craigslist has been good to me recently.

Knoll Breuer Cesca Chairs

A few years ago I saw this chair and loved it, having no idea what it was. A couple years later I discovered my friends Leah and Bobby had one of them and I learned their name. Knoll Breuer Cesca chair. "Marcel Breuer is credited with the 1925 invention of tubular steel furniture, an idea sparked by the anatomy of a bicycle frame. The Cesca chair, named for Breuer’s daughter Francesca, combines shiny steel, natural caning and hardwood beech in a study of the organic and the industrial." I saw them again in Woody Allen's Manhattan. Had to have them.

In real life I either saw these chairs listed for exorbitant amounts of money, in the trash with a broken seat, or at thrift stores for a reasonable price but just sold. They were not in the cards. Then, last week, Aaron found a set of 6 on craigslist for $100! I emailed asking, "Is that for the set or a chair?" not believing it could be true. But it was. I swung by the next day and picked these little puppies up. The woman was like, "You were looking for these?" She had no idea. I really loved our other chars, but what choice did I have? I mean, look at the price I saw on fab.com today for a SINGLE chair! I should probably sell a few, but I feel like hoarding right now.

lip sync

Why is lip syncing so funny? Here are two of my favorite music videos essentially because of the lip-syncing. They also happen to both be great songs.

Fiona Apple, "Not About Love". I laugh out loud every time I see Zack in the water.


Paul Simon, "You Can Call Me Al".

 

 I recently watched a documentary about the making of the album Graceland, and Paul Simon walked through the development of each song. He talked about the meaning behind "You Can Call Me Al," the superficial yet newly significant concerns of modern man and the importance of having someone looking out for you. He thought the above video was too light for the weight of the song. I'm still glad it exists though (despite my dislike of Chevy Chase).

Enjoy!

back.

I have been on an incredible hiatus over the past year and a half, in which time I lived in Illinois for eight months, and travelled to Idaho, Maryland, Florida, Michigan, California, New York, and Maine. I bought a large TV, an Eames lounger, a couple Eames Herman Miller DCM dining chairs, and a formica kitchen table. I changed jobs and got new glasses. I lost a mother.

I also tried tumblr for a while, joined Google+ (heavens knows why), considered pintrest, and became more active on Facebook. But I miss this blog, and while I suspect no one will even notice if I post any more after all this time, I decided to start it up again.

where to find me

I've officially made my home at tumblr, follow me here.

I suspect I'll return to blogspot one day, but not today.

weekend bits

sorry for me, for you, but I decided to copy. imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

pumpkin pancakes.

This is just what I want right now. As always, thank you kitchen sink.

mmm. fall.

via totokaelo.

boston food challenge? lets do it.

I have been embracing Boston more in the past few months, and Jessica's Chicago food challenge has inspired me to do one of my own. The map above shows the 21 official neighborhoods in Boston. Perhaps by documenting eats in each of these neighborhoods, Aaron and I will see a bit more of our new-ish home. It's difficult though, because I want to also explore the neighborhoods and food of Cambridge, Brookline, and the 30 or so sub-neighborhoods of my very own Dorchester. However, I'm going to assume it's unlikely that I'll complete the task of 21 neighborhoods in the next 12 months, so it's pointless to take on more.

By the way, I'm just loving Dorchester and am still baffled by the fear of Boston toward this area. I was informed by a friend recently of the negative health impact of living in bad neighborhoods. Wha? It's like the suburbs out where with mixed races and sometimes vandalism. Let's suck it up people.

blue.

New York Magazine did a piece on former Blues Clues host Steven Burns Williamsburg home. Very cool. And I love that it's blue.