happy birthday dad!

it's the big 5-0 for my dad this year, so hopefully they're doing something to celebrate in a big way! actually, my parents' wedding anniversary is coming up in less than a month and my grandparents and todd and i planned a two-week trip to europe for them! so exciting, and i wish i was going!!! they're going to paris, florence, and asolo, which is a suburb of venice, so i'm sure they'll have a great time! perhaps just another year until i can jump back over the pond... anyway, happy birthday dad!

Chicago, yo

Random furniture pieces

Living Space

Over the weekend I was daydreaming about moving to New York so spent a while looking at apartment pictures on craigslist (this is an old pastime of mine). Of all the places I looked at, this loft was my favorite:











Also thought this hotel room was stunning!!!

Tim Walker

At the London Design Museum--so neat!

Liza Rietz

Loved these two looks from Liza Rietz's etsy shop...

Books by color

Here's another example of arranging your books by color, and really, it's quite growing on me! Unfortunately, the extra shelf from my aunt fell through, so I think I'm in the market for a new bookcase. Perhaps I'll look for possible replacements soon, though I really am trying to hold out for a while longer! Pace yourself, Jess...

Mirrored furniture: did I miss this trend entirely?

I like the idea of mirrored furniture: it's classic, elegant, not a crazy color, but different than regular old wood. I've not seen this out in stores much, but apparently we're at the tail end of this trend. Don't know why it's going away, I rather like it!

cute stationary

RachelleD

I recently came across RachelleD's etsy shop, and really fell in love with it! I like that the designs are simple, girly, and colorful--a perfect match for me! Here are a few of my favorites:

art in the marketplace

smashing magazine did an article about the most innovative product designs recently, and then i'd come across several others recently that i wanted to share, so here it is, the most amazingly cool product designs of right this second!!!!!!!!

the DDM PC: yes, literally take apart pieces of the monitor and bring them with you as portable dvd players, PDAs, etc.













the resealable can: sure beats my old method of stuffing a cottonball in the mouthpiece. yeah, didn't quite work...











the wack mortorcyle by yamaha: yes, you too can be a superhero in your everyday life. imagine pulling up into the office parking lot in one of these babies!??
















nokia bendable cell phone: molds to your ear, and can even be worn as a bracelet, or latch onto your backpack when not in use! ummmm awesome, much?










kwikset keyless fingerprint scan door lock: never have to carry keys again, and more importantly, never get locked out again! hooray!









patterned concrete: oh yes, you never thought it could look this good. ta-da!












swatch bracelet watch: so cute! you can barely tell it's a watch from far away :) i actually haven't decided if i really like it or not, but it is quite innovative.









sony rolly mp3 player: reminds me of that little yellow dancing robot that colleen loves so much. waddles around and "dances" to the beat of your music--how precious!

bike the drive

well, i missed bike the drive this past weekend, as my bike currently has a slice in its back tire, so that makes it a bit difficult to ride (though i suppose i could've gotten quite a workout trying!!). i definitely want to do it next year, though, since the pics on the chicagoist look so fun!!


































i also just bought a bike rack from amazon yesterday, so i can carry stuff with me on the back, instead of on MY back:

DVF

A few favorites off of Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus:

Karen's Soaps

So...I just ordered these off etsy--a baker's dozen of yummy soaps! They come in a bazillion scents but I picked my top 13 and hopefully I'll get them quite soon! They're pretty much perfect for me and my ever-changing moods and tastes. Plus with soap and perfume and stuff, you get so used to the smell that you start not being able to smell it (which was a real downer with the last soap I had, from Drew's Mom...which made my mornings so yummy and delicious and fruity until it stopped being so intense after a while...)! So yay for constantly changing, cute little bars of soap!

Holiday Weekend

Well, I have a TON to post about over the next couple of days, but I don't feel quite up to it right now. I had an enjoyable long weekend--perhaps too enjoyable, actually, as i was hoping to get back to work today, which never really happened. I've been reading Crime and Punishment over the past few days, which is engrossing but unsettling. I feel past emotions of embarrassment and humiliation well up in me as I read the passages of Raskolnikov's agony over what he's done wrong, which makes it a difficult book to read for long periods at a time. But it's quite an interesting premise, and overall I'm enjoying the book. Whenever I finish it I'll probably post again, though who knows when that'll be because I have a very busy few weeks ahead of me! Looking forward to Drew's visit, and the end of this quarter! Until later, be blessed!

random

Bunch of random things left on my desktop: first, a spread from Real Living magazine, which I only included because I love the black polka dots and all the yellow stuff! Actually, I'm pretty pleased with my red and orange and pink and gray bathroom, but I do like the yellow and gray and black color combination. Actually, after seeing the Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute, I'm rather intrigued by color theory in general...maybe I'll look into studying that a bit more... Next, I really am a fan of formal gardens, and this little one was so cute outside off the kitchen :) I like the little seating area back there--so peaceful! And finally, just some bangles I thought were fun. They're very easy and go with everything.










































In terms of the furniture, I really like this (hutch? server? I don't know what to call this shape!!). I'm really a fan of the shape in general, as well as the mix of different colors of wood. It works as an entryway piece, in the dining room, or even as a TV stand! I really should figure out what they're called--I love them! And then I liked this leafy organic shaped wood table. I think it'd be really fun to have a lot of modern lines and details, and then throw in a crazy shaped table (or whatever, you get the idea). I like those contrasts, and I do like both styles!