Santa Baby...

Best Christmas present this year, bar none was the wonderfully generous gift from my husband - a Canon Digital Rebel XT, 8 megapixels of pure joy!

He also bought me a bag, extra battery, 2 gig memory card and a 75-300mm zoom lens.

I've been playing with the camera since the week before Christmas (we opened gifts early to have time to ourselves) and will post pictures soon...

Almost a real bedroom...

A free weekend would not be complete without a trip to the mothership. And my mothership I of course mean Ikea. Dearborn to Canton is a mere 20 minute trek, filled with anticipation of the joyous shopping to come.Today's mission: FINALLY get a real bed! Not that the boxspring and mattress on the floor, as we have been sleeping for the last 3 years, isn't sufficient - but let's face it, we're grownups now, we need a real bed!

2 cinnamon rolls, 2 hours and several dollars later we had MOST of our bedroom - we were seconds too late from picking up the last headboard and footboard in Aisle 30, Bin 17 but are assured that four more are on the truck unloading tomorrow morning so at 10:00 am we'll have the whole bed!

Since you can't have a bed without a place to put all of your books and...well...general junk, we bought matching sidetables in red:

Light is usually helpful when reading said books - found these really cool brassy table lamp bases and shades (we bought the top shade, white with off-white stitching):

Now if I could just find someone to paint upstairs - of course that would mean I would have to have picked a color!

Oh, and we also bought this great duvet cover (to match the tables of course!):

Waspy Chic in Newport

The New York Times had a great article this week on John Peixinho, a decorator that is ever so gently updating the fabulously waspy homes of Newport's elite. There was also a beautiful slide show of homes/interiors, my favorites are shown below (you can see the rest here...)Photos: Tony Cenicola/New York Times

What I love about Mr. Peixinho's work here is that rather than the rather popular "gut and redo" method, he made minor changes to these interiors - new paint here, slipcovers and draperies there, re-arranging furniture and re-using heirloom pieces. Very classic and chic.

The great Chandelier search

I want to put a chandelier in my office at home (Tim thinks I'm crazy). I've always wanted a pretty chandelier and think that they instantly turn a space, when done correctly, from blah to wow. The problem is finding the right one...

Here are a few I've found:

Kristaller from Ikea

Teardrop Chandelier from Urban Outfitters

And the search continues...

The Birds

I've noticed a trend towards birds in design lately. Kind of a throwback to kitsch with a modern twist.Love this trio of olive sparrows from CB2
Even Pottery Barn is jumping on the wagon with this spin on traditional patterns..Love this pillow made of vintage handkercheifs by seller PleasantView on Etsy
I also love these jade bird bowls from the fabulous Jonathan Adler.

Todd Oldham as Photographer?

As I was perusing the blog world, I came upon Desire to Inspire and a great post of Todd Oldham, designer extraordinaire, as photographer. Photos are courtesy of Marek and Associates.
I love the use of repetitive patterns and melding of the bright colors that somehow should clash but do not.The stripes on the walls are classy but playful and the pink and yellow are fabulous!
Todd Oldham for the New York Times Magazine. Organized chaos in the pantry.

Lazy Sunday...

I woke up around 9:30 and let the dog out. Breakfast consisted of warmed up waffles from yesterday's sumptuous breakfast of waffles and bacon (we usually have waffles or pancakes, homemade of course on Saturday and/or Sunday when we're home). It is now almost 1pm and I have been leisurely perusing the internet after finishing my new Domino that came yesterday. I finished my new Marie Claire yesterday. These are really the only magazines that I get although I'm debating a subscription to Vogue simply for the pure indulgence of it all. I've been sitting on the sun porch with a cup of coffee, now cold, and just enjoying the gorgeous weather. There is a gorgeous breeze coming in the slider doors and the gentle twittering of the birds who have found my newly filled bird feeder and are bound to empty it today! I am really learning/beginning to enjoy these lazy weekend mornings - it is so peaceful and calming. Especially after the ever increasingly stressfull weeks at work (and of course the klutz incident of this week!). I think that I am finally coming to terms with myself and my life and beginning to enjoy myself. It is strange to think that it took me this long to really love where I am in life - for so many years I felt so transitory and uprooted which I've discovered is not good for the OCD girl hidden inside of me! Now that I have "roots" or a place that is really mine (or ours I should say) I am just enjoying the calm. And for the first time since starting college, I am learning to NOT feel guilty that I'm doing nothing! No homework/studio work that I'm just putting off until the last minute, nothing hanging over my head that HAS to be done. I can just relax. It's a novel concept but one that I intend to indulge. Often.