problem areas

I'm starting to get really hung up on this corner of my living room ever since I rearranged a few things. Ultimately, I've decided that my long dark console is way too awkward for this spot + that I really don't have a home for it anymore. I also have that eyesore of a utility box that needs camoflaging.

I'm still planning to get my tulip table some time in the new year + I have my beautiful ghost chairs + sheepskins to accompany it. Now I'm thinking I want some kind of tall dark bookshelf to stand in front of the utility box + maybe some shelves or art to the right. Oh, + of course a cowhide rug. I also have some plans to shake up that bookshelf of mine.

So many plans, so little funds.

If anyone is interested in the Ikea console above let me know!

a study in sparkles

Pierre Le Hors | Firework Studies

this is happening

Are you an Instagram fanatic like me? Now's your chance to flaunt your top shots + have a chance at getting your very own Instragram photo published in the This Is Happening* book from Chronicle Books. Don't forget to tag your submissions with #thisishappeningbook + submit your Instagrams HERE.

Ps. Here's a few shorts I think are deserving...

sfgirlbybay | danielkanter

sisiliapiring | designlovefest

thefoxisblack | whimsyandspice

ohhappyday | kristen_ess

*Good name.

beat to it

"Carbonated" - Mount Kimbie

"It's amazing what you can pick up with a field microphone. I mean, you might just hear someone riding around but when you slow it down it's almost like there's a beat to it. And then just taking little pockets of that rhythm + stretching it out. A lot of what we do is about experimenting with different little bits of tone that you don't necessarily hear on the first listen... + then trying to make songs out of them."

all around

"Feel It All Around" - Washed Out

i was there : grimes

Show: Grimes

Elite Gymnastics

Myths

Location: Metro

Date: 10.23.12

Favorite Song: Well there was that one time when Elite Gymnastics did a cover of the Spice Girls' "Say You'll Be There" + I'm pretty sure I was the first person in the audience to realize it (I'm pretty awesome like that). Otherwise, I'd go with Grimes' "Oblivion." Is it weird that this song kind of reminds me of "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid with the la, la, la's? Take a listen. Sounds just like the frogs.

Memorable Moment: From the crowd to the on-stage action, the whole night was pretty memorable. I saw the most epic pelvic thrusting to ever grace the dance floors of the Metro. I got to watch as a homeless looking dude in slippers that goes by "Elite Gymnastics" offer up a bouquet of roses to the "ghosts." + then their was Grimes' performance...

Biggest Letdown: I think Grimes is adorable + weird + I was sad that that got overshadowed at times by some of the other antics on the stage. Namely, a pair of "backup dancers" in wigs, big t-shirts, boy short underwear + blackface?! Looks aside, their only requirement was to crawl from the back of the stage to the front during each song + molest the random assortment of stuffed animals on the ground. It was distracting to say the least + ultimately led me to pay a little less attention to Grimes herself.

This Show: was full of fucking weirdos on stage. I'm talking not one sane person ...+ I kind of loved it.

i was there : the xx

Show: The xx

Location: Congress Theater

Date: 10.20.12

Favorite Song: "Intro" will always be one of my favorite songs, so hearing it at the start of the encore was a real treat. I also loved "Missing," "Stars," + anything with Jamie xx on the steel drums. 

Can I also say props to The Congress for their between act soundtrack? Lauren Hill's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" & Orbital's "Belfast" were great additions to the night.

Memorable Moment: I really love the visuals that went along with this show: the curtain drop after song one, the black + white effects, + of course the massive "x" for the encore. It all fit with the brand identity so well. Simple, but impactful.

Biggest Letdown: Romy Madley Croft has the voice of a fucking angel. No one should ever sing loud enough to distract from her. Also, can we start to enjoy shows with our eyes + ears + not our phones? I'm all for the 1 or 2 souvenir photos, but the room was 10x brighter than it needed to be with all of those phones in the air for the entire show. Really though, this show was perfect, I just wasn't fond of the majority of the audience. 

This Show: I only caught the tail end of their Lollapalooza performance a few years back, but otherwise this was the only full show I've seen by The xx. I'm a huge fan or the group + of Jamie xx, so it was pretty exciting to get to attend this one. Just wish Jamie xx had done a DJ set after. One day...

(via)

dismantled

I've found a bit of inspiration lately...

...which has led me to dismantle my photo wall...

I still need a few larger prints & frames to balance it all out, but already Im happy with the decision.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to put over my sofa ...new art? shelves?

I also now have this ugly thing to cover up once more...

...I'm thinking a banner like this...

...but with a design like this...

So many changes. + did I mention I'm ready for another Ikea trip?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

i was there : miike snow

...but Miike Snow was not. Hoping they're back to full health now. What a bummer, but I suppose these things happen.

(via)

choose your hue

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic for kitchen appliances these days upon hearing about the recent passing of my mother's 1960's vintage Fridgidaire stove & oven. That thing was a landmark of my childhood + few people could enter my house without commenting on it. Funny thing, it never occurred to me how archaic that appliance was until I heard those comments. I remember turning on my very first gas stove top years later + wondering how on earth I was going to navigate this machine. Weird, random memories, but those are important to me.

If you're curious as to what this thing looked like, here's an exact replica:

We never had cats crawling on ours though.

West Elm has recently started carrying SMEG refrigerators, a very modern version of a vintage design. SMEG's are all over the designer blogosphere + one of the coolest things about these appliances (aside from their vintage look) is that they come in a rainbow assortment of colors:

 

Which one is your favorite? I love the classic black.

somebody that i used to know

Yesterday marked the 9th anniversary of Elliott Smith's death. He is definitely on the list of musicians that died too young.

Along with this guy.

do-over

I'm having designer's remorse. Victoria Smith (aka sfgirlbybay) had to move homes under some unfortunate circumstances, but her new home inspiration has me picking my jaw up off the ground. It's so very Scandinavian with blacks + whites + browns + makes me wish I could start from scratch again with my 4 month old home.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

I once read somewhere that when designing your home, you should look to your closet for inspiration. Whatever colors, textiles, etc you wear are also probably the same colors + textiles you'd like in your home. I should have taken that advice because I am all blacks, whites + neutrals.

I guess I'm not so far off though + I still have plenty of opportunities to change this all around. I've got a lot of missing pieces to fill in, but now I feel like I have the direction I need to pull it all together.