More here.

Tim sent me this photo of Dutch tulip fields … Perfect inspiration for a Tuesday morning.  I’ve a busy day, so posting will be lighter, but I hope you have a great day.

One of my favorite spots in the world is the home of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gauden in Cornish, NH, which is a National Historic Site. The house is beautiful and so are the gardens and the grounds are free (I actually have to say I love the National Parks Service). I love the red wooden porch and built in benches — definitely going into my inspiration files for the day I have my own house with a real yard!

Remember this post on using firewood to fill your non-working fireplace? Well, I recently tried something that is a little bit less of a commitment (I mean, what would you do with all that wood if it somehow didn’t workout? Certainly not burn it!). I stuck one of my planters from the balcony in the fireplace in the bedroom (see picture below) and I am pretty pleased with the effect. It’s not overwhelming and it warms up the room by bringing a tiny bit of nature indoors! The planter is from Home Depot and while it looks like cast iron, it is secretly (genius-ly) made from lightweight and inexpensive plastic.  The beautiful planter of orchids and maidenhair ferns up top is from Martha Stewart Living in 2007.

A friend sent me a link to the NYTimes Style section article on streampunk, whose “definition is loose enough to accommodate a stew of influences, including the streamlined retro-futurism of Flash Gordon and Japanese animation with its goggle-wearing hackers, the postapocalyptic scavenger style of “Mad Max,” and vaudeville, burlesque and the structured gentility of the Victorian age”

It really reminds me of Moulin Rouge – which I watched at a drive in movie theater in Vermont one summer so long ago and loved the infectious energy of it in the mountain air.

My favorite quote: ‘If steampunk has a mission, it is, in part, to restore a sense of wonder to a technology-jaded world. “Today satellite photos make the planet seem so small,” Mr. Brown lamented. “Where is the adventure it that?” In contrast, steampunk, with its airships, test tubes and time machines, is, he said, “sort of a dream , the way we used to daydream. It’s like part of your childhood’s just bursting forward again.”‘

Genius. More here.

I’ll be the girl with the vintage aviator goggles and burlesque striped tights.

I’m kidding.

Sort of.

I recieved a lovely email from a reader over the weekend raving about mokki cottages and she even sent a picture of her parents’ mokki:

She writes:

I grew up in Finland and I have spent so many wonderful summer days and endless midsummer nights near a lake or bay enjoying the peace and quiet of a mokki! It is something extraordinary; to give up electricity and many times running water, to spend a weekend or even a week far away from the busy modern life.

I have to say that ‘endless midsummer nights’ sound pretty wonderful to me. Thanks for sharing Minna! Any other cottages out there you’d like to share, dear readers?

This NYTimes article about a retiree who builds a Finish “mokki” or backyard cottage so he’ll have some personal space is fantastic. It contains so many truths about marriage, personal space and love. The most honest part of the piece is a discussion of personal space and the writer reveals that his wife, when they had young kids, would lock herself in the bathroom to have some alone time to read (and her children could communicate with her via written note pushed under the locked door). Sweetly, decades later, his wife still goes into the bathroom to read. Can’t we all understand this need for alone time, for personal space? And, over the years with tiny apartments or too many roommates, I too have turned to the bathroom for privacy on the phone, as a refuge when I need alone time. Still, a backyard cottage beats the bathroom any day.

I’m still on a zen kick, as it where, and love how simple these spaces are. I found a couple of more:

(last image via )

A friend sent me these images, thinking I might be inspired by the sheer creativity and vitality of them and she was right. A dress from balloons — how wonderful and how absurd. I love the colors and the just total joy of this model. And her head-dress. More images after the jump.

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I had some kind of mid winter blues today. How much do you wish it was June with warm, golden sunlight? I remember June as a kid, lying in the grass and feeling the earth beneath me, warm and full of life. These two colorful images from the latest issue of Dwell and just make me happy — not as happy as a day in June would make me — but good enough for tonight. The lamp is designed by Fredrik Mattson and the “shipping container” tiles are by Jason Miller Studio.

Don’t you love it when you find a song you can listen to on repeat — that makes you feel “oh yes!” and want to dance around the house and grin. Well, this is my most recent “repeat” song from Sara Bareilles. My favorite lyrics are “I’ve been given this one world and I won’t worry it away” since I’m a world class worrier and need to remember to slow down and let go.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwwwxjXE1H8]

But, I have big news! 2008 has already brought with it amazing changes and energy: I’ve decided to leave the wonderful company where I’ve worked for the last three years and become a full time student! There aren’t words for how excited I am to be allowed to focus on something I’m so passionate about. I’m terrified too. It’s a leap of faith (and of course I’m full of what ifs and fear of change). But, I’m mid leap, and the sky hasn’t fallen yet.

The most exciting part of this decision is that I’ll have more time to focus here and finally do some of the projects I have squirreled away and then share them with you. It’s going to be an adventure, with ups and downs and hopefully some rockin’ posts along the way.

PS Here is a link to the full version of Many the Miles from VH1 Unplugged.

Loving this wall of 8s via my favorite AT:SF

I have a weakness for floor plans and their black and white simplicity. The saying goes that all conversations in New York end up on the topic of real estate and that is so true. I love the whole New York real estate game — we’re not thinking about buying anything anytime soon, but I still love to look at the listings — the floor plans inspire me, the interiors inspire and educate me and there is always an element of voyeurism+fantasy. (oooh that is how the other half lives).

We stopped by this open house on Sunday after brunch at Veselka with M. (who has a lovely new apartment she is decorating and I hope to blog about soon soon soon). The apartment below (for sale through Brown Harris Stevens) is a gem in a perfect location (5th avenue between 11th and 12th). While it may look small to those of you who don’t live in NY, it is actually a reasonably sized one bedroom, with a nice flow, and proportion. And perfect prewar detail (molding, wooden floors, charm). The kitchen was small and not terribly efficient, but nothing unlivable. Yum!