Last Day of February...

... and I've gotten so much accomplished!  This dreary, rainy day has got me reflecting on the beginning of 2011.  My how time has flown by.

I'm looking forward to March, warm weather, and tasting our new Anchor Space Otis REDding Red Hop Ale!  Goodbye February, helloooo March!

Inspiring Artist : Brian Dettmer

Brian Dettmer makes some great work!  Using surgical tools, he dissects each book by carving one page at a time to expose images and images to form a visual that represents alternate histories and memories.  It's book surgery in it's finest form of art.  Great work!

He says this about his work : "My work is a collaboration with the existing material and its past creators.  The completed pieces expose new relationships of the book's internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception."

I Love Lamp

Lighting is key to making a home feel homey.  Recently, we were gifted a wonderful lamp for our dining / living room.  It's so simple, elegant, and gorgeous.  The clear hand-blown glass isn't the easiest to quickly photograph, so come on over to look in person!!  Our lamp with an Edison Bulb on a dimmer switch is perfect for all kinds of lighting moods.

To go along with my new lamp, I've found a couple other lamps I'd love to have around he house.

From Horne, here's the Cornet Clip Lamp and Cornet Pendant Lamp :

Also featured on Remodelista is the Laboratorio Lame from Anve :

Loving Weekends!

Boy-oh-boy do I love weekends!  I'm so excited for the weather to warm up so I can use my weekend time outdoors going on amazing adventures, but for now I've been spending my weekends mostly hibernating and really getting a lot of work done.

Last weekend though, my Mom and Keith were in town and we managed to really pack it all in.  We went bowling at the Gutter, played cards at the Brewery, went to the Brooklyn Homebrew store, ate baguettes and cheese, drank some Anchor Space Pale Ale homebrew, introduced them to my sister Bethany, found some amazing vintage gems while shopping in Williamsburg, dined at Brooklyn Bowl, Le Gamin, James, and Milk Bar, and even fit a nap in there somewhere.  It was very fun and very happy!

This weekend, Josh and I will be attending the Brooklyn Wort homebrew competition, brewing a 2nd batch of our own beer (stay tuned for the story of Anchor Space : Otis Redding red ale), shooting a music video, and working on some photo-business stuff.

It sure feels good to be successful with work and happy with life!

A Simple Utility

Simple, useful, special - this wooden ballpoint pen is just what everyone needs in their office.  It's available at San Francisco's General Store but I sure hope to find one locally sometime soon!

Disassemblies

I nearly gasped out loud when this post came through my Google Reader the other day.  What a beautiful set of extruded mechanics by Todd McLellan.

Valentine Friends

My friend Lisa and I celebrated Valentine's Day together this year.  Our significant others were in LA at the Grammy's with Danny Clinch, so we decided to make a friendship date out of it.  We played a killer game of i Spy - Valentine's edition - where we spotted 112 gifts on the streets of Manhattan, ate some delicious dinner with oh-so-yummy sake, then mad our way to The Lakeside Lounge for some photobooth action.  It was a very fun evening just us gals.

Cheers to good friends!

Breakfast for a Queen

My new favorite breakfast is inspired by my local coffee shop, Milk Bar.  So simple and delicious : Fruit+Nut granola topped with Greek honey-flavored yogurt and a few thin apple slices on top.  Paired with a fresh cup of coffee, this breakfast is an incredible way to start the day.  Eventually, I plan to make my own granola, but for now my store-bought version works quite well.

Adventures of Ella

Our cat Ella loves to sunbathe.  She also loves to glam it up in front of the camera.  The other day, both Josh and I were working from home when we spotted Ella lying on our coffee table in a narrow beam of warm sunlight.  Of course Josh pulled out his camera to take portraits of her, and she loved it!  This went on for about 20 minutes - and probably would have lasted longer had the sun not moved to a new location.

What a doll!

Wilderness Appreciation : Lovin' the Fungi!

Wild mushrooms must be one of the most beautiful things that grow!  Often nestled in a small nook near a rock or hidden within the mosaic of tree bark, you can't resist to ooohhhh and aahhhh if you spot one during a game of "I spy" while on a nature walk.

Design Sponge recently featured their "Mushroom Madness" adventure featuring a DIY mushroom garden centerpiece project.  Wouldn't I just LOVE to have an abundance of these as decorations all over my home.  I'm always drawn to showcasing nature in my home - I certainly wish I could play wilderness "I spy" more often.  I suppose that is one of the drawbacks of living in the city.

Nestled Up in Norway

I would do just about anything to live a life like this.  I found the story of this captivating cabin called Roparhaugen in the Weekend Cabin article of Adventure Journal's online magazine.

This Norwegian home is very much one with the nature as it was designed and built to be immersed in the surrounding landscape.  It undoubtedly suggest an aching feeling of whimsical and moody romance the instant your eyes gaze upon the grounds - this even transcends through the photographs below.

The Weekend Cabin article describes Roparhaugen as this : "They poured their energies into building something of honor on this wind-swept rise above rocky barrier islands, and the structure reflects a deep connection to tradition, with furnishings and style that seem rooted in centuries of Scandanavian life. "  Though it seems there are multiple structures on the property, the are all in fact connected through underground passageways built of local rock.  The decision to use many raw and natural materials both within the architecture and interior design make this home as close to my dream home as I've ever seen.

Simply breathtaking!

 

Happy Birthday February Loves!

February is the busiest birthday month for me.  All born in February, I will be honoring my husband, mom, sister, mother-in-law, aunt, and good friends Tim and Bailey.

Happy birthday to all of you February Lovebugs!

Vintage Arrow Valentines

My lovely and talented friend Halligan Smith created this amazing DIY project for Design Sponge just last week.  These vintage arrow valentines are perfect for February Valentines home or office decorations or even to hand out to your loved ones.  So cute!

Inspiring Artist : Regina DeLuise

Photographer Regina DeLuise's work is simply stunning.  Recently featured on PDN's Photo of the Day, her work evokes a feeling of calmness and comfort for me.  She shoots with an 8x10 camera and often focuses on the mundane and sublime aspects of her surroundings.

A few of my favorites are below:

Inspiring Artist : Marc Ullom

I ran across the photo works of Marc Ullom this morning and it's been stuck in my head all day.  Here are a few images from his Periphery series that I really enjoy.

Great work, Marc.

Revolutionary Resolutions 2011 in Reality

I think I'm gaining success on my 2011 resolutions with each day that passes.  I've been engulfed in reading, organizing, and creating lately.  It feels good.

A short list of my accomplishments :

- I've definitely been much more organized.  I've accomplished a ton of business know-how on taxes, S-Corps, 1099s, server organization, accounting methods, and more!

- My personal and business receipts are organized with a system in place for keeping track of them.  One book down, four in progress on the reading list... though some of them are business-related, I'm still expanding my brain by means of book reading.  This also means I'm watching less TV.  Win-win!

- I've been more creative lately : brewing beer, cooking new recipes, and still continuing to find new artwork that inspires me.  I've got 3 pieces of art in progress and a few project ideas for the hopper in my brain.  I wish I was more motivated after the sun goes down to work on them though - my how I struggle with that one.

- Knuckle popping... the habit is not yet broken, however I'm becoming aware of the popping "in action" which I think is Step One.

- I've also started a once-a-week workout session with my good friend Lisa.  It's a start!  I think I'll be more eager to get fit once it warms up above 30 degrees.


All in all, I'd say my 2011 resolution list is getting great action.  I'll continue to update as I progress.  Hope you've held true to your resolutions as well.

The Dancing Red Ribbon

While gazing out the window today, I was taunted by a wonderful red ribbon cavorting around in the wind.  With one end tied to a balcony, the long band of fabric was left to fend for itself against the whipping wind and cool air.  It danced up and down twisting every-which way.  It's majestic flowing motion was beautifully juxtaposed against the stale-patterned red brick wall behind it.  It danced for hours, catching my attention often.

Thank you red ribbon for making my day special.

Craving Spring

Is anyone else craving some warm, spring weather?  I've certainly got the itch for it.  I really hope spring comes early this year, I could use a warm outdoor adventure day!

Here are some images from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to urge spring to come on in :

Happy February

February is always a crazy month for me.  Lots of birthdays and big events.  I'm happy it's here because that means winter's end is a bit closer!

Here's to a love-filled February!

Photo by Josh Goleman.