Wall Mosaic by Jill Roberson

I spotted this neat penny tile wall mosaic on Design*Sponge today. It must have taken a lot of planning! The wall is from the home of Jill Roberson of office.

Central Square Chair Sale: 3 Hours

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My chair after three hours of prying out tacks and staples, ripping apart dry-rotted foam, and watching my hands become red and blistered. I couldn't believe how long it took to tear this thing apart. But I was also very unprepared. I think I can cut my time in half next time around. I'll also invest in a pair of gloves next time around...

Central Square Chair Sale: 1 Hour

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About four weeks ago, after months of complaining about my hobbyless lifestyle, I finally signed up for a continuing ed. class at the BA&CE in Brookline, MA. The course, as you may have deduced from the photo, is Furniture Upholstery.

Remember this chair from my original Central Square Chair Sale post??? Turns out, Mr. Shalimar has hundreds of these chairs in his store basement. I picked this one out for my project. This picture was taken about an hour into my first class. It took a whole HOUR to tear out enough nails to remove HALF of the seat fabric. I have a long way to go...

HGTV Green Home Comes to MA: Update

The 2010 HGTV Green Home is located in Plymouth, MA this year, which is extremely exciting for me as a MA resident and HGTV.com groupie. The house seems to be entering its final stages of construction already. Pretty impressive considering the project was only announced this past June. Of course, there is still a considerable of work to do. The floor plans show multiple lofts, a giant porch, and generous master bedroom. There is only one other bedroom, but for a free house you can't complain. I'm planning on doing a drive-by in the next few weeks... The giveaway entry period begins April 16, 2010.

Johansen Shoes at Little Girl Grown

kennedyholmes.etsy.com

I spotted these adorable mid-century Johansen heals at Little Girl Grown, a tasteful and affordable Boston-based Etsy store stocked with hand-selected vintage gems. If only my feet were three sizes smaller :( If you are interested in these shoes I'd hurry, because nothing ever stays on LGG for long! Take a look at more vintage fall finds here.

Babushka Cookies

Learn how to bake Babushka Cookies here!

I just started following www.craftzine.com and their post about "Babushka Cookies" was the first feed update I received on them. There are no words to express the joy I am feeling right now. These cookies are the brain child of Michele of Extremely Crafty. Thank you Michele.

Moustache Mugs

My Mom always jokes about having given me and my brothers pacifiers in the shape of cigars, puckered lips, gold teeth, and other adult accessories that look hilarious on babies. I think it was her favorite part of motherhood, in fact. This moustache mug image found at PicoCool.com reminded me of that. Love you Mom ;)

Sumatra Bed from Pottery Barn: Followup

Caroline, you are right! I was just looking through the Pottery Barn website and there are scarcely any plants. And frankly, the PB winter collections are kind of stiff. Plants must be a seasonal accessory, which is too bad, because wouldn't it make sense to have more plants indoors during the sparse fall and winter months? I think so. Above are PB images from last spring that I had tucked away in my "inspiration rooms" folder. They are more representative of the PB staging I love.

Sumatra Bed from Pottery Barn

I hate to admit it, but I actually really like Pottery Barn. And I absolutely love this Sumatra bed frame. It is rustic yet graceful somehow. Personally, I feel high footboards are too restricting, so the footboard on this frame is perfect for me. I love the the wood grain and the color of the stain and the fact that the headboard doubles as a shelf. The bedding is OK, a little busy, but the frame is neutral (without being boring) so the loud print works. I've been eying this piece of furniture for quite a while now. I hope Pottery Barn doesn't discontinue it before I can save up!

Also, if you've ever looked at a PB catalog you know what I'm talking about, but kudos to the designers and creative directors. Every room is extremely inviting in fabulously accessorized. I especially like the abundance of plants in all the shots.

DIY Record Holder

More Photos!

My relentless record collector of a boyfriend recently found this neat DIY record holder concept online. This past weekend Josh, inspired by his love for vinyl, and myself, inspired by a solution for organizing Josh's vinyl, decided to try our hands at crafting. The photo above is our first attempt. But Josh has (too) many records so there will be several more versions of this project to come. You can view some of our how-to (and how not to) action shots HERE.

Super Sweet Kiss from Fuck Yeah Kissing

http://fuckyeahkissing.tumblr.com/

Great Blog. Check it out!

Dog on Chair

Design to Inspire recently created a "pets on furniture" post. Coincidentally, this past Labor Day weekend I took a "dog on chair" picture (with my crappy old camera phone) while pet-sitting at my parents' house on Cape Cod. Go to Design to Inspire for more adorable pets on furniture.

Monster Kitchen Sink

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Look at this thing. It is massive! It must weigh a ton, at least. Sure, a six foot sink limits your counter space, but it is such a unique feature I think it's worth the sacrifice. Definitely a bold and specific design choice. I've never seen anything like it in a residential space. This cottage-style kitchen was designed by Thomas Conway. The image was posted on HGTV.com.

Community Bookcase

This find was posted on decor8 today. It is literally a bookcase left on the sidewalk where passers by can pick up and drop off books as they please - for FREE. This particular bookcase was found in Germany. I'm not sure how such a concept would fly in the States, but if I was to pick a spot in the Boston area for a community bookcase I think Union Square in Somerville would be an appropriate location. Also, I love the glass doors on this unit! Find out more about this community bookcase at decor8.

Look at this Nook!

Design to Inspire just added a post dedicated to "napping nooks." Those secret, sacred, cozy corners found under windows and behind stairs perfect for reading, drawing, knitting, tea sipping, daydreaming and, well, napping! I just love nooks. The above photo is one of my favorites from Design to Inspire's post. Find your nook here.

These antique floral ceramic dishes were posted on weheartit.com. I'd love to collect a mix & match set of these. Blue/white, sage/cream, black/white, pink/cream. Floral, animal, oriental. They are classy but still fun - so French Country meets Ming Dynasty meets Urban Boho.

Google Business Card

Brilliant! I was Googling examples of great business cards and this one popped up. Of course, you would need access to the internet to actually get the person's contact information, but I dig it regardless. The image was posted on picocool.com.

Portraits by Carolines

by Caroline Wilson - Boston, MA
Caroline Wilson has a unique talent for capturing the whole world in which her subject lives, telling the story of his life, in a single shot.

By Caroline Holcomb - Westwood, MA
Caroline Holcomb's portraits seem to draw out her subjects' personalities as if her lens were magnetized. When you look at her photographs you feel like you already know the person staring back.

Boston-area photographers worth checking out.

Sunday Brunch Dress by Heidi Merrick Kate

Love this Sunday Brunch Heidi Merrick Kate Dress!

Little Women Tribute by Amy Merrick

One of my lovely friends and followers so kindly pointed me to one of Amy Merrick's recent Design Sponge: Living In posts. The post is a tribute to Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, home of the Little Women. My friend is a sucker for old homes, like me. Last year we went to a miniatures exhibit of historical interiors, and some of the 19th century rooms we saw could have been taken directly from the Orchard House (according to the photos on the website. We are planing a trip to the Orchard House later this fall). Check out Amy's post for tips on where to find the rich, homey, thoughtful details that define the character of these classic American homes.

CAD for Clunkers Logo

My company has a web-store called CAD Garage and we just began a software trade-in promotion, CAD for Clunkers. This is the logo we came up with for the promotion. I don't get to do logos very often, so this was a fun task for me!

Union Square Craft Fair

Vinyl Purse

Turtle Dove Copper Bracelets

Some unique items that caught my eye at a craft/art fair in Union Square a few weekends ago.

Upside Down Rainbow by Hannah Wood

I wonder if she just took a picture of a regular rainbow and turned it upside down... Either way it's a very interesting picture.

Central Square Chair Sale

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$20 each (but I bet you could talk Mr. Shalimar down). The carvings and finishes on all the chairs are slightly different. Sat on a few. They're pretty sturdy. There were twice as many out on the street last week. I wanted to get a picture before they all found homes. If I knew how to reupholster (and had a truck) I'd take home four today.

National Geographic's Best Pics of the Year

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My dad forwarded me an email with National Geographic's best pictures of the year. These two were my favorites. If you want to see the rest of the photographs, let me know and I'll email you.

Unpainted Stairs by Paul Massey

These stairs were posted on Remodelista back in June. I saved the image in my "inspiration" folder because I just think the concept is so outside-the-box. I mean, why paint the center of the treads if they are just going to get dirty? So practical - yet stylish. The stairs are from photographer Paul Massey's house in London.

Trash to Treasure: Knack Studios

When I grow up I want to do what Knack Studios does. The talented people at Knack refurbish, remix, and rediscover found objects, such as furniture, hardware, and light fixtures. Why buy new when you could salvage an otherwise unloved object by transforming it into a functional work of art. So inspiring. The "afters" Knack comes up with are gorgeous. Keep up the good work!

Bye Bye Bunny

The infamous Bishop Allen bunny is no more. I don't know who originally tagged my Central Square office building with the bunny, but for years it has remained untouched - a big deal in a neighborhood covered in graffiti. The bunny was respected. That is, until a few weeks ago when my building was attacked and someone broke the unspoken rule. The bunny couldn't be saved. Painters are outside now finishing up. Tear.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by tonypapesh

Somewhere over the rainbow- by tonypapesh

This rendition of the Wizard of Oz characters is one of several illustrations found at www.thedesigninspiration.com. The image above is one of my favorites from the series, but they are all really neat and if you're an Oz fan you have to check them out.

Clean and Cozy Living Room

I found this picture at Remodelista.com. The choices in the room are simple and clean, but I can still see myself curling up on that couch with a cup of tea. That "comfortable" vibe is sometimes hard to find in such large, contemporary spaces. I think in this room it's the overstuffed pillows and huge area rugs that warm the place up. The exposed wood on the ceiling also gives the space a rustic feel. And, of course, the windows and doors are amazing and help draw the eye up and out. I'm not a huge fan of that rocking chair, but all around it's a great room.