hollywood

can't think of a better name for this lamp by coronet lighting (password protected, sorry for the curious).

makes me think of ava gardner. classic sexy. i'd put this on a mirrored table in a black and white room...maybe a formal living room. even bedroom. anyhow, i love it. the cinch in the middle really gives it some attitude.

oh yeah

i'd skip work for that. its a lifeguard tower, can you believe that? in that case, you'd actually be at work while enjoying a tropical escape.

our awesome receptionist, mimi, reminded me of a very good life lesson that's easy to forget sometimes. its the days you take off that you'll remember, not the ones where you met a deadline or had a really productive day in the yard. i've played hookie very few times in my life. and i distinctly remember each one. quality time with family and friends, having a 2 hour conversation over breakfast with someone who until that point you only knew as an aquaintance, or successfully remaining in your pjs all day and finishing an entire season of dexter. they're good. mental health days should be a requirement.

so don't forget to sketch out of something seemingly "important" every once and a while. its good for you.

check out this awesome work place here.

ego booster

1. I LOVE your emails!!!

2. Hahahahaha That’s hilarious!!! Good news and good idea.

3. Thanks so much for these opportunities...it makes my day :)

three very happy textile reps. doesn't making people happy just make you wanna shout "i am so awesome!"

then at least you know you're doing something right. even above my undiscovered mad design skills, i am a relationship builder--so how do you like them apples?

it's not always "in the script"

let's be honest. following God and staying focused is easy when life is good. but its really hard when you feel like your life is a movie and the good you do is repaid in downright nastiness.

things you couldn't stomach to do, some people can do as easy as they can go grocery shopping.

it is then awfully apparent that evil in the world exists not only to separate other people from God, but to hurt you and try and separate YOU from God. its a scary battle folks.

one thing i'd like to stress is that no one should act kind because they think its the right thing to do. that's religion. religion does not equal goodness. kindness comes from having God in your heart. and when God is in your heart, you've got the most powerful weapon against "mean" people that there is. never doubt His ability to fill you from the inside like a light in a dark room. all you have to do is ask.

The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

Isaiah 60:19

hello, old friend

little known fact: i am addicted to chapstick. any kind. it started with carmex and i've branched out since then. now i'm quite the chapstick snob. this weekend i bought the above lip balm. upon application, the delicious smell gave me an instant "holy cow this smell is familiar" flashback. isn't it weird how that happens with smells? well anyway, i knew it smelled like italy (when i say italy, i mean summer 07) but i couldn't figure out what in italy it smelled like. after several more applications, it hit me. i have actually had this lip balm before, on my study abroad trip to europe. then i remembered the tragic story of how i lost it...

my friends and i were meandering down a street in barcelona after enjoying some delicious paella. most side streets in europe are small, room enough for one car, and they're mostly used for pedestrians. so here we are, walking, and i go for the after-lunch lip balm application and accidentally drop my burt's bees in the street and it rolls out a few feet. knowing there were no cars, i casually walk over to pick it up, and just as i get up to it, some tiny little motor vehicle zooms in front of me, crushing my lip balm and almost taking out my foot. it was like lightning--i didn't even hear the speed demon approaching. it was so sad. luckily i had some other sort of lesser chapstick, but i remember that one being a great chapstick. the scent memory is a peculiar one, isn't it? if it weren't for me buying that chapstick, i never would have recalled that incident.

lesson learned: when you value something that much and you're traveling in a location where a replacement is not available, always buy two. and if you're buying chapstick, burt's bees replenishing lip balm is an excellent choice!

delicious

you may be surprised to hear that i was not the one to tear this page out of the february issue of better homes and gardens. in fact, it was brought to me by the feller--apparently we rub off on each other more than we think.

i love love love this color palette. its just delicious and happy and i don't think i could stay grumpy in a space like that. i'm not usually one for pinks, either. but this has just enough oranges and reds mixed in to make me an instant fan. i just want to lick sherbert right off the page!

ok, walmart!

walmart is a trap. i go there most times for everything except produce and meat because its cheap. but then they have so much stuff! and you have to look at this, and then, oh!--this catches your eye. before you know it you have an armful of stuff and even though you came for facewash, you're leaving with spray paint, a picture frame, outdoor chair cushions and ben and jerry's cherry garcia.

however, check out walmart's new line of throw pillows. for some reason the one i saw in the store i can't find online, and some of the ones online i didn't see in the store. go figure. but check out this high-end look-a-like. impressive, walmart. way to step it up.

if it weren't for the fact that i have nothing close to that green to match, i would have scooped it up. not bad prices either! all of their pillows are under 20 bucks, most under 12.

allergies, meet your match

florida is a haven for pollen right now. i didn't know i could dislike something more than the humidity of florida. well i found it: pollen. allergen experts say this is one of the worst years ever. i'm sold on that fact. some mornings i wake up and sound like i've been smoking since birth. its nasty.

how am i surviving these tough times? well, wall-itin (walgreens brand of claritin), mucinex, and this little weapon: hot tea. now, not that i'm particular to any kind of tea for allergy treatment, but bigelow (my favorite tea brand) makes a green tea with lemon. i've been a fan of this tea since around new years when i gave up caffeine (not permanently, no no no-- dunkin donuts just opened right around the corner from my apartment and it is nearly impossible to pass up hazelnut coffee with cream and sugar--no, i just gave up drinking it every day; DON'T recommend dropping the habit cold turkey if you ever get the same inclination...we're talking headaches, irritability, wanting to kill for a 10am nap...not good). ok back on track:

today i discovered this little puppy is my secret weapon. i noticed my allergies were especially bad. to the point where i wanted to rip my sinuses out through my nose, egyptian style. then i realized "hey! i didn't have my tea this morning!" at first, this was totally unrelated. but then after inhaling the steam and a few big gulps, i noticed my allergies were calmed almost instantly. don't ask me why. i just know it works for me.

so if the pollen brigade hasn't reached your neck of the woods yet, i recommend stocking up.

a piece of history for $25

the artist couple who run 3 fish studios have created linoleum prints of iconic chairs. my favorite, seen above, is the barcelona. although i dream of one day shelling out amost 2k for one, $25 sounds like a much better deal to be able to at least look at one every day. they have quite a collection of chairs. i'm so glad other people love chairs as much as i do. one day i want a hallway with white walls, wood floors, and white display cubes to elevate one of each real chair. gives me tingles just thinking about it!

while you're at their website, make sure and check out their other prints. the robots are especially cool.

go concrete!

flying turtle is a company that creates cast concrete that is both green and stain free. they do commercial and residential, and most of their work is both custom and beautiful.

cast concrete has taken a major popularity leap, not only in modern structures, but even in traditional homes as beautiful countertops (such as seen above).

their fireplaces are outstanding. one is even made to look like a custom wood installation.

one day i'll have to get them to make me something!

tastes like childhood

who remembers these?!

my eye caught them in the grocery store and i was a gonner. they've been worth the calories, that's for sure. most of them are split in half unevenly. i take the little one and give the big one to the feller. you know what's even better than that??

that equals heaven.