flying

it took me a while to find a good devotional. this one found me by accident. ok, that's a lie. i'm convinced it was devine intervention.

growing up, i always had (and now struggle with) this vision of God as a foggy being floating in the clouds. long beard, flowing white cloak, old...you get the picture. my journey to shorten the distance between me and Him has been at times difficult and confusing.

this book is helping to change all that. it really helps you to see that He is not a foggy vision or a heaven-dweller looking down on earth--He is literally right beside you, whether you feel it, understand it, like it, or not. and when you need it, there is nothing more comforting than that.

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

-Lamentations: 3


of all things designed well, the Word is the greatest

it is good

being in a new apartment requires new things. ok well it doesn't really, but every time i move i think of it as a new design challenge, even though i have all of the same stuff from my old place. my latest design quest has been for a bedside table lamp. i found this little beauty on the currey & co. website. normally i am not aware of such great residential sources. however, once and a while i get a rep in here to whom i have to give the sad response of "you have great product, but we do government honey. it ain't gonna work here." to which they persist, "just take it!" and i gladly accept, putting the catalog in a special place where i know i can find it to relax with during a quick 5 minute break from grey and beige.

of course i cannot have this lamp. but it would work so well with my pewter and white bedroom!

get back!

isn't this cool? its an old train station light pendant. get back, inc. is a website mentioned by one of the diy-ers on apartment therapy. i decided to check it out and it is super neato. almost all of their items are vintage. prices are not listed, but i'm sure they're a pretty penny.

check it out!

i meant to post this some time ago

its the hgtv dream home 2009!

as usual it's spectacular, no surprise. you can see for yourself by clicking the link above.
but let's talk about my favorite 2 rooms and why: wall treatments!

cork tiles! yes! there are other things i like about the media room. the coffee table that splits into 4 separate pieces, the chaise lounges, the movie set lighting, the overall coziness of it. but i think this is the first time i've ever seen cork on walls. it usually goes on floors--it stands up easily to water, it feels great to walk on, its a rapidly renewing source, it requires little maintenance, and its a great neutral. i might have eventually come around to the thought of using cork on walls, but someone beat me. and i'm glad. its textural, its warm, its acoustical. its awesome.

next. tiles on bedroom walls! i have been trying to tell people for i don't know how long that tile is not exclusive to bathrooms and kitchens. it works wonderfully, but let's not pigeon hole such a wonderful product. i would go so far to say that they wouldn't even necessarily need a headboard, if they decided to use the tile directly behind the bed on only a portion of a wall. i've been exploring the idea of implied/alternative headboards. anyway, i digress. my point is, tile is an easy way to spruce up just about any space. and running it vertically helps make the room feel taller. i don't know that i'm crazy about the wood choice...but that's another topic.

the rest of the house does not disappoint. take the house tour!

when bad days occur on thursday

there is always a chance for redemption.

can i just live here?

"hey, she's kelly wearstler. she can do what she wants." that's what my friend allison said. after this hotel, she sure can.

some of you may recognize kelly from design show competitions and things like that. normally, her designs do not blow my skirt up. well ok, they blow my skirt WAY up and then i have to push it back down. they are amazing, don't get me wrong. i've just always considered myself someone to create more liveable spaces. not something i would need to creep around on...like if someone gave me a steaming cup of coffee after i got my nails done. (if you're not a girl you may not get it.) they are elegant, elaborate, royal palace looking spaces. the economy isn't affecting her clients, if you get what i'm saying.

but let's talk about this. as if colorado wasn't awesome enough already, kelly had to go and blow it out of the water. it was so awesome, in fact, that apartment therapy--the crafty do-it-yourself great design site--had to feature it in an article. the use of wood is outstanding. the lighting is magnificent and is perfect for a colorado hotel. the guest rooms look modern yet homey. i don't know what else to say except, when can i move in?

for all the fuzzy-hearted

aw. that's all you get out of me. don't expect a valentine's day post. valentine or not, i've never been a big fan of the holiday. why have one day where you're obligated to tell someone how much they mean to you? why not do it on any normal sunshiney afternoon? once you get past the doily hearts, it just becomes expensive and really pink.

nonetheless, i thought these were kind of clever.