Windowshop Wednesday at West (W)Elm

My friend Miss Katie from The Katie Chronicles is in trouble. Why, you ask?

Because while we are trying to save up the extra pennies for the holidays she is taunting me with one of my favorite stores – West Elm!

But that’s okay Katie, looking is more fun than buying anyways.

There is no rhyme or reason here, just lots of things I wouldn’t mind finding in my stocking (hah-hah).

The Finn Chandelier would be excellent over a workspace!

Look at all that light!

It kind of reminds me of an old-school classroom/workroom lamp that slowly spins around over your head.

And while we’re on the topic of worklamps…

I love this Industrial Task Lamp.

I’ll give you three seconds to guess which color I’d pick… 1. 2. 3.

Egg yolk yellow! Even the rainiest, snowiest and dreariest day couldn’t bring you down with that spark on sunshine on your desk.

Transitioning to summer….

How sweet are these “yours and mine” pillow shams.

I love these big stripes on this duvet cover. I may need to keep an eye on this and see if the price does down… I can’t escape my nautical innards.

My love for all things sailor-esque are also seen here:

I love these striped sheets.

Can I take a brief moment out to give a round of applause for the West Elm product photographer. I’ve barely dabbled in product photography (I’m talking minor, pinky toenail in the water) and it is NOT easy.

These pillows look perfectly puffed and squished.  And the lighting is lovely.

*Back to earth* And lastly, I love these placemats.

I think these are great and very functional. You could pair them with evergreen and holly for Christmas, pink and magenta for Valentine’s Day and navy blue accents for July.

Hmmm, I definitely have a theme going on between all of these boldly patterned linens and bright yellow lamp, don’t I?

Thanks Katie for the fun!

Window Shop Wednesday: Kiss Me! I’m the Chef!

It’s that time again! Window Shop Wednesdays with The Katie Chronicles.

Today we’re “shopping” at Williams Sonoma! My mouth is salivating already.

Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven

Someday I will own one of these. Then I will pretend I’m Julia Child and make Boeuf Bourguignon. And it will be delicious.

Nordic Ware Rolled Omelette Pan

I was much more impressive as a child. I remember my Dad teaching me to make omelettes. I was pretty good. So good, in fact, I could flip the omelette over without breaking it.

I can’t do that anymore.

Until I get my skillz back, this omelette pan should do the trick. Then I can stop eating yogurt for breakfast.

All-Clad Stainless-Steel Asparagus Pot

One of my favorite meals in the world is roasted asparagus with eggs (once over easy) and feta.

I have always heard you should cook asparagus vertically like this. I usually just toss them in a pan in the oven with a little bit of water and olive oil.

I may need to look into this.

All-Clad Belgian Waffle Makers

This is one of those things I will always want but will never buy.

I’d like to think if I owned a Belgian Waffle maker that on Saturday mornings I’d pad down the stairs in a fluffy white robe and I’d make waffles dripping with maple syrup and freshly sliced strawberries lightly sprinkled in powdered sugar.

I’d eat them in a cozy little breakfast nook with Chintz curtains.

But… if you know me, you’ll know on Saturdays I get so wrapped up in having no routine that I usually forget to eat at all until it’s 3PM and I’m starving. Alas, no waffles for me. But it’s a nice dream.

What is your dream kitchen utensil? What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Window Shop Wednesday: Pottery Barn

It’s Window Shop Wednesday again with The Katie Chronicles.

Today we are “window shopping” at Pottery Barn.

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I love these sculptures of old telephones! These would be great to use as non-traditional bookends.

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I love seeded glass! It’s very old-time and cozy to me. These lampshades are beauties.

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I love-LOVE barn lamps! We hope to do something like this for our exterior lights on our house. Let the square dancing commence.

And a few items from my favorite section – the clearance aisle!

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These are so stinkin’ cute!

Okay, no offense or anything, but seriously Pottery Barn? You call $40.00 for these babies clearance?

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I have found a lot of cool things on the beach, but never a glass buoy. I can’t imagine there are many of those anymore! I guess until then I will need a fake one from PB.

Does anyone remember the children’s book Corduroy? It’s about a little teddy bear who gets locked in the department store overnight and gets to try out all the beds. I think I’d like to get locked into Pottery Barn.

Overstockin’ It: Windowshop Wednesday

It’s Window Shop Wednesday again with The Katie Chronicles

Someday we will actually buy a real piece of furniture.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled with my IKEA assembly education and Christmas Tree Shop finds. But, someday, maybe I will buy something that gets delivered.

Where is this going? OVERSTOCK.COM! Today we’re window shopping at Overstock.com and I’m furniture shopping for our house in my dreamland.

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We are looking for an island for our kitchen. There is a whole variety of problems with the kitchen situation, but we would like to have two stools to sit at the island (you know, for when I’m cooking and reading The Pioneer Woman at the same time).  Something like this might work!

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I’d love to have a pretty bench like this at the end of our bed. I love the nailhead trim on this pretty latte colored bench.

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There aren’t many things cozier than a braided rug. I love this sweet one is blues and yellows. It’s begging for a game of scrabble.

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Lastly, I really want a new sink. Ours has got to go. I would like to wash my vegetables in a sink that doesn’t look like it’s been there for 60 years.

Stop by The Katie Chronicles!

Window Shop Wednesday: A Retro Picnic

It’s Window Shop Wednesday again with The Katie Chronicles.

Instead of her normal routine, this week Katie has sent us on a special mission:

“Think of your next big trip – a honeymoon, a business trip, a trip home for the holidays, an exotic vacation you’ve been lusting for since February. Think what you would love to get for that trip, and where you’d love to get it from…because everyone needs a little something new before they skip town… “

- The Katie Chronicles

My next trip? Well, it just so happens we are taking a trip down to Long Island this weekend to see my in-laws! We have plans to go to a family reunion in Southampton and spend a day riding bikes on Shelter Island. Sign me up!

While I (sadly) won’t be buying any of these things for my trip, (things like countertops and sinks are higher up on our list right now) if I was to go on a magical shopping spree, I just might like to grab a few of these things for our trip:

Grocery Bike Basket

I would love to purchase one of these wire bike baskets! I know it’s not the classic basketwoven kind, but this detaches, which would be mighty handy when going to the library, grocery store or beach. Plus, if your bike get’s left out in the rain, no harm done!

Multiplaid Round Platter

We would obviously be going on a bike-picnic, so I would like to bring a cute (unbreakable) melanine platter to put out our grapes and cheese.

Multiplaid Storage Container Set

Where did the food appear from? Obviously, I packed it nicely in these matching containers before we left the house.

Women’s Boat-Neck Tees

I’d probably wear a cute sweater like this with comfy shorts. It’s light, but will keep me warm in the evenings. And it’s not too billowy for biking in. Plus it’s yellow. And we all know how much I love yellow.

Multi Spreader Set

To cut up our brie and apples and chocolate cake (apparently I brought loads of food on my bicycle with me. But this is imaginary, right?) I would use these adorable spreaders.

Crosley Record Player

Lastly, I would drag along this record player because, what’s a summer picnic without flair?

Yup. I think some Glenn Miller would do the trick.

I feel like I’m on vacation already! Thanks Katie!

The Swedish Giant: Window Shop Wednesday

Today we are window shopping at the Swedish Giant. Yes, Ikea.

I have a confession. I have never been into an Ikea. I don’t even own anything from Ikea. I think I may be the only person in blog land who is Ikea-less.

Someday I will make it there! And you can bet I am going for their free breakfast. Aww yeah!

When I do make it to the hallowed blue and yellow grounds, these are some things I am definitely considering bringing home with me:

The Hemnes Shoe Cabinet

This is a must-purchase. Our front door opens right up into a narrow hallway (old house, hello!) and we don’t have any great spot for excess stuff, particularly shoes. I’d like to put one of these in my hallway to store my shoes and have a place for our keys when we walk in the front door.

The Groland Kitchen Island

This I want to see. We are looking at islands for our kitchen right now, and if this one had a drawer underneath the tabletop it would be exactly what I’m looking for. We shall have to see…. I love the birch wood.

The Maskros Pendant Light

This light is like a party on your ceiling! It’s a little crazy, but it’s fun. I’d love to use this ceiling light in our bedroom or our office.

The Barbar Tray

“Put a bird on it” duh! I love this tray. It’s so colorful and whimsical. I’d use this on my dresser for perfumes and bottles.

Tell me I’m not the only one who has never been to Ikea.

Have you been to an Ikea? Are you part of the Ikea-cult?

It’s a Shoe-In: Window Shop Wednesday

It’s that time again! Window Shop Wednesday with The Katie Chronicles. This week we are looking at Zappos.com!

I’ve have a confession. I have never bought anything that I would wear online – shoes, clothes, jewelry, sunglasses, anything! But Zappos is one of the biggest online retailer in existence – crazy!

Today I’m focusing on footware and sharing some of my favorite shoes.

Percy shoes by Ralph Lauren

I love these! Give me yellow! Give me casual sandals! Give me platforms! I must be stuck in the 70s. I love these shoes. I love platforms because you can wear them with anything! Skirts, capris, shorts, jeans, whatvah!

Angelfish by Sperry Topsiders

I love boat shoes. They are classic summer. I keep scouring the clearance aisle for a cute pair of these. I have yet to find one! But these shoes + the seeksucker = I love! Give me a pink lemonade and a lawn chair.

KJ Boot by Keen

Everyone should own a pair of boots like this! I have a similar pair and wear them 80% of the year (i.e. every month but June-August. Seriously.)  I like these because you need a nice flat boot with a big rubber sole! If not you will wear through those puppies quickly and then the melting snow will seep in and wet your socks. And there’s not a lot worse than wet socks.

Bon Voyage shoe from Sketchers

Okay, don’t laugh. I have a pair of these are they are awesome! I love wearing them instead of watershoes. I wore these on my honeymoon while climbing waterfalls. You probably won’t wear them all the time, but they are nice to have!

Original Hunter Rainboots

Everybody should own rainboots. I wear them all the time in the fall and spring. And, pair them with wool socks and you’ve got the perfect shoes for walking through melting snow/slush/mud.

What is your favorite pair of shoes?

Summer Reading List: Window Shop Wednesday

It’s Window Shop Wednesday again with The Katie Chronicles! This week’s location is my biggest weakness. The place I can walk around aimlessly for hours, scouting out comfy chairs and look longingly at the vanilla lattes but never purchase because I’m too cheap. I used them for their free wi-fi in my college days, and usually walk out satisfied but empty-handed… Barnes & Noble!

As you know, I have an unhealthy obsession with books.

Today I am picking out all the books I would buy at B&N given the chance. (In reality, I will be getting most of these from the library. Libraries rock!! P.S. I just got my new library card for my new town! I love my new library already. Plus, they have a magazine swap bin! I came home with a huge stack of Better Homes & Gardens)

*drumroll*

I have a policy. If I want to see the movie, I need to read the book first. I knew that as soon as I saw the new movie trailer for “The Help”, starring the hilarious Emma Stone, I needed to read this book. The Help is a story of a young journalist who shares life stories from the perspective of three African-American maids who work for white families in Mississippi in the 1960s.

I love to read memoirs and biographies. This summer I would like to read A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard’s memoir of her kidnapping. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you would know that Dugard was kidnapped when she was 11 years old and was kept in captivity (while having had two children mind you) for 18 years before she was discovered in 2009. I would love to hear her tale and see how she had remained so positive and grounded throughout such a life-altering experience.

I have actually already read this book. But, I haven’t read it since my dear life-long dog friend/pet/family member Woody passed away almost two years ago. The Art of Racing in the Rain will make you cry. It’s a story of a race car driver and his life told through the perspective of his dog, Enzo. Grab me the tissues already, will you?

I judge novels by the cover. So sue me. I’m a graphic designer. It’s what I do. This cover is just stunning! I always looks for classic books with beautiful covers or bindings whenever I am at used books sales or garage sales. With seven Austen books packed in one, I may actually consider buying this one new!

I read Julie & Julia (duh, see my policy under book #1 listed) a year or so back and also saw the film. I am so intrigued by the life of Julia Child and I would love to learn more about her life via My Life in France. This has nothing to do with the fact that my Dad used to talk in a Julia-Child-voice while making Saturday morning cinnamon buns.

I don’t really know a lot about Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens if you’re tight). This was Twain’s last book that he wrote and was published in 2010. Did you read that correctly? Yes. This is why I want to read this book. Twain wrote his autobiography (a whopping 736 pages) but then laid down restrictions that it couldn’t be published until 100 years had passed after his death, giving Twain the rare privilege of writing a best selling novel in 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Why wouldn’t you want to read about a man that interesting?

I have also already read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I thought this book was fascinating. Granted, I work in the biotechnology industry, but this woman and her story have impacted every person on this planet and no one knows her name. HeLa (HEnrietta LAcks) cells make up nearly every cell on the planet that is used for medical testing. Her cells have gone into space, are being used to fight AIDS and cancer and help create every vaccine you could imagine. Little would you know her cells were taken from her without her knowing before she died from a vicious bout of cancer. This book is about Henrietta Lacks, her family and racism in the medical testing field in the mid 20th century.

And finally, I would buy a new copy of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, because mine is falling apart. This is a very interesting read and one of my favorite works of Lewis. It’s a series of letters back and forth between the Devil and one of his minions on earth talking about how to tempt his assigned human into sin.

There you have my new reading list!

What are you going to read this summer?

Dorm Living Throwback: Window Shop Wednesday

My freshman dorm room was an explosion of hot pink and green. Luckily, my randomly assigned roommate also happened to choose hot pink and green. Our room was a madness of bright colors, patterns, Hanson music (did I just say that one outloud?) and goldfish (RIP Frank).

I lived in the basement floor of my building, affectionately called the “She-Pit”. It was fun. It was quirky. It was… grody. Living in the basement increased the humidity, so our posters were always falling down (because of course we had to use sticky tack. No tape allowed!).

Also funny, a few of the older dorms on campus (like the one I was living in) were built in the 1960s on some type of government grant. The grant elected to cover all the building expenses, except for furniture. And they defined furniture as anything that touches the floor. Naturally.

So, of course, all of our “furniture” was bolted to the wall, hovering about 8 inches above the floor (and thus covered).  No, I’m not kidding. My bed was a big plank sticking out from the wall. And you couldn’t move anything. Except for the desk chair.

So where am I going with this again? Ahhh yes. It’s that time of the week again – Window Shop Wednesdays with The Katie Chronicles! Today we are window shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond – the holy grail for dorm living accessories. I was feeling nostalgic. So today I decided that I will window shop for a “dream dorm room”. (…Like I’d ever give up that pink and green. It was awesome.)

I would start with this fun Amy Butler Dream Daisy Duvet Cover! I love the fun peacock colors and graphic flowers.

Since my bed would be so amazingly comfy, I would need this Timex® Wacky Shake & Wake Alarm Clock. (True story: When I had my very, very first test in college I slept through it. Oh, I cried. I needed this clock. Do they make clocks that start punching you in the stomach when you don’t get out of bed?)

I would also need this Real Simple Laundry Tote. I love the fun colors and it looks big enough to hold a semester’s worth of dirty clothes.

To beautify my cement block walls, I would put up these Round Mirrors Framed In Black. Hung up with 3M sticky hooks of course.

And lastly, I would need this Indoor/Outdoor Travel Blanket. I would use it to watch soccer games on the quad, outdoor movies, going to the beach or whatever collegiate antics I may be up to.

I would NOT need the all-nighters and cafeteria food though. Those I am happy to leave in the past.

What did your dorm room look like?

Graphic Design a la Etsy: Window Shop Wednesday with the Katie Chroncicles

It’s that time of the week again with The Katie Chronicles!

(And sadly, since I was a lame blogger this week, I only have one post between my last Window Shop Wednesday. Actually, I am just noticing that a post I had written, and thought I published, has disappeared. And it’s nowhere to be found. Oh well! One less Fourth of July post from Kat.)

This week is featuring items from Etsy. I truly enjoy Etsy. I like supporting individual artists and owning one-0f-a-kind things. Etsy is also perfect for gifts!

Today I thought I’d highlight some fellow graphic designers. I have toyed around with opening an Etsy print shop and making some fun prints for framing. Maybe someday. When I have more time. So, maybe never. : )

Check out this amazing Helvetica alphabet print from ModernPop. Who says that the alphabet is only for kids?

Helvetica? Check. Funky colors? Check. Cool opacity and layering? Check.

This adorable crafty print from Yellow Heart Art would look so cute above my desk. Or above my sewing machine. That poor machine is lonely and crying in the corner.

This dining poster from GraphicAnthology would be fun in any kitchen nook! I love that pop of mustard orange against the midnight navy blue.

Finally, I love this adorable cake poster from TenderBeasts. The color is so cheery and the sentiment is sweet. It reminds me of birthday celebrations and would make a cute birthday gift.

Thanks for the link up Katie!

And a hearty shout-out to all my fellow graphic designers. I love being inspired by the creativity of others on a daily basis. It’s soul food!