Shelf love (I'm serious)

I have a bit of a thing for built-in bookshelves. I'm constantly finding myself attracted to rooms, and often when I look a little closer I find built-ins! Is it the order, the function, the way they turn a wall into art? Like most infatuations I can't explain exactly what I love about them, but I must have them in our next home! Just look how gorgeous:

LOVE how the shelves frame the window seat. I would definitely read in this room.

So pretty! It's like book wallpaper!

Shelves in the kitchen for cookbooks - genius!

P.S. Most of these photos came from isuwannee, a blog that regularly features bookshelves!

The yin and the yang

I love how design has the power to change my mood. I am drawn to all of the spaces featured below, as varied as they are in style and composition. They're all in one post because they have one thing in common: they all either soothe me or fill me with energy. I bet you can tell which ones belong in which category...

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Out for a walk

As is our custom, Ella and I went for a walk the minute I got home from work this afternoon. It's a cold, drizzly day up here in Connecticut, but the air is sweet and there are signs of life everywhere...

Happy spring

Happy first day of spring everyone! The crocuses are out in New England - beautiful!






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Weekly highlights

Hello friends! Another weekend is just around the corner and spring is in the air - life is good! Here are some of my faves from the last week or so. Enjoy - xoxo

I love postcards and I love growing plants.  What do you get when you cross postcards and plants? Green postcards. Genius.

I LOVE this post just as much for the pictures as for the clever title "i want to go to there". (30 Rock! Holler!) These photos make me absolutely desperate for an adventure to a far off place. In a good way.

More great design from Scandinavia. Check out bungalow for colorful textiles of all kinds. I like the kitchen towels.

I'm totally enjoying desire to inspire and their weekly feature pets on furniture cracks me up (a lot of the design is good too!) Here's a shot of my own little pet on furniture. Can you tell that she thinks she's a human too?

And finally, a totally cool site about naturally occurring color - thanks for sending it babe!

Kathryn Ireland

Oh gracious, I am in love with Kathryn Ireland's designs!! The color! The textures! Love it all!

Photos below from her home in Ojai and other projects (I'll take one of each, please):

Her book:

And some of her fabrics:

Sweet dreams

I dream of a cabin in Montana, out on the edge of the world. The night air is cold and the wind whips over the hills, but inside it is warm and cozy and bright.

In spring the view out the front door is of blue sky and wildflowers and snowcapped mountains.

In the mornings we will eat our cereal in the sun and watch for deer outside. We will hike and fish and build forts and play with the dogs, and turn brown from all the sun.

On warm summer nights we will splash in the river and play games on the banks, and the sun will stay out until after bed time.

Little voices will giggle from bunk beds next to open windows...

...while grownups laugh and tell old stories and drink coffee and enjoy the peace and sweet scents in the air.

And when the days grow short and the nights are cold again, we will come inside and talk and read and warm our feet by the fire.