I Stand Behind: Yoga blankets as a throw

My last throw blanket that I purchased from Bed Bath & Beyond was cheap, the softness of the fur only lasted a week or so before I began to realize that the more I used it the more matted and oily-like the fur became, so when I adopted Annie from a rescue I gave her, whole-heartedly, the throw blanket. And so, ever since, I have been looking for that worthy throw blanket. The requirements of the throw blanket were:

1. Price: Affordability was a major factor (of course!). While I came across many beautiful Mexican woven throw blankets, they were all out of my price range at $250+. I was willing to spend at most just a bit over $100 (and that's only if I really had to).

2. Material: Woven. A woven throw blanket was my first choice mainly because it is sturdy while softening with time and the kind of look I was hoping to achieve in my home.

I did not expect a throw blanket to be expensive but every time I passed a window display or  throw blanket in a home store the price was always more than I had imagined, definitely much more than I was willing to spend. And then one day in my yoga class going into my Downward Dog pose, I found myself staring at the beautiful gray Mexican yoga blanket neatly folded beneath me, this got me thinking. After class I found myself in the tiny little yoga store that is a part of the yoga studio and saw a stack of Mexican yoga blankets, all in different colors but in the same material, size and design, and when I asked for the price I was completely blown away... $26.00! I grabbed one immediately and even contemplated getting a second. Funny enough the throw blanket that I have been hunting for for a whole year was not a throw blanket at all but a yoga blanket! What's the difference? Nothing really.

And of course when I brought it home, Annie claimed it immediately.

There are a few different places you can purchase different Mexican woven yoga blankets on-line and quite a few designs to choose from in a wide range of colors. I purchased my yoga blanket (a Yogaworks brand) at my local Yogaworks studio, I found this to be advantageous especially for choosing the right color and taking a closer look at the thickness and such.

YogaWorks studio locations

Home Of: Benedikt Bolza

Benedikt Bolza

Date of birth:  Unknown

Place of birth:  Unknown

Occupation:  Architect & designer

Most famously known for his works as an architect & designer on the Reschio Estate

*Pictures via AD

Drawing Room

stairwell

Kitchen

Sitting area in the kitchen

Dining alcove

The study

Children's playroom

Guest bedroom

Guest bathroom

Guest bathroom

Guest bedroom

Garden sitting area

Read the full article:

A Rustic Farmhouse In The Hills Of Italy by Marella Caracciolo 

at Architectural Digest

Item of Note: Copper Dial Thermometer

For as long as I have known him, my husband has had a thing for thermometers, specifically the kind that gives you a reading on the weather. Since I have known him he has bought a total of three thermometers, all of which, in his mind is not the one he was looking for; they were either too inaccurate, simply, the thermometers were inconvenient in some way or other. Living with him I have come to realize that being a perfectionalist is hard in a world where everything is made by man, who is, in a word, imperfect.

Browsing Terrain one day, I came upon their new copper thermometer. Beautifully designed and said to be highly accurate this German thermometer is the first thermometer I have had an interest in and when I introduced it to my husband actually peaked an intense interest in him as well, especially the "highly accurate" phrase. 

While I cannot say that this is the perfect thermometer (that is a rather bold and rare statement) I can say that it is nearest to the perfect thermometer that I have yet to come across. And of course it is absolutely beautiful too, which simply goes to show that a thermometer does not have to be unattractive, which unfortunately they usually are.

Take a more detailed look at the Copper Dial Thermometer @ Terrain

Flemish Kitchens

The Flemish kitchen favors simplicity and utility, thus exposed shelving, minimal decor and large open spaced kitchen where kitchen and dining area are one can be seen as very important aspects and are characteristics often not missed in the Flemish and Flemish-inspired kitchen. If there is to be any detail worth noting that goes beyond simplicity and utility it would be the tile-work and in more exquisite traditional Flemish kitchens, the fireplace. While both the tile-work and fireplace may still be seen in today's standards as being rather simple, for the traditional Flemish kitchen it is worth noting. Above and below are a few examples, pictures of the look of the traditional Flemish kitchen style.

FLEMISH INSPIRED KITCHENS

Above and below are a few examples of beautiful modern Flemish-inspired kitchens. Characteristics such as simple tile-work, the use of wood, commune tables, large open spaces, vintage style ovens and open shelving are examples of how the Flemish kitchen has inspired these pictured.

Item of Note: Swallow Wall Clock

How cool is this Swallow Wall Clock from A+R by designer Griffin Yang of Haoshi Design. A Dozen flying swallows in the midst of different movement in flight makes up the the numbers of the clock. The concept and the detail in the design is absolutely unique, lovely and peaceful.

23.6"h x 23.6"w x 4.7"d

Handmade resin-cast swallows

Take a look at Haoshi's Swallow Wall Clock @ A+R

The earthy home via the use of wood

Under the rules of Feng Shui I am an earth sign which means that I get a lot of pleasure from using wood inside my home, and it just so happens that I am drawn to wood. But in all honesty, you don't have to be an earth sign to appreciate using wood in your home and I've got the pictures to prove it!

Below are a few pictures of homes that have incorporated wood into their home. It's beautiful, earthy and yet striking.

I find the mixture of using raw wood for walls and contemporary furniture rather appealing, a rather pleasant balance of rustic earthiness and current times is met perfectly in this way.

Hello color! Orange and green to pair with wood? There are no better colors to keep wood looking fresh, fun... and funky!

The wooden storage boxes along the wall storing wood amongst other things is a smart way to make wood useful as well as make it a key feature of a room.

Sometimes it is the simple things that get the most attention. Wood is incorporated into the design (pictured above) by way of the floating wooden staircase, the simple wood trim around the doors, and of course there is the oversized wooden coffee table. In this case, less is more.

And a few examples where less isn't more.

Two favorite looks of bathrooms that use wood as a main source of mood. The bamboo wood in the above bathroom is serene and zen, while the choice of wood wall int he below bathroom leans towards being more rustically chic.