Things over-looked are NOT over-looked @ Modcloth

Bike on a Hot Tin Sign @ Modcloth

I recently went over to a house-warming party of a friend of mine who just bought his first home, being the tree-hugging kind of guy he is he doesn't own a vehicle and instead bikes around town.  His bicycle was parked and locked in front of the open garage, when I saw this I suggested to him to get his own bike rack and thought how cute that would be, then I saw this Bike on a Hot Tin Sign at Modcloth.

I own a couple of bicycles and park it in my mudroom, I know exactly where this sign is going.

Ready, Set, To-Go Menu Organizer @ Modcloth

In my kitchen I have a designated junk drawer full of take-out menus, they're usually thrust into the drawer with not a care in the world resulting in crumpled and now a hard to open drawer, as a result of this chaos I took out one of my old school binders and made a to-go menu folder.  It really was a great idea but it also took a little bit of time since I wanted the to-go menus organized geographically, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, American and such.

If you've got the same to-go menu drawer issue but don't have the time to put the binder together yourself look to Modcloth who didn't overlook this problem.

The Sunroom

 When I think of my dream home, which quite often changes form, there's one thing that always remains the same, that it will include a sunroom.  I've never grown up in a home with a sunroom before but I have a fascination with them all the same.  The concept of being able to enjoy a scenic view from right inside your home is fantastic, the concept of having a specific room in your home to collect warmth and light is also fantastic!

I used to think of sunrooms as an elderly-type of thing but today I see they can be quite modern and can be decorated pretty much any which way to your liking.  Here are a few sunrooms I thought were worth looking at, really, they are beautiful! 

New System 1-2-3 Lounge Chair @ DWR

Designed by Vernor Panton the new System 1-2-3 Lounge Chair (pictured is the deluxe leather) just came out at Design Within Reach. Breathtakingly beautiful.

$4,300.00 in Deluxe Leather
23.5"wide 32"front to back, 14.5"seat from the ground, 34"tall

To view other new items at DWR please click here

Structural Visions of Kengo Kuma

I recently saw a picture of a glass/wood house that Kengo Kuma had designed and was completely blown away by it, it was after this short sweet introduction to his work that made me curious about this Japanese born architect who in my mind is a real genius.  His works are innovative, fluid to the eye, almost always modern and alien in comparison to other architectural styles.

A modern bedroom with the bathroom surrounded by glass walls

A somewhat traditional bamboo bathroom in modern style

A shop he designed with honey comb wood structuring

A meeting table out on an island surrounded by glass walls

Kengo Kuma's Glass/Wood House

I saw this picture by Scott Frances, a glass/wood house by the architect Kengo Kuma located in new Canaan, Connecticut and was blown away by the beauty, form and concept.  Thought I'd share it with you, I hope you enjoy the picture as much as I did.

Home of: Keri Russell

Birth name:  Keri Lynn Russell

AKA:  Keri Russell

Date of birth:  March 23, 1976

Place of birth:  Fountain Valley, California

Occupation:  Actress & Dancer

Most famously known for her acting

*Pictures by Elle Decor

Kitchen

Dining area

Master bedroom

Dressing room/ closet

Master bathroom

For Elle Decor's full article on Keri Russell please click here

New Items @ West Elm, Wood is big

When it comes to decorating my home I go with wood, that's my thing, wood.  I love wood.  West Elm has got a few new notable items made of wood, my favorite being the table pictured below, the Carved Wood Coffee Table, not so oddly it reminds me of my yoga classes... inner peace, oooohhhhhmmmm.

Carved Wood Coffee Table $299.00
Solid mango wood
32"d x 12"h

Next, the Salvaged Wood Shelf.  I think the black brackets really does a lot for the overall look of the wood shelf.  It's got a "this is a comfortable home" kind of vibe to it and I think the best part of the shelf is that I can picture it almost anywhere in the house, this is very important as you well know, multifunctional/versatile pieces goes along way towards getting your money's worth.

Salvaged Wood Shelf $79
36"l x 8"d x 1.5"h

I find it quite hard to find a nice standing clock of good size, I suppose this is why the Wood Mantle Clock caught my eye.  When I first moved into my Los Angeles apartment I hunted actively for an affordable mantle clock but to no avail, eventually my mother gifted me hers, a triangular clock with an orb foot base and round clock face from Ethan Allen.  The West Elm Wood Mantle Clocks, which I think are just adorable, a little too adorable to go on a mantle as suggested by their name but perfect for a kitchen counter clock or in the children's bedroom, perhaps even the work-room.

Wood Mantle Clocks $34.00
8.65"w x 1.75"d x 9.5"h

My New Mortar & Pestle Purchase

For a long time now I have been searching for the perfect mortar & pestle, the perfect mortar & pestle for me, I mean to say.  I've looked at quite a few and as of late has been one of those items I always look at when in a store that sells kitchen items.  The marble and rock mortar & pestle (which there seems to be an abundance of) always seems to have rock dust and teeny-weenie rock pieces and chips in the bowl, I find this not to my liking as I don't want to be eating 'rock' anything, and though I know it's unlikely I'll be finding anything rock-like in my food by using a rock-made mortar & pestle it is still "not for me".

This past weekend I decided to go for a walk and get some exercise... at the mall, I found myself in Crate & Barrel.  Looking at hand-mixers and coffee grinders can be great fun, Sur La Table, Costplus World Market and Crate & Barrel are my top three places I like to window-shop for kitchen items.  Window-shopping was all I was doing until I saw my mortar & pestle, it was the mortar & pestle I've been waiting for!  Made of entirely wood and unique in the look and feel I just stopped and stared it for quite awhile, and then I touched it, before I knew it I was pretending to bash an assortment of dried herbs and things.  I had to buy it and for only $24.00 and some change, that day I came home with my new Olivewood Mortar & Pestle from Crate & Barrel.  I bashed some peppercorn for dinner, I thought it was a pretty good excuse to use it.

Olivewood Mortar & Pestle $24.95 @ Crate & Barrel