I just got home with a little bag of cherries. They are perfect. And almost all eaten.

For those of you who have seen me in the last few days you know that I am a chicken running around with my head cut off. I am in super rush mode and I'm feeling utterly crazy with work deadlines... I am leaving town again, actually I'm leaving the country on Saturday, and I haven't even begun to prepare.

Being the aforementioned chicken-sans-head, it calms me greatly to look at work like this... by Edmund de Waal. If you also need a dose of 'calm-me-down' take a look at his site.

{via dear ada}

I'll be heading to Honduras, Roatán to be exact. Any tips or suggestions of things to see and do?

Every time I go out to Joshua Tree I love it more. We didn't really check the weather report before we left, thinking it would be sunny and warm, but instead we were greeted by a huge storm front. Storms out in the desert are incredible so it was simply a different kind of trip and made the scenery even more beautiful We couldn't really do all the things we wanted to, so instead of rock climbing we:

1. went to Pappy and Harriet's for a deliciously spicy Bloody Mary
2. hid in the tent while it rained and knitted and sketched
3. sat around the campfire and talked about our favorite cities
4. drove around and looked for property to buy

And while I was away, Joanna wrote a very flattering post on Cookie Magazine's blog about my little beasties... I'm blushing :) Many thanks!

I'm making a mad dash towards some deadlines tonight and will probably be up 'til the wee hours. But the reward is that tomorrow morning we're heading out to the desert for some much needed time away. I love that the desert is only a two hour drive from here... but it feels much further than that when you're out there.

See you Monday!

A few months ago we bought a dusty, spider-webby, and neglected bench at a garage sale. R put in a lot of work and today we enjoy this lovely almost 10-foot long bench. He used Tung oil on the undersides to bring out the beauty of the wood and painted the top.

It's just so simple... and it's perfect. It almost looks like it belongs at the cabin. And speaking of the cabin, the louvered wood slats on the patio are one my favorite parts. Not only are they graphically striking, but they filter the light so beautifully. Given that this house was built in the '40's and hasn't been that well maintained, it's wonderful to see these original details still functioning.

If this past month's American Craft Magazine cover doesn't reel you in, their website with unpublished photos will.

left: cardigans, part of FLOCK by Christien Meindertsma (on the cover)
right: tools Sam Maloof uses for his woodworking (on the website)

{images from American Craft, April/May 2008, Vol. 68, No. 2}

I like these two images together. They kind of represent the hard and soft aspects of my interests... wool and wood. Part of me wants to be surrounded by wool and other natural fibers and delving into textiles. The other part of me wants to be covered in saw dust all day, working wood and making furniture. Even though I am someone who spends almost every waking minute on a computer, it's really working with my my hands that I prefer.

I'm bidding a fond farewell to some beasts! They left for England today and will be part of a launch for a new little shop {I'll post a link when it's up and running}.

Good bye, you little guys.... write to me!

Oh, their names are, left to right:
Albrecht, Owen, Colin, Marion, Margot
Fritz, Algernon, Lindy, Roscoe and Borys

This is what I see if I look to the left from where I am sitting. I like the shadows and colors on my wall tonight. A reminder of some things I want to do...

As I write this I know it sounds ridiculous, but it feels like I am just too busy to be inspired. I am sure there is a more eloquent way to phrase the predicament I am in, but that is what it boils down to. It's like I am wearing blinders... I cannot see anything but these upcoming deadlines. Luckily, I am working right now at place with a lot of yummy magazines in the design office. So while I wait for things to print or save or what have you, I am able to quickly flip through some wonderful eye-candy magazines whose subscriptions I cannot afford and I get to indulge in some true visual bliss, fleeting as it is. Because I can't let myself get completely distracted by the beautiful things I see I am holding them in my mind for a later date.

This one comes from Azure, July/August 2007. Interconnected red rings by Patricia Urquiola for the De Padova showroom.

I recently stopped by The Outdoor Room. Although their pots and furniture are SO out of my price range, I fell in love with a few things, like the white pot above. I couldn't walk away empty-handed so I picked up a few cacti for R's place. Hopefully my next purchase will be this white pot.... after I win the lottery :)

Realization: I need a sizeable outdoor space so I can play out my fabulous urban garden fantasies.

I am doing some work for our local museum of antiquities, so I've got statues, busts and exquisite display spaces on my mind.

I think designing a display space, one that holds back without overtaking the art but that which also commands it's own audience, is a very delicate task. One of my favorite architects, Carlo Scarpa has done that quite well. Above is his Canova plaster cast gallery. A breath of fresh air.

{images from the book Carlo Scarpa: Intervening with History; photos by Guido Guidi}

Above is Gerald Allsorts. An true experiment. He's totally wonky and weird, but I like the looks of him and think he needs the company of some other weird fellows. I just need to make it through some deadlines, and then I can make Gerald some friends.

And, wouldn't you know it? The fire flared up again early this morning. Right across the road from R's house. The firefighters came right way, so it's hopefully all taken care of now, but it gives me the willies.

Two of my favorite photos... from Marie Claire's Restaurer, Renover, Patiner: En 30 Recettes.

So serene.

I just died and went to cute website heaven: Apolline à Paris {via le train fantôme}

The "what do to you grab in a fire?" question is clearly haunting me.

Now that we are in the aftermath phase, Shawn from Island Sweet said it perfectly on a recent comment: "you must be looking at everything in your home with different eyes..."

And I am... now I am obsessed with every object I own... muttering to myself all day... do I need this? Is that really neccessary? Can I live without this item? Why am I such a pack rat? Since the fire, I have been surveying my apartment wondering if I really need all these bits and pieces.

So today I started to organize my buttons (which I realize is not really part of the exercise of getting rid of the unnecessary) but I cannot live without buttons, so I thought maybe I could at least organize them into a more manageable, usable way?... and this was as far as I got. Typical me, I got carried away with how pretty they looked and put them on the scanner instead of actually organizing the buttons. They're now back in the big glass jar, same as always :)

And this morning while I was washing dishes, I was looking at some wonderful little pieces I have. They really are nothing... nothing expensive or rare; they're not even attached to any extraordinary or wonderful memory, I just have them... and they are beautiful... and I love them. While they may not be part of the things I would automatically grab in a fire, if I lost them I would be heart-broken.

So... enough of the fire! I said I was moving on. I had better get to it :)

Some good news: Bencke has a shop on MadeIt... go and check it out. I've mentioned Gillian before, and just to reiterate, I love her work. She recently moved from Newcastle to Fremantle and so far it seems like a good fit ... and for all you lucky Australians, she'll be exhibiting at the Footpath Gallery in Fremantle in June/July as well as in Wangaratta, Vic. Also, find the latest musings on her blog.