Design Crush

I have been searching the web for seventies design, textiles and the like. I am firmly in the love with the graphic quality of seventies prints. I have always admired the bohemian meets psychedelic meets Victorian design found in England during the 1970's, but haven't had much appreciation for other aspects of the 1970's. How wrong I was! I have stumbled on numerous really cool blogs today and I have to share this blog: Cassapinka. She chronicles the making of a home including offbeat finds and what she does with them. I adore her style and I am enamored with the wallpaper she chose for her entryway. It a gorgeous black & white cherry blossom design from the 1970's (see right. Look at that woodwork too!).

Have I mentioned by penchant for black & white? I love how colors pop off black & white (like intense red, turquoise, lime green, pink & orange) Black & white is also unbelievably versatile, timeless, bold, fresh and elegant all at once.

Also look at her awesome finds like the Amy Leonard Sculptural Lamps (July 25, 2007 entry). How cool are they?!? I love the idea of using found objects to create a story under glass. Fantastic, in my opinion. I think her taste in art is grand.

Under the July 14, 2007 post is actually an x upholstered chair I have seen before and really liked...after scanning through her pictures I can't write down all the things I love although there is a picture of another blogger's bedroom and I want that black & white rug for my bedroom!

Yes, I realize I am gushing like a schoolgirl because simply put: I am giddy over this stuff!

Public vs. Private

For those would-be stalkers out there I have been considering what should and shouldn't be included in a blog and more particularly my blog. For instance, I am not going to post any pictures of people without their permission (I asked all my dogs if they were okay with me posting their pictures and they said "whatever", of course I also gave them some treats for their complicity). Some people who read this blog will fully understand how strongly I feel about seeking permission about publishing photos and perhaps at one point I may go into the real reason behind this, but I am not at that point yet. I also feel I might need to ask permission to include mention of people by name, so I will probably give people aliases or refer to them in vague terms. If you are personally connected to me and have a nickname you want to be addressed as let me know. Privacy is important and I respect others' privacy. I realize as this is my blog what I only have control over is the extent of disclosure about myself and my life.

It is a constant juggle as to what is private and what is public. I am in a generation which is torn between the trend for being extremely open and those much more reserved. I myself deal with a need to be real and present to others and conversely, a need to be secretive and mysterious or in other words the "Look at Me, But You Will Never Truly Know Me as I Am Too Deep" dilemma. I am also considering whether someone I don't know can identify me in real life and where I live. What are the potential dangers and the possible benefits? At this point I doubt many people are actually reading this post, so I am relatively safe--the benefits outweigh the dangers.

I am going to disclose in this post is a picture of my new bedroom. I think some of my friends and family are interested in what the addition looks like and I am proud of my room although it is not at all complete and rather spare (for me that is). I have nothing on the walls and I am still using my old duvet with rips in it thoughtfully added by Bella when she was a puppy and I remain worried about the state of my new linens with the three doxies and Harli. Did I also mention that Shelby has snuck up on more than one occasion to use MY BED as her personal bathroom?! She's jealous of the other dogs sleeping on my bed, but I simply don't trust her in these matters and if she does that again she will find out what it is like to have her sleeping quarters contaminated!

This is as clean as it gets, dear reader. See the books and magazines? That is only an itty bitty part of the collection (you don't want to see under the bed!). Do you see the bench at the foot of my bed? I love that piece of furniture which is actually a coffee table. My parents refinished it and have had it for decades. On the underside of it is art (crayon scribbles) from me when I was a toddler. I just wish I had a better grasp for color back then.

Needed: Umbrella Stand

I don't recall any year when we have been subjected to so much rain. This morning as I got ready for work the house shook with the power and strength of the thunder and knocked out the power. My poor puppy (I mean this only as a term of endearment as she reached the venerable age of 15 years last month) Harli ran up to me shuddering and compressed into herself the minute she heard me come downstairs. Of course I rescued her and placed her in the safe haven found under the covers of a big fluffy bed. I myself had to combat the rain in my little white Honda. I only work 7 minutes from my house and yet going no more than 45 miles per hour even on the highway makes 7 minutes stretch.

I have been driving through pouring rain the last few days. The backyard looks like a bog. In these times I am reminded of two important things: 1) nature still is far, far more powerful than anything created by man and 2) without electricity we are in sorry shape.

I love rain, but too much of it like anything else is dangerous.