Orange You Lucky and The Lost Art of Matches

Pre-warning: Take anything you might have cooking off the stove.  You won't be back for awhile.

I always mean to share my fav blogs with you guys, but convince myself that you're most likely looking at the same stuff already.  Orange You Lucky!  is one of my all-time favs.  I love Helen's quick wit and her voracious design appetite - it's like she's never not looking for things.  On top of that, she's a very active/successful designer and a mom - now, if only she'd add "life coach to Christi" to her masthead... Anyway, this "Lighters Are Overrated" post is lovely and interesting and serves as great color inspiration.  Enjoy!

Keeping A Style File

Keeping a style file is one of the best ways to save money when re-decorating.  Seriously.  Knowing what it is you really want to have happen keeps you from buying a really cool IKEA pendant lamp just because you see it at the Salvation Army.  You want it because it's such a good deal, not because it actually fits the room - see?

Used to be, I had a folder filled with document sleeves and little tiny pictures of photo-styled bookshelves.  I still think this is a great way to include fabric swatches and wallpaper samples, but in the digital age, most everything in print is also available online.  Enter the digital folder.  Domino magazine has My Deco File available for free on their site. Upload photos from anywhere online and share your finds as photos sets.  Flip through other people's sets - pretty slick.

As you can see, I use my blog as a storage center for finds.  I like having them somewhere I can share. Even if you don't want to blog, you can still use Blogger.com (or any blog host) as a keeper for design project photos.  To stay organized, tag your uploads or add them in under individual project headers.  I've done this for styling projects.  My clients really get a good idea of how I see their project shaping up and they can also link out to find more information or to see a certain product's colorways.  Also pretty slick.

A few hints:  If you have a Mac, you can usually slide jpg files (photos) right off a web page onto your desktop for saving.  I usually rename files so I know what they are when uploading them to my design file.  If you run into a Flash situation or if you just want a section of the photo, press Apple + Shift + 4 to drag and clip. Apple + Shift + 3 gives you a photo of the full screen.

Mythic Paint

 I swear I sound funny when I say Mythic Paint, but it's amazing and it's really, really not bad for you or your kids or your brother-in-law slash roommate slash sponge or your pets*. 

You've no doubt heard of low VOC paint.  Mythic is no VOC paint. Cool, huh? It also has zero-toxins and is non-carcinogenic. And it comes in a ton of cool colors - most of which are super cute for kids rooms.  Mythic's available in all the usual finishes, and they offer exterior paints, as well. They can also color match anything just like your local paint guys.  Mythic costs more than the home center/hardware store paints, but no more than other premium paints.  I'd estimate primer and paint for a 10x10 room wouldn't be more than a couple hundred dollars - a pretty reasonably-priced wall option, I'd say.  Heck, have your brother-in-law chip in a few bucks.  It's the least he can do.

*If you really want to know what the stuff in paint can do to you, click here.

Clean Up and Breath Easier

Last week, my cousins came from NJ and their little visit (thanks guys!) was inspiration to clean house.  I've been living under baby clothes and gear, my mom's belongings, papers and papers and paperwork and it's been such a huge burden.  I'm loathe to have anyone over for all the clutter.  I hide stuff under the bed.  I hide stuff in plastic bins.  I have a dresser in my bedroom filled to the brim with underclothes I haven't had on since we moved here.  Enough is enough.  I've only just begun, but like I said, I've finally got momentum and I'm thinking you might be looking for some, as well.

Dontcha just wish you could get on one of those reality shows where the team of hard-nosed designers make you throw out all your 80's-era Elle back issues? Unclutterer is the second-best thing.  Sure, it takes a little work on your part, but with no-nonsense advice on topics like Inherited Clutter ("And, remember, it’s just furniture, it’s not your grandmother.") and Closets (!!), Unclutterer's like having a personal de-cluttering trainer.

  

You're probably already an ApartmentTherapy.com fan and you probably already know about the group therapy and the books, but just in case... Here's the book that will change your life and let you breathe easier - Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure.  Be warned, you might develop an addiction to entertaining or even worse, staying at home alone, once you've healed your home.  A companion or perhaps a follow-up to the therapy book, Apartment Therapy Presents holds the secrets to life's really great design.  I love it so much and I have my good friend and crime partner, Brenda, to thank!  Brenda, thanks!

Bodalee Space Bedding Fantasy Camp

 
Boodalee needs a fantasy camp where grown ups can check into a hotel somewhere and sleep on their choice of sheets.  Short of buying two twin sets and sewing them together, my chances of having my own bed covered in Emberley-esque spaceships and castles is nil.  Perhaps if we started a letter campaign?

  
In better news, Blik has Boodalee wall graphics that fit kids walls and grown up walls, too.  I haven't been over there in awhile, I guess, cuz they have the coolest stuff - the coolest being their Threadless wall graphics. You have to actually click to see them in action because it's neat to see how Blik interpreted a tee's image.

Mi Casa MIkasa Primavera

       A little late to the party - as usual, but I'm loving the Primavera bedding at Crate & Barrel.  Pretty clever how it's called PrimaVERA dontcha think?  I've been looking at round Vera placemats for my knock-off tulip table (IKEA), too.  One more cool Vera-type thing I know.  You can frame the more graphic-styled scarves and they look like fab 70's art.  David Anger (former BH&G editor and one of my favorite designers) did it once for a story.  I've collected a bunch, but don't have them up yet. Look for rectangular shapes, too, they make killer art.  If you're more of a paper person, try on some Vera ads - flippy and flirty without being too girly.
         My other obsession is Mikasa.  In particular, the types of pieces in the photos.  One of my best friends happened upon it and started her own collection which, of course, turned me into an instant fan (she has THE BEST taste!)  If anyone knows of some that they don't want, please give me a holla.  I can't pay a ton, but I guarantee I won't sell them, give them away or (hopefully) break them into tiny shards.

Clothing Swap

The Des Moines IA Metro ReUseIt Group is organizing a free clothing swap - Noon-4pm, SATURDAY AUGUST 16th at VAL LANES BOWLING CENTER on the corner of ASHWORTH and 63rd Street in West Des Moines. You do not need to donate in order to participate but its highly recommended.

They need more clothing, I've heard, so if you have some and want drop off information, please visit their Yahoo! Group page.  or email me. I have phone numbers, etc., but didn't think we should post that all here.

Organizing My House

Hi everyone - Gussy's host, Squarespace, upgraded their service and changed their layout offerings - if you can't tell. I'm slowly getting things organized. I'm thinking about moving small.town.fun. over here as a page within this blog (and will test that a bit), or perhaps moving the whole thing to another host - who knows. Change is good, but at my age, it's getting harder and harder to know where I fit in.

I have a TON of stuff to share. I know you're supposed to blog even when you're on vacation, but I stayed with my Granny and, well, that's just not possible. I'm gonna keep the comments to a minimum - click the links cuz I have some great stuff here:

Specktone iPod Dock Radio: Looks cool, comes in black, green and white.  Heard it doesn't sound all that great for the price(reg. about $150), but I've seen these listed on eBay for about $30.  The on/off switch is in the back (?) and some people mentioned that the cord was weird, but overall, I think reviewers thought it was cool if you're OK with bathroom-sized radio sound - cue the Dionne Warwick!

Linzie Hunter prints at Thumbtack Press.  A whole busload of other cool prints there, too.

     
Austin, TX's StitchLab has a simply perfect art idea.

  Via Cool Hunting: Taschen's Sixties Design re-release $15.