Where The Blue And The Orange Lines Meet....

....there is a rainbow tunnel of happiness.  Literally.  At least in Boston.

via latka on Flickr

I found this little bit of 70s happiness by accident once and it made my night. {These aren't my pictures.  Sadly I heard the train coming so I had to sprint down the corridor and haven't been to this station since.}

via latka on Flickr

I had a day yesterday that seemed like it was in the running for the longest day ever.  It began when I got stuck underground on the subway after I managed to get on not one, but two, disabled trains.  I was an hour late for work and my brain hurt when I finally got home at night.  I really like where I'm working now but I'm still new enough that I get tense trying to get things done correctly and on time and being late just adds to the stress.

So, I just try to remember when days like this happen that the Red Line is not the cause of all my problems {even if I repeatedly insist otherwise} and that today will be better.

Club Monaco Window Display - Backwards Plates

I found another Club Monaco window display earlier this month.  This one is neutral like the other but made entirely of plates.

I guess I should say made of the backs of plates and the nail used to hold the plate.  It's not your standard plate wall but I think it makes a nice, neutral backdrop that doesn't compete with the clothing.

Speaking of their clothing, I actually don't think I've ever been in this store so I looked online to see what they have.  They actually sell the elusive short sleeve shirt!!!  Maybe it's just the places I've been shopping, but lately I've been having the worst time ever finding shirts with actual short sleeves.  They are either cap sleeved {to which I say, why even bother} or sleeveless.  Needless to say, this makes me very happy.

Thank you, Club Monaco, for still believing in short sleeves.

Wildspirit

Two years ago I found some great stools by Wildspirit at the ICFF and forgot I hadn't posted about them until I found the catalog in my files.  How could you NOT want to look through a catalog with this guy on the cover {his name is Happy and on the catalog cover he's even hypoallergenic for those who are allergic}.  I really just want to grab his ears and squeeze him - in a nice way of course.

via Wildspirit

Back to the design stuff now.  These Spring bamboo stools are amazingly well made.  I remember at the time I saw them being stunned at how seamless the joints are and how good the craftsmanship was.  I would love to have a project where I could use them.

Restaurant Aria Toronto

I've been known to make a day trip to Montreal now and again {it's a long day but it can be done}.  Unfortunately, my one and only planned trip to Toronto happened to coincide with a blizzard and I never actually made it, so I'm always interested to see what I'm missing up there.

via Sifu Renka on Flickr {CC BY-NC-ND 2.0}

I love the wall of wine and the giant sparkly lighting at the Restaurant Aria in Toronto. The Moooi Raimond pendants are beautiful but will cost you a pretty penny.  If you are on a limited budget, there is always the ubiquitous IKEA MASKROS pendant.  Despite it being everywhere, I still haven't yet grown tired of it.

Striped Stairs

Earlier this month, I came across these striped stairs in the Newbury Street Cole Haan store. It's a bit more subtle than the stairs at the London Kate Spade pop-up shop I posted about a while back but I like these stairs for that reason.

I used to have a Cole Haan bag but someone broke into my car {sadly while I was across the street} and stole it. My passenger side car door still sounds like it has tic-tacs inside when it's closed.

LV Cupcake Window Display?

Back in January, I came across this window display and had NO idea what was going on. Was it a gold and brown paper fan? I couldn't figure out where the cherry fit in to the fan. I can usually figure out what a window display is trying to be but this one had me stumped. {This is the same window that had the tipsy bags last time I visited.}

I just couldn't figure it out so I did some research and found this picture. Much better!

teemus via Flickr

Without looking at the other windows it doesn't really make sense, perhaps they ran out of cupcakes...

Spring Cleaning

Despite the fact that it was technically still winter until yesterday, I've been in the mood for spring cleaning these last few weeks.  I recently took so many clothes out of my dresser that I'm surprised it's still packed full {it's the dresser equivalent of a clown car}.

Canadian House and Home

Next up is the closet.  Mine is about as wide as one of the shoe bays in this amazing closet above, but I can think about how great it would be to have a whole dressing room.

Supperclub

I generally prefer small, local hole-in-the wall bars where you can find a seat and stay a while.  As long as they will serve me some sort of drink worthy of an umbrella, I'm generally in.  I sometimes go to the current "it" bars but I hate having to stand around awkwardly when a place is too crowded, it's not worth it to me more than once to try a place out.

I love the look of Supperclub in Singapore.  This location is closed now, but if I had been in Singapore when it was open, I would definitely have checked this place out.  I'd be the person waiting to get in when they opened so I could get a seat, or a bed in this case.

The club was designed by Concrete Architectural Associates and is modern and glossy.   The rooms are all a different color; white, red, purple, and black.

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

The black colored private dining room is my favorite. 

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Jaali

I used to work across the street from an Indian restaurant in Somerville.  A while ago they allowed me to make off with one of their Indian Elle Decor magazines {it was the only decent restaurant within a reasonable walking distance so we were there a LOT}.  I now, strangely, work a block away from their other only other location.  Last week I grabbed lunch there and it prompted me to pull out the magazine and look through it again as I do every so often.

Elle Decor India {photography: Tanuj Ahuja}

I really love this screen and the way the light shines through it.  The screen itself is beautiful but if you look at the ground shadows you see spots or hexagons, and if you look at the side shadows they are elongated diamond shapes.

ABC Carpet & Home

I like browsing through ABC Carpet & Home even though I know I'll never buy anything there.  They also have some interesting window displays {these happen to be from last spring}.  In the window below, I really love the shape of the sofa and the simple glass pendant sitting on the ground.

This window appeals to me right now since it's been a very spring-like winter and the colors and style of the window reminds me of spring.  I also really like that metal chair and the pattern on the fabric at the top of the window - you really have to look hard to see it.

Thrifting :: Mid-week Edition

Along with my clothes shopping this past weekend, I also fit in some thrift store browsing. I didn't find a ton of things I was in love with but I did find some interesting things.

This dresser is huge and well constructed. I love the simple round pulls {though it's missing one} and it has a jewelry drawer too.  For some reason, jewelry drawers make me happy.

I think it would be fun to have a vintage range and this one was super cheap {freezer basket not included}.  It had a sign on it saying one of the burners doesn't turn off though, so maybe it would be more fun to have a range like this if I could actually fix all the problems that might arise myself.

What I fell in love with were these 60s silver ceiling fixtures from Lightolier with four smoked glass globes.

There were two of them and while they are a little bit tarnished they are a great find!

I bet they would be sold on 1st Dibs for 1.6 million dollars.

Radius

Since I've been working in a place I generally don't visit, I've been spending my lunch hour exploring {I'm never really sure what to do with a whole hour for lunch other than go for a walk for half of it}. I spotted this empty frame wall in Radius, a fancy French restaurant, and I like how the red really stands out from the warm gray wall.  I also think they should give me these frames when they renovate since it would solve my frame hunting issues.

During my lunch hour yesterday, I went to get milk tea in a place I have been going for probably 6 years. Usually you need a sharp pair of elbows and a well-practiced stink eye before entering since people who frequent this place don't really know what a line is or how to stand in one.  With that said, I definitely don't go for the ambiance.  I go to see the cakes {and because a milk tea is under $2.00}.

Since my photography skills are obviously severely lacking these days I found some images online that won't make you dizzy. They may or may not be from the same place. For now, I'll keep the places' name a secret and if you are brave enough to keep reading you will see why.  If you are easily grossed out, close the browser now.

via Dessertation

via Dessertation

Here is where things get gross...I was waiting for the woman to make my tea and I saw a roach crawling around on the back counter right in plain sight. Now, I know they are ALL over the city.  Even though I know they are around hiding somewhere, I haven't ever seen one crawling around a restaurant with my own eyes. Perhaps I'm over reacting but, cute cakes and cheap tea or not, I don't think I can ever go back.

It's a good thing I generally pack my own lunch...maybe I'll stay in the office today.

Surgical Strike

Over the weekend, I found myself in desperate need of some new clothes.  I like looking at clothes and seeing what's out there but I don't actually like selecting and shopping for clothes myself.  I sometimes wish it was okay to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work {with a cardigan in the winter, of course}, but sadly it isn't always possible.  When I do have to go clothes shopping, I look online for possible clothes and then plan my route, including parking in the closest door to stores I am visiting if the mall is involved.

Saturday I went in without a plan, not in my surgical strike mode.  The only thing I knew was that I wanted something other than black, gray and navy since that is basically what I own.  I ordered a shirt that I don't actually remember but it's red, white and black {that color combination always reminds me of Claudia from The Babysitter's Club.  Am I the only one who still has this problem?}.  And I found these flats that make me very happy since they are striped!  I only have to figure out how to keep the white part clean. 

via J. Crew

I think they come in heels for those with more coordination than I have.

via J. Crew

They are a bit on the pricey side, but they are made in Italy so I'm okay with that.  I really love that J. Crew sells shoes made in Italy but I'm hoping the whole shoe is made there, and it's not just where the bow was sewn on.  A few years ago, I read the book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It's Luster, It's definitely worth reading if you haven't yet.  It will change the way you view clothing and labels.

Botanical Prints at Home

After yesterday's post on J. Crew's botanical artwork, I thought I'd show a few images of the same thing in a residential setting.  Some of you said you didn't think you could do it on your own, if you read on past the first picture, there's something you might like.  I may post a tutorial on how to make some pictures of your own but I recently started working a job where I'm away for over 12 hours a day so free time is a bit scarce these days.

Smaller galleries images are very nice but I liked the impact the three larger prints have in this living room.

Steven Gambrel

If you'd prefer to print rather than purchase or DIY your images there are some free image sources where you would have to invest in the printing yourself but the images themselves are free.  Here are my favorites:

Missouri Botanical Garden's Digital Library has scanned rare botanical books of all types.  You are able to download the books you are interested in as a PDF and you can print what you would like in the size that works for you.  I love the medical texts and the colorful illustrations of the plants with all their parts broken out and think these would be beautiful printed on a high quality matte paper {the colored images remind me of my Audubon's Birds of America book}.  Just be warned that they are good quality scans but some of the pages are crooked and may need to be rotated {I think I rotated a couple before posting them}.

 

Another good resource for not only botanical prints, but many prints in the public domain, is Vintage Printable.  A quick search on the site for botanical returned 26,000 results.  They have not only floral illustrations as the Botanical Garden's library holds, but also some watercolors and floral arrangements.  You may have to play around with the images a bit on this site {the gray picture originally had a black border} but it's up to you to decide what you like and what you don't.  The site was a bit slow to load and use for me but they have so many images it's worth the wait.  They also have many horizontal prints if that is the direction that works for you.

They have a large selection of other categories as well.  I took a look in the Architecture and Landscape section and found a lot of old photos of Manhattan and the two below that I really like.  The first image, with the bathtub stuck in the air shaft, makes me laugh and the second one is beautiful with the lightening over the Eiffel Tower.

The last resource I love is the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery.  Here you can actually order digital files or prints from them or you can download and print yourself if you are using it in your home.  They have tons of botanical prints and I love looking through the vintage poster section.  Best of all, they have penguins.

image via NYPL

I think you can get pretty far with these sites, but does anyone else have any great image resources?

J. Crew's Botanical Window Display

I've been trying to find better, more interesting windows since at times Boston seems to be an window display desert. On a recent trek around the Back Bay I found an interesting J. Crew window display with handmade botanical prints.

Here is a closeup of my favorite part.  I really enjoy this color combination - purple and green with some acid yellow and black to keep things from becoming too sweet. 

This artwork would be super easy to make yourself.  Just grab some branches or leaves and trace and cut out the outline from colored or construction paper {it can be as nice or as inexpensive as you want it to be} you could even use a patterned paper.  If you look closely, you can see all the leaves were traced as is, neither the leaves or the branches are perfect or symmetrical, the folded bits and imperfections were captured.  I find this to be a nice touch.

There are so many different ways you can do this too.  I took a 2-dimensional drawing class and we traced leaves with a black pen and then filled it in with black gouache making a nice silhouette of the leaves.

Has anyone made their own botanical silhouettes?

White and Colorful

I stumbled upon the bright and colorful home of Taylor Tomasi Hill on Vogue.com the other day and thought it was worth sharing.  This Eskayel wallpaper I posted on last spring is a showstopper on it's own but here is a nicely muted, but highly patterned, backdrop to the bright orange chair.

via Vogue

My favorite part of the article was the living room.  It's white with areas of intense color spread throughout {there's that red and blue combo again}.  Interiors like this are so easy to change up if you get bored with colors easily.  With a new rug and coffee table it could look like a whole new place.  That striped sofa with the low rolled arm looks really inviting and comfortable.

via Vogue

If you'd like to read the article yourself, here's the link.

Snog

So, last week I posted about my dislike of Yuckberry.  For those who were worried, there weren't rats running around the store or a fingernail in my food.  I just can't stand yogurt.  I will only eat it if it's frozen and has a LOT of sugar in it and I rarely ever do that. 

For those who haven't been, it's basically Danon yogurt thrown in the freezer but you'll pay $6.00 and get tons of attitude along with a couple of stale toppings.  I guess I didn't read all the information about the fact that it was tart yogurt and was sucked in by the cute exterior and the Le Klint pendant lights in the window so I visited with my sister-in-law a couple of years ago.  We wound up cheering each other on as we both choked down our yogurt since neither of us could stand to throw away something so expensive {relatively at least - I've had lunches in Manhattan that were cheaper}.  I'm pretty sure neither of us will be back.  Ever.  I know they won't miss us though since, in general, people seem to love this place.

Snog, designed by Cinimod Studio, seems like a different story.  They have a cute little shop that would make me want to visit but they also put sugar in their yogurt to hide the sour taste {agave but really it's sugar}.  It's bright and colorful and has color changing LED ball lights on the ceiling.  Some of the interior concepts are similar though - long benches with tiny stools and tables are found in both.

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

This is cute, it's too bad those black lights aren't white but you can pretend they aren't there....

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

This one is located in Soho and when I originally saw this in a design magazine I thought they meant NY but it's in the UK so no trip for me is in the near future.  It would be neat to see though.  Has anyone been?  It seems like it would be hard to be in a bad mood after even just walking by.