Cloud tray

Pure deliciousness. This is a lovely little tray - love the colours and shapes.

Rex Ray Print

The colours of this print are pretty extraordinary. I love the geometric shapes, too. Delicious.

Orange Splatter Vase

This is a cheap but super striking vase. Sometimes things just jump out and I reckon this one is a keeper. I'm waiting for all of our stuff to arrive from Sydney (still!) to even remember what I've brought over before accessorizing too much. Come on, stuff. Arrive!

Coat Love

So now I live in a much colder country, it's time to think about winter and coats. Now, San Francisco doesn't get New York-cold, but it does get cold and windy and foggy. There's something about toggles which is making me excited - this khaki green one is probably the one I'll go for, but I do love the navy cape, too. (I fear looking pregnant in capes - but I may try it on, just to be sure...)

Dream Collective Prints

Love love love these prints. Think they would look amazing all blown up on a white wall.

Ira Glass + Balloon Animals + Advice to Young Women = Perfection

This is possibly the best thing I've ever seen. If any of you don't know who Ira is, you should start listening to This American Life immediately. (Gets especially great at around the 8 min mark - he talks about love to young girls. Amazing).

Two years ago today

,,,the Pal and I got married. A magical day followed by an eventful (and still magical) two years. We've been together for about 9 years, now, and our wedding was one of our many wonderful days. Happy 2 years, Pal! 

Gallery Walls

I've been contemplating making a gallery wall in our dining room. I'm waiting until all of our artwork arrives from Sydney, but for now, it seems like a good idea. These two from House and Home and Lonny seemed like a good start for daydreaming about one.

Rugs for our couch

As some of you wisely pointed out, having a cream couch is a little bit like having an invitation to chaos sitting with you in the living room. I'm eager to get a rug like one of these (the pale one might blend quite well) to put on the couch cushions to allay the fear of  things spilling. And because look how pretty and geometric they are!

Amazing wall flag

This is incredibly awesome - from Aussie company The Minimalist - and would probably work in our ever-increasing black and white house. Hmm. Interesting...

Finnsdottir Lidbox Jars

Glorious jars! It's probably because I don't have many decorative things around the house at the moment, but I am strangely drawn to these jars. The yellow lid is particularly delicious.

A great mantra

I loved Roald Dahl as a kid, and this print makes me beam. Probably from the sunbeams inside.

House Progress X

Hooray for dining chairs! I am so excited - after many weeks of looking online and in stores and being really disappointed by the quality or designs of chairs, I bought some. Last weekend, I visited the Alameda Flea Market (oh goodness, it's amazing) and chanced upon these Danish, teak beauties. Going out there early really paid off, and I nabbed these at about 8:30am or so - incredibly lucky. They match the teak table almost seamlessly, (even with similar shaped legs!) and have a beautiful, woven rattan base. I called the Pal and tried to email photos to him, and we ended up agreeing that because they were a good price, and eminently re-sellable, if he hated them/wanted to veto them, I could sell them. Thankfully he didn't, and they now live in our dining room. 

(EDIT: I've since looked online and believe them to be Fritz Hansen Danish Teak chairs - they're selling on eBay for US695 for 2 - I bought all four for a whole lot less than that!)

The more astute among you will notice that they're only four. We will get some statement armchairs for the ends of the table - just you wait and see :) Thanks for all of your lovely comments last week about this progress series: it's really gratifying that you like watching the house unfold - I'll keep sharing updates as they happen!

These chairs officially close "Phase 1" (as we've been affectionately calling it). That means that, apart from waiting for all our stuff to arrive from Sydney, we now have things to sleep on, sit on and lie on. No real decorating has taken place, so everything still looks empty without art on the walls, but it's at least functional. Hooray!

To-do list: (I'll be posting this weekly as a personal reminder of where we're up to - please feel free to ignore or to play along). Obviously much of this will cost a lot, so we'll do it over time, starting with the most urgent.

Kitchen
Possibly get an eat-in table and chair or a centre butcher's block/workspace. (Going to wait a bit on this one)

Butler's Pantry
Complete

Bathroom
Complete

Mudroom
Complete

Bedroom
-Better storage organization for both closets

Dining Room/2nd Bedroom
-Research and buy an airbed
-Get a sideboard/credenza

Lounge room
-Buy a large plant - maybe a Fiddle Fig?
-Buy a lamp
-Buy a rug for the couch

Hallway
Complete

Misc
-Vacuum cleaner
-Sewing machine (eventually!)

Papier Tigre

My lovely friend Nadege sent me a link to this amazing site called Papier Tigre - I adore the geometric notebooks, as well as their beautiful envelopes. Also, this amazing 'Manager' desktop notebook/calendar is superb. If I wasn't so tied up with Google Calendar (which is my life at home and at work), I would get this is a red hot minute. 

Society 6 Artwork

I love looking through the Society 6 website - so many pretties there. I found this black and white geometric print so compelling, and love these pixels, too.

Fun lounge room

This isn't really my style, but gee it looks cosy. Love the ampersand pillow and flowers, too.

Modern swoon

Something about this room that is so soothing. The pop of green is especially amazing.

House Progress IV

We have a couch! We have a couch! No longer will I ever assume that a couch is just a thing. A couch, my friends, means a home. And this one's a beauty. We're still waiting on an ottoman which should arrive in a few weeks, but sofa so good. Ha! Couch puns. The Pal and I have so loved hanging out and lounging around. (The alternative was taking turns in the Dr Chair or literally sitting on floorboards...) Also in shot is our new rug and coffee table. Looks like we actually live here...

Thanks for your lovely comments on my post last week - it's been so much fun to share this with you, blog-friends. Your comments make my day!

EDITED: The couch is from Harrington Galleries on Valencia St, the coffee table from World Market (it's called 'Aidan') and the rug is from Overstock. The tray and cushion are from Target.

To-do list: (I'll be posting this weekly as a personal reminder of where we're up to - please feel free to ignore or to play along). Obviously much of this will cost a lot, so we'll do it over time, starting with the most urgent.


Kitchen
Get a new plug for the sink-
Line cupboards with non-adhesive mats-
Possibly get an eat-in table and chair or a centre butcher's block/workspace. (Going to wait a bit on this one)

Butler's Pantry
-Line shelves with non-adhesive mats-
Maybe get curtain to block the pantry from the kitchen? (or go crazy with a beaded curtain?) (Mixed responses to this last time! I'm leaving it in just for the record!)

Bathroom
-Put up shower curtain cotton liners-
Think about towel warmer/dryer? (Arrived! Toasty, toasty bathroom with dry towels).

Mudroom
-Buy a sideboard to house linen and to use as more bench space for the bathroom.
-Buy a washing basket
-Buy a clothes rack
-Maybe buy a plant for the sideboard when we have it. (Got one for my birthday! Thanks AB!)

Bedroom
-Buy a mattress
-Buy a bed base
-Buy new, darker curtains
-Buy wall hooks for the picture rails

Closet
-Line drawers with paper liners

Dining Room/2nd Bedroom
-Research and buy an airbed and linen and guest towels
-Buy dining table
-Buy dining chairs
-Buy rug (this is a lease condition)

Lounge room
-Buy couch
-Buy coffee table
-Buy rug
-Buy a large plant - maybe a Fiddle Fig?
-Buy small desk for this space
-Buy a chair/stool, too
-Buy a desk lamp
-Buy thicker curtains for the front windows
-Buy a lamp
-Buy a cabinet for electronic cords/wires

Hallway
-Buy a rug (runner style) - this is a lease condition

Misc
-Placemats for hot things on dining table
-Polish up dining table
-Vacuum cleaner/Mop + bucket
-Sewing machine (eventually!)
-Braun kitchen blender/chopper
-Iron

New purse

I went to Singapore last week for work (it sure does take about 20hrs round trip from San Francisco - Sydney was only 8hrs...). I took some of the pain out by visiting the night markets and buying this envelope purse. (But really: 40hrs in a small flying tube in an economy-sized seat is still a lot of pain.)  

Cocina de Mama Recipe eBook

I'm pretty lucky to know two fantastic women who have published cooking ebooks recently. Last week I showed you Tori's book and this week I show you Leticia's Argentine cookbook, drawn from her beautiful Mum's recipes, and many of her own, too.
Neither will disappoint you, and both can be bought together for less than a cup of coffee! Do it: your tummy with thank you :)

Book review

I don't normally review books (although if you're reading this in Google Reader, I do list out the books I'm reading on the right of the blog). Not only is this an amazing book jacket design, I also don't think I've enjoyed a book so much in a few years. Semple writes laugh-out-loud funny prose which satirizes contemporary life in such an innovative way: fiction rarely feels this alive to me. Spent every spare moment of the last few days laughing and greedily rampaging through the novel, while simultaneously being disappointed that I will never write this well. If you're looking for a totally compelling and strangely adorable book: this is for you!

Dot bedspread

This is outstandingly good. The mess, the dots - everything.

House Progress VIII

Finally a picture of a sneak peek of the new rug, The Chair and a cabinet (IKEA PS) to keep some of the cords at bay. (Some of them are still sneaking out the back. Sigh...) Slowly coming together - a few more things crossed off this week and a few more to share next week.

Question: are these updates incredibly tedious?! Please let me know if you just want to resume normal programming :)

To-do list: (I'll be posting this weekly as a personal reminder of where we're up to - please feel free to ignore or to play along). Obviously much of this will cost a lot, so we'll do it over time, starting with the most urgent.

Kitchen
Get a new plug for the sink-
Line cupboards with non-adhesive mats-
Possibly get an eat-in table and chair or a centre butcher's block/workspace. (Going to wait a bit on this one)

Butler's Pantry
-Line shelves with non-adhesive mats-
Maybe get curtain to block the pantry from the kitchen? (or go crazy with a beaded curtain?) (Mixed responses to this last time! I'm leaving it in just for the record!)

Bathroom
-Put up shower curtain cotton liners-
Think about towel warmer/dryer? (Arrived! Toasty, toasty bathroom with dry towels).

Mudroom
-Buy a sideboard to house linen and to use as more bench space for the bathroom.
-Buy a washing basket
-Buy a clothes rack
-Maybe buy a plant for the sideboard when we have it. (Got one for my birthday! Thanks AB!)

Bedroom
-Buy a mattress
-Buy a bed base
-Buy new, darker curtains
-Buy wall hooks for the picture rails

Closet
-Line drawers with paper liners


Dining Room/2nd Bedroom
-Research and buy an airbed and linen and guest towels
-Buy dining table
-Buy dining chairs
-Buy rug (this is a lease condition)

Lounge room
-Buy couch
-Buy coffee table
-Buy rug
-Buy a large plant - maybe a Fiddle Fig?
-Buy small desk for this space
-Buy a chair/stool, too
-Buy a desk lamp
-Buy thicker curtains for the front windows
-Buy a lamp
-Buy a cabinet for electronic cords/wires

Hallway
-Buy a rug (runner style) - this is a lease condition

Misc
-Placemats for hot things on dining table
-Polish up dining table
-Vacuum cleaner/Mop + bucket
-Sewing machine (eventually!)
-Braun kitchen blender/chopper
-Iron