I didn’t darken my site in protest of SOPA (mostly because I’m enough of a klutz I was afraid I would never be able to turn the lights on again), but I do take the threat to internet freedom very seriously.  Few sites on the internet, including mine, would be safe under SOPA or PIPA.  The legislation would fundamentally change the internet as we know it.

I’m taking the day off the internet today, trying to imagine what life would be like if I couldn’t access all the great information available online.  Care to join me?

Rachel

Image by allyaubry

If you got buried in 2011, is 2012 your year to dig yourself out and get a fresh start?  Why not pick a room, get rid of what you’ve never loved or needed, and then make it the way you’ve always wanted?

For me, it’s my kitchen I’m most itchin’ to update.  Might just have to make that a project to share with you – if I’m brave enough!

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

Each New Year is an opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

For me, we are just three days into 2012 and I am already in love with it!   This year is lined up to be an amazing one, if I can just rise to the challenges and possibilities awaiting me.  New work, new focus, new places to be and experience.  Wow!

But I’m not what this post is about.  What I really want to use this time for is to find out a little more about YOU, so I thought it might be fun to ask you a few questions this week (along with the usual posting about great new design).   Here is the first one…

Which word or phrase best describes to you the concept of designing with consideration for the environment?

Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year!

Rachel

‘Tis the season…

for us to close up shop while we spend time baking, wrapping, singing (off key), and generally making merry.  We will return, renewed and reinvigorated, on January 3rd.

Until then…  Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rachel & Emerald

P.S.  The holiday eggnog image above is courtesy of 12 Bottle Bar.  If you’ve never tried real, grown-up eggnog you are SO missing out!  Give their recipe a try and then try and tell me it isn’t DELICIOUS!

Whether you live in the U.S. and plan to get stuffed with turkey before falling asleep on the couch tomorrow, or if you live elsewhere and it’s just another Thursday, I wish you, Dear Readers, the most wonderful of Thanksgivings!

Since we will also be busy scarfing down leftover apple pie over the sink all day Friday, we thought it best to wait till Monday the 28th to attempt a blog post again.  Sticky fingers aren’t good for keyboards!  Till then…

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

When my father was taking Russian in college during the Cold War, the textbooks they used were written in the U.S.S.R. (for the young folk – that is what communist era Russia was called).  One of the first phrases they learned from the book was Я упорно тружусь весь день, как машина, or “I work hard all day like a machine”.   So Soviet, dontcha think?

In any case, just wanted to let you know that I am in fact “working hard all day like a machine” this week, so my blogging will be curtailed.  I’m hoping to get something posted, but no promises.

This little “comrade” misses you, Dear Readers, and hopes to get back to writing for you soon!

Rachel

How was YOUR Labor Day weekend?

I just spent a lovely week with family in the Chicago area.  Now I’m back, refreshed and ready to roll up my sleeves.  Later today you will get another wonderful artisan profile from Emerald, and I have other fun things in line for the rest of the week.  Stay tuned…

Thanks for visiting,

Rachel

Dear Readers,

I have a confession.  I have a bad case of summeritis.  You know, that disease caused by warm, summer mornings spent sleeping in a bit later than you meant to.  Afternoons where the only thing busy are the bees humming around the copious flowers in your backyard.  Days where you try to figure out how to look at least semi-professional in a tank top, and all you want to eat is ice cold watermelon for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  A disease characterized by distraction, lethargy and hair gone wild with humidity.  Yeah, THAT summeritis.

So, I apologize for the infrequency of my postings of late.  I’ll see what I can do to catch up once the weather starts to cool again next week.  Meanwhile, here are a few energy efficient tips to cool your house down when the weather warms. Read the rest of this entry »

So, as I mentioned last week in An Ode to Woad – Part 1, I now have a serious addiction problem.  Let me show you how that came to be…

After gathering at the lovely French General for the workshop, we all carpooled over to the park where our dyeing experience would take place.

Once at the park we got a delightful and informative overview of the history of woad dyeing from Denise Lambet, who flew all the way from the South of France just to create a legion of new woad addicts dyers.  After regaling us with stories of previous woad workshop students stripping down to their skivvies in an attempt to have just ONE more garment to dunk in the vats, she proceeded to explain how the process worked, and what we would need to do to have a successful dyeing experience.  Then we got to work. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Friday everyone!  I have a young son on Spring Break who swears he will die of boredom if I don’t go and read to him.  This from a kid who can read through an entire Harry Potter book in a day.   In any case, I promised to write my wrap-up quickly so I can rescue him from his fate.

So here are things I thought you might find interesting this week:

1.  Coming to a living room near you – anti-gravity furniture! (PhotoShop Disasters)

2.  I kid you not – Jersey Shore’s “The Situation” is going green.  Well, at least his re-usable laundry bags are. (Inhabitat)

3.  And speaking of bags, this “living” art installation almost makes me like plastic garbage bags – ALMOST. (Green Bag Lady)

4.  This may or may not be green, but it is definitely the best and most attractive design I’ve ever seen for a pool side lounger. (Trendir)

5.  Crazy but beautiful effect achieved from painting a herringbone parquet floor in a variety of colors.  (re-nest)

6.  Saw this chair made of coat hangers all over the internets this week, but in case you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a looksee. (re-nest)

7.  Not sure if I think this light fixture is a clever re-use, or a scary monster coming to get me. (Standard)

8.  Great article on how we have abandoned so many activities that have traditionally taken place in the community, and replaced them with activities in our homes, thus necessitating larger and larger houses.  Short and worth reading.  (Treehugger)

9.  Finally, the great folks at Lonny have teamed with Traditional Home to create a new online magazine – TRADhome, and it looks terrific! (2Modern)

I already want that amazing chandelier on the cover.  Of course, I also want an iPad so I can slouch in a chair while leafing through all these great new online mags coming out, but that’s a whine for another day.  Sigh.

See you next week!