Lamp hunt

We recently reconfigured our home office. There is only so much Cat in the Hat I can take when Little Guy decides to watch his one show per day - it is a rare moment (about 30 minutes to be exact) when he sits still, and a quiet, nearby place to relax has been a bit elusive. So - we swapped one of the desks in our office for a loveseat. I don't know why we didn't do it sooner. The space is so much more cozy and welcoming. Ever since Husband got his Surface, he works anywhere BUT at a desk - kitchen island, couch, etc. The thing is so brilliantly portable. The table lamp we've used for the past decade (!) is feeling a bit formal and blocks too much window in its new location. So, the hunt is on for a new one. Not aggressively I should say - I strongly feel that the perfect piece often finds you so we will be patient. However I did a quick scouring and came up with these. The first one (my current fave) is called Rex, from Crate & Barrel.

This one is great, but pricey. And, doesn't ship to the US. Two strikes. 

Sometimes you can find great stuff in the teen section - like this Darby task lamp from RH Teen.

Another from RH Teen, the Putnam in cream. Stocky fellow.

From West Elem, the Scoop is delicate and not visually obtrusive.

And this one, sadly also from England. Oh, and sold out. Love the design, though.

Island bliss

Loving these prints for Little Guy's room (since he continues to be Hawaii-obsessed -- can't fault him there). They have a distinct vintage flair and perfectly capture the slow-paced, worry-free bliss of a true Maui vacation.

From Etsy shops LupenGrainne and LifeInFrame

Well, hello there...

Sourcing faucets for a project and happened across this guy and had a lightbulb moment. I was actually searching deck mounted tub fillers for freestanding tubs, so this is not a match, but it is a match for our own tub - I would love to swap out our existing fixtures in the short term (full bath reno in the long term) and the idea of using one of the existing three hole drillings for a hand shower is brilliant -- I much prefer a single-lever control anyway. Now the trick is to find something that will coordinate well with the lav faucets I've got my eye on. I found a couple along these lines:

but I just don't like the scale of the hand shower relative to the faucet. Feels a bit clumsy and disproportionate compared to the one above. Hmpf. To be continued...

Oh buoy

I happened across these the other night. Smitten.

Hawaii time

It's been a busy year so far, as is clearly evidenced by our loooooong lapse in posting. I hope you can forgive us. We are pleased to report however that we managed to fit in a real vacation (first "real" one in five years!). We went to Maui and it was absolute bliss. We hope to be better at more regular posting and thanks for hanging in there! For now, here is a quick look at our trip.

There was some ukulele playing...

and boogie board prepping...

Lots of yummy lunch and dinner outings!

Lei-making...

 Glass-bottom boat adventures (#1 reason our son wants to go back).

And toes in the ocean time (little man was a bit unnerved by a few huge crashing waves!).

Good Gifting

 I am in love with these menswear-wool pillows with contrast piping. I would get the Euro size.

 This rhino from Indy Plush has stolen my heart.

New enamelware in grey and white instead of traditional black and white. Couldn't be more perfect.

I'd wrap it all up in this awesome paper I found on Etsy.

Have a festive weekend!

Faux bois

How pretty these papers would look under the tree - so natural!

These tins are pretty great, too.