wishful thinking and Ann Sacks

all photos from ann sacks

I probably spend way to much of my mental energy fantasizing about building or remodeling a house. Without a doubt my dream bathrooms and kitchen would feature as many of Ann Sacks' tiles as I could afford. These are seriously swoon worthy.

cause sometimes we all need a little Audrey...

photo

Lately, as I haven't been feeling completely up to snuff, I've been rediscovering old movies that I used to watch all the time in high school. My two favorites are Charade, with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, and How to Steal a Million, with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. They are both put modern chick flicks to shame! I highly suggest that you check them out if you haven't ever seen them. Cause sometimes we all need a little Audrey in our lives.

photograph by the impeccable Cig Harvey

Hey guys, I'm not feeling so hot today. Resting up and will see you tomorrow. xo H

the coolest house on the block

all photos from rocio romero.com

I was listening to NPR this morning and stumbled upon a story about this architect who has found a way to make pre-fab housing absolutely fabulous. And modern, and stylish! I have, in the hours since, become completely obsessed with Rocio Romero's work. The best part about them is that they are affordable (well not quite yet for me, but maybe one day). They come in two sizes: the LV at 1150 square feet and LVL at 1453 square feet. There are also all kinds of ad-ons like a garage, adding on basements, an extended entrance way, and, my favorite, a studio or guest bedroom in its own little house. The interiors are also completely customizable and green. The LV starts at $36,870 and the LVL at $42,950. Seriously. These houses are beyond pre-fab fab.

a visual reminder

I never really come up with New Year Resolutions because I usually find it a bit too contrived. Shouldn't everyday be a new opportunity in life? But I couldn't resist this awesome template designed by D Sharp that I found on her blog. Go check it out and download your own! Here's mine--wow there are a lot of things going on in my head!

happy weekend!

photography by David Moir Have a great one! See you Monday. xo H

sharing a brain and Madeline Weinrib

I was talking to my sister, Halley, on the phone the other morning, while we were watching the pre-inauguration coverage, she from her home outside of Bath, England, and me from my home in Colorado. We may be separated by plains, mountains and ocean an green rolling hills, but it always amazes me how in sync we are!

She just bought her first house, a country cottage (it even has a name--Hogwood!) and is in the midst of decorating. Before I could say it, she said to me, "Check out this woman, Madeline Weinrib's textiles. It's amazing." And I was like, "Yeah, I know, I was just going to tell you that!" Then as I was looking on the website, I intuitively clicked on each of the prints my sister had in the running a split second before she told me what they were. It was almost eery. I like to think of us as twins who just happened to be born five and a half years apart. Here are some of Madeline Weinrib's things that both me and my sister love, love, love.

a modern mountain home

I came across this incredible house the other day in The New York Times. It is in the middle of Idaho and features stunning views. The article that accompanies the pictures is really interesting. The owner talks about how long it took to build--ten years or so--and how that in a way, it made her refine her vision more and more. Sometimes I feel like more time for a project to come to light could be a good thing. Especially if you suffer from multiple personality tastes, like myself.

hip hip hooray!

stamp from koisk, via a cup of jo

a dog day afternoon

It feels like spring or summer around here these days. Today it was in the high 60s! This afternoon I went and got an ice cream cone and then headed to the park.

looking for a love-ly read?

photo by Lee Jenkins

The Guardian (one of my favorite newspapers) has amassed an awesome collection of the 1000 novels everyone must read. They are divided into categories, romance, crime, comedy. Here are the top ten novels about love. (Warning: this really means that they are also about tragedy.) As it turns out, I have only ready one of the first ten! Go check out the whole list! You'll get lots of inspiration, I promise.

1. The Wanderer (Le Grand Meaulnes) by Henri Alain-Fournier 2. Dom Casmurro by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis 3. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani 4. Love for Lydia by HE Bates 5. More Die of Heartbreak by Saul Bellow 6. Lorna Doone by RD Blackmore 7. The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen 8. The Heart of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen 9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 10. Villette by Charlotte Bronte

a winter getaway wish list

My friends and I are escaping to Miami for a weekend in February. I can't wait for a little sunshine and relaxation at the beach. Here's my winter weekend getaway wish list:

dress by Vena Cavamerino shawl by Virginia Johnson

bathing suit

earrings by Mociun

Cover Up bag from Bird

Japanese fabrics

I've had my eye on these beautiful Japanese fabrics from Superbuzzy's online store. Aren't they gorgeous? Now just to decide what to make...

it's a frida kind of day

The Broken Column, 1944 Frida Kahlo

an afternoon walk

PS- I love my new camera, which was a Christmas present from A.

iconic design

Look at these cool stamps I found in The Guardian Newspaper's online site. The Royal Mail is celebrating classic British design. If I lived in England, you can bet that I'd be snatching these up.

in the mood for color

Maybe it's because we're in the heart of winter, maybe it's the gray skies and snowy ground. Whatever it is, I'm craving some C-O-L-O-R in my life. Or specifically, this curry yellow color.

bag from Boden

scarf from Oak

striped shirt from Boden

Lela Rose dress

a little aside...

I know that this isn't really really important, certainly not as important as certain recent global events that deserve much more thought and attention than they ever get. But I just have to say that I am so happy that Slumdog Millioraire is killing it in awards season. It's just an amazing film. If you haven't seen it yet, go!

two sides of the same coin

My aesthetic sense vacillates between two very different extremes. I sort of feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (minus the evil tendencies): on one hand I love clean, blank minimalist spaces, and on the other I'd love to live in a romantic space that tells a story. I think that my burgeoning life as a writer has encouraged me to edit myself and my home. But I love, love, love stories. And why shouldn't your home be an extension of the story of your life? Um, how to choose? I've found two house tours on the blogosphere which visualize my conundrum. Exhibit A and Exhibit B, if you will.

Exhibit A: Sherry's Santa Fe home, from Design*Sponge Exhibit B: Eliza Jane Curtis' home in Buenos Aires (also from D*S)

I recommend clicking on the links to read and see more of these fabulous homes. Eliza's dining room/courtyard is seriously to die for. What do you guys think? Do you have two competing styles?