What I'm grooving on today

Knitted "poufs" by Christien Meindertsma, available at Design Within Reach. So very cool..they're like giant hacky sacks. It's too bad they're at DWR, because I will never be able to afford anything in that store. Anyone out there a crazy knitter..who would make one for me?

Kidding.

Kind of.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

This post over at Apartment Therapy today, of a couple's home in the East Village. It is a wonderful example of maximum use of minimum space..their bathtub is in the kitchen for cryin' out loud! I love it, for it's inspiring use of space, color, objects...everything. These folks did an incredible job with just over 500 square feet (about as much as Michael and I have). I keep going back to the slideshow for ideas and inspiration.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Speaking of square footage (or, a lack thereof)...this guy and his tiny houses! Jay Shafer is an architect, as well as the owner of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, and he is my god. If I were an architect, this is what I would be doing! His houses range from tiny (65 square feet!!) to "small" (837 square feet).

Now, when most people think of a small house, they imagine one like my mom lives in: a modest, 1940's 2 bedroom with a finished basement. Well, my mom's got over 1000 square feet, all said. So, it may be hard to imagine living in less than that, but I think it's entirely possible! Most people cant imagine it because we've been brainwashed to believe we need a lot of space (for all our STUFF!) and that we have to close ourselves up in our homes and do everything in there. The challenge, then, in living smaller, is living simply. Stop buying stuff you don't need and donate the stuff you already have that isn't getting used; think about what you really need and love, and find ways to incorporate them into your home creatively; re-think the size of things such as sinks and cooking stations (how often do you use more than two burners at a time?); and, if you can, "live" outside: gardening, cooking, entertaining.

Also, living smaller and simpler might just encourage one to enjoy the sense of community that comes from doing things outside the home, such as: internet searching and emailing at a neighboring coffee shop, getting together with friends at a local restaurant, taking up yoga at a studio, joining a co-op that offers space for crafts and hobbies, checking out the library!! I believe living smaller and simply can lead to a lot of good things.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Voluspa candles. Yum! Now, the one problem with these little treasures is that they are not necessarily made of soy, but of all kinds of waxes, so you may be getting parafin(yuk). But the scents are absolutely divine!! My favorite right now is Baltic Amber. If ever I can afford to, I will definitely buy the diffuser oil in this flavor. Grrrhhh.

I wish there was a way to "show" you how it smells here. But, you'll just have to find a retailer that carries them, like Patina. And, hey, you really should get there anyway, if you haven't yet. Especially if you have a gift to give - everything in the store is either pretty, sexy or funny. You'll love it!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________


The Innocence Mission. Well, pretty much everyday I'm grooving on this band. Okay, everyday (I scored We Walked In Song on vinyl a few weeks back and listen to it, probably, everyday). But I had to share, just in case you haven't stumbled upon them yet. My music tastes, as well as some of my fashion sense, is somewhat stuck in the late 80's/early 90's. I especially love bands like this, who are continuing to make music after all these years. Others on the list: The Sundays, 10,000 Maniacs, Cowboy Junkies, and - of course - Tori Amos, to name a few.