Happy New Year!

We're off to ring in the new year at a party with friends, champagne and hopefully lots of laughter and dancing.

I hope 2010 brings good things for everyone!

Photo from here.

Infinity and Beyond

I could spend hours contemplating the work of German-born artist Eno Henze. Delicate yet bold, dynamic but quiet, his images draw me in and don't let me go easily. And the colors are exquisite. Such talent is simultaneously startling, humbling and inspiring.

These works are part of his series, The Human Factor, an ongoing collaboration between the artist and his computer. Come, get lost in a few: 

Photos from here.

Slim Pickings

Often, the most amazing houses are unusual, unlikely, improbable. I like those that make the most of their location and coax usefulness and beauty out of every square inch. And I absolutely believe that sometimes the best creativity comes out of constraints.

That's certainly the case with this fantastic Toronto home published in Dwell. Somehow the house is modern, light-filled, comfortable and completely family friendly, all at once. Here, have a look at a few of the photos (and there are more in a slideshow).

Photos from here.

Spirit of Christmas Past

Christmas is over and the long weekend is winding down. But what a lovely few days this has been, filled with lots of great time with family.

While the holidays may be over, I'm hoping to keep the feelings of gratitude, love, joy and hope alive through the next year. There's so much beauty and wonder around us -- I don't want to miss out on noticing it.

Photo from here.

Cabin Fever

Whether it's chosing a place to live or a place to travel, I'm typically a city girl. I love the energy found in a metropolis, and the fact that there's always something to do, see or experience that makes you feel so alive.

That said, Toast's new house&home catalogue has me wanting to find a little cabin out in the country and shack up for a long weekend. We'd hike in the fresh air, spend an evening by a log fire and fall into a bed of flannel sheets.

Okay, so a weekend like this probably isn't in my near future, but these catalogue photos are good daydream starters.

Photos from here.

Merry Christmas to All

... and to all a good night.

Photo by me.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

But just like the song goes, it's truly delightful inside tonight. A blizzard is raging outside, but we're safe and warm and happy. I'm not sure what the storm will do to our holiday plans tomorrow and Friday, but I really can't ask for anything more than I have right now.

Photo from here.

Yes, Please!

These amazing Kurt Geiger heels are venturing dangerously far from the "want" category and securely into "need." 

Photo from here.

I Wish

Yep, this is it. This is exactly where I'd like to spend today. Lounging in a beautiful white and natural room with the sun hitting my face as I doze on a fantastic sofa.  

Photo from here via here. 

Morning, Sunshine

It's Monday morning. Early Monday morning. And I am up and at 'em. Seriously, what is going on? 

Maybe if I could catch gorgeous sunrises like in this beautiful photo every morning, this early-bird business would be a regular occurrence. 

Photo from here.

It's in the Details

Since moving into our first house two Decembers ago, my husband and I have taken on improvement projects big and small. And while we have things pretty much the way we want them, we recently started up a few projects. He's finishing our basement -- definitely a project that falls under the "big" category -- while I've been playing around with some of our rooms. I've added a chair to the living room, my mom sewed new covers for some pillows, I'm swapping out artwork and painting my own, and I have ideas for our bathroom.

All these projects and mental project-planning can overwhelm me. I want to do it all now and make everything great! But I know creating a home takes time, and I do like the process.

When I saw this Minnesota home the other day on Apartment Therapy, I had a realization: It's the little things that make a house interesting, beautiful and a true relfection of the people who live there. And I think these homeowners have done an amazing job at that. I love the details in each room, the owl lamp and print, the rows of framed photos and white vases.

Thanks to these fabulous homeowners for this beautiful reminder!

Photos from here.

Bare and Beautiful

One of my favorite wintertime sights is the silhouette of a tree. The fact that the leaves are gone reveals the lovely shape of the branches.

Artist Paul Farrell captures this brilliantly in his colorful series of prints, found on Rockett St George. Aren't they cool?

Photos from here.

Winter Wonderland

The other day, I ran across these stunning photos of a snowy New York City. They're by Jamie, the photographer and blogger behind From Me To You., for a special project for Simple Blueprint. I keep returning to these images because the stillness and quietness of them is so magical -- especially when you consider they were taken in one of the most dynamic places on earth. I don't know how she did it ... but I'm so glad she did!

Photos from here.

Mood Lighting

The Christmas season truly is here and I am loving it! I've been listening to holiday music in the car and watching holiday movies at home. And the lights strung up around town on houses, businesses and streetlights set such a nice tone.

Doesn't this Flickr mosaic capture some great holiday lights?

Photo from here.

Dog Tired

What a day! What a week! Whew, I am beat and so glad the weekend is starting. Currently my plans are: husband, dog, me, couch ... and that's all. Anything beyond that doesn't really matter right now. 

Wishing everyone a cozy, relaxing, wonderful weekend!

Photo from here.

Creatures Great and Small

I am absolutely mesmerized by the photography of Sharon Montrose. Deer, sheep, owls, cows -- the largest and smallest alike of the animal kingdown are subjects of her incredible photography. She captures the tenderness as well as the inherent beauty of each animal.

While her photography is stunning from purely an aesthetic perspective, there's an extra quality in her images that I can't quite describe. But whether or not I have the words for them, these portraits remind me why I am happy to be a vegetarian and why it's so important to live as cruelty-free as possible. Animals are incredible! I hope someday humans can simply appreciate animals for what they are, not what they can do or provide for us.

Now, I don't know Montrose at all, but I feel like she must be an animal lover to create such art. She writes at her Etsy shop, "Because folks are asking: Yes! These are PHOTOGRAPHS of real live animals. Most of them live happily at animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations, while others are privately owned pets."

Here are a few images that make me want to both laugh and cry.

Photos from here.

Slightly Perfect

I love this outfit, worn by Julie of Orchid Grey. I love the striped shirt and its great length, the blazer with its rolled sleeves, the perfect-fit skinny jeans, the gold necklace and the pointy flats. I love it so much I wish I were wearing it today.

Photo from here.

Window Seat

Don't you just love looking out a window? Isn't there such simple but pure pleasure to be found in this activity? I like how a window lets you observe life taking place in front of you, yet physically separates you from it -- creating this perfect distance that allows you to take everything in a bit differently.

In any case, I was delighted to run across this New York Times slideshow. It features drawings from Matteo Pericoli's book, The City Out My Window: 63 Views on New York, in which he aksed well-known NYC-ers to describe the views from their windows.

The artist's drawings are spectacular, and the story behind the project only enhances them. Here, take a look at a few:

Photos from here.

Oh, Bow

This time of year, we start to see pretty packages done up in wrapping paper and bows. But if I were lucky enough to get this gorgeous by boe bow necklace, I don't think I'd even want any special packaging. This sweet bow is enough on its own.

Photo from here via here.

So Special

My weekend was a little longer and a lot more special because of yesterday. My mom, sister and I all took the day off of work and spent it together. It hardly mattered what we did exactly -- simply having a whole day to share was great. We did some Christmasy things, some practical things and definitely some just-plain-fun things.

I still can't fully comprehend that we all live in the same city again. While I wouldn't trade the years my husband and I spent living in other states, I absolutely love being back near family. So many people don't have this luxury, so I try not to take it for granted.

Photo from here.

Wishing I Were Here

As mesmerizing as the soft white snow blanketing the world around me is, I am very much a lover of warm weather. And I can't help but think of tropical locales in the winter. Every year since I was eleven, my family has escaped to the Caribbean for a week. It's kind of our unsaid contract: yes, we'll live in a nothern city that gets slammed with snow and biting temps in the winter ... as long as we can get away to thaw once a year.

So I have to say I am utterly envious of designer Donna Karan's British West Indies retreat, as showcased in Architectural Digest. Take a look at the amazing photos. I promise they'll warm you up, at least a little.

Photos from here.