making things pretty... » for the house

Why ARE there so many songs about rainbows?!

Ramona — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:24:35 +0000

I’m constantly wanting seeing ideas to copy out there on teh interwebs and this artwork combines some of my favorite things: typography, fiber art, Muppets and DIY!

(via Apartment Therapy)

and â€œdon’t panicâ€…

Ramona — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:17:38 +0000

I’m usually not much of a poster person (except for that one Dirk Fowler/Old 97’s one that got away… damn!) but I’m loving this “Think for yourself” poster by Linda Zacks.

it’s baaaackkkk…

Ramona — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:12:55 +0000

Gee, the — ahem — vase is back up on ebay. Happy bidding!

woo-hoo, concrete pavers…

Ramona — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:45:52 +0000

Ok, so this is not the most exciting topic ever, but bear with me. Our back patio is sinking. Like it’s dropped almost a foot in places over the past 40 years. So one of these years (soon. ugh.) we’re going to have to rip it out and re-do it.

Unfortunately it’s not going to be some cool, colorful epoxy terrazzo masterpiece. It’s going to be something cheap. Preferably something we can DIY. We could have concrete poured. But it’s either plain-ass boring ol’ gray, or it’s hella-expensive schmancy stained and stamped stuff. We could do brick — but we have enough finishes on our house as it is (wood siding, metal siding, Hardie board, other color of brick that would be impossible to match), we don’t need to add another. I could go for natural stone (mmmmm… bluestone) but, again with the dollars. Or we could do pavers. Which usually make me want to scream with their twee shapes and obnoxious pink hues, but then I saw these modern pavers. And Hallelujah! mine eyes have seen the light! See how it’s all skinny and cool-shaped? See how it sorta looks like a plank floor? Woo-hoo! Concrete pavers!

imaginary friends…

Ramona — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:05:33 +0000

So my imaginaryÂ benchÂ will need some company and I think I’ve found him a perfect friend in this planter.

Ok, so maybe it’s a ways down on the “actually purchase” list, but I love it nonetheless. In fact, go look through the Architectural Pottery site — they have tons of cool MCM pottery, including the ubiquitous bullet planter. But I have my heart set on this little dude. And, as a bonus, I was thinking maybe I could dress it up as a spaceship for Halloween!

benched…

Ramona — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:24:01 +0000

We’ve been oh-so-slooooowly renovating the exterior of the house. We’ve added one metric f-ton of mulch (and by we, I mean the hubby). Lots o’ plants. And, a couple of weeks ago, we finally installed the new storm door (that’s been sitting in the front hall for four months). And by “we,” I, again, mean someone else — mostly my dad.

So now that the major hardware in front is looking halfway presentable, it’s time to look at the rest. And, honestly, the front stoop (man, I love that word) just bores me to tears. We have a cool mailbox, and a really cool doorbell which, apparently, attracts toddler fingers with a force similar to that of the North Pole). The avocado green door will be painted, just as soon as we can figure out a color (so, eh, maybe October). On my wish list is slate tile to cover the ugly slick concrete and a bench. I didn’t even know I wanted a bench because, hey, we’ve got giant buckets of sidewalk chalk and various wiffle balls and plastic golf clubs for ornamentation. Then I saw this bench.

Now, I am not usually a big fan of benches â€” eh, a bench is a bench — but I’m lusting after this one. Alas, it’s $300. For a plastic bench. I’m thinking maybe the design is simple enough that I can manage this one as a DIY. And when I say “DIY,” I, of course, mean “Oh, Daaaaaaad!”

office treat…

Ramona — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:41:09 +0000

If I ever, ever, EVAH get my office cleaned out, I may have to spring for one of these desk phones from Crosley. Because right now, the only phone in here is the one on the fax machine, which is stuffed into my desk and has a cord length of, oh, maybe 4.5″.

Usually I’d gravitate towards the shiny silver, but the matte black is purty too. I’d even forego the portability issue. Maybe I’d get one of those really long lines so that I could hang the phone body off of my hand and pace back and forth like they used to in the movies. Except that it would never be that cool in my life… because every time the phone rings, three children come running from the ends of the earth, demanding things they hadn’t even dreamed of seconds before. Loudly. Ahhhh, the magic of the telephone.

yoo-hoo! you, in the city of angels…

Ramona — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:30:45 +0000

So, any of you loyal readers in LA? If so, please make a mental note about the Modernica Warehouse Sale on June 7.

Do you understand the plan? Let’s review, just to be clear: Wait for June 7 (or perhaps the day before if you want to camp out and really impress me), head to this big ol’ warehouse sale, grab any and all light blue and/or orange and/or white Eames shell chairs that you can find, then ship them all to me.

Mission accomplished.

heh heh heh…

Ramona — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:21:23 +0000

Let me just start by saying that I came by this, ummmmm, vase on ebay honestly… I have a search set up for Vistosi pottery and glassware (like Mr. Unaffordable Bird) and this is what showed up in my inbox yesterday.

I am floored.

I am also dying laughing.

I’m completely floored…

Ramona — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:20:10 +0000

by thisÂ unbelievably all-white spaceÂ featured in NY Magazine.Â Â

In the words of my heroÂ Ralph Wiggum… “That’s unpossible.”Â