2. Lotus Cat Tree from The Refined Feline -  This is such a clean, contemporary design, it hardly looks like a cat tree. I love that there is bare wood and not a bunch of shaggy carpet. Oh yeah, I think the cats would enjoy it too =)

3.  The Arrow of Time - This is such a cool idea. The family takes pictures of each member on the same day each year, creating a progressive timeline of photographs. I would love to be organized enough to do this! Check out the site to get the full effect.

4. Photography by Kenneth Parker and Nick Brandt - While completely different in style and subject matter, both photographers have incredible contrast and feeling in their pictures.

Kenneth Parker - Lavender Swirl, Lower Antelope Canyon
Navajo Reservation, Arizona

Nick Brandt - Giraffes in Evening Light
Maasai Mara 2006

1. Scenecaster.com - A very cool site where you can make 3D models of rooms and decorate them.

2. Woodwick Candles - These candles are awesome. They burn very evenly and have a wooden wick (hence the name Woodwick), which makes a crackling-fire like noise. Normally I wouldn’t spend $23 on a candle, but they last so long, smell great - but not overwhelming - and burn with virtually no waste so it’s worth it.

3. Paintings by Jessi Wiegand of Ever Art Gallery - Jessi’s paintings have amazingly rich colors and depth in their simplicity. My favorite is the one below.

4. Books and Letterpress from Green Chair Press - Being a typography freak, I love these handmade books and letterpress prints. My two favorite books are the Reader’s Diary and the Food and Exercise Diary.

2. Born to Fly - Necklace from 1 of My Kind by Jody McGill. I really like the asymmetrical design of this necklace. I also love the stone. All of the jewelry on 1 of My Kind is vintage-y and beautiful with rich colors and textures.

3. Tape as a wall decoration - This idea, from Jonathan Fong’s Walls that Wow, is perfect for renters or people who like to frequently change the look of a room. The instructions are from an exerpt of the book on iVillage.

4. Castle House - In the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis. This place is just unreal. Gorgeous woodwork, high ceilings and a lovely victorian porch on the outside.

Cheryl’s Creations uses natural stones in most of her jewelry. This one is a large Tiger’s Eye stone held in place by delicately twisted sterling silver. I love the depth and variation in this particular stone - it really shows off the multitude of colors.

Alisa Miller.Metalsmith’s work is wonderfully geometric. Her pieces are mostly composed out of circles of varying sizes and configurations. The simplicity is beautiful.

Mamacita Beadworks makes all their own pewter beads and pendants. The designs are very organic and there are many 3D pieces as well. All of the items have incredible depth. 

2. Ang Artica Gull - While this store only has a few items right now, the sister stores (www.CharmingDarling.Etsy.com and www.FrenchMemo.Etsy.com) offer some different, but equally quirky items. I love this gull. She wears a pearl necklace and is just so adorable. She would look lovely on a bookshelf next to the ‘fancy books’ (you know what I mean, the books you have to make it look like you are highly intelligent - we all know the cheesy romance novels are hiding behind them).

3. Wedding Dresses by Joan Shum Bridal House - Of the six designs she offers, my personal favorite is the White Dalia, below. All of the designs are gorgeous and range in price from $2,000 to $4,000, which isn’t that outrageous if you consider they are custom made.

4. Harry Potter Quilt - If you know me, you know I’m slightly obsessed with the Harry Potter stories. Apparently, I’m not the only one. Each pieced square of this amazing quilt was designed by Jennifer Ofenstein. There are other designs available on her site http://www.sewhooked.org/ where you can access the Harry Potter patterns as well as many others. All patterns are rated by skill level.

I’m also going to go with more blues and greens for the bedding because they are supposed to be more relaxing colors. Unfortunatly, I’m not having much luck finding what I want. Guess it’s time to hit the fabric stores!

Here is a picture of a porch I ran across on the decor8 blog today. It makes me feel summer; sitting on the porch with candles lit, or reading a book; feeling the breeze from the lake.

Photo by Deborah Jaffe for Domino magazine.

These Yum brella fruit bowls from Benjamin Hubert are so fun, and since they’re practical as well, it would be worth the approximately $80 they cost.

Click here to see Benjamin’s ceramics and lighting collections.

2. Necklaces from Angelique’s Boutique - Fashion Jewelry by Norella (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5556638). These necklaces are so Spring-y! I love the sculptural aspect of them as well. And, bonus, they’re affordable =)

3. Mini Felt Brooches from The Littlest Bean - Mixed Media Useables by Jen Menkhaus (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5156084). These are so colorful and cute - and only $5.25! Jen is donating 5% of her profits through April 18th to the Maryland SPCA’s ‘March for Animals’.

4. Painting from DavidVMoore Art + Design (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5177982). David’s artwork is full of texture and beautiful colors. There are varying styles, but they all have wonderful aesthetics.

Over and out.