I Don't Actually Need Anything, But...

It's the Monday before Thanksgiving and I know what's on your collective mind: turkey and giblets. You were daydreaming about giblets, right? Because I really sense a giblet zeitgeist sweeping the nation... no? Well, I have been known to be wrong. Occasionally. Anyway, I should be preparing for the annual Thanksgiving trek, which will be made exponentially more interesting this year by the presence of a certain 4 month old someone during the six hour drive to Texarkana, but instead I have Black Friday on the brain. It's not that I believe sales are more important than family, it's just that I'm still on a decorating kick and I stumbled onto something I want, and damned if I'm paying full price for it (because I'm broke). Also, if you were trying to decide what to buy me for Christmas, here you go:

I know! It's so... normal. So reasonable at $68. So very much not a bedazzled reindeer skull. But this colorblock rug from Urban Outfitters represents a little slice of inspiration for me. I think I want to redo my bedroom. You know -- the bedroom I've never showed you because it's so two years ago. I could keep most of my furniture in my fantasy redo, but I'm going to need a new headboard and linens. And a new rug. Me likey this one. It feels kinda Bauhaus to me. But I need it to go on sale because that other stuff ain't gonna be free, and you know I just redid the dining room, and when The Hunny reads this he is going to KILLKILLKILL.

I digress. Sort of. You see, after I found this rug, I started looking at UO's other offerings, and you know -- they have some good stuff.

Like these pillows. I'll take the top one, and maybe if Karly is nice, she'll get the bottom one for a Christmas present. I'm a very giving person.

I would also like to give myself this origami quilt. I'm a bit concerned about the flowery underside, but I think overall it would do a swell job covering the futon in my office.

I could give this bench to Ike for his room, because I'm sure it tops every four month old's Christmas list.

I tell you, The Hunny has just been slavering over this cotton Rorschach rug a la Andy Warhol, and who am I to deny his dreams? Of course, I wouldn't put it on the floor. It would make a much better wall hanging or upholstery material.

I'm sure there's someone out there who really needs this Rya style shag rug, but no one's going to buy a 4x6 rug for $198, Urban Outfitters. Put that baby on sale!

I am really digging the arty prints and finishes on lots of UO's home goods. I wouldn't be mad if someone gave me this paint splatter vase.

However, I am wondering what you dudes think about this Painter's Chair, so called because it's covered in... paint. It's $298. Thoughts?

And, ok, I know it's not related to interiors, but I had to show you UO's Booty Buddy Blanket. THAT IS A SNUGGIE. And yet I find it repulsively compelling.... This confirms my suspicion that Snuggies might actually be awesome if they came in nicer prints.

While I'm busy twiddling my thumbs waiting for some of this stuff to go on sale, you might want to head over and check out the home goods UO already has on sale, like Alexander Girard quilts for DIRT CHEAP (if you like that sort of thing),  good deals on kilim rugs, and cute lamps. It's never to early to start Christmas shopping. For yourself. I mean for others.

Get In Shape Girl

Every year around March I realize what all my mother's peanut butterballs and butterscotch cookies have done to me and I instantly morph into a certified workoutaholic.  I don't just go to the gym once or twice a week and I don't park myself on the elliptical with a magazine.  I become a complete workout freak.  My obsession lands me in the gym at crazy hours (who knew there was such a time as 7am?) and has me balking at the ladies who turn on the fans in spin class (we're supposed to be sweating!) For roughly 6 month of the year my love for decor actually has a rival:  the gym. I've wanted to do a post on rooms with workout equipment in them (swoon!) but I guess most decorators don't take too kindly to a treadmill shoved in the corner.  I couldn't find a single image.  Not one.  (If you guys know of any, send me links!!)  Instead, I've combed the interwebs for the most well designed workout crap I could find.  Maybe some of these pieces could find a comfy spot in a well designed home?

Grand Queen of Web Sleuthing, Laura Sweet did a fantastic weight roundup on If It's Hip, It's Here last March.  I picked out my faves, um, hello, GOLD dumbells?  I really need to re-negotiate my gym membership, it could be 1000 times classier.  Be sure to check out the rest of Laura's roundup here

Electra Bike via Below the Clouds

My favorite workout involves cardio, lots and lots of cardio.  Perhaps I could sneak into my gym late one night and paint some lovely alexander girard inspired images on the stationary bikes?  I think the colorful flowers would look oh-so-lovely against the dirty-snow-grey.  No?  Maybe I should just start bringing in my own LOVE seat cover?

I have to admit that the idea of racing down a hill on the BauBike by Michael Ubbesen Jakobsen scares the living daylights out of me.  What if you were thrown backwards?  Need I say more?

Honestly, aside from my fear of falling, what makes these bikes particularly unappealing to me is that they are designed for outdoor use, a burden those of you in the north are lucky enough to not understand.  Today it was 100 degrees in Austin and not even my strongest workout ambitions can battle that kind of heat.  So something like this might be better for me:

The River Gym, a floating gym powered by the energy you exert while peddling or running or whatever.

Ok, these kinda freak me out and look like opportunities to either a. asphyxiate while baking under the sun or b. workout your way to a beautiful white grave under the sea.  A for effort, but I'm a little creeped out.

Let's go to a happier place

ahhh, that hits the spot.  LOOK!  Decorating!  Exercising!  This is the gym for me!

If I ever tire of climbing on picture frames and deer antlers in Japan (not a chance) I will clear my mind at these minimally designed towers in Amsterdam (of course).  The towers are a proposed vision to deal with the city's abandoned sewage treatment sites.  Kinda gross, but it looks like they plan to give 'em a good scrubbing:

The inside of the towers.

Admittedly, I've never been climbing, I think this should be a good place to start.

Of course, if you're going to work out, you've gotta have good workout shoes

They're Transformers!  Zoinks!

If you're more the workout-at-home type, might I suggest doing so while following Mariko Takahashi's Fitness video, which can be seen in all it's glory here

Happy Workouts Y'all! 

Getting to know you: Geoff McFetridge

As a graphic designer by day and home obsessed fantasy decorator by night I can't help but have a big giant soft spot in my heart for Geoff McFetridge.  While I was mildly impressed by such yawn-inducing accomplishments as directing the Beastie Boy's magazine, Grand Royal, founding the Director's Guild with Sophia Coppola, and scribbling a bunch of silly doodles for some of the greatest movie opening credits ever; Geoff really stole my heart when he designed this wallpaper:

(way to take the roll of the toilet before getting the shot, homeowner) 

Left: little whales in gray Right: shadows of the paranormal in red

I love how everything just looks like crazy insane shapes, but then you look closer and see this:

Left: Shadows of the Paranormal in Gray

Right: All of Us in Black

Hello! Do you see how sasquatch's legs are actually a hunter shooting him?  Genius I say, mad genius.   With everyone and their kitten getting into wallpaper design these days, papers start to blur together and there's really only so many flowers and birds one girl can look at.  Geoff's designs quietly make their way through the crowd, not really asking to stand out, but really really standing out.  

According to an interview done with Geoff by Loftlife, most of his paper designs originate as art installations, others are cast off projects for various clients reincarnated through his own design company, Pottok.  Who would cast these off?  Probably the same people who would leave a roll of TP in a DAMN HOME DECOR SHOT. Let's get past the anger and see some more pics, shall we:

Dead Trees in Green

I love how each panel tells a story.  One day, when my entire house is covered floor to ceiling in his (ahem) $150 / roll paper I will spend hours and hours finding new secrets in each picture, my cat will be there, she will like it too, Matt will be somewhere else.  In addition to providing countless days of looking at walls in a dream-like state, my hard earned duckets will have also helped save my dear, precious life:  each of the papers is hand silks-creened on recycled paper with water based inks.  good for me, good for you.

When McFetridge isn't scheming to cause my soul and bank account heart break, he works on these amazing installations:

the (in) Mind (or in the Mind), installation at the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park

hooray!  it's like his wallpaper in 3-D!  Or his wallpaper is the installation in 2-D?  Oh, deep thoughts, very chicken or the golden egg.

When looking at Geoff's work, I couldn't help but be reminded of uber-pattern designer, Alexander Girard, take a look at Girard's disigns:

Turns out, McFetridge is a big fan too.  There's the same stark contrast, pattern within pattern, and a sense of a story with Girard's work.  McFetridge's art really takes it one step further, sort of like a grande Girard acid trip.  I would love to tell you more but I am dead tired, mostly from all the wallpaper fantisizing, it tires a gal out.  So, why don't you go check out this great video on Geoff over at Western State and I'll get some dreamy sleep time.