Thomas Paul Pillow Giveaway: Name This Horsey!

That's right, my thoroughbred friends -- we've got an equestrian themed GIVEAWAY in honor of Karly's sold out edition of Horsey prints! This one comes courtesy of the fine folks at CSN Stores, who sell everything from bathroom vanities to Knoll and Kartell housewares through their mammoth collection of 200+ stores. I'm sure you can imagine that sifting through 489,654 items before selecting La Horsey was quite the sweaty herculean task, but it's ok. Don't worry about me. Everything I do, I do it for you. Now that I've drummed up an appropriate amount of sympathy and lodged a ridiculous Bryan Adams tune in your collective head, let's move on to the good stuff!

Just look at those sweet baleful eyes... who wouldn't want to give this little guy (or gal) a good home?

Measuring a substantial 22 x 22 inches square, our equine friend is hand screened with java colored ink onto jute, finished with leather piping, and stuffed silly -- because no one wants a skinny pony. Our lucky winner can display him (or her) whether they be old money or poorgeoisie -- this pillow has legs. Somewhere.

The Brass Tacks: Enter to win this FREE Thomas Paul pillow, valued at $80, by naming the horsey in the comment box below. That's right -- all you have to do is NAME THIS HORSEY to win a FREE Thomas Paul pillow. You have until Sunday, May 30, at 12 noon CST, to leave your comment below. A random number generator will choose the winner, who will be announced on Memorial Day, Monday the 31st. Sorry, due to shipping constraints, this contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. Please enter only once, but feel free to tell your friends and neighbors, announce this contest on facebook, and tweetaleet all about this bizness. We're looking forward to some excellent names, the best of which will be announced along with the winner, because bragging rights are almost as good as a free pillow right? Right?

Now saddle up and get cracking. Yee haw!

Pompom Phenomenon

A few days ago, Stephanie at super awesome radicool blog even*cleveland posted on all kinds of crafty pompoms, those fuzzy wuzzy balls of good cheer. I've been lusting after a pompom bedspread since summer, so I feel compelled to post an intrablog follow up to show you some more... balls. This time in interiors. Soon, you'll want to sew pompoms onto everything, but control thyself! Balls are very powerful, and require a judicious measure of restraint. So without further ado, here's the pair that first inspired my desire:

I'm not a big fan of the peppermint patty headboard in this Tom Scheerer bedroom, but I love the dreamy quality the pompom fringe brings to the edge of the bed. My dear sweet mother sewed fringe onto EVERYTHING (Couch: check. Every pillow on the couch: check. Curtains: why not?), so I certainly have a nostalgic appreciation for those little dingle berries, as well as a healthy fear for the havoc they can wreak.

But, hark! Here is the very same bedspread featured in Domino (apparently available only through ABC Home and Carpet. Grrr! Why don't I live in New York?), and does it not captivate? The soft texture it adds to rough surfaces and hard lines balance this simple room out beautifully. Please ignore the bleed through from the back page... Miles Redd and his striped rooms are also very powerful stuff.

If you want just a splash of texture, a colorful throw like the one in this lovely apartment featured on Decor8 might do the trick. Oh, and I will also take everything else in this room, please. Thank you.

For a dose of color in an all white room, consider sewing a colorful ball fringe on a white blanket, and hey presto! You have a sexy little number to keep you warm at night. Photo via the Style Files.

An old school chenille bedspread packed with pompoms adds bohemian charm and texture to this bedroom. Plus it makes me want to jump up and down on the bed and scream, "Wheeeeeeeee! I love balls!" Photo via Elle Decor.

Perhaps you'd like to keep your ball lovin' on the down low. Discreet pompoms sewn onto these coverlets are cheeky without resorting to kitsch appeal. Photo via Domino.

Then there's this hot little throw, strewn oh so casually across the bed, that gives me a warm feeling inside. It's tres elegant -- looks very high class and expensive -- but you'll want to spend all night long with it. Photo via Elle Decor.

Speaking of throws, this is -- all kidding aside -- the MOST amazing throw, ever. It comes courtesy of Etsy seller Modern Fiber Lab, and it is worth every penny of its asking price. Felted by hand of wool and mohair using traditional techniques, it's simply the most weirdly elegant pompom pelt in the universe. Period. You know what I want for Christmas next year, so start saving up.

Although I obviously have a crush on pompom bedspreads and throws, you can feel free to spread the balls far and wide throughout your home. Case in point: this crazy rug beckons for your sweet, sweet love down by the fire. Courtesy of Sew Very Prairie.

Karly has a killer pompom pillow that makes her couch look like a million bucks. Be like Karly and bring a little squishy love into your life with these fringe elements. Clockwise from top left: Pillow via Country Home Living, Red or Brown Pillow at World Market on sale for $7.48, Minimal Pompom Pillow Cover at West Elm on sale for $6.99 (indigo only), Handmade Retro Red Pillow at Weezi for $24.98.

If you're crafty, you could sew a line of pompom fringe onto just about anything, like this window cornice. Photo via Domino.

More ballsy craft ideas... or just feel free to buy from the source. Sheer curtains with tiny pompoms available at PB Teen (!), Crazy pompom fringe parrot lamp at Whatiszot Design, Ball fringe blanket at Calypso.

No jokes here, only a gorgeous image that combines a lot of pretty pretty elements all framed by an amazing vintage crocheted curtain dripping with delicate pompoms. Me likey. Picture courtesy of Bohemian Hellhole, a great blog with a great name.

So, don't be afraid cheer for the return of the pompom, because it's time to get ballsy with decor. If these two strapping young bucks could go down out on the fringe, so can you.

Chevronathon

Did you know chevron (no, not the gas station) is the new zebra? Seriously, it's everywhere. Exhibit A:

Walnut Wallpaper's amazing collection of wall coverings includes this hand printed beauty by Paper Mills, which is even named Zebra, although clearly it's a chevron pattern, right? I like this so much better than zebra (even though I do, of course, have the ubiquitous rug in my dining room) because it's less safari and more classic. Plus I totally feel like I could paint or stencil this (a la Karly, the stencil queen) on a wall myself!

Exhibit B: When I saw this post on Decorno's blog featuring House of Mann fabric in the grandest scale ever, I knew I was going to have to do some serious shopping research into this chevron business.

I already see myself lazing away in this canopy while DH fans me with palm fronds and feeds me grapes... I have a feeling he probably doesn't share the same vision, but I may have to order some of that fabric for outdoor cushions anyway. House of Mann swears it's mildew and UV resistant, and since hemp is a renewable resource, it might temporarily assuage some of the guilt borne by my rampant consumerist tendencies. Probably not, though.

Exhibit... whatever: Once I started looking in earnest, I found that chevrons come in a zillion color combinations, some resembling Missoni from its heyday in the seventies, and some even produced by Missoni today.

Clockwise from top left: Pillow by Twinkle Living at Design Public, Lulu DK chevron fabric, Missoni's current offerings at Sak's Fifth Avenue, and a crazy awesome hooked wool rug from the American Country Home Store. Yep.

Although I am digging some of the colorful options -- especially that insane rug -- I really like chevron  best when it pairs one light tone with one dark one, because simplicity is the chevron's ace in the hole. Check out these amazing Madeline Weinrib Rugs. Don't worry. They're not expensive. They are ridiculously expensive, because Madeline Weinrib is an atelier, you see, and things made by an atelier (insert accent) cost a lot of money. Don't ask me why.

(Photo on right courtesy of Domino)

God, I really want that rug, but I'm not a millionaire... crap, I'm not even a thousandaire, so I may have to do as adorable deal hunter Nick Olsen did and whitewash a flatweave rug (like a dhurrie, sisal or seagrass) and then paint some colored chevron stripes on it:

(Photo courtesy of Bellasugar)

Love the navy, white, and oregano green, paint palette... and do I spy a hint of my new favorite color in there? Dreamy!

My last issue of Domino also featured this super cool chevron patterned urn distributed by Zocalo:

Hooray for the foray into 3D surfaces! The chevron does a great job of defining volume and classic black and white always works because it's graphic enough to be punchy, white still accommodating a range of decorating possibilities. This chevron has all the positive attributes of the beloved zebra print, but it just doesn't feel like it's trying so hard.