Michael Kenna

Friends, I know I promised you another episode in the ongoing Sofas Of Our Lives (SOOL) drama, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until next week because my day job is currently keeping me too busy to shoot the pictures for it. It seems that providing 24/7 childcare, non stop maid service, and daily culinary master minorpieces, is incredibly time consuming. I think I've hit a wall. Now, I know I can't really complain since we are lucky to be healthy and happy (and also since a certain someone I know has THREE young boys), but in the 11 months since sweet baby Ike arrived, I have been out to dinner alone with my husband once. I really need a vacation. In an effort to be positive, I will get a little bragadocious and announce that I got my first photo credit in the New York Times (cough) blog for a shoot I did of Birds Barbershop. Obviously I am only steps away from becoming a famous photographer -- the kind of fancy person who can hire a babysitter, a maid, and a personal chef.

While we're waiting for my ship to come in, I'll stop yapping long enough for you to check out these beautiful images by a real famous photographer, Michael Kenna.

My favorite images are of the graphic, zen like Japanese countryside, and of chaotic rambling French ruins.  As usual, my tastes are nothing if not divided. And of course, it doesn't hurt that I would love to visit both places.

What do you think? Japan or France? Let's take a mental vacation together.

Happy Friday. See you next week.

Sexy Skeleton

Close your eyes and imagine... no wait, close your eyes just enough so you can still read this.. and imagine you are the CEO of a company that manufactures and produces X-Ray machines.  Fun, right?  Now imagine that the holidays have rolled around and it's time to wow your medical clients with a gift that says "thanks for buying 18 million dollars worth of x-ray machines for your hospitals."  You can't just send a fruit basket.

Enter Japanese X-Ray Machine manufacturer, EIZO.  Along with their advertising agency,  Butter, EIZO created this x-ray pinup calendar to, um, spread some holiday cheer.  Ms June is shown above.

Ms. August

Ms. September

Ms. November

For the full calendar, click HERE

To Match, Or Not To Match? That Is the Question...

For, I do believe it may be nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune than to buy mismatched couches off craigslist. Because jigsawing a large impulse purchase into a decor scheme already undone by many many many previous impulse bargain buys is definitely taking up arms against a sea of troubles. And don't forget that I must also bear the whips and scorns of yon Hunny's pissed off countenance. It's a calamity, I tell you.

After I finish craigslisting my lesser used possessions, I'm considering behaving like a grown up and buying a brand new couch -- something I choose, and not something that is chosen for me by the whims of the craigslist marketplace. Honestly, the very thought is so foreign... I'm still trying to wrap my wee head around the idea. New? Who does that? Well, I guess I might.

The biggest biggest hugest problem is of course what to buy. You see, it seems that most perfectly normal living rooms have one lovely couch, flanked perhaps by a pair of chairs in a different shape or fabric to add visual interest, like so:

Such an easy formula: A+B=Awesome. Ok, the fancy art helps, too.

But the stupid formula won't work for us since we are a two couch household. Does this mean I have to buy two new couches? Because one couch is fine -- one couch is easy to decorate around. But when you buy another, unmatched couch, well then shit just breaks down. Add in a different couch, and I start gnashing my teeth and tearing out hair (not my own, of course) in big disgusting clumps. Trying to solve the 2 couch equation turns me into a deranged, indecisive idiot. Because unless you're starting out with a hardcore plan, it is very hard to do the mismatched couch thing and do it well.

See, this is not working for me. I kind of see what they were going for, but nope.

And this room is very pretty, but I'm not sure I would like it in real life.

I guess keeping everything monochromatic would make it easier -- but kind of boring. Although I am in sweet sweet love with the couch resting against the wall...

This is kind of what I had in mind, mostly because I already have a navy chesterfield. What do you think about pairing it with a fat white slipcovered sofa? I'm worried they will look unbalanced when placed next to each other.

On the other hand, I guess I could just save up to buy two matching couches...

But I really don't want this to happen.

Enough with the typing. Look at these pictures of matching couches and try to guess what I'm thinking about them:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

UPDATE!

I can't believe I left this one out... obviously the drama is making me dizzy.

Exhibit D

Why do couches have to be so bleeping expensive, y'all? And so big and hard to switch out? It makes deciding what to buy incredibly nerve wracking. I need a decider. Oh, but I'm happy to decide which couch to put in YOUR house... funny how that works.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my couch saga on Friday, where I hope to post personal pictures of my actual seating drama. It's like freaking Sofas Of Our Lives around here.

In the meantime, I'd like to know what you think.

To match, or not to match? That is the question.