Dare to Dream: Rugs

Carpet may be the most common renter's woe. Carpet worn bare over years of use, carpet harboring the former tenant's pet's fleas, carpet wearing stains that you hope had nothing to do with the former tenant's pet. Adam and I have faced all of the above in our current apartment alone. Someday when we live in our own home with herringbone wood floors we're going to reminisce about the carpet angst of our youth. Like the reasonably attractive but obviously defective remnants in our Seattle apartment. Not only did the unbound edges continually unravel, the carpet coughed up enormous poofs of synthetic fluff, even after six months of weekly vacuuming (and even more so after it choked and killed my vacuum). We'll think wayyyy back to the very, very green wall-to-wall carpet of our last Spokane apartment and have a good chuckle. Oh, how green it was.

My current complaint is perhaps the most common of all. Our carpet, even now that it's passably clean, is just hideous. The bedroom is swathed in matted orangey-brown plush (gag), and the living room sports dingy loops of gray, mauve, and blue. A posh tiger rug can only help the situation so much.

So, here's a dare-to-dream that I think all of you renters out there can relate to. I dream of covering up this hot mess with a much prettier area rug (that I could roll up and take with me when I ditch this joint). Something with a practical, show-no-dirt pattern that compliments my neutral palette...

Clockwise from top left, Dash & Albert Diamond Indoor/Outdoor Rug in Charcoal/Taupe, Modern Damask Wool Tufted Rug in Silver from World Market, Hooked Quatrefoil Rug in Mocha/Charcoal from Shades of Light, Dash & Albert Diamond Indoor/Outdoor Rug in Khaki/White.

Of course, rolling in at about half a month's rent, all of these practical investments are sadly out of this girl's price range. Ah, dare to dream.

In Limbo

Moving has just gotten as real as can be: on Monday we watched all of our earthly possessions rumble away on a truck. I anticipate being tense and worried until I'm reunited with my things on the 21st.

Okay. Nothing. Move.

For now we're squatting in our empty apartment, subsisting on take-out food, two suitcases, a twin-sized bed, and a 10" television manufactured in 1988. I take it back: this is as surreal as can be!

This apartment and this beautiful neighborhood will always be a fond memory for me- our little urban Eden where we were so happy. Our prelapsarian flat:

Our ever-changing decor, and our beloved curiosities.

The newest addition to our dining room, an Ikea Granemo cabinet.

The glass sliding doors are an excellent preventative measure against our feline saboteur.

Foiled again, eh Matilda?

Our living room, featuring a petite sofa from Former Furniture.

Our bathroom, staged for relaxation.

The best seat in the house: our sunporch, overlooking a lovely park.

In Memoriam, Our Wallingford Apartment

Future Shack 2009

How is it that a long weekend makes the following week seem even lonnnnnnngerrrr?

I'm definitely ready for my weekend. I'll be:

• Hitting up Greenwood Garage Sale Day to see if there are any finds to be found.
• Enjoying the 80º weather while it lasts!
• Attending the AIA Seattle Future Shack event...

You might recall my post this summer about the house on my street that I have a little crush on.

I admire it each time I walk by. It's modern without feeling sharp, it's compelling without being jarring. It's a home, not an experiment. Remember that I wished for more information on the project?

Well, happy birthday, myself: turns out that this house is amongst the projects submitted for Future Shack, and we can all take a little peek inside!

Image by Frank Jenkins

Image by Hutchison & Maul Architecture

What is Future Shack? This is a competition started this year by the AIA and the Seattle Times to celebrate architectural projects that approach urban living from a progressive angle. The projects have been reviewed by two separate juries- one made up of community members, the other of design professionals. Selected projects will be featured in Pacific Northwest Magazine.

You know that I'm a girl who loves all things vintage and quirky- but I'm intrigued by the approach that Future Shack is taking with modern architecture. One of the criteria for submissions was "Past Forward: designs that incorporate the historic fabric into a forward-looking housing solution." Whoah. They had me at "historic."

Sunday's event will be a discussion between the juries and the audience about the merit of these projects and their impact on our city. Can modern innovation work around the constraints of city living without being sterile?

If you're a Seattle resident who plans on twiddling their thumbs this Sunday evening, I suggest you head on over to Future Shack! For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit the AIA website.

If you see me there, say hi! I'm hoping for a lively debate!

Inspiration: Less is More

I don't get the "less is more" thing. Don't play your word games with me- more is more, and we both know it. Modernist aesthetic and recession be damned, give me more.

And yet... I love this.

It's less, it's more, it's the destruction of my design philosophy.

This home in my neighborhood fascinates me. The ultra simple barn structure in matte charcoal gray... the row of square windows with brick-red trim... the no-nonsense concrete wall paired with the bare picket fence... and of course, the mounds of lavender.

It's tradition reduced to its most basic, graphic forms.

Just a perfect, harmonious chord.

What I wouldn't give for more information... or a look inside this house!

Girl About Town Reportedly Engages in Shenanigans

Try chicken, feta, cilantro & raspberry pizza from Zaw at the Market.

Decide to maintain a boundary between dinner & desert henceforth.

Feast at Oliver's Twist with Adam and ex-housemate Kelly.

Prove that 3 amiable people will fight for their proper share of truffled popcorn and brioche with Seastack & bacon compote.

Confirm Kelly & Adam to be decidedly off-kilter. Adam in particular.

Entertain visitors. Briefly.

Chef Wargacki unveils Basque omelette invention. Accolades to follow.

Step out in penny-colored loafers. Extreme metallic sheen qualifies as shenanigan.

Apartment decorated in patriotic fashion.

Boy catches up on reading, Girl attempts to catch rays. (Fails, supplements with sunless tanner.)

Become only childless couple to claim viewing spot at Wallingford Park.

Dubious honor. Adam attacked by off-leash two-year-old.

Ooh and ahh sedately amidst dozens of high-pitched shrieks.

Enjoy selves immensely.

Making Arrangements

Another successful market outing last night- despite a bit of rain and some angry wind (vendors were making change with one hand and anchoring their tents with the other!). Because the skies were so murky, we gravitated towards the brightest and cheerfulest (my vocabulary is the bestest) summer colors. At least the inside of our apartment will be sunny!

Most of my $5 bouquet is tasked with invigorating my desk, hopefully motivating me to blog, blog, blog!

A sharp looking display, I must say.

I plucked out all the little red poppies and made a romantic vignette for my dresser. I have a modest collection of vintage costume jewelry, but I don't get to wear it frequently (a bit much for my business casual office). I love to look at it, so why not use it as decor?

I like to split bouquets into smaller groupings (did you notice?).

Less really can look like more- and multiple heights make an excellent "frame."

Adam spent his $5 on a gnarly bunch of gold and orange carrots, and proceeded to create the most vibrant and aromatic feast ever to have graced our table. Savory lamb with fresh rosemary, sweet onions and carrots, all served atop a mouthwatering carrot puree. (I'm writing this on my lunch break, and I am desperately wishing I'd had left-overs!)

Adam is a truly phenomenal cook. I suspect he misses being in the kitchen of Spokane's Zagat-Rated Milford's Fish House- so I try to give him lots of opportunities to show off at home! I've been wheedling with him to share his genius in a Shock the Bourgeois guest column. Would any of you be interested in a weekly recipe + tablescape post? Vote on your right! --->

Oh, for one more bite!

As far tablescapes go, I went the organic (read: easy) route. I loved the delicate, frothy look of the carrot tops- and it felt strange to toss them. I plopped them in a vase and used them as a centerpiece!

Carrots are the secret ingredient!

Off to lunch- back later for a tasteful improvement to this week's fixer...

My Shockingly Domestic Life

Last night Adam and I took advantage of a warm evening and walked down the street to the Wallingford Farmer's Market. I find browsing the market incredibly satisfying, even when my pockets are empty and my refrigerator is already full (though that's a rare occurrence).

It's not about being a consumer. I really dislike the chore of grocery shopping: the chilly ammonia-scented air, maneuvering a wonky-wheeled cart through a maze of aisles, the necessary (and discouraging) price tag mathematics. When every brightly colored package is shouting its merits and every fruit is hot-house grown in the dead of winter, I am strangely compelled to buy really awful food!

There's something refreshingly honest about a local market- after all, they can only sell what is ripe and good! This week, the first of the strawberries and the last of the peonies. In a few weeks, heirloom tomatoes in wild colors... in a few months, bundles of enormous dahlias.

It's a treat for the senses- brushing dirt off of Washington potatoes, the smell of fresh-baked bread wafting in the open air, the anticipation of tasting the raspberries and Camembert you're bringing home... 

 

Plus, everything just LOOKS gorgeous.

So sorry to wax poetic, my patient readers- but I encourage you to seek out a farmer's market near you and see for yourself.  It's such a lovely way to connect with the subtle shift of seasons AND actually make eye contact (or conversation!) with members of your community.  With that, on to the decor segment of this post!

While Adam was busy cooking up the goat cheese & bell pepper ravioli he selected at the market, I set to work arranging my purchase- a massive bouquet of flowers (for only $5!).  I had so many that I was able to fill two vases.

One for my "office," where I spend so many hours blogging away...

I recommend placing flowers where you'll enjoy them most.

My desk, complete with ubiquitous (but beloved) iMac, red schtapler, and Design Bible.

I try to keep things lively with fun finds, like the glass flower frog for pens & pencils, or my collection of vintage frames (the largest of which is plastic, a road-side find that has been drastically improved with spray paint!)

A spray of indigo and white was saved for my dresser...

This arrangement made me a little nostalgic- I had a blue and white bedroom throughout my childhood.  

 

So I was inspired to make the bed up with a crisp set of sheets, and my favorite summer quilt (Matilda approved).

I searched out blue and gold items, and I'm rather enamored with the array. Do you like the change?

My apartment feels so bright and summery- even Tildy-Cat is stopping to smell the flowers!

Remember, I'm looking to wake up my wardrobe as well... and I need your help!

It's All in the Details

Hello friends!  

I'm about half-way through burning the edges of my piratey picnic invitations, but I had to take a little break. What am I learning from this project?  First, that cardstock doesn't burn easily.  Second, that my thumbs don't take well to an hour of clicking a lighter.  And last, that I could be in danger of becoming some sort of crazy PTA party-planning mom when I grow up.  It may be unavoidable.

Anyway.  When I haven't been crafting corsair cards, I've been finding treasure in my own neighborhood.

The weather was just nice enough yesterday for Adam and I to enjoy our Sunday pastries at a favorite haunt... 

Wallingford's Meridian Park.

The entrance to the park- an arch, a winding path, an intricate shell & stone collage.

 

The park is lush and green in the summertime, with lots of knotty old trees for shade.

 

Wallingford is decked out in some of my favorite colors.  

LOVE that combination of pink and velvety black.

And then, on a whim, we decided to walk past one of my favorite houses in the neighborhood. You might not guess it- but it's actually an apartment building!  Dedicated landlord, eh?

I took this picture on an evening stroll last week.  

(I was just glad to see that someone else put twinkle lights up for the summer!)

I was excited to show you the sky blue porch ceilings.  

What a charming idea for Seattle, where our gray skies can be a deterrent for enjoying the outdoors!

As I was snapping pictures something caught my eye.  What an interesting stair rail...

Snake!  Snake!  Oooh, it's a snake!

So fantastic it just makes me shiver.  *whew!*  I wonder where one buys a serpentine handrail?

Girl About Town: Sunny Sunday

We woke up and knew spring was waiting for us.  Our walk to the bakery was especially pleasant- in short sleeves!

  

The Boulangerie, celebrating it's 30th year in Wallingford.

Decisions, decisions.

 

Our favorites: ham & cheese croissant + glorious apricot danish.  Mmmm.

Ooh-ing and ahhh-ing over shimmery hydrangea-colored gowns in the window at I Do bridal.  

(Well, I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing.  Someone else was rolling his eyes a bit.)

Paper Delights, living up to its name.  Makes me wish for a pen-pal.

Finding some local color- pink cherry trees in Greenwood.

  

Adam having a moment of bliss under blue skies.

Browsing the new arrivals at Antika

 

The selection at Ken's Market- I wanted to pick them all!

 

Scavenging at Magus in the U District (and lusting after an Everyman's Library deluxe Henry James collection).

  

Enjoying the city's best teriyaki in my favorite dining room: UW's cherry-lined Quad.

We curled up against a mossy tree and people-watched.

I could have stayed there all night.

But we got back just in time for my favorite indulgence: Masterpiece Classics on PBS... the second part of "Little Dorrit."  *sigh*  The perfect day.