Frank Lloyd Wright Playroom

When Tony and I got married, we went to Chicago on our honeymoon. It was in May, and we were able to go to the Wright Plus housewalk in Oak Park. In addition to touring Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, participants get to tour the interiors of some of the homes in the neighborhood. It was fascinating. I especially loved the playroom in FLW's home. The piano is built into the wall, and my favorite sculpture (Winged Victory) can be seen in replica above.

Amoretti

A while back, I saw a really cute children's clothing line spotlighted on DesignMom. Amoretti was created by a woman from Idaho who now lives in Oxford. I love the mix of American West and English. I would really like to make one of these Dutch skirts in an adult size...

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Sharon Montrose Photographs

Last week I saw this cute print of a bunny photograph on Etsy. It's from the shop of Sharon Montrose. She has a bunch of photographs of real-life, adorable animals. She says that most of them live in a private zoo in California. In addition to these two, I really liked the ones of the porcupine and the prairie dogs.

Thursday Text: Springtime in Missouri

Today's quote is from the first volume of The History of the Church, written by Joseph Smith. He was in Missouri on April 6, 1833, when he said:

It was an early spring, and the leaves and blossoms enlivened and gratified the soul of man like a glimpse of Paradise.

We have often felt like that living in Missouri. We're not yet to the paradise stage this spring, so here's a picture of a pink dogwood from last April.

April Issue of Living

Have you seen the April issue of Living yet? I browsed through it while I was at the dentist's office yesterday (I was there to get a chipped tooth filed). It was beautiful and had interesting projects - I need to pick up a copy. One thing that I loved was the decoupaged Easter eggs. What a great idea!

Porcelain Milk Jug

Last week, Do Something Pretty featured some really cute porcelain milk jug vases from Not On The High Street (a really great online shop from the UK). I liked this little one. It's another option for blue and white transferware for my kitchen. (See here for the first.)

Black Kitchen?

You all know that I love white kitchens, and if you didn't know, you can search my site for a few examples. Last week on Apartment Therapy, I saw a post about black kitchens. A couple of them were nice, but I liked this example for one reason: the floor. It looks like it's painted wood, and the star design would match the stars etched in my wedding band. Very cool.

Friday Featured Art: The House of Versace

As reported by Apartment Therapy, Sotheby's held an auction Wednesday to sell off the furnishings of Gianni Versace's Lake Como villa. I know that mid-century modern is all the rage these days, but I must say that I would love to live in a place that looked like this.

Thursday Text: The Standard of Truth

The Sunday before last, I had to speak in church. Part of my assigned topic was Elder Ballard's talk from last October's General Conference called, "The Truth of God Shall Go Forth." It was an interesting talk, and I was able to explore it in some different ways, but I really liked that it included Joseph Smith's words about the Standard of Truth. For anyone who doesn't yet have this memorized, here it is:

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

Do Something Pretty

Today I am wishing more than ever that I could speak Dutch! I was thinking yesterday that I wanted to see something pretty, so I did a quick search for "something pretty." I came across a lovely blog by a girl from Utrecht (where I once applied to study abroad), called Do Something Pretty. I can only pick out a few words here and there, but I don't think that will prevent me from spending a lot of time on her site! Here's a cool paper calendar that she found on the Canon craft site. Don't be surprised if a lot of her pretty stuff finds its way here...

New in My Shop!

I did a little redesigning of my Etsy shop this weekend. I'm planning to update my header and avatar but haven't gotten around to it yet... So far I've listed some new items and will be re-posting some older ones as I redo the photography. Kind of a spring cleaning, I guess you could say!

Green

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm sharing a picture that I took when we visited the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago last month. They have a fabulous fern garden, and it's such a nice, green spot in the big city. (This is a maidenhair fern.)

Northanger Abbey

Last year, I read Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. It's her gothic parody, and it's rather amusing. Over the weekend, I watched a really lovely screen adaptation (from Netflix!). I loved Felicity Jones as Catherine. (And, of course, JJ Feilds was dashing as Mr. Tilney.) Which is your favorite Jane Austen?

Friday Featured Art: Vista

Today's featured work of art is "Vista" by Joseph Alleman (my brother-in-law, again). Yesterday I was in northern Illinois with Tony because he had an interview. Two of the things that I love about northern Illinois are the rich, black topsoil and the wide expanse of sky (which is often full of puffy white clouds). While Joe is normally a watercolorist, this oil painting beautifully portrays farmlands in late winter just before the transition to spring. (At least that's what I think!)

Fabric Soccer Balls

On Friday, I saw a post on Bloesem about fabric-covered soccer balls made by designer Klas Ernflo. They are beautiful, and I would really like to have one. They definitely make me want to play again. Check them out here.

Tiny Houses

Dani posted about Tiny Houses on her blog. I love this idea. This one is the largest - up to 837 square feet. I think I could do that. I suppose if you need more space you can just go outside! It might be another story in the winter, though...

Paperwink

Did you read about Paperwink on Design*Sponge a couple of weeks ago? She highlighted their rubber stamps. These would be great if you knew that you would be living in the same place for a really long time. As I most likely won't be, I'm also loving the calling cards (bottom).

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Lotta Helleberg

Since it has been 70 degrees around here the past couple of days, I thought I would join in on everyone's excitement for spring - even though it's still two weeks away. Lotta Helleberg is a Swedish-born graphic designer with a lovely Etsy shop called inleaf. She uses actual leaves to print on fabric and make into beautiful things. I really love fig leaves, and I thought that this fiddle head fern towel was especially charming.

Thursday Text: Little Women

I mentioned that I'm reading Little Women. I don't have a lot of time for reading, so it is slow going - but I am thoroughly enjoying it. I especially love Marmee and all of her wisdom:

If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend, even than father, to comfort and sustain me. My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, the nearer you will feel to Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of life-long peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother.

Rear Window

Rear Window was on TV the other night. Do you love it? Because I do. I LOVE Jimmy Stewart, and I LOVE Grace Kelly, and I love that Hitchcock movies are suspenseful without being scary. And I like that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is the bad guy. Which is your favorite Hitchcock?

Caldrea - Lavender Pine

My sister (Sara) sent me a small sample of Caldrea dish soap in lavender pine. The scent is heavenly - so I looked them up. Their products are simple and have beautiful packaging, and they're all natural! Looks like a great way to keep your house clean. Maybe someday I'll have a clean house... or just a house... where I can use this product that has such a super fragrance.

Brother Rabbit

I realized that in all of my posts mentioning William Morris, I have yet to talk about his Brother Rabbit design. It's the image in the background of my header, and I would love to have it as wallpaper someday. You can still get it through Morris & Co. under the main company, Sanderson. I think I like it in blue.