David Maisel "Oblivion" photos:




Today was the beginning of my holiday respite from work. To celebrate I visited a slew of photo exhibits in Chelsea. One of the best pieces I saw was from David Maisel's new series "Oblivion" and was called simply "Oblivion 1383-50."
Maisel is known for showing environmental impact via aerial photography. At such a distance, though, the ever-constant expansion of L.A. looks abstract and to me, beautiful.

"Icy Prospects" Photograph by Jorma Puranen:



Finnish photographer Jorma Puranen created these amazing, painterly photographs by capturing the reflection of nature on the surface of a wooden board painted with black, glossy alkyd paint. The photos have a Gerhard Richter-esque feel.

I need a trip to Galerie Anhava in Helsinki to make a little purchase. I think a trip to Finland with the bambino will be in order if said baby actually makes it into the world (preferably if there is only one bambino and it is small enough to sit in a Baby Bjorn all day as I traipse through museums and galleries).

A platypus:


Once again I find myself enamored by an animal that only lives in Australia.

I don't know what started this recent obsession, but early this week I found myself trolling through Google images looking at adorable baby platypuses (yes, that really is the plural).

The Eastern part of Australia is the only place where Playpuses can be found in the wild, which is really perfect since that has become my travel destination of choice (or compulsion, really— I think Melbourne could be my new favorite city). They were introduced to Kangaroo Island and now thrive there, as well, making it home to all my favorite animals except chimps (see post from Jan 27).

Together with the four species of echidna, the playpus is one of only five species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Platypuses spend as much as 12-hours a day in the water but sleep in burrows on the riverbank not far from the water mark and usually hidden by roots or plants. A platypus' "bill" is not a beak like a duck's, it's actually a sensory organ with the mouth on the underside and nostrils on the dorsal surface.

The craziest thing about the platypus is that males have venomous ankle spurs that can kill smaller animals. The venom isn't lethal to humans, but it does produce excruciating pain that can incapacitate the victim. That's why I'll be adopting a female for myself.

Aberdeen desk by Wonk:



Wonk is a Brooklyn based furniture company that tries to produce beautiful and functional pieces that are also affordable. The Aberdeen desk is so sleek it definitely doesn't look affordable. The website doesn't list prices so maybe a little trek to Dumbo is in order.

6 more decades with my Bri:




Exactly 10 years ago (well 10 years minus 1 hour) Bri showed up at my apartment door. She wasn't what I had expected when I agreed to the blind date. After that night I decided she would be a good fling. I thought it would last a few months. Three months later she made me go away with her for a romantic weekend. I thought she was very pushy and I still thought she was just a distraction. Nine months later she moved in with me. I knew then she wasn't a fling but I wasn't so sure this would be permanent. I am so very glad I was wrong every step of the way. And I'm glad she was so sure of us.

Wingard Mod white wreath:



I love Christmas but I hate all those cheesy red and green Santa-themed decorations.
I like a nice white, winter-wonderland theme for the holidays and I think this wreath is a great opener. And the powder-coated steel means it lasts a lot longer than those traditonal pine wreathes.

Valenki boots:



These 100% wool winter boots are like the boots worn in Russia for hundreds of years. They have low rubber removable golashes that make them perfect for snowy winter days. I know Bri will think they are ridiculous but I think they are funky yet practical. I can't believe no one brought these back before now. And hopefully this will end the trend of college girls wearing Uggs with mini skirts.

Ichendorf double walled vinegar pourer:



This handblown Italian glass carafe is made for either vinegar or oil, but since I love, love, love balsamic vinegar and hate oil (well, I can't digest it so it's a little different than hating it), I'm calling it a vinegar carafe.

The medium size carafe is only $22.50. That's so cheap I could splurge on 100-year-old balsamic (OK, maybe just a 10-year bottle, instead).

Seat XS3:


The plywood XS3 seat was designed by Scottish architecture firm Graeme Massie for Outgang, a product design company that focuses on simple but intelligent design. That's why the XS3 chair can be used in three different ways. And when it's put together with the XF1 footstool it becomes a chaise. Whichever way you use them, they come with a storage compartment underneath.

Cole Haan's Slim Color Block wallet:



The pocket cut into the outside of this wallet gives you access what's inside the wallet— perfect for grabbing your Metrocard. It also comes in a cool olive color but without the blue accents. And it's a total Cole Haan bargain at $65.

Hetkiä latte cups by Marimekko:



These porcelain cups are based on a Marimekko fabric designed by Maija Louekari. I personally think the drawing works better on a small scale than as a fabric. And I didn't think a cup of coffee could get much better than it already is.

Whippet/greyhound cufflinks:



I just saw these on eBay: Pewter greyhound cufflinks that look like Lexie. However, I can't tell if there's muzzle over the snoot like a racing dog— which I obviously don't want. But for only $25 maybe it's worth taking a chance.

Photograph by Pablo Zuleta Zahr:



I saw Zuleta Zahr's work earlier this year in Aperture's reGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow exhibit and was fascinated by the patterns created by the subjects in his pieces. What's even more amazing is how he got these images. The Chilean photographer set up his video camera in the Santiago subway and shot for ten hours at a time. Then he arranged the stills in color-coordinated patterns, making sure no person appears more than one time.
The image above, "Chilean Women in Blue", is my favorite. And it's available though the Verona gallery Studio La Città(but I've been too scared to find out the price.)

Animal Shadows Vynil wall stickers by Domestic:



Without Penguin's arrival to prepare for, I have plenty of time to hunt for adorable products for a future baby (I'm trying to look on the bright side here, folks).

Yesterday I came across these great wall stickers by the French design company Domestic. I'm not a fan of most of the wall stickers out there (is it just me or is there a new company with wall stickers emerging every day?). Most of them are boring or pointless and the "kid" ones are all a little too expected.

Domestic's Vinyl line is the exception, though. They've invited a dozen or so international designers to create unexpected and hip wall art. Animal Shadows, by industrial designers Ana Mir and Emili Padros, will be perfect in future baby's nursery. Available from the great Canadian store ModernKid for $45.

I definitely could not covet any better friends. Thank you to everyone who has said such nice, empathetic sentiments either here, in emails or in real life.

But today I covet...

A more equal view of mothers and fathers.




As I mentioned before most people at work stopped asking me how I was doing several days ago. However, a few work friends continue to ask how Briar is doing. And even some friends who I have just told recently via email responded by asking about Bri, but not about my emotions. I just think this is odd. And so emblematic of the ingrained sexist stereotypes surrounding parenting.

In truth, I am doing quite a bit better than I was last week. And I think I'm doing better than Bri— probably only because I've moved into a place where I believe we'll go one to have a healthy baby next time (And because my body isn't running amuck like hers).

We now interrupt our regularly scheduled program....

I'm not one to talk much about personal things but I'm trying to take Bri's lead and get some of the sadnesss out. It's selfish— maybe if I write it down I will feel a little better.

When Bri called me from her OB's office, I was just getting ready to go to the gym. This is the only time I've been happy that I didn't get to the gym. I had been waiting for her call after the appointment but I figured since I hadn't heard from her and it was already an hour after the appointment time that things were fine. I wasn't worried about the health of the baby. What I was concerned about was that she wouldn't like the new doctors. Or that she would find out that they were actually too full to take her on as a patient. So when she wailed into the phone "It's dead", I couldn't believe it.

As I jumped on the subway (I learned from her past experiences to never take a taxi downtown from Midtown in the middle of the afternoon) to meet her at the doctor's office I thought there had definitely been a mistake. I thought I would just insist that they redo the ultrasound. Surely they would find out that things were fine.

When I got to Briar I hugged her and then immediately quizzed her if she had seen the ultrasound. I said maybe it was a mistake. But she assured me that the news was real. The last things I remember from that day were my thought "We need to try to have another baby immediately" and the midwife explained the various options of removing the dead baby. The rest of it is a blur.

I guess men (and partners) are sort of the lucky ones in this situation because we don't have to go through the physical process and pain that accompanies it. I wasn't the one who was going to have to have a dead baby sucked out of me. I wasn't the one who was going to have my hormones go haywire. But I was the one who could immediately feel the loss and the sadness. Bri spent the next 24-hours fearing the medical process while I spent the next 24-hours in mourning. When Bri woke me up in the middle of the night crying because she was freaked out about the fact that there was a dead baby inside her and it had to come out (holy shit), I was a zombie. I felt paralyzed by grief.

I think most people assume men don't feel as upset as their wives when a fetus dies. I'm not sure why this is but I can guarantee that they are wrong, wrong, wrong. My good friends know how horrid I feel and have checked in with me constantly, but my work colleagues don't really know what to do. I know that's partially because I hadn't even told everyone at work that Bri and I were expecting a baby (it's not something that really comes up for men and it's not like I had the automatic topic introducer of maternity clothes). The people who knew about the baby in the first place— such as my boss and my staff— are treating me gently. I have gotten a few "I'm sorry" emails. But that's it. It seems like I am expected to be over it. No one knows what to say to the father— we're supposed to just move on. Meanwhile everyone knows that the mother is going to devastated. I'm sure I won't cry as much as Bri and won't talk about it as much, not because I'm recovered but because that's how I am. In actuality I feel more sad than I have ever felt in my entire life. I know what it feels like to be clinically depressed. I know what it's like to be desperately suicidal. However, I have never known this type of sadness.

I know we will most likely go on to have a healthy baby some day and I know we'll eventually be able to put this behind us. I also know that even when Bri does conceive again that it will never feel the same as it did this time. I don't know if either of us will allow ourselves to feel the sort of happiness without trying to check our hearts a little in an attempt of self-preservation.

The only good thing that came out of all of this is that never during one minute of it did I not feel like a father. Never did I think of the sperm donor.

When we went into the whole process of trying to conceive, much of my time was spent feeling emasculated because of the fact that we needed to use donor sperm. I didn't feel like a real man. I constantly felt that I wouldn't be it's "real" father, that a baby wouldn't love me as much as it would if it was from my genetic material, that I wouldn't love it as much as I would love GMB or another child that is biologically mine. I know that all adoptive parents love their children just as much as biological parents, but I still thought that I would be different. I felt angry because Bri became friends online with only lesbian moms using donor sperm— it made me feel like she was trying to say that I was just a lesbian and not actually a man (I know this isn't rational and definitely not PC, but that's how emotions work, OK). I still hate, hate, hate the fact that I don't make sperm, that a baby will never be part of each of our genetics, but at least I know that whenever we do have a baby I will definitely be it's father and love it as much as if it was from my sperm.

Trace table by NaughtOne:



Even though we haven't yet found a home with enough room for a large dining table I'm still determined to get both. The 6-seater Trace table by the Leeds, England-based furniture company, NaughtOne, is my new favorite. It's available with an assortment of top materials, including oak and polished slate (with which I am entralled), and frame colors (of course, being a little boring, I like the black or white frames best).
And notice the rounded corners— very child friendly.

A cruise to Norway's Svalbard Archipelago:


Condé Nast Traveler highlighted Svalbard in their July issue and I immediately set my sights on this island in the Arctic Circle. This region features icebergs and glaciers, plus roaming polar bears, lounging seals, and fat walruses. Luckily late summer is the only time conditions allow for much visitation— Bri's work schedule works out perfectly for a change.

Clipper Cruises offers a nice 2-week cruise from Oslo and GAP Adventures offers a slightly shorter cruise. Both offer small Zodiac expeditions to see the wildlife. However, I really want one that will let me bring home a baby seal.

Photographs by Miklos Gaál:




A couple months ago I saw Gaál's work at an exhibit of young photographers at the Aperture Gallery. His work is very similar to that of Olivio Barbieri (see May 18 post) in that aerial scenes look like miniature train set scenes. Although his work isn't as polished as Barbieri's, there's still something intrquing about it.
I really love "Frozen sea" and some of Gaál's other photos that betray his Finnish roots.

Norman + Quaine "Chandra" credenza:



Norman + Quaine are an Australian design duo I've read about in the Aussie contemporary shelter book, Inside Out. I've fallen in love with this low credenza, which is also available with blonde wood doors and a white cabinet (of course Bri likes this supposedly "fun" version better).
I've decided that Australia, especially Melbourne and the southern part of the country, is the best place on earth. Of course, since I have not yet actually visited there, I'm not replacing Iceland as my favorite place in the world— yet. They have great design, good magazines, plus kangaroos, koalas and penguins. Maybe I can just get this credenza to hold me over until I muster the strength for the long plane ride (with a baby, teenager and a wife who can't sleep on planes).

A trip to the Remota lodge:



I've been coveting a trip to Patagonia for years (see my 01/26/2005 post and I just read about a hotel/resort near Puerto Natales, in the heart of Chilean Patagonia. The resort includes about a dozen excursions from which to choose each day— a boat trip through the glacial fjords, wildlife viewing, horseback riding and climbing to the base of Torres Del Paine.
How I wish we could discover an extra $6,000 for a 3-day stay there (plus a few days at a cheap little inn and an all-day glacier trek for me) before the little penguin arrives.

B&B Italia Landscape chaise:



American Jeffrey Bernett designed the Landscape Chaise in 2001, and last year it was updated with the addition of an armrest. The super-cool part of the chaise is that it has a magnetic headrest that can be positioned for maximum comfort and excellent posture.

Since Bri is well on her way to convincing me that we should purchase a new Ikea sofa instead of the more expensive one we found at Room & Board, I think that means we should also get this chaise. That only seems fair. (OK, I admit, the Ikea sofa is actually one of the nicest looking black leather couches that we've found. Why is it so difficult to find a contemporary leather sofa these days? Ok, we did see a couple other ones but they were $4000. $3000 is my limit of sanity.)

A healthy, adorable baby penguin who sleeps long and sound:



With the good news of our eventual new arrival, today I covet a little beast that is healthy and cute preferably with blue eyes (to match mine) and a penchant for sleep and all things stylish. And if it could also say one of the dog's names as its first word (as I did), be an early walker (like GMB did at 10 months) and be brilliant, I would be delighted. Also, if it looks a little like this penguin chick I promise to hold it on my feet whenever Bri is out.

Whitehaus Collection Aeri birch bathroom sink:



In our recent real estate quest, I've seen only one bathroom sink that I actually like. It's just another reason why I really want to renovate a building for ourselves. And when we do, I'm putting this rectangular birch sink with matching storage drawer (but not that ugly matching mirror) into one of the bathrooms. And nobody can stop me. (Well, I guess Bri could, but….)

Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera:



Today's paper (I don't remember if it was the NY Times or the Wall St. Journal) announced the impending arrival of a new 10 MP digital SLR camera. Not only is it under $1000 (which is nearly half of what the 10 MP Nikon D200 costs) but Sony is also working with Carl Zeiss to produce high-end lenses for it.
I must say the snob in me feels that a Sony camera could never be as good as a Nikon or Canon, but Sony has just basically merged with Minolta (or I guess I should say Minolta just folded its camera business and gave its technology to Sony) which should make this a high quality camera.
I can't wait to see what user reviewers say about it over the next couple months. Maybe this will be my birthday present. (Hint, hint.)

"Log" benches and table:


Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa created these clever hollow benches and side tables for classic Swedish furniture producer Swedese. At the right angle the oiled oak forms look just like felled trees. They would look great in our garden— hopefully the wood stands up to moisture!

Blu Dot : Strut Table




Yesterday was our first full day in SF and I had a couple design stores I wanted to check out. In all they were a little disappointing (they basically had all the same stuff as at home) but I did see this cool, long dining table from Blu Dot. Luckily it's available in white or robin's egg blue because I could never, ever have a hot pink object. It's lacquered steel, which would be great for wiping up spills-- and pet fur. And since we've been discussing doing white lacquered cabinets in a new kitchen it would be a perfect complement.

A bunny:


For the past two weeks I've been longing for Timothy the bunny, who is up for adoption from a cat shelter somewhere in Pennsylvania. He and his brother, Filbert, are about 3 1/2 months old now and I think would fit in well with our menagerie. In fact, Timothy looks quite a lot like Artemis (except for the gigantic ears, of course).
Bri says we don't need any more pets but she's obviously wrong.

Octahedron Vases:



Bri always says I don't need any more vases (OK, I do have a slight addiction to them; read whatever you want into that), but I think she is wrong this time. These Japanese molded stoneware bud vases from Garnet Hill look like origami creations. And they're on sale.

Luigi Bormioli Conica glasses:



I spotted these new Italian handblown geometric glasses in the Australian shelter magazine Inside Out, which isn't quite as good as the British LivingEtc. but is better than most American books. They are 12 1/2 ounces and would be perfect to replace all the Crate & Barrel glasses we've broken over the past few years. A set of 4 is only $15 at Amazon.com. At the price we can afford to continue to break them.

Arte dining table by Desiron:


I've always wanted a long dining table so we could actually have dinner parties with more than one or two guests. This Desiron table is available with a maple top as long as 8 feet. Now all we need is the new apartment that will fit such a thing.

Hanging Pearl lamp from Felt Studio:



This white lamp shade is made from wool felt. Crazy, since it looks more like painted wood. Felt Studio, founded by Canadian artist Kathryn Walter, makes fashions, home goods and practically anything else you can think of from industrial-grade felt. It sounds sort of bizarre but the results look great. The shade is cheap— only $250— and it's super eco-friendly since made mostly from waste material.

A cool deck:


Over the past few days we've been looking to buy a dilapidated Cobble Hill building with friends (as you may know from Bri's mention). The back garden is small and horrific shape (like the rest of the place) but it can be fixed much, much easier than the interiors. I've already decided for everyone that this decking by designer Ethan Ames (see this post) is what we should have. The stainless strips make the typical suburban deck look cleaner and more contemporary.

More Confidence:



Sometimes I look at GMB and wonder how on earth he became so confident. He exudes self-assuredness, so much so that it's a little on this side of pompous. I know that's often the case with teenagers.
Unfortunately, I was never like that at 15— or 30.
I have moments when I know I'm just as talented as everyone else, just as attractive and worthy, but that lasts only moments. Most of the time I surely think people must be thinking how boring I am, or how huge my ass is, or how I am not very ambitious. And I feel like shit. It makes me feel very average, in the very worst sense of the word.
The problem is that I don't really know how to go about gaining confidence. I think that if I become successful enough, then I will gain confidence. Or if only I made more money I would realize that surely I must be a clever guy. But of course I'm smart enough to know that kind of thinking gets you nowhere.
So, what's the secret to becoming a confident person? Does it just come naturally to some and those of us without it are out of luck? Or is there something like a 5-month, 5-step plan to being bold and confident?

Engraved correspondence cards:



Whenever I need to write personal letters I never can find the right type of paper. We have monogrammed cards from our wedding which were designed by a graphic designer friend and are super cool, but aren't exactly appropriate when I'm writing a note that is just from me.
Solution? These thick gray cards from Chelsea Paper. The name can be done in this soothing harbor blue, or a sleek white (or the typical black). Too bad they cost nearly as much as a pair of Gucci loafers— $375 for 100 with envelopes.

Leather weekend bag:


I've been coveting a smooth black leather weekend bag for years now. Maybe this one from Banana Republic is finally the one I'll get. It would give us a nice chunk of frequent flyer miles— a good way to take a trip to be able to use it.

Happiness:



Yesterday, JB commented on Bri's blog that "all of us are always blah, all the live long day." If that statement is true for most people, I feel more depressed than ever. Maybe it's just because I've spent most of my life coping with clinical depression but I've always assumed (or maybe hoped) that most people are happy. Not all of the time, of course. I know that many people have many "blah" days, but I assumed that was not a constant or typical state. Now, though, I'm wondering if blah is the normal state and it's foolish to hope for more.
So, people, are most of you happy, depressed or blah?

iannone:sanderson "Signature 1" credenza:



Philadelphia-based designers Michael Iannone and James Sanderson make this and many other similar credenzas (or should I say cabinet or sideboard for certain people?) with reclaimed, salvaged or recycled materials. This model uses naturally renewable bamboo. Their green:mod model focuses on environmentally friendly materials by using bamboo, lumber from managed forests and non-toxic lacquer. Finally "green" design is looking cool.

Galactica fruit bowl:



This white earthenware bowl was designed by Israeli-born Arik Levy for Gaia&Gino, an Istanbul-based design brand. Too bad I didn't see this when we were in Istanbul. It had to have had a better price than the $500 price tag it carries here.

One of Olivo Barbieri's "Site Specific" Photos:



Italian photographer Olivo Barbieri has recently been exhibiting his series "Site Specific", which are large-scale, aerial views of ancient architecture in places such as Rome and Jordan and modern architecture in L.A., Shanghai and Las Vegas. The entire series manages to skew scale and reality— the photos look like they are images of toy models.

Barbieri accomplishes the look by working from a helicopter about 400 feet in the air (which is approximately the height of my office on the 41st floor) using a large-format camera with a tilt-focus lens.

I love this image of the Coliseum but I have a feeling Bri would prefer this image of The Queen Mary.

Ethan Ames Sculptural Bench:


Yet again, another covet from this past weekend's Brooklyn Block Party. This gorgeous "Hollowform" wooden sculpture serves as a bench and possibly a playground for kids, cats and small dogs. Our next garden will be designed around one of these.

Vice coffee table:


I spotted this clever table by Matt Hutchinson and Mark Hash at this weekend's Block Party design show. The removable cast aluminum tray fits into the wood table seemlessly. I could imagine using it as a dish for snacks during a party (only if our dogs were being boarded, of course), as a shallow vase for orchids or as a little dish to float candles in.

Bubble Chandeliers by Lindsey Adelman:



Adelman is a Brooklyn-based artist who creates obsessive bubble-filled drawings. This light was created especially for the BlockParty design show, we attended today. It was part of the annual BKLYN Designs show and was hosted in one of the newly developed modern townhouses on State St. (See my previous post about Bri's desired new home.) Not only did I fall in love with these lights, but I also fell in love with the townhouses. I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep until I figure out a way to have both things.

A condo on NYC's High Line:



The unused elevated railroad tracks in the Meat Packing district, called the High Line, are about to be turned into a gorgeous park designed by landscape design firm Field Operations and the uber-hip architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. And so of course all the warehouse buildings in the surrounding area are now being turned into condos. Some of the buildings have already been completely sold, even though the first section of the park won't be completed until 2008.
My favorite of the new conversions is being called HighLine 519. They have a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath 2,500 sq. ft. duplex condo with a private 500 sq ft. terrace. Price tag? Approximately $2 mill. (which is actually about $600,000 cheaper than the new designer Boerum Hill, Brooklyn townhouses that Bri covets. It's also about 1,000 square feet smaller, though. But come on, 2,500 sq. feet is much more than adequate. It's enough room for at least one more dog.)

Lindblad Expeditions Galapagos cruise:



To be able to nap this close to sea lions would be a dream come true. There are numerous cruises and yachts that travel around the Galapagos Islands, but Linblad is the premier luxury, adventure, eco-friendly cruise line (it does seem like an oxymoron but it perfectly describes my style of travel). The best part is that Linblad offers special photography workshops on some trips that feature National Geographic photographers working with a group of only 16 student passengers and offering
one-on-one mentoring.
Any trip with a National Geographic photographer on board to teach classes would be great, but add sea lions, giant tortoises, swimming iguanas and tropical penguins and it practically gives me heart palpitations of excitement.
If only I had a spare $20,000 to take the whole family.

B&B Italia Mart armchair:



The way the luxurious leather is stretched across the voluptuous feminine frame of the Mart MPR/1 chair is strangely sexy. Milan-based designer Antonio Citterio is responsible for some of my favorite sofas, including the 1979 Diesis and the Tight sofa, both of which I’ve featured. Brilliant guy. Unfortunately the price of Mat isn't brilliant— it's a little over $4,000 at EuropebyNet.com.

Satyr chair by ForUse:



I am generally drawn to any animistic object, so of course I am smitten with this bird-like lounge chair. Austrian Design trio ForUse— Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljkovic— came out with the Satyr chair this year for German company ClassiCon. Since I haven't found a NYC store carrying it yet, I may have to make a trip to Berlin as soon as I get off crutches.

Artemide's Logico Single wall sconce:


Artemide is an Italian company that's been designing cutting edge lighting since 1959. In my opinion (and I'm not alone in this), they make some of the best lights— and best known lights (inlcuding the Tolomeo sconce that graces our bedroom)—in the world.
Logico looks like a soft cloud floating along. It's gorgeous and even a little fun (a word that doesn't typically describe most of my favorite furnishing). Logico also comes as a suspended ceiling light that floats ethereally above your head.

A padded Bubblewrap suit:



After this past weekend I've decided I need a soft, padded, protective suit to keep me safe. A suit of Bubblewrap would be perfect. Anything to avoid another injury— I've have now reached injury number 3 in a mere 18 months.

December 2004: Sprained ligament in my left ankle from overuse (i.e. too much running, yoga, pulling at the dogs to keep them from eating chicken bones on the street). It took about 2 months of physical therapy and about 5 months without running before it healed.

February 2006: Sprained ligament in my right wrist from over use. Once again I can blame pulling on the dogs, along with yoga and typing. Physical therapy completed in April, about 80 percent recovered.

April 29, 2006: Broken right 3rd metatarsal. Expected time before I can once again put weight on my right foot: 8 weeks.

Design Within Reach's Otto Desk:



Growing up I was fascinated by my father's huge roll-top desk he had custom made when we lived in Taiwan. It has so many compartments that I used to be convinced that it has a secret compartment only he knows about, and I really wanted a desk just like it. But then I grew up and developed my own taste (which obviously runs completely counter to my dad's foundess for huge, old, clunky pieces), and decided a roll-top desk would not be for me. Until I saw Spanish designer Ricard Vila's desk, that is. This is truly a 21st century desk— it features a cable management compartment, a telephone jack, an electrical outlet, an overhead fluorescent light, and a built-in pencil holder. And it probably has a secret compartment, too.

"You’ve Come Along Way, Baby" silkscreen tea towel:



This weekend I had to fly to LA for work and I took along about a half dozen magazines for some "research" for our company brainstorming retreat. One of the magazines was a cool Australian shelter book called Inside Out. (Why is it that all the best shelter books from Australia and the UK?) That's where I found the Australian company Third Drawer Down. They make limited editions of what they call "Domestic Art"— tea towels, aprons, table runners and the like— by Australian and European artists.
I immediately fell in love with German artist Tobias Rottger's 2004 design. And I also am quite fond of "She Danced". Either of them would look really good hanging from our stove— or framed on a wall (especially in a baby's room).