An Icelandic lair:



Thanks to a brilliant suggestion by Weasel, I've realized what I really need is a lair of my own, preferably an ice palace in Iceland like the one in Die Another Day (not a great movie for a Bond flick, but the Iceland scenes were amazing). Along with the scantily-clad women one typically finds in a lair, my ice palace would also feature numerous penguins, wombats, porcupines, kangaroos, chimps and dogs (of course) and would be furnished entirely in B&B Italia, Cassina and a few select mid-century modern pieces. And I'll take some of those Bond gadgets, too.

An albino kangaroo:


Yesterday we attended the NY Times Travel Show where we saw the sweetest little albino kangaroo joey from Seaworld/Busch Gardens (I'm not clear on why Seaworld has kangaroos, though). He reminded me a little of Lexie, with his soft white fur and long legs. I think he would be a good addition to our pack since none of us (except the Gertie the Chihuahua, of course) enjoy spending time in the sun.

Room & Company Tight Back Sofa:



This evening some friends were over with their adorable toddler and as he romped around on the sofa I couldn't keep my eyes off the destruction on the sofa arms courtesy of Amelia and Art. I feel like I have become obsessed with having a new sofa. Of course, most of the ones that I see and begin drooling over cost upwards of $5,000 which is a little high. But then today I spotted this suede microfiber number for a mere $2,600 (I used that adjective just so I could imagine Bri rolling her eyes). The best part is that this microfiber resists moisture and tearing but still looks and feels soft. It's the perfect solution for our home. And, it comes in this gorgeous blue-grey "Graphite."

Long Box credenza by Daniel Donnelly:



A couple days ago I stumbled upon the website for Daniel Donnelly Modern Design Studio in Alexandria, Virginia. The Studio/store not only designs and custom builds some amazing pieces, it also carries a collection of vintage design and reintroduced classic furniture by companies such as Herman Miller, Knoll, and Modernica.
I immediately fell for The Long Box Storage Series. Not only is exactly what I've been picturing for our office, since it's custom built I can pick out whatever interior storage configuration I want. For $1600 it's a veritable bargain.

A French bulldog puppy (or two):


A week or so ago, Bri and I were on the Upper East Side and walked by one of the most dangerous stores in the city for us. There were about 4 or 5 French bulldog puppies in the window and we were very, very tempted to bring one home. I was partial to a brindle and white one that was hopping about like a bunny, tackling his brothers and sisters. Bri liked an almost identical one who was quietly sitting in the corner watching the action without getting involved. As we watched, Bri's favorite laid down and my guy sat down on him to get a nice, long drink of water. We seriously considered bringing both of them home. After all, how could we split up siblings who were obviously so close? And maybe Gertie would be sleep better if we got her a puppy to cuddle with.
Originally French bulldogs were developed in England as a miniature version of the English bulldog. In the mid-19th century, French breeders imported some of these very small bulldogs from Great Britain and bred them with French terriers. Supposedly French women were immediately drawn to the little bulldogs, particularly the ones with erect ears (the French tried to breed the dogs for the "bat" ears, which the English supposedly disliked). Parisians of all classes, from "streetwalkers" to the gay and artisan communities, were responsible for the popularity of this breed and its subsequent naming.
And, hence, they are responsible for one of my favorite dog breeds. I do love those Parisians.

Adobe Creative Suite 2 software:


I've been trying to design fabric patterns for my burgeoning business but I'm really not so good at drawing freehand (especially when it comes to drawing straight lines or perfect circles). I've managed to do a few designs usually the rudimentary drawing tools offered by Microsoft Office, but that only gets you so far. What I really need is Adobe Illustrator and all the other fun software that comes in this bundle— "real" Photoshop (not just the Elements version that comes with Macs) and a program I've never heard of, Adobe GoLive, which helps you create Web sites. It's everything I need for my new business. And it would be a nice tax write-off since it costs $900. Too bad you have to buy it BEFORE you get the write-off.

Isokon Plus Loop Coffee Table:



The Loop coffee table, made from bended birch wood (or walnut), by the British design duo Barber Osgerby (which is Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby)and now resides in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Isokon was founded in the 1930s with Bauhaus-patriarch Walter Gropius as the controller of Design and Marcel Breuer(the architect of the Whitney Museum) as the designer. Breuer's designs are what eventually brought fame to Isokon.
This would be a perfect coffee table if we ever do have a baby (our rectangular glass and metal isn't very toddler-friendly). The price? More than I even think a coffee table should cost— about $1500.

Lynn Davis’ photographs of icebergs

This weekend Bri and I went to The Association of International Photography Art Dealers Photography Show and saw amazing photography from around the world. My favorite work there was the photos of icebergs by Lynn Davis shot in Greenland's Disko Bay. They were minimalistic and serene while being majestic.
Davis began her career as an apprentice to seminal photographer, Berenice Abbott, who is known for her street life and architectural depictions of NYC.
Obviously Abbott taught her well.
And now I want to go to Greenland.

Hans Eichenberger oak credenza:



Hans Eichenberger is a mid-century Swiss Designer known mostly for his prolific chair designs, including the Saffa chair. This vintage credenza is being sold by Metro Retro, a Pasadena, Texas mid-century furniture dealer, which is wierd because Pasadena is very close to where I lived 6 of my formative years— Clear Lake City. It must mean this is the credenza we're meant to buy.

Zambra Easy Chair by bdm design:



To me this chair looks like a elegant bird in flight. And it seems very comfortable. I first learned of bdm design, which is a design consultancy group that also makes furniture, during a trip to London in Dec. 2004. They have a store in the OXO Tower Wharf in South Bank, London, which is one of my very favorite spots in what I consider the best part of London. The OXO Tower was built in 1930 as a processing facility for Oxo beef bouillion but is now a collection of design stores, restaurants, and a great art gallery. I like furniture shopping much more than beef flavouring.

No more candy:



With all our pregnancy wait-and-see of late, Bri isn't too interested in having an actual dinner most nights. Which means I just eat crap. My favorite no-dinner dinners? Bread with black currant jam or shredded wheat with warmed soymilk or candy.
I've had so much sugar lately that I feel positively ill. (Granted, I often feel ill, but this time I've felt nasty for too many days.) So, I'm banning the consumption of candy until we leave for Turkey in late March. Wish me luck. Those Swedish Fish are sneaky little tempters.

Matri-x sideboard from Casamania by Frezza:



I am still longing for a credenza. The need is getting extreme. I. Can't. Stand. Seeing. The Mess.
Bri nicely cleaned tour office a few weeks ago and it looks much, much better. However— and here is the problem with a loft that no one ever talk about— no matter where I am I in the apartment, I can see everything. Which means I can't ignore parts of our apartment that aren't "finished." And the big part of our office that makes me cringe is our lack of concealed storage.
Casamania, a crazy Italian design company, has developed this Matri-X series of storage units that vary in size and color. I like the red lacquer, but maybe the black is more practicle.

A building of our own to turn into condos:



I am really, really tired of sharing a communal yard (mostly becaue it makes Lexie nuts when another dog is out in the back).
This is a four-family building that can be converted to condos and it's priced under $2 mill. Of course, the listing says it's in Cobble Hill but the way realtors use these neighborhood names, it could be in the Lowe's parking lot.

LuxMaster W wall sconce from Flos:



We still have the same crappy living room sconces we had when we moved into our apartment and the lack of light downstairs is really driving me crazy. Maybe, finally, these are the answer. This light was designed by Jasper Morrison, who is a favorite of mine recently (see his sleek toaster I coveted— until Santa brought it to me). It provides direct or indirect light by rotating the lamp head. Smart.