mod pod

in downtown corvallis many lovely shops abound, but one of my favorite's is one of the newest: mod pod. the owner, jessica klein, has a great eye for finding chic-contemporary and midcentury, retro-inspired modern furnishings and decor for just about any budget. it's bright & cheery with a great combination of both neutral and colorful furnishings. mod pod is geared towards bringing accessible and affordable modern design in to everything from dorm rooms to offices. and what a blessing ~ especially since it's the only one of its kind in the willamette valley. please enjoy a virtual tour with some of my faves from around the shop. . . .

lounge lizards live on

over the last several weeks we've traveled all over oregon and down the coast through california to san francisco. we've had many wonderful celebrations {birthdays, weddings, & many dinner parties just because}; and we've also gone through some unfortunate situations {long traffic jams, and a baby peach falling & getting a bruise on her sweet head}. so now that we're back in the calm days of summer in the willamette valley, it's time to catch-up on blogging.

i've been dying to share this fantastic find with you:

lounge lizard on south east hawthrone street in portland oregon.

if you like vintage furnishings, cool sales people and a treasure trove of unique housey items, you absolutely must check out this shop.

looking up, the ceilings are full of glowing treasures the walls are covered in art and artifacts, like a crazy quilt in 3-d:

what a fabulous place to find the time

all this vintage eye-candy can make a lady swoon of course the shop's new favorite model is pint-sized

i imagined purchasing dozens of things, but left without a one. but believe you me, as soon as i get my new place to call home i'll be driving a big van over to lounge lizard & loading it up!

more photos of a few of my favorite items can be seen on my flickr set.

the green home center

i finally got a chance to visit the green home center on polk street and am so glad i did! this is a very inspiring place for me because ever since i did a school project on designing a green design center i've been dreaming about being able to own one. it was fabulous to see one up and running and doing really well. the green home center is a co-op of many different green-oriented businesses from contractors & interior designers to home-related products & other services. there are cabinet makers, upholstery & rug makers, solar engineers, tile & countertop farbicators, flooring manufacturers, led lighting, and so much more. really if you're at all interested in anything sustainable for your home or office you must stop in and check them out. what's more, the people working there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful ~ not pretentious in the least, which is a relief after spending so much time at the sf design center where i'm perpetually unimpressed with the sales people's attitudes. but that is a tangent not worth digging in to.... anyway, i'm just on the cusp of starting my own green design business {admitting it here is kind of intimidating, but i'll just take the leap and say it anyway!} and spending time at the green home center was thoroughly uplifting and encouraging. i hope you'll stop in and visit them soon too. if you do please tell them studio wellspring sent you and then let me know what you think!

polyvore amore

do you like to browse for interesting images? do you like to make collages? do like to research all types of products? do you like to share collections you make? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions then polyvore is for you. i can't even begin to tell you how elated i am to have found this website. i just spent 300 hours playing around on there and i could easily do 300 more if it wasn't time to go make some supper. basically it gives you the ability to search through thousands of images to create collage collections with any theme and subject you can dream up and then share them with others. plus it gives you exact product information on every single image in its database, so if you love something enough to want to buy it, you're good to go. just look at the fun i made in the last couple hours.....seriously folks this site rocks!

meet mimosa ~ pantone's color of 2009

pantone has chosen a warm yellow shade to represent optimism and positivity in an uncertain economy. this year, the design industry’s authority on professional color selected number 14-0848, a warm yellow, as their annual hue, symbolizing optimism in an evolving global market.
"the color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains leatrice eiseman, executive director of the pantone color institute®. "mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."
best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

{umbrella image by jennifer.leigh}

{rex ray at sold at cb2}

{lamp photo by xgray}

{vases photo by brauseholic}

{mod room photo from beauty mist}

{nouvelle boheme photo found on gipsy bazaar}

{photos by the sartorialist}

and this color just so happens to match shambhala's great eastern sun banner perfectly!

{photo by hjem}

living is nice at ... rice

if only this denmark-based shop sold their goodies to the u.s. market.... rice is just the type of shop i'd like to support. not only because they have a plethora of fantastic products but also because their goods are produced with a clear conscience. all rice products are designed and developed in denmark, but are produced in the third world with the highest respect for the people who make them. they do not use child labor, and they ensure the workers employed by them are treated properly, and are not discriminated against, racially or otherwise. they find it extremely important to treat the people that work for them in an honorable way ~ for example their crochet items alone assure the survival of 300 families in madagascar.

and why, you might wonder, did they choose the name "rice"? for the simple reason that rice is a basic survival product for many people in this world, and especially in the third world {where they decided to focus their efforts to benefit people the most}. in fact many people working for them in madagascar receive a bag of rice as part of their salary package. now that is nice!

{first heard about this company on dreamhouse}

nautilus notice

{bronze shell stand lamp by jrm international}

{hightech's concrete ammonite wash basin}


{ankasa shell pillows by vivre}


{ammonite on aged copper pedestal by spirale collection}


{same-same table lamps and contrare wall lamps are made of treated crushed silk, resistant to mold and fire, laid on a metal structure. by aqua creations}


{the venus chair ~ an austro-hungarian ormolu-mounted mahogany and parcel-gilt armchair from the ann getty collection, limited edition}