In my infinite quest to motivate the people of the world to keep their belongings off of the floor, I present unto you a small bunch of wall hooks. Hooks being the instruments one might employ from which to hang various articles, these qualify as floor-relievers. Nay, these hooks are more. These hooks, you see, are decorative in nature, and therefore provide you both a way to suspend your stuff and a way to inject a ...

{A quaint series on the small things making my work and life happier and easier.} I've had oatmeal every morning for the last four years, at least. I had it all down pat: my favorite brand and flavor, how much water to add into the bowl to achieve optimal mushiness while avoiding the dreaded microwave overflow situation (amateur hour), the ideal add-ins for maximum flavor, the whole deal. And then Sarah sort of sent my whole ...

The other day I inadvertently had a mini consult with my Trader Joes checkout man. He asked me how my day was and one tomato led to another before he had launched into an explanation of how various past projects and pursuits continued to haunt him, as the large objects they had involved--like musical instruments and lighting equipment--were still very much present in his life. Large objects taking up space in his very small apartment. He ...

I took a meeting recently with someone I had never met before. Now, I love people, and I've grown to love meeting new people. It's one of the wonderful side effects of my work. On the surface the meeting proceeded smoothly enough, but if I'm honest, I didn't enjoy myself. The lack of respect--lack of acknowledgment--I experienced from this person set me on edge. There was an air of unmistakable condescension coming from his way, ...

Happy Friday, campers. I hope the week has treated you well. It's treated us here in Seattle to Saharan temperatures, which everyone seems to be all giddy about. I'm more of the "Why does your kind not believe in AC??" type. But then again I'm a misplaced Michigander, and well, that explains almost a few things. Moving on to Barbara Purdy Design, a firm based in Toronto with a knack for cozy. To begin, a spot ...