A Perfect Fit

Wavy Entry Bench, at Chiasso, $648

Ha ha ha...it's shaped for bottoms. It's a butt bench!

Regardless of the contours, it still looks sharp. But ha ha ha - it's called Wavy Entry Bench!

Hayek You Heard?

Wavy Curve Tapestry, $16

I am delighted with the Sami Hayek "tapestry" shown above. It looks awesome as lightweight bedding but I bet it'd also look great stretched over a canvas.

Pink Star Sheet Set, $15-$32 & Decorative Pillow, $16

The rest of Sami Hayek bedding at Target is pretty fun. It might feel a tad young (Delia's anyone?) but there are a few gems that could be made to look growed up.

Floral Tapestry, $16

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Print the Pills!

From some "Canadian Pharmacy"

I just received this image in a SPAM email. I think someone should make wrapping paper with it...Or wallpaper.

Weekend Flings

• Ha Ha, Obama Leads us Home... (seen above)
• Nintendo Decor
• Even Boobies Aren't Recession Proof!
• An Anti-Glare Make-Over
• Smiling with His Eyes
• Branches are the New Black
• "Number 16 Bus Shelter, I'd like you meet Yeah Detroit..."
• Just Tryin' to be Green(er)

If you're new around here and have no idea what this list means, click HERE for a brief and witty explanation.

A Wordy Trendle

Jumping on the Wordle bandwagon, I put together a "beautiful word cloud" of design boner's recent posts.

"Violet smells" and "wash entire plate" indeed.

Bonus Bone: Bistro Tables in HOT Colors

Double Top Table & Rolling Table, at American Country

I love both of these double-level side tables. I think the one with the cut-outs, the one that looks like it's made of lace, is my favorite. Yet the wheels on the other model would certainly come in handy.

Their shape, though, isn't even the niftiest thing. The best part is all the colors in which they're available. Check out the shiny, powder coated rainbow!

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.

Happy

Happy pillow, at Jonathan Adler

This morning I had the best breakfast and it put me in a really happy and rather chipper mood! Who knew some fresh raspberries in my cereal would do that to a gal?!

When I checked my email this morning, there was an email from Jonathan Adler tooting some new items and that the needlepoint happy pillow was back in stock. Reading all the words made me smile. Bunnies, puppies, sunshine, cake, bubbles, grass, moonbeams, daisies, hugs, love, and GIN all definitely make me happy!

Use Your Words: Julie Newmar on Gardening

"And learn to edit. In order to see things clearly, one must not be afraid of emptiness."

-Julie Newmar, Cottage Living (July/August 2008)

Photo credit: The Gear Page

Silly Scented

Basil Dish Soap

I recently cracked open my new Mrs. Meyer's Basil scented dish soap. Remember how excited I was...?

Well, I have to say that the thrill is gone. While the soap cleans better than my previous brand, I don't think it smells very basil-y. In fact, it smells very much like Choward's Violet Mints.

Choward's Violet Candy

The scent isn't particularly awful. I just expected earthy green and got candy sweet. Think I'll pass on the re-purchase.

Candy photo credit: libraryman on flickr

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Weekend Flings

adopt your own virtual pet!

• Adopt Your Own Virtual Pet (seen above)
• Do You Wash Your Own or Hire Out?
• Lovely for All You with a 24" Waist
• Help I Need to Laugh
• Is This Guy for Real?!
• JCPenney's Lookin' Good
• No...[Insert Plate Here]

If you're new around here and have no idea what this list means, click HERE for a brief and witty explanation.

Working for a Living

Hunky Builder Hand Towel, by handyjan on Etsy

Don't mind our dust!

If you notice any odd things going on with our site (colors changing or items moving around) it's because we finally upgraded to the new Blogger format. This move made many of our prior settings go wonky so we're slowly trying to get things back to the way they were. Perhaps we'll even improve ourselves!

But, as always, we do love feedback. If you have any graphic designerly tips or maybe just a reader preference or two, please send them our way.

Many thanks-
Porcelain (in hard hat) & Cardboard (with drill)

Bonus Bone: Snowden Flood plates

Snowden Flood river series, at Three Potato Four

Snowden Flood urban landscape series, at Three Potato Four

I've been feeling very Susie Homemaker and wishing that Hardwood and I had a big dining room with space for 12 of our closest friends. I'd like to have a nice big table with a white tablecloth, but instead of traditional fancy china I'd use these two series of plates from Snowden Flood. Each plate depicts a different scene from a walk along the Thames or a drive along the highway. I can see our guests arguing over who got the Tower Bridge plate and who got the bright pink motorway plate. It would be just like when by brothers and I fought over which color fondue forks we got.

For these reasons, I, Porcelain, declare this a Design Boner.

Art reception #2

Painting in process, see the finished piece on Friday

This Friday there will be another art reception/meet & greet at Il Fiasco. The first one was a ton of fun filled with family, friends and yummy food.

Details:
Art Show/Meet and Greet
Art by: Katie Brown, Rex Flodstrom, Philip Hartigan, Jackie Spark

Friday, July 18, 2008
6-8pm

Il Fiasco
5101 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60640

Helium, etc.

Helium Lamp, by João Sabino

Can I be the first to say that lighting designers are magical and amazing?

Bringing the great outdoors in

Overnight table lamp, at CB2

Fun, cheery and in trendy yellow, this new CB2 lamp is fashioned to look like a Coleman lantern, but meant for indoors. Fun and affordable way to add a burst of color and a lodge-like feel to your home.

And Speaking of Butter...

French Butter Keeper, at Gaiam

I hope you all enjoyed yesterday's rich and creamy holiday. I found this smart little product while I was googling "French design," "home beret," and (of course) "butter."

I love me some soft butter. My problem is that I don't eat it enough to keep it unrefrigerated. And I can't possibly think ahead enough to pull it from the ice box and let it warm up on its own. This dilemma usually leaves me monitoring the microwave (Two seconds? No. Two more seconds? No.) or chipping butter bits off the fridged-solid stick.

Here's how it works:
Pack a single stick of softened butter into its lid, fill the base 2/3 full of pure water and then invert the lid into the base. A seal keeps oxygen out and freshness in.

Now how do you say "genius" in French?

Naked Laundry & Michael Jackson

Pont et Place Saint-Michel by Vincent

Porcelain studied in France during college and Cardboard spent a short vacation in Paris. In honor of Bastille Day, we're letting you in on our favorite French anecdotes. Viva la...

...Nudity!
When I went to ask my French host mom how to use their crazy European washing machines, she was outside sunbathing in the nude. I wasn't expecting to find her like that and wasn't quite sure where to look and not look. Oh, and the washing machine was crap - didn't really clean the clothes all that well and they always came out stiff and crusty 'cause of the crazy spin cycle.

-Porcelain

...Orangina!
The friend I was visiting had to work so I was off wandering around Paris by myself when some Italian dude tried to hit on me outside of Notre Dame. (My friend warned me about the Italians). He was pleasant and chatty and then asked me back to his place to "...listen to Michael Jackson and drink Orangina." Best pick-up line EVER! Shoulda' gone with him, if only for the novelty.

-Cardboard

Celebrate Bastille Day by feeling no guilt about the quantity of cheese and butter you'll consume with dinner tonight.

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Weekend Flings

• Make Your Own Motivational Poster (seen above)
• A Food Court Success Story
• The Absolute Best Web Design Out There...and We're Talking Out There
• An Artistic Mess
• Salt Kissed? Yes. With Blueberries? Tried and Confirmed.
• A Pyle of Lighting Beauty
• Now for That Leftover Buttermilk...
• Who Doesn't Love SkyMall?

If you're new around here and have no idea what this list means, click HERE for a brief and witty explanation.

Bonus Bone: Celebrity Dedication

The Poshest of Wrist Tattoos

We just discovered that Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) is a secret fan of design boner. In fact, she loves us so much that she has our initials* tattooed across her wrist. Wow, Vicky/Posh, we couldn't be more honored at the depth of your devotion.

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.

* Really - what else could this stand for?

Your Own Personal Wooden Family

Family Nesting Dolls, at auto.

This is a wonderful gift idea...if you're comfortably within in a certain tax bracket (if you know what I'm sayin').

Illustrator Trisha Krauss works from your family photos to design and paint a set of wooden Matrioska (or nesting) dolls that resemble your clan. This one-of-a-kind accessory doesn't come cheap though. A set of three costs $800 and Krauss will paint up to five per family.

Here's to hoping you haven't spent all of that Stimulus check yet.

6 & 7

Here are our weekend photos. Visit flickr to see the entire 6 & 7 collection.

Cardboard: left, Porcelain: right

Original inspiration by Stephanie & Mav at 3191

Birthday Sweepstakes Winners: The Gifts

We finally heard from our birthday sweepstakes winners. They received our gifts without a scratch and we're happy to hear that they love them! Let's see what you all think:

katie of katiedid was the recipient of our "Nice & Pretty" gift. We sent her this lovely hand-crafted lotus tea light holder. Check out her blog for a really nice Thank You post and to see how perfectly (!) this new accessory fits into her decor.

Elizabeth of A Browner Brown was the lucky winner of our "Hahaha" present. We found this "Beautiful Napkin" in the local New Buffalo dollar store and couldn't resist the lure. So...so...beautiful.

Both fellow bloggers also received a commemorative limited-edition design boner paperweight. There are only two of these hand-painted rarities in existence so, if times become desperate, we understand if you ladies contact Christie's for an appraisal.

Spend some quality time checking out our New Buffalo vacation pics, which include one heck of a celebratory peeni cake and a bunch of weird portraits. And make sure to keep us all up in your Google Reader. Year #3 is bound to be filled with tons of bonerocity and, of course, more kooky giveaways!

Happy Birthday Hardwood!

Today is my love's birthday! Happy birthday Hardwood!

Keep on rockin' your heart out!!!!!

Weekend Flings

Hardwood & Porcelain

• Make Your Own Ol' Timey Photos (seen above)
• LIGHT UP!
• Like We Need Another Way to Waste Time on the Computer...
• The Cutest Fence
• Baby Panda Sneeze to Replace Smoke Alarm
• Bring on the Clamps
• 8 Ways to Make Burglars Happy

If you're new around here and have no idea what this list means, click HERE for a brief and witty explanation.

Bonus Bone: Croquet

Halex select deluxe croquet set, at croquet.com

In honor of 4th of July, go have fun and play some croquet.

For these reasons, I, Porcelain, declare this a Design Boner.

Sexy croquet photo courtesy of An Englishman's castle

Loch Long Stoneware

Wine cups, at Papa Stour

Carafe, at Papa Stour

Small mug, at Papa Stour

Utensil jar, at Papa Stour

These lovely, simple oatmeal glazed ceramics remind me of the rustic mugs my parents used for their coffee when we went camping. They felt special because, not only we were on vacation, but they were beautiful, unique pieces. This is the exact kind of tactile, simple beauty that I want to fill my home with. Maybe it will start to feel like I'm on vacation everyday. (I highly doubt that, but it's a nice thought!)