I'm Mad About ...

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. Even though the husband had to work, I did a little barbecuing and festive decorating:

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:

• Good idea: The Everygirl's starting a book club. Are you keeping up?
• Speaking of books, how many books in Rory Gilmore's library have you read? I won't embarrass myself by admitting how few I've read (it's more than zero!), but I will say that I tried to read Kerouac and just couldn't do it.
• I'll probably never make these brownie cookies with salted caramel filling, but it's nice to think that I could!
• It's Pinterest Challenge time again. What are you making?
• Interesting differences between American and British English.

I'm off for a spa weekend with a friend! More on that next week. Have a lovely weekend!

Pinterest Goes Corporate

Even if you don't pin, you've probably been hearing a lot about Pinterest lately. It's been around since 2010, but it's really taken off in the last couple of months. I've been on for about a year now, and a couple of months ago I noticed dozens of Facebook friends suddenly joining up. In the last few weeks, a number of my favorite companies and magazines have started their own pin boards.

On one hand, I'm excited to see Anthropologie, Real Simple, Lucky, even Rubio's sharing their wares. And I can't get enough of the pics of mouthwatering treats my favorite local bakery posts.

But I worry that self-promotion will take over and the fun will fade. Clicking on a gorgeous image that leads to a fabulous blog I didn't know about is one of my favorite things about Pinterest. I'm a little worried that if it gets overrun with companies, it will become bland and watered down.

I know Pinterest is what you make of it. If you follow people with great taste and style, you'll find quality images and make serendipitous discoveries. So maybe I'm worrying about nothing.

What do you think? Is the corporate deluge a good thing that will broaden Pinterest's appeal and make it even more dynamic and diverse, or will it lead to a sameness of pins that are commonplace and boring?

I'm Mad About...

We're headed to LA this weekend to see a George Harrison exhibit at the Grammy Museum (I didn't even know there was a Grammy Museum!)—and maybe get in a little shopping.

Here are some things that caught my eye this week:

Garrapata State Park

• This is a wonderful idea: In an effort to raise awareness, a Northern California woman (joined by friends and her foster dog) is visiting 70 state parks set to be closed because of budget cuts and blogging about them. So far she's hit nearly 30 parks. I've been to several of the sites on the closure list and am sad to hear that they might not be accessible to future travelers.
• It's time for another Pinterest challenge. Will you be participating?
• I love the idea of bed linens for dogs (but I doubt it will keep the little ones off of our bed).
• Orla Kiely bedding for Bed, Bath and Beyond? Yes!

I'm Mad About...

I'm hoping to get a jump on spring by picking up some outdoor plants and gardening supplies this weekend. Whether I'll get around to planting anything remains to be seen, however.

Have a lovely weekend. To kick it off, here are some things that caught my eye this week:

Hamptons tote

• I must get to San Francisco soon so I can get a close-up look at these beautiful totes!
• If you pin half as much as I do, you'll appreciate these great tips on Pinterest etiquette—and some words of warning.
• Love these peeks behind the scenes of movie productions by a talented French photographer.
• I might have to redo the (recently redone) living room to fit this coffee table in.

I'm Mad About...

This weekend I'm looking forward to a day trip to LA and checking out some stores I've been dying to visit in person.

I also want to thank Danielle of Danielle Oakey Interiors for adding The Blue Room to her blogroll. Check out her beautiful blog, and be sure to visit her home tour—gorgeous! (And if any other design/fashion/lifestyle bloggers want to add The Blue Room to your blogrolls or follow the blog, I'd be happy to reciprocate!) Also thanks to everyone who has left such lovely comments lately. I really do appreciate hearing from you!

Now, without further ado, here are some things that have inspired me this week:

Chamberlain West Hollywood, via The Aestate

• I want to spend a weekend at this gorgeous West Hollywood hotel.
• If I still lived in the Bay Area, I'd definitely feed my Pinterest addiction at this class!
• Check out these stunning items and show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Colors of the World

Looking through my boards on Pinterest, I've definitely noticed some recurring themes: blue walls (of course!), white kitchens, big windows, sparkly chandeliers. Most of the rooms I'm drawn to are airy and feminine with subdued or neutral colors.

But when it comes to cities abroad, it's bright colors that catch my eye:

Images via Pinterest

Do these images inspire wanderlust? Where do you want to go this summer? And would you consider hiring personal packers?