On the Set

Did you catch HGTV on the Set with Emily Henderson (love her!) on Friday? I just randomly turned it on (I really don't even watch HGTV that much these days, sorry to say). But it was touring the set of Big Bang Theory, so I had to watch. I love that show and I really like Leonard and Sheldon's apartment for some reason.

Anyway, it went on to show the sets from Modern Family. Like the show, love the sets! Claire and Phil's home is probably closest to my own style (although Cam and Mitchell's place is a very close second, and the exterior wins, hands down).

The Dunphy living room, via Hooked on Houses

Exterior of Cam and Mitchell's duplex, via Hooked on Houses

But by far my favorite TV family home is on NBC's Parenthood.While I enjoy the scenes in the yard of Zeek and Camille, it's Adam and Kristina's Craftsman that I want to move into. Right. Now.

Adam and Kristina's family room, via Reckless Bliss

Exterior of Zeek and Camile's home, via Reckless Bliss

It's worth watching both shows just for the house porn, but I like the characters, too.

I also love Don and Megan's new pad on Mad Men, but that's for another day.

What's your favorite TV house?

I'm Mad About ...

The weather this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous. I hope you all have plans for something fun. I have a date with my hubby!

Here are some things that caught my eye this week:

By mavb.us

• Lovers of California design should check out this Cliff May exhibit.
• I seriously can't believe I'm going to miss the Grilled Cheese Invitational.
• This is a great idea: Spared.org puts donors in touch with animal shelters in need.
• Is this for real?
• Here's something I could use: apps to track your pet's medical records.

Home Office: Organization

When it comes to organizing, there are generally two kinds of people: Those who like to see all their stuff and those who like to keep everything tucked away. I'd have to say I fall somewhere in between. I like to have things I don't use often or that are unsightly stowed behind closed doors (or drawers), but things I use regularly I like to keep within arm's reach.

So as part of my occasional series on working from home, I thought I'd pull together some inspirational office storage.

These beautifully styled shelves hold books and storage boxes full of office supplies, along with a little eye candy to lift your spirits on rough day:

Apartment Therapy

The Art of Doing Stuff

Better Homes and Gardens

Sectioning off a drawer and labeling everything makes it that much easier to put things back where they belong at then end of a long day:

Better Homes and Gardens

I have my eye on the pink Stockholm flat storage box for keeping printer paper neat and handy:

The Container Store

 I love this idea for hiding those ugly power strips—and I'll bet it would pretty easy to DIY one.

Bluelounge Design

How do you keep your office tidy?

Curtain Conundrum

Good morning. Hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty busy, but I managed to stop by Cost Plus World Market in search of a pillow. The pillow was not to be found, but I did stumble across this shower curtain:

Spiced Palampore shower curtain

I have no need for a shower curtain, but it has the colors I want for the dining room curtains. See where I'm going?

It's a bit short at 72 inches, but I could add some trim or a band of solid-color fabric to the bottom (with the help of a very talented friend, of course).

My only concern is that I've fallen hard for this wallpaper for the back wall, and I'm not sure how the two would work together:

Wilderness Wallpaper

What do you think? Too crazy? Keep in mind that they would be on adjacent walls, so the patterns won't be right on top of each other. See:

Here's another fabric I like, but again, I'm not sure how it would work with the wallpaper:

PinkDoorFabrics

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear what you think.

I'm Mad About...

My Saturday is packed with commitments. I might need a weekend for my weekend :-) Until that happens, here are some things that caught my eye this week:

By NASA. Photo taken by either Harrison Schmitt or Ron Evans
(of the Apollo 17 crew), via Wikimedia Commons

• Sunday is Earth Day, and I'll observe it by riding my bike instead of taking the car. Do you have anything planned?
• This new iPad-only magazine sounds interesting. If only I had an iPad ...
• Is the world ready for an Ikea neighborhood? Looks like we're going to find out. 
• More books to add to my wish list.

Take care!

Spring Cleaning

By f_trudeau

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? We've done a few things (there's nothing like having company over to motivate me to scrub the house!). We shampooed the carpets (although it wouldn't hurt to do that again, what with three dogs and all). I cleaned walls, cabinet door and baseboards. I also cleaned the grout on the countertops. And we hosed off the front porch and back patio and planted the vegetable garden.

There are still some things on my our to-do list:

• Clean out the garage
• Scrub the grout on the floors
• Clean windows

To help us all out with those backbreaking chores, I've rounded up a few spring cleaning posts that I hope you'll find helpful:

• Clean your kitchen with help from this Houzz gallery.
• This fantastic post from the kids at Young House Love details all-natural homemade cleaners.
• Organized Home offers a spring cleaning checklist.
• For those of you who can't bear to put down your iPhone, even when you're cleaning, there's an app for that.

Do you have any cleaning tips? Share them!

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...

Good morning!

• Don't forget to pick up a copy of Domino Quick Fixes, available on Wednesday (except for you lucky New Yorkers, who can find it on newsstands beginning today!).
• Looking for good food and a good time in LA? Check out this new site, Mister Boffin. 
• I really, really want to make this. It looks so good—and oh so bad!

Have a great weekend, and be careful out there—it's Friday the 13th!

April Flowers

No need to wait for May! Now that spring is in full bloom and my backyard smells like a perfume factory exploded, I thought I'd share some pictures.

The jasmine is out of control (in a good way):

And the orange tree is getting ready for this year's crop:

 This doesn't smell as good, but it certainly looks lovely:

And I picked up these candle holders at Target for a couple of bucks each and plan to hang them from the patio cover. I'm crazy about these colors together:

What's blooming in your neck of the woods?

In the Garden: Veggies

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous, and we spent the day putting in the vegetable garden (with a little helper):

Last year's crop didn't do so well, so we replaced all the dirt with fresh soil and planted a tomato, a zucchini and a yellow bell pepper. I haven't grown bell peppers yet, but I did manage to get one zucchini and one cherry tomato last year. We'll see how this year goes. (Find out how we built the planter here.)

Are you growing anything fruits or veggies this year? I'd love to hear about it.

I'm Mad About...

Happy Passover and Easter! I hope you all have wonderful plans for the weekend.

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

April the greyhound is in Michigan, looking for a home

• April is National Greyhound Adoption Month. How can you resist? 
• The Shelter Pet Project is on Pinterest. I love the way they use wit and humor (and not guilt) to bring attention to animals that need homes.  
• Have you seen the new Anthropologie magazine? I've only flipped through it briefly (still have to catch up on back issues of Marie Claire and the new Matchbook), but there's a story on Palm Springs. (I think it's a sign.) If you've read it, what do you think? 
• And some sad news: Renowned designer Albert Hadley passed away last week at the age of 91.

Fashion Forward: '70s Spring

Now that spring is here, I thought it was time for a fashion post. I really like this outfit—it's a little retro without feeling costumy. And maxidresses are comfortable and easy to wear but still dressy. Although I'm sure the hat would just blow right off!

'70s for Spring by bethc featuring a red maxi dress

Hale Bob red maxi dress, £215
Mystique flat sandals, €189
Fossil handbag, $198
Oscar de la Renta clip earrings, $290
Phase Eight floppy hat, £24
Jo Malone London White Lilac and Rhubarb Cologne, $110

Home Office: Office Space

Whether you work from home full time like I do or you just need a place to pay bills and browse Pinterest, a functional home office is essential. And if you're a creative type, you'll want your space to be inspiring.

My musts for a home office are:

• Quiet. If you can shut the door, that's great, but if you can't, consider investing in some noise-canceling headphones.
• Inspiration. I'm surrounded by things I love and things that make me smile. And throughout spring and summer, there's always a fresh flower on my desk.
• Storage. Some people prefer open shelving so they can see what they have, while others prefer to hide everything behind closed doors. Whatever your style, make sure you have a place for everything (and not all of it on your desktop).
• A comfortable chair. If you work from home full time, don't skimp on this one—it really is worth the price.

With all that in mind, I've rounded up some workable work spaces, from a desk in a closet to a spacious room.

How clever (not to mention beautiful and efficient) is this closet turned office? Even caught a glimpse of it on HGTV this weekend:

IHeart Organizing

Sarah's House 2

This simple and serene desk is tucked into a corner:

Apartment Therapy

I've had my eye on this sleek Josephine desk from Cost Plus World Market for some time:

Nuestra Vida Dulce

This office built for two uses Ikea cabinetry:

The Weekend Homemaker

Gotta love girly and glam, with fresh flowers:

pop.culture