Houseboat Living

With the imminent 100 degree temps soon to hit Phoenix, I'm already dreaming of packing it up and heading to the water this summer. Perhaps a 1000 square foot prefab houseboat in California's Richardson Bay would do the trick...

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves every morning and checking outside the living room window for sharks and jelly fish. Falling asleep to the sound of seals and taking the ol' kayak out to run errands. I wonder if there's a Target nearby...not that the kayak could hold all of my loot.

Rooftop patio...very swanky & social.

Just think of the workout you'd get everyday just by leaving the house! I'm not sure I could live in a houseboat full time, but it would certainly be fun to rent one for a week or two. Could you do it?

*via sunset

Nesting Newbies

I'm really liking the online magazine trend that has begun, though I'm not sure they can ever replace the printed shelter publications that that we all know and love. There's nothing like flipping through a new magazine, feeling each crisp page in your hand, marking the pages you like, or tearing them out to save in you idea file. However, the online magazines are a great source of inspiration and an easy way to get your design fix in an instant gratification (and did I mention free?) way. Lonny seems to be a hit so far and now I've just discovered another one, Nesting Newbies. As the title hints, this online magazine covers topics that help you to feather your nest with decorating, cooking and entertaining ideas.

Here are a few highlights from the current Winter issue, notice all of the black & white rugs:

There's also an easy tutorial for this funky do-it-yourself lampshade:

Have you checked out Nesting Newbies yet? What is your opinion on online magazines?

Blissful Bedroom

Marianne over at Haven & Home posted photos of this gorgeous (& eco friendly designed) bedroom from Traditional Home yesterday. I loved this room so much that I had to go out and buy the magazine last night just so I could study it in more detail. I love the accessibility of viewing images on the web, but there's nothing like having a real magazine that you can flip through and revisit time and time again. I LOVE magazines, and as my husband knows, I am very particular about them. I have to be the first one to flip through them and give them their first crease. I never purchase the magazine sitting in front on the news stand, I've always got dig back a few to find the "perfect" one. So you can imagine my displeasure last night when the overly pierced girl with a mohawk ringing me up at Target started flipping through my new purchase AND making fun of the "overly done" photos inside...I about had a coronary. I digress.

There are so many beautiful details in this bedroom, it's hard to take it all in at once. You can view the rest of the photos here.

The thing that stood out most to me was the gorgeous bedside table lamp. My mom and I just chose this exact lamp for her living room last week (although they changed the shade for this room).

This lamp by George Kovacs is pure gorgeousness, and now I'm seriously considering it for my bedroom:

As we were out searching for lamps, we realized that many of the ones we liked were by George Kovacs. Here are some other great lamps from his line:

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This last photo does not do the lamp justice at all, it's absolutely stunning in person. It's hard to tell, but the base has a clear acrylic center band with chrome on the top and bottom of it. It's killer.

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Traditional Home seems to be upping their game lately, or maybe I just never noticed it because I was scared off by the "traditional" part of the title. Lately I'm being drawn to more traditional rooms (with a twist of course). I'm afraid I'm going to have to add this title to my subscription list now. Are there any magazines that have surprised you lately? Do you freak out if someone "messes up" your magazine before you get to read it, or is it just me?

Lonny

So it's been all over blogland today, but I had to mention my excitement over the new online magazine Lonny which hit virtual shelves today. Created by Michelle Adams (former Domino employee & creator of the Rubie Green fabric line) and photographer Patrick Cline, the premier issue has over 174 pages of decorating tips & ideas! I know this is going to be a great source of inspiration for all of us design lovers and will hopefully fill the Domino-shaped hole in all of our hearts.

Here's a sampling of what you'll find in Lonny...

So go check it out ASAP! Another cool thing is that each page has product links that will take you directly to the vendor's website where you can view/purchase the items you like. How cool is that?