I heard you on the wireless back in '52...

Well, it's been about three years in the making, but thanks to some vacation time off from Ye Olde Dayjobbe I was finally able to get my website up--just in time for the New Year!

I was having a teal moment, and in the true Retrograde spirit of embracing those things that kind of repel me, I decided to use it for the website's background color. And I used the same shade to update this blog, so things would match up. (Still trying to work out the kinks of embedding my blog feed into the website though.) Who knows--in a couple of months I might embrace yellow, or chartreuese
;-)

Thanks to the support at Wix for making it relatively easy and inexpensive to get this website up!

Check out my homepage:

Let me know what you think! Thanks to everyone who's been part of this exciting journey over the last three years!

Hazy Shade of Winter...

Over on Facebook I've been doing a 12 Days of Christmas Countdown, ending with today's post. Here's a recap in case you haven't been able to get over there:

Day 1: Start a tradition (like going out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve)
Day 2: Make a musical mix (holiday/seasonal or otherwise)
Day 3: Make some treats to share (and no, they don't have to be made from scratch!)
Day 4: Wrap it up by reusing interesting papers (magazine photos, wrappers, tissue paper, etc.)
Day 5: Give back (by donating food, money, clothes, or even volunteering your time)
Day 6: Give it away (clear out clutter in your home while donating to charities)
Day 7: Stay in shape (turn walks or runs into time with your friends and loved ones)
Day 8: Let it go (accept that nothing has to be perfect--it's the thought that counts)
Day 9: Savor the season (indulge in seasonal treats--as long as you also stay physical!)
Day 10: Trade it (have parties themed around book or other exchanges--a great way to share what you love)
Day 11: Just do it (family visits can be a good thing, despite all the stress)
Day 12: Relax (take a moment to reflect, or do something for yourself)

As I said in my Day 12 post on Facebook, you are surrounded by love at this time of the year, whether you know it or not. Tap into that good feeling and have a great holiday!

Christmas Wrapping

Hey readers, check out my Facebook updates in the sidebar--I'm doing a "12 Days of Christmas" holiday countdown, with ideas for gifts and things to do leading up to the big day.

The page is public, so you should be able to check it out even without a Facebook account.

You can't always get what you want...

I'm always telling people to get/invest in/go for art that means something to them, whether it's a story or if it relates to some experience. Most of the art in my own home is like that, and it doesn't have to be expensive, precious, or fancy--in some cases I've just enlarged some text from a book, page number and all.

I recently gave in to the hype and emails from Art.com and gave them a try. I mean, it looks pretty cool, right?

Art.com also has kiosks in major museums like the MOMA and the DeYoung, where you can order prints of pieces from the museums' collections. I recently saw a piece called Caius Marius Amid The Ruins of Carthage by John Vanderlyn (1807) at the DeYoung and thought it was really cool.

I ordered a print and had it framed in a really contemporary bright white modern frame--I thought it would look really bright and masculine in my home office. But when the piece arrived, the print was really dull and smudgy.

Here's the print I received:

 

 And here's a shot of the original painting from my iPhone:

 

 

The quality of the print is obviously not so good. At the DeYoung, Caius looked like one damn fine Roman. My Art.com print made him look like a caveman. 

 

For those who ever wonder, a giclee print is basically a fancy inkjet print. Art.com has different levels of quality for the prints you can purchase, but I'm afraid that even if I had paid for the most expensive print, there would still be fuzziness and quality issues.

The good thing about Art.com is their return policy. I'm going to have to test it firsthand and let you know how it goes....

Stay tuned, folks!

What do the lonely do at Christmas?

They make mixes for parties, lounging, and sharing, of course!

Here are 10 songs that are on my heavy rotation list for the holiday season:

1. Matt Pond - "Holiday Road"



2. Paul Weller - "Wishing On A Star"



3. Emotions - "What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?"



4. Chris Isaac (or in this case, Bing Crosby) - "Mele Kalikimaka"



5. Pizzicato Five - "Strawberry Sleighride"



6. Cyndi Lauper - "Home On Christmas Day"



7. Aimee Mann - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"



8. Bob Marley- "White Christmas"



9. John Lennon - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"



10. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"



Any songs I should add to my list? Let me know!

Edge of Seventeen

As I help out my cousin furnish her new house, I've been looking for some budget-friendly pieces that are also scale appropriate to fit in an older home. It hit me when I was looking for full-sized headboards and bed frames--what about hip teen/kids furniture?

Not everyone lives in a big house. I even have friends in the 'burbs who choose to live in older, smaller homes with period details and charm. So what can fit through those smaller hallways and door frames?

Here's a colorful, well-priced headboard from Crate & Barrel's junior site:

 

This chest from PB Teen could look really great in an entryway or Living Room, with lots of useful storage:

 

And this reproduction pediment from Restoration Hardware's Baby & Child department is priced really well:

 

 

I don't care how old you are--these modern, graphic fairy tale posters are just cool. And are already framed:

I have no shame shopping in the kids' department. If it fits, why not?

It's a family affair...

Sorry no post last week, folks--I was actually meeting with my cousin's sister-in-law to see how I could help her with her new home in the Sunset. After my last post about the cool shops in the Outer Sunset, I thought it was kind of funny that I seem to be drawn out in that direction again...

Anyhow, here are a few before pics of her dining and living room--she's keeping the finishes that were left there by the last owner/stager:

 

And here's our game plan--warming up the space with golds, reds, and raspberry tones. I'll keep you posted with how it ends up.

 

In the meantime, does anyone know of a good square or round 36" - 42" dining table? A little rustic, either wood or metal? Space is always an issue in most San Francisco homes...let me know if you have any recommendations!