Shopping: Good Deals.

Occasionally during my online shopping sprees, I run across some really great deals. Here are some that are available right now.

This bamboo stool from Gump's is timelessly elegant would work with almost any home decor imaginable.

Regularly priced at $325, it is on sale for $81.25.

And this great looking 21-inch vase, also from Gump's, was originally $55 and is on sale for $15.

These linen pillow covers in great colors are on sale for $9.99, originally $19. That's basically half off.

And as these timeless oval glass baking dishes are $9.99 at Crate and Barrel...

Along with these Calphalon nonstick frypans, regularly $130 and on sale for $39.95.

Bargains galore.

Design Decisions: Big Ass Rug.

Looks like for now I can post photos. Neat.

Our main living area is screaming for a rug. My head hurts from all the noise.

In a perfect world, we'd have something along the lines of this rug from West Elm, which is reasonable and would be a nice fluffy contrast to the polished concrete.

However, I'm not going to pretend that with 2 dogs and a big fat black and white cat we should buy something in white.

This design decision could go one of two ways. Either we buy something cheap and trendy and end up switching it out in about a year or we go ahead and buy something of quality that will last.

I'm not willing to go too trendy if the rug is on the upper end of our range. If we go high end, I want something that I'll still love in 5 years.

This one, from Storehouse, is really appealing. I like the sky blue punch.

But is it just me, or does the edge treatment in the photo look a little funny?

Angela Adams is doing some really nice rugs.

They are in the upper echelons of our current house-poor budget. However, there are more than a few of her rugs that would work in our space.

This little number of hers is our current favorite rug.

Yes it is a little trendy. Yes it is a little bit expensive. So maybe we won't bite. But it would look great with our new sofa. The colors are exactly what we were looking for, too.

Getting Impatient.

My technical difficulties haven't gone away. I've tried everything imaginable, including re-installing and re-booting my entire wireless cable internet, which is an undertaking. I've plugged in to the internet, which I never do. I've rebooted and re-everything.

I still can't post photos.

I'm waiting for a return email from blogger.com, the program/company I use. It has been almost a week and I'm not so thrilled right now. I have a lot to show you!

In the mean time, check out design*sponge, who has recently attended the New York International Gift Fair and returned with some really cool stuff, just in time for the shopping season.

I really appreciate the design*sponge aesthetic, but it tends to lean a little feminine for my life. Nonetheless, an excellent design blog.

Shopping: Lotta Jansdotter

Houston, we have a problem.

Lotta Jansdotter is a Finnish designer (living in Brooklyn) who works in ceramics, textiles, paper goods and accessories. I want to buy everything she's selling.

And we just bought a house and already have service for 75+ in Russel Wright. I have no business buying any dishware. But look at this:

And we have bigger things to accomplish...

So I'll back away slowly, like a good new homeowner...who wants a new table runner...

I did order these calendar dishtowels, which are deeply discounted because the calendar is about to expire...one would assume.

Some of our dishtowels are in embarrassingly bad shape, so for $5 a pop, well-designed dishtowels that are literally outdated are literally fine by me.

Little rationalizations are fun.

Project Update: We're In. We're wired.

Sorry for the delay in posting. We haven't had internet access at the house since we moved last Friday. Let's just say that Time Warner Cable is very challenging to deal with...then move on with our lives.

We have unpacked (mostly) and are getting settled in the new place.

I suppose this is a good time to put it out there: we're in love with the house.

We discover something new every day. Like this surprise, which is the view outside an upper bedroom window at sunset.

And this, through a similar window on a different wall.

We have a lot to do to the place. Art to install, landscaping to hire, stuff to arrange.

More furniture to buy.

This arrangement in the living area is temporary. The chairs and benches will either live somewhere else in the house....or end up living in someone else's house.

And we need a rug. And lamps. And a few new sets of bed linens. And a new bed and one other rug. And a new guest mattress. And bedside tables for the guest room. And...

I'll be posting a lot more in the next few days as we play catch up on the site. Stay tuned.

We're Hot? We're Moving.

Big thanks must go out to the groovy kids at FD!Lux magazine in Dallas for including the blog in their August “Hot” issue, and on their blog today.

We’re honored to be thought of as even remotely, slightly, barely lukewarm. Much less hot.

If you are new to the site, be sure to check out the archives and categories on the right side of your screen, because there’s a lot to explore.

I won’t be posting a great deal until the end of the weekend, because tomorrow is Moving Day.

For the past two weeks, we’ve been visiting the new house at least once a day to water the lawn and meet installers of landscaping, installers of security systems, installers of cable and installers of furniture, among other installers.

We have more installers to go. Lots and lots of installers. I hate installers. I’m going to run an installer down with my Volvo when I next see one on the sidewalk.

We made the commitment that, when we visit the new house, we throw something in the car and move it in. Even if it is one Russel Wright platter sitting on the back seat. We always put something in the car.

And, like magic, in two weeks’ time we made a big, gaping dent in our stuff. In fact, we weren’t supposed to move our furniture, dogs and lazy bodies until one more week, but we pushed it up and are moving in tomorrow.

Long story short, we don’t know whether to we’re coming or going, or where we really live. But that all changes at 9:00 in the morning.

The next set of house photos I post won’t be so spare and empty. And I’ll be back to the site regularly after the weekend.

Give us a few days to get our tchotzkes arranged and put some starched doilies on the backs of the recliners.

Hang tight.

shopping: dermond peterson

I've told you about dermond peterson before.

They've recently expanded their line, and I am literally frothing at the mouth.

I am struck absolutely stupid over this sand dollar table runner.

And this artichoke kitchen towel still gets my goat.

And I do like the Eden pillow.

The line is available in Austin at Loft and in Houston at Unika Deco, among many other retailers. Check it out.