Love Affair: Mid-Century Modern

I lurrrve the look of mid-century modern furniture. It's everywhere these days, especially in the blogosphere, but unless you stumble upon a great deal when you're thrift shopping or cruising Craigslist, it's hard to find mod pieces that don't break the bank.

Which is why I squealed--loudly--when I found these mod-looking pieces from Urban Outfitters.

Danish Modern Side Table, $130.

Mid-Century Modern Rocker, $288. (Free shipping!)

Truman Coffee Table, $198.

Ooh la la!

Mini Eiffel Tower Grater, $15.

Somehow I think grating cheese would be a lot more fun if I used this.

Yum.

I have been somewhat obsessed with miso soup since I first tried it years and years ago. It's a staple on my "comfort foods" list, because it's warm, it's delicious, and it's easy on the tummy. I order it every single time I have sushi, and thanks to one of my new co-workers, I now have a delicious non-restaurant version that I keep stocked at my desk for working lunches.

I could eat this stuff every. single. day.

Annie Chun's Miso Soup Bowl, $3.49

I buy mine by the cart-full at Trader Joe's, where you can get it even cheaper, and it won't go bad--just add water and toss in the microwave for a little taste of Asian food heaven. But the best part is that it comes in a sturdy, biodegradable bowl, which makes it yummy AND good for the environment. Win!

A nice piece of grass.

Since we've started our son on solids, feeding him and the maintenance of all of the gear that comes with the territory takes up a pretty large collective chunk of my day. I actually prefer paying three times as much for the WeeGo glass baby bottles because they have fewer parts than the Dr. Brown's bottles, which means they take less time to wash (plus, they're so pretty!).

I'm always on the lookout for any products that make "have-to's" feel more like "want-to's" and the latest addition to this genre is the Grass Countertop Drying Rack from Boon. It's way easier on the eyes than its white plastic counterparts (pun intended). And I actually look forward to washing Jed's bottles and spoons because it's fun to plant them into the grass like croquet wickets.



I found mine at Target but you can buy it online through Land of Nod (one of my all-time favorite site for kids' stuff) or directly from the Boon Inc. website ($19.99 at all three places). It also makes a great shower gift. The recipient might not realize right away that it's a drying rack, but that's pretty much the whole point, isn't it?

Woven art.

Now that I'm a homeowner again (yay!), I'm slowly making my way through our house, painting the walls (I couldn't stand that our entire house was beige--I need color!), and trying to thoughtfully choose where we're going to hang our favorite things. Lately, though, I'm hoping to get rid of (donate or sell) some of the old prints that we've had since college, which has left me with some open wall space--and has sent me on the hunt for some new pieces to adorn my naked walls.

Here's one recent discovery: Tina's Baskets. Her huge, woven wallhangings are pretty mesmerizing and have great texture.

'Tis the season for lurrrve.

My husband proposed to me in December, and our anniversary when we were dating was right around Thanksgiving, so every year around this time I start to turn into a sentimental sap of a woman. Which means I get all warm and fuzzy when I come across romantic gifts like this one:

Fingerprint Wedding Band in Silver, $150

Is there anything more romantic than a ring that has your personal, one-of-a-kind fingerprint in it? Sure, it's meant to be a wedding band (and would be perfectly lovely for that purpose), but I could see it also being a very sweet and simply sentimental anniversary gift or holiday gift--assuming your sweetheart wears rings. And if he (or she) were to purchase one of these bands for you? SWOON.

This post brought to you by the letter A.

Because "A" is my first and last initial, I'm kind of obsessed. I like it in almost any font, uppercase or lower...and now I've found an initial necklace that I'm also kind of obsessed with.

See for yourself:

14K Gold and diamond initial charm necklace, $350.

Isn't it gorgeous? It's handmade in 14K gold with a teeny little diamond, but you can also get it without the diamond or in sterling silver. Lurrrve!