Color scheme missing from the predictions

I see and alcove and I want to paint it black. This is so sharp looking I can't stand it. What a great idea. Take an already big room, paint the walls stark white, put in a dark floor and paint the alcove matte black. Man, a living room like this would force anybody to live efficiently and intelligently. And really, who wouldn't benefit from such an arrangement? This was spotted on Emma's Designblogg and she spotted it in an Australian magazine called Belle.

Great stairs!

This is my new favorite storage solution. It's interesting how the room's baseboard runs over the bottom drawers and breaks right along with them. Genius! This photo appeared over at Apartment Therapy a couple of times last week and I'm repeating it here. Thanks guys!

Is this a joke?

I took this photo about an hour ago. I was standing in front of a Starbucks and there's a Wamu branch next door to it. They were open for business and still taking mortgage applications apparently....

Sherwin-Williams' color picks for '09: yellows and greens

In keeping with my theme this week, the gang over at Sherwin-Williams has a few things to say about the directions to look for in the realm of yellow and green. There isn't a better palette on the market and these people know what they're talking about.

Yellow is enjoying a resurgence in fashion and it's started to show up more off of the runways. Yellows are getting brighter and more primary and at the same time, some yellows are taking on a greenish hue.

Greens are staying at the forefront too as a reflection of the current mania for anything that can be described as "green." Expect more sedate and mature gray greens and some occasionally bright jewel-toned greens. Stay tuned for more.

SW 7726 Lemon Verbena

SW 0060 Alexandrite

SW 6404 Grandiose

SW 6690 Gambol Gold

SW 6901 Daffodil

SW 6914 Eye Catching

Helpful household hints

Who needs Heloise anyway? Few things get on my nerves more than when I'm away somewhere with friends and someone leaves snack bags open to the elements. I usually travel with a collection of bag clips or more typically, wooden clothes pins, when I know I'll be staying with other people. No lie. Ask around. Anyhow, here's a brilliant, clip-less solution to the problem of rancid potato and tortilla chips.

How to Close a Bag without Using A Bag Clip