Home is wherever I'm with you - new print by a la mode Stuff

Giveaway closed
congrats to Liz, Lindy, and Mary Ann!

Greatly influenced by my recent Pin it Forward post about what home means to me (seen here), I  designed these prints over the weekend.

Coincidentally, I heard this song on the radio this weekend and thought I'd share it with you.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

I'm thinking about selling these prints but need to experiment with papers and printing.  In the meantime, I've printed several on 8 1/2" x 11" matte 8mil brochure paper.   I'd love to give 2 of them away.

If you like them, leave your choice between the two in the comments.  I will choose 2 names via Random.org on Wednesday, June 16, at noon EST.  One entry per person, please.

What home is to me - a la mode STUFF - a pin it forward mashup w/ SFGirlbyBay

[updated 6/16/10 - this post inspired me to design some digital prints you can see here.]

Victoria of SFGirlbyBay has put together yet another great blogging mashup this time along with Pinterest (a great new site that allows you to "pin" things you see and like on the internet to your own virtual pin board). Over 300 bloggers are scheduled to write a post about what home means to them over the course of 2 months. 

For me, this could not have come at a better moment, as my husband is interviewing for jobs [read more here] in this last year of his medical residency. I have struggled with the meaning of  home in the literal sense.  Our "home" has been temporary for many years.  Having this opportunity to dissect the meaning of home has helped me put the chaos of my impending move into perspective.

To me, home is:

What is home to you?

See more photos from my Pinterest Pin it Forward pin board here.

photo sources:  me, Spring Globe, enfi, Monika Thorpe, uhoh over, Trentlloyd,  me

Be sure to check out tomorrow's Pin it Forward by Make do and send, yesterday's by m.o.m.  and the many other groups scheduled here.

OM [one moment] meet up - week #3

We just returned from a last minute trip to NYC. We did a lot in 4 days: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, shopping, dinner with cousin and family, MoMA, eat, walk, eat, walk, etc. The weather couldn't have been nicer even with one evening of showers.

No matter how fun or how long the vacation, there is always that moment when you unlock the door to your home, walk in, turn on the lights, drop your bags, and are hit with the familiarity of home. That was my moment this week. We did so much and had such a wonderful time but were still happy to come home.

What was your 'one moment' this week? Share in the comments, on your own blog (and link back below) or on my Facebook fan page. We'd love to hear your moment this week!

Give yourself a different perspective of your home - through the eye of a camera

Have you ever caught a glimpse of a room in your house through the reflection in a mirror? Did this perspective feel new to you? Seeing your house in a mirror or through the eye of a camera can give you insight on your home's decor....or lack thereof.

Earlier this summer, I thought I'd take some pictures of different items/rooms in our house for this purpose. Inspired by other bloggers, I also wanted to see if I could make our super cheap, hand-me-down thrift store pieces (some moved multiple times since....college) look decent through the camera lens. Surprisingly, it actually made me feel a bit better about what I have.

Here's a glimpse of our dining room. Our current style is pretty eclectic. While I lean toward modern or contemporary (i.e., this modern house), my pocketbook steers me otherwise. So, over the years I've purchased based on money and what I could find. We do have a few pieces that we've splurged on, but overall we've simply made our stuff work together...for us.

Give it a try. Go through your house and take some shots. I bet you'll be surprised. Be sure to share your discoveries with me! I'd love to see them.

For more detailed pictures (with notes), visit my Flickr set "our home" here. I'll be featuring some other rooms/perspectives in coming weeks. If you like this feature, stay tuned.

Coveted: Two drawer dishwashers

I've always wondered about these dishwashers. They seemed smaller to me and not quite as user friendly. The drawers just seemed odd. The house we rented last week in Chatham had one and now I'm sold. The next time I'm in the market for a new one, there is no question that I'll buy a drawer dishwasher.

Surprisingly, they have plenty of room. There were 9 of us and we filled one drawer each sit down meal. That means that we only used 1/2 the washer...1/2 the water...1/2 the energy.

One of my biggest pet peeves is having to load the dishwasher only to find that I have to unload it first. Well, with the two drawer, there was always one drawer available. The flow between wash and use seemed so much more manageable.

I haven't found a refrigerator I love. I'm not sold on the side-by-side refrigerators with the bottom drawer freezers. Our current side by side seems small. Any preferences you can share??