I love this quote.

Every time that I see it,

I read it several times to make sure it sinks in.

To quote another smart cookie:

"Twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed

by the things that you didn't do

than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain

These are truly words to live by.

I love numbered art…

No, I don't mean artist-signed and numbered, limited edition art - although I do love those too - I'm talking about actual numbers and letters being the artform. I don't think anyone has quite been able to define the decor style in my home. I received a catalog a few months ago from West Elm titled "Contemporary Country" and, although I cringe at the thought of saying my design style is "country", this was not your traditional wooden-heart laden country decor. West Elm sells primarily sleek and modern-styled home decor, but, in this particular catalog, they had mixed a lot of their modern pieces in with more rustic "character" pieces. Looking around my house, that's exactly what I've done - mix the contemporary with the rustic. I love things that look like they have a history behind them. Normally, I would say that I lean towards a Pottery Barn look, except where Pottery Barn has a lot of replica antiques, I like to go to flea markets and find the real deal. This is mostly because I want the authentic history factor, but also because, for me, it's always been a heck of a lot cheaper at the flea market than to buy from Pottery Barn! My mom passed her "thrifty" genes on to me I guess. =) 

Back to the numbers.... I've always been drawn to pieces that have some sort of lettering or numbering on them. I love anything adorned with fonts – from the tin "Good Eats" sign above my chemistry beaker spice rack in my kitchen; to stamped pottery; to my newly-started antique wind-up clock collection; to a framed vintage calendar from which one of my collection of 35+ license plates is hanging. I've even been guilty of having a preference for Frigidaire appliances simply because I like their logo! I know this last one drives my husband crazy, but I think he shares my attraction to typographic art. One thing that he does that drives me crazy though, is that he LOVES magnets with goofy quotes and pics and wants to plaster our fridge with them!! AAAAhh!! I'm constantly trying to arrange them in a neat orderly way that might make them look less tacky, but it's not working. Every once in a while a magnet mysteriously disappears. Shhhhh... don't tell.