Another Binky update

I posted here and here about my friend Jenny's cat Binky who was adopted by one of our readers, Laurel. Jenny just sent me an email Laurel sent her that included the first photos Jenny has received of Binky. Laurel's email made my tear up because I am so relieved at the outcome and that I was able to help save a kitty. I thought I would include some of it because some readers were wondering how Binky was doing. It's a very happy ending and I couldn't be more pleased. Now I've just got to get Laurel to send me photos of Binky strategically placed around her loft so I can use it for a "cat on furniture" post. :)

"Just wanted to send you some photos that Brendan took of Binky in his new home. He’s very comfortable here now. He sleeps with us every night. Just before we head to bed, we turn on the electric blanket to warm up the bed, and he knows that means it’s almost bedtime, so he jumps on the bed and helps warm it up. He loves sleeping on the electric blanket, it keeps us all so warm. When we first get in bed, he crawls up by our shoulders and we both pet him. Then when it’s lights out and time to sleep, he crawls to the foot of the bed and sleeps there all night. Then at about 6:45, he starts to crawl around our shoulders, and walk across our pillows. Sometimes he flops on the pillow on top of my hair! He makes quite a noise until we get up to feed him. He’s the most vocal cat I’ve ever known. He chirps and chirps all day long. He spends most of the day lying on the rug in our office in between our desks. He goes back and forth between us, getting all the petting and attention he can! Such a big baby. He’s just a super kitty and we’re so lucky to have him!"

Mini winks

I've got to make this a quick post because I am scrambling to get my house in order now that the kitchen reno is winding down. It's SO good to have furniture in place again, and for things to be CLEAN. I thought I'd start with some ideas for Christmas gifts for the guys in our lives. Because we all know how tough they are to shop for. Here are some ideas from 2Modern (click on photos for details).

I posted about Colleen Duffley's work last year, and her friend Molly emailed today with a heads-up on Colleen's latest project: "Colleen is actually starting a new studio (Studio b!) in early 2009 that will be more of a cultural/ lifestyle venue; bringing in top photographers, designers, chefs, authors, musicians, and artists for classes and seminars, events, as well as gallery exhibitions. Studio b will be doing cooking classes, photography classes, for adults and kids... and really establish a venue for creativity. The first event that Studio b. is hosting is an online photo exhibiton of people's first shot of the new year, which must be taken from a cell phone camera! We have been working hard to get the word out, so it will be fun to see how many we get and from what corner of the world!! The website is new, so we will be updating constantly." Details are below - what a great idea!!

Neece Clark is an artist based out of Seattle who creates unique fine-art wall designs and original paintings for clients. Check out samples of her paintings here, murals here and great gift ideas in her shop. Below are some of my favourites (so pretty!!).

WINKS

... if I have to be at work on a Saturday at least I can go to Chinatown

WINKS - weekend links. Here we list what has come in during the week, things we've found and things we think you'll want to see. If you'd like to see your blog or website featured email us and if we think it fits with our readers we'll link you. So after spending all day in the office on a Saturday let's see what's in this week?

• Let's start the weekend with the seriously stunning work of photographic duo Alex and Cocco. They work exclusively on fine arts and advertising projects from around the world, with recent personal series shot in Sydney, Paris, New York, Tokyo & Shanghai. Just a taster of what's in their current folios. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.




• Time to introduce ourselves to Trixie Jones & friends. Trixie has a brand new blog full of lovely things and we're invited for a play date (by her good friend Jenny). Hi Trixie!




• Las Coleccionistas an eponymous blog out of Barcelona by a super talented photographic studio. Gorgeous images just right for weekend perusing.




• Remember when it was all the rage to go to cooking school in Tuscany? Well it seems like now it's all about interior design. The Florence Institute specializes in graphic design and interior design, as well as specialist art history courses, with all classes held in English. Study Abroad and Gap Year students are catered for, alongside graduate and undergraduate classes. Ah Firenze, my favourite Italian city. I wish this was available when I was once a medical student tearing myself away from a gorgeous Florentine to come home to a degree I never quiet completed (yet). Oh sorry. Too much information ;)




• Valerie that *visual*vamp* sent a lovely email for Thanksgiving. Valerie I'm sending the love back. Have you been to Valerie's blog? Besides a savage addiction to blogging Valerie manages to squeeze in not only a passion for tango but running a Bed and Tango in New Orleans when she's not changing out the look of her fab home.


• Andie Olive, aOlive is a purveyor of fashionable oddities (her moniker not mine). Her 2D/3D coat tree tricks the eye and gives new meaning to functional art. Yes more wall decals but Andie's have a quirky sense of fun as does her website .... "I was raised by a band of circus bears and have a well developed appreciation for nature, the circus and dead stuff ..." and "I also love to dance, spin fire and play the musical saw, but never at the same time." Gotta love the girl!




• Chris Brown is at it again. The second issue of Refueled magazine; the bible of alt-country style+design is online now. This issue, even bigger and better than the first, concentrates on STYLE (and doesn't that old style hound Chris have buckets of it!).

Country kitchens

I've got kitchens on the brain these days, so I thought I'd share some lovely kitchens from Country Home.

Gregg Segal

Just a quick taste of the extraordinary work of photographer Gregg Segal. He captures these spaces so brilliantly. Great light, interesting composition and a great sense of the house. His website is a scream, his work so quirky and creative. Do not miss his superhero portfolio or the detritus or the pirates, the dreams. Hang it! Don't miss any of it.