6 Ridiculous Dachshunds...

I've decided to deem Fridays "Ridiculous Fridays."

The end of the week, beginning of the weekend- To celebrate, I'm gong to do a themed list of 6 ridiculous things I want each Friday. They can be decor, ideas, places to go... anything, and they can be ridiculous via cost, purpose, location, or just inherently ridiculous.

Today, we're going to look at my 6 ridiculous wiener dog wares...

1. The Offi MyPetLamp Dachshund - $59

2. Haseform Dachshund Coathanger - $28

3. "Milki" Dachshund Lamp via "Wants and Needs" - $111 (I think)

4. Wooden Doxie Puzzle - $12.95

5. Jonathan Adler Dachshund - $88

6. "Picasso & Lump: A Dachshund's Odyssey" - $16.47

The one ridiculous thing on this list I could never see myself owning is that silly coat hanger- a little too, uh, unusual? Everything else is ridiculously adorable though!

The Hovey Sisters... Real Life Vivian and Lilly?

The Hovey sisters are featured today on Cup of Jo & their Williamsburg apartment is featured in the New York Times. I remember reading about their wild and fantastic lives & style before, but today I saw them with new eyes...

(Photos by Michael Weschler/NYT via Cup of Jo)

Don't they seem to be the complete inspiration for Darling Mermaid Darlings, Aunts Vivian and Lilly Charles from Pushing Daisies??

(Photos via Apartment Therapy)

CozyLittleCave on Etsy... coming soon!

The shop is empty as of now, but hopefully after I get settled in, I can get back to painting & load it up with goodies! I've got a college budget in mind, so be on the lookout for great dorm and apartment decor for the new school year!

30 Years of Klippan...

via Apartment Therapy's post "30 Years of IKEA's KLIPPAN Sofa: 1979-2009"...

I'm a solid fan of Klippan, despite it's dorm room appeal. It's affordable, simple, and mine has held up quite well. The availability of fun slipcovers makes it into a sort of furniture candy in my eyes. My favorite has got to be that brown striped one though! Too cute! I wonder what year...

Here's my own little Klippan in the old apartment- thankfully, the new house affords us SO much more space to spread out (especially all that Ikea)!

Pittsburgh's Most Famous Sandwiches

Our most amusing discovery since moving to Pittsburgh has got to be Primanti Bros.- where they serve this...

Itsn't it amazing? Isn't it glorious? Now I'm not a huge eater, nor am I a 'bigger is better' person when it comes to food, but these sandwiches are surprisingly delicious. The menu boasts pretty much any traditional sandwich you can think of- all of which are then slathered with fries and coleslaw, creating a whole meal in one single sandwich. I'm not even that big of a coleslaw fan, but I really enjoyed these! The lore behind them is quite interesting too. Apparently the original Primanit Bros. (est. in the 1930's) was frequented by truckers, who needed a 'meal to go' that could be eaten in one hand. And thus, the Primanti Bros. Sandwich was born!

Ironically of course, the delicious goodness falls all over the place when you eat it... so I'm not exactly sure how anyone could eat this while driving. Visit them online here, and in person if you ever come visit me!

The New NIMH- Mixed Media That Shouldn't Be Mixed...

"A new film based on Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is in the works at Paramount Pictures...Today the game has changed and numerous major studios as well as independent production companies are developing traditional and CG animated features, as well as the quasi live-action/CG character hybrids like this past weekend's number one movie at the box office, G-Force. In their coverage of the new NIMH movie,The Hollywood Reporter believes that Paramount is likely to pursue that latter option and make their NIMH rats CG creations while the rest of the picture will be live-action."

via Corona Coming Attractions...

Now, Don Bluth's 1982 version of "The Secret of NIMH" is one of my all-time favorite childhood cartoons, so yes, I'm biased here. I think this is a terrible idea. It's not that I don't think the story is worthy of retelling or fitting for today's young audiences, but I think that using a CG/LiveAction hybrid is a mistake. As an artist, I am all for experimentation and mixed media, but in this case, I believe the hybrid has become a gimmic- like action films overflowing with tired special effects. Until filmmakers start treating this format with a little more artistic finesse, I shudder to think that my childhood faves will be reborn into it. Traditional 2-D animation is an art form that American companies appear to have abandoned for the technological glitz of 3D. I don't have anything against Pixar or Dreamworks- heck I studied some of that- I just don't think traditional Disney has nothing left to offer. Just look at Studio Ghibli! Personally, I think a well-done hand drawn film offers so much more expression, emotion, and general wholesome goodness... not to mention nostalgia. :) I look forward to seeing Disney's latest attempt to jump back into their traditional boots with "The Princess and the Frog," but I hope the days of old-school Disney, "Land Before Time," and "An American Tail" don't disappear for good.

As a side note, I have similar feelings about the new "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," but that's another matter.

Itchin' for Some Paintin'

This past spring semester was so busy finishing my master's that I had minimal time to do any painting. I was lucky enough to do a 2 part mural at an elementary school in Bryan, Texas in partnership with the Hilton, which I'll post about later, but it isn't the same as canvas work. I'm really looking forward to cranking out some new work once I get out of this hotel room! Looking back at some of my favorites makes me anxious to drench some canvas in color...

Hopefully, some of these will end up in my soon-to-be etsy shop for purchase in the near future!

A Room With a View...

The first time I saw the first floor bath in the new house, I was thrilled to see a bright, sunny window, pouring in light. Although the view might not be the French countryside (which my cousin Lacey might soon get a view of out her window), our backyard provides a nice, little vignette.

Photo via Linbsa

Unfortunately, it has now occurred to me that while it's great to see out, it's not actually a room you want people to be able to look into. Now, I'll need to figure out just what window treatment will work best- something to let in as much light as possible (maybe even a little view?) while still giving our guests a bit of privacy.

Lounging, Napping, and Perching!

Today has been a nice, relaxing Monday. Lots of lounging, napping, and perching around these parts!

...even from some critters outside our window!

Speaking of perching, I've always absolutely adored Amy Adams's Perch! ceramics. Too sweet and simple, but a little pricey. You can buy some of her work through Branch.

When we were counter shopping at Ikea, I couldn't help but wonder if these kitchen storage nooks might morph into a budget perch! look-a-like...

Which Behr is best?

Before stopping by Ikea today, we also went to pick up color samples at Home Depot. Of course we can't see the samples in the house yet, but we want to try and get a couple rooms painted in the weekend before we move our stuff in. I've decided to paint pretty much the whole house white and then use accent walls with solid colors, wallpaper, or murals here & there. We looked at a lot of whites, pulled our favorites, and then also compared them to the counter we chose. We decided to go with Behr's Frost. It's a nice bright white- but not too harsh.

I also went ahead and pulled some accent color swatches. I know I want a yellow wall somewhere... somehow. I know the TV nook and possibly part of a bedroom or bath with be black. Some of the other accents will be based on different posters or things I already have. None of those choices will be made for sure until after everything else is settled in, but I figured I'd pick up some swatches anyway.

I did a little mockup of what I'm thinking for the kitchen facelift. Of course the darkwoods and maple cabinets stay, and the counters will be grey/white with a graphic pattern. The walls will be a bright "Frost" white. I'm thinking an ice blue would be a nice accent for the kitchen/dining, but I'm not sure yet. I've also been thinking of painting an acid green backsplash & then covering it with plexi so that I can easily change it out (the green would match my Orla Keily pear accessories). My other kitchen & dining accessories are all red, brown, cream, and stainless. The only thing I've settled on is Frost for everything...

The digital versions of Frost and Grape Green aren't nearly as bright and crisp as their physical counterparts...

Mistletoe Counters!

So while the new place is great, and definitely move-in ready, some of the decor just isn't really my style.

Case in point: lavender kitchen/dining room complete with purple laminate counters!

I really can't complain about this kitchen all that much- it's all in great shape & pretty up to date. It's really just that purple! Needless to say, I've been researching shoestring-budget options to do a slight cosmetic update. I've got no problems with laminate counters- I've almost always had them, and they hold up great. The whole pricey stone/granite/solid surface thing looks nice, but really isn't my style, and I certainly would never be able to justify spending so much on a kitchen counter when laminate counters hold up just fine. I love the look of butcher block, but it just wouldn't work with all the other wood in the room. The one thing we really looked into was ordering sheets of laminate & re-laminating the existing counters. A tedious job for sure, and our bar area with the curves would be hard, but DIY nonetheless.

Today we ventured out to IKEA to see what they had, since their counters are very affordable AND made to be installed by the homeowner. I'm so glad we went, because we definitely made a decision!! We're going to go with the Numerar mistletoe beige counters! I absolutely love them! They're something different, but not too flashy (we didn't even notice the mistletoe print at first)- durable & easy to clean, and they go with the current decor. I wish I had a better photo though, as I cannot find a better image than these. This pictures the green version, but the one we will go with is a light grey with white print. I really think it will match the white/grey tile counter splendidly, and we should be able to install it ourselves! For probably about $160 total, I'm definitely gonna get rid of that purple! :D

Visit...

My Aunt Debbie came to visit me for the past couple of days!

It was SO nice to have some company during the day and something to work on. She brought her photos from a cruise to Europe that she & my grandma went on & we sorted, Photoshopped, and put them all into a photobook to document the cruise. It took us pretty much the entire two days to get it all done (3400 photos!), but it went by too fast. We also got to go out to Primanti Bros. for dinner, where Deb & I split a HUGE pizza that we are still working on in the leftover department. I can't wait to have them all come visit once we get into the house- having relatives so close really helps the whole moving far, far away thing. :)

Meanwhile, Pepper did her best to show off her chewing & biting skillz for Deb while continuing her new ability to pee in small increments... because she knows she gets a treat each time she goes on the newspaper.

2 more weeks!

Moving...

In theory, I love the idea of moving.

The chance to box everything up, purge what really isn't needed, reorganize, and repurpose all of our belongings gives me a thrill. I simply cannot wait to unpack- to rehash our rooms and their functions (hopefully to an increased efficiency!) Unfortunately, moving brings many other things as well. Leaving my family was pretty hard, and the whole process of watching our home swooped into a sea of boxes was pretty traumatic.

For those that don't know, our current stay is in temporary housing- basically a hotel- along with the pup and boo, and for just under a month. Our new(ish) home is small but nice, and I spend my days online & stuck in a room with a new (yet-to-be-trained) puppy. The hotel is in Oakland though, a great part of the city close to the universities & lots of neat little areas. All in all, Pittsburgh is pretty swell! Beautiful architecture, lots of character, great summer weather, hills & lush foliage, and the people have been laid back & friendly. I'll have to do another post about Pittsburgh itself & what we have so far explored. We definitely feel blessed to have God lead us to such a great city!

Tomorrow my Aunt Debbie is coming to stay a night with us! I'm excited for the company and to tackle her photo project she's bringing for me to help her with. It will be so nice to have some company & something solid to work on!

Hello World!

Now that we've upped and moved to Pittsburgh, I'll be using this blog to record Jesse's & my new life together (with the Boo & Pepper too of course!). I'll post pictures to stay in touch & document my painting, home improvements, art & design projects, & the general chaos of my life & what inspires it!

About...

ALOHA!

I'm Tess Carter- the voice behind Cozy Little Cave! A Texas native, I currently live in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania (outside Pittsburgh) with my amazing husband Jesse, and two pesky dachshunds; we're expecting our first baby this August! Our new (old) house serves as a backdrop for our experiments in design & decor and the general, wonderful chaos of life. I'm a fan of old time radio, colorful art, spaghetti, mid-century style, the UK, science fiction, Dr. Pepper, and am a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I couldn't be happier, and I'm so thankful to have such a blessed life!

THE BLOG

After moving across the country in the summer of 2009, I set up this blog to keep friends & family back home plugged in to my chaotic line-up of projects. It has since developed into an engaging hobby, an outlet for my voice & decisions, and most importantly- a vibrant, visual carousel of things that make me smile. Cozy Little Cave is a home and design blog that zeros in on art, decor, DIY ideas, design, lifestyle, and pretty much anything with popsicle-like color!

ADVERTISING

I currently do not offer side-bar style advertising on CozyLittleCave, but after several requests, I've been considering starting a budget-friendly option with small businesses in mind. If you're interested in side-bar advertising, keep an eye out or shoot me an email for more information on any future plans. I do consider giveaways and product reviews provided they're consistent with the feel of the blog and I feel that our readers would enjoy/appreciate them. Contact me for more information!

THE SHOP

With a background in painting, design, animation, architecture, and education, I've been pursuing my paintings through my Etsy shop. Feel free to check it out for a selection of original paintings and prints. My work is inspired by strong women, bold color, dynamic composition, and the whimsical nature of the fashion world... with a touch of playfulness thrown in for good measure of course!

You can also check out Cozy Little Cave textiles currently sold over on Envelop and stationary over on Snapfish!

SO WHAT'S WITH THOSE ANIMALS?

I might have a slight obsession with wiener dogs.

Our two pups are Pepper and Pickle- they're sisters and darling little imps that are always up for a snuggle! They're also quite good at sneaking into any photos I take. Our chinchilla's name was Skitchman Boo Radley, and he passed away in the summer of 2010 - at nine and a half years old. He was pretty much the most majestic pet you'd ever seen. Our pets find their way into my posts often, but they're such a big part of our lives, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Photos and site design by Tess Carter...

Please contact me for permission before reproducing any of my images or posts. Thank you!