today amy and i are shopping around terrain so i should probably step away from my phone and laptop and focus on green-things. before i sign off for the weekend, i wanted to share some gorgeous new pieces from canvas, like these colorful felt cushions ($150), cedar boards and bowls ($50-$250 each), black plaster lamp ($350), and earthenware ($180) and lemonwood bowls ($20). i really love the handmade/rustic feel of everything, but love how clean and simple the shapes are. you can check out the canvas site for information, or order/purchase canvas products at the ochre store in nyc (462 broome street/ 212-414-4332).

i’ll see you all on monday- thanks so much for all of your fun questions at formspring. feel free to add more if you have any. i’m always happy to share any resources, tips, or advice i have. have a great weekend! below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

• must-read posts of the week: sneak peek of emily hensen’s home (treehouse room!), kate’s diy jewelry bust, mini flower arrangements in chocolate boxes
• new d*s desktop calendar download: nate duval’s february desktop calendar!
• new city guide: orange county, california!
• biz ladies: creating a compelling work environment
• under $100: letter openers
• living in: groundhog day
• we like it wild: we heart flowers (mini floral arrangements in vday chocolate boxes)
• new sneak peeks: rosie brown of papa stour, emily hensen,
• diy projects: doily pillow tutorial, valentine diy projects, spring wreath, jewelry bust (this is one of my fav projects we’ve ever posted!)
• new before & afters: jelena + eleanor’s furniture, miriam’s dresser + jasmine’s entryway, kate’s office + cassidi’s table, cecile’s home + gillian’s kitchen
• small measures with ashley: infused sugars
• in the kitchen with: andrea nguyen’s vegan wonton recipe!
• behind the bar: with chelsea and tec petaja’s “magic juice” drink recipe
• new d*s guest bloggers: craft posts from the bbb craft sisters!
• misc: blue bird mobile, magnetic bird paperclip holder, bev hisey butterfly beanbag chair, charity plate designs from lost bird found, vintage fabric bikeseat covers and bags, modern world map, riddle map postcards, new work from alice stevenson, amy ruppel wall decals, new angela adams rug, birch lighting from tom rossau, the world’s small vday packages,

when it comes to lighting, i tend to prefer things that are highly decorative and shiny. for some reason the smaller size makes me more adventurous. but when i saw these beautiful lamps from tom rossau in denmark i was reborn as a minimalist lighting girl. charlie at tom rossau sent over the TR15 lamps that the company is showing in sweden this week. this series of lamps (both hanging and table) are based around a magnetic ball so that the shades actually swivel in whatever direction you want. all that clean wood makes me want to clean off my desk and embrace a more minimalist space. click here for more info on the tr15 collection. thanks, charlie!

lea, the lovely postmaster of the world’s smallest postal service is taking on valentine’s day this year with her “world’s smallest valentine’s packages“. i love the play on small things with a “cute as a button” theme- it’s such a sweet, and unexpected, way to send someone you love a little hello. click here for more information and to place an order. thanks, lea!

before i head out for the weekend i wanted to end the week with these great new designs from budesign of latvia. their accessories hanger is such a great idea- i always have so many small things that i want to put away (too many to leave on an entryway table) and this is a great way to make better use of a hallway closet. it would even be great for small scarves and gloves- which always end up buried under my shoes in the closet. in addition to their closet hook/hanger, budesign made some beautiful lighting inspired by a cheese grater. it would be so fun to see in a grocery store, deli or cheese counter. which reminds me- it’s time for lunch. i’m off to raid the pantry for something to eat- i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and i’ll see you on monday! stay tuned for a new d*s desktop wallpaper next week! below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

• new d*s twitter feed (hooray for winning our name back!)
• past & present: history of tartan, tartan shopping roundup
• biz ladies 2010: logo design advice from meg mateo ilasco
• in the kitchen with: skinny laminx’s banana bread
• budget roundup: under $100: bookends
• living in: amadeus!
• new city guide: lousianna’s twin cities: monroe and west monroe
• sneak peeks: ryan humphrey of top design, sanna annukka + jasper goodall, nina gotlieb,
• diy projects: kate’s menu binder, faux-topiary, hidden jewelry box, tin can planters, knitted plant cozies, clock mirror transformation
• before & afters: rocking + director’s chairs, barb’s dresser + wendy’s home exterior, san francisco loft makeover, lucy’s clock mirror (+ how-to)
• we like it wild: knitting plant cozies
• small measures with ashley: time for tea
• misc: it takes two- couples art show, folk object website, old tom foolery cards, muovo dog beds, amy ruppel forest print, nature inspired v-day gifts at terrain, bookbook (antique book macbook cover), new sesame letterpress cards, new textiles from henry road, the cutting garden at flora grubb,

designer dana cannam of eindhoven recently released the final results of his project to create an environmentally friendly desk lamp. her “clamp lamp” is constructed from a solid maple base and a free-moving cantilevered LED strip. the entire system is compression fit without glue or screws holding it together. dana says the lamp “explores the concept of truth in design, where the main objective is to create an object which primarily utilizes the functionality of the [wood], rather than a system of foreign components”. i love the simplicity of it and the ease with which it is put together and deconstructed. you can contact dana and find more info on the clamp lamp right here.

we’ve got a big day lined up today but before i launch into gift guides and diy projects i wanted to kick things off with this gorgeous hanging light from adam brackney at workerman. this will definitely be making an appearance in my under $100 gift guide, but until then, i couldn’t resist sharing it all on its own. click here to check out adam’s full collection of products and pick up one of these gorgeous lights ($80). thanks, adam!

ps: hi guys- forgot to add- the d*s december desktop will be up on friday. sorry for the delay! it will be well worth the wait, i promise.

over at the d*s guest blog erin has a great post about another young artist, photographer and poet, sophie. click here to check out the post!

lately i’ve found myself gravitating towards a mix of worn-in wooden antiques and industrial accessories. something about that combination of metal and wood feels like the perfect balance of feminine and masculine that i think might actually make both me and ac happy. so when i saw photo of a new industrial chandelier from workstead i was instantly smitten. hello, dream kitchen. ok, so i may want to add more color and just a dash of wallpaper in there, but other than that, perfection. though the price is out of my budget ($1150), i can’t keep myself from looking around the house, searching for something to sell to raise the money to buy this sucker. until then, i’ll keep admiring this beauty from afar. if you’re in the market for a lovely chandelier and have a little extra spending money (lucky), click here to check out workstead online and contact them about purchasing.

during one of my crazy all-nighters from this weekend (a book deadline= no sleep) i found myself on the schoolhouse electric co. site sourcing a piece for one of the home tours. when i saw these beautiful illustrated pieces i wondered who they were by and wrote a note to check on it later. so i was thrilled to hear from artist yellena james this week because she’s the artist behind that series!

yellena recently finished this collaborative project with schoolhouse electric co. as part of their first ever “artist series” collection. yellena’s shade designs, stretto and aria, come in various colors and sizes and put such a nice spin on school house’s beautiful vintage style pieces.

you can check out yellena’s pieces, as well as schoolhouses’ full collection, online right here. thanks, yellena!

good morning! today i’m kicking things off with these beautiful handmade paper lights from margarita and ludwig at mn*ls. this one-off collection was created from handfolded antique books and was shown at a small gallery and then used in a japanese restaurant as decoration. i love the under of working in a home office lit by folded book paper lamps. so stunning. click here for more information on mn*ls and their work.

over at the d*s guest blog, lucy is introducing us to artist kat macleod’s and her favorite spots in melbourne’s north carlton area- click here for the full post!

before we jump into home tours and reader questions, i wanted to share these beautiful new pieces from naochina and yaling of flowie. first up- naochina’s new set of glowing ceramic lights.

based in shanghai, naochina is a group of product designers who have recently launched a collection of home decor designs. i’m really loving their “snowlights”- a series of ceramic cones that include ambient LED lights for a really beautiful and subtle glow. they remind me equally of little shining snowdrifts and glow-in-the-dark conical mushrooms. click here for more information and to shop online ($138 for a set of 3 lights or $42-$53 each).

yaling from flowie (click here to check out her adorable home), just released a new series of bags, pillows and tea towels with tie-dye patterns. although i shed my hippie ways after college there are a few things i still have a soft spot for: handmade hemp belts (i know, ridiculous) and tie dye. so when i saw yaling’s new tea towels with a tie dye pattern i was hooked. it’s just such a happy look. click here to check out yaling’s new collection and shop online.

sometimes i fall in love with product photos as much as the product itself. these photos from the new collection of toldbod 120 pendant lamps from louis poulsen lighting are just too lovely to ignore. in addition to wanting a few of those grey and yellow pendants, i’d also like to move into each of these rooms. until then, i’ll just keep checking out their full collection online. thanks, mette!

today is meg mateo ilasco’s last day on the d*s guest blog and she’s wrapping up her series with a post on the rubber band- and all its creative possibilities. click here to check it out. thanks so much to meg for her posts this week!