Oriental rugs.  I love them for their classic appeal.  However, they classically come in red.  Lots of red.  I know plenty of people love the hue, but I am just not one of them.  It always comes off angry and aggressive in my eye, so I avoid it in my decor at all costs.  So I was delighted to see this neutral version on House of Turquoise the other day.  It would blend seamlessly with any decor, but still offer interest with its subtle pattern.

I was especially excited to discover Medallion Rug Gallery on my way to work yesterday.  The showroom was large and filled with the ornate beauties.  They had an impressive color spectrum and I lusted over several, literally petting them as I snapped some pictures.

How awesome is this blue and green number?  Right up my alley and not a hint of red in sight.  I made a little exception to my red rule for this cute bird motif though.  How sweet is that?!

Because these rugs are such high quality and offer awesome warrenties and restoration throughout your ownership, they were expensive.  Very expensive.  But it is definitely a lifetime item that is worth investing in if you have the money.  Some day!

In the meantime, the stacks of rugs as a graphic will have to suffice.  Plus, gazing at the patterns really gets my creative juices flowing.

I also found these more affordable options on West Elm.  They are over-dyed and distressed for a monochromatic textured look.  I'm digging the patchwork motif too...

What do you look for in a rug?  Pattern? Price-point? Material? Color?

Photo Filters

Here's a hot mess I created while playing around with different filters in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.  I know a good handful, but my life would be much, much easier if I experimented more often with various combinations.  This way I can expedite the process of getting ideas from my head to my computer screen.  I admit, sometimes I would much rather do things by hand, but digital illustration can have some interesting affects in the right hands, so as they say, practice makes perfect!

Sunbathing and Scarf Shopping

For anyone who missed the memo, I've got a new do.  I decided to be Cleopatra for Halloween, and rather than wearing an itchy wig all night, I thought I'd just dye my own hair a lovely jet black.  It was startling at first, but it's really grown on me!  Thanks to my Syrian roots, it doesn't look too outlandish... right?

I generally have Monday's off, and yesterday was no different.  It was a ripe 81 degree, blue sky, sunny day. (I've got to brag about SF all I can before I move back to frigid New England for the winter... I shudder.)  I headed to the pool to soak up some sun and then went to the street vendor market to browse.  They have these awesome pashmina's, just four for twenty bucks!

If you know me, you know this equine themed pashmina made my heart pitter-patter.  I also scooped up a nice b & w polka dot accented with some leopard, a royal blue and gold combo and a pink and cornflower psychedelic number.

While I plan to wear these as scarves, I started to brainstorm ideas of what else I could do with them.  At 4 for 20, it wouldn't be a stretch to buy a bunch more.  First, I tied the ends together to create the trendy infinity scarf.  Perfect for any windy days that obnoxiously unravel you en route.  Which got me to thinking, if I bought a bunch and tied them together into a larger piece, they could be hung as fun and funky curtain panels.  And if I cut some batting to size, sandwiched it between a few pashmina's and ran the stack through the sewing machine, I'd have a quick and unique quilt or throw.  Or tie them around a pillow for a new cover.  Yup, sounds like I may need to buy a few more.