here is a down n dirty bridge Here is a link that might be useful:

And Ragna actually missed some things ! It was all lovely. I had a good time wandering around with Laura seeing the things she had made to decorate her space with. Many of her best items were curb shopping finds. I can't believe some of the things she found beside the road ! And I was the lucky recipient of some of those items as trades for plants I brought for Laura. It was also neat to see the plants that I gave Laura many years ago at earlier swaps. The whimsy that Laura added in the many niches amongst the flowers perfectly complemented her 110-year-old Victorian home. She was a lovely guide, showing us around her yard then taking us down the street to Sandy's small personal nursery. Ragna and I each bought plants, even though we just left a swap with a truck full ! I hope that I will be invited again to further explore Laura's garden ! Thank you, Laura !! patty

Walnutcreek, what a cool lamp! Somehow I'm really seeing that on a buffet or a console table. It would be gorgeous! Suero, that table is lovely. You're right, it's way more than I want to spend, but it's absolutely beautiful, as are all the other things on their web site. I like all the choices of woods and finishes too. Well, the budget's a problem. As is my lack of ability to make a decision. I'm currently stuck between the West Elm nesting coffee table paired with the Ethan Allen end table with drawer; and the Crate & Barrel Sims coffee table & matching end table. (For the second end table in either case, I'm going with that little orange metal table.) I think the wood on the Crate & Barrel tables is much nicer, but the tables themselves are a little boring; in addition the West Elm + Ethan Allen (gads, how many people pair *those* brands together?!) are more practical since they give me a drawer and a de facto shelf or two. Have read not such good things about West Elm quality - not sure if that applies to this table, which is constructed differently from their usual furniture. And it irritates me that I'd have to pay $70 in shipping, for this table!!! (And it doesn't even come assembled!) I don't know - there's the style thing. Maybe I just don't know who I am. I want to project a slightly funkier image than what I think I'm coming up with... maybe it's the carpeting that's the problem. The carpet ain't funky. And the funky furniture on top of the carpet just don't go. The furniture that goes with the carpet ain't so funky. I am *not* a fuddy-duddy! I'm NOT!!! (Or am I???)

See the one with the red sculpture on the top? It's under the books with the spines turned in. Take the bottom shelf with ONE vase. That's the best shelf. Then a shelf like the one above is fine. And the other shelves should be more like the bottom shelf. The shelves above have too many little decorative items. For the record I have walls of books and they could look a lot better than they do. There is really nothing wrong though with rows and rows of books interrupted by a vase or some great large bookends every so often. I don't think you want to style too much -- otherwise, you'll be irritated if somebody wants to read a book and doesn't put it back!