More Plastic Tables

I don’t know how I missed these Kartel tables, but I love them, the top opens so I could stuff all of babymouse’s stuffed animals in there as if they imprisoned in a little lucite jail.  They seem pretty unbreakable, no hard corners, cute and only $130 at the moma store.

Crap Catcher, Crap Catcher, Catch Me Some Crap

Mr. CityMouse claims that I have a problem with prematurely cleaning away other people’s messes.  Say he’s in the middle of hanging a painting.  If I walk to by I’ll pick up his hammer and nails and hide them away in some random spot never to be found again.  Or if he’s cooking.  I sometimes put his ingredients away before he’s had an opportunity to use them.  Its a compulsion.  I think that if I had these gorgeous boxes with lucite tops all over the place I could squirrel away people’s messes so that they looked tidy but because of the clear tops the midden messes would be easier to find.  Is it weird if I order 10 of these?  I wonder if Target gives bulk discounts.  They’re $9.99 each.

You Light Up My Life

So, I’m sure you’ve heard but just in case you’re new here I have a new home and absolutely nothing in it.  Actually I have a home office but that’s about it.  Here’s the thing about new costruction condos.  Its VERY dark.  By code developers (at least here in Boston) are only required to give you light in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways.  The good news is that this level of darkness makes it very difficult for people to tell we don’t have furniture.  The bad news is that its very difficult to get around late at night and early in the morning.  Since our living room has low ceilings we were looking for a flush mount light that says living room instead of kitchen and we were loking to find this light on the cheap.  I also wanted something girly and a little glam and Mr.CityMous wanted something more manly.  If you’ve done any light shopping recently you know this is a fairly tall order.  So, after many a late night ombing the web for the perfect light we have decided on the ET2 Inca Seven Bulb Flsh Mount Light.  Its only $268.20 and it comes with free 3 day shipping.  I wonder if being able to see my fingers type will help with my typos.  Doubtful.

Preppy Handbook

Here are some preppy news items (or just items):1. I love searching LLBean for good things, but as we all know there is good LLBean and bad LLBean, I am looking at you, elastic waist jeans.  I also appreciate the fact that LLBean has barely raised its prices over the years so at this point it is super affordable. Given the very predictable stock of this store I was close to shocked when this most regular of all regular brands announced that it would be releasing a “signature” line this year- it is kind of like orvis meets abercrombie/jcrew, but with big monochromatic boat and tote bags!  I love the brown leather tote on the right.   There is a slideshow here of the upcoming styles.  Fortunately a big LLBean store opened in Dedham Mass recently, so we don’t have to make the late night trek to Freeport.  Did anyone else spend overnights in college driving up there to exchange their fleece (royal or aqua the eternal question) for another color in college?  That was some good wholesome fun.  The line is coming on March.  This picture is from rackedny.

2.  Harvard University of all institutions has licensed a line of clothing, it is pretty pricey (button down $165) but pretty good looking.  Before you scoff note that the licensing proceeds go to financial aid.  Ok let’s scoff anyway.  It is coming in February.

3.  My husband brought this home and it is awesome.  It makes babymouse dance and he is pretty picky.That is all.

Office Update

Thanks to everyone for their input on adding artwork to our office.  Here’s a look at the new and improved space.  I think the artwork makes the space feel cozier and more finished.  We still need a little more color on the bookcases but the foo dogs are on their way and should really help.

I’m Sailing A-way

Mr. CityMouse and I are getting ready for our first ever Winter trip to a warm weather destination.  I know, how grown up of us.  I have two major things to accomplish before we leave.  I need to fill up my iPhone with ironic yacht rock and I need to invest in a few more pieces of nautical inspired clothing on the cheap.  This striped boatneck t-shirt dress from Old Navy is just $15, which is about all I can manage right now.

CVS Sweep

L’Oreal lipstick advert by Irving Penn

I once had to give up CVS for lent during my high school years becauseI can’t resist cheap toiletries, although they aren’t so cheap when you don’t need them and buy a half dozen at a time.  I have 4-5 tubes of rejected drug store lipstick in my purse right now.  Sometimes though I find real gems at the drugstore, I highly recommend anything made by queen helene, especially the little tubes of cocoa butter.  Here are some other good things I have picked up recently:

These Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks are THE BEST, and I say that as a person who has struck out with dozens and dozens of cheap lipsticks.  They really do have more pigment, and yet are kind of sheer.  I have the Red Revival which is a good not too garish red (really), and the plum perfect, which is a good daytime officey color. 

EverStrong by L’oreal is like the sister line to the super popular (with me at least) Everpure line of salt free, sulfate free shampoos and conditioners.  This one is for dry hair as opposed to color treated, but really these hair types need the same thing, moisture and more moisture.  My hair has a natural consistency of steel wool so I try to kill it with conditioner.  The everstrong  line has the same yummy lavender scent as everpure, and is not too expensive so I can use big handfuls of it.  There is a “bodify” formula as wll as a “hydrate” formula, which appear to be exactly the same, based on the ingredients.

I am a sucker for scrubby face cleansers, witness my love of the neutrogena wave.  This Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew The Brusher Gel Cleanser(whew) has a built in rubber scrubber that I love, I just leave it in the shower and scrub the life out of my nose while my conditioner settles in.  This product seems new, so new in fact that it’s manufacturer does not seem to have a picture of it on its site. Fortunately this blog has a picture, thanks Citrine!

After several ladies at my office turned up with impressive purple and/or grey manicures lately I finally got one last weekend, super short and purpley gray.  I ruined my nails about 6 hours in by caulking my shower, oh how I miss it. So I picked up a bottle of this grey “commander in chic” sally hansen nail polish this evening, and I feel much better. 

I Pity the Foo

This has been the weekend of the bookcase at my house.  Poor Mr. CityMouse is sick but I won’t let him rest until at least 2 of our 3 new bookcases are fully functional.  Operation bookcase has been moving along nicely with one exception.  We don’t own any bookends.  Right now all I have to stop my books from tumbling over is the power of my evil eye and that’s just not that powerful.  Feel free to leave gratuitous references to my low mitachlorian count in the comments section.  Mr. CityMouse suggested that we invest in some plain black metal bookends from Office Max.  Ugh.  What about these gorgeous glossy turquoise foo dogs from Pearl River instead.  The pair is just $25.  Slightly more expensive than the Office Max option but endlessly better looking.

Finally!

CityMouse here.  Coming to you live from my new home office!  It may not seem like much toyou guys but its about a bazillion times better than what we had before.  We also have paintings to hang over our desks.  Just trying to figure out if that would be too busy.  Please let me know your thoughts.

Some For Selling Some for Keeping

These fire engine red kitchen stools from CB2 are only $89 for the squatty and $99 for the tall, that is a pretty great price for something so streamlined, industrial and super shiny lobster red. 

A chairs for fools, everybody wants stools!  Now I can’t rest until I see that movie again.  Who’s with me?