I was in Portland Maine last weekend and I saw the most fabulous re-use of old tires:

I just wonder what will happen to them once the windows change? Perhaps a funny planter that matches some pink flamingos?

Do any of you watch True Blood? It’s been extra gross this season, but one of the most fabulous things about it is Russell Edgington’s house. I knew when I saw the octagonal onion-domed beauty that it was in Mississippi (as it is on the show), but I could not remember much else about it.

The estate is called Longwood House and it’s in Natchez, Mississippi.It’s a National Historic Landmark and it’s the largest octagon house in the United States. It is owned by the Pilgrimage Garden Club.

A quick look at Wiki led me to images of other octagon houses. Check them out here. They range from New York to Wisconsin, Mississippi to San Francisco. It’s really fun to see their forms at different scales and in such starkly different settings. Each is remarkable in it’s own way, and it seems no two are alike. For example, compare the one in S.F. to the one in Natchez:

Photo Credits:

• from flickr member sunnybrook100
• by Rosencruz Sumera

You’ve got to admit you are slightly intrigued by the Heather Lins Home 3-D Eye Chart pillow. Or maybe you are thinking, is that really the form of human anatomy sewn on to a pillow in the Science Project Collection? Yes it is. Now meet the mastermind behind these highly creative and rather quirky Heather Lins Home pieces, Heather Lins. Enjoy!

Tell us a bit about your background. How did you get started in the design industry and how you got to where you are today.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an interior designer. In college, I got interested in graphic design because I had always enjoyed art and writing and it seemed like an area where I could blend the two. However, I kept having ideas for designs that were outside the traditional client/designer relationship. (3-D Eye Chart Pillow anyone?) In 2008, I entered a competition for up and coming designers held by the New York International Gift Fair, the A+: Young Designers Platform. To my surprise, I won one of three exhibit spaces and debuted my home textile collection at the nation’s largest gift fair.

Did you have good or bad experiences at the doctor (i.e. what provoked the eye chart and anatomy pillows)?

No. My husband accuses me of being a hypochondriac so maybe I’m working out some issues.

How would you describe your design style?

A writer once called my work “very literate.” I like that. I often start brainstorming by free associating words and then sketching. I strive to make my designs modern, accessible, witty and beautiful.

Love your sketches for your Numbered Edition (among your many other drawings!). Where do you do most of your doodling?

Just about anywhere and everywhere.

We have to talk about the Science Project Collection. Brings me back to elementary school when I was almost a finalist with my science fair project (think cotton swabs of dog saliva and testing antibacterial creams…aka thanks for doing my project, Dad!). What inspired you to dive into such a theme?

I have always found science diagrams very interesting and beautiful. I find I am more able to see their beauty if I take them out of their usual context (science class) and put them someplace unexpected — like on pillows! I love designs that are beautiful and quirky.

I saw your pillows on the cover of the most recent ReadyMade Magazine. How exciting! Do you have Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I had a truly thrilling experience of space. After climbing to the top of the stairs to check out the view from the base of Owl’s Head Light, I realized the front door was open and I could go in and climb up to the top. In the sixty some years my mother has been visiting this lighthouse, this has never been possible, and were were psyched! I couldn’t get over how beautiful the inside of this small cylinder was, yet the space was so nice and not at all claustrophobic:

Did I mention that restoration was completed on the lighthouse just a few weeks ago? The restoration was made possible by The American Lighthouse Foundation, as well as The Friends of Rockland Breakwater. Lighthouses are such special places and have such long and heroic histories. I wanted to let you know about this organization so that if you have a passion for lighthouses, you can think about donating.  Just look at how spiffy she looks!

For the past few weeks I’ve noticed my air conditioning unit cranking and cranking and it just doesn’t seem to shut off or get very cool. At least not according to the thermostat. I’ve always hated the placement of the thermostat but haven’t gotten around to having it moved. Anyway, after two visits from the repair dude and about $160 later, I realized that the light bulb (a compact fluorescent) was throwing off the thermometer! That lamp has only been there for a few weeks. I knew that the thermostat should not be near an exterior door, but it took me weeks to figure this light bulb problem out.

Anyway, this mistake was so stupid, but I thought there might be someone else out there who had also made the same dumb mistake, and that I could save you a few bucks!