Behind the neighbor's house ...

... there is a great little cul-de-sac perfect for bike riding. And since Emma and Ellie both know how to ride, Miss Lucy has suddenly become quite interested in bike riding herself.

Calvin Jesse, meanwhile, barks at dogs,

explores rusting trailers,

and feeds dirt to the chickens. He's thoughtful that way.

Four things I loved this week online

1. Sprout's design to make a watering can out of a milk carton. It's pretty and practical. I'll be on the lookout for this one to go into production.

 

2. Payton Turner's ornate wallpaper made out of stickers. Vision and imagination! (Click on these to see them close up—it's pretty amazing.)

 

 

3. Abigail Edwards's Seascape wallpaper. Makes me want to attack a wall with a sharpie. 

 

 

4. This tutorial on design*sponge on how to make a vertical garden out of pallet. It combines two of my current faves: repurposing pallets and gardens on a wall. 

Stuff I like: the eco edition

Time for a little roundup of things I've seen over the past few weeks on the internet that I still love. And today, as a special bonus, they're all eco-friendly (or at least architecturally interesting)!

1. Woolypockets

Plantable pockets you can install vertically to create a garden anywhere. Genius!

2. The custom Mobii bike by Veloris. Seatbelts for the kids, large enough for a grocery run—I want this bike in my life! (Anyone have a couple grand they want to get rid of?)

3. The recent move by the LDS Church to apply green building standards. Solar panels, xeriscaped landscaping, and parking for electric cars, among other things. Bishop Burton described the move as "doctrinally sound," and I agree! Two articles: the LDS Newsroom release and one in the Salt Lake Tribune (pics from LDS Newsroom).

4. Amazing underground house in Switzerland by SeARCH and Christian Muller Architects. Sign me up! (via design(dot)fr)

5. Kavellaris Urban Design's Gold Street House. I love all the light streaming through and then sense of openness. 

Funny bone

These all made me laugh recently ...

1. The Daily Bunny: daily shots of, all together now—bunnies.

2. The NYT's Heads of State: hair portraits of our presidents. Who do you know?

(art by Christina Christoforou)

3. (Warning: if you're not ok with slightly irreverent humor and/or lactation, skip this one). Behold, The Miracle of the Lactation.

(available here; by Alonso Cano c.1650)

Also known as "The Vision of St. Bernard." Apparently, St. Bernard knelt in prayer before a statue of the Virgin and asked her "Show yourself to be a mother." Why he was doubting her mothering abilities at this point in time, I don't know. But in response, the statue became alive just long enough to squirt some breast milk into his mouth. What's not to love about this?

4. These photos from Unhappy Hipsters, with their accompanying captions, elicited a chuckle. (As to the debate regarding whether U.H. is now "done" due to its increasing popularity, I vote no. It's been 2 months people.)

"She’d been begging her parents to swap out the gravel for a real lawn, with chairs and everything. She hadn’t counted on their literalism."

"Flipping the pages hurriedly, he sensed that the potted plants were advancing."

5. The Hill Hut. I know it's serious, but it makes me laugh all the same.

(found on Dinosaurs and Robots; images and full (serious) story at designboom)

Home cubed

I'm intrigued by these 12x12 (and 10x10) prefab home "cubes" made by Twelve Cubed. I don't know where I'd put my books ... but they appeal to my inner hermit. 

wood + concrete

Part of me wants to live here.

(image from parliament via design*sponge)