New Header... ?

Check THIS out!
Pretty cool, eh?

Now THAT'S a mug

Have you guys noticed how amazing web design has gotten? Stephanie over at Bright Turquoise blogged about this store. She failed to mention how stunning the actual site it.

While surfing through the site, I fell in love with this mug by Taka Suzuki. It rolls in at a mere $180. Christmas anyone?

Heaven

is this:

Photo by Sandra Juto from Smosch

SfGirlbybay saves the blog day

Here's a super interesting blog project called Flickr Curator by Sfgirlbybay. She's asking other bloggers/artists to compile their Flickr favorites, paste them together and discuss them. I could spend days surfing through these amazing images. I dare you to not click here and get started.

Flickr Favorites Alicia Bock

Flickr Favorites by Orangette

Flickr Favorites Sandra Juto

Gratitude or the 6 week recap

As many of you know, Bruno has finally returned home after our longest separation yet. These trips are wonderful and torturous at the same time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and the words more honest. It forces you to cut out the crap
It's really quite amazing what can happen when you finally let people help. You've opened your homes, your busy schedules and your hearts to us. You've watched the kids, dropped off muffins and eased the burden. Some of you even wiped the tears.
To you I owe a piece of my sanity. Everyone has benefited from your generosity and we are forever indebted to you, this amazing community that surrounds us.
So pause for one second and be kind to yourselves. Say 'hey, I pitched in and helped a family get through a rough patch, I'm awesome'.
You all are.

For Luca

It was a cold February day. We were watching this film when we took the test. The result sent us reeling. So soon after Mateo; how would we have the energy; where would we find the extra love?
In retrospect, we were foolish to have been so preoccupied by those thoughts.
Luca, you cry harder and laugh bigger than anyone I've ever met. Your eyes are bigger than the world. Everytime I lose myself in them, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.

Happy first birthday
P.S- Listen to the cake. It does not lie. Cake (and photo) by the fabulous Urban Housewife.

Last 4 years...

So to those of you who know me well, the following will come as no surprise: I tend to be quite harsh on myself, much more so than on anyone else. We're not too sure where this all stems from, but I'm sure the extensive therapy I'll undergo once I'm disgustingly wealthy will dig up some interesting factoids about my childhood. In the interim, I'll be happy to have my post carbo-load pity party here, in the safe arms of the Cochonet.
Whenever I feel like this (icky, angry, pissy, disappointed... ), I try to remind myself of all the things I've ticked off my list in the past 4 years. Here's a sample:

Graduated Design School
Met B.
Got married
Birthed two monkeys
Moved 3 times
Started blogging
Made new friends
Painted a red bicycle canvas

House Stuff

Here's the featured home tour on Design*Sponge this week. WOWZA. Is all I have to say!

(Ignore that disgusting pillow on the floor- it may have fleas)

Home of British interior designer/author/houseware designer/store owner/thief of my dreams/ Abigail Ahern.

Fall Films

Awaiting this film from Charlie Kauffman starring PSH and produced by Spike Jonze. Is that not the best film team?

Back to pretty things

Wow, I've been slacking in the design/pretty things aspect of the blog. I'm done with wifebeating, at least for now.
Here are some terribly cute papers from Sassafras Lass, an online scrapbooking/paper goods store.


I'm itching for some holiday crafting... can we get Halloween over with already?
Thanks to Terri for the link!

Boyfriends Part Deux

Yeah, that's right. Good Old PSH.
You're probably cringing right now. Sure, he's put on some weight, and maybe his facial hair is a total miss, but hey, my eyebrows and my waistline are growing at astronomical rates too. It's ok PSH- we can grow old, fat and hairy together.

At least he wouldn't beat me with toothpicks. Anything is better than toothpicks.
I bet he doesn't put wool sweaters in the dryer.

Beat Her Like a Lady

Reprinted from Harper's November 2008 Issue :
From a television program aired last year in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during which (...) young men were advised on how to discipline their wives.

Beating in the face is forbidden. Even if you want your camel or donkey to walk faster, you are not allowed to beat it in the face. (...) If a husband says to his wife "Watch out, the child has fallen next to the stove," and she says, "I'm busy"- then the husband should beat his wife with a toothpick or something like it. He should not beat her with a bottle of water, a plate or a knife. Notice how gentle the toothpick used for beating is- this shows you that the purpose is not to inflict pain.(...) A donkey understands nothing but beatings, but to a wife, a light beating conveys, "Woman, you have gone too far".
NOTE TO SELF:
Remove all toothpicks from home.
Get donkey

Fifi Fashionista

Inspired by the modern looks of the runway, Fifi is REALLY just up my alley.

Bad Mood in Chloe $35 here

Fifi does it all- Pucci, Prada, Chloe... she wears it well. Check out the blog and the Etsy store. Once again, you will not regret it!

Madonna

For those of you concerned with the rise and fall of Madge's history, Gawker offers up some straight talk advice about the next move in Madonna's career.
Thanks to D. for the link...see you this weekend!

NY Fashion Week highlights

Here are some of my favorites looks straight from New York Fashion Week (I'm about a month late on this one, but in my defence, I've never claimed to be a fashion blog!)

Derek Lam

Ralph Lauren (a total throw back to this- for which he did the costumes)

Celine

Agnes B

Akiko Ogawa

Alberta Ferretti

Cacharel

You can look at all the collections here. This post took me way too long so I'll spare you from the individualized comments!

Pressing Letters

Loving these letterpress prints from Yee Haw Industries...


Etsy Shop. Blog.

Boyfriends

While B is away, I'm entertaining the thoughts of fantasy spouses. Needless to say, he's thrilled with the project.
May I introduce to youLapo Elkann.
Heir to the Fiat legacy and prone to cocaine overdoses in transexuals' apartments, this New Yorker has graced the infamous VF Best Dressed List for the last 5 years AND has been featured on the Sartorialist. Think Old World Money Matthew McConaughey.
I bet he loves vintage sports paraphernalia.

Thanks-Giving

Tom Chiarella might be sizing as my 'favorite non-fiction writer from the magazine world'. Not that he has much competition- Domino and Everyday Foods don't really count as writing, do they? Anyways, he was featured on DNTO this past weekend as they looked into the many meanings of 'thanks'. He undertook a great project: looking at all his daily interactions and acting on the urge to give thanks. The project changed his life:

So I decided to get serious with my thank-yous, taking a month to let no kindness pass. I went to the stationery store, bought a hundred cards and a decent pen, and took a month to write thank-yous for everything that happened to me, to everyone who did anything for me. This time it wasn't so much about what this would get me or how this would bend the world in my favor. I was adopting a karmic ritual, which, over time, might actually benefit all parties.

Read the full article here. And read his Skills for Men here. Okay, here's an excerpt (it should be published as a bible- seriously)


Every Man Should be Able to:
19. Approach a woman out of his league. Ever have a shoeshine from a guy you really admire? He works hard enough that he doesn't have to tell stupid jokes; he doesn't stare at your legs; he knows things you don't, but he doesn't talk about them every minute; he doesn't scrape or apologize for his status or his job or the way he is dressed; he does his job confidently and with a quiet relish. That stuff is wildly inviting. Act like that guy.

You can also peruse the rest of his repertoire here. And you can thank Sook-Yin Lee. Listen to all the DNTO podcasts here.

The Gladstone

The oldest operating hotel in Toronto is going to welcome my Monkey next week.
Now, this isn't your ordinary Quality Suites... oh no. Part art space, part scenester den and part supreme coolness, The Gladstone Hotel is much more than your run of the mill boutique hotel.
It's a place where the concierge is an art curator, and the giftshop carries one of a kind curio-canadiana pieces. Heck, they even have a Flickr account. They even buy their produce from a local CSA.

Can't wait to get the full report!
Happy Thanksgiving folks!

Who was I kidding?

So I was secretly having a pity party this morning. Disregard previous posted statements - how could I spend more than a few days away from you?!
Here are some kick ass Canadian products from a design co-operative known as Loyal Loot Collective.Posted over at Oh Joy!, but you can buy me the vases (in red or yellow) here.

Out of Office Auto Reply Message

Cochonet Rouge will be taking a mini-blog-break. Trust me, I am doing you a favor. Will return with more riveting posts next week, or when B teletransports himself back. Whichever happens first!
Just to keep you busy while I'm gone: If you like laughing don't watch this. And if you like political thrillers that make very little sense, watch this.
Later

Seeing Stars

This is a REAL picture taken by astrophotographer Wally Pacholka. Istn't it CRAZY??! It's a slice of the milky way. Found on this NASA site that features a daily image of our universe. I credit this eternal source of wonderful stuff.

Friday Secrecy

Post Secret