The luckiest color

A big congratulations to my dear friend Mimosa, who has recently been honored by being named 2009 Pantone Color of the Year! Wow, what an honor that must be. Beating out Tangerine, Blue Iris (who took the 2008 honor), Celery, Rose Dust and just barely edging out Super Lemon to take the coveted annual title.
Described by friends as "a warm, engaging yellow," Mimosa looked toward the future during her acceptance speech. "I embody hopefulness and reassurance in a climate of change," says Mimosa.
"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."
Congratulations, Mimosa, enjoy your time in the sun....
(source: Pantone)

Paper will always live

Sometime soon I'm going to take an entire month and read a book a day. Maybe you can help me plan out my reading list. Feel free to submit ideas. I would definitely need a good ratio of fiction to non-fiction, but would love to get some suggestions. I love books. I love time. Sometime I will have time to read lots and lots and lots of books.
My favorite interior design element is lighting. It can completely make or break a space. Thus, the recent post I had about compact fluorescent lighting. I can't handle it; I think it literally makes my skin crawl. That's no exaggeration. I tend to buy too many lamps. I have to really restrain myself when I see some great lighting on sale. I already have moved things around to fit too many lamps in some small spaces and have a few too many lights in storage. However, I'm still looking for the perfect lighting situation for above my counter/stove in my kitchen....I need a trip to a decent lighting store. But I'd surely be a kid in a candy store and would need to go with someone who could restrain my purchases to the urgent need at hand.
I found a fantastic design shop in The Netherlands that makes beautiful lighting from books. Wow....what a marriage of function, love and beauty. Okay, that may be a bit dramatic, but I'm certain my friends Mandy (the author) and Michelle (the librarian) will appreciate the aesthetic joy of these; they definitely give a new meaning to reading lamp.