EVERYWHERE: Affordable Art (and not that bad kind)

I have this semi-photographic memory for directions and places. Once I've been to a place one time, I can usually lead myself back without directions. Too bad this superhuman skill is only useful in the career path of a taxi driver or forest ranger and in high school geography class.

This leads me to one of my most embarrassing moments. It was my first year living in New York. I was driving with some friends from Manhattan to Obama's inauguration in DC. In the middle of our drive I asked my new friends if we were driving through Connecticut. Opps--Connecticut is Northeast of New York and was not even remotely close to our location, which was apparently Delaware. So after trying to defend my comment (which was indefensible), I realized I need a refresher on the East Coast states. Since that day, I've been searching for the perfect wall map, and I think I found it.

The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum teamed up with 20x200--my new favorite website for affordable, limited edition artists prints--to sell this gorgeous world map by Pentagram partner and artist Paula Scher. Proceeds from the sale of these prints go to the museum (one of my all-time favorites by the way).

You can buy the whole map in various sizes ranging from $500-$2000 or you can take a little chance and let 20x200 select a random 1/16 panel for $50. I'm thinking about two of the 11"x14" panels and hoping for either the East Coast or Southeast Asia. My geography skills in those regions are seriously lacking. For any New Yorkers out there that love her work, but cannot afford a print, my roommate discovered Friends of the Highline offers an $8 poster of the park path. Love.

EVERYWHERE: Lew's Likes

So. Thus far I've shared this blog with one person, and she's my only follower to date. Hurray for one follower! Without prompting, Lew starting spewing out blogs she likes to read and like me--does not purchase from--because she too subscribes to the "stuff we like, but cannot afford to buy" category.

In fact, this is a good time to give Lew a little credit for the title of my blog. Pretty sure she got me hooked on using the word "stuff" (much to my dismay when it slips out at inappropriate times). I believe Lew has coined the phrase "stuff and stuff," which I enjoy very, very much and may use in future posts.

Here is my favorite pick of Lew's. Marquee Style Letters from ReadyMade.

Another one of Lew's selections and one of my favorite Chicago hunting grounds, Salvage One--60,000 sf of rescued objects like this lamp I loved and photographed over Thanksgiving. Oh, and you can get married there too. It was a little like walking into heaven when I stumbled upon a wedding being set up on the fourth floor. If the two teasers below intrigue you enough, take a peek at the wedding gallery and prepare to want to run to the alter. Lew, my sincere apologies for mixing wedding conversation into your special blog post. Had to be done.

CHICAGO: Scout It Out

Affordable -- urban -- antique -- furniture bliss! Scout's prices makes me want to pack up my three suitcases worth of worldly possessions in my itsy-bitsy NYC apartment and high-tail it back to Chicago solely for space. If you haven't visited this Clark St. furniture mecca in Andersonville, then you're missing out. Time Out published a nifty top 10 home-decor store guide list for Andersonville. Umm... Tiffany blue paint on an antique nightstand? White Attic--that's genius. And my next DYI project too. Please take that as complement.

In other news, the Chicago Tribune claims Andersonville's "... residents buy art. Regularly, repeatedly, from the same artists." That's reason enough to make your way up to the Northside. Although, my brother, sister-in-law, and future niece just moved to that part of town. So I might be a little biased and loving the fact that they have a guest bedroom ready and waiting for me any time I visit home.