Maybe that’s why I’m absolutely in love with these simple cork toy boats designed by the Swiss-French-Belgian designer trio BIG-GAME?

Toy boats for mama?

Two pieces, not much to lose

Supposedly the Portuguese company Materia released these in April, but I have not seen them for sale as of yet. Boooo. Do you have a favorite simple toy that you loved as a child and maybe even still love to this day?

And when it’s Emma Jeffs window film you’re using, you can choose between a whole bunch of really cool, pretty patterns that very specifically don’t look like the window film at grandma’s. I’m talking about everything from traditional geometric patterns to florals to unexpected stuff like rocket ships and fish.

This is just a sample - there are tons more patterns in the line

Perfect forthe potty, of course.

But also lovely in the kitchen and anywhere else privacy is required.

Each 37″ x 52″ roll of Emma Jeffs adhesive window film costs about $80 (a little steep, sure) and can be found at DesignPublic.com and 2Jane.com.

Thinking about it, I realize that I could probably put in a clawfoot tub if I was willing to gut the big linen closet that’s next to my shower. But that was the one thing my apartment bathroom was lacking: storage. We kept the towels in a chest in the bedroom and the bulk toilet paper in a cabinet in the kitchen. First aid we kept in the… oh, who am I kidding, we were in our early 20s, there was no first aid kit.

Am I wrong in thinking that sometimes giving up a little style is all right when the return is a lot of added utility? What sacrifices have you made in your home?

Images: Marie Claire Maison; Country Living; Houzz; Melanie Acevado Photography; Drummonds

Plenty of space to stretch out, almost like taking a little swim. I have to say that one thing I absolutely detest about my current bath – other than the fact that I can’t get in it without having to share with a tiny person who has no qualms about pooping in it – is that there is no way for me to immerse myself up to my neck without creating an overflow situation.

So, having this bath or one just like it at my disposal would be lovely. Even if it would feel, just a little bit, like the ceiling was peeing on me.

Sure, there’s not a huge amount of head space above the tub, but who needs head space when you’re soaking. And soaking and soaking and soaking. Sitting in a gorgeous tub, relaxing my cares away is most definitely not how I’ll be spending my weekend, but I can dream, can’t I? Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!

Image via micasa

Besides, my bathroom wasn’t romantic or dreamy enough to make the whole clawfoot tub experience worthwhile.

Of course, I’d happily give up romantic and dreamy to get huge, fireplace-y, and wall mounted TV-y like the loft bathroom at Beachnest. A clawfoot tub with its own room, maybe even its own floor? *swoon* If I had all the space in the world, maybe just maybe I’d have someone whip me up a bathroom that was just a room for the bath. Would you? Or are you more of a high-tech ultrashower kind of person?

According to an Apartment Therapy survey, the majority of people prefer a ceiling height in the 8-10 foot range, with ceilings that are ‘at least 10 feet’ a close second and very few people preferring 8-foot ceilings or something even shorter. Me? I loved the high ceilings I had in Germany and then again in Brooklyn, but I wasn’t the one paying the heating bills. And really, I love the coziness of my Cape – a quality that is in part due to the low ceilings. Also, I pay for heat now, so low ceilings are def a plus. In other words, I’d say there are benefits and drawbacks to every ceiling height, standard and taller. (I can’t think of any benefits of anything lower than 8, though.)

Since I’ve experienced plenty of both, I thought I’d talk today about some pros and cons of high ceilings and low ceilings.

HIGH CEILINGS

The Pros: They look awesome, and some people find that they feel freer in a space with high ceilings. You’ll never have trouble decorating a space with high ceilings because you’re not limited by furniture height or the size of wall art. And you can toy with the idea of a painted ceiling, if you like.

The Cons: Supposedly, a room with a high ceiling can make inhabitants feel small and insignificant, though I never noticed this myself. In a room with high ceilings, the eye is drawn to the height of the room, making the horizontal dimensions of the room seem narrower. Spaces with high ceilings can be more difficult to heat and cool, depending on the design of the home.

LOW CEILINGS

The Pros: A lower ceiling can make a small room appear wider. Easier to heat and cool, if only by virtue of there being less airspace needing temp control. Some people find low ceilings cozier and homier than high ceilings.

The Cons: Decorative ceilings and thick crown molding and things like chair rails are right out, and tall people can feel decidedly cramped even if you don’t draw attention to the lowness of the ceilings. That feeling might be even more acute in a wide room. It’s tough to find the right ceiling fans and also to jump on the bed, boo.

I told you, now you tell me: How tall are the ceilings where you live? And what ceiling height would you actually prefer?

Seriously, don’t. I’m so adamant about this that I’m not even going to tell you where you can buy it.

I count one, two, three… four patterns in this pretty pink and gray bathroom. There’s the flamingo (or as my daughter calls them, flamenco) wallpaper, two hand towels with paisleys, a third hand towel featuring a different pattern, and the the pattern on the tablecloth, which could be anything for all I can see. Mixing patterns – or mixing too many patterns – is sometimes considered a decorating no-no, but if your patterns come from the same palette and aren’t crazy complicated, you should be golden!

(via)

And normally, this soap moratorium doesn’t weigh heavily on my mind. In fact, I can honestly say I hadn’t thought of it at all until, that is, I came across Soapylove. Soapylove, created by Debbie Chialtas, began as a hobby and evolved into a line of soaps, a shop and an Etsy shop, a magazine for soapmakers, and a book! But as cool as the Soapylove story is, the Soapylove soaps are even cooler!

Oh. My. Gosh. Or should I say SQUEEE? Makes you want to hop right into the shower, right? Except when soaps are that awesome, how can you possibly think of using them? (Especially that retro robot soap, which would drive The Beard right out of his mind.) It’s a quandary! But at least it’s a fun one!