Cold Weather Cravings

It's cold here.  I mean, it's really cold.  South Texas is experiencing winter-like conditions and it's not expected to get much warmer today.  All we are missing now is a nice dusting of snow and it'll feel like the Northeast.  I do miss living in the Northeast sometimes but mostly, I miss bundling up in coats, scarves, hats and the like.  Layer any of that on here and you might overheat at any given moment.  The weather is just too erratic and it's not sensible to go too overboard on winter gear.  Oh, but on days like this the temptations come a-calling: 

Which leads me to another cold weather activity I miss:  knitting.  Again, the Texas climate is not conducive to a hobby such as knitting.  Not for me, at least.  But I still have my lovely yarn stash in bins stored neatly away just waiting for the perfect project and the perfect weather.  I stumbled across this pattern via Purl Bee and wonder if I should whip out the needles for old time's sake:

Grown-up Furniture

I've long been an advocate for Ikea furniture.  The lines are clean and the prices are right.  But it finally came time to invest in some "real" furniture.  It's a slow process for me since I am now spending more money and I like to believe that it is a more permanent fixture in our home.  The perfect coffee table is out there.  Where do I begin?

All the typical stores kind of fell flat for me.  I wasn't really finding what I was looking for.  I needed ample storage, durability (especially with a baby who is starting to pick himself up) and most of all, style.  I feel extremely fortunate that in my profession, I come across and meet so many talented and creative people.  All of whom are more than willing to share in their creative passions.  Such as this, my path crossed with Patrick Winn who I commissioned to design and build this coffee table and television console:   

 

Isn't it lovely?  The powder coated steel frame is inlaid with Ipe wood (talk about durable!) and although these pictures don't do it justice, storage is abundant.  It is above and beyond what I asked for and I couldn't be happier with the finished product.  I encourage you and everyone you know to check Patrick out.