alaskakaty's Profile

Beware the fado! It may just be my overall clumsiness, but I had one hanging in my bedroom over the bed and while fluffing the blankets, knocked the glass ball off. It came crashing down directly on my head where it smashed into a million pieces. I may not have had it installed correctly, but it never seemed very secure.
Obviously, this is a freak accident, but everytime I see one of those things I get nervous.

Atomic Interiors in Madison has a great back room full of mid century finds the owners collect from estate sales around the Midwest. They're only open Friday-Sunday, but are worth a trip.

I grew up in Baltimore and lived in the Caribbean for five years and I think color is an important part of both places for different reasons. Baltimore prides itself on its historical rowhouses and its quirky personality. (John Waters, anyone?) I think the colored trim on those rowhouses is a way of standing out in a city full of identical looking residential buildings and people who aren't afraid of being unconventional to the point of pushing tacky. (And being a native, I mean that as a compliment.)

In the Caribbean, most homes are made of cinder blocks for hurricane safety. People incorporate bright colors from their environment - bright blue hues from the sea, reds, oranges and pinks from tropical flowers, and greens from palms and cacti to reflect their natural surroundings and cover the grey. Many islands also have long dry seasons when all the grass and bush turns brown and scrubby, and having bright splashes of colored homes on the hillsides really helps brighten things up.

One Caribbean island that's completely the opposite is Saba, where the entire island (all 5 square miles of it) is required to paint their houses white with red roofs and green shutters. Of course, all the houses have gingerbread trim and are charming looking. But I don't know how I'd feel having the same exact houses at everyone else on the ENTIRE island.