THE FUNUSUAL

I was looking at a collection of images on CNN.com yesterday that showcased 8 hotels worthy of a tour. It was there that I found this gem - a bed & breakfast in Cottonwood, Idaho that is in the shape of a giant beagle. Who knew?!

Some other funky, animal inspired buildings:

Lucy the Elephant. Seen her in person before - definitely worth the trip to Margate, NJ!

A Flintstone hotel in Thailand!!

LIGHTHOUSE

To gear up for summer, Architectural Digest is featuring a collection of pictures; "Great American Lighthouses" in its current issue. Growing up, we always visited lighthouses on family vacations, and I cannot see a picture of the Montauk Point Lighthouse without thinking of my dad, who used to spend his summers in Montauk. I would love to have the chance to visit all of the lighthouses on this list (and have seen a few!) but pictures will have to do for now. Here are a few of the featured pictures. Check out the slideshow on Architectural Digest's website for more (and more information!).

Montauk Point Lighthouse, Montauk, NY

Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, Minnesota

Thatcher Island Twin Lights, Rockport, MA

Cape Hatteras Light - in the Outer Banks, NC

GRAY SKIES

To help with the gray sky blues...

HOUSE BOAT

Yesterday, I found this adorable house boat sitting in Boston Harbor.

I think this serves as an office for the Freedom Boat Club, but it got me thinking about how cool it would be to live in a house boat. Being on the water is always wonderful, but an actual boat can get quite cramped. This is really the best of both worlds! 

Some interesting house boats that I found on Pinterest:

SMALL SPACES: KITCHEN

We will officially be moving in September into an adorable, 1 bedroom apartment in the middle of Boston. I am so excited for it, but as I've posted before, it will take some adjusting. It is small. I looked up some ideas for making a small bedroom space work and shared them here. Now, I am thinking about the kitchen. Actually, it should be called a kitchenette. Here are some similar  spaces (although some are much larger!) that are making due with limited space. If they can do it, so can I!

PARIS VS. NEW YORK

If you haven't seen the work of graphic designer Vahram Muratyan on his blog, take a few minutes to check out his fun prints comparing Paris and New York. Some of my favorites:

HISTORIC HOME INSPIRATION - THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES

The House of Seven Gables is located in Salem, MA and is open to the public as a museum. The property's website gives a brief history of the home, and its connection to Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The House of the Seven Gables was built by a Salem sea captain and merchant named John Turner in 1668 and occupied by three generations of the Turner family before being sold to Captain Samuel Ingersoll in 1782. An active captain during the Great Age of Sail, Ingersoll died at sea leaving the property to his daughter Susanna, a cousin of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne's visits to his cousin's home are credited with inspiring the setting and title of his 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables. (www.7gables.org) 

Vintage postcards show the interior

Some inspiration...

HISTORIC HOME INSPIRATION: THE AMERICAN GOTHIC HOUSE

Also known as the Dibble House, the American Gothic House is the famous backdrop of Grant Wood's 1930 painting, American Gothic. Located in Eldon, Iowa, the house was listed on the National Register in 1974 and operates as a museum today.

The house is an example of an American vernacular style of architecture from the early 20th century: Carpenter Gothic. The style grew out of a need for quickly built homes and a desire for fanciful details. The price to add fanciful details to wood-framed structures decreased significantly so that even the humblest homes were able to incorporate some extra beauty. Identifying features of Carpenter Gothic include steeply-pitched roofs and gables, carved porch railings, strong vertical design elements, such as board and batten siding, and of course, pointed-arch windows. (American Gothic Website)

Some inspiration from the simple design of the American Gothic House: