What inspired in January

My inspiration in January was books. Regretably, I still haven't gotten around to posting my DIY book clutch project. Hopefully next week.

Here are a few things you've been doing:

The Vitas designed a noir bathroom at What the Vita.

Make an Anthropologie paperclip necklace with She Sells Sea Shells.

Make an easy pyrite cocktail ring with a tutorial via A Spare and a Pair.

I finally bought some lights after looking over swing-arm lamp gorgeousness at Full House.

There's a paper mache tray how to at Everything LEB via Little Green Notebook.

Elizabeth offers a terrific macrame projects roundup at Elizabeth Abernathy.

Christine transformed a tiny closet into a glam space at Bijou and Boheme.

Caroline completely redid her bedroom and home office at The Feminist Housewife.

Averill at Odi et Amo was published in the premier issue of High Gloss Magazine.

Did you do something terrific or find something inspiring that I missed? Link up tomorrow with my Inspired blog party for February.

Image: SFGirlBytheBay via Bijou and Boheme

Ice ice baby

Returned from Mauritius in time to be whacked with an ice storm. Hard to be aggravated when it's so pretty. Above are crepe myrtle berries encased in ice.

Below is an ice sculpture by Mr. Bromeliad. He leans toward giant luminaries but recently received a "bourbon ball" ice tray from the good people at Maker's Mark, which has greatly expanded his repertoire. Of all the thousands of people who received one, I'm sure none have enjoyed it more than Mr. B.

From the Stash: Lori Graham

I started this post before going on vacation and now have no recollection of where I came across the work of Lori Graham. At any rate, I must have liked her use of neutrals with a light touch of color.

See more at Lori Graham Design.

Mauritius

As some of you "guessed" (aka cheated), we traveled to Mauritius last week, which was part vacation, part mile run and our first trip to Africa. It doesn't really take 30,000 miles to get there, but we tacked on an overnight to Hawaii on the way back for no extra cost. This meant one stretch of more than 48 hours of flying (Johannesburg to Washington to Los Angeles to Kauai).

We got an unusually good deal on the tickets, which is why we ended up in Mauritius in the first place. (Not many Americans travel there or even know where it is.) And we used miles and points to stay at the Le Meridien in Mauritius and a hotel in Kauai. We stayed with friends one night in Johannesburg.

Below are a few pics from our four days in Mauritius.

Hot and humid every day with a few pleasant doses of rain and major condensation.

Free drinkies and snacks at sunset. We lived on this along with the included breakfast buffet.

Fresh flowers in tubs of water.

While we sat on our rumps and shoveled down food from the buffet, we watched this fisherman dive in again and again to haul lobster traps. (Note rainbow. Another shower had just passed by.)

Mango and papaya. Yum.

Two panoramas - one of the view from our room and the other of the Indian Ocean, which is a smooth as a puddle along the north shore of Mauritius due to a barrier of coral reefs. Mr. Bromeliad waterskied.

p.s. - Here is a fun video documentary about the whole mile runner community.

Away

We are here. Will return in a week. Will have flown nearly 30,000 miles. You will never ever guess where.

Image: Olivier Cirendini, Lonely Planet

Another lighting dealio

Bought this for $50 and free shipping at the Crate and Barrel kiddie store Land of Nod, bringing to an end my year-long task lamp saga. (For evidence of my insanity, click here or here or here.)

You too can get free shipping until January 24 by entering the code YIPPEE on checkout. This chrome lamp lowballs the thrifty $79 West Elm Industrial Task Lamp and is neck and neck with IKEA. And it totally beats out these lovelies below at $580 a piece. On price at least.

Speaking of Moroccan pendants

From JCPenney. It was $99 and has recently popped up to $115. But still a deal, I'd say. Go JCP.