The Home Office: Ideals vs. Reality

As someone who works from home, Centsational Girl's round-up of inspiring home offices is great eye candy, even though a majority of her finds are a bit too girly for me.

For some reason, our home office/guest room is the place we stuck everything that didn't "go" in the rest of the house. It's on the long list of "To do's." Here's a shameful glimpse at what's behind me as I type:
Although, I am pretty excited/proud of the lamp I found will thrifting this weekend:

A Working Vacation

Have you heard of WWOOF? Sounds like a wrestling org but it actually stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. You pay a $20 membership and which gets you a directory of farms looking for volunteers. You work half a day on the farm and the host gives you accommodations and meals.

Vacations seem to be about walking around from one big meal to the next so I like the idea of having a purpose to my vacation days. I just took a peak at their list of farms and they are in some pretty spectacular locations. Good excuse to stay in Montana or Itlay for free...

Sit on This

Speaking of message pillows, check out this puppy from Johnathan Adler for a whopping $165:

{Thanks to i suwannee.}

I've been meaning to make a "Be Nice or Leave" pillow for my living room. How difficult is needlepointing?

How to Be Happy

This weekend's New York Times had an article on Frugal Portland, and the writer Matt Gross pinpointed that certain joie de vivre that is found in Portland. And I think it just might be the recipe for happiness that I was looking for.

"Oregon has the country’s second-highest unemployment rate — [yet] there was a general indifference to wealth. In its place was a dedication to the things that really matter:
hearty food and drink, cultural pursuits both high and low, days in the outdoors and evenings out with friends."

I'm thinking about embrodering a pillow or something with some version of this as a motto of how to live life. Plus, isn't that a great photo? Good job, NYT.