7 30 pm

I really love Azteca D'oro 1519 Mexican Spiced Cocoa so I decided to be decadent today, and I ordered some from Amazon. I'm all out and I can't find it in any stores. Other than that, I've decided to suspend all shopping (not that I do much anyway) in order to try to save money for house buying.

I'm making a super sneaky suprise for Matthew. I took a 70-page wire-bound sketch pad, a glue stick (well, actually, I'm on my third one), a bunch of old magazines I never recycled, and a lot of time. Since we're hoping to buy a home, I'm making him a guide to my tastes, things I think we should have in our house, projects I want to do with him, design styles I like, etc.

I have a basics section, with details like:

• I prefer wrought iron to steel.
• I love candles.
• I like classical more than contemporary.
• I like shelves to be chunky with invisible brackets.
• We need a storage solution for shoes.
• I'd like a coat rack that can also hold umbrellas.
• I like light colored wood or stained wood over dark wood.
• I don't iike visible light bulbs.
• We need a landing zone for clean clothes in the bedroom.
• I have a fantasy of a yellow kitchen.
• etc.

Then I have page after page of images I like or don't like, with descriptions. I used catalogues we commonly look at, catalogues I love, catalogues from stores that are too expensive to actually shop in, free design magazines, promotional materials, and magazines that people have given me over the years, including:

• Chiasso
• Uncommon Goods
• West Elm
• Crate & Barrel
• Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Bed & Bath, PB Teen, & Pottery Barn Kids
• Restoration Hardware
• Design Within Reach
• Grandin Road
• Ballard Design
• Williams-Sonoma & Williams-Sonoma Home
• Marshall Field's Direct
• Red Envelope
• Hold Everything
• Stacks and Stacks
• Improvements
• Terry's Village
• Cooking Enthusiast
• Gardener's Supply Company
• Elle Decor
• Home Magazine
• Home Focus
• Bloomingdales
• Home Depot's In Style
• Costco Connection
• Acker-Stone promotional materials
• Lucky Magazine
• Budget Living
• Real Simple

Did I miss any really awesome catalogues or free magazines?