Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Gorgeous West Elm Rug

Basically, I really need this rug. Ah West Elm, why must you tempt me so?? I, like so many people before me, have fallen prey to the bird silhouette trend. Of course, I have no space for a runner. I kind of want to just have it, though. I could, say, roll it up and keep it in my closet. And then some day when I actually pay off my huge amounts of student debt (yeah, like that's ever going to happen), and own a house with a HALLWAY (that's right, my current "hallway" is a 2'x2' square), I'll be ready. And I will be awesome.

Por supuesto, aside from space for the rug, I also lack funds. I did recently complete a little project that incorporated birds, though. On the wall above the notorious Problem Spot, of all places. I searched the internet for bird silhouettes, printed them out, and cut them out again on black paper. I also freehanded a few branches and birds. Then I bought two sets of the 5 for $15 frames from Target, some card stock from Michaels, and bang, instant ubercheap art. At right is an admittedly crummy picture, taken with my phone (I really, really need a digital camera). I must say, I'm pretty happy with it. It took me about an afternoon, and I only cut myself with the x-acto knife once. I do admit, I feel a little conflicted about the project. Some of the images are from t-shirts and stuff. Am I not respecting artists? Or is it okay because I'm not selling them or anything? And because I'm poor. Don't poor people deserve art, too?

While I'm looking around West Elm, I must also say, I kinda enjoy this duvet cover. As I get older, I'm more drawn to the natural world (see bird fetish, above). Green has always been my favorite, but I'm lately more fond of brown, a color I've never liked. I am also more comfortable with mixing graphic prints with florals, which sounds horrendous theoretically but actually looks pretty neato in reality. Can one be a serious writer and still use the word "neato"? I leave you a long weekend to ponder the question.