I had this idea that I'd buy an old farm sink for my kitchen renovation, but I might have laid those dreams to rest this past weekend. I headed out to the architectural salvage warehouse Olde Good Things in Scranton, PA, where I found lots of sinks in poor condition. The price tags were steep: $900-$1200 for a double  earthenware sink like this one.

I love the way these look much more than the affordable cast iron ones with the built in dish drains, but I can't really spend that kind of money. I'd prefer to buy something old rather than new, but I think there might be some new Kohler sinks like this or American Shaw recently sent a little palm-sized miniature sink to the office. I'll look out for those.

Here are more photos of what we saw:

And shot this footage of the Arch with my little digi camera. Then I edited it into this movie with Final Cut Pro and uploaded it with this terrific new site for video sharing called Motionbox. Tres fun. Never mind the most perverse pop song in history.

Oh, look at this ridiculously dramatic one. I love it and Overstock again. Even if I could never get away with it.

I'm nuts. But I love this rug from Overstock. We all know I need a solid color one now that I'll have the tree mural up NEXT WEEK, but, I thought you should see where my wandering eye has taken me today.

Not only am I late with the tips for the building staff, but I owe a few bloggers some virtual gifts as well. I've been stalling with the building staff because it's going to cost me, but who doesn't love to give (and get) a free virtual gift.

Thanks to Leah at More Ways to Waste Time for giving me a virtual gift certificate to the Rug Company so I can "get a living room rug, already."

For Leah at More Ways to Waste Time:

I give this bird candle from Anthropologie because she's going to need something alive in all her beloved dead trees!

For Pink at Casapinka:

This "three ladies pink linocut" by articcobalt that I found on Etsy where Pink must find herself late at night shopping by color!

For The Germinatrix:

Some seasonal evergreen holly, because she reminds me of the beauty that's all around us, and a friend in Seattle was just saying yesterday how he plans to sneak out and borrow a sprig of holly from the neighbor's bush.

For pt who I think is Poppy Talk, but not sure!:

To honor her love for things handmade, I'd make one of my boxes like this one.

For Paolo at mirrormirror:

These Esther Derkx silkscreened teacups for her fantasy mirrormirror tea shop.

For Kate F, Girl Reporter:

Her first Opinel.

For Holly at decor8:

This vintage Morrissey poster...

For the Brooklyn Bachelor:

A girl, of course. He might start here with one of the femme fatales that Holly from decor8 found on Etsy.

For all of us:

A healthy, reasonably happy New Year!

All I want for Christmas is a big fat tree fund to pay for my mural. MOM. I'm talking to you.

I recently attended a cooking class with chef and author of the Lost Desserts cookbook Gail Monaghan. We made delicious Moroccan food in her kitchen and then ate it. Next time, I want to make this Prunes in a Pitcher from the defunct La Pyramide restaurant in France. Prunes, port, Bordeaux, sugar and cream. Yum. Maybe we should all eat it for New Year's Eve. I just thought you should know.

Apparently I need an exorcism. Feng Shui consultant Catherine Brophy, who helped Feng Shui the home of our Adventuress columnist Cynthia Kling came over this morning and gave my place the once over. I'll be reporting back on our work together from time to time. Today, I cried while she read my Chinese astrological chart, and told me gently that if I want to prepare myself for the future, I have to get my ex's stuff out of my house. All of it. Even the big fat TV set that sits at the foot of my bed so I can watch a whole season of "Freaks and Geeks" at one sitting.

Mielle started on some of the branches. She sent these two pictures. I like the first.

This has nothing to do with my house, but it floored me. It's a "graphite object" (read pencil) shaped like a quill, by sculptor Agelio Batle. It's almost too good to give away.

Here were my options. I chose the first.

By the way, if anyone wants to get in touch with the artist Mielle Harvey her website is here.

I'm literary; I'm decorating. If you're reading this, you might be too. So I thought I'd let you know that The Paris Review is holding an online auction for a consultation with one of domino's favorite decorators, Celerie Kemble, to benefit the magazine. Support The Paris Review, get Celerie Kemble's advice about your space. Bid here now!

Mom's coming to visit today. I think it's the first time she'll see New York in all it's holiday glory since about 1955 when she lived here as a young copywriter. We're actually going to see the Rockettes...

So, I had to finish painting the towel bars in my bathroom. It's no tree mural, but ain't it purty? I asked around and our resident paint guy told me that it was fine to do the oil-based primer with the glossy latex paint, so that's what I did. Hopefully it won't crack like Kate F said hers has.

My tree muralist Mielle is going to draw a tree silhouette for my wall based on these four trees.

If you were going to have a tree mural painted on my wall, which one would it be?

A. A stylized cherry tree like this girls' tattoo

B. A Quince only more asymmetrical

C. A tree I saw in Tanzania this summer

There will be more choices in coming days...

I met with Mielle Harvey today about doing a tree mural in my apartment. Her site is being built, but I'll be sure to link to it as soon as it's up. The photos of her work are terrific. I was considering something in the hallway across from my bookshelves, but decided that it'd be best to put something asymmetrical in the bedroom opposite my bed where I can look at it every morning. It'll also be positioned so that anyone walking down the entrance hall into the living room can see it too.

Make sense?