I had my last car longer than I’ve had my husband. Back in 2000, my dad helped me buy a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. It was green, with a sunroof, stereo controls on the steering wheel, and surprisingly good pick-up. It was a great car for a 21-year old girl in Florida to have. And I loved it. But it didn’t love me back. The first month I had it, a woman made an illegal turn into me and banged up the front. A few months later, during a heavy rainstorm, I slid into a pole and bashed the back. Stereo thieves drilled a hole into the passenger door to snag my CD player. The battery had to be replaced several times. Some mysterious part snapped and prevented me from driving above 10 miles per hour. The speedometer stopped working. The brakes got sketchy. Then, finally, the transmission got flaky and the car started dropping out of gear (it was an automatic). When I realized that my car was trying to kill me, I made a decision to replace it as soon as I started working again. I started a new job last week. So, last night, I got a new car.

I had been dreaming for months of owning a hybrid Ford Escape. I like the size, the gas mileage, and the extra green-ness of driving the hybrid. My husband and I found a great deal on one, and I’m now the proud owner of a silver 2007 Escape. With heated seats. It does taking some adjusting to: the engine goes off if it sits idle for long enough, which kind of feels like the car has died. It’s my first SUV, so I almost have to relearn how to drive in order to accommodate for the extra length and change in visibility. But that’s okay, because I love this new car and I hope I have it for many years to come.

I’ve decided to redecorate my bathroom, but I’m having trouble deciding on a scheme. Currently, my bathroom has white walls and baseboards, a warm-toned (oak, maybe?) wood cabinet under the sink, and a maroon floor. I also have a birch veneer cabinet and magazine rack that have to stay, because I need the storage.

Right now, I have this pretty, numbered print of a mermaid hanging on the wall, and she has purple in her tail. So I thought about painting the room a very pale lavender, with white baseboards. I would paint the sink cabinet white and install this purple shower curtain. I think this would be very pretty, but maybe a little unsophisticated, plus it would be a lot of work if I changed my mind.

So, my other idea is to paint the walls with a fresh coat of white paint and do the baseboards in glossy black. I would still paint the sink cabinet white, and install this black and white damask shower curtain. I would use mirrored accessories, such as these votive holders for makeup brushes and this wall-mounted vase for hair brushes. In this scenario, the mermaid print would be relocated to another room, and I would either hang a large mirror with a black frame, or have one of my husband’s black and white photographs printed at 16X20 and hang that.

I think the black and white would be very sophisticated, easy to change, and matches my current waste basket and bath mat. Although I would probably change the mat; I like this Harlequin one, but it is hella expensive for a bath mat. My only concern is how the black and white scheme would match the birch pieces? Would they look weird, or would the cabinet and magazine rack inject a little warmth and modernity into an otherwise stark and classic pattern?

Since this scheme calls to mind Old Hollywood (at least to me) I would also update the lighting. Maybe starlet dressing-room style bulbs around the mirror and this little chandelier on the ceiling?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Wired Magazine teamed up with green builder Living Homes to create the Wired Living Home, which is nestled into a private enclave in L.A. At $4 million and 4,000 square feet, I don’t know exactly how “green” it is (that seems a bit excessive) but it was constructed and furnished with sustainable and eco-friendly materials, so I guess it is greener than most standard homes.

The house itself is super cool looking. I love all the windows (I’d kill for that much natural light in my house), and the landscaping is also lovely (lots of sculptural plants like bromeliads). It’s all very streamlined and modern, but again, it seems like a bit much. I think the house would be more eco-friendly if there were simply less of it. On the plus side, it is 36% more energy efficient than standard homes; has an environmentally-friendly washer and dryer; countertops, windows and doors made of recycled materials, and a hybrid BMW in the garage. It also features solar panels, a radiant cooling and heating system, and tankless water heaters. Not a bad deal if you want to invest in a swanky but healthy LA pad.

Wired is also selling tickets to tour the home, and part of the proceeds go to Global Green USA and Enterprise, both of which support green construction. For more details on the design of the home, click here.

OK, bad pun. Also, I never say fall, I prefer Autumn. But anyway, the season is almost upon us, and I have been in nesting mode. Maybe it’s because the holiday season inspires a feeling of coziness, but I have been scouring catalogs and decorating websites for new pieces. Here are some of my favorites.

I’ve been stalking this IKEA Hopen bed for a few years now. I’ve seen many beds I liked at other stores, but none so affordable as this. I like the lines, I like the price. Win-win.

New to IKEA this year are the Hemnes dressers. I really like this set; the pieces are simultaneously modern and antique in style. They actually remind me a little bit of my Mom’s dressers, although hers are antique and genuine wood.

Still, there are a lot of choices out there, and I also really like these options from West Elm. After all, I don’t want my house to be furnished entirely by IKEA. And speaking of West Elm, how adorable is the Groovy Foo Dog above? (Available in stores only. If you live in Atlanta, this means Atlantic Station, baby!)

Of course, I can’t entirely give up on IKEA, because they have the Fusion table, which my husband and I love. We can’t figure out exactly where to put it (or why we need it) but I bet it comes home with us one of these days.

After 5 years of searching, I have finally found a coffee table. My husband and I look at them all the time, but we never find any that we both like. He doesn’t want anything with glass, I don’t want anything with leather. We both want storage, and I want something a little unique. Crate and Barrel has come to my rescue with the Taka Trunk. Love it. Buying it soon.

I also just discovered a new website: Wrapables. Although it doesn’t offer furniture, there are all sorts of cute accessories like this quirky, affordable chandelier.

And finally, don’t forget to check out Zgallerie. They always have beautiful, interesting pieces, like this Venezia chandelier–my friend Sarah bought two: one for her nursery and one for her salon! Lovely!

Check out this moving PSA from Kyra Sedgwick, Natalie Portman (one of my faves!), and Chloe Sevigny. Then go out and replace your lightbulbs (we’ve been using these in our home for the past few years and they’re awesome)!