BACK! With a Vengence?

After a week of computer problems, we're got the ol' laptop up and running again! That, compounded with the craziness of working in a restaurant around Valentine's Day made for a very busy/computer-time-less week. I've missed browsing craigslist for things I don't need, reading too many blogs, and generally wasting time online :\

But I'M BACK!

And here is the first noteworthy new obsession: Cowhide rugs.


I saw them at the IKEA in White Marsh about a week and a half ago and was immediately smitten. (Un)Fortunately, my better half was there to quickly urge me onward before I could more than glance at them.

I've been seeing animal print rugs, mostly zebra, in magizines and blogs a bunch lately, and white I recognize the asthetic and design value, I've never much liked animal hides, especially not exotic ones. Perhaps that is weird since so many people are the opposite, but maybe it was the animal lover in me. When I see cowhide however, I am more open to it in hopes that it is just a by-product of the meat industry. Working in a steakhouse and seeing so much meat every day gives one a glimpse of the cow-consumption in the US (and world) and this makes me hope we are "using the whole animal" rather than wasting.

Not everyone agrees with me (and I don't necessarily completely agree with myself). Check out the cowhide article on apartment therapy and the comments following.

All that said, if I were to have this rug in my home, I lean towards the brown prints like this speckly one:



Although this B&W one looks soft and nice too:

And just for a few room examples, see below: