My Required Reading

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One of my goals for 2010 is to read 12 classics. (Last year I read 12 non-fiction books) Having done the majority of my schooling in Europe, my list of English classics that I have read is sorely lacking. (That said, I've read a bunch of neat classic Spanish books!) I consider it to be an important part of my intellectual development, and the fact that I have never read a one of Shakespeare's works bothers me not a little.

Ideally, my goal is to purchase these 12 books that I plan to read this year, so that after I have read them, they can take up residence in my home. :-) These cloth covered Penguin classics that Anthropologie sells are beautiful, but I am looking for something a little more vintage and a little less $$$$$. I'm a sucker for vintage hardcover books, but I'm finding that true classics are really hard to find. Any suggestions?

I've read pretty much everything that Jane Austen has written (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, etc) , Frankenstein, and I've also read Jane Eyre. I need some other suggestions friends! Here's what's tentatively on my list this year:

1. Great Expectations
2. A Tale of Two Cities
3. Oliver Twist
4. Wuthering Heights
5. Hamlet

I know there are tons more, so which would you recommend? They don't have to be particularly interesting, just classics. :-)

Castle Query: House Numbers

I would like to replace the flimsy black house numbers that we currently have on the front of the house with something a little nicer and a little more in keeping with the rest of our house's style. However, I am not sure which direction to take:

Should I go with authentic craftsman style?

Something a little more classic and traditional?

Or something quite different, like these terracotta number tiles?

I don't usually have this much trouble making decisions. :-) I promise.

Castle Query: Tacky or Terrific?

I love the look of a simple and elegant ribbon memo board. This one from Restoration Hardware is understated and streamlined enough that the things that are clipped on it become the focal point.

In browsing the interwebs the other day, I came across this photo:

It was part of an organization series on Better Homes and Gardens' website. They basically took an entire wall of an office and created a quilted memo board. I am not fond of the colors, but the idea intrigues me.

ehow.com

Here someone converted a folding screen into a memo board. Same basic idea, just a slight variation.

What do you think? Is it tasteful or tacky? Should I incorporate this into my office design plan, or let it be?