It looks like the repurposed shipping containers I featured previously have some new real estate competition! Cove Park, a Scottish creative enclave that supports an amazing variety of artistic residencies, repurposed freight containers to become residential and studio units for its artists.

Each of the residential “cubes” have their own dining space, kitchen, and bathroom, along with balconies with gorgeous views of Loch Long.  I love the spacious, airy nautical feel that must be a fitting breath of creative air for its artists.

This humble Olivetti Lettera 32 sold in December at a Christie’s auction for more than $250,000.  Was it the chipped blue paint or the serial number of this vintage typewriter that garnered six figures?  No, it was the five million words typed on this lovely writing machine by Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer Prize author of novels such as The Road, No Country for Old Men, Blood Meridian, and All the Pretty Horses.

McCarthy purchased the vintage Olivetti typewriter in 1963 for $50 at a Tennessee pawn shop, and his loyalty to the writing machine was steadfast; he wrote every single one of his novels — all five million words over 50 years — on this typewriter.  The original Christie’s estimate pegged the typewriter at $15,000 to $20,000, but the final hammer fell at more than ten times the estimate!

What will McCarthy now use for his literary inspirations?  Is he upgrading to a Mac Airbook or will he be opting for a PC?  Or will he stay true and loyal to the trustworthy writing machine?  Indeed, McCarty will continue to compose his masterpieces on an Olivetti typewriter.  In fact, his friend has already purchased him a suitable replacement, which cost a prohibitive $11.

I hope that your holiday season has been filled with happiness, cheer, and festivities!  As we prepare to ring in 2010, I thought it would be fitting to reflect upon 2009 and share the nine most popular posts of this year.  Enjoy a very happy New Year my friends!

Can love be considered the most popular blogging topic?  Yes, if you count the fact that the Catalog of Love I made for my husband for our second wedding anniversary was the most popular post of 2009.

If you are like me and tempted by all of the antique and vintage suitcases that you spot in your treasure hunting journeys, consider these seven ways to repurpose antique and vintage suitcases.

Who says ladders are made for climbing?  Revisit some of the best ways to repurpose ladders into useful pieces of furniture in Edition 1 and Edition 2 of Upcycled Ladders.

Be shocked by the ugly upholstery covering this beautiful antique horse carriage before I repurposed it into an entryway bench.

It’s acceptable to write – or type – on the wall, as long as you are inspired by these decor ideas on how you can display your typewriter collection on your walls.

Take a peek into my favorite vintage things, ranging from theater seats to my obsession with antique library card catalog cabinets.

Repurposed bookends come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from brass architectural salvage pieces I found to even vintage LPs and antique cameras.

And last but not least, start of 2010 with a pop with ideas from last New Year’s repurposed champagne cork series!

Is it faux pas to use fall’s pumpkins for your winter holiday decor?  Perhaps — but not when pumpkins are repurposed into a winter wonderland mantle-scape!  I simply could not let all of my pumpkins go to waste after Thanksgiving, and I turned the white pumpkins into a friendly, au natural snowman.  Although it’s hard to see in the photos, I glittered the pumpkins to give them an extra zing of winter cheer.  This would be a great project for kids as well, giving them free reign to choose the right eyes, nose, mouth, and other snowman characteristics.

We don’t have much of a winter wonderland feel living close to the beach, but I wanted to recreate that aura inside of our house.  I picked up tree trimmings from my local Home Depot (these are the bottom branches that are cut from purchased trees and are free for the taking) and created a mini-forest amidst antique apothecary glass bottles and a birch bark vase.  Red paper cardinals from an upcycled card dot the forest, as does our family monogram, which was made with floral wire and those ever-so-useful free trimmings!   The best part is that the total cost for our holiday decor this year was $0! 

I wish you the happiest of holidays, filled with cheer, treasures, and good tidings.  I can’t wait to share 2010 with you!