setting the stage

my computer desktop image is a photo of little lulu exploring the sand and waves on the cape in her pink wool dress, cable knit tights, fur-lined winter boots and preppy argyle skullcap. lucky for us, the weather was unseasonably warm in new england in november. so sweet.

i love clicking on my login icon each day and finding this innocent slice of baby heaven waiting for me each time. every now and then though, i wonder what background my virtual life might hold if i didn't always keep the precious little ones in the forefront of my mind.

would i choose something basic that came with my pc's operating system? nah. too generic for me. i'm not a rolling green hills gal. and i'm definitely not a caribbean beach set with palm trees and hammock kind of person either. the proof? i'm so beach inept that i spelled caribbean wrong when typing this post. maybe i'd be a neverending field of tulips person? but i don't think so. i do love fresh cut flowers, but my favorite color is embarrassingly earthy: brown. certainly not the bold statement made by vivid yellow buds.

so if i could create my own wallpaper, a sort of virtual stage for all of my creative endeavors, what might it look like? i've thought this over quite a bit recently. and i've come to the conclusion that it would be something architectural. with smooth clean lines. a pattern. in muted colors that would set the scene for a morning spent sipping hot tea laced with local honey, scouring etsy for gorgeous handmade goodies, and dawdling over the contents of a few of my favorite blogs. a girl can dream, no?

well, just this morning (while trapped in the house yet again due to major snow accumulations and in need of a serious creative outlet) i spent some time searching for my as-yet-undiscovered stage. and, you know what? after much time wasted visiting sites that offered free wallpaper downloads of every celebrity, animal, car, sport and cartoon imaginable, i finally found what i was honestly convinced just didn't exist. desktop bliss.

it's probably no coincidence that these are the exact same colors found in my photo of beloved little lulu. those soft coffee browns and muted baby blues get me every time.

not digging my part of the rainbow? that's okay. check out these other amazing designs... all simple, clean patterns. some with an understated preppy feel, others sophisticated with a rich, bold edge.

i know, i went a little overboard with the images, but can you blame me? they are gorgeous. and the good news? all of these patterns were created specifically to be desktop backgrounds by travis beckham, the graphics designer behind squidfingers. even better? there are over 150 designs in his collection. and they are all available for free download. visit his website at squidfingers patterns for super quick (no login necessary) one-click downloads.

i'll inevitably revert to my snapshot of lulu in the morning, but it sure was fun to play dress-up with my newfound kid-free design today. here's hoping you're inspired to find a little dream stage of your own!

setting your virtual stage

what you'll need: your personal computer and your creative energy.

1. search. for a photograph, a drawing, a pattern. whatever image sets the mood you want to start your day with. pour over your personal snapshots, try searching google images using keywords, or snatch up one of squidfingers designs like i did.

2. bask. in the joy of finding what you wanted. even if it takes a few hours or a few days.

3. set. right-click on the image and select "set as desktop background"

4. inspect your desktop. did the image turn out as expected? photographs will look best centered, while patterns will need to be tiled.

5. adjust. navigate to your computer's 'control panel' and change the picture position using the drop down list box usually available within the 'appearance' or 'display' menu. the list should include options like fill, stretch, center and tile.

6. bask. again. and sip that second cup of coffee while enjoying the new view.

what's the foundation for your virtual world?