2008 was a big year for us hear at Grassrootsmodern. Like the year before, we experienced a huge growth in our reader base. A special thanks to everyone for spreading the word about the website and helping fuel the affordable modern revolution. Our most popular posts of 2008 were;

1. Dwell Studio comes to Target
2. FreeGreen Modern House Plans
3. Conduit Fence
4. The last bathroom update - from our old house
5. No Baseboard Details - from our new house

In addition to our normal content of 2008 we also had a wildly successful Affordable Kitchen Contest with close to 20 entries and over 600 votes. Not only did we get to see some beautiful affordable modern kitchens, it also gave me some great inspiration for our own kitchen remodel (which is getting close). We are planning on doing an Affordable Modern Bathroom Contest in 2009 and possibly others. Stay tuned for more details.

We also saw our little family grow in 2008 when Capree joined us as a blogger. She has been delivering up some quality content and brings a fresh new angle to Grassrootsmodern. In 2009 we also plan on bringing on a few new bloggers. If you are interested, make sure you drop us a line and let us know. Good writing skills and a passion for affordable design are required.

Besides running Grassrootsmodern we also branched out a little this year and started up Utahmodern.org for the locals that have an appreciation for modern design. It’s only been up for a couple of months now, but we have seen a slow but steady growth of our little community over there. If you live in Utah, make sure you stop by and check it out.

With the winter chill comes the joys of heating a house. Our old house had radiant, which was not only very efficient and comfortable, but also didn’t dry out our house to bad. Our new house has normal forced air and a house full of chapped and cracked lips has finally convinced me we need a humidifier. Of course the first one I thought of was the gorgeous plus minus zero humidifier. Try as I might though, I couldn’t talk myself into dropping $300 for it. Blomus also makes a good looking one but it is passive evaporation and I don’t think that is aggressive enough for our dry house. After a lot of searching I finally settled on the Air-O-Swiss evaporator. The $130 price tag is a little high, but it was the best compromise between high prices and good looks. One of the features I am excited about is the fact that you can fill it with a pitcher of water without having to open anything or carry anything to the sink. It should get here in about a week so I’ll let you know how it goes.

Available from Amazon for $139.

I sort of have a thing for wall clocks, not because I’m preoccupied with knowing the time, but because I think the design possibilities are endless! That’s why I am so thrilled to share these awesome clocks designed by Keith Moore of Pilot Design. After graduating with a BFA in Graphic Design from Colorado State University, Keith moved to Minneapolis where he currently works as an interactive designer. He has been designing bespoke modern furniture for about 10 years, often using bamboo and other sustainable materials. Be sure to check out Keith’s sweet portfolio at www.pilotdesign.com.

Handmade, modern wall clocks from Pilot Design from $45 - $75.

I was in a local kitchen store a couple of days ago when I came across this great looking toaster by Cloer. I had never heard of the brand before, but I am a huge fan of their styling. The toaster has a clean brushed steel look to it with a simple control interface. While it has the looks of a high end toaster, the price is quite reasonable at $50. Not surprisingly it looks like Target is one of the biggest retailers of Cloer products, although they are only available online. The rest of the line includes a double waffle maker, electric BBQ, coffee maker, roll baker and electric water kettle.

Cloer products available from Target online from $50 - $160.

We’re enjoying the holidays with the family, hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.

I don’t have kids, but if I did I would love for them to have cool toys like this pull-along zebra from Giggle. This high-quality, high-value toy is made from 100% organic rubberwood and is only $22. I’d consider that a pretty good deal for such a fun, modern, and sustainable toy! “This black-and-white striped pal is sure to get your little mover and shaker up and walking! An extra fun detail: when you pull the zebra, the head nods up and down. Plus, it’s made from replenishable wood and it’s also safe, sturdy, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly for a toy you can feel good about.“

Check out more innovative, responsible, high-value toys from Giggle.com from $5 - $300.

If you happen to have any money leftover after the holidays, check out the sales over at ReproDepot (my favorite online fabric store!) They have fabrics that would be perfect for that chair you’ve been meaning to re-upholster, or those pillows you wanted to make six months ago, or those roman shades you thought would be easy to do yourself - but still haven’t done. They carry a lot of really awesome fabrics, including designs from Marimekko, which are on sale now from about 20% - 50% off. So go pick up some fabric and get going on those projects!

Fantastic Fabrics from ReproDepot on sale starting at $4/yard.

Via Core 77

I found this awesome lucite candle holder while perusing the holiday section of 2modern and had to share. I love the look and versatility of this pie ce - the unique design of these lucite and aluminum candle holders allows them to stand alone, be stacked for height or connected for length. Even cooler than this customizable candelabra is the dainty price it carries. A set of three is only 20 bones! So if you’re looking for a centerpiece that packs some serious design oomph, head on over to 2modern now!

Tri-Candle Holder Set by BOOM available from 2modern for $20.

Here is a great little history lesson on some great Mid-Century heritage; Bauhaus.