February 27, 2012

adonde?

i'm always in need of more vases since i love having flowers around, but i seem to have trouble pulling the trigger on ones that i like.  not so with these modular wood and stoneware vases from french company adonde.  they can be rearranged to suit your changing needs and have a great pop of color too.  parfait! 

February 24, 2012

oh dier.


need a fabulous little gift?  then look no further than these pixie boxes from minneapolis-based etsy shop oh dier.  each box is hand cut and finished from reclaimed wood, and can even be customized with your own color or laser engraving.  it's great on it's own, but even better with something inside!  

February 23, 2012

canevas rugs.




a textile freak myself, i love when i see traditional hand-done techniques pushed to a new level, and the canevas collection (just shown at maison & objet in paris) is definitely doing just that.  a collaboration between artist charlotte lancelot and gan rugs, these pieces are essentially one oversized handmade embroidery using felt.  the rug starts bare with a punch-hole grid, and can be reworked with any pattern and configuration, though i really love what charlotte has done referencing traditional floral patterns and embroidery samplers.  i think it's especially creative to have made the "worn-rug" patterns as well.  i'd love one, but i'd never be able to walk on it! 

February 21, 2012

happy menocal.




how charming are these custom coats of arms by new york based illustrator happy menocal?  i love how her quirky and whimsical hand loosens up something that can tend to be traditional and stuffy, and they'd be perfect to kick off a wedding or a new family.  i'll have to dream up what mine would be!  see more of her lovely work here.

February 20, 2012

mark laita.







at the moment i'm swooning over these gorgeous images by mark laita, a detroit-born photographer who has been at work for nearly three decades.  no matter his subject, from snakes to sea creatures to birds or flowers, he seems to perfectly capture the inherent beauty and complexity that nature offers up to us.  i honestly can't decide which group i like best, so i'm including a few of my favorites from the amaranthine collection, "a study of the rare concurrence of beauty and death found in ornithological specimens."  and it's not just because i'm a bird myself.  see more of his incredible work here.

cotton candy.



with the pastel trend dominating the spring season in fashion, it's only natural that the color would seep off the clothing and onto the models themselves.  the feature in this week's t magazine from the new york times shows just that - beautiful, even, hair color in cotton candy hues by master stylist orlando pita.  if it weren't for the upkeep, i'd already have that lavender do.  photographs by richard burbridge.

February 17, 2012

respect the law.

the law of the campfire that is. 

in love ... with ben newman.








i'm in love with british illustrator ben newman.  he has a particularly powerful way with color, shape, texture and composition, and his work nods to midcentury influences like charley harper, jim flora, and saul bass that i am always drawn toward.  that said, his work still feels fresh and modern.  my favorite?  the public display of affection sign based on a challenge to create a sign that you think is missing from the world.  ben, this is my pda to you. see more of his work here

February 7, 2012

moonrise kingdom.

there are few films i look forward to more than a new release by director wes anderson, and it looks like i have something to get excited about - moonrise kingdom.  if anderson's upcoming film is even half as spectacular as his previous movies then we're all in for a real treat.  a new england summer camp?  check.  1960s setting?  check.  francoise hardy on the soundtrack?  double check.  i'm counting down the days til it comes out in the spring! 

February 1, 2012

color study XVII.

1. lancome le vernis 29 green almond  2. nangijala eisberg ring  3. watercolor peony wallpaper  4. bhldn minty crinoline skirt  5. macey mesh shoes  6. pyramid metal tip clutch  7. laduree pistachio macarons  8. johnny vintage headboard  9. russell woodard wire chair.

a good day for a tintype.

while i generally avoid posting photos of myself online, i have to make a brief exception today thanks to the amazing san francisco studio, photobooth.  i had a tintype done (yes, like from the 1800s) and was so pleased that i wanted to share.  you only get one shot and have to stay painfully still, but the detail is exquisite, and getting to leave with an actual object in hand (they last 200 years!) is a happy antithesis to the modern digital experience.  a fairly recent addition to my hood, photobooth is a gallery, shop, and studio in one, and you can either sit down and have a portrait done or peruse their drool-worthy selection of old school cameras.  now i want one every year for the rest of time!  go here to find out more.