Monday, August 31, 2009

romp around

I am determined to make the romper/jumper a main staple in my fall wardrobe. And luckily these design options look like they can easily be carried through from summer. The color schemes are autumn appropriate and I love the addition of cute puff sleeves and fancy collars to give even more shape and structure to go rompin'.
top: Opening Ceremony's oxford style onesie.
middle: Hayden-Harnett jumper. Pair it with a cardigan sweater.
bottom: Sir's blouse romper...big love for this one!

Friday, August 28, 2009

dream a little dream

As the week is normally winding down, mine is still busily going strong with exciting new projects in the works (more about those soon). But I'd like to leave you with something stimulating for the weekend, so have a great one & dream big! handpainted artwork by Reed Seifer.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

wedding season

real wedding from once wed. photo by our labor of love

It seems it's always the season of love & marriage... and with weddings usually come crafts. Especially in these budget saving days, handmade wedding invites, favors, flowers, decorations, etc. are becoming more prevalent and creating an even more unique & beautiful setting for the big day. I have been drawn to the website Once Wed and their gorgeous assortment of DIY/decor ideas and real wedding photo inspiration. Plus it introduces me to an enormously talented pack of designers, illustrators, photographers & crafters. Some of my favorites here:

event design by darling dexter

fabric flower garlands by dolci odille. photo by our labor of love

sweet & clever "will you be my bridesmaid?" cards by rifle design

This makes me reminisce of my own wedding 5 years ago, where I designed all the paper goods for our garden themed fiesta. I enjoy throwing parties all the time, as it gives me a good excuse to add flair to any occasion. And am already thinking about how to design it right 5 years from now for a big 10th anniversary bash. Thanks again to Once Wed, I'll have a huge archive of creative ideas by then.
Philip & I in the garden July 3, 2004

My printed designs from our wedding. The invitations were letterpressed, bound & packaged by Kim Vanderheiden of the Painted Tongue Press.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

plates, please!

For years and years I have wanted to decorate one wall in our dining room with plates, yet I consistently run into resistance from the other half of the household. I bring it up often and at stealth times, thinking that I can change his perspective...hasn't worked yet. So just the other day, I was asked by some friends for advice on how to decorate a wall in their place. Trying to vicariously decorate through them I brought up the plate wall. Once again, only half the couple liked the idea. Maybe someone will give in when they see how good it can look.
Plates done perfectly: I especially love the plates made by Studio Violet. The top picture is from a wall in half of the design duo, Elisabeth Dunker's home via design sponge. The middle picture is one of their studio's designs. View their collection in it's beautiful entirety here.

This will be my next attempt at selling the idea... Mix in antlers with the plates! Stylist Phoebe Howard creates a nice fusion of dainty & masculine here. via the estate of things.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

small stuff

I know it's going to be a pleasant day when it starts small. I subscribe (and so should you) to small magazine. It is a fabulous online magazine chock-full of finds for kids & their rooms, whimsically styled & photographed fashion stories and great illustrator showcases. Here are some top highlights from their autumn 2009 issue.

Sweetest styling & photography by wife/husband team Christine & Steven Visneau. Christine, along with Olivia Pintos-Lopez are the editors of the small magazine world.

I have long been an admirer of Lisa Golightly's paintings through her shop kiki & polly and her etsy store.

Love love the nests & butterfly print pillows. And of course I always need more felted rocks in my life!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

going to market

Thanks to my friend Anne, I am now in the know about Supermarket! Much like etsy, but with a curated selection of designers to sift through, I have already spent most of my Sunday at this market. So far, so great! And my favorite designs of the day are from showpony, a studio run by Emma Henderson in Glasgow, Scotland. She has such a charming sensibility to her super-cute screen printed canvas bags. I'll take one of each please.

Friday, August 21, 2009

friday's finest

As fall is on it's way, I start to dream of felted things, the next cute pair of short boots & treasures to wear or decorate with. These designs and handmade goods really stand out, and if I can't have them all (hopefully I can have some) then at least I can sit back & admire.
prince chair, laser cut neoprene rubber & felt. designed by Louise Campbell at hay denmark. also comes in white felt.
fringe bootie moccasins by Manimal, Kristen Lombardi (made by hand in brooklyn). available at beklina
silk & linen deer sculpture by Astulabee, Nicole Licht (also handmade in brooklyn). shop the full collection.
the mellifluous (smoothly flowing) silk & pearl collar at anthropologie

Friday, August 14, 2009

whoa, nelly!

Since seeing the Nelly script & Flourishes on MyFonts rising stars newsletter this week, I can't stop envisioning the use of this splendid script everywhere. Lettering artist/illustrator Crystal Kluge gives us the perfect mix of hand-drawn beauty with elegant appeal to adorn and delight any project and client. I am a fan of her Darling Monograms and recently typeset the headlines in a kid's book I designed with the fanciful Henparty. I look forward to seeing much more of Crystal's lovely font creations for the future. Explore more styles at Tart Workshop.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

pitter patter...

...goes my heart over wonderful packaging. I have been known to purchase products simply for their exterior facade. Then am equally delighted when what's inside is perfect too! At a boutique in Copenhagen, I spotted (and madly sniffed) each of the candles from the Anthousa apothecary collection. They sang to me with their exquisite scents and dreamy color palette. Anthousa has truly created a beautiful brand with a "blend of sophistication and freshness." ahh, my heart.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

happy hat day

Every day should be hat day...wearing gorgeous and expressive pieces of art atop your head. photo above by anna aden

I want to get my hands on all of these lovelies by milliner, artist & owner of O'lover hats, Elwyn Crawford. I have been fortunate enough to work with Elwyn on her business branding. She's an amazing talent and has a very unique selection of styles made from felt or straw or even using paper and vintage records. Hello, shop o'lover hats!!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

home green home

Denmark's Louisiana museum has a summer exhibition with a focus on green architecture for the future. This was an eye-opening exploration that was very informative, creative & interactive. It divided the theme into 3 sections, the city, climate & comfort metabolism. Therein was a living wall, future plans for more sustainable living & building and a crossover between science and architecture.This recycled house in the scuplture park underscored all these themes and showed a great alternative structure. Honey, I'm home.