Oh Joy!

Happy Friday...

...may your weekend be filled with all good little things...like daylight savings, empty laundry hampers, a light Spring breeze, and a bit of something sweet.

{cake image from Spring 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings}

Cool Artist: Jaime Ursic

I've been really into organic & abstract art lately...with colorful, but not overly bright hues. Jaime Ursic is based out of L.A. and creates painting and monoprints in a way I really love.

{For more art talk, check out the conversations this week over at Port2Port.}

vintage wow

If you don't already know who Lena Corwin is, now's the time to be even more wowed by her. Lena's wedding is featured in the new Spring 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. It's beautiful, whimsical, and so unique. With vintage textiles and woodland-inspired accents, it perfectly captures her style and seems like a wonderful party that everyone really enjoyed. One of my favorite parts are the outfits that Lena and her husband Josh wore to their wedding. You can see a snippet below, but I won't give it all away...

Even if you're not planning a wedding, I highly recommend picking up the new issue of MS Weddings. Lena's story alone will fill you with inspiration.

{For more inspirations from Lena, check out her blog and my recent interview with her.}

i like sandwiches too!

I've been trying to experiment a lot with food lately...mixing Thai ingredients into other more American dishes. And just more experimental stuff in general. So, with all the cooking I'm doing...here's my new favorite blog that I highly recommend, Everybody Likes Sandwiches. She has great images of her creations, recipes to match, and a nicely & whimsically designed site!

Cool new tees: Lucyology

Hot off the t-shirt press, are some brand new tees by Lucyology...in sheer heathered light-weight material and adorned in graphic, tribal-like prints! Also, check out Seamsters, the blog by the folks behind Lucyology.

Philly Find: The Coterie

I am SO going to this on Sunday. Leah Pauline Jewelry, whom I posted about a couple weeks ago, will be there among many other new designers...

embellished bags...

...for when you need just a bit more sparkle...

{All from Elezar.}

photos + items + beauty

I've realized that in another life (or maybe even this one), I would like to be a photo stylist. I really can't get enough of product shots or interior shots that make these things look good enough to eat (especially when the image is not food!). Here's a batch that have me mesmerized by their simplicity & color...

TOP ROW: from Dutch designers Casalinga. (Thanks to Design*Sponge for the link!)
BOTTOM ROW: images from Donna Hay Magazine (AU), Issue 25

edible invites

The Yum Box by Jill Smith is really such a great idea. In each set, you receive the invitation, candy, label, box..and all the items needed to send out super fun party or shower invitations. Check out more of Jill's great product line here.

feather hair pins...

i'm loving this chic alternative to a veil...all from Leah C. Couture Millinery...

Cool Designer: Zimmerman

Thanks to a new Aussie reader, Shentel, I'm completely inspired by these bathing suits from super feminine & hip Aussie designers, Zimmerman. Known for their eclectic colour mix, beautiful fabrics, and unique prints – Nicky and Simone Zimmermann have created gorgeous pieces I've only recently discovered. I'm loving the details here..the prints, texture, and mini pleats. For those of you who can pull off the cute and sexy vibe, Zimmerman can be purchased in Australia, the UK, and the US.

inspirations this week...

Thanks to everyone for their comments & emails last week. The discussion about freelance working life has been great & has helped more than I can say...so thank you much!

This week I'm starting with inspirations...mini things, mini prints, and vessels to hold them...

{images, left to right, top to bottom: little storage holder from Flea Market Baby by Leiner & Moss, glass jars from Flea Market Style by Chalmers, small scoops o' ice cream from Donna Hay Magazine Issue 25, and mini liberty prints from the book Textile Designs by Meller and Elffers.}

happy early friday...

...i'm taking a short break from blogging to regroup and recollect. i've been swamped with work as of late, which is great, but sometimes re-prioritizing is in order during these moments. in the meantime, i was wondering who of you out there freelances, writes, or does some kind of creative consulting for a living and has the type of flexible, set-your-own-schedule, find-your-own-clients type of job/career. i'd love to hear how you manage to make it work. and if you've reached a point of success as a full-time freelancer, how long it took you to get to that point. has anyone left freelancing to go back to the corporate 9-5, and if so, was it a good move or a bad one? i ask all these questions because sitting at home working i often forget that there are so many others like me to do the same thing. your work changes constantly and your income level fluctuates. sometimes, this is a good thing...and many times, the instability causes anxiety. i'd love to hear your thoughts if you're in the same boat. feel free to comment here or email me directly.

in the meantime, feel free to rummage through my archives for the next few days while i am away regrouping. i'll see you all on monday!

Inspirations this week...

...things outlined in or accented with black...chunky line drawings, patterns, flowers, and a little tiny kitten (just cause he's too cute not to show...)

{images are from my archive and a combo of old references...Elle Decoration April 2005 & December 2004, Living Etc. December 2004, and Martha Stewart, unknown date}

bespoke

I've recently been hearing the term "bespoke" everywhere, which the Brits (and some non-Brits) often use to describe something that is customized and made individually for a person or occasion. Here are some of my favorite bespoke items (or items that can be made to be bespoke)...

{left to right, top to bottom}:
Lisa Stickley hand-printed napkins, Surprise Balls from Cox + Cox, Just Married Car Kit from Cox + Cox, and BloemBox Tin

feeling gold & chocolate brown today...

{left to right, top to bottom}:

TOP ROW: Chroma vases from Jonathan Adler, Bing Bang Heart Locket Necklace from Free People
MIDDLE ROW: Metallic Converse High Tops, Zero Maria Skimmer from Keds
BOTTOM ROW: Cocoa & Gold Pillow from Amenity Home, Binth Pancake Card

Cool (& fun!) Designer: Munki Munki

The retro and super fun prints and items from Munki Munki make me smile. Inspired by growing up in the 70's in rural Vermont, designer Heather Ross, loves celebrating very common things and adding humorous details that keep the wearer smiling & happy. Check out Munki Munki's full line here. You can also find a line of fabrics by Munki Munki at Repro Depot.

Oh, I miss the Martha Stewart catalog!

Remember when MS used to have a catalog filled with random, crafty things that were not just crafty, but elegant, too? For whatever reason, the catalog is no longer in the works ~ but as an alternative check out Cox + Cox. Based in the UK, Cox + Cox has a range of fun items for both kids and adults, many of which are perfect for parties or presents. They currently only ship within the UK, but for those elsewhere, it's still a really great resource for ideas...

simple, elegant, whimsical...perfect!

paper+cup's new & fantastic note card collection...

Happy Friday!

Spring is coming folks! Thank goodness...Have a fantastic weekend!

UPDATE: To all of you Tea Cup Swappers out there, response has been too crazy to maintain manually, so please sign up at Swap Bot for the 3rd and 4th rounds of the Tea Cup Swap by March 24th! {Password is: teacup}

{image from the March 2006 issue of Living, Etc.}