kanzashi masks

I know the time of year for carnival celebrations has passed, but a few weeks ago I spotted these beautiful masks on Etsy, and I keep thinking about them.

These intricately designed masks are made out of paper kanzashi modules by Barcelonean Etsy user Ccaspia. Kanazashi is a Japanese art form of folding paper or fabric into small flowers which were traditionally worn in a woman's hair.

Ccaspia has used them to make masks for masquerade parties, carnivale, or whatever you desire. She has many other mask designs in her Etsy shop, be sure to jump over and check them out.

{all photos from Ccaspia's Etsy shop}

fab pillows under $25

I can't take credit for finding these gems, I saw them on this post from Michelle's blog (Design Evolution). But for spending under $25 you can't beat these crafty designs... I'd like one of each please.

Spring Green and Bright White ruffle pillows by Hettle, $24 and $16.



Love and Doily pillow covers by Nuka, each $14.

Okay... these last two are not under $25, but I love the colors and I am particularly fond of the 'Be Nice or Leave' sentiment and I wanted to show them off anyway. These are made with recycled materials and love by Alexandra Ferguson.

le love and why i love it

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and while I'm not into the consumerism/commercial aspect of it, and I believe love should be celebrated any & every day, but I love seeing all the creative things the design world has put together in honor of the holiday [hence the last few posts I've made]. I also really love the way a single image/thing/project can make you feel, and that is what art and love is all about. Happy Valentine's Day everyone, I hope you take a moment to appreciate something in your life that you love, whether it's a person, a feeling, or a creative endeavor and celebrate that.

Having trouble coming up with something? Find some inspiration here on this relatively new [and ingenious] site, by Thought & Theory, called yiloveit.com where you can read about profess love about anything and everything.

{images from the Le Love blog, which is also definitely worth checking out too}

kate spade valentines

Some more free valentines! This time from Kate Spade and a whole slew of talented artists. Check them out here.

{via Creature Comforts}

obey this

Going on sale tomorrow (Feb. 13th) are these Japanese Fabric Pattern Obey prints. They come in a set of 4, each 18 x 18 and are a limited edition of 100. Get 'em while they're still around.

freedom

Did you know that this week is Freedom to Marry Week? Yep, just wanted to give a little attention to a good cause and nice logo design.

arturo tote bags

While I have your attention, I just wanted to take a moment to point out some adorable tote bags. These bags, adorned with Bean the Boston Terrier, are hand screened by a local Jacksonville company called Arturo Clothing Co. I think they are just wonderful and would be perfect for, say, a small birthday gift (ahem, March 2nd, pink one). One can never have too many tote bags, right?

just. add. paper.

In need of another easy or last-minute valentine? I love these printable Valentines from Little Brown Pen. For just $5 you get folded notecards, flat notecards, gift tags, an envelope and 8.5 x 11 stationery. All you do is download and then print!

Nichole and her family are currently living in a beautiful apartment in Paris. I have been enjoying reading her updates on her blog and catching her daily tweets on twitter for the last few months. Her and her hubby started this ingenious idea of "just. add. paper" and I must say, ever since I first saw their idea, I have seen it popping up all over the place; Trendsetters they are indeed! You must watch their beautifully crafted video (it was made during the holidays to exhibit the concept of "just. add. paper"... but you get the idea, it translates to any of their products).

Check out the Little Brown Pen etsy shop, there are other valentines, stationery, calendars and such too.

made with love

Check out this fantastic little freebie made by Twig & Thistle... the idea is you make the heart-shaped brownies, download Twig & Thistle's free graphic, print the graphic on a paper bag or sticker, and tada(!), instant valentine's gift, appropriate for anyone. A genius idea if you ask me.

If you're feeling a little more adventurous in the kitchen, click here to see Twig & Thistle's recipe for individual apple pies and another free graphic to go along with them. Twig & Thistle is on a roll, make sure to give the blog some love.

{photos from Twig & Thistle}

transmogrification

Today I saw this cute little illustration entitled "you are what you eat" by Hiss Illustration. Isn't it adorable? It reminded me of this silly video my boyfriend sent me earlier. Check out the transformations of this crazy looking bird...

[For those of you using an rss reader, click through to the web page to see the following you tube video]

{illustration found via so sweet & so cold}

merry christmas!

Good Morning, folks! This season has been hectic, and I haven't been able to produce much blog action, but I just wanted to take a quick timeout to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope your day is pleasant and filled with family and love. Hope to see more of you guys (and free time) in the new year!

[Our tree this year. Excuse the barren space, the photo was quickly snapped before I got a chance to wrap all the presents!]

whimsy & spice

I used to bake [and blog] pretty often... but lately my free time has been slim to none. Today I stumbled upon a lovely website, Whimsy & Spice, and I am smitten.

"Whimsy & Spice was founded in 2008 by the husband and wife team of Mark Sopchak and Jenna Park, who combine their skills and more than 12 years of experience in culinary arts and graphic design to produce a distinctive line of handmade sweets."

I love how amazingly styled the photographs and website are. Which I'm sure is thanks to Jenna, whom leads all of the company's branding and creative efforts. I'll have two Pumpkin Ginger Sandwich Cookies, please.

{all photos from Whimsy & Spice website}

yoran morvant

These intricate drawings on stone are made by Yoran Morvant, you can find them in the Ashes & Milk online store. I think they are just beautiful.

pattern tales by alan, the gallant

Here is another really cool pattern to enjoy this week. This one is a limited edition handmade designed wallpaper called TOPO AZUL by Barcelona-based creative studio Alan, The Gallant. You can see more patterns from the Pattern Tales series here.

gravity's rainbow

I'm really digging this print by Dan Funderburgh called 'Gravity's Rainbow'. The print is available on the I Am Still Alive website.

This pattern is especially neat because when you look up close at the details, you notice the knives, scissors, etc.

Dan has another print for sale on the same site, called 'Census' in which all proceeds will go to the Obama campaign.

{via local Jacksonville blogger, Paper and Stitch}

pretty pumpkin

Today I am really loving this photo from a pumpkin carving feature Country Living has done. The pattern on the pumpkin is cool, but it is the styling and colors of the photo that I am really drawn to. Check out some of the other pumpkin design ideas they feature here.

Oh, and here's a little tip that they suggest:

"To keep the exposed flesh fresh-looking before a party, rub a coating of Vaseline over it, then wipe it off before the event."

{via Poppytalk}

pierre andré senizergues

A few weeks ago my boyfriend sent me a link to a set of photos from the house of Etnies founder, Pierre André Senizergues. (If you are not familiar, Etnies is a shoe & apparel company primarily for skateboarders.) The photos, taken by Don Bartletti, were featured in LA Times' Home & Garden section. All the color and patterns are a little zany, but then again, I love color and patterns.

I did a little more research and I noticed that LA Times aren't the only ones that have featured Pierre André's home. In May 2007, the Orange County Register also did a feature on his design aesthetic and style; 'A House with Sole' is what they called it. In this article he sites back to his Catalan roots as influence in this space, which can be clearly seen with his choice in colors and the abundance of mosaics all over the place.

"I think design is like an art piece, and art is inspiring. It makes you think differently. Just like in Paris, when you see all the buildings lit beautifully. Visual enjoyment in life is important."

You can see more photos from Newport Beach house here.

{photos by Don Bartletti with the Los Angeles Times}

me encanta esta sala.

I sort of love that green couch... and the wallpaper panels... and the pink patterned chair.

{I saved this photo a while ago, I am pretty sure it is from the Spanish magazine micasa. If you know otherwise, feel free to leave a comment!}

change we need

Obama is coming to Jacksonville this Saturday! And I just spotted the perfect t-shirt to wear... too bad it probably won't arrive in time for the rally. Nonetheless, this is still an awesome shirt and you can buy your own right here. (and yes, a portion of the proceeds go to Obama's Presidential Campaign.)

{via joanna goddard}

If you are here locally and plan on attending the Saturday event, here are the details:

Metropolitan Park
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
No bags. Limit personal items. No signs or banners allowed.

Saturday, September 20th
Doors Open: 12:30 p.m.
Program Begins: 2:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required. However, RSVP is strongly encouraged.

the road to finding the perfect chevron.. err, ripple pattern

{Rachel Saldaña's bedroom featured on Design*Sponge}

There is something about the return of Fall TV that always makes me want to dig out my yarn and knitting needles. I would have normally said "the return of fall" but as I was about to write this post I realized this past year I haven't pick up my knitting needles once. This is probably due to the strike-inducing, terrible lack of television. Television is one of my very few vices, I love my DVR a little too much. And I will be honest, I don't really watch that much tv, I just have a few shows every season that I stay extremely dedicated to and insist on watching them from start to finish and never out of order (it's borderline OCD the order and way I watch tv). Anyway... to me, there is nothing more relaxing and rewarding than sitting down after a long day, turning on a good show and working on a great knitting project. (This makes me sound like a granny, doesn't it?)

{Rachel Saldaña's bedroom featured on Design*Sponge}

Last week I saw the beautiful home of Rachel Saldaña on Design*Sponge. The images of her bedroom in the sneak peak just stuck with me for some reason {see the two pictures above, both photos from D*S}. And then I realized what it was, I really love that blanket. I've always been partial to a chevron pattern, and I am realizing over time that (for whatever reason) I am drawn to pink/magenta shades of color. And this is how my hunt for the perfect chevron pattern began...

{above photo by Ripple-Along group member charlottelader, you can see her blog post about the blanket pictured here}

At first I tried looking for different chevron knitting patterns online, and to my dismay it appears all of the stitches I was drawn to weren't knitting patterns at all, but crochet. I currently don't know how to crochet. I've tried it a handful of times, but never really had anything pushing me to learn it. I suppose now I do!

{above photo by Ripple-Along group member Attic 24, you can see her blog post about the blanket pictured here}

After clicking through different links, and being disappointed with my finds, I somehow stumbled upon this blog post on Shelterific, which in turn took me to a Flickr group called Ripple-Along. Aha! So 'ripple' is the hip word used in the crafty community, not 'chevron' (silly, design-thinker me). I thought to myself, 'wow, this is where all those cool looking blankets are hiding' followed by a 'I should have known better to check flickr and blogs first'. Everything else I had come across was slathered in 70s vintage brown, and just wasn't the look I was going for... at all.

{pattern inspiration from this image at Pottery Barn}

But honestly, now I am even more confused. At first I thought I wanted to do a simple two-color chevron pattern, similar to something like this rug from Pottery Barn {see above}. And now that I've seen all these bright and colorful blankets from the Ripple-Along group, I am having a hard time resisting the bold beautiful explosions of color! And what-to-do? A ripple wave? Or a pointed ripple? Forget ripples, look at this astounding Tuscon crochet pattern {shown below in white}! Oh the decisions...

{Tuscon blanket made as a wedding present by the talented flickr user Pinkshoes Family}

Either way, I am looking forward to watching more Mad Men* with a new project in hand, and the hunt for some cool yarn. It never ceases to amaze me, where the blogging and flickr communities can take you. So much inspiration to be had and projects to embark on.



* Oh, how I love Mad Men! Don't get me started, I will have to save that post for another day...