happy new year

Hello friends, just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year! I like to think of the whole world as being sparkly, because that's a happy thought.

Top image by Spanish artist Chema Madoz, second image from Confetti System.

the talented ashley meaders

Oh my, aren't the scenes in these photos enchanting? This fabric installation was made of braided fabric, hand-sewn garland, fabric strips, and lights by the ever-creative Ashley Meaders for the wedding of the uber-talented photographer, Max Wanger.

Ashley makes a lot of other neat things for events & parties... like plush yodel bubbles for photobooth props at Google's Annual Oktoberfest. I like the way this lady thinks....

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}

carolyn quartermaine

Like yesterday's white + color inspiration, this home of Carolyn Quartermaine is so incredible. I love the delicate balance of white and blushing pink.

Bits of modern, color and rustic.

Turquoise in the kitchen is a must.

Fresh flowers and patterned wall hangings always welcome.

Sheer romance never hurts.

{photos vogue living australia / via poppytalk}

[disclaimer: I apologize for posting this entry twice. I am out of town in Columbia, South Carolina for the weekend - helping my younger sister move into her dorm room at USC - and I had scheduled this post on Friday night, and for some reason when it went live earlier today the flickr images didn't make it. So hopefully this won't happen to the two posts I scheduled for tomorrow. In the meantime... on with the original post.]

on with the white inspiration...

I feel like this white danish home with colorful accents is everything I wish my home was. It has all the colors I love and gravitate towards, yet lots of white. Clean, very clean looking.

Like bright colors, I am gravitated towards great patterns and a strong ethnic flair.

{photos / via the style files}

white + detail

Lately I have been really inspired by white, especially when it includes fine detail (check out the crown molding and medallions on the ceiling)... amazing!

{via this is glamorous, photo from 2+6 - Vogue Living Australia}

enchanting 4,000 sf, 1910 queen anne victorian

Saw this over at design*sponge today and I think I have found my dream house in east Athens, Georgia. Let's buy it, yes?

Read more about the house here.
See the house's website here.
It is for sale here.
You can see more pictures here.

Enchanting 4,000 sf, 1910 Queen Anne Victorian that was moved to this private 5.5 acres setting and has been passionately restored by local artists over the last 20 years! Also there is a whimsical 2-story retreat/guest house nestled in the woods at the end of a path behind the main house (an additional 20 acres is available for purchase). Both houses are full of magic & artist's whimsy while still being respectful of the historical authenticity of the house. The woodwork is beautiful, heart pine floors throughout, bead board ceilings and wainscotting, detailed trim and mantels. Artist/craftsman built-in bookshelves modeled on original woodwork to create a library within the full dining room, pocket doors separating an old-fashioned parlor from the large living room and many original plumbing fixtures. Copper counters in kitchen, a 1920's vintage stove, several clawfoot tubs, beautiful tile showers (including a room sized master shower built with handmade tiles and multiple shower heads). There is a wrap-around front porch, a balcony porch and rear wrap-around deck with the main house.The guest house has a huge screened porch with Eastern European and North African style wood detailing. People have traveled from around the world to do photo-shoots on this property and with good reason! It is truly a magical setting.

{via design*sponge}

lowrys farm {vain and vapid}

i'm interrupting a late-night work session to bring you these great images. i recently came across another new note-worthy blog called vain and vapid, and on her blog she mentioned this really cool japanese based label called lowrys farm.

the catalog has some really great stylized and designed images... in the layout of a newspaper no less. since i am knee-deep in newspaper page layouts myself, i felt they were appropriate to share.

take a look at the lowrys farm website, it's neat and in japanese (so you may have a hard time understanding what it says). you should also check out vain and vapid if you're looking for a great fashion-inspired read.

anthropologie goes to morocco.

hello, friends. i would like to apologize for my absence these past couple of weeks. since i last posted my [work] life has shifted... but in a good way! EU (the newspaper / magazine i produce here in jacksonville, fl) has gone from being a weekly publication to a monthly. we are extremely excited about all the new opportunities and endeavors this will give us. this change is going to allow so many doors to open that i have been patiently waiting by.

not only is the pace and schedule of my work changed but i have also decided to to do my work from my home(!). bringing my work home with me [literally] has been exciting and intimidating at the same time. mostly exciting though because i am hoping that i will now have more time to cultivate my inspiration that i find on this great network of blogs, and also allow time to dedicate to my photography business. i have spent the last week preparing things and it hasn't been until just now that i've had a moment to calmly sit down at my computer, catch up on my blog reader subscriptions and put a little TLC into this blog. so that leaves me back to my original intentions for this post...

have you seen the new anthropologie catalog? {see above photo} i am so thrilled to see two of my favorite (and inspirational) things come to together: anthropologie and morocco! last spring/summer i visited marrakech, morocco (where it looks like the photos in the catalog were taken) and anytime i see photographs from that place it instantly brings back so many memories. i love that anthropologie used morocco as their location... and, really, a lot of their new items seem to have lovely moroccan / moorish design elements and inspiration. (and i'm talking about the real moroccan design elements... lately every time you turn around you see "moroccan-themed decor" and most of that is far too flashy and "arabian nights-ish" than the real deal.) so it is refreshing to see the right design elements subtly borrowed by these products. i feel like anthropologie and morocco are a perfect fit. like the anthropologie stores, moroccan design melds together the most beautiful worldy elements into one... morocco has a feel of its own, but amazingly borrows traditions and elements from the moors, spanish-europeans, africans and arabic culture.

i look at the photo above and i have to wonder if the photographers actually hired that boy to use him for the shoot or if he stumbled upon their shoot claiming to "show them the way to the souks" .... haha. (you'd have to go there to believe it, but in the medina of marrakech it is nearly impossible to walk down the streets as a foreigner and not be chased by a gang of pre-pubescent boys begging to help you in anyway they can... all for a fee - in which they wait until after they've helped you to disclose - of course.)

{brought to my attention by both maryam at my marrakesh and the craving anthrolpolgie blog.}

folk art forms {part 1}

lately i've been incredibly inspired by different forms of folk art... patterns, textures, techniques. there is nothing like an authentic form of folk art, i especially love seeing some of the ways people are incorporating these age-old looks and traditions into modern pieces and rooms.

wycinanki {pronounced vi-chee-nahn-key} is a polish folk art that involves paper cutouts, bright colors and intricate patterns. wycinanki dates back to mid 19th century and originated with polish sheepherders cutting designs out of treebark and leather. in rural areas of poland this craft is done for relaxation and passed down for generations, all the while designs and themes have become more intricate and detailed.

+ you can find more designs and purchase some pieces of art work at the polish art center.
+ doris sikorsky is an artist from chicago who has mastered the art of wycinanki.
+ the rug pictured above {top, right-hand corner} is from urban outfitters. the uo website describes the rug as "greek floral pattern" but it looks like wycinanki if you ask me {as pointed out by jamie from the i suwannee blog the other day}.
+ the framed artwork is a photo i found on picasa.

another fascinating form of folk art is colcha fabric. this folkart has been practiced by the otomi indians (from the tenango region of the mexican state of hidalgo). each piece of fabric usually comes in very bright colors and takes up to three weeks to complete. this region has been an impoverished region, and buying these fabrics helps the women who spend so much time making them and it also helps to sustain the viability of this tradition of endangered textiles.

+ you can read about colcha fabric at the beachbungalow blog.
+ you can purchase colcha fabric panels from jacarnda home and at the mexican textiles museum. (a bedspread size panel will cost you anywhere from $250 -$400.)
+ {photos from design*sponge, jacarnda home and the beachbungalow blog}

juju (or tyn) hats are a ceremonial accessory to the villages of cameroon. it is worn by chiefs, prominent officials and important dancers. the hats are made out of brightly colored feathers that are sewn onto a raffia fiber base. the feathers are utilized as a symbol of prosperity and positive qualities associated with birds.

+ you can read more about juju hats being used in decorating at the more ways to waste time blog.
+ you can purchase a juju hat for about $325 at the authentic africa store.

moroccan wedding blankets are a tradition used with brides in moroccan weddings. usually five days before the wedding the a mattress, blankets and other necessities are taken into the bridal chamber where the bride is given a milk bath in the hammam. the negassa (female attendants) spend the days beatifying and preparing the bride with henna stains and then dress her in embroidered wedding finery of white robes.

+ you can contact maryam (from my marrakesh) and she may have some of these fine blankets left to sell you.
+ you can read about the others who have been so lucky to acquire on these blankets from maryam: holly (from decor8), blue mountains mary and tara (from paris parfait)
+ {the pillow pictured above is from a post holly made a while ago and the store it came from doesn't seem to exist any longer.}
+ {the picture of the moroccan bride came from here.}
+ also, i must add that the other day i was in the urban outfitters store and i spotted a rug that looked remarkably like a traditional moroccan wedding blanket. i don't see one on the website at all, but maybe you've seen it in the stores as well.


now after all this inspiration and back-stories of these wonderful forms of folk art, isn't it refreshing to see items like these {pictured below} made by bokja design?

{photo from bokja's press release page}

i hope to bring more folk art to this blog in the future as inspiration. it is refreshing sometimes to know why and where these patterns and designs originated from.

pillow cushions

as i've mentioned before, i am on a hunt to refresh the throw pillows in my living room. along the way i've come across a lot of really great ones so i thought i might as well put together a little guide in case anyone else likes them too.

{column 1} Thomas Paul Instanbul Red Pillow $58.99, Denyse Schmidt Green Penny Pillow $50, Koko Mural 15 x 27 Pillow $90, Twinkle Living ZigZag Throw Pillow $50

{column 2} Virginia J. 20 in. yellow canvas pillow (doesn't appear to be available anymore, sorry), Paper Cloud Cornstalk Pillow $75, Flowering Pillow Sky $120

{column 3} 50s Black/White Pillow Cover $25, green green grass wool felt appliqué pillow $135, Slope 17x11 Pillow in Ocean $129, LoooLo - Molehill Pillow $124-$160

{creature comforts} thank you, ez!

i received the sweetest note in the mail today (yes, the real u.s. postal service) from Ez over at Creature Comforts. and inside she included one of these adorable paper dolls from her wren eleven shop! {pictured to the left.} (such a neat idea! its a beautiful gocco print that has cutouts and when you place different patterned papers behind the print it changes the pattern on the girl's dress. you can buy them in the wren eleven shop here.) i have the perfect spot for it on my desk and it's now hanging beautifully. thank you so much, Ez!


let me just say, Ez is truly a talented lady. i adore her blog and flickr photos so much. in fact, the whole note she sent me was spurred from a comment i made on the blueprint magazine's blog, bluelines, concerning the closing of the magazine (yes, sad and true. a publication i will truly miss). the post was asking for advice from readers on how blueprint could continue to entice readers now that the monthly paper magazine would be gone. (you can read the post and the many many comments here.) in my comment i said:

One of the best things about Blueprint magazine was the styling and design. I've never gotten the same vibe with the blog. I feel like in order for the blog to replace the true feeling of Blueprint style you must consider designing the layout of the blog and posts better. The glossy large photos are one of the best things about a magazine, and this can still be achieved (somewhat) by blogging. I say look at Creature Comforts and Oh Joy! blog for great examples of stylized design blogging. And the best thing about those two examples, even in RSS reader form, they still have a great look. Just some advice to consider!


and it is true, i think of Ez's blog posts on Creature Comforts as some of the best looking blog posts out there. she has quite an eye for grouping items together for a perfect stylized match, and moreso she has a unique way of presenting the items with beautiful borders, lettering, etc. you can certainly tell she puts time and effort into her blog, home and other online endeavors. and i must add, it is rare to come across someone so gracious and thoughtful enough to send a lovely handwritten note in the mail.




so i continue to be inspired by Ez all the time, and I think if you have yet to discover her blog for yourself, now is the time you should check it out! she also has two online shops that you must visit, wren eleven and wren & chickadee.

{all photos from creature comforts blog, except first photo of the paperdoll, that is from the wren eleven shop}

polyvore amor

polyvore. i feel like i may be a little behind on this discovery, but thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, creature comforts, i stumbled upon this amazing website / application called polyvore. i mean really, it amazes me. it is like playing paperdolls for grownups (or pretending to design a page in Lucky magazine).

basically it takes thousands and thousands of products / items (clothing, accessories, furniture, artwork... you name it) and allows you to drag them onto an online editor and create your own collage of images. it can be used for putting together outfits, designing a room, planning a party or event scheme, really... anything. for people like me (those who find it enjoyable to spend hours in front of a computer and create pastimes of scouring the internet) this can equal hours of fun (beware, its addicting).

however, this doesn't even cover the ingenious part of this site; each and every item has been imported from the online store where it was found and links to that page when you click on it. it's like walking through the largest mall you could imagine and searching through it however you please (by outfit, items, color, style, seasonality, similar items, etc.). i think polyvore has serious revenue potential. and it's great for giving exposure to small independent designers and artists too.

and above all, this site is incredibly incredibly easy to use and navigate. anyone could do it. no need for photoshop skills, the built-in editor does everything for you. it really, truly is almost effortless. some people get really fancy and add all kinds of backgrounds and whatnot, so far i haven't experimented with that; however, simple design is more my style anyway.

oh, and another added bonus, if you have a facebook, polyvore has made an application where you can use polyvore directly from there... and you know send gifts and all that weird stuff facebook does.

if you like any of the items you see in the polyvore images above, just click on any one of them and it will take you to my polyvore page, and from there you can visit the store where each of the items came from. i'm thinking right now it would be fun to feature a polyvore collage i have made once a week. that would be fun. so, we'll see!

do you polyvore? will you try it now? if you do use it or start to, stop by and visit my page and add me as a contact!

wis design

two clever designs from wis design i wish i could see in my in my home:

1. decades chest of drawers "Chest of drawers made out of discarded drawers, found and rescued at flea markets. A mix of different styles from earlier decades, with woods and knobs of various kinds, in a single piece of furniture. The old drawers are enhanced by the new frame in white lacquered MDF."

2. the jewelry lamp "Instead of letting jewelleries get tangled on hooks, or hiding them in boxes, we literally want to bring them into the light. When the jewelleries are not decorating you, they are decorating your own personally styled lamp."

julia rothman

prints and illustrations by julia rothman. view her portfolio or buy a print. all around, fascinating work.

zara home autumn winter 2007/08 catalouge

ah, zara home, how i wish thee were in the united sates... so affordable, pretty and sometimes perfect. when i was in barcelona this past summer i got to visit a zara home store firsthand. albeit not a huge place, but very wonderful. i still have the stark white spring / summer catalog at home with the rest of my inspirational clippings and images i keep on hand. although the store's overall look doesn't encompass my style as a whole, i can really admire their small touches and "comfortable" look. so here goes my mega-post of photos from their newest catalog:

view the catalog for yourself here.