I love the images over at MarthaStewart.com using yellow and orange as accents (and sometimes overall themes) in a space. The above two shots make me drool, and I have a pretty good feeling that the two below will make L swoon!
Browse through all the images here!
pics c/o marthastewart.com
Today was an exciting day: I traded in my boots and puffer coat for flats and a cute little jacket worn over a long-sleeve tee, and felt only a slight (but totally worth it) chill.
I have an early spring birthday, and ever since I was young that meant thinking about new outfits or shoes to welcome in the season. These spring pieces from Hayden-Harnett hold that same optimistic appeal for me.
Happy, pale colors, unexpected details, shiny textures, hand-drawn patterns (see the Boudoir print swimsuit, above) - these are all the elements of fun-to-wear clothes that embody what spring dressing is about.
(I was going to title this post "Things I Love From Hayden-Harnett Spring 09 But Won't Be Buying Because of the Economy", but I think the optimistic slant is much nicer!)
Images from Hayden-Harnett. From top: Thalia dress, Joey wide cuff, Daphne pinup tanks, Circe clutch, Parker canvas trench.
bad mood card, 4.5 x 6.25" - $3.50 from fomato
I was browsing through the cards at HAZEL the first time I stumbled upon a card by Los Angeles card company, fomato. Their cards just make me smile.
Simple & colorful little characters (which include pandas, sea cucumbers, amoebas & potatoes, just to name a few), saying quirky things like "I'm busy with this burrito"... what could be better?!?
no card (birthday), 4.5 x 6.25" - $3.50 from fomato
dreaming of sushi card (birthday), 5 x 7" - $3.50 from fomato
1 inch pins, $1.25/each from fomato
There's way more cuteness than I could ever post about over at fomato.com... Go check it out!!!
This apartment in Chelsea by the incredibly versatile Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield reminded me of Emily!
This project is more straight-up modern than the style I usually associate with W&R, but they still manage to warm it up with lots of texture and interesting pieces, such as the pair of Chinoiserie lamps and the chain-link border rug...
Images from Woodson & Rummerfield.
When Laura arrived in Chicago on Sunday, I was already feeling the tinge of a cold coming on. Luckily, I was able to stave off the full-blown sickness until after she left (I would've felt awful if she and I weren't able to spend even a little quality time together!). But, now, for the last two days, I've felt completely out of it - the typical cough, sore throat, weak muscles, headache - the whole nine yards. And I don't know about you, but when I'm sick like this, I find myself in a weird place where I can't really work on much of anything... and having down time forced upon me makes my brain work overtime. I end up thinking too much about what I could be doing if I weren't sick; what I should've finished up last week, so that I wouldn't have to worry about it now. Silly, I know - but maybe I'm not the only one that feels that way?
In my down-time, I'm still able to be on my laptop here at home - and it's actually nice to be able to catch up on some of the blogs I have checked in on lately... maybe find a little cheer or inspiration to help me feel better.
One of the first blogs I checked in on this morning was designvagabond, where I was saddened to find a post from my dear kattyface who lost her job on Friday. Since then she's also found out about some health problems, only made greater by her loss of a steady income and insurance. It was the last line of her post is what really got me thinking ::
"I don't feel much like posting anything today, as design seems completely frivolous by comparison to everything else that is happening."
This isn't the first time I've heard someone express this sentiment, or something like it... I, myself, have felt that when I'm not feeling well - either physically or mentally - that maybe posting about a pair of shoes may be "inappropriate," or, as kattyface stated, "completely frivilous". Even in my own house, Jw and I have had several conversations about the repetitiveness of what we find on design blogs; about whether or not there's a point to any of it "when things are so bad everywhere"...
It's an interesting thing to think about. Back when the election was still an upcoming event, the SCOOP received emails and comments about "sticking to the design stuff" - because that's what people want :: to have a place to escape to and take a break from whatever negative & stressful things are going on in their lives or in the world.
I definitely agree that there is a time when things will feel frivolous, as kattyface is feeling right now about posting up things on her blog. She has a lot to deal with and maybe she will look to other blogs (or a TV show, or a magazine, etc.) for a bit of a pick-me-up... In one way, yes, putting things into perspective and realizing that browsing through images of interiors, drooling over cute handbags and coveting handmade goodies on Etsy is all pretty superficial - but, on the other hand, finding places to escape to so that you don't become too overwhelmed by the negatives is truly invaluable. I mean, that's exactly what I did just this morning ;)
The images throughout this post are from a poster design by PJ Chmiel, which I found this morning on Uppercase's blog (thanks, Janine!)... In all of the talk of the economy and getting your finances in order, it's interesting to think more about what it means to make wise investments. Here's some of the text from Chmiel's poster that really struck a chord with me ::
"Life in years to come may not be the same life we enjoy today, at least in a material sense, but it can be a lot more rewarding than the work/shop/TV/sleep/die life that most of us now lead. The key to weathering the storm lies in joining together in closer-knit groups of family and community; the solutions will not be coming from the top-down, they will be happening from the ground-up... and that is empowering.
This is a friendly nudge imploring you to take stock of what you have, imagine the worst-case scenarios, and learn how you can come out with an advantage no matter what the future holds. All of the things i suggest are things that you can probably use anyway, and most make good common sense. Keep in mind that your money could become worthless, and ponder what a tragedy that would be. If you're hungry and there's no electricity, your priorities will change; you might gladly trade your iPhone or your flatscreen for a few potatoes. I hope it never comes to that, but please don't consider it an impossibility, either. Try to stay positive, find strength in your family/ community."
All my best to kattyface, and to anyone else out there who is having a rough time right now. I think that a lot of us (myself included) are going through some much-needed growing pains, and that we just need to be patient while we wait for better times to come.
You can view/download PJ Chmiel's Wise Investments poster right here.
These rooms by Chicago designer Michael Del Piero recently caught my attention; both utilize unusual compositions that play with the idea of asymmetry, yet still feel well-balanced.
In the first room, above, the dark fireplace creates a focal point. The large-scale nude to the left plays off the smaller, individually framed pieces layered above the mantle, which together create a unified arrangement. To the right, the bare wall stands empty but illuminated by the tall window; the shadows make a subtle texture on the wall, and substantial objects atop the large round table draw the eye back downward. The composition is "framed" by the built-in bookshelves and oversize window, which both skim the ceiling.
This room again begins with a fireplace focal point. The tall armoire faces off with yet another bare wall to the right - but here, the doses of pattern provide the balance. The wood frame chair with the (amazing) bold, inky pattern provides a resting place for the eye and allows the substantial armoire, with its intricately carved patterns, to feel lighter. Here, ceiling-height curtains opposite each other frame the composition.
These examples will surely inspire me to think through the principles of asymmetry when rearranging my own furniture or walls!
Images from Michael Del Piero.
So, even though I can't totally let the cat out of the bag quite yet, I will tell you that Laura is in Chicago with me for a couple of days!
She arrived yesterday morning and we spent the day walking around on Armitage - grabbing Earl Grey Vanilla Cr?mes at Argo Tea, browsing the beautiful offerings at Art Effect, smelling soaps good enough to eat at LUSH, and delighting in the awesome baby goods at giggle on Halsted.
Despite the cold, it was a beautifully sunny day & we're looking forward to our adventure today!
details to follow... ;)
Thanks to my sis for introducing me to Quail. I'd like one of each of these beautiful tops, skirts and dresses, please.
Self-taught designer Michelle Nguyen Williams creates the line for a "joyful young woman who spends her weekends getting inspired by art, music and the vibrant culture that surrounds her." What a lovely and timely description; we could all use a little joy and culture these days!
Images from Quail.
While watching BBC World News this morning, I spied our new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton arriving in China, walking off her plane - wearing a smARTWORKS Sabrina scarf!
Just a few days ago, when Hillary began her series of visits across Asia, Jw and I were talking about how weirdly difficult it is for women in politics to dress fashionably and professionally at the same time. Hillary has certainly been the most photographed woman in American politics as of late, and although I'm pretty tired of her brightly-colored pantsuits, I was pleasantly surprised to see her wearing a beautiful piece made by an individual artisan (smARTWORKS owner/founder, Sonya Mackintosh)...
Kudos to Mrs. Clinton (or to whomever gave her that scarf! ;)
and congratulations to Sonya & smARTWORKS!
If you live in Chicago, swing by Virtu on Damen to see their selection of smARTWORKS scarves or you can always browse the entire selection on smARTWORKS online store!
images c/o Jw (top, from our TV) and smARTWORKS (bottom).
Thanks to L for reminding me to get my Small Stakes fix! Granted, Jw and I do own two of Mr. Munn's posters (shown at the bottom of this post), which I can look at every day, but I never grow tired of seeing more from The Small Stakes...
In looking through the portfolio section of the site, I came across these great Butterfly and Bookworm illustrations made for Chronicle Books... I especially love the bookworm (of course!)
Sufjan Stevens (Berkeley) 18x24, and Mates of State (San Francisco) 19x25"
And, as promised, here (above) are the two prints that hang proudly in my home... the chocolate brown Sufjan poster is printed with gold metallic ink & we had it framed in an ornate gold frame. The Mates of State poster was so beautiful and simplistic that we just had it framed in a flat red metal frame to match the fingerprints. (Hmm, maybe some photos of those are in order, huh?)
all images c/o The Small Stakes
I like to visit The Small Stakes' poster shop every once in awhile to see what artist Jason Munn has been up to.
The Beck poster is my favorite, but no surprise, the adorable Zooey Deschanel's band She and Him has an equally adorable poster.
Images from The Small Stakes.
Since the last time I posted any photos of my "office" was back in July, I figured now was as good a time as any to update you on the state of OrangeBeautiful's studio.
As I've mentioned recently (here and here), the studio is undergoing pretty much the most major transformation since I first moved in back in July of '05.
Above is a BEFORE shot of the to-be shipping area in the front of the space. The studio is basically one giant room (about 700 sq.ft.), so the possibilities of how I could set up the space are pretty endless. When I first moved in, I didn't really have much of anything & now, well, it's quite the opposite.
In moving things around, I've realized (among other things) that...
*my design space (i.e. my desk) needs to be much more inspiring.
*my work area, where new product is created (invitations assembled, books bound, cards scored & folded) needs to be much more organized.
*I need a new area dedicated completely to OB's newest addition, a Kelsey Excelsior 6x10 tabletop letterpress (much like the one Angela (SeeSaw Designs) posted about back in Nov '07 -
*and I need a specific shipping area where all the boxes, tape, labels, etc. are stored together:
So, here's the "in-progress" AFTER shot of that same area... I've moved a storage piece that was being terribly underused in the back up to the front. And I switched out the 4x4 EXPEDIT shelving unit with one of the larger 5x5 units, mostly so that I could have more of a clear separation between the "public" and "private" sides of the space. This area is definitely not finished, but it'll give you an idea of how things are moving along. For now.
I'll be sure to keep you posted as I get knee deep (& then neck deep) into my paper-y mess...
images c/o Jw
As a perfect follow-up to my post this morning, I learned that Eddie Ross at Etsy just launched. Almost as good as browsing the flea market with Eddie himself!
(Best part: everything is under $100, already cleaned and polished for gift-giving at the ready.)
Images from Eddie Ross at Etsy. Clockwise from top left: Horn salad servers, Italian alabaster box, Faux tortoise shell ice bucket, Lucite knot napkin rings.
It's one of those great Etsy happenings - I searched for a random item and happened upon an entire shop to love: natural home.
Lots of Etsy sellers carry interesting vintage objects, but I'm always most impressed by shops that seem to express a particular point of view by how they're curated. Such is the case with natural home: witness organic elements juxtaposed with shiny metallics and prettily printed textiles. The price points are quite affordable, too.
(By the way, my initial search was for an eye pillow, to help ease my sinus headaches and make the occasional mid-day nap all the more luxurious...)
Images from natural home.
Via the always-in-the-know Habitually Chic, these gorgeous paintings incorporate iridescent pigments (love love love). Artist James Nares' paintings often are created with a single movement and brush stroke, so I like to imagine what the movements that created these very different paintings might have looked like.
Images from Paul Kamsin Gallery, via Habitually Chic.
Lemon Gio for L
Transportation Multi for e
I love these Weekender Bags from DwellShop...
Check out all of Dwell's beautiful stuff, here.
Rap artist, T.I. put out a new album (entitled Paper Trail) back in September, and this serious awesomeness (above) is the cover artwork... The design is from English illustrator & designer, Ian Wright and yes, it's made from actual paper scraps - not 'Photoshopped' to appear that way, as one might expect.
As a bit of a paper fiend myself ;) I'm completely in love with the look of this, and I'm especially excited to see some in-progress shots as well - direct from Wright's website. I'd probably be driven slowly mad trying to get this portrait exactly right ...but how satisfying to have a piece like this in your portfolio!
Here's a quote from an MTV interview with T.I. back in July '08, with a little about the concept behind the cover ::
"We didn't want to just do a typical cover, especially for my sixth album. I wanted to try something a little more different. The illustration for Paper Trail pays an obvious homage to my rekindled affinity for writing my lyrics down as well as displays my commitment to keep my art slanted towards the abstract."
Be sure to check out more of Ian Wright's work here.
I'm a serial e-decorator.
These "inspiration boards" virtually represent some of the ways I've envisioned my family room decor changing over the past few years.
Partly because I'm always discovering new home items, and partly because it takes me awhile to make up my mind, decorating my family room (the most frequently used room in our house) on a page has proven helpful in discerning what exactly defines my personal style.
Some of the elements have actually surfaced in our home, and others stayed in the imagination stage. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't always buy into the trendier pieces - and can see clearly a penchant for graphic patterns set against neutral anchor pieces, filled in with unusual or vibrant accessories.
By the way - I don't think we'll ever "finish" this room, as its functional requirements keep evolving (hello, babyproofing!) - but by the end of this year it may closely resemble the image at the top of this post.
I don't think I'll ever get over my love for letterpress.
It's just sooooo delicious.
Depending on the contents of your mailbox yesterday (or this afternoon... or in a couple of days), you may know what's going on in the image above. For everyone else, it's letterpress & it's lovely... 'nuf said ;)
This week (read: this entire year so far) has been completely crazy and off... I'll put up some more images of the card above tomorrow and I promise to post way more frequently next week...
Deal?
image by, you guessed it: Jw
Today was just weird... my display screen at work died (Jw was nice enough to bring me a replacement from home... thanks, love!) - and then the blog and my email were down for what seemed like forever (but was actually only a few hours)... and it's cold and RAINING here.
So, I'm going to head home, finish assembling some lovely valentines that I've been working on, do some yoga, drink some hot tea, and take it easy.
*Has anyone else had a really odd day?...
image c/o CandyStore Collective.
Goodie Goodie Hoodie, in Medium - $50.00 from replicca.
Since money is a bit tight (won't it be great when we're not saying that anymore!?), I actually haven't been buying a whole lot for my Indie Clothing Pledge. But that doesn't mean I can't look, right?
Maybe Mushroom, in Medium - $55.00 from replicca.
I love these knit pieces from Etsy shop, replicca... They're stylish, colorful and - I can only imagine - extremely comfortable. And, to you new moms out there, check out the section of pieces that are great for nursing!
This Wonderful White, in Small - $55.00 from replicca.
Check out the entire shop here!
images c/o replicca
Well, not quite - I don't mean to skip over holidays. (And I may be one of those rare types that loves Valentine's Day - but that's another post.) I'm starting to plan my neighborhood's Easter Egg Hunt this year, so I thought I would look on Etsy for a little basket for Catherine. While browsing, I found this tiny "pretend" basket and eggs, made of felted wool, that is not really functional (the basket is only 3 inches!) or appropriate for babies, but I had to share - it's just so darling.
Image from Whimsical Wool.
Sometimes, when I'm in need of a little inspiration, I find it's good to work on a project with some other people... for example, recently, Jw started working on the beginning stages of his new publishing brand, Blindsided Books and asked me to design the text portion of its logo!
He had already designed this awesome little 'blind guy' (shown, printed, on the left), so I wanted to match his "cuteness" without being too cute, if you know what I mean.
I think the type part came out pretty well...
so well, in fact, that we had a batch of bookmarks printed up for BSB's launch! Check out more pics of the bookmarks & read more info on Blindsided Books, here!
p.s. in case you're interested, the font I used is called Photoplay.
I happened upon a tour of Richmond, VA gallery owner Katie Ukrop's home at This Young House. It was featured in domino awhile back, but the bloggers were able to visit in person and provide some new perspectives on the uniquely decorated space.
The hand-stenciled floors by artist Sunny Goode are absolutely stunning (and not at all what I tend to associate with the idea of "stenciling"). The interlocking circles border is my favorite.
The palette used in the house feels so fresh and airy. The modern lamps and ceiling fixtures give the feminine elements a bit of a kick. Check out the rest of the photos here!.
Images via This Young House.
Jw would say that I always have bags on the brain... He's not wrong.
As a little follow-up to L's last post, I thought I'd share these awesome handbags from one of my nearly-neighbors, Agnes & Hoss - (their studio is just a few blocks from OB's)...
If you're as enticed by these lovelies as I am, then get yourself over to the A&H site asap, cuz they're having a SALE!
images c/o Agnes & Hoss
Still no luck finding the crosshatch tote (that was identified by several helpful readers - thanks, guys!). I'm going to keep trying, but in the meantime...
Rubie Green designer and blogger Michelle Adams recently posted this great monogrammed bag she picked up at Ladybird in Columbus, Ohio (yay Ohio!). I spoke with shop owner Allison Jayjack, and she told me the bag is also available with black leather - which she said looks fantastic with the gold monogram. I love the casual but refined look. I think this goes on my birthday wish list - 30, here I come.
Image from MA Belle.
So, the verdict seems to be in on the Ice Cream Scoop & Stack... but I wanted to share with you a really great Cuisipro product that Jw and I picked up last weekend at The Chopping Block in Lincoln Square...
It's the Parmesan Rotary Grater, and it's awesome. Take a pass on the Scoop & Stack and get one of these instead!
...or these - either way ;)
image c/o Cuisipro
Yesterday, I received an email from San Francisco artist, Brendon Kiel about some lovely items over at his Etsy shop, Gajillionaire... the majority of the pieces are hand painted & silkscreened with bold graphics and ornamental calligraphy (from 15th century Germany) onto wood "canvases". The finishing touch is a thick coat of epoxy resin which gives the design underneath a lustrous, shiny seal.
There's not really much going on here that I'm not drawn to... I love the colors used, the loopy scrolls paired with geometric shapes, the yummy "hardcandy" coating... I especially love the three shown above :: B&W alongside a yellow and blue that almost vibrate next to each other...
This one (above) is very "Jw".
And this one on the left, paired with the one on the right are very "Laura"...
I think ;)
And if it's not enough, Gajillionaire also has a selection of beautiful photography... the images above are just some of what you'll find in the shop.
(If you haven't figured it out already, any of these pieces would make an awesome Valentine's Day gift!... hop to it!)
images c/o Gajillionaire
When you're working hard, or feeling stressed out, it's easy to lose sight of what's right in front of you that could easily help you to feel better about whatever you're struggling with.
In the midst of turning the OB Studio completely inside out, I've found myself focusing too much on the clutter and what needs to be removed from the space, rather than the things that will remain :: the things that don't cause stress & do help to inspire.
(left) :: No, this beautiful photograph is not an image of my studio - but it's a pretty good image to represent how I'm feeling about it at the moment.
(right) :: the lovely floorplan that Jw mapped out for me.
For now, I'm going to make some journals, work on some price estimates, respond to a boatload of emails, packing up orders - and leave the floor planning for later.
Wish me luck!
(Book Mountain image by The New No. 2.)
Sometimes the most memorable moments of a room are those left "unfinished" - that imbue a space with character. In this cottage that appeared in Martha Stewart Living, glue remnants left behind on a wall (after a previous owner removed a mural) create a beautifully textured backdrop for a collection of paintings. So many published interiors are styled to extraordinary degrees of perfection, but the "leave it alone" approach taken here makes the space that much more impressive.
Images by Douglas Friedman, from Martha Stewart Living.
Last week, on Design Observer, designer, critic & Pentagram partner, Michael Bierut put up a post about his 85 (!) notebooks, spanning 26 years...
I must say, as someone who longs to commit to writing in a journal every day, just the image of this stack of comp notebooks makes me envious. I think the best part of Michael's particular "approach" (if you can call it that) to this collection of books is that they were never looked at as sketchbooks - or as something that anyone else would ever see.
Each book, from one to the next, is simply a collection of anything and everything that he may be working on, or through, or toward, at any given time: lists, logo ideations, meeting notes, random ideas, scribbles, etc...
"I'm surprised at how often I got the idea for certain solutions at the very beginning."
This is what I'm hoping committing to the constant writing-down-of-things may help with :: the idea that the best of ideas, the clearest solutions to problems, are solved with your gut instinct. But what if that initial thought, that earliest concept is lost because you didn't jot it down somewhere so that you'd be able to come back to it later? I constantly have the feeling that inspiration comes to me, but is quickly snuffed out by the huge flow of everything else in my mind that follows, and then clouds - even suffocates - my best ideas.
I know that this is a lot to hope will be remedied by simply writing things down, by making quick doodles in a notebook as much as possible... but it's worth a try, isn't it?
Kudos to you, Michael Bierut... what a great record for yourself - as well as an inspiration to other creatives out there. Thanks.
Read the entire post, 28 Years, 85 Notebooks over at Design Observer.
This is sort of random, but...
The bag pictured above was from Anthropologie maybe three or four years ago. I wanted it then, but crazily didn't snatch it up, and I still want it now. Does anybody out there know the name of the bag, or the brand? I've been unsuccessful in my eBay searches. Please let me know in the comments if you have any leads - and thank you!
Image from Anthropologie.
