bellwether days

built by wendy sample sale

2009-03-02T16:09:00.010-05:00

Built by Wendy is having an incredible sale, today through Wednesday only. Here's what I scored...

Floral Art Teacher blouse. Originally $135, now $20!

Snuggly Cardigan. Originally $170, now $20!

Dotted Swiss Ruffle Blouse. Originally $153, now $10! Yes, $10!

It's like a dream come true!

shanghai girls

2009-02-27T08:56:00.006-05:00

Remember back in the 90s when vintage Chinese ad posters were all the rage?

This bicycle poster says, "Happiness is Within"...

I found this one twelve years ago and it is still one of my favorite things...

Posters from Zitantiques.

latest loves

2009-02-26T08:26:00.011-05:00

I would wear these every day. Surface to Air.

Everything by Sabrina Dehoff blows my mind.

This fabric delft necklace by Klee was probably all over the blogosphere forever ago, but I just discovered it. Now I can't stop thinking about it...

fun with photoshop

2009-02-25T15:58:00.007-05:00

I have mixed feelings about Photoshop. I don't use it much, though I should, being a design major and all. For one thing, I tend to get hopelessly confused by some of it, and for another, it kind of feels like cheating, although I know that's an old school way to think. Anyway, it did come in handy with these two slightly blurry pics of yours truly. Add the smudge stick filter and voila!

I wish I could go around looking like this all the time...

making goofy creepy

2009-02-25T11:05:00.007-05:00

as only someone inspired by David Lynch can do...

I enjoy Mr. Lynch in small doses. When I was in college (the first time) Twin Peaks was all the rage, before it petered out into a murky mess. If anything though, I am bound and determined to visit the real Twin Peaks someday. That place is so beautiful it hurts.

Images from the In Twin Peaks blog.

inspiration tuesday

2009-02-24T08:05:00.004-05:00

Fairy tale in a glass (witch). Third Drawer Down.

Kersh plum and cream linen knit top.

Matthew Tischler

Pietari Posti tea towel. Third Drawer Down.

a perfect storm

2009-02-23T08:20:00.004-05:00

of events this past week resulted in blog entropy. But now I am back and prepared for the daunting task of catching up on all my favorite blogs...

Ha. So true.

i love toby liebowitz

2009-02-14T08:40:00.009-05:00

her work, which i could pore over for hours...

and her journal...which i could also pore over for hours...

her book "How to Feel Safe Amongst Others" is available here...

the case of the mysterious mirror

2009-02-12T17:58:00.007-05:00

This fantastic photo by Coleen Yancy reminded me of one of the strangest things that I own...

a vintage mirror that has embedded within it an illustration of a woman leaping off a diving board. It was really hard getting a good photo of it. I had to photograph it at an angle, otherwise my face would be looming in it, which would kind of ruin the shot...

I have no idea where it's from, how old it is, or why the woman is diving while wearing a dress. It's just a cool little mystery.

more mushrooms!

2009-02-11T19:52:00.005-05:00

Mushroom cameo necklace.

Decole mushroom jars with wooden spoons.

Toadstool nightlight. Meant for babies, coveted by me...

bits of my bedroom

2009-02-10T11:06:00.012-05:00

I love the Nouveau style of this earring tree. I particularly love that it was only $5.

Porcelain rose necklace with suede ties. I never wear it...look how big it is!

I try it on from time to time, but then I picture myself getting tipsy and tripping and falling on my face, which would of course result in shards of rose petals being driven into my throat. Then my loved ones would have to explain that I was killed by a necklace.

A print by one of my favorite photographers, Sheila Metzner, and a framed Alphonse Mucha postcard of Sarah Bernhardt.

A closer look. The print is actually one of many pages that I tore out of a Metzner book when I was a (stupid) teenager. I then lost what was left of the book. Said book is long out of print and now costs $$$. Sigh.

some ephemera...

2009-02-09T09:05:00.010-05:00

A 1907 leather postcard to a Miss Mildred Clemens of Portland, OR. Leather postcards were banned a few years later by the post office, as their new sorting machines couldn't handle the thickness of the leather...

Found photo. Loving the curly headed kid on the left, his sailor tie and the casual way he has his hand in his pocket...

An old photocopy of an old driver's license of mine. I keep it around because my hair during that era was so hilarious. Permed, dyed blonde and moussed. It all added up to me having an inadvertent resemblance to cheesy 80s hair bands...

And finally, a 1920s Chinese bath powder label. Love that long lost vintage Shanghai glamor...

bubbles!

2009-02-06T13:06:00.007-05:00

Hable Construction Frame

Scattered Dots Fabric

Nani Iro Fabric

Alexander Wang Bubble Print Dress

Philosophy Bubble Bath

Bubble Lace Ring

Bosa Bubbles Candleholder

Bauble Bracelet

inspiration from 1948

2009-02-03T13:29:00.010-05:00

From a Living For Young Homemakers magazine:

A couple who moved to Santa Fe. Love the girl's style, which would work just as well today...

Also, I would like to move to Santa Fe.

kids today

2009-02-03T08:29:00.007-05:00

There is so much great art out there that depicts children and the haunted world that they inhabit. Our cultures are becoming less innocent and distinct, and we find ourselves increasingly removed from the traditions and stability of the past. Some of our best artists are incorporating these issues into their work. Their images have a beauty and sweetness to them, but often the sweetness is curdled with an air of menace, melancholy or isolation...

Recovery is a Discovery. Caroline Hwang

I Learned That With You. Caroline Hwang

Snakes. Jen Corace

Envy. Hidden Eloise

Your Legs Grow. Katherine Chiu

Watch You Grow. Katherine Chiu

Playing Dead and Taking a Nap. Ramis Kim

Wolves. Catherine Ryan

girls and owls...

2009-01-30T16:26:00.005-05:00

...Kareena Zerefos

1st discovered through Fairspot.

bunnies and mushrooms...

2009-01-30T08:09:00.003-05:00

...etc. Klala.

after the storm

2009-01-29T13:05:00.009-05:00

everything is clean and fresh again...

John Updike (1932-2009)

2009-01-27T13:53:00.005-05:00

Reading at Twilight

One of my favorite writers....no one could make the ordinary so beautiful...

He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, the place he based his Rabbit books on.

I would get homesick when I lived in season-less Hawaii, and whenever I did, I would re-read some Updike. He made the midwestern Rust Belt where I've spent most of my life so vivid.

An excerpt from Rabbit Run:

Outdoors it is growing dark and cool. The Norway maples exhale the smell of their sticky new buds and the broad living-room windows along Wilbur Street show beyond the silver patch of a television set the warm bulbs burning in kitchens, like fires at the backs of caves. He walks downhill. The day is gathering itself in. He now and then touches with his hand the rough bark of a tree or the dry twigs of a hedge, to give himself the small answer of a texture. At the corner, where Wilbur Street meets Potter Avenue, a mailbox stands leaning in twilight on its concrete post. Tall two-petaled street sign, the cleat-gouged trunk of the telephone pole holding its insulators against the sky, fire hydrant like a golden bush: a grove. He used to love to climb the poles. To shinny up from a friend's shoulders until the ladder of spikes came to your hands, to get up to where you could hear the wires sing. Their song was a terrifying motionless whisper. It always tempted you to fall, to let the hard spikes in your palms go and feel the space on your back, feel it take your feet and ride up your spine as you fell. He remembers how hot your hands felt at the top, rubbed full of splinters from getting up to where the spikes began. Listening to the wires as if you could hear what people were saying, what all that secret adult world was about.

call of the wild

2009-01-27T12:57:00.004-05:00

inspired by Erica Svensson...

and the drawings of Silver Horn...

and these...

French Connection wrap

freebird necklaces

Hopi fringe boot

beads shirt

hair feather clip

my "desk"

2009-01-26T14:14:00.016-05:00

I was tagged by the most excellent Lea to show my desk. As I have a laptop, I've designated the coffee table to be my internet headquarters.

Current view from my couch...

Unfortunately this is not the view from my window, but rather one of the opening scenes of The Savages. It's probably not a good idea to work on the computer while having the television on, but I can't seem to help myself.

A shot of the desk I abandoned after I got my Macbook. My poor Labbit seems lonely...

The little object in the picture above is this:

Winter fox notepad from Cicada Studio...

My wallpaper is from Kate Spade...

Heath mug containing some most necessary coffee, and my prized wood coasters that my mom gifted me years ago...

Tray containing stones from a Lake Superior beach, a vintage French rosary, a Virgin Mary pin that an old boyfriend found in his used 70s era car, (I'm not Catholic, for some reason I am just occasionally drawn to Catholic items. Must be my Catholic ancestors speaking through me) a clay Hawaiian dice that I found when living in Oahu, and a cute little needle case from the Small Object...

And finally, some shots of my inspiration board...

...the supercool tree button magnets are from woodworking.

So there you have it! I am tagging Mette, Kendalee, Kindra, and, um, some others that I will edit in later. (I don't like going to tag someone and their last post has like 50 comments and my tag request gets lost in the shuffle...) So I will wait a bit, and in the meantime, if anyone would like to be tagged, let me know and I will pounce!

my spring palette

2009-01-26T08:23:00.005-05:00

It helps to get through the grayness of these early months by imagining the colors and feel of each year's spring. This year I'm inspired by green, fawn, warm brass and copper.

Loving chainchainchained's mixed chain necklace dripping with beads and a pearl...

and norajane's paint by number forest pillow....

and pretty much everything by sohomode...

Ahh. I feel better already!

may the force be with you...

2009-01-20T12:45:00.006-05:00

I discovered the Growing Up Star Wars flickr group through

Kate's cool blog For Me, For You. As a twerpy little Star Wars fanatic, (of the originals, not the more recent ones, ugh) this pool really resonates. Some faves:

1. Oct_77, 2. I'm your daddy, 3. :1980:, 4. 1977

Yes we did...

2009-01-20T12:22:00.006-05:00

blossom bomb

2009-01-20T09:07:00.007-05:00

Feeling a bit more springlike today, wonder why? oh yes....

Obama purchases flowers for his 16th wedding anniversary, Oct. 3rd, 2008. Awww.

Getty

Matching my mood, these beauties from Secretlake...

...and doesn't the above dress go beautifully with The Debaters by Rachel Bone of

Red Prairie Press?

let Etsy keep you warm

2009-01-19T14:22:00.007-05:00

recycled wool armwarmers from katrinakaye...

and a day shift thermal from the ever inventive and amusing timberps

new shoes...

2009-01-19T10:17:00.011-05:00

Michael Kors chained stack heels from eBay for under $20. I've always been a sucker for that 40s, 70s collegiate style...

I'm liking these as well...

Double Saber Earrings

Dachshund Shawl

looking towards spring...

2009-01-19T10:02:00.004-05:00

1. Untitled, 2. Totokaelo, 3. Untitled

open house

2009-01-16T10:52:00.010-05:00

grey days

2009-01-15T07:47:00.009-05:00

with double digit negative wind chills. Something about this weather makes me crave grey and black cool. Maybe I believe the tough image could translate to a tough constitution...

Mayle silk and wool hardware blouse at Bird

Alexander Wang jacket with attached scarf. La Garconne

Oxidized silver Harakiri claws necklace. Reborn

The new classic, Alex and Chloe's oxidized silver inverted diamond

LD Tuttle's feather shoes. Creatures of Comfort

...and finally something affordable to go with all the black and grey, Mociun's impractical yet pretty scarf, on sale for $19! Refinery 29

feeling it

2009-01-13T10:10:00.009-05:00

the photography of Chris Hornbecker...

cute as a button

2009-01-12T08:56:00.006-05:00

Due to my short stature and lack of apparent cheekbones, I've been called cute more times than I care to remember (I was also called ugly during a tragically awkward stage in junior high, but we won't get into that).

I always preferred vampy Veronica to perky Betty, but neither style ever fit. If I tried to look "sexy", I just ended up looking like a little girl playing dress up. If I tried to enhance my "cuteness" by wearing florals, pastels and/or ruffles I looked flat out ridiculous, like Little Bo Peep who lost her sheep (and her marbles).

What works for me are masculine styles with a feminine twist. Take leather buttons, for instance, the ones that your grandfather might have had on his coat. Love them. So I was quite delighted to score this cashmere blend leather buttoned $217 Charlotte Ronson sweater for $25 on (as usual) eBay:

and I would love to be able to afford Elizabeth Yarborough's leather button jewelry...

...but as that is not possible at this time, perhaps I will make my own version. Blacksheepyarns has a nice lot for $6.75:

as well as many other fabulous findings:

how does that grab you

2009-01-10T13:49:00.004-05:00

Nicole Hayden. Her titles make me smile...

Every Day I Love You Less and Less

How Does That Grab You

You can find more of her work here.

a brief blush

2009-01-09T10:37:00.006-05:00

for just a few moments this morning, the sky glowed peach, then faded to grey...

it was nice while it lasted...

Ulla and Dolores...

2009-01-09T09:30:00.010-05:00

were pen pals in the 1930s. Ulla from Germany, and Dolores from the United States.

Ulla stuck sticker stamps onto her envelopes and letters...

...and embroidered patches of silk flowers and glued them on:

She also hand cut silhouettes from velvety paper:

Ulla was cool.

One letter from her is in German, another in English. Here's an excerpt of her December 21, 1934 English one (grammatical errors included):

My love Dolores,

I would your written, but I had not many time. I go the last year in the school and I have very many work. I must work, then I will have good zensur (grades). In the school we make a theatrical performance. The girls from our class make a fine dance. This fest is for the "Winterhilfe". The "Winterhilfe" is for the poor people and the poor children...

I have a grand cat and a dog. My father had many hens and many ducks. Has you many animals. In my room I have a canary bird. He sings very fine.

Has you a brother or a sister? I have a grand brother but he is 26 year. We have us very love. I go with my brother in a cino. (?) This is very fine. The 3rd February is in Schmockwitz, a grand festival. We dance till in the night.

In my next letter I send your a picture from me. Replied me soon and I writed swiftly.

Now Goodbye my love Dolores. Ulla Stoebe

I wish I could have seen Ulla's picture. I wonder what happened to them all during the war?

your cheatin' heart

2009-01-09T08:52:00.003-05:00

Hank Williams' Bed, Georgiana, Alabama

photo print by Scott Eiden at 20x200

and yes, the lyrics printed on the curtains are from Hank's "Your Cheatin' Heart"

outfit of the day

2009-01-08T12:03:00.008-05:00

J. Crew cashmere sweater, found cheap on ebay, and a Sonya Ooten mohair and blister pearl necklace to jazz it up...

closer...

yet closer (and somewhat blurry in this gloomy winter light).

Maybe too much green going on...must remember this get-up come St. Patrick's Day.

patch nyc

2009-01-08T09:02:00.013-05:00

When I discovered Patch NYC's debut collection in 1997, it was love at first site. Pretty! Sparkly! Handcrafted! And, uh, expensive. I admired them from afar until a few pieces finally went up on ebay. The sad thing is, I almost never carry them, as there aren't many places in Ohio where one can waft around in glittery whimsy without getting funny looks. So I hang them on my bedroom wall as art installations, taking them down for the occasional wedding. A couple of my favorites:

The founders of Patch, John Ross and Don Carney, have a sweet site which includes an inspirational (though rarely updated) blog:

winter solstice

2009-01-07T11:18:00.016-05:00

Dan McCarthy is one of my favorite artists. He puts out a new print every month, and January's Winter Solstice is supreme!

It even glows in the dark!

someone loved their kitty very much...

2009-01-07T11:06:00.006-05:00

...found in the same antique shop...

different worlds

2009-01-07T10:35:00.008-05:00

I found these photos together in a box in a strange little antique place out in the middle of nowhere.

there is something street urchin - ish about these children...

whereas these kids seem wealthy - on a tour of Scotland or Ireland perhaps?

I wish I knew their stories...

back to school

2009-01-06T09:24:00.007-05:00

So my long winter break is over, and it's freak out time again. Here is my dysfunctional way of handling design school:

1. start off nervous and doubtful, decide by end of 1st day that there is no way I will succeed in this quarter's classes.

2. try anyway. get 1st good grade, think maybe there is some hope.

3. ADD problem flares up. realize I spent the last 15 minutes wondering if classmates are noticing zit on my chin rather than listening to the professor.

4. start dreading midterms.

5. get A's on midterms. feel stupid for worrying so much.

6. professors announce that finals will consist of a group project. have horrid flashback to middle school gym classes, when I was always picked last. professors pick groups, breathe small sigh of relief before worrying that I will let group down and they will all notice zit on my chin.

7. stress builds steadily throughout final half of quarter. cry to husband that I am a failure in the wrong major. husband rolls eyes because he's heard it a hundred times before. actually lose chunks of hair over my struggles to learn scary programs such as Dreamweaver and Flash. worry that group project members will notice bald spots.

8. give class presentation for group project final. decide I'm doing pretty well until I notice that my hands are shaking. get nervous over shaking hands, which of course makes them shake more.

9. groups seem to like me, professors praise my designs. receive A's on finals, make Dean's list. feel proud of myself for about 24 hours, then decide that the grades aren't good enough. haven't done near enough outside work. haven't networked. am a total fraud who should just go back to waitressing, but wait, have been out of the work force for a while so probably can't even do that now. plus I'm too old. apologize to husband for being such an untalented burden who probably can't even wait tables. husband rolls eyes and sighs.

10. repeat, etc. ad nausea um.

sigh. so neurotic. well, it's a new year right?

anyway, I spent the morning playing around with the weirdly soothing Polyvore. If money were no object, this is what I would wear to class this afternoon ( although I would probably spend 15 minutes wondering if anyone was noticing my cool Mike & Chris boots :)

back to school by bellwether_days

blueberry bird

2009-01-05T14:45:00.004-05:00

Goofy little polished stone bird necklace with "blueberries". I like to rub the smooth stone between my fingers like a talisman...

by Jeannie.

lotta love for lotta's lotus print...

2009-01-05T10:01:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite totes, linen by Lotta Jansdotter. Who, by the way, is having a great sale, including items in her gorgeous lotus print.

the titles tell the tale

2009-01-05T09:34:00.005-05:00

So A Cup of Jo shared artist Nina Katchadourian's book narratives, whereby a stack of titles tell a story:

Inspired, I rushed to my bookshelves to see what I could come up with:

A very brief tale of a very brief trip. I need more books!

beautiful...

2009-01-05T08:26:00.006-05:00

the light, the color, the subject...Nadav Kander

Diver, Salt Lake, USA

Benicio Del Toro, curb, Los Angelos

Chinos Junction 1, Los Angeles, USA

everything is wild...

2009-01-02T09:09:00.002-05:00

I've never been much of a gambler. During my one time at a casino I won $40 and left with -$10. That being said, I love card games. The twisty rules, the combination of logic and luck, the suspense...plus it's a great way for shy little twerps like me to socialize with people I don't know well. Its been a while since I last played, however. I think the purchase of these will motivate the institution of a weekly game night:

I particularly like the Jack with the axe...

Here is an index of just about every card game out there, except, for some reason, Night Baseball, which is one of my favorites.

Card games always remind me of a hilarious story by the most excellent James Thurber, "Everything is Wild". It's a tale written in 1932 about a grouchy, misanthropic man and his long suffering wife who attend a card party. The cigar smoking husband entertains himself by making up his own convoluted rules, and havoc ensues. You can find an excerpt here.

If you want to read the story in its entirety, you can find it in "The Middle Aged Man on the Flying Trapeze" on Amazon for $0.95 and up. I inherited my copy from my grandmother and I just love it. Full of funny stories and one terribly sad one, "One is a Wanderer", about a lonely divorced man who lives in a hotel:

"The walk up Fifth Avenue through the slush of the sidewalks and the dankness of the air had tired him. The dark was coming quickly down, the dark of a February Sunday evening, and that vaguely perturbed him. He didn't want to go "home," though, and get out of it. It would be gloomy and close in his hotel room, and his soiled shirts would be piled on the floor of the closet where he had been flinging them for weeks, where he had been flinging them for months, and his papers would be disarranged on the tops of the tables and on the desk, and his pipes would be lying around, the pipes he had smoked determinedly for a while only to give them up, as he always did, to go back to cigarettes. He turned into the street leading to his hotel, walking slowly, trying to decide what to do with the night. He had too many nights alone. Once he had enjoyed being alone. Now it was hard to be alone. He couldn't read anymore, or write, at night. Books he tossed aside after nervously flipping through them; the writing he tried to do turned into spirals and circles and squares and empty faces..."

Wow. I went from playing cards to the nature of loneliness is one post. I need to chill out on the coffee...

a fresh new year...

2009-01-01T08:43:00.007-05:00

happy new years (eve) to you, happy birthday to me!

2008-12-31T12:47:00.007-05:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years!

I was born on this day in Pasadena, CA. The Rose Bowl Parade route ran between us and the hospital, which caused my parents some stress, but luckily I decided to arrive a few hours before the parade start. Otherwise I would have most likely been born in our car.

Anyway, I am mentioning my birthday as an excuse to show off a most excellent present:

A lovely necklace from the uber talented Puiyi of Munted Kowhai!

I would like to thank my husband for following my gentle guidance (I've given him guidance ever since the one notorious year that I received a set of tires).

And I would like to thank the awesome Bliss blog for introducing me to Puiyi's creations.

Here's hoping 2009 treats us well. Hope and change are on the way!

birds and a fox (?)

2008-12-30T11:32:00.010-05:00

A little (ahem) Christmas present to myself - Chan Luu bird shell pendant necklace from ebay for a significant percentage off.

Russian ring holder. The birds are made of a soft stone called honey selenite.

A tiny antique button that I hope to make into a ring. It was hard to capture, but the background is dark green celluloid.

Odd little British regiment clip that I also found on ebay.

deck the walls

2008-12-30T09:22:00.007-05:00

Some favorite prints from Gallery Nucleus...

"Tiger" - Ogi Ryuichi

"Bonfire Night" - Patrick Leger

"Jungle Eyes" - Tang Heng

Proceeds of the print go to the Totoro Forest Fund.

"We Spent it Well" - Chris Appelhans

I have this print of a rabbit and girl enjoying oranges. It's even nicer in person.

the postwar boom

2008-12-29T16:11:00.010-05:00

In 1947 Mademoiselle magazine launched "Living for Young Homemakers". The young postwar generation was moving out of their parents homes and searching for a life to call their own. They were faced with limited incomes and a huge housing shortage, and Living showed them how to handle those issues creatively.

Some articles in their 1st issue:

We Live in a Barn, and Love It!

A Garage is Our Castle

I Live with My Family

Space is Where You Find It

This woman and her husband live in a converted stone garage.

"Penny and Pete Find an Apartment and Furnish It"

"...four whole rooms!"

I think maybe that generation had the right idea...

thorns

2008-12-29T12:40:00.007-05:00

For some reason I'm having a bit of a fascination with thorns. My last (and ongoing) obsession has been with arrows, so I guess this is a natural progression.

The rosewood "dornstab" lamp. Danish for thorn staff, the stem of the lamp has thorn-like hooks, which let one adjust the light to varying heights. The New York Times has an interesting piece on how this design and others were almost lost...

DL & co. silver thorn apple

1. * rose thorn earrings, 2. :: lemon ::, 3. Agave americana, 4. captured thorn

on the road

2008-12-29T08:54:00.015-05:00

I hope everyone has survived the holidays so far! We took a long trip down toward the bottom of the country, and I occupied myself by taking pictures with my new camera from the confines of the car.

A heavy blanket of clouds as we rolled through the Cumberland Gap. Someday I want to explore this region...

We stopped for a night in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The city had languished for years, at one point winning the dubious distinction of having the dirtiest air in the United States. Now it has cleaned up dramatically, and there is a beautiful art district along the wide and curvy Tennessee River. Now if only the sad cities of Ohio can follow its lead...

My parent's dining room prepared for Christmas breakfast...

...and my son and husband prepared for Christmas presents. Husband seemed to slide further and further down the couch as the day wore on.

Approaching Cincinnati near the end of a long ride home. I think this shot accurately depicts my state of mind after hours on interstates. So worth it though! It's hard being so far from family...

Merry Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice etc.) to all...

2008-12-20T17:59:00.009-05:00

I'm off to prepare for our twelve hour drive to visit family in Montgomery, Alabama. May you all have a happy holiday! Hopefully one without guns, tears, gluttony, copious amounts of alcohol, creepy uncles or acrylic snowman sweaters.

Flickr find - Christmas for a tomboy, 1960 Montgomery, AL

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

foxes on the brain

2008-12-20T15:27:00.010-05:00

Lea's cool fox sketch reminded me of this:

a fun little logo I created a while ago in a design class. Super simple, but I was really enamored of the fox face I sketched out. Enamored, that is, until my husband pointed out that it was strikingly similar to this:

Fox racing and action sports apparel company.

Apparently quite a large and well known brand!

Rats.

turn your apple into a ghost

2008-12-19T17:08:00.004-05:00

Cool! Decals to cover your apple logo. You can find them here.

Ooh polar bears

2008-12-19T12:34:00.003-05:00

and flannel. Perfect together! I'd love to make a big ole bolster pillow out of this. At Superbuzzy.

Do the Chop Chop!

2008-12-19T11:59:00.010-05:00

Oversized postcard by Evah Fan. I have this front and center on my inspiration board. Its goofiness helps alleviate stress. $2 at

Little Paper Planes.

5 things I love every day...

2008-12-18T14:13:00.028-05:00

Mette of the wonderful Ungtblod

tagged me, so without further ado,

five things I love every day:

This portrait of my mama...the kindest person I know. I love it because we live far apart, so it is like having a little bit of her here. The street artist who painted her in 1969 did her mouth a little too wide, but got her eyes just right.

My son painted this owl in a tree in kindergarten. I'm not one of those moms who think that everything their kid does is genius - but this is one of those things I would save in a fire. Plus I freaking love owls...

My macbook. I love and hate it every day. It has made school and my design projects so much easier, but two minutes on this thing quickly becomes two hours. Or three or four.

The wedding ring that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. It's delicate and different, and the citrine looks lovely with the thin gold band. The ebay seller that my husband bought it from found it at an estate sale in Vancouver, one of the places I most want to visit. It's circa 1930 and I like that it has a history. Hopefully not some tragic history!

Are kitties things? That's debatable, but I definitely love mine every day. As you can see, my husband loves them as well. He is squeezing a disgruntled Mackie...

and here we have Mimsy eyeing my chicken. They were both rescued from shelters that they were at for nearly a year.

Oh and please excuse the wall o booze. Husband's idea...

I tag:

Roberta of Camp Comfort

Jane of Seen and Said

Diana of Please Sir

Puiyi of Muntedkowhai

Stephanie of Even Cleveland

a field guide to snow and ice...

2008-12-17T22:21:00.003-05:00

Paula McCartney's limited edition Snowfall print from her project A Field Guide to Snow and Ice.

$20 at 20x200, but they're selling fast...

leaving the house for the 1st time in days

2008-12-17T16:56:00.004-05:00

In my defense the weather has been icy and gross. It's still icy and gross, but I was driven out in search of food. I prepared for the cold in head to toe ebay finds: $500 Tocca wool and silk coat for $50, J. Crew hooded sweater for $20, Gap jeans for $10, $180 Michael Kors gum soled wedges for $17, and $250 Ananas bag for $25.

I even found my wedding ring on ebay - a $50 dollar gold and citrine one circa 1930. Yep, I am the queen of thrift!

Beast Type

2008-12-17T15:47:00.005-05:00

Fantastic type by the fantastic graphic designer Robert Hanson. First discovered a few months ago through the fantastic design blog GraphicHug. Fantastic!

the most frivolous thing I own

2008-12-17T15:31:00.008-05:00

I never go anywhere fancy enough to justify the purchase of this little Andrea Brueckner bag, but it's just so pretty. I love the way the sea foam green leather drapes, and it was only $15 on ebay. I hang it on my bedroom wall as a piece of art.

cool kid books - part two

2008-12-17T09:44:00.014-05:00

Oh how I loved this book! A tale of three toys that come awake at the stroke of midnight and climb into a painting. They wind up having a bit more adventure than they anticipated, but all ends well, and they make it back to their dollhouse in time to sleep the day away. It has these great little half pages throughout, and when you flip them over the scene completely changes.

It's long out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon for as little as $4.20 to as much as $330 (!)

Bah Humbug

2008-12-16T11:43:00.008-05:00

My 2nd Christmas and my 1st Christmas disappointment.

Apparently I would scream whenever I had to put on this furry monstrosity. It didn't help that we were living in California at the time...

Piggysan!

2008-12-15T21:18:00.007-05:00

The weird and wonderful Danish designer Henrik Vibskov finally opened an online store. I love the tiny "piggysan" print on his scarves and the unusual cuts of his clothing.

the incredible Christopher David Ryan

2008-12-14T20:33:00.007-05:00

and his daily art postings. His work is so varied yet so distinctively his.

You can purchase his stunning prints here.

some great last minute gifts...

2008-12-14T11:04:00.008-05:00

...for the person saving up for their dream, a happy kitty bank.

...for the kid at heart, a cafeteria tray for comfort food.

...for an aspiring cook, a gorgeous saltbox! .

...and for yourself, a fun helpful book for your New Year's resolutions :)

These and more found at Black Ink

thinking ahead to the New Year...

2008-12-13T18:03:00.006-05:00

...and New Year's Eve parties. Luxedeluxe's romantic necklaces can be found in her etsy shop.

the Baltic Sea

2008-12-13T15:45:00.004-05:00

I've lived in many different places and never really felt at home in any of them. That's probably why I have such a fascination with finding out who my ancestors were and where they were from. Following those strands of DNA gives me a sense of connection, of being part of something larger than myself.

Over the years people have commented on the color of my eyes, which are often assumed to be brown or hazel until the light hits them. They are actually a dark pure green.

Only 1 to 2 % of the population have green eyes. I always thought that my eye color was a part of my Celtic heritage until a few years ago, when I discovered that my great grandfather was a green eyed Ukrainian, and that a good sized percentage of people from the Baltic Region have green eyes. That trait has passed from him to my grandmother and my mother, then on to me and my son.

A thin genetic thread of green in a family of predominantly blue eyes. Rare but persistent. Who knows when it entered our gene pool and when it will leave...

I love having that link to my mysterious great grandfather. We carry the ghosts of our ancestors within us.

Built by Wendy scarf

2008-12-13T15:34:00.004-05:00

Won on ebay for about $20. I love ebay!

Some flickr loveliness...

2008-12-13T09:33:00.005-05:00

1. "Higher, Daddy! Higher!", 2. look at yourself!, 3. kitchenwall, 4. Day into Night

ebay find - $200 flats for $5

2008-12-12T09:55:00.005-05:00

Last year a crazy seller posted these ballet flats ( along with other items ) for $5 buy it now. Brand spanking new $200 Cynthia Vincents with shoe bag! Made in Italy of linen, cotton and metallic weave.

They're really pretty, but the New York Times Naomi Watts portrait perfectly exemplifies how I feel after wearing these babies for a couple hours...

Out west

2008-12-12T07:57:00.007-05:00

I discovered the work of Dustin Aksland through the awesome design blog

It's Nice That. Makes me homesick for my California/Colorado days...

I think we've all had days like these...

2008-12-11T10:04:00.005-05:00

From the most excellent illustrator Gemma Correll.

She also did the lovely cover for the new issue of Mankind magazine:

Some favorites from fieldguided's etsy shop...

2008-12-11T08:20:00.005-05:00

Gorgeous award ribbon for pinning onto totes, pillows etc.

Love this needle case!

I discovered fieldguided's shop through Camp Comfort's awesome blog.

VPL

2008-12-11T07:50:00.004-05:00

Bird LA is having a decent sale right now. My pick is this VPL dress. The green adjustable belt makes it...

So pretty...

2008-12-10T11:53:00.006-05:00

Rachel Comey's floor length dress at Bird. I'm a sucker for anything that involves stars.

Favorite Kid Books - 1st in an ongoing series...

2008-12-08T15:53:00.007-05:00

This book about the adventures of a little firefly both delighted me and freaked me out. I hadn't seen it in several years, until my mom found it in the attic and sent it to me. The artist, Jiri Trnka, was popular in Czechoslovakia.

A few days ago I found this haunting Russian animation on YouTube that is weirdly similar to the tone of this book...right down to the creepy owl!

Ach Ach Liebling Jewelry

2008-12-08T13:17:00.003-05:00

I've been mooning over these for a while. A wide variety of Joanna Petrone's handcrafted jewelry at super decent prices can be found here...

a clock I would consider shelling out $200 for...

2008-12-06T19:10:00.006-05:00

because it is so freaking beautiful!

Verbarius is the first clock in the world that tells time the way people do. It has five preloaded languages: English, German, Spanish, French and Russian. You can easily upload any additional language you like—from Latin to Eskimoan—using the USB port.

The clock spells out time differently every minute. It’s either forty-five minutes past four, or fifteen minutes to five, or four forty-five, or a quarter to five.

From the supercool guys at Lebedev Studio.

Michelle Blade

2008-12-06T11:41:00.003-05:00

I love her work. Her paintings encourage you to make up your own stories about them. I popped these prints into white IKEA frames and they look great. You can purchase the pair here...

must have

2008-12-05T13:07:00.003-05:00

Love the cover. A collection of supercool postcards that you can find here.

oy! these are wicked...

2008-12-05T09:05:00.002-05:00

ACNE gloves at Oak NYC. Unfortunate acronym, awesome line...

don't know what it means, but i like it!

2008-12-04T20:59:00.002-05:00

Stephane Bucco

cool things that I can't afford

2008-12-04T16:03:00.001-05:00

from pixiemarket, silver moccasins. I'm tired of metallic and I'm getting tired of moccasins...but for some reason these fascinate me.

martin lamothe silk scarf. I've been eyeing this for a while, but I can't quite justify spending over $100 on it...

etsy find - cicada studio

2008-12-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

I just received an awesome pincushion from cicada studio. Her fabric designs are gorgeous...

etsy find - danna ray prints

2008-12-04T15:11:00.001-05:00

I particularly like this one...in the light