A reader a while back pointed out this Japanese architecture firm to me – I fell in love immediately.
Such playful use of vibrant color – though my personal style tends more towards the subdued I really am drawn to color like this.
I was working on this website yesterday and was so proud of it I wanted to show you guys. Not sure how the client feels about it but alas, I like it!
It’s a website for an after-school language enrichment program, so I thought that it would be cool to do all of the elements out of “construction paper”.
Let me know what you think!
It’s springtime and all of the flower stores nearby have been bursting with tulips. There’s a great reason why – they’re bright and colorful and practically scream spring.
I’m a big fan of the ones that have ruffled edges – they sometimes look like lion’s manes. Depending on the variety, they often have a really nice smell as well. If you’re planning on using them in an arrangement, just be warned that they can open very quickly and then shortly after that, they fall apart. Completely.
I recently discovered that one of my friends from freshman year that lived in my dorm is a kick-ass illustrator.
And she has an awesome blog to prove it. I love the bright colors and the excellent use of text. Hop over to Eggplant Elephant for more illustrative goodness.
PS – Can someone please help me convince her to start selling some prints?
This lovely pattern has been all over the blogs lately, and for good reason. I love the way that it looks in a number of applications, from upholstery to handbags and floaty blouses. I like to look at it just for the lovely colors and patterns however.
Since Felix is in Central Asia, I’ve got him tracking down some of this fabric for me. If he manages to find some, I might have to buy them out. The possibilities are endless. What I’ve really got my heart set on is this coat:
Can you imagine walking around wearing one of these? Be still my heart!
1. I love all of the quirky and colorful hand-drawn illustrations over at artsyville - stopping by this blog always puts a smile on my face.
2. I am hard pressed to sum up Abbey Goes Design Scouting in any other way than saying this: it’s awesome. Visual inspiration in a number of different arenas. Great for the ADD among us.
3. Pretty Good combines lovely photographs and delicate little sayings. It’s understated, which is what makes it so great.
4. You all know I’m a sucker for anything vintage as well as a great story, so Quaint Handmade is a great daily stop for me.
5. Simplesong celebrates the beautiful and the well, simple, in a way that’s simply divine.
6. Looking at beautiful flowers always brightens my day. If that’s the case for you as well, I highly suggest stopping by Fiore Fresco for your daily dose of springtime.
I’m always enchanted by satellite photos of the earth’s surface. It takes something you think you know so well and completely abstracts it. These pictures of sand dunes seen from the sky are really amazing – the colors and the shapes, they could be an abstract painting.
See more pictures here.
What is your favorite thing to look at in satellite photos? Mountains? Man-made objects?
She is one of my new favorite stylists. She worked for Martha Stewart for close to a decade and it’s obvious why. Her attention to detail and color is astounding. You’ll have to stop by her portfolio to see more – below is just a small sampling of her skill.
As someone who has a ridiculous affinity for paper goods, her paper crafts section is amazing. It really is astounding what you can create with such a simple material.
I’m working on starting up an event planning company, so her event detail section is a great inspirational resource. All of the little pieces are so amazing.
And then oh, the sweets. There are no words.
I’ve been working on some new knit cowls that I’ve added to my shop. Each cowl is made up of many different yarns in different colors, creating a completely unique and wondrous look. They’re each very sturdy and thick, as there are probably 4-6 total skeins in each cowl. They can we worn like a long scarf or doubled for when the cold hits. I’ve really had a lot of fun making them, as it’s so much fun to play with all of the colors!
You can find them here, if you’re so inclined!
I love little kitchen gadgets. Not small appliances (which usually just piss me off because they take up so much space) but little gadgets that make your cooking and food prep life so much easier. Not to mention more stylish.
Fusion Brands makes some of the most stylish and practical kitchen gadgets around. And they’re made of silicone so they’re easy to clean. You can find all of their products (like my favorite little green poaching pods) here. Make sure to check out the demonstration videos for their products – a work of art themselves.
Lennon is an amazingly good painter. And he also happens to be a friend of mine. I’ve had the fortune of being able to see a lot of his work up close (including one incredible painting hanging in my dining room) and let me tell you, the pictures don’t do his paintings any justice. They are expressive and colorful and just downright interesting. His work would look good in any circumstance and any location. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
My other favorite thing about his paintings? They’re huge. Like wall-size. All the better to get lost in. You can see more of his work here.
When I was in DC I got the chance to go to a few of the Smithsonian Museums. I’m rarely blatantly patriotic but it makes me proud that there are these massive museums spread all over the city that you can visit for free. I amused myself there by taking abstract photographs of the exhibits in a number of the museums – here are a few of my favorites.
These really interesting examples of Russian wooden architecture have been preserved due to the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere. A Print a Day pointed them out, for which I am forever grateful, because these buildings are seriously cool.
I love how ornate they are, and how there’s just enough color left that you can really visualize how colorful they must have been once upon a time. I just can’t believe this is real – it looks like a make-believe house. If you’d like to see more pictures, click here.
