Twig Terrariums

Terrariums became all the rage in the last couple years and NY based friends Michelle and Katy of Twig Terrariums just took them to a whole new level. I appreciate anyone who approaches life with a sense of humor and that's exactly what you see here...they create moss terrariums inside antique, vintage, and new glass containers, apothecary jars, science glass, kitchenware, and any other kind of unusual bins. The containers house tiny little scenes using itty bitty miniatures and the worlds they create are both sweet and kind of bizarro - from dinosaurs escaping, to muggings to brides and grooms to mob hits to graffiti artists getting caught to campers...it's all a little weird (see what i did there...) in the best way possible. 

Sorenne and Matt

This is one of the coolest and unique weddings I have seen...my friend Sorenne and her new husband Matt recently got hitched in Austin, Texas and I can't stop looking at the pictures that were recently featured in Martha Stewart's Real Wedding's. It's a lot of the things I love about parties all in one (natural elements, touching personal details, amazing typography and artwork, a peaceful setting, pretty ankle boots and beautiful outfits) and it makes me want to get married all over again just to plan the party and use this as inspiration! See more photos and descriptions here.

Messy Bun Styles

Messy buns make me happy and I know am not alone in my obsession, so here is another collection of random assorted messy hair for your viewing pleasure.

Beauty is Embarrassing

Chairy, Jambi the Genie (meccalecca high mecca hiney ho), Cowboy Curtis...do you guys remember? If you watched Pee Wee's Playhouse back in the day you are already familiar with the work of Wayne White who won several emmys for all the bizarro puppets and characters he developed on what was then a sort of revolutionary kids program.That was followed by a long period of lean work opportunities and now he has emerged again as an artist of note.

 

There is a new documentary about Wayne, titled "Beauty is Embarrassing" that lets us in on his world from his childhood in the south to his huge success, through all his subsequent failures and then now a life back in the spotlight as an in demand artist. I just love his spirit and his oddballness - that he wants to inject some humor into the art world and that he lives by the motto "Do what you love, it's going to lead you to where you want to go"

Now That I've Found You

I only know him from some season of American Idol (he was one of the few that looked like he had his own style and did something unique) and I think I only know her from the movie Thirteen...they are a young, newly married couple and just released this song together. While the video is boring as hell, his voice is soulful and full of love and the little parts where she joins him are soft and pretty. Definitely interested in hearing more of his music...what do you think?

Madewell Boots

I love these boots from Madewell. Like REALLY love them. Like I haven't taken them off since I bought them three weeks ago. They are comfortable, sturdy, beautiful, well made boots that go with everything and fulfill all my Isabel Marant Dicker boot fantasies (well of course besides actually finding a pair of said boots in my size that are on sale for 25 dollars...)

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Underneath my desk at home, I have stashed overflowing boxes of tools and papers and pens and pencils and every kind of stamp and pen and ribbons and sticker. Once the baby and husband go to bed, I get to sneak back out into the living room and make a mess and craft away. I have TONS of wrapping paper and tissue and bows from gifts I have received (or swiped from other peoples gifts...) and I love thinking of new ways to make these scraps into pretty presents. This gift for a bridal shower is wrapped in recycled everything (yes. wrinkled tissue paper IS a style) and combines two of my favorite things - handwritten letters and hot pink tape. And even the scraps that I cut out are leftover for ANOTHER fun project. A couple glasses of wine, some good old arts and crafts and a couple of recorded Project Runway All Stars episodes and it's a goooooooood night!

Excuse the crappy ass phone pictures. 

Love Adorned

Love Adorned is a "lifestyle concept store" based out of New York and run by Lori Leven. It's an impressive collection of jewelry, art, tools and interior goods. Looks like the kind of store that you go in because something in the window caught your eye and then you end up spending hours poking around, picking stuff up and trying it all on and wishing you had more money to spend. Even if I can't buy an article of jewelry, I can spend so long just looking at all the pieces for inspiration and appreciate their style and craftsmanship. This site has definitely been bookmarked for me as a place to come back to. Check out the pretty jewels and all the other amazing goods here.

The Wheatfield

These are absolutely stunning hand painted prints by etsy seller The Wheatfield. One of biggest design passions is for handwritten typography and whenever I can I try to work some into my own projects. It definitely takes a lot of practice and a keen eye for different patterns and colors to put together works like hers. Just saw these today on Oh So Beautiful Paper (awesome blog) and have been thinking about them all day.

Karmin

Read about Karmin in the recent Nylon Mag...I was honestly first intrigued by her photo because she had a cute pin up girl kinda thing happening and then reading the article on the engaged couple and it mentioned some odd covers they posted on youtube and HER RAPPING. Sorry, she just didn't look the type so I had to check it out. This Chris Brown (ew) cover is actually pretty crazy when you get to about 1:15 and she really starts rapping, she's good at it! I just wish she would lay off the facial expressions...it's like she learned at music school (where they met) that these are the faces a SERIOUS singer would make because their voice IS their instrument. And I hate to say it but if I were the music execs thinking about signing them...my first thought would be "lose the dude". Sorry dude.

Night Light Love

I almost just want the cut out heart to stick on my fridge...or to be made of some thin vinyl so I can peel and stick it ALL over everywhere I feel like spreading the love (hmmm...that gives me some ideas...) I feel like it wouldn't get the attention it deserves down near the ground! From the font to the neon to the fact that it's even hanging out next to a tiny dino (with a crazy funny expression I must point out)...my own heart goes pitter pat for this little nightlight from etsy seller owly shadow puppets.

Zooey and Dimples Sing

She is a giant girl crush of mine. He was always so cute and sweet and full of dimples, but seeing someone be able to sing makes them utterly irresistible. It is a lifelong wish to be able to belt out some beautiful noise but since I was blessed with a singing voice that makes chickens want to cry, I will settle for watching these two talented fools.

Ceramic Stripes

Wow. These are stunning examples of handmade ceramics by up in the air somewhere. Check out their paper bowls lined with gold as well...so simple and so lovely. I'm seriously tempted to get the gold and turquoise (my weakness!) striped little one to make my desk at work a little prettier...hmmmm...

s@#t your girlfriend says...

There are a ton of these videos going around now - s@#t san franciscans say, s@#t guys say...some are hilarious and others just don't seem to capture the right stuff to be funny. But THIS ONE about annoying girlfriends made me laugh really hard...especially the parts when she is in her car with the mascara running.

Brand Logos - A Kids Perspective

Designer Adam Ladd had his five-year-old daughter give her take on several well-known logos. As a designer this made me laugh out loud. It is interesting to see what logos she knows, I was surprised by a couple.

Found here.

Flaming Pink Address Numbers

If my landlord would only let us...even though they are expensive I think I would have NO CHOICE but to splurge on these beautiful hot pink numbers from Modern Dwell to hang by our front door! I would want to shout my address in large type in this crazy color - I love it. My husband...probably not so much but a girl can dream....sigh. They would be brilliant in a little girls room too - just the right touch of girl crazy fun and modern clean lines.

Arts and Crafts Family Style

So now I know how our family is going to bring in that extra money - put little Saxon to work! If Dutch designer Lucas Maassen of Furniture Factory can put his three sons to work painting the furniture that he makes and sells, so can we!  While child labor is not my thing (according to Dutch laws, the kids can work three hours a week and make 1 Euro for every piece they create) it IS an interesting concept, the whole family affair. Because they only have so much time, the kids paint fast and furious and so a distinct fit-as-much-in-as-you-can style evolved. While I dig the dreamy unfinishedness of the products, I think I'll stick to doing my own DIYs.

Found here: Design-Milk

Top Bun Know it All

Tulip Louise Tutorial from jade Howard on Vimeo.
I am a little obsessed with hairdo tutorial videos. Those and cat eye how to's...neither of which I can seem to master perfectly so it's a great thing that I am a lover of the whole undone look. Saw this tutorial over at apartment 34 and thought while it seems like pretty "duh" material, it helps to watch someone else do it. The fact that she is pretty sweet and made me laugh doesn't hurt either. I think it depends on your hair amount/type on whether it STAYS up there in that bun. I can get mine to be all cute and tall but after 20 min, it gets tired and starts making it's way down the back of my head...or leans over to one side like it's trying to escape.

Tinnlily

These are friendship bracelets and then some. Since I am somewhat limited in my bracelet braiding skills (or more like entirely way too impatient) I am all for paying someone who has the skills. Love the juxtaposition of gold hardware and soft colors like the last three lovies and I dig the patterned versions too. Delicious arm candy by Tinn Lily.

Bathroom Beauty

Anthropologie always has the most beautiful homegoods...right now I am lusting after their bath towels. We have nice solid colored towels from Pottery Barn that we got for our wedding but we must be rough on them because they are all starting to slowly fall apart and die. I would love to be able to ditch them all and buy all these beauties but because they are a little pricey I might have to sneak them in one at a time - especially those ikat ones - PERFECT for a beachy bathroom that needs an injection of style and fun. The mix of the ikat towels and the flowered pretties actually really appeals to me too. I used to think I wanted all the same color towels but these days that feels boring to me and I favor this eclectic mix of colors and patterns. Since I don't usually buy towels, I am a little out of the loop - what is the average price for good towels? Is it worth spending your money on?

Tom's Ballet Flats Coming Soon...

Again, I am on the fence about the Toms...they are sooo comfortable and caaaan be cute but mostly I just think they are a goofy looking. That being said, my pair are pretty worn out as they make the best shoes to   beat around in, in the summer time. BUT I just read in InStyle that they are coming out with a ballet flat version soon and I am sort of excited to see how this pans out - the little teaser they show online looks pretty sweet to me and comes in some fun shades and patterns. Tom's ballet flats - sounds good?

Richard Mosse

I recently saw these photos taken by Richard Mosse and was struck dumb by the contrast of such a loud and festive color and the subject matter - wartorn Congo. Mosse used Aerochrome infrared film for these photos of rebels during wartime and the results of bright color (well, at least me personally) get you drawn into the photos first for their apparent beauty and then for their shocking imagery and subject matter.

"This Aerochrome infrared film was developed by the US military in the 1940s to detect camouflage and to reveal part of the spectrum of light the human eye cannot see. But where this technology was invented to detect enemy positions in the underbrush, Mosse uses it to make us call into question pictures we thought we understood. These are the images we take for granted from Congo: the ruthless militia commander, the rape victim, an unwitting peasant. But in Mosse's pictures, Congo's photographic clichés are represented in a counterpoint of electric pink, teal blue and lavender. By representing the conflict with an invisible spectrum of infrared light, he pushes us to see this tragedy in new ways."

Sock Bun!

THE PERFECT BALLERINA BUN from BREATH OF COLOR on Vimeo.

After watching this tutorial from Everything Fab I though FOR SURE I could perfect the sleek ballet bun that I have been coveting. While my attempts at this point have just resulted in a crazy explosion of knotted hair on my head (I am NOT talented in the hair-do department) a co-worker just recently proved to me how frickin easy it is. She walked in today with this perfect bun and I was like waaaaiiiiiiitttt a miiinnnnnuuute and sure enough it was an old cut up sock inside the hair ...which caused a whole mess of conversation around the office and resulted in a real life demonstration on my friend Brooke...it was seriously the easy looking thing ever. Have you tried it?

Thank you Brooke for so kindly letting me take your picture in the bathroom.....

I AM

"What's wrong with our world and what can we do to fix it?" After director Tom Shadyac is rocked by a near death experience and goes out into the world to ask leaders these questions...the result is a very profound and moving documentary that is about "human connectedness, happiness, and the human spirit."and has the possibility to change your perceptions on your place in the world. 


Thanks for the tip Stacie!

Dannijo

This line completely fascinates me...the fierce chunky bold style that still conveys a sweet feminine side has me drooling over these pieces. I'd love to own one of those insane statement necklaces from Dannijo with the chunks of turquoise and metal. And the Neha bag - the lavender one has me just staring at the computer screen with little hearts coming out of my eyes...it's so so beautiful. And if you can keep a secret - I am going to buy the little Zoe rose gold ring as a little Happy New Year to me present...it's rare to come across a simple band that is good quality, beautiful AND affordable. Shhhhh....my new accountant (husband) is listening.