Friday, July 31, 2009

prints...




I'm a fan of art prints. So unique and varied, and typically affordable!

These lovelies above are by Nick Schmitz, who I found via Zinnias. The first one, Typography, is my favorite; I love to see artists play with letters, numbers and symbols. I think the second one, Pretty Sure, is super sweet and perfect with that bright red. Yum!

(Nick can be found on Etsy, by the way, in case you love one of these.)



Speaking of Etsy, this is where I found this fabulous lunar calendar. I posted another print from this artist a while ago, but only recently found this. His shop has some pretty lovely circle prints too, which are worth a peek.




I have had my eye on these prints by Aaron Brown for a while now. Something about the thick, bold lines and the richness of the colors really does it for me.

I should snatch them up before someone else decides they like them too, but I can't seem to decide where I would put them in the apartment...







And then there are these, also found on Etsy. I think the blend of text and graphic shapes is particularly nice in the first two, and wouldn't they make a darling pair? The third one falls into that other category we talked about up above - using letter, numbers and symbols - love it!

What's your favorite?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

friends


"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C.S. Lewis

*quote via Her Name Was Lola, image by hilwegner via flickr

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

eye candy




I first saw Stephen Knollenberg's design work back in May, when Desire to Inspire featured part of his portfolio on their site.




I fell hard for nearly every photo.

I'm loving his balance of light and dark, his gorgeous use of dark woods, and how fabulous every set of stairs in his portfolio looks.





Each of these spaces has a spareness that is beautifully striking, and yet a comfortable quality that feels inviting. None of these spaces are over-staged or accessorized, or so barren and modern that they feel unlivable.

And really, wouldn't you like to soak in that tub?

Check out these stairs below, leading to that piano. I could sit there and play all day long.

And the steamer trunk, just hanging out there, under that picuture...so fabulous.






Go peek at the rest of his portfolio - it's worth it.

I'll be here, trying to figure out where in my apartment I could fit a bed like the one above...


*all images via Stephen Knollenberg, first spotted at Desire to Inspire

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

perspective




Recently, I spent a typical 10 minute drive across the city taking photos of the places I drive by all the time. (Safety disclaimer - Twin was driving so this was completely safe!)

That night, I was struck by how beautiful and different everything looked in the muggy, heavy darkness. The scenes I see everyday looked completely foreign when captured in a camera and viewed as separate little vignettes, rather than one coherent view.




While not claiming that any of these photos are great (or even really all that good) I want to share these are a way of challenging you to look for the beauty all around you. There are beautiful, lovely things all around us, but sometimes we miss them because they're part of the daily routine.

So look around - be deliberate about seeking out the beauty around you. And you might be surprised at what you find.




Monday, July 27, 2009

what we do



Some things that happen when my family comes to stay:



Sister and I play endlessly with every setting we can find on our cameras....

(and I usually learn something)




We make large feasts, usually including something sweet - in this case Peanut Butter Pie...

(find the recipe here)




We go exploring...

(this time we found a beautiful little lake!)



And these magnificent people put our air conditioner in...

(We can't go a whole weekend without doing something productive!)

Saturday, July 25, 2009

a little inspiration


I recently discovered a new blog,
I am Style-ish, and I might be a little infatuated with her sense of style.

Her writing style is comfortable and enjoyable, the layout of her blog is appealing, and there are some darn cute pups that make semi-regular appearances. It's really the look books that really captured my fancy, though.




I often read fashion-centered blogs, but rarely see things that I could actually see myself imitating. In all honesty, I'm just not that adventurous when it comes to buying and wearing clothes.

And while I'm willing to try to be more brave, quite frankly, cost is prohibitive. Until some of these crazy student loans get paid down, there are no designer labels in my future...unless they come from TJ Maxx.




Something about these looks, however, seems totally doable. I like how the basis of most of her outfits are simple and elegant - this is something I can understand and get on board with.

And while I decidedly cannot afford many of the items in these photos (mainly the
shoes...insert huge, longing sigh here), there are plenty of things that could fall within my budget.






I don't know about you, but I'm feeling inspired!

Shopping, anyone?


*all images via I am Style-ish

summertime...



It's two bare feet on the dashboard
Young love in an old Ford
Cheap shades and a tatoo
And a yoo-hoo bottle on the floorboard


Perfect song on the radio
Sing along 'cause it's one we know
It's a smile, it's a kiss
It's a sip of wine, it's summertime
Sweet summertime

(Kenny Chesney)


*images via Desire to Inspire, Cup of Jo, Lime in the Coconut

Friday, July 24, 2009

happy friday!


It's a rather dreary Friday in these parts, so I thought a little bit of cheer could do us all some good.

So, for your viewing pleasure - two sweet videos about office romance! I love how quirky both of these are, and really enjoy the music they paired them with.

The first, via sister's facebook page long ago:



The second, via Cup of Jo, just last week!




*photo via flickr, by michaelmistretta

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

summertime pretty


Aren't these colors amazing?

Something about this picture says summer to me in a way that very few other things can.


Although these pictures aren't at all representative of the camp we used to have, something about them makes me remember all the good times we had by the lake.

It's just a different style of living - summertime on the water.


These make me want to start using bright colors and creating this type of joyful look all of the place.

And really, wouldn't the world be just a little bit nicer if we all had these cool canopies over our beds?

*all images via decorology