I never thought I'd see the day when I dubbed camo as "classy," but I guess today is that day. Thank you, Andy Warhol. Leave it to good ol' A. Warhubs to elevate an everyday soup can, a banana - or yes, even camouflage - to something artful and wall-worthy.
Also, that gargantuan arrangement of gorgeous hydrangea; the classic Saarinen tulip table; and the simple pops of color mixed with bright white plus dark, dark floors really helps. Whew! So many design elements mixed into one effortless, but gorgeous, room.
...what if your windshield wipers swept over this instead today? I know it's pouring cats and dogs out here, but wouldn't this cheery rainbow be a welcome sight?
Dutch artist Helmut Smits created this windshield rainbow using acrylic paints like this: Concept and execution by Helmut Smits, photo by Lotte Stekelenburg. Originally spotted via DesignLoveFest.
The sweetest Where The Wild Things Are quote has been made into a print by Dear Colleen on Etsy. I've talked about her work before [check it out here - it was a good post if I do say so myself! :) ] but I truly adore this new print - wouldn't it be sweet for a Valentine's Day gift or hung on the wall on the way out of an entry? Oh and did I mention that it's only 29 buckaroos? Sold.
Folks. I AM BACK. :) I've missed you all! Fo reals. Did you all have nice Labor Day weekends? Ah, the last holiday weekend of the summer. When did it get to be September?? I feel like summer just started and now it will be over - officially - in 19 days! (Though Labor Day weekend really feels like the true end of summer.) Boo.
In the meantime, I'm grasping on to the last semblances of summer, which to me right now is feeling like a nautical tone - for the home, clothes and accoutrement. Here are some of the nautical items inspiring me right now:
The above living room really started off this seafaring feeling for me. I don't like an overly "theme-y" room, but this one is done nicely and without getting too crab shanty. The striped rug, the tufted ottoman and the pseudo-leopard stripe pillows are killing me with goodness. (Also this room kind of looks like a much more chi-chi version of my own living room, so of course I'm in love.) ;)
These sheets are totally nautical with a touch of French provencal - and would be perfect in any crisp guest room. Can't you just picture visiting the coast of Maine, sleeping in a white and blue room, with a lovely ceiling fan overhead and a seabreeze through the window? These would be the sheets I'd imagine gracing that bed. Ahhh....
I would wear a stripey sweater every day if it wouldn't be just plain weird (and slightly dirty, no? or require tons of washing...). Oh yeah, and I'd happily float around all day on a lovely boat in Napoli, too, but that part may be a little less realistic than just rocking a sweater daily...
35 buckaroos for some seaside style in your house isn't half bad. I'd snap this up instantly if we had any doors that needed holding up (I don't think my bathroom door or the front door would work...).
I saw these dishes in person the other day and they are amazing. They're reasonably heavy-weight and the illustrations on them are gorg. They're a little pricey and maybe a bit much for everyday (the octopus tentacle handle on the teacup is both genius and creepy), but I still love 'em.
I mean really. Who doesn't need a pair of gold docksiders in their closet? I know I sure do. (Also please note that I had an identical pair of these when I was in elementary school. They were fresh to death and I wore them allll the time. Such a trendsetter at 10. [haha])
And finally, this fun guy was too cute not to include. We all need a little whimsy, especially when doing nautical, and this guy is pretty good. In fact, I would wear his outfit anytime.
So what do you think? Is this nautical route way too overdone these days? I'm not planning to run out and buy all of these accoutrement anytime soon (or any, likely), but I did love the breezy and clean feeling these pics gave me. Hope it helped you hang on to summer just a wee bit longer!
The print above is not only adorable, but also charitable. Children Inspire Design has created this super-cute signed, limited addition print, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the National Wildlife Federation's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund. Bonus: along with your purchase of the print, you not only get to feel good about helping the sad situation in the Gulf, but you also get a $10 gift certificate to ChildrenInspireDesign.com. Score!
I love the friendly whale - I think he'd make the perfect gift for anyone with kids (too bad your birthday's not 'til Dec, Cov and Finn's not 'til March!).
I also happen to know that Children Inspire Design is a great company since I bought this little print as a kids gift for the holidays: Though I'm not sure if the recipient liked it or hung it up... but I thought it was cute, so that's what matters, right? ;)
If you're in the mood for some fanciful art, or just to help out with the Gulf restoration while getting something fun, definitely go check out this adorbs whale print for 30 bucks well-spent. Originally spotted here.
Summer is here. I feel like I've been waiting forever for it to finally emerge. Now that it has, it's hottttt. (Not complaining, just sayin'...) On a hot, sticky day, who doesn't want something cool and refreshing?
Wouldn't this do it? Yep, jello is no longer relegated to gross molds or for shots with vodka; this version is very high art, no? Add some Cool Whip et voila - a gorgeous dessert that's low in calories, delicious, cool and arty, too. Pretty smart.
Check out the (seemingly very easy) directions for making this awesome rainbow jello here. Oh, and, the science aspect is fun too - there are really only blue, yellow and red layers here - the green and orange are illusions (ah, yes, I remember this from kindergarten now...).
And if you're jonesing for more rainbow treats, check out this gorgeous surprise rainbow cake (which was so popular on the interwebs, the college-student baker was even on Martha recently showing her how to make it!).
Or if you want another great jello idea, check out these fun jello-melons(not as dirty as it sounds).
A Seurat painting come to life: This real-life recreation of the 1884 Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, is so wonderful! Of course, it's not exactly spot-on - it is in Deloit, WI, after all - but it's a lovely new interpretation. You can find a bit more info about the photographer and the event here. Nice idea, Deloiters!
Sometimes the simplest things are the most genius. Case in point: The picture placer (AKA a ruler with a screw in it).
It's so idiot-proof, they even printed the instructions on the placer itself, so you never have to worry about losing them: Put the head of the screw under your picture hanging wire and hold the picture by the placer, like so: Then press firmly on the center of the picture and the screw will make a tiny mark in the exact spot where you nail should go. Brilliant!
I just can't stop myself. I know I said I would stop talking about them - I've tried to quit and failed over and over in fact (gulp - one, two, three, four, five times over) - evidently I just can't stop yapping about how much I love silhouettes.
Enter Rachel from Benign Objects, the latest artist/crafty lady to fuel my obsession. Her newest offering is taking your portraits and turning them into amazing custom pattern silhouettes. You choose the custom colors, patterns, details, etc. for your silhouette and Rachel makes the most beautiful creation. See?: That gallery wall of silhouettes, including one of the family dog, is so stinkin' cute. I especially love the combination of colors and patterns. I have silhouettes in my house and I have a gallery wall, but I so want to combine them now! Le sigh, the obsession continues... Originally spotted on Paper Crave.
Okay, enough whining. You didn't comment on the curtains wholeheartedly. Whatevs. I'm over it and back to posting some schtuff for now. I'm still on the run with work, errands, friends, etc. so today you're getting another mashed-up post. Sorrry. But I loved all this stuff, and didn't have time to do separate, full posts on each, so consider this a "top hits" for today. Hope you likey. (If not, well, fine.):)
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We just bought tickets for anotherVampire Weekend show (they're coming back to MD in Sept. - woohoo!) and this time it's an outdoor show, so we got lawn tickets. I'm thinking I may need this blanket for the occasion: Cool, right? I'm not hugely patriotic, but the slightly off colors make it just cool enough (and not something a dude with a mullet would bust out on a cold day at a NASCAR race...right?). Available for 68 bucks at Urban Outfitters. Spotted on Design Crush.
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Next up, an awesome poster and an even better blog post about said poster: And here's Abbey's awesome write-up, from Abbey Goes Design Scouting(hope she doesn't mind I'm including it here - she wrote it, I had nothing to do with it - I just wanted to share because I liked her description):
Whenever there was a particularly pink beautiful sunset my mother used to say “Red at night, sailor’s delight but red in the morning, sailor take warning” meaning of course, that a pink sunset indicated that the next day would be clear. I always loved the way ’sailor’s delight’ sounded and would say it over and over in my head. When I saw this sweet poster I was immediately brought back to childhood and running around in the pinky dusk of a Vermont summer night.
Finally, the most awesome way to wake up every day. I'm going to have to give this a try, though I think standing on the sink like that would result in me smacking my head on the ceiling or falling off the sink altogether (or both, which is highly likely with me since I am very klutzy). This kid is awesome - a mini Tony Robbins. I picture this to be Sara McKelvey's future child (watch out, Dan).
Oh, come on, it's only 50 seconds. Go check it out (if you can't see the embedded video): here.
Check out the full blog post on Daily Bits of Beauty for more "How to Have an Awesome Day" tips.
Aren't these prints from LoV-E(aka Lorena Vigil-Escalera - ha, clever name to boot) beautiful? When I spotted her illustrations on design work life the other day, I immediately fell in love with the colors, patterns and style.
But they're not all froth and style, they've definitely got substance too. I only wish I could read some of the ones she's created in Spanish. If you can understand espanol or want to see more (or buy one for yourself), you can find them here.
This quote and silhouette pairing is so pretty, I'm tempted to print it out and put it in a frame on my wall. I couldn't find an original source for this, but I found it on Yes and Yes(and Sarah Von is a genius - maybe she made this? With help from Buddha of course...).
And just because it never hurts to throw in another silhouette, here's a sweet one that's cross-stitched and custom-made just for you (or the luckiest friend ever, if you get this as a gift). Available from The Time Is Now on Etsy. Spotted on Twig & Thistle.
Want more silhouette madness? Parts une, deux and trois for ya (and a bonus!).
With all my reading of late(thanks in part to a gift from my mom and also thanks to our public library's awesome online hold system where I select books I want to read, they get them in and set them aside for me - for free [woohoo!]), I am in need of a place to put all my books (not the library ones obviously).
Aren't these perfectly styled bookcases gorgeous? From MDEsign via Shelter
I love that the top image and bottom image both show bookcases with colored backs. I'm considering doing that with one of our bookcases (don't mind the crappy iPhone photo): What do you think?
Also, do you spy the "This Land is Your Land" print nestled in there? I'm not yet sure that's the perfect place for it, but I do love that print!
I didn't even realize I'd been bookmarking pictures of journals, notebooks and writing utensils I liked, but today I saw a few of these pics in my inspiration folder next to each other and I realized I had writing on the brain. Here are a select few notebooks and pencils that I found especially enticing.
These journals are pretty; made in the material of choice for architects, designers and nerds alike (moleskine); and sporting inspirational phrases to boot: From here; spotted here.
I'm still working my way through The Happiness Project, but in it author Gretchen Rubin talks about 1-sentence journaling. I've never had the patience to write in a journal or keep a diary every day, but I think I might be able to handle one sentence a day (I am keeping a blog, after all!).
This lovely blue book would certainly help keep me on track: Buy here; spotted here.
And last but not least, something with which to write in all these paper goods: Buy here; spotted here.
Because people who like to draw are awesome.
Would you like any of these notebooks or pencils? A nice little surprise "day gift" from a friend perhaps? Or just a nice treat for yourself on a rainy day like yesterday?
