Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wednesday Winks

More wonderful wonders from the world wide web (with a woot! for alliteration.  It's that kinda day):

I love this hand-drawn identity by graphic designer Emma Robertson: Black Eiffel

(PS: See my previous post on hand drawing as a trend in graphic design)

Oooh, how I want a robot man: A Cup of Jo

I LOVE the idea of this Manhattan map on a quilt! I wonder if anyone has done one of San Francisco? 
Say Yes to Hoboken

Most gorgeous birth announcement ever! (via Twig and Thistle)

Some fantastic tips on road trips with kids (mom-and-dad makeout sessions at a deterrent for fighting? Yes, please). Stephmodo

I’m loving this post on chalkboards. I need to paint something with chalkboard paint, stat. TipToe Butterfly

The Silhouette SD

There's so many new gadgets coming out left and right that I've sort of gotten used to just being obsolete.  I don't have a Cricut (let alone the one for cakes, swooooon), my 4 year old Mac suits me just fine, and I will nevereverever buy a Kindle/Nook/fancyelectronicreplacementforpaper because I love the feel of a book in my hands. 

I know.  So uncool.

However, once in awhile a new doohickey (yes, it's a word) comes along that puts me in danger of smashing piggy banks.  The Silhouette SD is just such a one.  What exactly is the Silhouette? So glad you asked.

The Silhouette SD is "an electronic cutting tool that connects to your computer allowing you to cut fonts and images in cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer material, etc."

So I can design my own decals for my walls?  You had me at vinyl. 

I'll be honest - my exacto knife is sitting in a drawer at my house waiting for me to have the patience to pick it up. So this just might be the tool for me.  (Not sure how my friend Cindy at Scherenschnitte will feel about it...). You can see all the cool projects people have been making with the Silhouette on the Flickr group.

The price isn't bad, but I'm one of those who cringes at splurging on pizza when there is food in the fridge.  Lucky for me, Twig & Thistle is giving away a Silhouette SD!  I really don't need the competition, but you can enter here.

Disclaimer: This blog post was part of my entering to win a Silhouette SD at Twig & Thistle. However, I really DO love it.  A lot. A lot a lot.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Live Window Painting

I'm having some technical difficulties with my internet this week (boo), so while I try to get it together, enjoy this video of artist Natalie Lete live painting a window at Anthropologie in Tokyo!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Coolest. Halloween. Invite. Ever.

I'm in awe of this "Survival Kit" Halloween invite that Brooklyn Limestone posted last year:






Isn't it amazing?  I can't believe I have never seen Brooklyn Limestone and her marvelous boxed invitations. (Girl also sends out screenprinted tea towels for Christmas "cards". Yeah...).

Thanks to Hip Hip Hooray for sharing the killer (ha!) Halloween invite.

Ikea Baking Love

Happy Monday all! Did you miss me Friday? My son received an award at school so I was away from my computer being a proud mama. :)

One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is bake.  Preferably while Glee is on!  These images from the new Ikea Baking book by Carl Kleiner and styled by Evalina Bratell are ingenious.  I love how they went for a deconstructed look; it really set it apart from all those other baking/cookbooks out there.  The bold colors they use for some of the backgrounds just scream "Ikea! to me. 

What do you think?  Can you tell what recipe each photo is illustrating?













Images courtesy of Carl Reiner (via Amy Atlas)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I Have a Date with Kate Spade

For my new eyeglasses!  Kate Spade "Georgette" glasses in Tortoise and Kiwi (no, really, that's the colors).




I might be a little bit too excited, because after all, they are only glasses.  But still... I do love them. :)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wednesday Winks 9.22.10

 Various goodness from around the web...

This tableware from Lorena Barrezueta makes me want to throw a party!  Design*Sponge

Have you seen From Me to You? Such beautiful photographs! Check out this New York apartment straight out of Mad Men...

There is no such thing as being overdressed for tea... especially if you are a fabulous Grand Dame.  NYTimes (via Design for Mankind)

Did you know Crane & Co (yes, as in stationery) provides the paper for US currency (and currency for several other countries)? Yeah, me neither. Check out their new museum in Parts One, Two, Three, and Four at Oh So Beautiful Paper

(PS: Check out the video of how they hand ink the colorful edges of their notecards! Fascinating…)

A fantastical, ethereal photo shoot for 7x7 magazine (a local SF magazine) at sfgirlbybay

And finally… cupcakes! I think I will be making Cupcake 19 (blueberry cupcakes with maple brown butter frosting!) this weekend.  Ming Makes Cupcakes

Welcome Autumn

It's the right kind of day to officially welcome autumn. There is a slight nip in the still-summer air and I'm surrounded by the colors of the changing leaves and smells of the grape harvest (did I mention I live and work in wine country?).  It's enough to make me want to listen to some Stevie Nicks, do some leaf crafts with the kids, and make a pie (or maybe an end-of-summer blackberry tart like this or this).

Can you tell I'm ready for the weekend already? ;)




 

Easy Change Wallpaper

In my never-ending quest to make a rental townhouse feel like home, I've been trying to figure out a great way to utlilize wallpaper without messing up the walls.  I've considered the fabric option, and Oh Joy! had a great idea involving making a grid with (removable) painter's tape.

But... I just found out about Sherwin-Williams' Easy Change wallpaper!  Yes, like most wallpaper, it's a bit pricey (on average, $70-80 for 2 rolls), but it's REMOVABLE. Really. 

Better yet they have a huge variety of modern, fresh patterns. Some of my favorites from the the Dahlia collection are pictured below:


I am also a huge fan of the Beacon House Damask collection, whicn you can see here.  You can check out all the Easy Change designs at the Sherwin-Williams website.

Now my only problem is picking a pattern...

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tuesday Tunes: Mirah

Have you heard Mirah?  I love this song, and I especially love how it was paired with whimsical hand drawings.

Happy Tuesday!  You can hear more Mirah on her myspace page here.

Rae Dunn

Rae Dunn is a California native who now resides in San Francisco (a local)!  After getting her degree in Industrial Design, working in graphics and fashion design, she finally turned to clay as a potter and artist.

One glance through her thriving Etsy business makes me crave more pottery in my life.

Rae's work has an unfinished, earthy aesthetic, but her designs are simple enough to look sophisticated in even the most elegant home.  In her website bio, Rae says, "I don't strive for perfection in line and form in my work, because for me the balance I'm trying to achieve can't be represented that way. The incompleteness and imperfection of my work is part of the story."

For more info on Rae Dunn, you can visit her website here.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Working With What You Have

Anyone working with a budget knows the challenge of limitations. Personally, I love searching for free or next-to-nothing pieces. With a little time and energy, Craigslist, garage sales, and thrift stores can be treasure troves. However, sometimes scoring things for free means working with what you have rather than what you envisioned.

We recently scored a large brown couch in a great condition off of Craigslist - for free! While it's perfect for our young family - sturdy, neutral, comfortable - right now the brown-on-brown of the couch on our wood laminate has left our living room a bit...blah.  We were able to spice things up a bit with another free score, a braided blue rug in an cool, almost nautical, blue that also wasn't my first choice. But, rugs are expensive, and it's a vast improvement than the wood laminate alone.

All together, my living room has become interesting design challenge.  Adding to that challenge is the fact that our living area flows into our dining/kitchen area, which is a sea of wood (again, laminate) cabinetry, mixed with pops of red appliances and towels.

While it may not have been what I've first envisioned, I've decided a neutral palette with pops of red and blue could actually be pretty sophisticated if I do it right. I have to be careful, though, as this palette could easily turn "Patriotic Country" (which is definitely not my style).

I'll post some before-and-after pics when it's all done, but for now, here's some rooms for inspiration:













Wanting: Sequins

My budget can probably only handle a sequin clutch, but... a girl can dream, can't she?