Kristen Doran

I have never been much of a sewer (although it's next on my list of things to learn!), but I've always been a sucker for a gorgeous fabric.  With my obsession with prints and patterns, how could I not?  I just discovered Australian textile designer Kristen Doran, and already I am a huge fan of her brightly, clean prints.  Not only does Kristen screenprint fabric, she also turns them into crafy goodness by making dolls (like robots and "kokeshi dolls"), and embroidery projects.  Check out a sampling of her work:

Be sure to check out Kristen's blog and shop! 

Ork Map Prints

I love these city neighborhood posters by Ork Inc.  I'd love to hang in a hallway... sort of a gallery of the places we have lived and traveled:

Check out their newest "Brain" poster, too:

All the posters come in several color choices.  You can purchase all the posters above - and more! - at the Ork Posters website here.





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...

Look for Less

It all started with this Orla Kiely outfit:

I LOVE it.  The pattern mixed with the stripes, the layers, the leather bag and tights.  It's stylish without being pretentious or elite looking, with a bit of humor... everything I love.

Trouble is, I'm a thrifty kinda gal (read: cheap), and I don't have a few hundred bucks to drop on this outfit.  And it's hard to recreate, as no one does an Orla Kiely pattern like Orla Kiely and that is why we like them.

Still, I really want to recreate this layered, mixing of patterns look.  So I did my best to find some more wallet-friendly options. Which wasn't easy, people - I think I looked at every printed dress available for purchase on the entire Internet - and I'm still not sure I nailed it, but take a look:

We start with a great printed dress (or even a top with a black skirt or dark jeans could work):

 Yellow print dress    Go-Jane strapless dress  Urban Outfitters Ikat Dress 

 Grey Printed Dress   Floral tube top  Forever21 Grey Dress

If you are more modest like me, you can layer the strapless dresses or a solid color tee.  Then adding a second (or third layer), go for a striped cardigan:

Merona Striped Cardigan    PacSun Grey Striped Cardigan   Gap Blue Shawl Collar Cardigan

Add some solid (neutral) color tights, some platform shoes like these suede covered pumps from Charlotte Russe:

And a great leather-look shoulder bag:

Charlotte Russe bag                              Target Bag

And voila!

So what do you think? Ready to go fall shopping?

LWN

This "Dotty" pillow by Ferm Designs is calling to me. The yellow, the trees, the dots... it's the definition of "whimsy", no?

At just shy of $70, it's a bit steep for my budget (it is, after all, simply a small pillow), so I'm hunt for a fabric to equal it. So far by searches have turned up this and this. Any suggestions?

The Inspiration of Tokidoki

Toki who? Trust me, you know it. tokidoki is the riduculously popular, Japanese inspired pop art of Italian designer and illustrator Simone Legno that is EVERYWHERE - apparel, bags, footwear, toys, gadgets, skateboards, you name it.

I'm currently coveting his Adios Flash Polo for my wee one (see left). LOVE.

Legno may be best known for his major brands - think tokidoki Hello Kitty, tokidoki Marvel characters, and tokidoki Black Eyed Peas. His newest collaboration is a new makeup and accessories line for Sephora. I'm not sure what a skater Roman boy knows about makeup palettes, but I'm going to be first in line for the super rad makeup bags... which he'll be personally promoting and autographing on May 20th at the Powell St Sephora in San Francisco).

As a designer, I always love to hear about other artist's inspiration and creation process. I recently discovered an in-depth look at tokidoki's inspiration on one of my favorite training websites, Lynda.com.

For full access to the videos, you need to be a subscriber (which, at $25 month for literally of hundreds of video master classes, is a steal). But you can watch the intro to Simone Legno and watch him sketch here.

Amy Butler Spring 2010

Our beautiful 70s and sunny weather stormed away in a big raincloud this morning. Good thing there is Amy Butler's Spring 2010 line to bring color (and texture! and pattern!) back into my life.

Big shocker, I know, a design blogger loving Amy Butler. Still, check out their Inspiration page for a sensory overload.

Please don't call them favorites...

Because really, how could you choose? Target has pages upon pages of chairs, loungers, and setees in fabulous upholstered prints. Get a set in a more muted palette to spice up your dining room table, or use one of their more bold prints (like the cherry Gerber pictured top left) to add a punch of color to a neutral living area. I'm redesigning my house as I write this...

Check them out here!