Category Archives: art

friday finds

happy friday, dear readers.  it’s the first ‘friday finds’ of the new year, so we’d better make it good…don’t you agree?

i honestly can’t remember where i first spotted these bold graphic drawings from artist josh cochran.  but i haven’t been able to get them out of my head.  i emailed the artist begging him to make a print available, and he was kind enough to let me know that they were just about to be released!  now, they’re available on his site, and for a very reasonable $55 each (i also love that they’re 13×19…i’m overloaded with 8×10 prints in my life at present).  my hands-down favorite is the museum steps print, but they’re all such perfect scenes of new york, with all its grit, confusion, personality and color.  i can’t wait to have one on my wall.

and now moving from the serious and artistic to the superficial and stylish, i’ve been eyeing this navy coat from asos for months now, but in recent days it’s turned into more of an obsession than anything else.  it looks exactly like the sort of thing you’d be wearing when the sartorialist sprinted across the street to beg to take your photo, doesn’t it?  beyond being the perfect oversized, slouchy hybrid between a blazer and an overcoat, the details are what really make this amazing. i love the buttoned pleat in the back, and as always, am swooning at the mere sight of elbow patches.  at $200, it’s hard to continue being disciplined.

i spied these beautiful canisters at west elm last week, and i’ve been dying to show you.  but they’re not available online…so irritating!  if you happen to stop into a west elm store, look around for these beautiful, heath-style ceramic canisters in the palest sky blue, with a wooden lid, that look right out of a kitchen styled for martha stewart.  oh, and they’re marked down from $70 to $24.99…hmm, no wonder they’re not available online any longer. i did, however, manage to track down a photo:

have a great weekend, everyone!  and if you’re lucky enough to have monday off, well, send a little thought of thanks up to dr. king for handing you that work holiday, won’t you?

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friday finds: the leftovers edition

i was going to skip ‘friday finds’ this week, if only because this whole week of gift guiding has felt like the most gigantic ‘friday finds’ ever.  but, there were a few little goodies that didn’t quite fit the guides that are still utterly lovely and deserving of your attention.  and so, this week’s guide is for them!

the very sweet melissa of zedena designs sent over this beautiful enamel pendant for me a few weeks ago.  isn’t it just lovely?  i’m a sucker for anything enamel, and i love the vintage wallpaper feel this design has.  i can tell you firsthand it does amazing things for a simple black v-neck.  the medallion is my favorite of her designs, but i’m imagining that beautiful little bird would be a perfect gift for a friend that loves music, and it’s a very affordable gift option.  oh!  and i’m told that code JINGLEBELLS will get you 10% off through 12/20, so that’s good news too.

i’m having a serious case of wanderlust these days, especially whenever i see anything related to paris.  these two prints have been haunting my dreams since i first saw them. i can’t resist much of anything that blanca gomez does, but this may just be my favorite of hers yet. and though clare owen’s beautiful snowglobe looks to be out of stock, these etsy folks are so kind, i’m betting she’d reprint if you asked nicely.

this is another handmade find i just can’t get out of my head.  i’m loathe to spend $40 on a mug, but these pretty poppies catch my eye virtually every single time i’m on etsy.  so, perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something about my personal limitations with regard to coffee mug spending.

i’ve had these little pants bookmarked to show you for months now…but really, how often do we talk baby-friendly goods here?  that said, they’re maybe the cutest baby-related thing i’ve seen all year.  even the name is cute:  crankypants!  you’re dying of cuteness right now, i know.  by the way, i do know that $80 for baby pants is ridiculous.  but if you were going to save one piece of your kid’s clothing for posterity, wouldn’t it be the crankypants?   plus, they’re handmade by a knitting cooperative in peru, so you’re basically supporting a village.  how can you say no?

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and, lest we get on too much of a ‘handmade’ run today, i’ll wrap up with this amazing vermeil lotus ring from the sundance catalog ($138).  you can find beauty everywhere, people…even in the middle of a hippie-crunchie catalog like sundance.  i’m head over heels for this beauty…and i just know it’s one of those things people would stop you on the street to ask about.

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get gifting: on the cheap

happy hanukkah, everyone!  for those of you not frantically rushing around to find a gift before sunset, tonight is the first night of hanukkah.  and so, in honor of the festival of lights, today’s gift guide is full of ideas perfect for friends, loves, and family, but the common thread is that each and every one is under $30…and that’s a list i’m guessing you’ll want no matter what holiday(s) you’re celebrating this year.  because if you thought christmas left you feeling broke, just imagine stringing it out for eight craaaazy nights!

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left to right, from top: angela adams address book and notepad sets (so, so beautiful in person), $14-15; postcarden “season’s greetings” pop-up card, $13; clinique “connect the gloss” interchangeable lip gloss set, $25; cast iron owlet (literally impossible not to love), $18; tocca crema mani viaggio hand cream trio, $18; vosges bacon chocolate chip pancake mix, $12; michelle armas signed antonia 2011 calendar, $30; allo-allo french tea towel, $15; origins “peace of mind” on-the-spot relief (great for men and women – i’m obsessed!), $10; international rescue committee blankets, school supplies or first aid kits, $20-28; happy socks (!), $10; modern madness moustache mug, $14.

{FTC disclaimer: some product samples were provided to help me compile this guide, but as usual, there’s no pay-for-play here.}

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the girls of summer

every so often, i get a major art itch.  i find myself scouring etsy, style court, design for mankind, and all of my favorite online art galleries to discover new art and artists, and i inevitably find several pieces i just can’t do without.  this summer, i’ve been obsessed (obsessed!) with portraits, and i find myself especially drawn to portraits of women looking happy in the midst of what must be a perfect summer day.

i fell hard for amy rice’s work the first time i saw it, and the love hasn’t diminished in the least.  i love the nostalgic feel of her pieces…they remind me of something you’d find in your grandmother’s attic, but infinitely more hip.  this piece is called olivia and olivia’s mom again, and you can find it at the always-amazing art star philly (which also happens to be the home of that jen corace print i’m still dying to own).

20×200 is a constant source of strife for me…it’s like gilt groupe for art.  i always feel that art should be a considered purchase (after all, fashion comes and goes, but art is forever), but the possibility of pieces selling out throws me into a panic.  i’m still sad i missed out on their first matthew tischler series…i really should just take the plunge and get the latest editions while i still can.

doesn’t etui’s float just make you feel instantly relaxed?  it’s like everything good you remember about summer, before you cared about air conditioning, spf or what that ice cream cone was going to do to your thighs.

these two portraits, by anna bergin and tushtush, have had me captivated for the longest time.  i love imagining what these women were thinking while these were being painted, and where they might have been headed later that day.

i think i’m ready for a sno cone now!

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now this is an urban outfitters i can get behind!

wow, i’m not sure what’s going on. normally i just don’t appreciate urban outfitters – going to the store feels a bit like coming home from college for the weekend and swinging by your old high school, only to realize you’re already hopelessly unhip and out of place.  but in the last few days, i’ve spotted several things that have made me swoon.

i’m a longtime fan of andrew holder, so i’m thrilled to see (thank you, cafe cartolina!) he has two brand new prints available at UO.  they’re both huge (one is nearly three feet tall), and such great examples of his work.  in fact, i coveted his original edition of the jellyfish print (which i promise you will be on my wall soon) for ages, and nearly cried when i realized it was sold out (not that i could have afforded it).  so, as you’d imagine, this new edition is making me extremely happy.

and, from fish to birds:  i’m apparently strangely attracted to both this week.  after owning my iphone for more than six months, i’ve still been unable to find a cover i didn’t hate.  these are actually skins, not true covers, but they’re lovely, aren’t they?  and isn’t that penguin just the cutest thing?  as soon as i spied it, i knew it was by joanna mendicino – she can just do no wrong in my eyes.

and then there are the shoes.  i’m still bitter that the rachel comey diffusion line wasn’t available in my size.  but now they’re carrying some very stunning marais suede gladiator sandals – also not in my size, and equally fabulous.  sigh.

the one low point:  i was going to point out these blue stacked heel sandals, but the color in the catalog (left – sorry it’s horribly blurry) was this fabulous, bold shade, and on the website (right), it’s, well, more blah than bold, don’t you think?  the whole thing has left me feeling sort of iffy about these.

but the rest is good, don’t you think?

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random friday frills

it’s going to be a lazy friday, i can already tell (this could be because it’s 10:30, and i’ve only just gotten around to throwing on my yoga pants).  with the three-day weekend looming, something tells me you’re all feeling a little lazy today too…am i right?  

as a countermeasure, i thought i’d put together a few of the ultra girly things i’ve been craving this week – nothing makes me sit up straight and cross my ankles faster than a few ruffles and frills.  and hey, if you can’t live it, at least you can love it from a distance.

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shopjake.com is one of my favorite fashion browsing destinations – i’m practically a groupie for their buyer.  don’t all of these frills and ruffles just make you feel warm and fuzzy?  i love the idea of wearing any of these with some distressed denim and a flat metallic sandal – just the thing for flawless summer chic, don’t you agree?

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speaking of girly goodness, artist jen corace has just released a few new prints at art star.  i tweeted my favorite yesterday, but here it is again, just because i’m so, so, so in love with it.  sigh!

and last but not least, if you haven’t yet caught the anna wintour interview from 60 minutes, it’s well worth your 12 minutes.  i don’t care what the haters say, i heart vogue, and i heart anna wintour.  if you do too, i suspect you’re also going to love in vogue.  it’s a pretty fascinating look at the magazine’s history, and includes reprints of all of their best photo shoots and covers.  really stunning, and worth it for the annie leibowitz alice in wonderland shoot alone.

sigh…mission accomplished.  all of this girly-ness has me wanting to go paint my nails.  happy weekend, everyone!  i hope there is a barbecue, a beach and/or a picnic in your immediate future.

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lazy green for earth day

(photo by blissful images – the perfect earth day purchase, don’t you think?)

i think most people that know me would agree i’m not the most green person you’ll ever meet.  i refuse to cancel my catalog subscriptions, i can’t be bothered to sort my glass from my plastics, and it’s maybe one time out of ten that i remember to bring those reuseable bags into the market.

but i’m never one to ignore a holiday, especially when there are deals to be had!  so, here are a few of my favorite ways for you to go green with minimal effort this earth day:

terra collection:  our much-loved sponsor’s decadent organic cotton tees are 50% off for the rest of the week, in celebration of earth day.  use code “earthlove” at checkout, and stock up!  every one is beautifully embroidered, pro-planet, and each purchase means a 15% discount to an earth-loving charity.  

suki hair:  i was browsing the aisles of my neighborhood whole foods the other day and saw that my favorite green beauty line, suki, has released a shampoo and conditioner!  naturally, i had to try them immediately.  if you’re not afraid of low-lather shampoo (it’s never bothered me…), this stuff is fantastic!  it smells as wonderful as their lemongrass cleanser that i can’t get enough of, it left my hair so much more moisturized than it normally is, and just generally is making me happy.  plus, it’s vegan – so my northwest cred is intact.

rume bags:  i get a reuseable tote maybe once a week these days…it seems almost impossible to avoid.  but the ones that actually make it into the store are my rume bags, every time.  and when they do, customers and baggers alike compliment them.  they’re huge, have a flat bottom, hold an unbelievable amount of stuff, and are actually pretty cute for grocery bags.  plus, i do love the velcro fold-up thing…very handy.  get 20% off sitewide today with code EARTH.

so, happy earth day, readers – how will you be celebrating?  i hope you’ll recycle a glass bottle for me!

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pleased to meet you: antler magazine

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(all images lovingly borrowed from antler magazine)

well, apparently i just can’t get enough of alternative reading material this week.  but yesterday, the lovely and talented decor8 alerted me that the latest (2nd) issue of antler magazine was available online.  the latest in the e-mag world, antler is only published online…which is a shame, as i’d love nothing more than to spend hours poring over every page.  this mag made the blog rounds when it’s first issue released – and, i’ll admit, i wasn’t all that interested.  but seeing a few other e-zines in the last few weeks made me give antler a closer look.  and it is quite possibly my new favorite magazine…with the added benefit of being free.

antler’s site says they focus “on composing a collection of beautiful, inspiring ideas and designs from all aspects of life”.  the real life translation is that i saw one of the most beautifully curated groups of artists, fashion designers, jewelry collections and more that i’ve ever seen – many i’d never even heard of.  best of all, every feature included an interview with the creative person they’re featuring, so you get a little background on your new favorite designer as well.

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i knew i was in the right place when i spied a full-page ad for stone & honey designs, who i featured for daily candy way back when.  then i turned to a gorgeous four-page spread of the darling abigail percy‘s designs – another designer i’ve loved for years.

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but i discovered plenty of newbies as well.  joanna mendicino‘s sweet ceramic designs – i recalled seeing them once upon a time, but this in-depth look made me fall pretty hard.  and a fashion line called h. fredriksson that is full of beautifully cut silhouettes and modern classics – it’s truly not to be missed.  and then i discovered the incredibly talented anna bergin, whose very real, yet almost ethereal portraiture has me officially obsessed.

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i could go on and on, but you could also just take a look for yourself…really, it’s the best new publication i’ve seen release in a long time, and well worth a browse.  if you’re feeling the handmade, indie-design trend at all these days, but want to take it a step past etsy, there’s literally no better source i’ve found.  i can hardly wait until they go print, so i can subscribe.  in the meantime, i’ll be going back to read issue #1 now.  i’d love to hear what you think of antler!

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