joyful

Back in NYC, I was browsing in the Moma bookshop and came across this new book on the work of Pop Artist Sister Corita:




Her work is so alive and just joyful - that is the word many people use to describe it. I love it visually, but I also think her commentary on the world around her is intruiging.

sale at rose and radish

rose and radish is having an online switch sale - while they swap their old show for the new one. check it out.

while i was checking it out, i saw this lovely picture of some lovely bavarian glasses. not on sale, but pretty all the same:


Images courtesy of Rose and Radish

mission indie mart

If you are around SF this weekend, definitely check out the Mission Indie Mart. Besides the sweet whale (I love whales) icon, they are bound to have some sweet designers. For instance, Ali of designalicious will be there with her beautiful jewelry! I have two of her charm necklaces (wearing one today actually!) and get endless compliments on them.

I wish I could go but I'll be away for the weekend. But Ali mentioned that she'll be at the next Capsule SF Design Festival on Oct 14 in Hayes Valley so there'll be another chance!

Also - while on the topic of local indie designer fairs - I know there will be some wonderful letterpress works for sale on Sept 8 at the SF Center for the Book's Fourth Annual Roadworks: Steamroller Prints and Street Fair. If you've been jonesing to have a real life steamroller print a carved linoleum block for you - here's your opportunity.

Among others, my letterpress teacher, Megan Aidie, will have a table. Check it out!

making letterpress progress

I am definitely going to post more on my NYC finds, but first I wanted to post these:









I made my blog some stationary!

Letterpress class could not be more fun. My partner Geoff and I mixed up our colors and took the press by storm (not really, but we did feel super happy with our results). I had laid out just some boring text - the three bits you can see - but then in a burst of inspiration with our second color registration we adjusted things on the fly, played with overlapping text and went with our gut. We ended up with what I think is a really dynamic, integrated design as a final product.

I made flat stationary, folded a few of the flat pieces up into cards and also - thanks to Geoff's idea - perforated a few just above the wording which created some extemporaneous business cards.

I love it! Can't wait for future classes and... In other exciting news, my husband and our friend - both two handy people - fixed my broken tabletop letterpress! They fixed broken cast iron - no idea how they did it, but they did. I am impressed and super grateful. So I am a huge step closer to being able to do this chez moi. Again, can't wait!

use of color at home

i like seeing how people work with color in their homes. elisabeth dunker's use of it in hers is so simple and beautiful.

i like the pops of color against the white and blue for the kids rooms - it is carefully designed and laid out but i get the feeling the kids can still play freely, be inspired, leave toys on the floor (look at the second picture) and make the space their own.

many thanks to joanna for the link to her article and interview in cookie magazine with elisabeth dunker.

now i really am dying to visit sweden and denmark to see more aesthetics like these!

Images courtesy of Cookie magazine

romp

in honor of another new baby born yesterday, more baby toys!

this is an awesome elephant baby toy sold at romp in brooklyn:

romp was quite possibly my favorite store in my recent wanderings through various brooklyn shopping neighborhoods. i have no kids, but love the clean lines and bright colors of well designed baby toys!

i think the shop lady thought i was a little crazy because i entered without children in tow and just stood, by myself, in the store ogling the animal figures and the wallpaper elephants and giraffes and the wonderful bunny mobiles. i didn't buy anything but i am sure i will online one of these days!

Image courtesy of Romp

kathryn parker almanas

after a much needed week+ with family in nyc/ct/ny, i am back in sf. while i was back east, i spent a lot of time with my cousin katie, a fine art photographer. her work is stunning:


Image courtesy of Kathryn Parker Almanas


it reminds me of dutch still lives and the slant of light in a vermeer.

to make a photograph, katie sets up the still life and waits for the light. check out more of her work on her website - it deals with issues surrounding the body and dissection.

she'll be coming to galleries in boston, chicago and other cities so watch out for her.

and i am back to my regular postings and have lots to share from my trip east... stay tuned.

a root glen

today is a sad and contemplative day - and here is a picture of a place that seems to fit it:



i'll be taking a bit of break for a while, but look forward to being back online soon!

megan park

Browsing at Erica Tanov (one day I promise to actually buy something here; I treat this store as though it is a museum with no admission fee), I was really taken with the beauty of the embroidered skirts and dresses by Megan Park.

They are hand-beaded with Japanese glass beads, hand-painted and decked out with sequins, affixed one by one, by hand. Truly works of art.



Here's a detail:


Images courtesy of Browns

Stunning!

there are no words....

... to describe how adorable this kay bojesen toy monkey is.



i came across it on a cup of jo and it made me smile and smile. the designer is also danish - which always inspires some ancestral pride around our household!

have a great friday!

lamps ... in chartreuse!

these lamps, from paris hotel boutique, could not be more fabulous:


Image courtesy of Paris Hotel Boutique

of course, they are sold. the shop has some similar pairs for sale, but nothing quite as luminous and glowy and - well - green as these!

wardrobe spice

if you are like me, you have a lot of black and neutral work clothes. in the interest of not breaking the bank but pursuing my new fixation with color, i've been adding color - on my feet.

my secret weapon: bettye muller flats and heels in her trademark fabulous colors. the other, and most necessary, secret: getting them at 50% off in the sale section at anthropologie. i can't get enough! check out the gold flats as well.

(i've posted about them before, but have gotten so many compliments recently that i thought i'd post again!)

and, as if the above weren't enough, they are super comfortable! i am serious! also, i bought my red/white flats (above) a few months ago when they had a whole range of normal sizes; it looks like they are more limited now, but i totally suggest monitoring the sales at anthropologie!

house of hengst

I just love local SF design shop, House of Hengst on Valencia. Each piece is unique and classic at the same time and each has such wonderful drape and colors. I am happy to see it getting a bunch more press lately!

This is the Hengst Bijou top sold through Anica Boutique in Russian Hill:


Image courtesy of Anica Boutique

So pretty. Looks like House of Hengst is available through stores nationwide - so check it out!

something pretty for monday morning

Image courtesy of Vivre

I am not really a porcelain person, but this Lladro porcelain butterfly chandelier is just stunning.

fireworks!

a blurry but fun pic of the view of fireworks from our house the other night:



fireworks popped up in every corner of the city and went on for a long time after the 'official' ones were over. some especially good ones lit up the sky over dolores park.

so much to celebrate!

yesterday was a big day - it was our first anniversary and a new baby was born to great friends! in honor of everything, we went to dinner at foreign cinema.

we sat outside and it was warm (unusual for sf in the summer at night!). the light was just beautiful and it reminded us of being in france last year.

also, the flower arangements there, by natalie bowen, are just gorgeous. a great end to a fantastic day.

babies on the brain

This is my state of mind today. And so here we go.

A bunny mobile:


Image courtesy of Romp


Dado Cubes:


Image courtesy of SF Moma


Little Twig Washcloths:


Image courtesy of Church Street Apothecary


Alexander Calder Elephant Puzzle:


Image courtesy of SF Moma


Onesies from Belle Epoque:


Image courtesy of Nancy at Belle Epoque


And a super fun decorating project for parents posted by design*sponge.

Happy Fourth of July!

alameda finds

I went to the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Fair for the first time yesterday with Nancy and Natalie and B and Meghan. I've been to lots of fairs which sell a lot of junk, but not this one.

I found gorgeous $2 plastic Japanese platters:



And this luminous green glass vase:



Even if you are not buying, the fair is totally amusing to walk through. There's something entertaining for everyone: my husband was entranced by the antique tools and the dealer selling old watch parts. I found a treasure trove of letterpress type and images and loved the vintage super soft white linens at Euro-Linens. A most excellent iced mocha from a Bay Bridge Coffee stall kept me going!

Also, the view of SF from the fairgrounds is not to be missed!

alright, let's get back to color

surfing around, i found the blog Scout Holiday and via it, came across the website for Preen magazine. which features this fantastic image in its current issue:


Tunnel Vision, construction paper artwork by Jen Stark. Image courtesy of Preen

i am mesmerized. definitely check out the Preen website for more images and artwork.

pretty pibiones

after so much color, i'd like a bit of white. this bag from pibiones (which i discovered via the wonderful italian blog labour of heart) fits the bill. many other lovely bags from this Sardinian company are right here.
Image courtesy of Pibiones

gotta love new york

I came across this book while I was browsing at Velocity Art & Design:



Which was totally exciting because it reminded me of my upcoming trip to NYC - aka my hometown. Love the colors on the cover - such a bright and chaotic reminder of all that is bright and lovely and chaotic about NYC. Can't wait to get there.

See the Assouline website for some interior page shots.

Nicola Gebhard

Who could resist these for a jaunty walk in the rain? Or to keep the summer (it's here! in SF!) sun out of your eyes?

Nicola Gebhard, a hatmaker from Berlin, makes these. I love how she says her choice of color dictates the style she picks...

Image courtesy of Nicola Gebhard/Ysh

meet Yuki

Check these kicks out:



Via Labour of Heart via Bloesem, I came across Hetty Rose, a british company that hand-makes shoes covered in vintage Japanese fabric.

This particular pair is called Yuki and I just love the pops of color (yellow heals!) and the retro shape.

Image courtesy of Hetty Rose

temperley at target

Temperley dresses exude such a sense of exotic relaxation. Kind of like - if I was wearing one, I must be in some far flung, hot spot where the primary activity must be doing nothing much at all...


Image courtesy of Temperley

I spent some time the other week at Post26 in LA ogling them (they are spendy$$$). Come October, however, it looks like I'll be able to partake of a bit of Temperley as Alice Temperley's collection for Target debuts:


Images courtesy of Target

Not an exotic dress in sight (ok the one at the right is pretty sultry), but I like the Parisian chic of these.

coming at me via the usps

The other day this arrived for me from a used bookseller:



And I've had my face buried in it since then. Matisse continues to be such an inspiration which I see so clearly as I look back through the pieces I've posted about!

My platen press also made it to me across the country and, with some heavy lifting, up into our apt. So I've also been buried in catalogs offering all sorts of press and printing accessories, some of which have these fantastic names - a chase, the gooseneck, quoins, furniture and slugs!

binth baby

With babies again on the brain (just spent a fun few hours with a great friend and her adorable and super happy 7 month old who has discovered how to give a most excellent sloppy kiss!) I thought I'd show this:


Image courtesy of Binth

This baby book says everything that a whole lot of baby stuff doesn't; it's simple, well-designed and is such a soothing, restful (for the tired parental eyes) green image. The book is from Binth, a Chicago design group which produces really striking graphics in cards, notebooks and on art prints. Including this print for a baby room (which I love, love, love):


Image courtesy of Binth


I am also immersed in design research for upcoming trips 1) to my hometown NYC; can't wait to really get to know Brooklyn and 2) on a bonanza trip to Berlin & Munich & Cophenhagen. If anyone reading this has any suggestions about where to go and what to see (design or otherwise), I'd love to hear them!

she's so great

I have been following shiso mama's postings for a while now - and I just love them more and more. I love the updates on her son otis and the whole family traveling in taiwan - fashion show sunday included.

Inspired by shiso mama's collages and projects (I am planning to do her homasote board project), I took a look through her flickr sets and came across her tutorial on silhouettes which included a picture of her Enzo Mari pig print. I'd love one of those or maybe an Enzo Mari apple:


This is just so appealing in so many ways. Bright clean lines. Cheerful red shape. And there is also a pear! Both are available from kido.



Image courtesy of kido

learning to love you more

Good news: I think my press has made it across the country! I got a cryptic USPS notice telling me a 'heavy parcel' is waiting for me at the post office ... What else could it be? I have to ask b when he can help me pick it up! Cannot wait.

In other creative ventures, I just submitted this as an assignment for the Learning to Love You More project #63, organized by Miranda July et al:



For #63 - the "Make an encouraging banner" assigment - they suggested you do something with a phrase you say to yourself ... and I thought of this phrase that I do say to myself - a phrase I saw once on a lady's tote bag in an airport in Florida.

Although the quote is a little challenging or onerous sounding, it is encouraging to me b/c it basically says to be creative it is necesary to have courage and to persevere. that is a requirement of creativity. It shouldn't come super easily, but requires courage and effort and intent - all that.

(Also, randomly, I realized it is a Matisse quote (after looking it up on the internet) whch is kind of nice - b/c his work has been so formative in my design sense.)

Anyhow, I'd recommend taking a look at some of the other assigment submissions on the LLYM website - and possibly particpate. A recording of "the sound that is keeping you awake" might make someone out there in the world (not you, I am guessing) laugh!

modern economy

On design*sponge today, I read about Modern Economy, which seems right up my alley. Calling itself a "home & lifestyle sample sale event for design enthusiasts" and emphasizing affordable modern design, Modern Economy is coming to SF again this July.

I hope to find some:

Henry Road cottons



Or maybe some Tikoli tea towels?



It is a bit mysterious, but sign up to be on the ME email list to find out when and where the event will take place in SF....

Also, check out the website of Meg Mateo Ilasco, Modern Economy's organizer. Her prints are so fun!

color and line

I have been meaning to post about hayden-harnett's Paule Marrot editions for a while now and my visit to josephine & debudda, a jewel box of a store in the Mission (which carries select hayden-harnett pieces) yesterday spurred me on.

The Marrot edition handbags feature inserts of Paule Marrot fabric and the super supple hayden-harnett leather and lush design. A french print designer, Paule Marrot was inspired by the Fauves and created stunning bold fabrics. And now we have this beauty:


Image courtesy of hayden-harnett


I love the predominant features of the painting of the Fauves - the deep saturated color, the simplified line. Concepts that are so in - in design right now. I did a major project in school in Paris on Matisse - and fell in love with his approach and consequently design that features the same kind of play between color and line.

Also, I highly recommend a trip to josephine & debudda. Lots of gleamy gold vintage jewelry, fun orange plates, vintage glassware and purses - and a chance to meet josephine herself!

quiz: what type of font are you?

On how about orange, I found this quiz ..."What font are you?"

It seemed at first so promising. Perhaps I would be something really exotic like Old English or Papyrus? Or at least something Germanic like Bauhaus. This was not to be.

Like Jessica from how about orange, I ended up Arial. I think the thing is rigged. Arial????? Seriously.

a wallpaper menagerie

I've definitely had colorful wallpaper on the brain recently - and also kids (so many new babies in my life!)... so why not a wallpaper zoo for kids?

How cool are these?



I mean, why NOT decorate a kids room with a vintage wallpaper giraffe?



Or a chimp?




Many thanks to Joanna of Cup of Jo for the introduction to these and to Romp, the most excellent kids shop where you can purchase your very own menagerie... or a wallpaper tree?



Or elephant?

a feast of SF jewelry talent

Nancy of Belle Epoque has put up her new line of jewelry - with a beach theme. The pieces are really lovely.




Walking with Nancy through a bead store is an experience - as she goes and contemplates coral pieces and sea glass and all the other wonders, she sees in her head so many options! I can't wait to see what she makes next.


Also, Ali of designalicious has put up her gorgeous line too. I met Ali at the Maker Faire and loved all of her work. Amid a bunch of talented independent designers, she really stood out! I made the mistake of not buying several pieces right then and there, but now she's up on etsy. In particular, I love the charm necklaces:




I am not sure what this weekend will bring... but hopefully it will include a trip to Ikea for some Ribba frames for my collection of prints. Our blank dining room wall is crying out for them!