You gotta laugh.

I found this amazing installation artist Heike Weber via Apartment Therapy. Take a look.

So here's what I'm cracking up about. You should absolutely check out the link for this Artist. Her work is incredible and there's much more to her catalogue than these sharpie pieces. That's right, I said sharpie. Her installations are breathtaking in their scope, scale, and obvious meticulousness. Now you should check out the Apartment Therapy article and comments.

First off the article in itself showcases her art as a nifty idea for what to do when your stumped about how to jazz up your floors. Secondly...well just check out a couple of the comments yourself:

"How ingenious! Perfect to experiment with at a weekend home or something"
"Not sure I prefer it over stained concrete, but I think I would LOVE a combo:"
"Not for me, but I could totally see it in a bar or record store."
"Mmmmmmmm, wonder if I could this myself, or would it just look bad."

So yeah, you gotta laugh.
 

Ikat's Meow.

So I have this lovely friend, and since I've moved away, we've been keeping up with little letters [always written on fabulous stationery of some sort] and gifts via post. And each time she sends me a little something, I feel compelled to send a little something back.

Recently she hit the nail on the head. I am a HUGE fan of Martha Stewart. But alas, Martha does not deliver her subscriptions overseas and I pine for her. I had mentioned this to no one so it was with great surprise and delight that I received an issue of that great ode to domestic suavity, Martha Stewart Living.

Well I had to come up with an equally exciting retort. So I thought about sending her some personalized notecards. I've been wanting to make some nice stationery for quite some time to sell on Etsy and keep my idle hands happy, but like any real designer. I cannot create within a vacuum. An artist solves his or her own problems within their work. A designer solves others. A true designer is a problem-solver, a mathematician, and works best within confines and limitations that drive the creative impulse to twist and turn and cajole it's way to the finish line. Give me a blank sheet of paper and a pen and I am stumped. Give me a quandary, an equation, a conundrum, or even a disaster and here is where I flourish.

Drawing up stationery for some nameless etsy consumer put me at a loss at every contemplation, but now I had a purpose. A face, a friend, a bold personality for which to tailor my work, it all became so simple. I had the pattern and design drawn up within the day, and was busily comping away envelope liners by evening.

So I've decided to start a series of monogrammable note cards, inspired by the dauntless, beautiful, wonderful women I have had the good fortune to befriend.  I will showcase them here and sell them on Etsy.  The first of what promises to be an exciting series.

Introducing, The Carlson:

Inspired by Ikat prints and the bold, colorful, personality of a dear friend.

I welcome any comments and suggestions you may have. This is my first time selling on Etsy so any and all help would be great. And also. Tell your friends! xoxo

Making Lemonade.

So apologies, apologies. My internet has been down for over a week. Ugh. On the bright side I've been getting a lot of analog work done. I have this new project I'm working on that I am SUPER excited about. Teaser below:

While working on said project today, my printer ran out of ink and the backup ink I had was for the wrong model. I have no idea how I even had the  erroneous cartridge to begin with. Drunk office supply shopping? Awash with frustration, I decided to get dressed and get out of the house. I remembered this lovely lunch spot that frenchie and I discovered our first week here [they have wifi yay!] and decided to walk over for a refreshing lunch/decompression. This lack of internet has been making me loopy and uber-aggravated to say the least. On my walk over I happened upon a print shop that just so happened to have one remaining cartridge of the ink I need. How's that for luck? And now here I am at Baklust ...

seated in that very corner, [pics from their site] waiting for what promises to be a most delicious lunch [baked eggs with tomato and fresh oregano, yum!] replete with interent connection and a latte. Good times. My spirit feels recharged, my mind at ease. And all I needed was a little change of locale.

ps. The BF is whisking me away to Bruge this weekend. It's supposed to be "The Venice of Northern Europe." I will take many pics and report back soon. Thanks for the patience. xoxo

Design Heresy.

I love organizing my stuff. Because that means I have to go through everything first. In this case, all my design magazines and inspiration files and old artwork. What fun! What nostalgia! I'm pouring over a Wallpaper circa March 1999 currently. Last night while giving it a quick browse I spotted this.

Isn't that stool on the left to die for? The matte legs with the high-gloss lacquered seat in a matching hue. That is my kind of attention to detail. Subtle but very striking too.

The one on the right is the iconic Alvar Aalto 3-legged stool but I prefer the way the gloss wraps around the edge of the seat on the left. And the fact that the hues match up. Tres sexy. I know, I know, designers aghast!

In fact I'm going to make my own with my ikea frosta. I think I'll check out this cool tutorial from Door Sixteen on how she turned the frosta into the Aalvar Alto just to see if she has any tips that'll work for my makeover.

Updates to come! Thanks to Apartment Therapy for turning me onto Door Sixteen. What a rad blog! Both of you really.

Back to Grandma.

That last post got me thinking about Gram and what a wonderful influence she was on our lives. And as if to prove my point, my super crafty sister had just sent me some pictures of the embroidery she has been working on. Really excellent stuff.

 Her BF's record label.

This one positively slays me!

Can't go wrong with monogrammed pj's! Or this hot dress she made!
My sis is a craftastic whirlwind!

And a damn fine looker too!

Cabbage & Roses.

Anyone who knows me well enough will concur that I am basically an old grandma, just waiting for the wrinkles to set in. I love toile, teacups, and toiletries. I have always been this way, not just since etsy made crafting and all things Grandma the new hip thing. I used to sit by myself knitting during recess in the second grade. That paints a socially well-adjusted picture now doesn't it?

I credit my incredible Grandmother for much of this. She was the person who taught me waste not want not. She recycled and repurposed everything! She was as crafty and grandmotherly as the day is long. She wore rose tinted perfume. And loved sipping on her favorite beverage of watered down orange juice over ice with a straw. She always had the frosty glass wrapped with a napkin at an angle just so. She would rock in her favorite chair, embroidering some heartfelt gift for a friend or someone's new arrival, the faint smell of roses and orange wafting through the house. I miss her.

And I love the way she influenced my life and who I am and what I love. I credit her when I find a store like this and I just love love love it!

They have the loveliest fabrics, pillows, aprons etc!

Fat Fucker.

"Oh my! Aren't those hydrangeas looking so lovely in my home?"

"Pray-tell us where you got so many lovely Hydrangea blooms for your flat?"

"Oh it's on account of this fat fucker. M'dear."

 Yes this fat fucking cat took some crazy fall off the partition wall between his home and mine and lucky for him, my hydrangea plant broke his fall.

Oh I know what you're thinking.

"Oh he's soooooo cute!"
Yeah he really loses his charm after he decimates your horticultural pride and joy.

I woke up at 6:30 am to go for a run before my day. Went out to the terrace to grab the clothes on the line and there was my baby. Branches, leaves, flowers everywhere. It was crazy. A big smash in the center and everything smashed in a circle around it. That fat fuck made a goddamn crop circle out of my hydrangea.

My baby went from this...

to this...

Here I tried making a brace with some kitchen twine and a twig. Garden Macgyver! The above pic is actually a major improvement because it's been braced and cleaned up. When I came out this am it was a real shit-show with flowers, branches, leaves and fur scattered every-which-friggin-way. But I was in too much of a state of shock to capture it on film  Needless to say I blew off a ton of steam on my run this am. Damn cat!

If I had some cashish...

I would spend it all at this fabulous shop! Noticing that the sun has ceased doing me any favors I decided I needed some hats for biking/gardening/beaching etc. Searching the interwebs for something local-ish. [import taxes be a bitch!] I stumbled upon this gem. James Lock & Co., LTD. Millinery at it's most fabulous and most English. Wish someone would ask me to Ascot! And then fork over for the hat too. Enjoy!

ps. notice the nod to Audrey? so chic.

Good Question.

So I found this great poster on Grain Edit. A particularly rad graphic design blog.

It's by Concepcion Studios. I headed on over to Concepcion's site and took a look around.

So here's the thing. I like Concepcion studios work. I really do. That My Chemical Romance poster would be framed in my living room if it was for sale. But doesn't all their work look rather homogenous? I mean I like the style but it seems everything they do is in that same retro style.

So the question is. Does Concepcion Studio's talent and creativity become diminished by the fact that they are more or less a one-trick pony? Should design be about bringing your own voice to every piece or should it be about invention and problem solving for each new and unique client? I'm very curious to hear opinions and thoughts on this matter.