Sweet Sweet Life

like a breath of fresh air

I love this idea:

Look at what you've got!  Love what you have!  Imagine that! 

From Shaz Mandani and Billy Woods, it's a project to "celebrate the everyday objects that we have fallen out of love with.  It encourages you to reconsider what you already own and appreciate it in a new light."  Isn't that wonderful? 

Of course, sometimes life and it's attendant struggles leave us no choice but to do just this, but it's much, much better to do it voluntarily, don't you think?  (Still, either way, one of the most important lessons to learn...)

Read more here, my dears! 

(Via finely inc.)

xoxox. 

paper bag head

Hey, sweets!

I discovered the work of Kate Pugsley in the latest issue of small magazine (which, of course, is totally lovely and did you know that they have a blog?).  I have fallen fast and hard for everything in her shop, but I most deeply and sincerely identify with this:

I feel this way 90% of the time.

So much to see--check it out!  Hope you're drier than we are in Southern California.  But I'm not complaining--too busy sending good thoughts and lots of love to Chile.

xoxox. 

marlous' world :: color and love

Hello!

I found the wonderful world of Marlous, of Planet Fur, yesterday.  Marlous is a sweet, sweet artist from Utrecht, the Netherlands, and that is her awesome blue 1950s petticoat you see above (how cool is that?).  She kindly allowed me to share some of her work and home with you, and that rocks, because I am so in love with everything she does...

We'll start with what she makes, first.  Check out these sweet and so endearing felt animal heads!  Such a lovely take on the awful tradition of real heads, don't you think?  I can just see these little guys winking, as if to say, "Don't worry!  We were made for this!"

Marlous has a sweet little shop, called Planet Fur, where she sells her goods;  you'll surely want to visit and say hello...

And look at these little British flags made of felt!  I love them:

And these two deer for wedding decorations!  So sweet!

So, there's that, her awesome little shop of love.  But then, look at these beautiful pics of her home! 

 
 
It's wonderful, and yet still so strange, to feel like I have so much in common with someone who lives all the way around the world:  she clearly loves color, and crafting, and sweet vintage finds...Don't we all, who visit this blog?!  The internet is truly amazing.  To find inspiration like this, from someone I will surely never meet, what a wonderful thing...It makes me so happy.

Also making me happy is Marlous' blog where she shares her latest news and the things she finds inspiring.  (And so it goes on and on...!)  And don't miss her flickr and shop, too! 

Thanks, Marlous, for allowing us this peek into your world.  I truly love it.

Cheers, all!

xoxox.

pure beauty :: isabella baudelaire

Hello, again, sweets!  I'm so excited!

Oh, my goodness.  Look (just look!) at these beautiful laser-cut shadow puppets from Holland-based Isabella's Art!:

pippi longstocking!

a dream steamboat

thumbelina

a little prince (he's riding a wolf!  so cool!)

But that's just the tip of the iceberg!  The best part is that Isabella Baudelaire, the 24 year old Dutch artist who specializes in portraying folklore, myths and legends and creates these and many other beautiful illustrations, has a blog...But it isn't any ordinary blog...in this blog (enchantingly titled Over the Hills and Far Away) you can "find everything about myths and legends.  Read the entire stories behind the illustrations, find articles about monsters and magical objects, listen to beautiful folk songs and much more!"

Oh, yay!

 
It's really, really lovely, and she will illustrate your own story for you, if you win her contest.  (She does this all the time, and the results are incredibly lovely... Go See!)

 

In her blog, here, sweet Isabella explains why she loves myths and folktales so very much, and why she concentrates on illustrating these and not other stories.  She says, "Maybe I'm attracted because these stories are as old as mankind which gives me a feeling of being connected with the past. Maybe because it makes me understand human desires, frustrations, hope and love and in this way learn to understand myself. Maybe because I am seeking for a way to escape reality every once in a while, like many of us do when they read a good book. But I know for certain that I am mainly attracted to these stories because of there pure beauty. No literary work has the attraction or beauty of oral tradition. Simply because a writer is constantly busy with writing a good story, having a strong plot and making beautiful sentences.
In legends all of these things don't matter they are purely coming from the heart of the narrator, or in case of music the singer. They reflect their emotions, being it fear or happiness. These stories are not only his story but the story of the people, of a country, of mankind and therefore so much bigger and greater."

Be still my heart.  I love this, so very, very much.  So beautifully put, and her love for what she does shines through in each piece.

Be sure to check this out, my friends:  Isabella's shop and blog.  You will love it too, I just know it.

Cheers!

xoxox.

one for the boys...mostly

Hello, friends!  Happy Friday to you.

I know, and you know, that projects and goodies for boys are not really my forte.  But this project from Holly of Chez Beeper Bebe is so awesome that I had to share.  (And also, I really want some for myself...)

What could be so fantastic?  Well...it's this:

Para-troopers, of course!  Made from these: 

Those odd, shiny, silky scarf-things your grandma may have been fond of wearing.  Can be bought for a song at the thrift store, I'm sure...

Anyway, super-awesome Holly has a full tutorial here, complete with lots of pics of perfect would-be para-troopers for you to use, including a hedgehog and a cow.  (I just find that brilliant.  A para-trooping cow.)

Cheers, and have fun!

xoxox.

elukka

I totally smiled when I found elukka this morning.  Care to guess why?

 
  
Little houses?  Bright colors? 

I'm so there. 

Aren't they delightful?!  But, of course, when you live in Finland, and your town looks like this...:

...inspiration abounds! 

I tried, without success, to find out this artists name.  If anyone knows, please do tell!  Her profile says she's a mom of one and was born in Hungary, now living in Finland.  She also makes a range of other sweet and whimsical pieces...

Go see lots more at elukka, or her blog, if you like!

Edit:  Anna saved the day!  This lovely artist is Szilvia Vihriala, and you can read more about her here!  Thank you so much, Anna!

xoxox. 

minimalist, with a splash of fun :: becke

Hi, sweets...

Although I get the distinct impression that Becke (whose incredibly lovely rural-Canadian home exterior you are looking at above) is way, way cooler than I am (and really, who isn't?), she was kind enough to allow me to share some photos of her beautiful, stylish, and fun home with you.  Because, I think she's like that.  Cool and generous.  I do love those kinds of people.

She's all about the bold color, super-cool vintage lines, and crisp white walls (mostly).  Check out that fireplace wall color:  you'd either have to be way cool or insane, to try it.  I totally think cool.

Sur la cuisine, the floor of my dreams...Really beautiful in a timeless, yet quirky, way.  Timeless and quirky--I don't think I could beat that, if I tried for forever and a day.

More perfectly-placed pops of kitchen-color...

A stunning dining room--white floors, breath-taking light, gorgeous design, cool art and seasoned wood.  A recipe for lovely.

The office--totally, totally awesome.  Bold, funky, and fun.

(Told you!)

These colors--red and a teal so perfect you could almost swim in it, are the happiest combo, I think.  That, plus the symmetry, and I'm in heaven.

"The chest of no hope."  I don't know why.  It looks perfect, to me.

Globey-goodness, yes, indeed...

And this last pic is of Becke's laundry room display:  various awesome photos and artwork, clothes-pinned to the wall.  There's no better time for some lovely, than when doing laundry, if you ask me... 

I love Becke's home for its fun and bold notes, perfectly combined with minimalist funk.  The bountiful natural light and the beautiful way it's been re-furbished make it all the better.  Becke, happily, has a little shop called The Vintage Cabin where she sells some of her additional finds, and you can also learn more on her ace blog and flickr set. 

Thanks, Becke, for sharing.  You totally made my day...!

***

(A quick aside:  I realized as I was getting this post together [as has happened before] that Becke's wonderful home has also been featured on Apartment Therapy, and no wonder, really.  But I didn't know!  And I didn't look at it before publishing this, so as not to take their lead.  If their post is better, please leave me in the dark about it, but I'm hoping mine is because I'm the tiny blog with heart.  So there.)

Edit:  Okay, I just checked it, and it's worlds better, but only because it's filled with Becke's wonderful commentary.  Lots of it, and it's good.  No matter--room for all, and more for you, right?!

Cheers, all.

xoxox.  

brigitte bouquet

Hello, sweet dears. 

So, p'raps you are in need of your own personal rainbow?  And you don't have one handy?  Me, neither, but these really help:

These gorgeous plates and bowls are by Brigitte Bouquet, whose Brooklyn-based Wobbly Plates regularly serves up a full order of happy.  They are beautifully colored and patterned unique works of art, and I love them... 

Just sink your eyes into these...are they not gorgeous?!

The colors are so rich and intense, and the organic shapes make me very, very happy...But that is not all that is in store, where wonderful Brigitte is concerned.  Also a sculptor, she creates fabulous installments all over the world:

 

 

This is "Tulip Fields," which is listed as "a tribute to the beautiful, geometrical colored, tulip fields in Holland during spring." 

And her "Circles" series is similarly wonderful:

 
Frozen River

Watching Waves

Grassy Patch

But oh, it is the plates I dearly love...

 

See Brigitte's Wobbly Plates shop, website, and flickr for much, much more! 

Later, 'gators.

xoxox.

sweet shots

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that life is always better...

...with Dixie Cup sprouts on the kitchen windowsill.

 

 

 

As you know, I'm always, always about my books, and I'm on something of a "British-authoress" kick.  Rumer Godden is one of my all-time faves, and Angela Thirkell is a new discovery. 

Sofie is plowing (almost literally) her way through the Little House series...

...while Olivia focuses on more heart-wrenching topics, insisting that she and Anne are "very much the same."  And I think they are.  (Can you hear my heart breaking from where you are?  Can you?)

This little captain guy looks like a "ladies-man" to me.  I try to keep an eye on him, because the girls on the boat don't look like they'd know what hit them if he made some kind of move...We all know the type.

Anyway, I hope things are sunny where you are, too.  (At least in spirit, if not actuality!)

Catch you later, sweet friends.  Thanks for reading.

xoxox.  

helen rawlinson

Hello, dears...Happy Tuesday to you!

London-based textile designer Helen Rawlinson makes beautiful prints for homewares and such, and I am in love with each and every one.  While the fabric is available as cut pieces, like this gorgeousness:

...I'm also quite smitten with the stuff she makes out of them:

Awesome tube-lights...

lampshades...

 

bags (these are mini!--larger also available)...

and cushions!

Don't you LOVE them?  Me, too!  And Helen, bless her heart, has shops for those of us on both sides of the Atlantic:  etsy here, big cartel here.  What a dear!

I'll be back later with another post about Helen, this one's for the kiddos (and, well...us, of course)...

Cheers!

xoxox.