snow birds

not sure if you've heard that the pacific northwest has been turned into a winter wonderland, but let me tell you it's a snow queen's delight every where i look. i'm up here for the holidays with family and we are officially snowed in again today. it's beautiful and quiet ~ i love snow: the sounds, the sights, the smells of it. when i go out walking the last couple days i've found some really lovely images. one of which is of little tiny bird prints hopping around in the snow {i think it must be from the quails}. this got me inspired to share some nice bird items with you, as well as some of the photos i took.{our back door view}

{sea birds tea towel at green with glamour }

{birdy pillow made by jennyjen }

{bird floor lamps at fusion home}

{viva terra's glass bird vases}

{bird doorbell cover at flopping fish}

{wisteria's bird tealight holder}

{my personal favorite snow birdie, alesia}

as the sun sets on this lovely sight i hope you're all staying cozy & warm where ever you are!

spreading joy, seeking inspiration

alesia's first grin captured on camera. . . . and my first christmas gift. so i just had to share the joy with y'all too. things have been busy over here with alesia learning to feed from a bottle, playing with new toys, and starting to explore the big world more & more. such an incredible thing to witness. here are a few images of her going's on:

{dreaming apple dumpling sweetness}

{so curious about the world all around}

i've been enjoying the holidays with my family and trying to get motivated to do something with my life other than being 100% focused on my bundle of joy. exploring the oregon coast & the oregon woods is always a blissful sensory experience and is filling me with inspiration for things to come......

{two photos i took of our table at thanksgiving, centerpiece made with found treasures from around my parent's property}

{two photos i took high atop cape perpetua on misty mystical day that rejuvenated like no other}

thanks for the love

happy thanksgiving lovely friends! i am over-flowing with gratitude for so many things this year, and the connections i've made through the blogging community are certainly on the list. i hope you're enjoying the holiday with much love surrounding you.

{photo by the wonderful fernando graphicos}

the selby

todd selby brings quirky creative fun & startling awareness of his subjects into the art of photography. he shows vibrant moods of interesting artist folk in their creative spaces. . . .and the inspiration that springs forth is insatiable.

his site is here

and here are just a few of my faves from it:

takashimaya

takashimaya of new york has some very fantastic items available ~ refined japanese style and ecclectic lovely french style come together in one shop. . . . . enjoy!

dawning of a new era

we had a huge election night party at our house ~ full of the excitement of many very good & very hopeful people. we laughed, cheered, cried, hugged, danced, & drank no less than 15 bottles of champagne.

it feels like dark clouds have parted & america is all shiny & new. and having the privilege of calling barack obama our next president is a new beginning, not an end point. we can become more involved than ever and help his new administration accomplish the herculean task of fixing all the mess we are currently in. it's something i look very forward to. and i'm so elated that my daughter gets to have obama and all he stands for for the first 4 {maybe even 8} years of her life.
i am the most proud to be an american that i've ever been.

{top photo taken by jenni, bottles by me}

halloween sweets

hello darling blogging friends! i suppose it's no surprise that i've been quite absent lately. it won't stay this way forever, i promise, but just until i get the space & inspiration back to blog regularly. which i feel is going to be soon. very soon. but for now i want to share with you my little halloween peach. . . . .

yes, alesia was a peach for halloween. i suppose that's no surprise either, but i couldn't resist. i hope you had a festive & fun all hallow's eve, and i look forward to slowly getting back involved in the blogiverse and seeing what you've all been up to. happy november too ~ i can't believe it's november already! xxoo!

printz dance project home season 2008

i'm coming out of the new mommy hibernation to help spread the word for a fantastic dance performance coming to fort mason's cowell theater in san francisco early november.....
several of my dearest friends are in it and i'm on the board of directors, so printz dance project is near and dear to my heart. it will certainly capture yours too, with this ecclectic, energetric, and moving show. special guests will be joining them this year, coming all the way from ireland. they'll be doing some of their own work as well as some collaborative pieces ~ a fusion of american modern dance & hip-hop with traditional irish step dancing. it's really an incredible dance company, filled with very talented performers and very easy to adore dance, so i hope you'll give yourself the treat to come out and see it.

the peach named alesia

in case you're wondering what's happenned to ms.swellspring. . . . the stork came to visit a month early. . . . .alesia marie was born on september 22 at 2:10 am ~ 5 lbs 11 oz and 18" long. both mama & baby are very happy and healthy. thanks to everyone for all your stunning kindness & support through this momentous life changing event.

p.s. her name is pronounced with a "lacy" in the middle

september allure

suddenly it feels like the seasons are starting to shift. september is a glorious month of harvest and learning and shifting gears. and with so much bounty to look forward to this fall i'm welcoming the new season with open arms. i collected some inspiration for this time of year from all around our fabulous internet to share with you {please click on collage to enlarge} . . . . . . a feather mobile made by caitlin keegan, an old timey kitchen found on for the love of country, a red bicycle bag made by kate durkin, the wandering waif outfit made {& given away for free} by grosgrain, some pretty books photographed by kay loves vintage, handmade honey bee soap by amethyst soap, gorgeous handmade pottery by christiane perrochon, a collection of bird cards from bird vs bird, peep toe pumps by prada, and a fall inspired photo by shining egg.
hope y'all have a sanguine september weekend!

oh, to live in a barn

if you've been a studio wellspring reader for a while you'll know i have this thing for barns turned in to homes. whenever i see one i get weak in the knees. it's a long time dream of mine {we're talking i've been drawing up floor plans on graph paper since 6th grade} to use modern interior design in a vintage barn. so it's always incredibly inspiring to see what others have done with similar dreams ~ to see how ingenius their concept is, or to imagine how i'd do things differently. lately i've stumbled across several great resources for aquiring & moving barns, renovating barns & decorating in barn-house style.

first off, the barn pages ~ it lists more than 200 barns for sale, which are priced according to condition. most of the barns need to be moved from the land they're on ~ which is just fine, since often barns are located in an out-of-the-way place without easy access to utilities & such. so you can buy a barn and have it disassembled and shipped to a more desired location, where it can be put back together again. or you can just use the barn timber to build something new. it's a fantastic recycling concept, isn't it?

for help with the restoration and reassembly of barns, check out the barn people in vermont, berkshire barns in massachusetts, and the new jersey barn company. they've all been dismantling, restoring and reassembling vintage barns for over twenty-five years. even if your favorite barn isn't in the north east, they would still be great resources for any project location.

for lots of lovely barn related decor items & furnishings, the barn house blog is a lovely place to visit.

and to take part in a blogger's project of turning a barn into a modern home, check out bare hill barn ~ it's fascinating.
lastly, some eye candy from the barn pages:

bamboozled ~ in a good way

besides the ever popular & beautiful use of bamboo for flooring, many designers have found other lovely ways to utilize the versatility of this material. whether you're looking for exotic one-of-a-kind furnishings, an asian-island motif, or chic contemporary style, bamboo can shine in any setting. just take a look at some of the fantastic finds i've gathered. . . . .

{ok, a bit wild, but definitely will be an eye-catching and noteworthy piece on the patio or sun porch ~ the yoda sectional sofa from janus et cie}

{seascape woven bamboo pendant found at velocity is simple, soft & entirely lovely ~ it almost has a mid-century modern feel to it}

{this elegant venetian bamboo leg table from wisteria is both chic and refined}

{yum! bamboo bowls & spoons from viva terra}

{sleek and modern, the jimbaran coffee table oval by sueno studio}

{hearty and beautiful bamboo vessel sink at stone forest}

{bamboo stick screen from bamboo54 is perfect for that tommy bahama look}

{bamboo fiber textiles by donghia ~ just one of many examples using bamboo fibers to create functional fabrics for upholstery, drapes and decor}

{contemporary style with island whimsy ~ eric brand's bamboo credenza through thomas lavin}

{solid bamboo chest at ecodesignz is a great beauty for form and function}

{the ornate black throne chair by dan marty design would bring regal and sleek styling to any room}

{the bamboo-inspired meurice chandelier by jonathan adler, actually made of nickel. mr.adler has several more pieces in this line ~ all of them equally as fabulous}