where do you create?

over the weekend i found a fabulously inspiring magazine called "where women create".
from their homepage: whether it’s art, food, music, written works or choreographed dances, extraordinary women know that the process of creating is as important as what ultimately gets created.
amen. three cheers. holy yes.
after this fine discovery i decided to research some of these well-intentioned spaces that women had created for their great works to be envisioned and realized. i've been yearning for such a space of my very own and i find it entirely inspiring to see what others have done. little sparks fly in my brain at the very thought of being able to work in some of these incredible spaces. just see if you don't get some sparks too after seeing these:

{i'm ready to jump into this photo and start making something lovely right now! julochka is a lucky lady}

{this one gets a thumbs-up for packing in the most amount of creative supplies into the smallest space. it's like beatsfantastic said to herself, "i've got one tiny corner and i will have my creative workspace, damnit!" well done lady!}

{i like this one from chelstastic not only for the well-organized bookshelves but for the inclusion of baby goodies ~ the reality of being a mama is you've got tons of baby entertainment items everywhere mingled with your grown-up stuff.}

{this cheery little sewing corner is for my dear friend jenni ~ totally reminds me of you girl! alison rose, where ever you are, you should join our club!}

{what a fun studio the sweet sweet life has made for herself! i really like this carnival theme}

{and sometimes all you need is a glorious sunshiney morning, and some gorgeous green shutters, to get your creative juices flowing! lucotinha wins for the best creative makings room i've ever seen. by the way, there's a train that runs right outside this window.....somewhere in brazil. me, oh my!}

want more? check out these hot groups on flickr {thank the heavens for flickr!}
creative spaces
creative workspace
craft rooms
operation: sewing room organization
handmade spaces

and what about you? do you have such a space you'd like to share with me? it's still on my wish list to manifest the perfect creative space, so until i can make it happen i'll gladly live vicariously through you! please share fine ladies {& gents, too of course!}

{many thanks to jubella for the top 3 photos on the "where women create magazine"}

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!

feeling lucky on 080808

this is an auspicious day for anyone who believes in lucky numbers. so i thought this was a good time to add to my consumer wish list.

{that mermaid lamp & painted twisted wood side table ~ yes please, without delay! they were found in a ghislaine vinas brilliantly designed bedroom, but not sure where she found them. hmmm. . . . .}

{the baby le cornue ~ not that i have a kitchen to put it in at this moment but if i somehow acquired this by a fortunate turning of events i'd find a way to utilize it until i have the place to have it properly installed. and it would become a family heirloom for ever more!}

{this armoire for my little girl's things ~it would be the perfect place to display & store, and i really could use this right about now. i've been saving this from my martha stewart inspiration projects folder}

{a carry over from yesterday's post ~ i am ready to spend a week's retreat here, asap. or maybe make this my full-time home even? first off, i adore the ocean ~ i grew up there and always long to return when i'm away. secondly, i love swings and almost any style of swing chair. thirdly, porches that have places to relax with friends are always a part of my "necessities for houses" list. lastly, that view ~ 'nough said.}

{ok, so this is way over the top, but this is a lucky day so i'm just putting it out there for fun. . . . . a 1956 drophead coupe convertible in mint condition. oh my i would die just to be able to sit in it much less drive it. and i swoon just imagining what it would be like to own this beauty. i'd sell everything i own, including my soul, to the devils for that one.}

.

.

.

and what, pray tell, is on your wish list dear ones?

i hope many wishes are granted for you today and throughout the weekend!

relax ~ it's friday!

another weekend away for me ~ this time heading up to the oregon coast for a wedding. it'll be so nice to see old friends and spend time with my family. i've been craving down-time outside the city and there's no better place than my parent's home for that. nestled amongst huge trees, no neighbors can be seen, the air is fresh, and time just slows down. counting down the hours til lift-off. . . .

hope your weekend is filled with down-time and deliciousness!

{photo found on dark gardyner's photostream}

a grown-up fort

after being in vegas for 3 days i'm ready for a retreat. so imagine my delight in finding the exact place i'd love to run off to this very minute when perusing kirtsy this morning. . . . . the shack at hinkle farms. designed by broadhurst architects, it reminds me of a grown-up fort, complete with the basic necessities including a great view. and even more wonderful, it's completely off the grid. i just started digging into the sakyong's latest book, ruling your world, and oh how would i love to have a sitting practice in this adult fort to really take in all the wisdom i'm enjoying from the book {i highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of experiencing it yet}.

heat wave

the bay area is experiencing record breaking heat and i'm loving every mintue of it. i'm in my fave outfit: sundress, sandals, sunscreen {being an irish-finnish girl with freckles i'm fully commited to spf45}. and there's nothing like warm summer nights in may ~ actually, any time i love the warmth, but especially when it's an out of season surprise. it could only be better if we acutally had fireflies on the west coast and if i had a swimming pool to jump into whenever i wanted {sharon & shana ~ are you picking up on this? ;o) }
to celebrate the heat wave i'd much rather be soaking it in by a gorgeous body of water instead of working away at my office. so i've collected a few of my favorite images of places i'm day dreaming about as i watch the thermometer rise.

{infinity pool at alila hotel in ubud}

{beach brellas, taken by mysuite21}

{swimming pool at a villa in umbria, italy}

{azure evening pool at corbis, found on lallou}

{tahitian tropical paradise}

{the ocean view infinity pool of post ranch inn, in big sur california}

produce design

a brooklyn based design firm is rocking my world with their sleek and innovative design solutions ~ produce design is the result of 3 brilliant designers coming together for a common purpose: smart & functional interior architecture and custom furniture.

{one of the best pot racks i've seen ~ a reclaimed timber beam with pot hangers, a ledge for the lids and knife slots ~ i wouldn't be surprised if this became a mass-produced item someday soon, it's just that darn good}

{removable, adjustable, no-frills storage bins ~ perfect for crafters, collectors, chefs & kids}

{urban hip closet storage concept}

{this entry solution in a nyc penthouse is particularly wonderful}

{first saw it on apartment therapy}

brelli love

brelli ~ the world's 1st bio-umbrella. made of bamboo & a biodegradeable plastic called bioplastic. only $28. i would cover my entire bedroom ceiling with these if i could! :o)



found on shopmodi

to covet cameos

sorry for the delay in posting. i hope this visual splendor and luscious research i've done will make-up for my absence.
i have always had a fondness for shells {probably due to being raised on the oregon coast}, and ever since the first time i saw my grandma wearing a cameo necklace and earrings set to church i've been attracted to that style of jewelry.

i am now the proud owner of that set and take it out of its velvet pouch to wear whenever i feel like some nostalgic beauty. after learning as a teenager that the sea shells i so adore are somewhat connected to the cameo jewelry i covet, it became a full-blown infatuation for both of them from then on.

now at all flea markets & estate jewelry shops i swoon over any cameo sets i see. and also as an adult i've had a growing fondness for cameo vessels as well. although these vases are most often made of glass, the concept for how they're produced is very similar and i really appreciate their soft elegance. maybe someday i'll be lucky enough to own one or two?
there are three main materials for cameo carving: shells or agate (called a hardstone cameo), and glass. cameos can be created by one of two processes: by setting a carved relief, such as a portrait, onto a background of a contrasting color, called an assembled cameo. alternately, a cameo can be carved directly out of a material with integral layers or banding, such as (banded) agate or layered glass, where different layers have different colors. Sometimes dyes are used to enhance these colors but most often the natural hues are plenty.

stone cameos of great artistry were made in greece dating back as far as the 6th century bc. they were very popular in ancient rome, and the technique has since enjoyed periodic revivals, notably in the early renaissance, and again in the 17th & 18th centuries. the renaissance cameos are typically white on a grayish background and were carved from the shell of a mussel or cowrie.
in the mid 18th century, explorations revealed new shell varieties ~ helmet shells from the west indies and queen conch shells from the bahamas arrived in europe. this sparked a big increase in the number of cameos carved from shells. modern sources for the best quality conch shell are madagascar and south africa.
today's world center for cameo carving in shell is torre del greco, italy. the shells are first marked with a series of ovals in a process called signing, then cut into oval blanks for the cameo carver. the actual cameo is mainly cut with a metal scraping tool, called a bulino {an invention of jewish artisan antonio cimeniello}. a number of metal gravers are used and when the details are completed, the shell is then soaked in olive oil, cleaned with soap and water and selectively polished with a hand brush.

{sources: wikipedia and flickr}

cutting edge

a brand new book is coming out this spring that appears to be a must-have for designers and pattern fans. cutting edge patterns & textures by estel vilaseca features 250 patterns by 83 different designers. the fabulous patterns cover the entire page, so only brief text gives the designers name and website. some of those featured include atelier lzc, alice stevenson, lara cameron, jill bliss, and ivana helsinki. it will be released in april but is available now for pre-order from the print & pattern amazon store
i've got it on my wishlist already ~ feast your eyes on all this pattern-candy.....

bonus! it comes with a cd jam-packed with patterns you can use for anything you put your mind to.

{thanks very much to print & pattern for the info!}

sun and air

the macworld expo hit san francisco last week and unfortunately this year i wasn't able to attend. but in honor of it i'd like to show off a few hot items that were there. luckily flickr provided some fabulous photos to share {thanks jim goldstein}

apple's latest release is pure air ~ nearly as light as and thin enough to fit in a manila envelope. so impressive. why doesn't the pc world catch on to the conept of incredible design in the look & feel of the their products too? the macs just out-do them every time.

and the solio charger has captured my heart as well. a solar powered charger that works on almost anything and anywhere on the planet. take it camping, on safari, on a boat, where ever you and the sun are, this fabulous device will be there to keep all your toys charged-up.