here's to a fairytale fall

happy to share an early autumn collection i gathered to get you in the mood.
so, tell me, who has already bought fairytale pumpkins this year?
i'm on my way this afternoon to find them. . . .

{image by rachel plowman}

p.s. welcome back to san francisco, jenni! you've been massively missed!

to cheer you

i know some one who could use some cheering-up,
so i made a little photo montage to brighten your day and lighten your thoughts.
onward and upward!

polyvore amore

do you like to browse for interesting images? do you like to make collages? do like to research all types of products? do you like to share collections you make? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions then polyvore is for you. i can't even begin to tell you how elated i am to have found this website. i just spent 300 hours playing around on there and i could easily do 300 more if it wasn't time to go make some supper. basically it gives you the ability to search through thousands of images to create collage collections with any theme and subject you can dream up and then share them with others. plus it gives you exact product information on every single image in its database, so if you love something enough to want to buy it, you're good to go. just look at the fun i made in the last couple hours.....seriously folks this site rocks!

meet mimosa ~ pantone's color of 2009

pantone has chosen a warm yellow shade to represent optimism and positivity in an uncertain economy. this year, the design industry’s authority on professional color selected number 14-0848, a warm yellow, as their annual hue, symbolizing optimism in an evolving global market.
"the color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains leatrice eiseman, executive director of the pantone color institute®. "mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."
best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

{umbrella image by jennifer.leigh}

{rex ray at sold at cb2}

{lamp photo by xgray}

{vases photo by brauseholic}

{mod room photo from beauty mist}

{nouvelle boheme photo found on gipsy bazaar}

{photos by the sartorialist}

and this color just so happens to match shambhala's great eastern sun banner perfectly!

{photo by hjem}

to the point

simple, beautiful.
lovely art by daniel eatock ~ it's made by repeatedly balancing a single sheet of paper on the nibs of pantone pens.

also, his website's statement of purpose is pretty darn brilliant too:

"i am interested in connections between image and language, titles, punch lines, miscommunication, subversions, open systems, contributions from others, seriality, collections, discovery and inventing. i employ reductive logic, and strive for objective and rational solutions to form concluded works. i am especially interested in the connection of the start and end points of a hand drawn circle."

voice of color

another grey cold foggy monday in july in san francisco. so this calls for some more color therapy. . . .

the useful website voice of color has a quick little color sense game you can play to find out what color schemes most suit you. mine are:

although in decor i like warmer & more neutral color shemes, i wasn't surprised by these two coming out on top because of my mood and what i predominantly wear. also since i had just made these collages this morning before taking the test, i thought "well isn't that a fun coincidence"!

{top row: briscoe, jessica gonacha; middle row: javame, jennration, koreana, sakura*aya, jim heid; bottom row: asiunka, jessica gonacha, jeff andrews}

color therapy ~ orange crush

{polaroid from sean tubridy}

these grey cold days in san francisco have a way of depressing a sunshine girl like myself. being the pro-active type, i thought i'd try to combat the coldness by gathering some cheery orange images and beaming them out to you. i'm all about adding some brightness to an otherwise dull day ~ hope you enjoy these too!

{top row: room service, lara robby, jay jeffers ~ bottom row: weego home, victoria pearson, kenneth wingard }


{top row: jay jeffers, lara robby, west elm ~ bottom row: victoria pearson, west elm, scott sanders}


{top row: lara robby, scott sanders, lara robby ~ bottom row: west elm, jay jeffers}

chihuly and di sarli at de young

yes, you read that right..... both dale chihuly's glass work and carlos di sarli's tango were found together in one night at the de young museum in san francisco's golden gate park. it was a magical coming together of artistic pleasures. but, before i delve into that evening specifically, this requires some background: i'm sure it's obvious by now that i enjoy tango, but less known is my affection for chihuly & his work. he is from tacoma washington & also attended my alma mater there {univ of puget sound}, so i became well aware of him in those formative college years. his work is on campus and all over town ~ beautiful adornments where ever you find them. and his studios are there too. i find it particularly perfect that so much genius beauty-making comes from a small city placed right on the puget sound.

the puget sound is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. not only on land but below the depths of the sound too ~ the largest concentration of cepholopods in the world are found in the waters {that run so deep the deepest point has yet to be measured}, and phosphorescent water creatures are incredibly prolific here too {full moon kayaking here is divine}.

not to mention the snow capped mountains that surround the emerald forests & vast waterways..... the inspiration for everything creative and contemplative is never ending.
and this is where we connect with tango ~ the creative and contemplative. i've been dancing since i was 4 {i still have my first pair of tap shoes} and have tried many forms of dance from west african to bhangra to ballet and none have evoked such depth of connection as tango. for me it's the perfect blend of feminine and masculine, an exchange of creative surrender and inspired decisiveness, a transfer of energies made more beautiful by mutual understanding and trust. all done to the most evocative of music.on the very same evening as the first ever milonga en el museo, you could also go down stairs and see some of the most extraordinary blown glass ever made. being able to take in the sounds of di sarli and the feelings of tango, while also getting completely absorbed into chihuly's mystical glass wonderland was something so fabulous i couldn't help but try to share it with you here. {many more photos here}


this post wouldn't be complete without a soundtrack to get you in the mood:
CARLOS Di SARLi

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{1st photo of puget sound by wild celtic rose. 2nd puget sound photo by canis latrans. all other photos by me}

domestic bliss

these elaborate wall stickers designed by graphic artists, designers and artists such as finnish-born klaus haapaniemi and london-based hanna werning, take the realm of the tired wall sticker to another level. sold through the french site domestic, you can find tons of interesting decals and stickers for any place that needs a little special spice. i fell for about 20 of them.

{yes, this last one is laser cut mirror ~ swoon!}

friday fun: wordle

the ever affable and insightful johanna {of the tangri-la blog} posted about wordle yesterday and i couldn't resist doing one for my lil' swellspring too. i just entered my blog's url and let wordle do its magic ~ but you can customize one with your own words too. just something fun to start off a celebratory weekend right. what's your wordle? c'mon, ya know you wanna try it. . . .

summer lovin'

the amazing andrea over at hula seventy is hosting a summer postcard exchange ~ jump on over to her blog to see what it's all about.

care to take the plunge with me? this is what you can look forward to if you do:

a wall of summer lovin' colorful happy.

oh yeah.