Inspiration: Bookhou

Oh Bookhou.

you woo me with your modern curves

your wanton triangles

your letterpress tones

You would make my home a place

to sew myself up in

and never leave

except for Pho

:: Images by Bookhou ::

Divine Design

Recently, I have become enamored with delicate fiber work.

I'm sure this stems from my utter lack of ability 

with thread and needle,

yet the heart wants what the heart wants.

These two dazzling artists make me swoon

and I'd thought they'd like a try at your hearts too.

Enjoy.

Daniaelle Simonsen

Susie Cowie

Peaceful Tuesday

Many people have found that Tuesdays are harder than Mondays.

So, here is a peaceful moment in your hectic Tuesday.

You can get it all done!

1. Untitled, 2. silence, 3. Untitled, 4. bluegrass

A thought: Patience

I love the insight and heart at Shutter Sisters.
Today, I'm wrapped up in the thoughts on Patience and Photography.
I had to share with you.
____________________________

Passion has always held a high regard in the hearts of photo-hopefuls, willing their visions into manifestation. And persistence is the rule preached at school. If we just keep at it long enough, we will make our way into our definitions of success. Then there's little old Patience, tying it all together, striking a stone to a flint under our bums when the film doesn't come out right, when we're not as far along our paths as we'd like, or when our credentials only fill up a post-it note. Patience leaves her mark when that photograph would have been perfect if we'd just waited a little while longer to release that shutter, but instead snapped the last image on the roll or had just had enough and walked away with the digital in tow. Those are the moments Patience pops up again, hopping around in our faces, creeping into the frames, a haunting reminder that she is not to be forgotten.

If we walk with Patience by our side long enough, she will generously give us a certain presence that will enrich our lives and practices, photography or otherwise. And in our quiet successes we can exalt and raise our hands, cartwheel or dance, because we got that shot, we savored that feeling or made that new memory without measuring or making comparisons, we have our friend to thank. Patience brings passion to the surface and fuels persistence that mile further because she has a co-conspirator and her name is Photography.
____________________________

From Shutter Sisters friend Rachel Wolfe

Fresh Vista: Yangtze River & the Cloud Bunny

I tell stories with my daughters at bedtime, as most parents do.

But I have to say, I truly love our make-believe world.

A world of hot air balloons.

 Bunnies that live in the clouds 

and

talking elephants that live in tents.

Mice that paint and can jump into their make-believe worlds.

Fairies that give fairy dust for extra far away grand adventures.

Recently, the cloud bunny has been picking up the girls for trips

with great cloud-views. 

We have been to the Arctic for the aurora borealis, 

the Yangtze River for the diversity,
 the Pyramids for the golden light.

On each trip the girls captured aerial images 

through the window the bunny has on his cloud floor.

And each morning I pull up images from
flickr or Yann Arthus-Bertrand
to encourage their imaginations
and to grow their 
adventurous spirits.


What stories to you love?
What dreams do you have?
Where would you go to see through a window in a cloud?

:: images from flickr, flickr, flickr and flickr ::

Must See: Wolf and Badger

On a leisure "losting" on the web

(where one randomly clicks article links and you are taken to a variety of unexpected places)

I ran into Wolf and Badger.

The web intro is fun and cool 

(see below)

and the collection of wares in the shop

is a bit quirky as well. 

Have a Look?

Try It: Almond Cake

Today I practiced the art of Baking.

Usually I am too busy to don the apron,

pull out the Kitchen Aid mixer 

and stroll my finders through a cookbook.

But today, filled with the joy of Spring sunlight

through my windows, 

I succumbed to the urge to bake.

And it was so worth it.

Tonight we have almond cake with raspberries!

Interior: Möben Kitchens

Today, I had the rare treat of mistyping 

a web address

and stumbling upon Möben Kitchens

I love the modern feel and natural tones.

Now if it was just in the US instead of 

across the pond...

:: Images by Möben Kitchens ::

Ode to Mom

A few ideas for Mother's Day...

Treats: Whimsy and Spice

Spa: Gilchrist and Soames

Garden: Terrain


:: Images by the shops, tape by Pugly Pixel ::

Inspiration: Ryann Ford

Austin photographer Ryann Ford

is diverse and powerful with her images.

Each is bright, bending light with vibrance.

Above is from her story on California's Salton Sea

Her work can be seen in Texas Monthly 

and many

Austin magazines.

:: Images by Ryann Ford ::

I see you how you see me?

I love infographics.

Here's some new smashing work from 

Yang Liu

comparing the Germans (blue) and the Chinese (red)

How the Chinese and Germans see each other

Sound in Restaurants

How to stand in line

:: Images by Liu, via BrainPickings and Information is Beautiful ::

Inspirations: Hadley Hutton

Hadley is like love in spring with a side of dark chocolate...

:: artwork by Hadley Hutton ::

Fresh Vistas: Germany

A place to contemplate the questions of life and love,

whilst sipping an orange soda and eating a sandwich...

:: image by Laura Levins ::

On a roll

ToDryFor is an amazing new tea towel depository and exporter

 that Design*Sponge introduced this week.

This Jelly Print towel belongs in my 

kitchen-lab.

Quirky, pink and fun.
(scroll down for the pink wiggly design)

Fresh Vistas: Cape Town with Jardino

This Spring I participated in Souvenir Foto School.

An amazing class hosted by the fabulous MissB

One of the participants, Jardino, spent six weeks 

dazzling us with the view 

from her house in Hout Bay, Cape Town.

Needless to say, "me want to go there."

Jardino - Thanks for sharing the fresh view 

you receive each day!

Inspiration: Anu Tuominen

inspiration: orange

I just see daisies in here ...

Fresh Vistas: Say WOW!

From Lucas Rodriguez

Pillow Talk

Find a good pillow or two and be dazed by Roland Bello

Fresh Vistas: Say ahhhhhhh

Brandi Strickland

Ceramics: Red, White and Blue

Anthropologie has some smashing new things

and they make me feel

very patriotic.

Enjoy!

vase

 

salad plate

paper straws

(not ceramic, but fun!)

small vase

:: images by Anthropologie ::

Win a Public Bike

Wet those pens,

invigorate that mind

feel the wind whipping through your ideas

go get signed up!

Ceramics: Hella Jongerius

As I look into ceramic craft

I am more in love with the use of texture in design -

a blending of natural 

materials to make something

kinesthetic and utilitarian

yet

ever intriguing to the eyes

In comes Hella Jongerius. 

Her work, creative and ever evolving, inspires.


:: Images by Hella Jongerius ::

Inspirations: Piet Hein Eek

OK, so Piet Hein Eek has the coolest name ever.

Piet - famous artist-like name

Hein - foodish name

Eek - well, its Eek!, isn't it?

Now, to live up to that name comes items like this

that really should be in my backyard.

Really.

Don't you think sometimes they should "test" things out

in real people's (aka - me & you) lives?

wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

really.

... and I'm also in love with, well, EVERYTHING by Eek. 

Check it out.

I bet you'll drool too.

Now these, I think I could actually, maybe, own some of.

:: images by Piet Hein Eek ::

Ceramics: Big Cartel

White Porcelain Berry Bowl, Isabelle Abramson

Storage Jar, Olive and Marie

crocus vase, Kim Westad