Archive for October, 2009

10.30.09Happy Weekend!

And with that, dear friends… I am signing off for the weekend since it’s after 3:00 p.m. and I have lots to do this weekend and right now I’m off to whip up homemade curry vegetable soup to warm my soul — it’s getting cold here! But I’ll be visiting you again on Monday morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so I’ll see you soon. :) For now, I will leave you with the portfolio of photographer Annie Schlechter to enjoy. Make sure you pay attention to the cupcake twinkle lights below because they are such an easy DIY project don’t you think? And quite darling… You could use cupcake wrappers with a pretty pattern on them or keep them simple and white as shown below.

What will you do this weekend? We have an anniversary brunch to attend and I have endless amount of organizing (still) along with errand-running, but I plan to watch You’ve Got Mail and possibly fit in another feel good film, like About A Boy because I know both of them so well that I don’t have to pay 100% attention but they’ll be fun to having running as I sort through things. I’m also going to bake for my cousins… it warms the soul, the house, and the heart and I can’t think of a better mood enhancer than the smell of chocolate nutella brownies with walnuts and marshmallows, can you!?

(images: annie schlechter)

10.30.09Meet Stylist Shana Faust

I’ve been so excited to post this interview before I sign off for the weekend… I’m wiggling around in my seat typing as fast as I can to get this from my little office to yours! I just know you’ll love it. I recently heard from freelance stylist and former deputy style editor at Martha Stewart Weddings, Shana Faust, who so nicely introduced her work and I decided to interview her the moment I viewed her online portfolio. With three degrees, years of styling experience, and a book on its way I thought it would be interesting to get into the mind of this successful and talented lady to learn more about the day in the life of a stylist. This interview focuses mostly on that aspect because so many of you have an interest in this profession right now — it seems styling is hotter than ever whether it’s for your home, photography or the products that you shoot for your online store. Ready to sit down with a cup of tea and listen in? Good!

Holly: Hi Shana! So honored to have you here today! Most know from my introduction that you’re an accomplished stylist who formerly worked as a depute style editor at Martha Stewart Weddings magazine until 2008. What have you been up to since?

Shana: I had a baby girl last November, so I have been caring for her and working freelance for a number of different clients. I’m also working on a book which will be out next Fall. It’s a collaboration between myself and the two amazingly crafty and inspiring ladies behind HelloLucky! letterpress. It’s a DIY book, full of inspiring craft projects for your wedding day.

Holly: Lovely! Tell us, what got you started in this particular field and can you trace it back to childhood at all?

Shana: Yes… Starting in my early teens I would pour over whatever magazines and catalogs I could get my hands on and was fascinated by the stories told by the arrangement of people and objects. Even at the age of 10 nothing could have made me happier than getting some quiet time with a Sears or LL Bean catalog. I remember even pouring over what seemed like banal grocery fliers. How the fruit was photographed, its color, the backgrounds, the layering of typography. It all got me excited. This eventually led me to fashion magazines like W and Bazaar and to pursue a degree in art history. After many years studying iconography, styles and movements I felt like I needed to create beautiful pictures, not just look at them so I began working at a fashion magazine in Canada doing photo shoots and realized that being a stylist was a combination of everything I loved to do. Dreaming up narratives, searching for just the right props and arranging them in a compelling and dynamic way was just the perfect job for me.

Holly: So let’s take it step-by-step for readers and explain how a photo shoot works, okay? How does a magazine spread come to life?

Shana: Yes of course! A photo shoot is always the result of a collaboration between at least two, if not many more, individuals. And that’s the best part! Everyone brings something to the images, and the more talent involved, the more dynamic each shot becomes. Photo shoots are conceived in all different ways depending on the project. Often a stylist works with an art director to conceive of a particular shoot. Other times, brainstorming can involve other stylists, designers, outside artists or contributors and even the photographer.

Holly: And can you please tell us about the brainstorming and collaborating bit… More, more, more!

Shana: Styling is so much more than arranging everything you see in a aesthetically pleasing way. It’s more like communicating a story using things like color, lighting, texture, people, places and objects. I like to think of it like a movie, when you break it down into frames, each shot communicates something to the viewer, and an atmosphere and mood is created over the course. It requires a lot of imagination and hard work. The process for me as the stylist almost always starts with research — seeing what else has been done and thinking about new ways to present material. After that I’d start making some inspiration boards to help give the shoot some early direction. These boards often hold pantone chips, fabric swatches, swipe, and sketches. Next comes creating a “story board”. Loose sketches of what I imagine each shot to look like… what it contains, its palate, etc. etc.

Holly: This is great, keep going… :)

Shana: The really fun (and often frustrating) task of finding everything you want to include in each shot is part of that — from the backgrounds (are they actual walls and sets? sweeps of fabric or paper? A location?) to each teacup, candlestick, flower, ribbon, vase, dog, lamp, etc. – this comes next. While on this scavenger hunt, each finding usually helps me to better envision the shots coming to life. So while running from one shop and prop house to another, I’m usually feverishly jotting notes, sketching and taking quick snapshots. By the time I get to the shoot, not only do I have loads of props, fabrics, papers, tools and materials, but I often have folders of reference containing notes and drawings for each shot.

Holly: And so what happens once you’ve arrived on location?

Shana: Once at the shoot, the magic really begins. Using all the props I had made, purchased or borrowed, photographer, the art director and myself would start to tell our “story”. As soon as the camera begins to capture these arrangements, the pages of the story begin to come to life.

Holly: Ah, and that’s the magic of a stylist. Most of us know those in this profession to be the magic makers and story tellers, those who arrange things so beautifully that we eventually see in print and drool over. But there’s more to that, because you have to dream up the ideas and pitch them to the creative director and hope they’re approved, correct?

Shana: Yes, you do usually have to pitch your ideas to a creative director. So when you have done some work on the story and have an idea of what kind of mood, feeling, props, theme, palate, you are going with, a meeting would generally take place. Hopefully the creative director would be enthusiastic about everything and give feedback as to how to improve on your ideas or, in a not so great scenario, send you back brainstorming.

Holly: When you are deciding on what to pull together, are you considering current trends?

Shana: Following trends is an important part of the job. Both in terms of the products you are selecting and the way you are going to style them. But it’s not necessarily about the latest trends… You always want the images you are creating to seem fresh and new even if they often give nods to past styles or eras.

Holly: Do you have to shop for products yourself or, when working for a magazine, do you use what is available on site?

Shana: You really have to bring everything to the set you think you may need and many options too, as some things may not look the way you had hoped. I shop for products myself or if I am hiring an assistant, I give them direction so they can do some of the buying. Propping can often be a big job so another good eye and extra set of hands is always valuable.

Holly: Now that you are a freelancer, do you feel like you can be more creative and if so, what types of projects would you enjoy working on that may challenge you outside of your comfort zone?

Shana: There are so many interesting projects out there for a freelance stylist; it’s hard to know where to begin. I love books—because they give you a chance to really delve into a certain topic. The fashion stylist in me would love to create a line of women’s shirts. I could also be pretty content running a booth with found objects at the Brooklyn Flea, or if I had a green thumb, working at Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden!

Holly: What do you enjoy most about your career as a stylist?

Shana: Getting to collaborate with so many talented people for sure! I am always awestruck. I have gotten the chance to meet so many artisans, crafters, trades people, designers, stylists, shop owners and so many passionate individuals. Meeting and working with people like this makes every day delightful. Getting paid to scavenge the world for interesting and beautiful things is probably up there too….

Holly: Do you have any advice for aspiring stylists?

Shana: Go for it! Styling can lead to so many things, not necessarily limited to print. Just find someone’s work you admire and start assisting.

Holly: And for those reading who may be interested in learning more about styling, can you suggest a good book on this topic?

Shana: Yes, there is a quirky little book out there called Arranging Things: A Rhetoric of Object Placement, which is one of the only books (albeit academic) I have ever seen which breaks down the art of arranging objects. It’s a quick little read about creating compositions, which may be interesting to those looking to get into styling or wondering if it’s what they want to do.

Holly: Finally, what is currently inspiring you?

Shana: These things…

Thank you so much Shana for freely sharing your experiences as a professional stylist with all of us today, and I hope it’s okay that I ask readers to chime in with any questions for you… I’m guessing a few will have some they’d like to ask in addition to my own. Have a lovely weekend!

(images: shana faust)

10.30.09Mid Century Living

If you have orange and brown on the brain today (the stores are packed with it), you’ll love to see the colorful home of artist Jenn Ski that I wrote about this morning at Real Simple. I shared some photos of her home taken by Boston photographer Bob O’Connor and find her pad a delightful mix of old and new.

I know lots of you are are fans of the mid century style and will really love Jenn’s gorgeous home and be inspired by her fresh take on it. Enjoy!

(images: bob o’connor)

10.30.09Julie Morstad

Canadian artist Julie Morstad has such a gorgeous portfolio of her illustrative work online, you simply must take a peek to see it! And the good news for those who like her work is that she has a small shop where you can purchase a special print for your home. If you have children, or are young-at-heart, you may also enjoy the various books she has illustrated, you find them here.

Her work is surreal and therefore quite imaginative, a bit creepy even, with lots of animalization which we’re seeing a lot in the art world, don’t you think? The line between her human characters and animals is blurred and there is a lot of symbolism – emotions are shown through physical objects more than the facial expressions. Her characters lack facial expressions don’t they? But the objects around them seem to be showing what their faces are not. It is so interesting to study her work and to create your own idea of what she could be trying to share through it.

I found an amazing write up over at the Sans Everything, a blog on politics and culture with some art posts from time to time, about her artistic style. I swear, it’s one of the best blog “art” reviews I’ve ever read. The writer is just incredible in his description — you can read it here to see what I mean.

(images: julie morstad)

10.30.09Car Möbel Inspiration

I’ve raved about Car Möbel before because I’ve ordered from this German company in the past (furniture) and really like their selection… and I’m here to rave again because I always find something on their site or in their catalog that I like, whether it’s a pouffe or a bookcase. And while they only ship locally, at least I’m guessing from what I’ve read on their site, many of you can look at some of their arrangements of things to gain inspiration for how you’re displaying objects – I think they do a good job of it. I really like the hallway decoration shown below with the soft, pale blue wall with gray and white. So fresh and welcoming.

Most of what you see pictured are from the major brands that Car Möbel carries from Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany. Some of these brands include TineK Home, RICE, Greengate, PIP-Studio (they have their bedding and bags now!) and House Doctor. Though what makes Car Möbel so special is that they also carry their own line of furniture shown in all of these photos that is available in natural wood, white and sometimes black. I like this because you can buy unfinished pieces and customize them. The brands I’ve mentioned above are quite common to find, I guess you can say they’re as common as West Elm or Pottery Barn is in America.

If you live in Germany then you can feel free to order as they come highly recommended by me (and I’m a picky customer!). I really love their professional, prompt service, packaging, and quality of goods. I also need a desk, so I’m looking high and low for one and found something on their site this morning that just may work for me. So! Here are some arrangements that I like that I thought would inspire you over the weekend, if you feel up to it, to redecorate or style a particular part of your home in a fresh, new way without purchasing a single thing. Give it a try – the bookcase that looks a wreck, your closet, the hallway, even a few shelves in the kitchen or bathroom.

Often mini refreshers like this can make your surroundings much more enjoyable – plus I think it’s good to have movement in the house. What I mean by this is that when something stays in the same place to long it almost makes me feel stuck or in a rut emotionally just looking at it. I move things around frequently because it feels like the energy can circulate better. I know in words this makes little sense, but just try moving things around and you’ll see what I mean… there’s freedom and a fresh perspective that can often result from the moving of objects. Plus I observe a lot of movement in the natural world and thing that it’s easy sometimes to forget that our interior environments may also need to change from time to time in order to allow for growth and change. At least, according to me. :)

(images: car möbel)

10.27.09Until Friday!

Hello friends! How are you doing today? I am very well and quite happy because a giant moving truck arrived this morning and delivered everything to us which means that my three month relocation is officially over. Phew! And despite the fact that my home looks like a bomb dropped, I’m very happy to have all of my belongings in hand. I just blogged about it here and included a few photos in case you’re interested…

So! With that I am signing off until Friday. I’m not leaving you without some inspiration first, so I’ve blogged a few posts already, including Etsy Take Five Tuesday.

Also while I’m away from my desk, here are a few links to keep you busy:

DIY Pinwheels from Style Me Pretty (shown pictured above, project here).

Now I can say I’ve moved by me.

Nicola is busy setting up her new apartment in Germany, too.

Gorgeous gray room inspiration at Canadian House & Home (if you can endure all the annoying pop-up ads!).

Emma’s pretty new bedroom in Stockholm.

Tea towels from To Dry For.

Soon to visit Istanbul? Check out PukkaLiving!

A Danish clothing line I’m currently loving… Graumann.

And by the way, thank you for going on this journey with me as I’ve relocated from America to Europe. It’s so special to have those whom you’ve grown to know well enough online to view as friends to share this life change with. You’ve all been so supportive and encouraging along the way so thank you for that and well… I’m off! See you in a few days on Friday.

With love,

Holly

(image: style me pretty linked above)

10.27.09Tiny Paris Apartment

Would you like to tour a sweet little apartment in Paris with me today? No you say? Yeah, right. I know you, I had you hooked at tour. Or was it Paris? :) Either way, let’s go visit the city of lights, or in this case, the apartment of lights… Elodie, who authors the sweet blog la mechante, invited me to share photos her home here today and I couldn’t refuse as I think it’s darling and a total inspiration for those living in a small space (like me!). Elodie is a designer/interior architect and a photographer and lives in a 26m² flat, which is roughly 279 square feet – yeah, that’s little living!

Look at all of her books and nooks, this place is packed with stuff but so cozy and charming though a minimalist may go a bit bonkers with all this stuff around. But Elodie likes it quite a bit and has made her life in this place surrounded by the things that she loves and with what inspires her to life a happy life. And that’s the point: we should live however we’d like just so long as it supports us personally.

This is but a glimpse of her magical world, to see more click here (including her kitchenette). Thank you so much Elodie for sharing your home with us today!

(images: elodie at la mechante)

10.27.09Song and Scene

Photographer Diana Brennan recently started a new blog, Song and Scene, that I find unique and inspiring. Especially since my husband is a photographer and music composer (both hobbies, yeah he’s a smarty) and often composes songs around the photographs that he takes. I have to tell him about Diana’s new blog! This may inspire him because she shares a photo that she took along with a song, not her own song — but a favorite tune that she feels fits the photo. In case you wonder what she’s using on her blog it’s called Soundshark, suggested to her by Tara Lutman Agacayak.

I really like this because it’s so nice when artists try to make the blogging experience more emotional and heartwarming, attaching their work to music and/or video certainly makes it come alive and also gives one further insight into the personality of the artist. Check out her blog and see what you think, I’m sure that she’d really enjoy your feedback on this idea of hers as well… it’s a nice one.

(image: diana brennen)