Archive for January, 2010

1.29.10Happy Weekend!

H is for Hedgehog in English but it also stands for Have… as in Have a great weekend and I’ll meet you back here on Monday morning because I’m running out the door on a slew of appointments… If you happen to wonder where this beautiful image is from below then you’re in for a treat because it is from the Tear Jerker issue #7 of online magazine Utterly Engaged.

The first image was shot by Gabriel Ryan and the bottom photographed by Max Wanger.

And for a little feel good Friday, check out the video embedded in page 59 of their magazine — adorable! Love is a beautiful thing…

See you on Monday! Schönes Wochenende! Byeeeee!

(image: utterly engaged)

1.29.10Made By Girl: New Prints

In the advertising world bold typography is often used as a key ingredient to create an unforgettable ad. In modern homes, typography displayed in the form of prints are used to create an unforgettable room — lots of people display prints that rely solely on text to convey a particular message, always something meaningful to them.

I just heard from Made By Girl founder and designer, Jennifer Ramos, about a new line of Love and Hello prints  (16 x 20″ and $25 each) that she just rolled out — I’m sure they’ll be a hit with their sleek charcoal background and white lettering with your choice of either Hello or Love in multiple languages. There is also something quite subtle about these posters that you may not notice upon first glance. In each of them either Love or Hello in English can be found hiding in light gray. Did you catch that?

How did she select the languages? Jennifer picked the top fifteen countries where her readers tune in from to read her blog each day. How thoughtful!

(image: made by girl)

1.28.10Jeltje Photography

I just heard for the first time about Dutch freelance photographer Jeltje from Irene Hoofs who wrote about a photo she’d taken showing a swing indoors. While I love the idea of a swing I nearly fell down when I clicked over to Jeltje’s portfolio and was saw some of her work – she is only in her twenties and has accomplished so much already. Have a look for yourself.

Jeltje has had her work featured in popular Dutch decorating magazines like 101 Woonideeen and Ariadne at Home, both ones that I really love and find so creative and approachable. I realllllly like all of these spaces above — so fresh and light, and ones that I can really imagine living and working in. I love the mood board with the mostly gray palette, gray is one of my favorite colors and looks so good with just about any color no matter what the tone – it’s so versatile like white or black but not as strong. Gray is soft, enchanting, moody… a bit come hither.

(images: jeltje photography)

1.28.10Talk It Out: Half Empty, Half Full

As I was out shopping for flower bulbs earlier and I started to think about my post yesterday and how so many of you connected with what I said, and how nice it was for me to hear that and to make the connection. And then I thought that perhaps you could use a little free space to just talk to me, one another, to the universe… just to vent I guess — to vent your frustrations and then to end your comment with a note like… I hate how isolated I feel working from home BUT I love that I can wear bunny slippers and have my dog lay on my feet all day.

I will call this space the “Half Empty, Half Full” corner today. It’s where you can literally dump what makes your life, or job, or anything “half empty” but make sure that before you end your post you include your “half full” feelings, too.

Okay, so why don’t we get started. Who will go first? I can’t wait to see your half + half comments, this could potentially be a lot of fun!

(image: holly becker for decor8)

1.28.10A Beautiful Bed

Ah… a lovely bed greeting you as you enter your sleeping quarters. Bliss! One that is dressed simply but beautifully making it a gorgeous focal point but also a cozy spot to curl up in and leave your cares behind. Would you like to see a beautiful bed? This is Danielle’s bedroom in her gorgeous country home outside of Amsterdam, she shot a photo of it because she just received a limited supply of vintage bedspreads in white — no two are the same — and she offered me one and this is what I selected…

It just arrived today and I scooped it up out of its box like a newborn baby  — holding it up into the air smiling like a total dork from some cheesy fabric softener commercial. But when you find something so lovely you cannot help but feel a sense of pride overly a newly acquired gem.

If you like this one, Danielle has about 8 more in different sizes and patterns that she will list on Ebay this weekend. You may want watch this page (currently there is nothing in stock but that will change!) to make sure that you do not miss your chance because trust me — you really will love one of these on your bed!

(image: danielle delange)

1.27.10The Poster List

I love a good positive message now and then because, though it may seem on my blog that I’m all rainbows and unicorns the truth is, I have moments when I want to throw stuff at my computer screen. Let’s face it, as much as we freelancers love to well, freelance we still face the same emotions in our home offices as we once did in our corporate ones. And today, I felt one of those moments when I came home from a fabulous ladies luncheon only to realize how much work laid before me and after all that fun with the girls, how little motivation I felt to actually DO any of it.

And when you work from home you have to continuously pull from the deepest part of yourself to stay motivated and on top of things. In a traditional work environment, you usually have people physically in your face to remind you that there is work to do. At home, alone, you can simply shut your laptop and THEY ALL MAGICALLY GO AWAY. Poof! And some days, like this afternoon, I shut my laptop. Hard. And it felt good. I went out and bought a very tall, very vanilla, very delicious latte and circled around on foot a bit aimless for about 30 minutes to sort of burn off how truly unmotivated I felt.

Then when I was less of a crab with a serious case of poor me, I returned home, opened my laptop and the motivation and joy returned because a few of my friends who I think must be psychic, sent some hilarious emails and well… those positive messages made everything that was black feel very, very light and white again. The rainbows and unicorns are back in my heart. :) And so, here are some positive messages in the form of pop art for you today from The Poster List.

Enjoy!

(the poster list)

1.27.10Ideas For Odd Nooks

Have an odd little nook? Try a new look!

1.27.10Jayme McGowan

If this doesn’t inspire paper lovers out there, I fear nothing will. Jayme McGowan of Roadside Projects in California is an amazingly gifted artist and 3D illustrator known and loved for her intricately cut paper and whimsical characters who, lucky for us, makes some of her originals into inexpensive prints available here online. You may even be lucky enough to find a few gorgeous originals.

As I look through these I cannot help but to imagine seeing her work turned into pop-up books based on her magical visions or even bigger, life-size theater sets or stop motion animation. Of course, her art is simply lovely as is, but it can’t help but make one dream which is what makes her work so special — you cannot help but look at it and see movement, stories and well, life!

(images: jayme mcgowan)