Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Fall Snack
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Air Up There
I've always been fascinated by clouds. I think my interest was sparked as a little girl, learning for the first time the proper names of all the various cloud types. Cumulonimbus. Cirrus. Stratus.... I would lay on the grass and stare at the clouds, watching them glide by on a windy day or change shape, once one type of cloud and then another.
I've long had a similar affection for flying. The strapped in my seat, inside a closed decompressed cabin type of flying.
So when I stumbled upon these cloud photographs by German photographer Rüdiger Nehmzow on Joanna Goddard's blog, I was just as smitten with his subjects as the audacity of his method. Thousands of feet off the ground, tethered to the inside of the plane, leaning through doors wide open, while sucking life necessitating oxygen from a breathing mask. All so he could give us cloud admirers another perspective.
It's another world entirely- similar to the world that exists below sea level, no? There is even a video showing how he captured these images on his website. Go here to see this daredevil in action.
I've long had a similar affection for flying. The strapped in my seat, inside a closed decompressed cabin type of flying.
So when I stumbled upon these cloud photographs by German photographer Rüdiger Nehmzow on Joanna Goddard's blog, I was just as smitten with his subjects as the audacity of his method. Thousands of feet off the ground, tethered to the inside of the plane, leaning through doors wide open, while sucking life necessitating oxygen from a breathing mask. All so he could give us cloud admirers another perspective.
It's another world entirely- similar to the world that exists below sea level, no? There is even a video showing how he captured these images on his website. Go here to see this daredevil in action.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Plug and Play
Ok. This is cool. I mean, really cool.
Check out the "Megaphone"- a ceramic amplifier made for use with an iPhone or iPod Touch. No electricity people- just the sound from your device of choice reverberating off of the internal ceramics and then out through the end of it into space.
Ok, I didn't get it at first either. How 'bout a little visual:
No? Maybe a demonstration then:
The "Megaphone" comes in a glossy black, glossy white or metallic gold option. I'm obviously partial to the gold.... so sleek. Love the clean lines of the wooden stand it sits on as well.
To see more pics, read more about how it's made and how it works, check out the article on Designboom.com.
Check out the "Megaphone"- a ceramic amplifier made for use with an iPhone or iPod Touch. No electricity people- just the sound from your device of choice reverberating off of the internal ceramics and then out through the end of it into space.
Ok, I didn't get it at first either. How 'bout a little visual:
No? Maybe a demonstration then:
The "Megaphone" comes in a glossy black, glossy white or metallic gold option. I'm obviously partial to the gold.... so sleek. Love the clean lines of the wooden stand it sits on as well.
To see more pics, read more about how it's made and how it works, check out the article on Designboom.com.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Black Celebration
Contemplating stepping into the Black Friday madness out there. It's not even about today's deals. I can't say there's much on my shopping list as far as they go anyway. No, this sick puppy likes to be out dressed up, walking with the masses, looking in mall windows, taking in all of the Holiday season. I very unapologetically love this time of year- hard to find parking spaces, crowded shops and all.
But, the tryptophan has yet to wear off. So as I linger with my morning coffee, a little inspiration might just be in order to get me moving and out the door.
But, the tryptophan has yet to wear off. So as I linger with my morning coffee, a little inspiration might just be in order to get me moving and out the door.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Gathering Table
Arrested by this image in the latest Architectural Digest. How fun would it be to gather 'round this little miracle set up with a plateful of Thanksgiving? Count me in.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
All About Leopard
Is it strange that ever since I saw my 5 year old niece sporting leopard booties the other day that all I can think about is finding a pair in my size?
Like these from Free People. Super Fun.
I spotted this Sam Edelman option at Bloomingdales too. Rawr...!
But as much as I love a heel, I've never met a wedge I didn't like. Check out Rachel Bilson's dogs sporting these babies! Uh... yes please! Size 7.5.
Actually, these booties are part of a larger collection that Rachel has designed along with shoe extraordinare Steve Madden and celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, all offered at ShoeMint. The site goes live on Friday and will feature a monthly assortment of hand picked shoes just for you based off of a style personality survey. For each friend you refer, you get a special discount. Here are the deets:
Here's hoping those leopard booties quickly make their way into my shopping bag. The extra discount will only sweeten the deal!
Like these from Free People. Super Fun.
I spotted this Sam Edelman option at Bloomingdales too. Rawr...!
But as much as I love a heel, I've never met a wedge I didn't like. Check out Rachel Bilson's dogs sporting these babies! Uh... yes please! Size 7.5.
Actually, these booties are part of a larger collection that Rachel has designed along with shoe extraordinare Steve Madden and celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, all offered at ShoeMint. The site goes live on Friday and will feature a monthly assortment of hand picked shoes just for you based off of a style personality survey. For each friend you refer, you get a special discount. Here are the deets:
Refer 2+ friends, get $25 off your first pair
Refer 10+ friends, get $40 off your first pair
Refer 40+ friends, pay only $1 for your first pair (for first 100 people who reach this goal)
Here's hoping those leopard booties quickly make their way into my shopping bag. The extra discount will only sweeten the deal!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Setting the Scene: Thanksgivings Past
Reflecting on past Thanksgiving Holidays. This one in particular always comes to mind. It was held at my Parent's house which happily sits right on a golf course, providing both a beautiful woodsy backdrop and some extended recreation space for a long holiday gathering.
As has become sort of a tradition, I went over a day early and staged "the scene".
Inspired by this tear out of the annual 2009 Pottery Barn catalog that year:
Some of the detailing included gilded pumpkins at each place setting, a monogrammed wigwam and dueling corn husk wreaths at both ends of the table. The guys spent the day doing a little male bonding out on the golf course, while the rest of us gals hung back at the house, putting the finishing touches on the Thanksgiving Meal. We also set up a craft table complete with feathers, leather strips, craft paper and crayons to keep the little ones busy. It ended up yielding some pretty creative turkey puppets and hair decorations that added even more flair once we gathered around the table.
As has become sort of a tradition, I went over a day early and staged "the scene".
Inspired by this tear out of the annual 2009 Pottery Barn catalog that year:
Some of the detailing included gilded pumpkins at each place setting, a monogrammed wigwam and dueling corn husk wreaths at both ends of the table. The guys spent the day doing a little male bonding out on the golf course, while the rest of us gals hung back at the house, putting the finishing touches on the Thanksgiving Meal. We also set up a craft table complete with feathers, leather strips, craft paper and crayons to keep the little ones busy. It ended up yielding some pretty creative turkey puppets and hair decorations that added even more flair once we gathered around the table.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
{Fur} ious
Friday is finally here and I'm tired friends. This Hipster needs a rest. A good, long rest.
Rain is in the forecast for this weekend. I'm definitely not betting on this happening- or at least it won't be the storm of the century all the newscasters always make it out to be. It never is here in the Golden State. But we do get ourselves all get excited when we get a little weather.
Like me. I'm going to pretend it's not a balmy 60 degrees and barely drizzling. Maybe I'll even whip up some hot chocolate, just cozy up that big ol' bed of ours and lounge the weekend away until the alarm goes off on Monday morning. 'Tis the season. Let us make believe...
Seriously exquisite. I mean...
Can't decide if I'm more excited about the bedding or walls here. Have you ever?...
The stuff sweet dreams are actually made of. But I'm not going to bet on any lounging either.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Inspiration is Everywhere: Forecast by Ashleigh Rosa
Inspiration is truly everywhere these days. For all it's faults, the Internet has exposed us to different ways of living, new ideas about food and eating, DIY instructions for every project worth imagining and consistently offers us a portal into other ways of doing.
I love trolling around Etsy and seeing all the creativity that exists out there. It truly boggles the mind what people can do with an idea. I've long visited for party effects, jewelry, vintage home goods and a casual stroll through the first 15 pages of a search on "Abstract Art". But I just discovered that I had only previously scratched the surface. Digging a little deeper into the Art section and I felt like I had just won the lottery. Plain and simple- people rock.
I thought I'd spotlight some of my recent finds, work that I think is so crazy good or inventive that I feel an obligation to share.
Check out these works by Artist Ashleigh Rosa. In her Etsy profile, she describes her approach and this series of works as follows: "Uprooted from the Northeast, I currently live in Central California where I teach in the visual arts. Sunny, 75 degrees, Sunny, 75 degrees…At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I now long for anything that even remotely resembles weather. “Forecast” is an ode to that yearning. Using abstraction and minimal mark-making, I aim to capture the psychological and physical aspects that weather carries, whilst utilizing the inherent properties of the paper itself: it soaks, warps, and stretches under the weight of water; stained as a trace to these events."
Seriously mesmerizing, no? I see California's low desert when I look at these.
Check out Ashleigh's other works on her Etsy site. She and her Artist husband also share a blog too where they post new creations out of their studio, as well as some serious design eye candy.
I love trolling around Etsy and seeing all the creativity that exists out there. It truly boggles the mind what people can do with an idea. I've long visited for party effects, jewelry, vintage home goods and a casual stroll through the first 15 pages of a search on "Abstract Art". But I just discovered that I had only previously scratched the surface. Digging a little deeper into the Art section and I felt like I had just won the lottery. Plain and simple- people rock.
I thought I'd spotlight some of my recent finds, work that I think is so crazy good or inventive that I feel an obligation to share.
Check out these works by Artist Ashleigh Rosa. In her Etsy profile, she describes her approach and this series of works as follows: "Uprooted from the Northeast, I currently live in Central California where I teach in the visual arts. Sunny, 75 degrees, Sunny, 75 degrees…At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I now long for anything that even remotely resembles weather. “Forecast” is an ode to that yearning. Using abstraction and minimal mark-making, I aim to capture the psychological and physical aspects that weather carries, whilst utilizing the inherent properties of the paper itself: it soaks, warps, and stretches under the weight of water; stained as a trace to these events."
Check out Ashleigh's other works on her Etsy site. She and her Artist husband also share a blog too where they post new creations out of their studio, as well as some serious design eye candy.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Couped Up
Crushing hard on the new Mini Cooper S Coupe. Had to take a spin through the "Build Your Own" page on the Mini website and lookie what I came up with...
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Task At Hand
A little late to the party, but I'm celebrating all the same.
What a cool light fixture! At first glance, I can see that it might be off-putting to some. It's severe. It's functional. It's surprising. But as serious as it is, it's still a little playful as well- sort of laughing in the face of all that is expected. And even though it makes me a little arachnaphobic, I'd happily toil the day away beneath one any day of the week.
Created in 2005 by Ron Gilad for Dutch design collective Moooi, the Dear Ingo chandelier offers a dynamic alternative to traditional overhead lighting. The piece is composed of 16 individual task lamps that can be singularly adjusted side to side or vertically, allowing the shape to be changed endlessly. It is still available in both black and white color options.
I'm also loving the fresh, architectural elements of Dutch eatery Mazzo- the project for which the chandelier was developed. But the image below of artist Tenka Gammelgaard's all B + W studio may just take the cake. Look at the chandelier in that shot below. Even with all the other insanely good things in that room- the Goldilocks version brushes hanging on the wall, the black and white striped canvas brushes on her desk, the sheer organization of all that goodness! - the Dear Ingo is certainly the masterpiece in this collection.
What a cool light fixture! At first glance, I can see that it might be off-putting to some. It's severe. It's functional. It's surprising. But as serious as it is, it's still a little playful as well- sort of laughing in the face of all that is expected. And even though it makes me a little arachnaphobic, I'd happily toil the day away beneath one any day of the week.
I'm also loving the fresh, architectural elements of Dutch eatery Mazzo- the project for which the chandelier was developed. But the image below of artist Tenka Gammelgaard's all B + W studio may just take the cake. Look at the chandelier in that shot below. Even with all the other insanely good things in that room- the Goldilocks version brushes hanging on the wall, the black and white striped canvas brushes on her desk, the sheer organization of all that goodness! - the Dear Ingo is certainly the masterpiece in this collection.
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