Added To My Book

Added more images to my Design set on Flickr.

This body of work, spanning from 2000-2010, are some of my favorites from their time. The work ranges from National brands to local St. Louis musicians. I also had to throw in the series of e's Birthday invitations, I love them.

I don't have a website but rather a Flickr site that houses my Design, Art and Photography. Now I'm happy to say that it's updated!

Enjoy!

2009 Handmade

 

This past Christmas I decided to be creative and make some handmade gifts. In the eleventh hour, staying up until midnight, three days before traveling home to Florida, I made these Holiday Thank You Note Cards. The very next day I was able to get the design to my printer and they so thoughtfully rushed this job through to completion. I was happy to pack these cards on time to give as gifts for family and friends.

2009 was a year where creativity in handmade crafts made a presence. I was hopeful to get more pieces made but I'm happy with what I did accomplish. I am notorious for having lofty ideas and never generating one so several won out and for this I'm thankful.

The image close-up also shows a "Little Abbie" I blogged about her here. This is a gift for a my dear friend Andrea who we'll be seeing this evening for dinner. 

Let's see what 2010 brings out as far as my creativity! 

Enjoy!

Vintage Wedding Design

Design*Sponge is a daily website dedicated to home and product design. I try and make it a ritual to visit this site which gives me creative inspiration. I've been making a list of things to redesign in my own home so I've been frequently visiting.

Today I caught this entry and I'm overwhelmed by just how stunning this wedding is in every detail! Immediately when I saw her dress I thought of my grandmothers dress. I have been blessed by my grandmother to walk down the isle in her vintage treasure. I hope that I can one day wear her dress and even more hopeful she'll still be with us when I do so.

The part of Arlene's dress that I love is her slip. It's simple, elegant and sexy. When I saw this dress I thought how perfect it would be to overlay whimsical flowers and lace over the top. In addition to the dress, each detail of this wedding is perfectly designed. The flowers in various vessels in an array of colors and textures and the little handmade details add a sweet final touch. I could really see myself in this family of photographs, the bride and her new groom look wonderfully happy.

I have high hopes to get back into this blog I share with e. I thought this would be the perfect first entry. Perhaps I will get Gran's dress out and take a photograph of it. I think it would add to this entry and I'd like to have a journal of it. 

Enjoy.

The Start Of A Collection

My Latest Design Experiment

This is a photograph of my latest design experiment with fabric and paper. For my girlfriend Daniella, I made her a headband for her Birthday. Here is a close-up of the flower details of the second headband I designed. 

I've decided to do more handmade gifts being inspired by so many new design trends and by my pocket book. With less money going into my "gift" budget I've managed to create two designs for two dear friends. The other design, that is still in testing after making a batch that only half survived, is the "Little Abbie". This feather barrette needs a little more attention to detail before going out to the masses (see below). 

I'd like to say that I'll make lots of these and give Etsy a try but I'd rather keep my expectations low and surprise myself. I'm known to have lots of big ideas and not follow through, it's my design handicap.

I hope to follow this entry with many more designs along with a creative direction. I think it will be fun to get a group of girls together of all ages to do a little photo shoot with some of these pieces. While laid up in bed with a horrible cold I've managed to get quite a few flowers created so let's see where this goes...shall we? Instead of "see ya", I'll say "stay tuned".

  

This is me at Abbie's 30th Birthday wearing a "Little Abbie".

My table setting on HGTV

By accident this evening I found this link:

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/table-setting-inspiration/page3.html

I was doing a Google search to see if you can connect to this blog by searching my name. I'm still learning all the in's and out's to Blogger and was wondering how easy others can connect if they don't have the proper URL. To my surprise was this little blurb on my table design.

On Flickr I have a few of my photographs and designs. I sent this image to a HGTV group I joined but didn't know it would be picked up and written about. I love what they had to say, it made me smile that they highlighted the design.

Mod Sale

Simple~thoughtful~handmade Design.
Recent finds at a Danish Modern Garage Sale.

Almost Complete

As I said I would, I'm posting e's finished room (well, finished until I make a trip to IKEA). I've also posted a picture of mine (which was e's old room). It's almost complete too. The only detail left for me to do is the wall decal. As seen on the other photo, this is Blik's Gerbera. It is in a true gold metallic and should look really nice on the dark chocolate walls.

I will make a trip to IKEA so that one day e's couch (couch bed) will be a real couch and he'll have a real bed. I'll purchase the twin size of mine. Then when we have guests they can take my room and I can bunk with e. I think the rooms are turning out nicely.

e was super excited to see his tent in his room. Although I'm sitting outside right now and could use a sweater, yes a sweater in the summer time (cold front)! It gets too hot for the tent outside. This way it will get played with lots.

Night, Night.

KLEA Masthead

This is my first attempt at KLEA's masthead...I needed a break today and found drawing to be a nice escape. Sometimes a child-like drawing...the whimsy in it...just fits.

I'll wait to hear from Karl and Louise to see if it has received "Scott" approval.

Painting Clouds Part II

Here are some additional pictures:

• The partial cloud
• What the cloud hopes to be
• Completed cuckoo clock

Hopefully the next time I blog about our rooms they will be completed!

Painting Clouds

I've started painting a massive cloud on e's new room wall. Funny, just as I got started I stopped because I didn't have the muscles to move my bed and complete the shape. Also funny that I call a cloud a mural. Anyway...

The switch has started and I'm enjoying putting together what will be our new rooms. I've included e in the process, encouraging him to help move his toys in after I get the large furniture in place. e has demonstrated some frustration to change, it's just his age. When LaLa and Pop brought over our super sized new television and I rearranged the living room to accommodate it, e was not happy. He immediately wanted the couch moved back and the little T.V. in place. All of the transition was done without him so it came as a shock. He quickly moved past the hurt and all is well but I want to be courteous of his sensitivity so I'm including him all the way down to moving a box or two...ya know the fun stuff.

This sketch is what I did simplifying a previous computer mural thought. The computer rendering was much more elaborate but after seeing something similar in a great kids magazine called Wonder Times I've simplified my "mural" to just one enornmous cloud. But because of its size it will make a wonderful statement. I also managed to finish the cuckoo clock that will go above his bed. It turned out great unless you look too close. All the imperfections of the wood really came out underneath the bright orange spray paint but can I call that character?

I'll post pictures of the half painted cloud, looks pretty silly at the moment. I hope to complete everything this week/weekend. It will be nice to see e playing in a room that has room to play in. e and his toys keep getting bigger so it's time to grow into a space instead of out of it.

The Fable Game

Enzo Mari - The Fable Game

It’s not a book to read or to leaf through but to make, unmake and build up: a never ending adventure, played and invented anew each time by the endless possibilities at hand. The animal and vegetable pieces fit together in Enzo Mari’s inimitably elegant style to make a framework that can stimulate the imagination of old and young. The opportunities are countless and the limits unlimited in an enchanted world that can be brought to life and inhabited alone, with friends or the whole family. Show Mom and Dad what fun it is to let your imagination run wild!

This is a reprint of the game he made during the 1960s.

You can find this fantastic piece several places, here are two:
Kid O
Modern Child

I found this game at Anthropology On Sale (P.S. They have the best sales ever!...in the home department)! There was only one left and it was tucked back behind other miscellaneous books. e loves playing with it. When beginning a story it goes something like this, "Okay, one day....". The "okay" part is very pronounced and "one day" puts you on the edge of your seat.

This is one piece I get out with him from time to time and manage its playtime. This is definitely one piece I want him to pass down generation to generation. It's lovely.

Cuckoo

I remember as a little girl going over to my Grandma and Grandpa's house to spend the night and hearing the cuckoo clock cuckoo every half past and hour. I would get lucky if it was later in the day to catch the cuckoo flying out of his nest. Where some would find this hourly bird utterly annoying, I looked forward to it.

Last year I went to an estate sale with my dear friend Andrea. In this house we counted 4 cuckoo clocks. They were all different sizes and some would even sing a tune accompanied by a wooden band. Each purchase came with a card of authenticity. Both Andrea and I walked away with two German beauties. Our clock choices were small in size and simply cuckooed.



I chose the one with a squirrel on top and when e got a glimpse of it, especially after the first cuckoo, he was in love. He would run so fast to see our yellow beaked friend appear. It's since been silenced...not that either one of us found the cuckoo part annoying but rather I couldn't keep up with it's timing. I'd leave for work and the pine cone weights at the end of the chains would be on the floor and the clock stopped. Perhaps one day I'll start it up again.


When finished this clock will be set at e's time of birth.

So where did this soon-to-be orange clock come from? Thank you Grandpa. Grandpa's clock no longer works. It's been sitting in a box entirely too long and some parts have lost their way. Yes, this German antique isn't meant to be sprayed the brightest orange ever but it isn't meant to be rotting in a basement either. In helping e's Grandma move, she gave it to me. As seen in the photo, I am slowly revamping this memorable piece. I look forward to adding it to e's room. I have just the place especially when we get our rooms switched. I think it's super special that this piece will live on in my son's room.

e's looking forward to the finished piece. It's his "special surprise" and he reminds me of this daily.

The design of these clocks are stunning!

Yoshitomo Nara

Yoshitomo Nara is an artist I see daily. I have his postcards sprinkled about my office. I think his childish subjects look a little like e and I.

You can find more of his work here:
www.blumandpoe.com/yoshitomonara

Nara, born in 1959, is regarded as one of Japan's foremost contemporary artists, and has attained a cult status in his homeland that is hardly conceivable for European artists to reach. His signature paintings and drawings of children, often sporting grim gazes, that which recall the tradition of popular Japanese mangas, are among the most sought out items on the international art scene.

Therapy

I have been thinking a lot about rearranging our home. The opportunities for purchasing another home haven't presented themselves profitable so I'm retiring the thought of a larger home for now.

Our home is lovely but I think I could make better use of the space. I just purchased this book and I'm excited to use it as a resource. I was reading another blog, happy mundane and after reading about how wonderful it is I had to purchase it...perfect timing!

First rooms to work on will be ours. I will switch rooms with e giving him the "master" so that he can have a larger space to play. I will take his room, give it a face-lift and it will become my little haven of peace. I look forward to painting the walls chocolate. If you haven't slept in a chocolate brown room I highly recommend it, it's so cozy! The brown needs to be a blue brown not too warm or it just won't provide the same, ahhhhh. I miss the color palette of my last home. When Scott and I designed the home I tackled color. e's room in that home is the chocolate brown room. Hmmm, could that be why he sleeps better at Daddy's house?...I know, nice try.

I'm excited to rework a mural on his new room wall. I currently have on the walls fly by Blik. I will keep these gorgeous birds up and work them into something magical. I'm pretty certain I'll be transferring the musicians as well. I can hear it now..../angry/ "Mommy. Where. Are. My. Musicians?!" When he is reprimanding his animals (or trying to with me) he punctuates each word to get his point across. When I finish his mural design I'll post it.

I look forward to receiving my book in 5-7 days for inspiration who knows what I'll end up doing to the rest of the house.

Funk or Funky?

So I'm still feeling a bit under the weather. This cold isn't only upper respiratory but it's effecting my mood...I'm coughing with a scowl on my face...pretty!

So I decided I needed to look through e's Flickr site and watch the Easter video (yet another time) to help my funk. Enjoying several giggles, I'm well on my way to smiles.

I'm so overdue to catch up on my daily entries, I've been trying to find something to talk about other than my current emotional state...I know...I'm not doing a very good job up to this point...hack, hack, frown. Then I remembered my latest find, Funky Monkey Baby Boutique!

I was recently searching for an unique gift for my girlfriend Nikki Golding who just had her second child. Devon Harvey Golding was born March 19, 2008 weighing 7lbs, 5oz and 19.5" long. He has the sweetest big sister, Savannah and I wanted to get them both something fun.



Funky Monkey has the cutest "Big Sister" tee and "Little Brother" onesie, they were perfect. They are a company out of Canada who carry sweet gifts and have wonderful customer service. Those of you with children...happy shopping!



Nic, thank you for the picture of Savannah and Papa.
Congratulations! e and I miss you guys!

Beautiful Etsy Posters

Here are some posters I fell in love with for e's room. I've thought about wall papering his wall with beautiful printed posters. Here are some I marked as "favorites" but since I last visited half of these are already SOLD. Enjoy exploring Etsy's prints, they have lithographs, letterpress and monotypes (just to name a few).

Happy Shopping!

KONZUK

This piece is under the powder-coated line.

KONZUK rejects the perception of jewelry as a mere accessory burdened by unnecessary details and overly complicated flourishes. KONZUK jewelry, with its highly personal elements such as a subtle use of color and an innovative use of materials, is faithful to the clean, minimalist aesthetic of contemporary industrial design and architecture. Combining materials like stainless steel, concrete and powder-coated enamel with processes like laser cutting, CNC machining and photo engraving, the KONZUK collection embraces materials and methods that reflect the design-centric philosophy of its wearers.


Given to me by your father in 2005.

Enjoy visiting: www.konzuk.com

"new table Mommy...why?"

Just look at it son!
Love,
Mom

P.S. Yes you're seeing it minus one leaf. I had to take it off in order for it to fit in the car. Me being anxious to see it in place I just left it off. It's against the wall and I don't have any large dinner parties planned soon so...it's perfect! Simply perfect!

Measuring Plant Wall Decal

I've joined a group called DesignSpotter on Facebook. DesignSpotter is an online magazine published by Gunnar Schmidt [Berlin/Vienna] and Markus Gogolin [Cologne]. I have found some really great designs through them, however with some of the links it can get a bit frustrating having to convert currency and reading all the copy in German, NOT! (2 years in college and I remember nothing!).



I found this measuring plant wall decal. I was just recently talking to a friend about designing growth charts. Karl and Louise parents of e's best buddy Ewan had looked for a height chart for e for Christmas (insert joke here...I am all of 4'11", e's father 5'11" so he's not the biggest boy...I'll take the blame for that). Anyway, Karl and Louise were frustrated in not finding one that looked "cool" so Karl shared we should design them and sell them on Etsy (Hey! Don't steal the idea!).



This decal costs $80 and can be purchased at greenergrassdesign. I think e should have one even if he is only in the 5% for height!

"Tschüs!"