Steven Alan Fall 2011

I really think these new looks from Steven Alan for the fall are gorgeous. But then, I'm also biased towards fall fashion anyways.

-XO

In the Mountains of Japan

This weekend retreat in Japan, northwest of Tokyo looks amazing.

-XO

-FOUND at DWELL.COM-

Star Globes!

My dad is a geologist. He loves rocks and minerals and stars. Growing up, I was fascinated with his star globe with diagrams of the constellations. I could never understand how the stars could be inverted onto a sphere, but it didn't really matter because that just made it all the more fascinating. I'd love to get a star globe of my own, and while searching online I came across quite a few that would be cool have, but one stood out as a little more intriguing than the others: a 1975, Soviet Stars Celestial Globe that comes in a wooden box. How much would you love one of these??

-XO

Nature is ultimate in design.

These are some gorgeous paintings from unitedthread on Etsy.com.

It just reminds me that whenever I can't think of something to draw, I look to nature for inspiration. Most design can be traced back to things that occur naturally. If you don't believe me, just look at Mucha.

-XO

Hobbit Love

In honor of the start of filming on The Hobbit (OMG!!) I have been putting together a list of things that remind me of The Shire and the Lord of the Rings. Pretty much everything I love anyways reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien's world so it wasn't that difficult of a task!

If you have ten minutes, definitely watch the production video on the official The Hobbit blog. It's totally worth it, and Martin Freeman is beyond adorable; I can't wait to see him as Bilbo!

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

Canary Ballet Flats - Lori's Shoes

Bamboo Glasses - Chen Chun-Hao, Huang To-En

Low Impact Woodland Home - Simon Dale

Leather Satchel - Scaramanga

Kami Cups - Mjolk

-XO

That New Spring Look

Thinking of spring since it's finally here; I'm feeling a bit like my mom back in the 70s. I love photos of her with her tall wedges (she was already 5'10") and wide-legged jeans. She almost always had an earthy-toned sweater to match as well. Plus, I absolutely love Out of Print, and any excuse to show some book love.

-XO

Eat on Wood

Or knock on it - however your superstitions work!

Cute placemats from Design Public.

-XO

Scarves should never be this expensive.

I'm on the hunt for the perfect spring scarf. I know in my head what I'm looking for, but can't seem to visual-to-text find it online. This is one of the closest I could find to what I'm searching for, but alas, it is ridiculously expensive! I refuse to pay $80 for a mass-produced scarf. Even if it is super awesome. Sorry, Diesel. :(

-XO

Zoom In, Zoom Out

Created by Charles and Ray Eames. Yes, that Eames.

-XO

On the first day of December my true love gave to me....

....a cabin from Fantastic Norweeeeeeeey(way!)

I love good Scandinavian design, especially when it involves black. For some reason, adding a black roof, door, or siding seems to make anything look classier and bolder without jumping the shark as with a more intense color might.

-XO

I don't skateboard...

...but something awesome like this wooden skateboard from Makr Carry Goods continues to reiterate to me what an awesome thing I'm missing out on learning.

Sadly, for anyone who actually does skateboard, this board (and it's black wood version) are sold out as they were only a limited edition make like the above photo shows. The best part about this all though? The fact that the makers specifically ask you to skate on it and not hang it up on your wall. Finally a designer who makes something that they actually want you to use! You can bet if I had one of these I'd use the crap out of it.

-XO

Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

Cute online store Neest from France!

-XO

Holy October, Batman!

I can't believe that it's already the 5th of October and I haven't made a post yet!

It's only appropriate that I start with some true fall fashion. These cute, witchy, oxford pumps from Fossil are definitely on my wishlist and they would go perfectly with this adorable pleated party dress and nail polish from Need Supply Co.!

Hope you're all enjoying your October so far!

-XO

How is a raven like a writing desk?

One of the things I've always loved having is a small desk on which to write and draw silly things in my life.

I used to have a fold out top desk that was my grandmother's. She passed away when I was only seven so I had it all the way up to high school when I stopped even attempting to do homework and it became a spot that just collected the random junk that seemed to endlessly flow into my bedroom.

In any case, I haven't had a nice writing desk since then (now that I actually enjoy writing again, of course) and I saw this one today from Rothlisberg Kollektion, and now I'm really wishing I had something like this desk.

The answer, by the way, is: Both are complemented by blackened quills.

-XO

Fall Colors in Fashion

More lovely styles from the people photographed on Au coin de ma rue.

-XO

Who Says Mathematicians Don't Have a Sense of Style?

I have always believed that science and design go hand-in-hand. We get much of our design aspects from nature - usually the oddities tend to make things seem less organic, but they still exist naturally. Not to mention the fact that most of what we design wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the engineers behind the machinery and technology that we use to create art.



That said, I would love to have this Raimond Suspension lamp designed by a mathematician for Moooi that I found at Dwell. The electrical current that lights the LEDs transmits through the frame itself where each light connects to another piece of the the stainless steel frame. Don't you feel smarter already? I definitely do.

-XO

Benched for the Season.

Moving into a new apartment for me is exciting, liberating, and kinda a little bit intimidating. I haven't moved in seven years and for the first time ever I really have a chance to decorate a living space the way I want to decorate it (as long as the boyfriend likes it too of course - we're so lucky we have the same tastes!).

There is an entryway to our apartment that will be perfect for coats and shoes and boots and umbrellas. I want to put a bench underneath a wall-hanging coat rack. The problem is, I've never really looked into benches before and it seems they are a whole lot more expensive than I could have anticipated. In any case, I may just end up building my own (thank you electric drill!) but I ran across a few that seemed like a design I would like to follow. This was one I liked a lot from MASH Studios that was on the medium expensive side (I saw ones up to $4,000... it's just a bench for chrissake!).

In any case, making one doesn't seem so difficult, after all, it's just a top and two wide legs right?

-XO

Design to a Tea

Tea Kettle from the fantastic design shop Mjolk.

-XO

ps! - I have to add that this tea towel is super 60's awesomesauce and I might have a lot of trouble not purchasing it...