intergalactic imagination and some strange amoebas :: kindah khalidy

kindah khalidy's textiles are just exquisite. they are comprised of feminine whimsy and playful colors. they remind me of an intergalactic adventure or beautiful rendition of what one might see under a microscope while studying strange new life.

shop.
website.

faceless girls :: original paintings by clare elsaesser

i cannot tell you how stunned i was when i came across clare elsaesser's work in her etsy shop, tastes orangey. i ended up buying the first pictured print you see here. clare threw in a whole bunch of goodies, wrapped everything beautifully and even emailed me to let me know they were on their way. when the print arrived, i was stunned by how vibrant the colors were. sometimes you find that once you get the print in your own hands it looks a bit duller - this was definitely not the case.

i am still trying to find the perfect frame for the piece and am already bookmarking the next prints i want to purchase.

visit her shop here.

superlusting :: these looks

per usual, i am lusting over the looks on stockholm streetstyle.

i am sensing a common theme in all of my favorites ::

• layers upon layers
• shape mixes
• pattern mixing
• mismatching
• tights
• sleek, long coats

go get your streetstyle on.

drama & kitsch join forces:: abigail ahern's home

i don't think i've ever been so in love with a home before.

interior designer {obviously}abigail ahern, lives in this magnificent little place. thank goodness for the selby or i would have missed out on such high-drama mixed with sassy kitsch flair!

bedford street laundry:: marvelous shapes and shades

you can find amazing things in the most unlikely places.

like when you follow friday people on twitter and then they retweet with some of their faves. well, that's how i found out about bedford street laundry and holy cow am i ever glad!

bedford street laundry is a ny based label created by the adorable jessica yuen {a native new yorker herself} in 2009. the label is named after her family's former laundromat in greenwich village. let me tell you, this girl's got quite the resume:: studying at parsons both in ny and paris, interning at donna karan, ohne titel and alastair mckimm, styling for ny times, oh yeah and working directly with diddy and kanye west.

i am just enamored with all the different hues yet all related in the family of color it just makes such a statement. and the shapes - good god - those shapes. i seriously just want to drape myself in these clothes.

you seriously need to check out the rest of her collections because they are all seriously stunning. like f//w 2011...uh, yes please.

pretty pearl pop-up shop complete with a bearded lady

isn't she lovely?! i sure thought so! so i had to take her home with me.

the honey and i happened upon a pop-up shop while we were in andersonville this past weekend. i screeched as we drove by the adorable sign announcing the shop and so we found parking and went on in. it was probably one of the loveliest and cohesive curations i have ever witnessed. it was like being in a lovely circus with all of the bright bold colors.

there were turquoise and gold dinosaur planters, colorful bunting, retro school desks that had been painted and striped with bright, happy colors - it was utterly lovely.

so if you are in the chicago-area or are planning a visit, i would definitely recommend checking out where they'll be! check out their facebook page here.
the pop-up shop is called pearl

wall candy :: claire desjardins for anthropologie

ever since i received the new anthro catalogue, i have been obsessed overly enthusiastic about claire desjardins abstract artwork. the bright colors, bold brush strokes and overall warmth and excitement of each piece definitely entice me to shell out $900-$2,700 buckaroos to call one my own.

see more of her work here.

sweet like candy :: upcycled geometric treasure boxes

i just love these colorful geometric ring boxes from oh dier on etsy! i love that they have so many colors. they remind me of candy.

they're made from reclaimed wood and perfect for hiding tiny treasures. oh dier says they're 'perfect for presenting rings or presenting THE ring' ;) -- too funny!

dream client :: tabitha's custom wedding piece

i'm just going to say it:: making custom orders can be a living nightmare.
but for the most part, they are an enjoyable and stimulating collaboration between artist and client.

the lovely tabitha here {pictured above} was definitely one of the most creative and fun clients i have ever had the pleasure of working with.

first off, the floral bouquet in her hair was what i constructed for her wedding. i had never done a piece in this color scheme nor arrangement before so i was a bit nervous but excited as well. tabitha knew almost exactly what she wanted from the get-go which is always such a relief. i get sooo scared when brides tell me to just do whatever or that they trust my sense of style. it's always nice to hear those compliments but the wave of pressure that washes over me when thinking about the pressure of their big day - yeesh!

i usually ask brides to send me photos or color schemes of their wedding bouquets or themes for the ceremony as well as figuring out what size arrangement they're envisioning or most comfortable with. this part is actually a lot of fun because some brides are just so darn creative. i once had a bride do an entire moodboard - she was incredible! i was so happy to have direction!

tabitha was also the same in that sense. she sent me the exact color scheme she was looking for in images as well as a picture of a bouquet arrangement that she was going for. it was glorious! i was so excited to stray from my usual pale pinks and creams and pump up the color!

her style is absolutely lovely and so much fun - so when she sent me these adorable pictures from her big day, i just had to share them!

i was so touched by what she had to say about her custom piece::

'{the headpiece} looked absolutely perfect and stayed that way all night, even with lots of crazy dancing... it was really pretty hard trying to organize the whole wedding from Vietnam and there were lots of little disappointments and compromises along the way, but when i received your headpiece, i opened the box and just said YES. it was the first part of the whole process where i felt unequivocally delighted, and then everything just felt so much better after that.'

this literally made me elated to hear that my handiwork could make someone's special day that much better. i can't think of anything more wonderful than hearing this from one of my lovely clients.

thank you so much, tabitha for allowing me to share this on my blog and a lifetime of happiness to you and your new husband.

if you are interested in a custom headpiece or want to learn more, feel free to contact me here.

abstract patterns

hello there and happy monday! 

i have been visiting lots of museums lately and i must say that i absolutely LOVE dressing for a day at the museum. i will usually wear something that's a bit victorian vintage to history museums {or at least something retro} and i like to wear really modern or deco///nouveau prints for art museums and galleries - believe me when i say that they're a dime a dozen in chicago - which is actually really nice.

i came across this lovely lady and stylist shirley kurata thanks to the house that lars built and was nothing less than inspired by all of the graphic prints she boldly wears. i have also been eyeing these lovely bags by tarco. the abstract design mixed with those colors and embroidered textures makes me want to just jump for joy.