wishlist

well... kel, here is what is on my wishlist for this year. That is if I win the lottery.... or the country digs itself out of debt.
Yesterday I had a craft day with Ben and finished my christmas presents for my immediated family. We taught ourselves to screenprint... that's all I am saying (Covering #4 and #11 in one hit)

I would love something handmade myself but here are some other things too:

1: Wearstler: Modern Glamour
2: Tikoli kitchen towel, it is just so cute
3: Jonathan Adler's book
4: American Airlines giftcard... because I hate paying for my own travel but love to do it!
5: Tory Burch flats: because you can wear them everyday, and these are on sale
6: adorable, Amy Butler pincushion, because my tomato pincushion isn't cutting it anymore
7: I LOVE this dress from Lemonstory
8: Moleskin plain sketchbooks in these new very cool colors! I am partial to the lime greens
9: Because Paris is always inspiring. Paris 1962

But at the very top of my list... which I think I am buying for myself when the christmas sales go on.... a cruiser bike.

christmas...already?

Since I'm starting my Thanksgiving today by driving home this afternoon, I figured it was okay to touch-base on Christmas just a bit. I'm curious - what's everyone asking for this year?? I started a list (besides peace on earth and a stable economy)... a few things might a little out-of-reach, but it's worth a shot, right?

1 : the (prior-mentioned) watch to replace the p.o.s. *someone* gave me :)
2 : love - LOVE - this print!
3 : is this ugly? because i kind of love it..
4 : same question - and i kind of love it, too..
5 : the casio elixim... i'm ready for a small, girly camera.
6 : to go next to my red 'keep calm and carry on' poster?
7 : kinda love these scarves a la target
8 : i really want a browns tshirt... especially a throw-back like this one!
9 : i need to get it together and start prepping for the LEED exam... aka, I need this reference guide. not so fun, but... eh..

TIME for change.

So, the watch that I got for Christmas almost two years ago finally quit. It was a silver-faced Fossil that told me the date...the time...provided a little bit of control, etc. Anyways, after a brief melt-down I started looking for a new one - no luck. Before that watch, I had the exact same model with a purple face... so I've basically had the same watch since Valentine's Day of freshman year in college - when I bought myself a 'girly' watch. Times are a'changin...

So, I've turned to the www to help :) My favs so far:
1) Lacoste ($195)
2) Burberry ($325)
3) Kenneth Cole ($85)
4) Kenneth Cole ($95) - my favorite! (for an everyday watch)
5) Lacoste ($165)
6) Citizen ($170)

feel good friday

photo of Blake's (TOMS) shoes via the selby

I want to introduce you to 2 companies that are interconnected but more importantly have a greater giving to their philosophy. Tom's shoes and Imagine Home. Tom's shoes has been around a while and the objective is brilliant, for every pair of shoes sold a pair of shoes is given away to a child in need.
Imagine Home has a little more of a coplicated story. Staci was a designer for some very rich people, she got a little fed up and took a sabatacle to Africa. Incidentally to travel with Tom's shoes for a "shoe drop". while she was there she found many troubled single mothers fighting poverty and disease but were just trying to get by with the goods they were making by hand.
Staci is out there with her new start up company Imagine Home to "take first world product designs and have impovershed people in artisan communiteies", awesome.
Go out there and in the spirit of Thanksgiving next week, do something that gives back.

berry pink

Lately I have gravitated towards everything pink... weird if you know me. but i looked around today after recieving my coat from Nordstrom that my mom got me. (thank you!!) and at my iphone case, also pink. and was a little shocked!

I went into Club Monaco and saw all of their delightful berry brights, then found this really cute necklace on etsy. lovely.

We'll see how long this girly phase lasts. But it sure is making me cheerful now!

mendhi

taken from aditi's facebook

Aditi Amalean, a girl we know from I.arc just posted pictures from a wedding she was involved in - isn't this picture gorgeous???

DIY

My friend Melissa is having a little boy soon and I am helping her do a couple things to pull the room together for his arrival.

I found this really cool wall sticker via Ferm Living and thought that it could be easily reproduced old school style with a projector. Ill let you know how it goes.

cold

It is rainy and chilly in Dallas today. I wish I were wearing this lux Missoni dress.

I may make this my uniform for fall... dress, tights, boots.... GO!

Little Black Dress.

that's me in the red, whitney in the darker red, and everyone else in black and white - i missed the memo. i want the black version of the hot pink dress (shown on elizabeth - lovely :)


the closest i've found - i think jessica mcclintock, jcrew, and bluefly.

This weekend was Whitney's engagement party (wedding to follow in January), and we headed up to Raleigh to mingle with her friends and family. It was so, so nice to see the girls, especially Whitney (and Luke).

It was cocktail attire - I ended up wearing Sara's red dress because I wasn't thrilled with anything I have / found. With an office Christmas dinner coming up, as well as the wedding in January, I've got my sights set on something really specific - I want a strapless, black taffeta dress. See the pink dress in the picture? I want that, but in black. Similar to the red one I've got on, and really similar to the examples I've found... however, I don't want it to cost me $200, and I want it to fit correctly.

Has anyone ever made something like that? Any advice? I think it might be my newest project.

flickr by color

Just saw this site on How About Orange - you can sort through images on Flickr based on a color, or several. As she said, not sure what this is actually useful for, but I think it's pretty sweet none the less. Say...if you were going for a scarlet and gray scheme? (go bucks!)

halloween party... a week late

It feels like a decade since last week, so many things happening! So I almost forgot to post Halloween pictures!!

This is Ben and my halloween costume. Richie and Margot from Royal Tenenbaums.

You can see the rest of the pictures on Flickr here.

sweet relief

find image and more great ones HERE



What a day in history!

VOTE!

because 537 votes have made the difference.

wanna lil more Blair?

I have been coveting a feathered headband like this since queen b rocked it a few weeks ago. They have versions at Urban Outfitters but none as beautiful as these from Shannon Nicole. You can win one if you go to shoppingsmycardio and enter the contest.

if I don't win this is definitely going on my christmas wishlist!

xoxo

Happy Halloween!

Audrey dressed as Madeline at the Arboretum pumpkin fest

Whether you are going as Madeline or Freddy Crugar, have a safe and Happy Halloween... and a fab weekend too!

DesignForObama

This website, designforobama.org, has hundreds of posters and prints by designers from a pretty big variety of backgrounds, all showing their (nicely creative) support for Obama. I have a few favorites shown above, but this, seriously, isn't even a small fraction of those on the site. Check it out.

ps: "graphic designers for obama > you had me at the logo." -- LOVE.

coats.

Alert. Macy's is having a sale on winter coats. So that is my recommendation for you Kelley.

I also, would like a new, updated winter coat. I got a very cool one from Anthro a few years ago but it has seen better days. and I have a black one but it doesn't have much pizaaazz. So here is my wish list for winter coats. I think the big buttons, assymmetrical seaming and high collar give a the fun unexpected details I love.

1. from Soia & Kyo. I have been coveting any coat really from this company but they are a pricey investment

2. from Guess at Norstrom. not sure I like the legnth but the color and details are spot on.

3. from DKNY at Macys. love the cut of the coat. and the removable hood is pretty cute too.

winter coats!

1: via christa taylor

2: via jcrew
3: via anthropologie

Looking at Blair's yellow coat got me wanting a new one. I have a black pea-coat that I got last year for christmas, but having lost about 40 lbs since that point, and with it being shorter, it definitely isn't as flattering.

And I want something longer. Like Blair.

I like these, but I'm not sold on them - and I can't afford something brand-new for the look I want. I'd love a bold color (kelly green, PLEASE?) and a preppy-all american-classic-vintage look. Maybe it should be a new project and I should scour Charlotte's thrift stores? Erin, do you know of any other places I could look for something like that?

PS: I think I'm going to make some pumpkin seeds this weekend :) Pumpkins will probably be on clearance after Friday... and I've got some time... mmmmmmm!

Gossip Girl

Well, I don't watch the show - I've seen some episodes, and I've caught pieces of others enough to know the idea behind each personality. So your post, erin, made me curious. I started looking through photos of the girls throughout the seasons, and I'm pretty content in saying that I think I identify with Blair's style the best. It's preppy, she throws in bold colors, and embellishes each outfit with a headband or some pearls. It's a little over-the-top for what I can afford to pull-off from day to day, but looking at everyone, she's definitely my favorite.

jenny humpherey

I look forward to monday nights for 3 reasons:

1. the chance to get together with my girlfriends in dallas and have a yummy dinner

2. we watch the hills [shameless i know]

3. we watch Gossip Girl [even worse but i love it]

So last night at Lindsy's place after we made a yummy recipe for stuffed pizza (ala Rachel Ray) we settled in for some Gossip Girl. One thing I love about the show is the fashion styling and outfits. So Lindsy propsed the question: "which girls style do you like/identify with the best?" my answer was Jenny, because she has a slightly edgy style but her accessories always rock and she is just girly enough without being over the top. Lindsy's answer was Blair.

So I ask you... do you watch Gossip Girl? which style do you like/identify with the best and why?

Ryan

Ben sent over the link to his long time friend Ryan's freshly launched website. I knew Ryan was talented, but these are incredible.... and fun to look at. The diptychs he has created on his site are pretty rad too.Ryan has also started doing wedding and event photography. So if you know anyone, pass on the word.

fall...

This is the last shot I took on my way to the airport yesterday. It may be the only color i get to see on the trees since the trees in Dallas turn brown then barren.

Back in Dallas now and needing some R & R. is it the weekend yet?

Keep it Simple...

brown craft paper + twine = this year's strategy.initial idea for a christmas tag... too much?

Last year, I tried to simplify gift-wrap and keep it simple. Of course, that still got out of hand as I started collecting ornaments to attach, and red velvet ribbon, and then "simple" gift-tags that I still ended up buying... it just turned-out to be too much.

This year, I'm serious. After Joslyn's post about some really, really, gorgeous gift-wrap, I've decided not to fall for it and to stick with brown craft paper and twine. I'm making my own gift tags, and refuse to stray from the plan!

...Maybe I should start with the gifts?

Staying Neutral.

image from design*sponge, of course :)

There are a few color combinations that I can't get enough of - what I wear, at work, etc... all seems to circle-back to a gray + terra cotta / rust + yellow? + turquoise? + white.

high point...

Market is next week and we have been working our *** off to get the showroom set. As there is not much to do in High Point North Carolina I have been reading (** finished one of my books, 1 down 9 to go) and doing a little bit of surfing on the net.

While surfing, I found this groovy pouch on etsy. I love little pouches. they are perfect for lipgloss, pencils and organizing in the purse or to pull out and use as a clutch for going out. I love the octopus on it.

My "Travel Hangover"

I have such terrible travel hangovers... ya know that pain, when you get back from a trip, where everything around you hurts because it's here instead of there? That depression that your arrival home throws you into? That is my travel hangover. It happens after every last trip, without fail.

Just looking at these latest photos from jon + megan has made my heart hurt to that effect. I figured out that through all of my bills and commitments, there is only one that I can't get around - my student loans. Rent, car, insurance, etc... all of that could be sold / cancelled / put-off. Student loans are something I'm going to have to save-up because it won't go away, but my new goal - I'm putting it in writing! - is to save some money and take a trip like this. To get away and do something "for me" that involves traveling around for an extended period of time. Alone or with someone, it doesn't matter. Mark my words!

Calendar Wallpaper

Yes, this is a little bit ridiculous... but can you imagine having a back-wall covered in this wallpaper in a studio or office? Keep birthdays, big meetings, deadlines, etc, all organized and in a kind of fun way? I just saw this on the dwell blog and can't decide how to feel about it..

Come Fly With Me

I just came across this necklace on Etsy... I know it's kind of different from the necklaces I usually wear, but it seems so sweet - I kind of want it. I just hope that the chain would be long / short enough... length is tricky sometimes.

Monday Huddle

Every Monday, if not other days, one of the partners of my firm sends a company-wide email with a link to an article / project / point of interest that's design-related on some level, and we kind of discuss them / go-over them during a weekly, company-wide 'huddle' phone call. I usually end up posting them on here, but why not make a point of sharing the wealth??

So, consider this the first (of many) official Monday Huddles. I won't take credit for this unless I actually come up with them (rare), so assume that I'm getting them from an outside source.

'Second Lives' at the Museum of Arts + Design

Roberta Smith writes: In “Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary” at the new Museum of Arts and Design, masses of plastic utensils and combs, vinyl LPs, dangling eyeglasses, syringes, ladies’ pumps, pieces of crockery and spools of thread are marshaled into works of art or design, most of them derivative and gimmicky.

PSD Actions

I downloaded a set of actions from Pioneer Woman a few weeks ago, and today, in a (brief) moment of boredom, played-around a bit with them. I love- LOVE -these actions. Here are some before and after's (some of the before images aren't the same... my organization is pretty weak and I'm having trouble finding the original files - might have accidentally deleted them, but they are all from the same 'roll').

Shiny Red Shoes

image from an open [sketch]book

I'm so in love with this design, I can barely put it into words. Suzanne (amazing) posted on her blog a design that she did for (the former) Megan Tremblay (now re-married) for a company she's started - a concierge service called Shiny Red Shoes. Having been in studio with Megan for 4(?) years straight, I know that she sported identical red shoes all the time - and pulled them off like no one else. The idea of the company is really cute - I especially like the assistance with gift-buying - so fun!

I'm so in love with the red + robin's egg blue combination these days, plus the white background of the site, the clean font used = a totally modern, simple, 'jcrew meets real simple' feel that works beautifully.

Love it!

weekend work [apt]

complete! well almost.... bigger images on Flickr here.

the treehouse

Is what we have lovingly begun to call the new apt. Here is a picture of my new morning ritual and you will see what I mean. English muffin, OJ and design blogs while watching the squirrels on a crisp morning. Can you ask for anything more?

hostel on the list

I am sooo pissed that I didn't know about this hostel when we went to Denmark in May. Featured on Apartment Therapy today this youth hostel [DanHostel Copenhagen] should definitely be on anyone's list traveling through Copenhagen. And then please write me and tell me how awesome it was.

The good news is that Gubi furniture is attainable and you too can get this look.

Nature meets Architecture

One of the partners at my firm sent this article through this morning. I'm in love with this house, especially because if they hadn't said it, I never would've known it was in NYC.

guest room

I have one more thing worthy of showing in the new apt. The guest room... well at least one view of it. I hope it makes you wanna come visit.

24 before 25

Erin told me to read her post and do my own - seemed like an easy task until I started it. Giving myself short-term goals is easy. There's no deadline. But giving myself until August 0f 2009 is tough. Trying to come up with goals that aren't all self-critical and instead are optimistically ambitious is even more difficult.

1 Lose the weight - I mean it. I'm down the majority of it already, but I've got 15 to go. I want it gone by Christmas, and maintained all through next year.
2 Run three times each week...outside...I'm too cheap to pay for a membership to the gym these days - for some reason I have a feeling I should be saving money (coughECONOMIC CRISIScough)
3 Learn football - not just the basics, but really learn it during this season and before next year's season starts.
4 Develop a wardrobe I'll wear.
5 Send gifts on time or early - especially to family.
6 Take a trip with my frequent flyer miles to a place I've never been.
7 Make a dress.
8 Make my bed each morning.
9 Vote, and learn enough about the candidate to defend my vote.
10 Write thank-you notes for each gift I receive.
11 Eat breakfast every morning and make coffee instead of buying it.
12 Participate in at least three runs.
13 Use the library for non-work related reading.
14 Throw a baby shower for my best friend, and try not to feel sick over the thought of someone my age reproducing.
15 Try new restaurants in Charlotte.
16 Go on a gallery crawl in NoDa.
17 Go for a run through Uptown.
18 Stop buying so many clothes.......(full price)
19 Spend more time outside.
20 Work on my LEED certification.
21 Keep photo albums up to date.
22 Re-paint my red credenza.
23 Figure out where to live next - locally or not.
24 Spend some time re-learning my old 35mm SLR, AND get the film developed.

Clearly I had to use my list of resolutions, as well... It was good to look back at the list now that we're in the last leg of the race for 2008, see what I've accomplished and what I need to put more effort into. Lets see how this list goes!

24 before 25

image via flickr

With motivation from Joslyn... I made a list of 24 things to do before 25.
And seeing as I only have about 2 months and a couple weeks, my list may be a little ambitious. But shoot for the stars right?

1. Hem and hang curtains for the bedroom
2. Learn to make a gourmet meal like my friend Lindsy.
3. Work up stamina to run 3 miles without walking
4. Try a printing project from Lena Corwin’s book. [maybe on the curtains I am going to hem and hang]
5. Write thank you notes to any teacher that has affected me later in life in ways that I didn’t appreciate then.
6. learn a new dance
7. make a batch of wine at swirll
8. throw at least 3 dinner parties
9. Go skydiving!!
10. co-host a Halloween party with a fog machine
11. Buy all Christmas presents before my birthday
12. send flowers to someone for no reason
13. Learn to bake… anything really… from scratch!
14. Read 10 books… any suggestions?
15. Finish reading the 2 books I am onto now.
16. borrow movies from the library instead of blockbuster
17. Buy a ticket to Japan
18. Save money to go to Japan
19. Copy Joslyn and buy a bike
20. and take a Sunday bike ride
21. overcome my fear of ducks and go feed them at the pond
22. Finish hanging things in my new apt.
23. Paint
24. Go to the Dallas Arboretum.

And as a side note I was thinking about my "list" I made when I was 15 of things to do before 25. One of those things was to go to all 7 continents, I have taken the liberty of pushing that goal back to 30... or maybe 35.

Also to recall my resolutions from this year... I transferred a few to this list. Fair right?

jumping on the bandwagon

and while we are on the subject of color range, I joined the trend of color coordinating Ben and my books. This is about the only thing I am ready to show in the new apt. everything is here! yay! but it is going to take a bit to get it all in order.

ps... has anyone seen cute/cheap barstools? I am on the hunt.
pps.... I got the kitchen rugs from Urban Outfitters.

Color Test

I just saw this color test on the Dwell Blog and took five minutes to take it. I scored a 4 - 0 is perfect. I'm curious as to what other people score... I'm not going to lie - my eyes were burning by the time I was done with this.