Image Envy: Rose and Crown

Had an incredibly busy week that ended with a Sunday full of Christmas card crafts. I'll show you a sneak peek of the cards that we are hoping to mail out tonight. We waited a bit late this year but I think we should be able to pop them in the post.
I also spent a good chunk of time this weekend going through the wonderful images at Rose and Crown.
Nikaela does a fantastic job of showcase her crafty life in a really romantic and fresh way. I really loved the feel of the photography and her various sewing projects inspired me to get working on the aforementioned-much-ignored-Christmas-cards!


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Tailor-Made Inspiration

Check out the lovely Escapade blog to check out a little feature post I did about Gift Wrapping!

It was such a pleasure to do something inspiring for Escapade because I have found the blog to such a source of imagination and real genuine style.

I read it everyday and am always pleasantly surprised at its curation and attention to detail.

In the meantime, enjoy some images from one of my favourite Escapade posts:

Thomas O'Brien's Soho Loft.

I want everything in this place.

Top to bottom. Colours. Objects. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!

Thanks for the great images Escapade! Keep up the great work!

A Fantastic Collection

Having a blog is good for several reasons.
First, it gives you a sense of doing some work, even when you should be finishing your noodles so that you can finish off the pile of Christmas cards you have ambitiously taken on. But having a blog also means you get to be privy to rad things like Kate Spade's Things We Love book. The photography and styling is pure Kate Spade - whimsical and charming, dripping with classic style - but I especially love the collection of things that are both everyday and extraordinary.
Gold confetti? YES.
Stripes? YES YES.
Red Typewriter? HELL YES.
And zebras, too.


Read this interview on Felt and Wire about the makings of the book.
Spotted here.

Pretty Inspiration

Found here.

Designers Go to Heaven

Some gorgeous work from graphic designer Andrei D. Robu.

Check out the website from a plethora of illustrations, magazine covers and all around inspiring work.

A great way to kick off the week!

Quiet Steel

There are few things as instantly commanding as black and white photographs.
Something about the lack of colour gives them such a strength in their contrasts.
Sometimes they feel romantic.
Sometimes nostalgic.
Sometimes haunting.
Every time it is good.

This trio is by Margaret Durow.
Found here.

Fabulous Still Life

Some quirky chic for your Friday!

These guys were put together by Carl Kleiner and I am loving every inch of them.

Fabulous objects done up nice with a splash of humour. Just what I am in the mood for today.

I am also gearing up for a wicked Saturday. I've got a silk-screening/letterpress workshop to attend and I am so excited that I even beat my alarm by an hour because I was thinking of all the things I'll need to get together. I am hoping to work on some sketches and things tonight and I'll share them with you if they look worthy! (Or maybe even if they don't...)

Images found here.

Partners in Creativity

For all the time that I spend on my email, on my computer, on the internet, on this blog... I will never be able to use online or electronic calendars or notepads. I've tried. It's not me. It's too much work. I never remember to keep them updated and all the extra highlights and buttons that are supposed to make electronic calendars better, end up making the process annoying and in no way more convenient.

I will, however, always carry around my black Moleskines. I have my weekly planner that has the week laid out on the left and a full page of notepaper on the right. It lets me map out my week and add in all the stuff that I need as the days go by. I also carry a simple black thin notebook also from Moleskine that is now more scribbles than anything. It holds random notes, references and bits of inspiration. It also has a two-year old hand-sketched drawing of downtown Hamilton, done by my good friend Dee. She even took the time to draw the hobos in the main park. 

I think I will always use proper planners. I find they keep me organized because of their tangibility. I use them. Write in them. Stuff them with ticket stubs and doctor's cards. Moleskines are great because their covers last and they have an inside pocket for all your junk. Plus, there is something old-world yet sleek about them. Check out this article about how Moleskine banked on the idea that people would not give up on paper and their company is all the stronger for it. The link is also where you can find the above images of Moleskines as Art. Enjoy!

Unexpected Friends

A traditional teddy is always great, but these guys are pretty nifty. I think it would be incredibly special to give either of these to a child. I'd like to see all the different stories you could build around a bunny or a polar bear! I especially love the soft white colour and of course, the fact they are totally hand-made.

Hand-made by Hannah Haworth and found on Handmade Romance.

Photo Art Love

Lately, I have found myself gravitating toward whimsical images and these photos really made me pause in admiration. I like that the subjects are not necessarily stunning or dramatic but you don't lose a sense of their femininity and energy. They've got me wanting to take my camera out on the town. And even turning the lens on my shabby little apartment!

Photographer, Edwin Tse, a fellow Torontonian, who now lives in NYC.
Found here.

Surge of Red

Some colour inspiration from Design is Mine.

A Charming Idea

I have found myself delving into more and more design blogs and magazines. And it's a welcomed habit. I was never really exposed to "great interior design." My parents never cared about things like that and my mother was never into changing up the living room or anything like that like I've heard from some of my friends. One year when my sister and I returned from a summer vacation in Nicaragua, my parents had decided to paint our bedroom peach. Almost neon peach if you can imagine it. The bedding was red/orange/gold. It was a surprise to say the least and the only real time any decorating was done. We eventually covered it all up with pages from teen magazines but that's another story for another day.

I love this idea of a tee-pee for a child's room.
Children are eternal fort-builders and escape artists, so why not beat them to the punch and give them a place they can hide away and work on their imagination? I think it's sweet and charming.

Images from The Boo and the Boy.

I came across this blog the other day and was incredibly touched by the author's style and openness. 

Julia loves her two kids, loves interior design and loves her husband, who's ongoing treatment for a brain tumor is chronicled honestly right there for the whole internet to see. I was impressed to say the least.