Urban Outfitters Interactive Home Catalogue

The 2012 Urban Outfitters Home Catalogue is a creative delight to browse! It's such an interesting interface, and is a work of art in and of itself. I loved looking through all the objects, and even plan to purchase a few items... take a look!
Urban Outfitters Home Catalogue

Ispirazione Toscana!

Tuscany has always been my dream destination, and although I have yet to travel to Italy,  my teenage obsession with the movie "Stealing Beauty" and my adult obssession with the book "Under the Tuscan Sun" (which is nothing like the movie, but is indeed any House/Decorating/DIYer's dream recounting of a home remodel in the land of grapes, golden sunsets, rolling hills, and slow work) have cemented it as a mecca of inspiration in my head. Well, a recent post on Apartment Therapy spoke to the place in my head that urges me to drop everything and make a run for Italy's rolling hills, that I just had to share it. It's eye candy galore to those of us who are vacation deprived!
 Click here to go to the original post on Apartment Therapy

    

   All images from One Week In Tuscany, on Apartment Therapy

Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming

Although I am terrible at blogging, I am indeed an avid follower, and daily stalker, of many wonderful design and lifestyle blogs. So, when one of my card's is featured by someone with a beautiful and inspiring blog that I hadn't yet discovered, I am always so excited!

Yesterday my "Rorschach Flowers" card was featured on Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming, a lovely lifestyle blog out of Australia by the artist behind Percival Road Designs on Etsy.

Her blog is a little bit lifestyle, a little bit art, and a little bit fashion, all with a keen design eye and a peek into Australian life! I love it.... Her Etsy shop Percival Road Designs is also filled with beautiful paper goods that I am thinking to by for Greta's 1st Birthday Party! (I can't believe my baby is going to be 1!)

All images from Anastasia Drawing And Dreaming, and Percival Road Designs

A New Year, A New Way Be Inspired...

(quote originally from http://www.momdot.com/inspirational-quotes)

As a new year begins, I feel the need to explain the lack of new work and updates in the world of Pretty.Simple.Things. I've tried to keep the personal side of my life separate from Pretty.Simple.Things, but I've come to realize, that one's art is intrinsically tied to ones place in life. In 2011 I lost a mother, and gained a daughter, all in the span of 4 months. My husband, my eldest daughter and I spent much of last year in flux while we cared for my sweet Mother-In-Law and took over her businesses in California. Her illness came on fast and furious and losing the woman who was such a nurturing, and grounding, fixture in our lives effected us and our day-to-day life greatly. We had only been back home in Savannah for 2 months when our second daughter was born. We were still feeling immense grief in our loss, and the surreal experience of feeling that grief, while welcoming one of the greatest joys into our life (seriously, our now 7 month old is the happiest, most joyful little being you've ever met) had us all a bit mixed up.

I'm sharing all of this with you because the last year has been so much about just getting through each day, that all feelings of creativity and momentum with Pretty.Simple.Things was lost to me. Up until recently I was simply trying to be a good mom, enjoy my children, and find my way back into a normal routine for our family. I was not able to find inspiration in the day-to-day, and had no motivation to find the time to get into my studio and create new work. I am happy to say, that the last 2 weeks I've turned a corner. I feel as if a fog has lifted, and I'm finding my way back into my right brain, back into wanting to create. And even though I haven't been able to get into the studio and print (having a 4 year old and a 7 month old has left me with not much time in the everyday scheme of things) but I have been sketching out new card ideas, and trying to carve a space each week where I will eventually have time to bring these new ideas into life!

One of the things that has helped me find and organize inspiration, in Pinterest! I absolutely love Pinterest, and if you haven't started Pinning - get to it! Creating your boards on Pinterest reminds me of being in Art School when I made mood boards for whatever project I was working on, only you can make them for all realms of your life, and it's totally addictive! I'm including a link if you want to "follow me" on pinterest and see what's inspiring me right now.

Jess Brown for Bottega Veneta!

If you've seen Jess's dolls before, you are sure to appreciate the whimsy and detail that go into each one. Jess is an amazing creator, who's dolls have been featured in almost every chic magazine featuring children's wares, and are coveted around the globe. My daughter loves her Jess Brown doll and I can't wait to get a second one for my newest addition (when she gets just a little bit older). Besides making her lovely ladies, Jess, along with my sweet friend Stacy, own one of my all-time favorite shops for women and kids called Maude in Petaluma, Ca. When we were recently in California for a visit, I stopped in to Maude to visit and do a little shopping, and Stacy told me all about Jess's latest project for Bottega Veneta. Life Size Dolls for there Store windows. The dolls started out in Beverly Hills and New York, and will then travel to Paris, Milan, and London.... So exciting! Below are some pictures of these amazing (and soon to be well traveled) ladies created by Jess!

Photos courtesy of jessbrowndesign.com

New Additions...

I've been on a long hiatus here at Pretty.Simple.Things, and here is one of the main reasons! We welcomed our second daughter on May 27th. Her name is Greta Suzanne, we call her Gigi...

Hearts and Crafts

For all of you in the Bay Area, you can find a small collection of Pretty.Simple.Things cards and notebooks for purchase at the Hearts and Crafts pop-up gallery/craft faire on Sunday February 13th, from 2-8, at Local 123 in Berkeley!

I won't be there in person, but my lovely friend, and fellow CCA alumni, Riki Henderson who is curating the show will be there. Go have a cup of coffee and check out the amazing work of artists (and some of my old friends) like Alika Cooper, Marci Washington, Kelly Brown, and Riki Henderson.

Visit the blog for more info on Hearts and Crafts

February 13th, from 2-8 pm Local 123 2049 San Pablo Ave Berkeley, CA

Winter happiness...

During this exceptionally cold winter in Savannah (where we usually have 75-80 degree days interspersed with a short cold spells here and there in winter, but this year have had several long freezing spells and even snow in the middle of the day) I have been using the time indoors to perfect my bread baking skills and organize and decorate my home in preparation for this baby (our second girl) I'm due to have in May. Maybe it's the nesting instinct from pregnancy, maybe it's simply enjoying this time inside to play, bake, cook, and craft with my 3 year old, but my creative focuses have shifted from paper goods to home. I'm sure my inspiration will shift again, but right now I'm really enjoying being creative in the kitchen! So I thought I would share with you The Kitchen's 10 Food Tips to Keep You Happy Through Winter

10 Food Tips To Keep You Happy During Winter

• 1. Citrus - I like to explore the vast array of different citrus fruits carried by my local co-op. Sure they aren't the most local food this time of year, but I indulge. The flavors are so bright and fresh, perfect to cut through richer dishes I crave this time of year. A Sicilian salad of sliced grapefruit, orange, red onion and flat leaf parsley is a great starter to any meal.

• 2. Tea - I just spent 34 dollars on four different loose-leaf teas (vanilla roiboos, jasmin, creme de la Earl Gray, Assam and Nilgiri). This will last us a few months and just brings such comfort throughout the day that the cost breakdown is actually not that crazy. About 50 cents a day for about three to four cups of tea — not bad considering how much pleasure it creates. Having several different varieties is key to my enjoyment, as is cutting off the caffeinated types at about 3 o'clock. Other than that, get your sip on.

• 3. Grains - I like to take time to try a few new grains during the winter. Having done this the past few years, I've added a multitude of fabulous and nutritious grains to my repertoire. Things like wheat berries, farro, buckwheat groats are all staples for breakfast porridge or savory salads at lunch and dinner time. They are a superb source for complex carbohydrates, so they really keep me going and keep me happy. Happy + grains = beating the winter blues!

• 4. Chocolate - In the same vein as the tea and grain exploration, I enjoy splurging on a fancy chocolate bar or truffle about once per week. It keeps my sweet tooth in check, while exploring new combinations, varieties and flavor profiles. Smoked sea salt and toasted almond, extra dark and dotted with cacao nibs have all excited my palate and inspired me. Having one (or two) small chunks broken off a bar each winter day or popping one perfect truffle into my mouth sends me straight to my happy place. No talking, checking email, TV, reading or doing anything else while savoring the chocolate. I also never chew — just let that puppy melt. Amazing. I'm excited as I type this for what chocolate I'll try today!

• 5. Create a Ritual Meal - This weekly (almost sacred) meal is crucial for me and my husband during the winter months. We like to get bagels and coffee with family on Sunday mornings. We check in with each other, read the paper, attempt the crossword, laugh a lot. There's never a line (we save trendy restaurants for other times), it's inexpensive and we part ways after this touchstone event. Friends sometimes join us, sometimes not.

• 6. Leafy Greens - Eat a lot of them. I love to massage thinly–sliced raw kale with a little salt, vinegar and oil, throw and avocado on top and dig in. I feel like superwoman whenever I eat greens, cooked or raw. Find a recipe or method of preparing one leafy green vegetable, and then substitute a different type — they're all pretty interchangeable — the next time you're in the kitchen.

• 7. Vegetarian Phở Soup - Whether you make this traditional Vietnamese noodle soup at home or have your favorite phở restaurant's phone number on speed dial, it always fills me up with flavor and healthful ingredients. It's so fresh and clean, yet surprisingly filling and robust. It will soothe your winter aches as only a huge bowl of delicious soup can do.

• 8. Develop a Quest - Last year, I scoured my city for the perfect veggie burger during the winter months. I found it, then the restaurant closed (tragedy), but it was fun to think about which veggie burger we would share at our weekly dinner out. This year, I'm focused on biscuits and so far, I've found some delicious contenders. The quest is just beginning in earnest!

• 9. Sweet Potatoes - Roast them, bake them, make them into fries, throw them into pancakes . . . There's really nothing that this magical, brightly–colored, vitamin–filled tuber can't do. For me, they are so nourishing and delicious, decadent without being heavy. In dreary weather, they really hit the spot dolled up with a sprinkling of brown sugar, cinnamon, flake salt, dried cranberries and candied walnuts.

• 10. Eat something beloved from your childhood on a weekly basis - For me, this is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich — with lots of homemade jelly and salty, crunchy peanut butter. There's something so comforting about this meal; it brings me straight back to my days of tag and swings on the playground. I like to vary it up with different jams and breads, but the core elements remain the same. And while I'm at work, eating my sandwich, I think about being a little younger, from the intriguing gully beyond my elementary school to the Craft poster on my wall during adolescence . . . Another winter, another year older, jeez!

Follow Me: the Making of Bergdorf Goodman's 2010 Holiday Windows

A dream job of mine, of course... Amazing to see how these amazing little worlds are created...

and a couple of the finished creations as seen from the street...

See the full article about the Bergdorf Goodmans window creations in the Holiday Issue of Lonny Magazine

Pretty.Simple.Things at Sacred Art Gallery-Boutique in Chicago!

I'm so excited to announce that my paper goods are now carried at an amazing gallery-boutique called Sacred Art, in Chicago, Il! This lovely shop in Lincoln Square is a space where folks can buy art from emerging artists without the pretense or mark-up of a gallery. The shop's emphasis is on local Chicago artists, but they have recently branched out to include artists from other areas who's work fit's the shops aesthetic and vibe. I'm so excited to be one of those artists! Check out the Sacred Art website to see pics of the store, and images of some of the other work they carry...

Handy for the holidays...

These casserole carriers by Vonny are exactly what I would buy for all of the wonderful cooks in my life who I share meals with potluck style through the Holidays. As we are hosting the second annual Potluck-Thanksgiving in our home for some of our friends who have become like family to us, the burden of transporting hot casserole dishes (so as not to have a traffic-jam at the oven right before we sit down to eat) would be all but solved if I had discovered these nifty carriers a few weeks ago. I will definitely be buying one for myself for all the Christmas holiday parties I will be schlepping hot dishes to! They retail for $46.00 at vonny.com

The Perfect Holiday Dazzler...

I love this dress by London based designer Anna Popovich... It is oh-so-perfect for holiday parties!

Find it at her Etsy shop!

Holiday Dinner Party Invites...

It's been so long since I've posted any pics of the custom orders I've been working on, and this is due mostly to the fact that my camera has taken a bit of a knock and is taking less than clear pictures. I'm so frustrated that I can't share photos of the designs that have kept me so busy for the last 4 months, so I decided to post some pics of a little job I had worked on a few months ago that entailed a customization of one of my existing designs, ordered on Etsy.

For a holiday dinner party these "Dinner With Friends" cards were screened in Red and Green ink, doing half the order with red text/green imagery, and half the order with green text/red imagery. The cards held vellum invitation inserts, that I printed in red or green to coordinate with the text color on the front of the card. The finished product was super sweet, and full of holiday whimsy!

PetitPlat Food Art by Stephanie Kilgast

I stumbled across the art of Stephanie Kilgast a couple weeks ago, and keep going back to her blog to see what she's up to. She is a french sculptor, working in the form of miniature foods for dollhouse and jewelry. Her website PetitPlat is full of beautiful imagery, tutorials, information, and a link to her etsy shop. Her work is hyper-realistic, mouth-watering, incredibly detailed and oh-so-tiny! But what I love the most about Stephanie's work is that even though it may not be in one of the traditionally recognized mediums of art, it is most definitely art! I love the fact that etsy and the movement supporting handmade crafts has helped the world to recognize that art comes in many non-traditional forms, and no matter the size or medium, all handmade art is of great value and should be recognized as so! Enjoy the pics, courtesy of Stephanie's Blog...

Yellow Elm Felted-Wool Accessories

It's been so hard for me to find the time to post to the blog lately as I've been (happily) swamped with tons of custom work, busy with lots of family holiday's, and in general exhausted due to the little one I'm due to have in May. That being said, I've been dying to share one of my new favorite makers, Elizabeth Blanton of Yellow Elm, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Indie Craft Parade.

Elizabeth crafts beautiful (and incredibly unique) hair accessories, hat adornments, and brooches by hand, through the process of felting wool, which she describes as layering wool, pouring soap and boiling water over it, and scrubbing until the fibers interlock to make felt. She then adds embellishments, decorative stitching, and artful details to each piece by hand, creating little works of wearable art. She also has a wonderful blog, which puts my very-bad-at-blogging-self to shame! Check it out http://yellowelm.com/blog/

Photos courtesy of Yellow Elm

The Indie Craft Parade!

The first annual Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, SC, was a huge success, with 4000 attendees, and 77 amazing artists showing work, it was inspiring and overwhelming! I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful artists, and getting feedback on my work from thousands of shoppers! I came home to lots of orders that were generated from the faire, and have been so busy trying to keep up with all the work I haven't yet gotten a chance to share on the blog about the experience. I plan on featuring some of the amazing artist that I got to meet while there, so check back in a couple of weeks (when hopefully I will have emerged from my studio having successfully completed all these orders while still staying in one piece)!

Below are some pics of me at my booth, and some of the many items I have yet to get up on the Etsy site that I debuted at the show.

photos courtesy of Yellow Elm and the Flickr page for the ICP

Pretty.Simple.Things in Babiekins Magazine!

The current issue of Babiekins Magazine just came out, and I'm happy to share the pictures of my work is from the magazine. My Alice in Wonderland Party Invite (fully customizable and for sale in my Etsy site) is in the first shot of the Wonderland themed story, and the paper butterflies used throughout the shoot for styling are also my creations! Check Babiekins out!

Linus's Birth Announcement

Printed on 100% recycled paper, featuring my "Animal Parade Pennants" Design and an original graphite drawing of lovely Linus by his mother, and my talented friend Marisa, this little announcement was a fun project. In fact, we were so happy with the results (and I am just such a fan of Marisa's art) that we are thinking of teaming up and offering this collaborative announcement design on Etsy. She would create an original graphite drawing of your little one from a picture, and I would do the announcement design and printing. You would be getting not only a beautiful keepsake announcement, but also an original work of art featuring your little one!