Nigel Peake

I was mesmerized by Nigel Peake's work the first time I saw it, it is so intricate and captivating and he seems like quite the eccentric bloke from Ireland. You can read more about him in this interview done by Little Paper Planes where you can get a little insight into the mind of an artist. Also check out his online shop where he sells prints and other things.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2011

Another one of my favorites shows from the Spring 2011 season was Marc by Marc Jacobs. I loved how fun and bright the colors were and how easy and flirty a lot of the looks were, I could easily see myself wearing most of the spring collection. Now I just have to be gifted a couple thousand dollars, any takers? The Mens looks were quite nice as well I could see Travis looking real spiffy in a number of those looks.

Rubber Design

Rubber Design is one of my favorite San Francisco based design firms. They specialize in branding and I always appreciate their eye for type and color, they are somehow able to make their projects look fun, inviting and cohesive, and they make it look easy.

Kate Hutchinson

I'm a fan of all of Kate Hutchinson's photography but I especially love her series "Why I am Marrying Him?" where she documents her relationship with her fiance, and continues to do so even now after they have been married. The reason I love this series so much is because we often are bombarded with the super saccharine and sentimental when it comes to weddings, engagements and relationships in general and the fact that Kate depicted it with such honesty and irreverence is beyond refreshing.

Bedding Resources

My über chic friend Maddie recently asked me for some tips on where to buy bedding and I thought what a good idea for a post so here are some of my favorite bedding resources that I promise will brighten up any bedroom.

My favorite site has to be Dwell Studio, they are a little pricey but I literally catch myself drooling sometimes while looking at their bedding

French Macaroons in Mexico

The Theurel & Thomas identity and store design is one of my favorites by Mexican design team Anagrama. The fact that they were able to not only redesign the brand identity but the store interior as well, really helped with the overall feel and brand continuity. The use of white to let the macaroons really pop, was genius in my opinion albeit probably a pain to keep clean. It looks like a lovely fantasy world that I would want to visit over and over which is important with such a niche product.

Chicago Trip Round-Up

As I mentioned in my last blog post this past weekend my boyfriend and I took a little jaunt to Chicago. It was nice to get away even if the hotel bed was terribly uncomfortable (I might be inordinately attached to my own bed). So I thought I would share some of my favorite bits from our trip.

Star Trek

This past weekend we drove down to Chicago to meet up with my boyfriends brother and his girlfriend to have a fun excursion enjoying the city. It was a great weekend with delicious food and good conversation but one of my favorite outings was surprisingly not food related. We decided to go to the Planetarium and watch the Journey to the Stars, it was so amazing and made me wish I was living on the starship Enterprise. After getting home I started googling Hubble telescope images and find myself in awe at how intricate and beautiful each image is, I had to share.

Betsy Walton

I discovered the work of illustrator and painter Betsy Walton last year and was immediately taken by her captivating images. Her naive illustration style is enhanced by her expert use of texture and geometric shapes. I always find myself engrossed in the little details of her work.

ADAM Spring 2011

Since we are currently in the midst of "Fashion Month" I thought I would share with you one of my favorite shows so far. ADAM's spring 2011 collection is so simple and wearable, which is usually something I gravitate towards in a collection. I tend to be more practical about my fashion choices, so when I see something that is so simple and yet so chic I'm usually smitten. Quite of few shows for spring had a version of a high-waisted wide leg pant but I think ADAM had my favorite pair, especially these one's in red, after seeing this show online I immediately went on a mad hunt for the perfect wide-leg pants unfortunately the selection is a little sparse right now, I guess I'll just have to wait until Spring.

Best of Etsy Roundup

I'm hoping to make my Etsy roundups a regular occurance, maybe every other week. To showcase some of the best items I've found recently and I thought other people might like as well. So feel free to let me know how you like this feature in the comments below. Note: Click on image to see items larger.

Clockwise from Top Left: Iris Schwarz Painting, Vintage Brass Bull, Vintage German Trachten Blazer, Vintage Hornrim Glasses, Studs, Vintage Yellow Pitcher, Dooney & Burke Red Leather Handbag, Vintage Blue Romper, Gold Woven Leather Oxfords, Fox Print, Lattice Pillow.

Reading List

I'm constantly compiling piles of books that I want to read or "need" to read and for the most part I only get around to actually reading a fraction of the books I am always saying I will. But recently while on Vacation in San Francisco, I was slowly meandering a local bookstore (the sort of thing I only seem to have time for on vacation) and I noticed some new releases that I absolutely had add to the every expanding list, and I thought I would share. Also I admit it, I often judge a book by it's cover, I can't help it and I won't apologize for it, this doesn't mean I completely ignore content though.

The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex, by Kristen Schaal & Rich Blomquist   /   Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer

Everything Matters, by Ron Currie Jr.   /   Creative, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco & Joy Deangdeelert Cho

Nerds are the hottest

I found this photo on the great blog nerdboyfriend the other day and just loved it, can you believe that's a young Sir Ian McKellen? Yum!

Birthday Wishes

Today is my birthday so in honor of the big day I am compiling my ultimate birthday wish list.

1. Any painting by my childhood friend Sofie, the pictured artwork is one of my favorites because I love the colors but really she can do no wrong in my book, she's uber talented and I'm honored to know her.

2. Any of these beautiful, talented men on my birthday would do, or all three of them, why not?

3. This outfit from J. Crew or really anything from their most recent catalog.
4. This lovely print by Julie Morstad, it reminds me of my sisters and I, who I always wish I could be with on my birthday.

5. And last but certainly not least would be to have a great meal with family and friends, that would make the best birthday ever.

Pee-Yew

Anybody that knows me, knows me deep disdain for perfume, I hate it, especially being stuck in a compact space with someone who clearly does not know the meaning of restraint when it comes to perfume. Which makes my love for this Anthropologie eau de perfum packaging a little bittersweet, I almost want to buy it just so it can sit on my shelf and I can stare at it for hours contemplating it's beautiful intricacies without ever opening it.

Perfection

In honor of my good friend Maddie's future husband, I am posting these flawless pictures of Jon Hamm with Rebecca Hall from the most recent W magazine. I don't know if it even needs an explanation, does it get any better then Jon Hamm honestly? And for anybody who hasn't heard him on the numerous comedy podcasts he frequents not only is he nice to look at but he's funny to boot.

Couch hunt 2010

I recently had to purchase a new couch and of course, leave it to me to turn that into an obsessive hunt for the most beautiful/budget friendly option ever created. I ended up kind've settling for a couch that was super budget friendly but not necessarily flawless design-wise. I'll have to wait a couple years before I splurge on my dream couch I guess. Until then here are some of the inspiration shots I found along the way that I can look at and tide me over until that time comes.

Return

Ok, to say I've been on a long break would be an understatement, but I'm going to try this again and see if I can keep it going. For my first post back I just want to mention these beautiful book covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith. They have been making the rounds on blogosphere but I just couldn't resist showing them as well. They are so simple and striking and I always appreciate a designer who gives the spine just as much love as the rest of the book.