Smitten List

Smitten List time! A round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. Sometimes there will be a theme, or it will be more gift focused and other times it will just be things I'm super crazy about that week. (links below image)

1. Large Gold Chronograph 

2. Silk Cargo Shirt

3. Latte Bowls

4. In the Sweet Bye & Bye - Margaret Kilgallen

5. Wine

6. Novelty Caban Coat

7. Tuscan Leather & Metal Boots

8. Small Polkadot 14k Ring

9. Ikat Cushion

Smitten List

Smitten List time! A round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. Sometimes there will be a theme, or it will be more gift focused and other times it will just be things I'm super crazy about that week. (links below image)

1. Crate & Barrel Silhouette Sofa

2. Full Course Load Bag

3. Becky Jacket - Royal

4. Cutler & Gross Round Sunglasses

5. Sterling Silver and Turquoise Leather Wrap Bracelet

6. Watercolor Floral Scarf

7. Raw Blueberry Honey

8. Vegetables from an Italian Garden Cookbook

9. Born Louise Flats

Smitten List

Smitten List time! A round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. Sometimes there will be a theme, or it will be more gift focused and other times it will just be things I'm super crazy about that week. (links below image)

1. Peyton and Byrne's British Baking

2. 150 Series Slim Wristwatch

3. Stephan & Co. Cutout Cuff Bracelet

4. Crystal Encrusted Gold Orbiting Cuff

5. Frame Lo Sandals

6. Carlsberg Beer

7. Michael Kors Belted Stretch-Wool Dress

8. Futura Salt & Pepper Shaker

9. Crown Vintage Convertible Satchel

Smitten List: Fathers' Day Gifts

Smitten List time! A round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. This weeks theme is all about the perfect gift for Dads, from the techie to the outdoorsman I hope it gives you ample inspiration when shopping for your dad. (links below image)

1. Fujifilm FinePix X100

2. The Mustache Grower's Guide

3. Maglite M2A016 Mini Flashlight

4. Schoolboy Satchel

5. Original Wayfarer in Tortoise

6. Americana Belt

7. Vintage AMC Portable Typewriter

8. Verndale Nubuck Derby

9. W10 Automatic Military Watch

10. Balsam Fir Graph Paper Memo

Smitten List

Smitten List time! A round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. Sometimes there will be a theme, or it will be more gift focused and other times it will just be things I'm super crazy about that week. (links below image)

1. Barton Perreira, Mitchell Havana Gold Safari Sunglasses

2. Matt & Nat Zocalo Bag

3. Pops of Print Maillot

4. I Was Here: Travel Journal

5. Dara Ettinger Bridget Ring

6. Helix Ring

7. Lori Bracelet

8. Patent Blucher

9. Ballard Bee Company Pure Honey

Home Libraries

I have a serious book space issue in my apartment currently, which is a little ridiculous because I just bought new shelves a little less then a year ago and they are already full, so maybe I have a hoarding problem. In any case in my dream world I would have one of the beautiful spaces below to fill to the brim with all the books and magazines my heart could desire. (image links can be found at bottom of the post)

Images 1. via Delight by Design 2. via Design Milk 3. via Pinterest 4. via Apartment Therapy 5. via Design Love Fest 6. via Pinterest 7. via fffffound

Elsa Beskow

This morning while I was catching up on my blog reading I came across a post by my dear friend Annie, it featured some images by famed children's book illustrator Margaret Evans Price which made me quite nostalgic for the classic imagery from my childhood. This reminiscing immediately made me think of one of my all time favorite children's book authors and illustrators, Elsa Beskow. As a child we owned many of her books and their lovely illustrations of nature and fantasy were simply enchanting. I can't wait to one day share them with my own children.

Perfection

I leave you for the day with a little bonus post, because I just couldn't help myself from sharing this photo I found recently on Pinterest. Doesn't it just look dreamy? I wish I had a little nook surrounded by books that I could hang out in all day.

Smitten List

Smitten List time! a round-up of things I'm coveting or smitten with. Sometimes there will be a theme, or it will be more gift focused and other times it will just be things I'm super crazy about that week, so enjoy! This week I'm clearly feeling quirky objects in warm neutrals. Also as spring approaches I'm starting to see more and more really great floral patterns like the one used on those beautiful anthropologie plates below. And you can never go wrong with polka dots, whether on a bowtie or drinking glasses. (links below image)

1. Tartine Bread

2. Watercolor Petals Dinnerware

3. Dot Bowtie

4. Monaco Gold Highball

5. Better Half Blonde Ale

6. Karen Walker, Deep Freeze Sunglasses

7. Woodland Ring Set

8. Cylindrical Leather Messenger Bag

9. Taabu Piomba Booties

Amy Sedaris I love you!

Last week my good friend Sofie  sent me a link to Amy Sedaris' youtube channel for her new book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, and for those of you who haven't been, I highly recommend it. You will learn countless necessary skills such as making slippers for shut-ins, or roasting hot dogs on a common house-hold rake. She's hilarious as usual and I just adore her so I wanted to share.

Chronicle Books Friends & Family Code

I have a bonus post today to tell you all about the great Friends & Family code going on at Chronicle books, when they emailed me about it I got so excited because you all know how much I adore Chronicle. I'ts 35% off when you enter code FRIENDS at checkout. I just ordered a bunch of books to give away as presents (maybe I bought something for myself as well) I highly recommend it. Also don't forget about the Happy Haul-idays giveaway it ends Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since I'm out of town today and won't be able to do my regular posting I thought I would compile a list of my favorite recent posts from fellow bloggers. There are so many great blogs out there, this list should keep you entertained while you lounge on the couch post meal.

• Get ready to be totally jealous! Best Job Ever: Aya Akazawa, Senior Designer at Chronicle Books
• Need some economical holiday dress choices? The Most Festive Cocktail Dresses Under $100
• If you want to laugh your thanksgiving meal off check out my friend Maddie's Blog: Madeleine Davis Aims to Please
• A fun craft project to do on a long weekend: diy project: Paint-by-number hex symbol coasters
• Want more comic relief? look no further: 10 Things you May Have Missed On TV This Week
• A great recipe round-up, might be too late for Thanksgiving but you can always start planning for Christmas: What's Cookin'?!
• A great post about artist Maira Kalman at Anne & Electra: And the pursuit of...
• Overall great blog: Graphic Exchange
• A wonderful interview with one of my all time favorite illustrators: Julia Rothman Interview
• One of my most recent Selby faves: Eileen Peters and Mark Wiesmayr
• Make sure to check out all of the holiday giveaways over at Apartment Therapy: Holiday Giveaways
• And of course don't forget to enter the Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays giveaway

Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays!

 This morning I was over the moon to wake up to the start of Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays giveaway! For those of you who don't know Chronicle Books is my favorite book publisher of all time, based in San Francisco they produce some of the most beautiful books ranging from design, to cooking to hiking. 
The giveaway works like this, bloggers post a list of items from Chronicle (valued up to $500) which automatically enters them in a drawing to win their haul, then if my blog wins one of my readers, who commented on the post will also win $500 to spend at Chronicle. For more details click here. 
Below is my wishlist, comment below and you could win your list as well! Winners will be announced on December 13th.

Creative Inc. / By Meg Mateo Ilasco & Joy Deangdeelert Cho
The Exquisite Book / By Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski & Matt Lamothe
Paper + Craft / By Minhee & Truman Cho
Design Research / By Jane Thompson & Alexandra Lange
The Life & Love of Trees / By Lewis Blackwell
The Handy Household Helper
Beauty Rules / By Bobbi Brown with Rebecca Paley
D.I.Y. Delicious / By Vanessa Barrington
Logo / By Michael Evamy
365: AIGA Year in Design 29 / By AIGA
Hooked on Hiking: Northern California /  By Ann Marie Brown
The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex / By Kristen Schaal
This Is NPR / By Cokie Roberts, Susan Stamberg, Noah Adams, John Ydstie, Renee Montagne, Ari Shapiro & David Folkenflik
Decorate / By Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

Cookbook Lusting

I love buying new cookbooks, and surprisingly I don't really use recipes out of them that often. Instead my method is to sit on the couch on a lazy weekend afternoon and pore over them, slowly absorbing the photos and the techniques. Then when I do cook I tend to just go with my gut, making it up as I go, once in a while this approach does not work and I have to either follow a recipe exactly or the dish turns out terrible. But for me I'm more attracted to the creativity of cooking (which is why I'm not a baker, to much math and science) and the visual inspiration, so I'm always excited when I see a new beautiful cookbook and I start imagining my next lazy weekend enjoying a bushel of inspiration. These are some of my current tantalizing obsessions.

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