Bella

Mary Katrantzou AW 2012

2012-03-02T06:06:00.002-08:00

Film: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

2011-12-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

I so wish I could've seen the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last summer. Since I wasn't able to make it, this video is really the second best thing. It's detailed and very informative and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Snap Shots: Vladimir Pekov

2011-12-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

I love these beautifully simplistic, yet powerful flower portraits by Bulgarian artist Vladimir Pekov. Each flower is named to capture the essence of a celebrity. It's interesting how he presents the male figures as both strong and delicate.

Bob Dylan

David Bowie

Mick Jagger

Iggy Pop

Tom Waits

Video: Kimbra- "Settle Down"

2011-12-17T20:10:00.001-08:00

I came across this video on youtube, and just love the song. <3

Vintage Chic

2011-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Antique vanity $565 PaintedCottages for etsy

vintage chandelier $395 VintageChicFurniture for etsy

French tole antique dresser and bed set $3300 ParisCoutureAntiques for etsy

Best of the nest: Sweet little tweets

2011-12-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love birds. UK textile artist Abigail Brown creates the sweetest I've ever seen from new and recycled materials. Just had to share my find!

Piecing it all together: Romantic (plus-size)

2011-12-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Victoriana knit wraparound $125- originalsample for etsy

Pins and Lace tank $35 for Kristn Miles

Cayenne Pepper Floral Circle Skirt $45 Rosie's Whimsy for etsy

Welsh Pear Loafers $168 for Anthroplogie

Piecing it all together: Sweet (Plus-Size)

2011-12-16T12:39:00.001-08:00

Skeleton Key necklace $19.95 kriyadesign for etsy

Puff sleeve bolero cardigan $110 OriginalSample for etsy

Strawberry iced tea dress $47.99 ModCloth

Pembrokshire heels in floral ivory $39.99 for Ruche

Piecing it all together: Beige Invasion

2011-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

GoldEyed Brass Owl Earrings NeedfullThing $14.99 for etsy

Alpheratz Sweater $178 for Anthropologie

Name it and Win it dress: $109.99 for ModCloth

All Illuminated Heels $95 for Anthropologie

Piecing it all together: One hot look

2011-12-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Mustard hand knitted beanie $30 Puik for Etsy

Layered Chroma Cardigan $358 by Anthropologie

Meadow bridge floral skirt $44.99 for Ruche

Fasten Your Shoebelt Bootie $97.99 for ModCloth

Snap Shot: Khuong Nguyen

2011-12-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to see these photos by Khuong Nguyen. They're some of the most astoundingly creative surreal photos I've seen in a while.

Paper perfect

2011-12-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

I was posting over on Tumblr, and came across the work of British paper and textile artist Jennifer Collier. Inspired by antique shops, flea markets and the like, each piece is a true delight.

Spice Jars with rack

Map SLR camera

Little Women Stilletos

Tea bag dress

Heads Up: 5 Great Winter Hats

2011-12-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

When winter rolls around, I'm always tempted to curl up into a ball and hide. So what keeps me out of hibernation? Hot chocolate, lots of coffee, and cozy winter gear- especially hats! Like a great handbag, you can absolutely NOT have enough. Anyone who knows me, will tell you I am seldomly seen without a hat in the winter. Chunky floral hats have been my signature look for quite some time now, but I do like to mix it up now and then.

So here are 5 great hats that I wanted to share with you, my loverly readers.

: handspun wool cap - $46 Chopstix Waits for etsy

I've purchased several items over the years from Chopstix, and I can tell you her craftsmanship is utterly superb. And she spins her own yarn.

: Flapper Crochet hat - $35 melissahappystuff for etsy

THE hat you will not see me without in the winter months, warm, supercute and well-made. I always get tons of compliments whenever I wear mine, and I have 4 different colors!

: Freeform hat by Elasia's gifts prices vary www.elasiasgifts.com

I bought one of these from my friend Elasia, and it is just one of the coolest, funkiest hat I've ever seen. She uses no patterns, all hats and scarves are completely free form. Stop by her website for more details.

: Freeform crochet beret - $90 woolmountain for etsy

I have yet to purchase from Woolmountain, but I love the design and the colors that will never go out of style.

: wooden barnacle freeform crochet hat - $110 girlwithahook for etsy

Beautiful and one-of-a kind!

Evolution of a Painting: Kimmy Bess art

2011-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

Kimmy Bess is an incredibly gifted artist I met online a couple years ago. I would say her artwork is best described (to my ability) as psychedelic surrealism. She has made murals, jewelry, ink drawings, and paintings on canvas and guitar often inspired by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix.

I created a slideshow showcasing the step-by-step process of one of Kimmy's works. She calls the process Evolution of a Painting. It's beautiful, beyond words. Watch the video here, and then read below about Kimmy, her background and inspiration for the painting shown in the video.

Background: Did you study art in school, or are you completely self-taught?

In her words: "I didn't go to school for art. I started out as an art major, and took a bunch of art history classes first to get them out of the way. Then I switched to horticulture. Then I switched to history. So I ended up with majors in history and horticulture, with a minor in art history. Then I got my masters in history. Emphasis was recent American history, specifically the civil rights movement.

So, my background as far as art, I was just always interested in it. My favorite toys as a kid were always the art-related ones: crayons, markers, play-dough, blocks, etc. Took art in high school. Tried to run away from it in college because everybody kept telling me art couldn't be a "real" job. After grad school, I ended up coming back to art because I realized I just have no choice in the matter. It's the only thing I've ever been interested in doing with my life, and so now I'm playing the starving artist, trying to figure out a way to make money at it.

The painting: What inspired you to create the piece in the video?

In her words: "Not really sure what inspired it, these images usually just pop into my head in those lovely moments between wake and sleep. My state of mind probably manifested itself into this image. Birds are fascinating to me. Their bone structure, their size, the lovely colors, everything. I like how they don't ever let you get too close to them. And, of course, I marvel at their ability to fly. It's really incredible. But when I watch them, I always think, too, about Bob Dylan, who said something like, 'No one is free. Even birds are chained to the sky.'

As wonderful as flight is, birds don't have hands. They have to pick sh*t up with their mouths. That probably sucks. Anyway, I guess I just see them as incredibly beautiful, flawed creatures. A lot like humans. So I don't know, maybe that's where the parachutes come in. I've also been fascinated for quite a while now with the ways we try to protect our fragile bodies. Umbrellas, shoes, helmets, armor, etc. they're all designed to give us some sense of security, but really, you're just one malfunction away from being completely f*cked. The illusion of security, the illusion of control. So, I guess, birds with parachutes is just a commentary on the ridiculousness of that. We look at birds with parachutes and think it's utterly ridiculous. But the things we believe will protect us are just as silly.

A little poem popped into my head some time before this painting, and I think it's related:

childish illusion
control eludes me
elastic albatross
sculpts a rude me
umbrella factory
covers it all
permeable armor
afraid to fall

: The one and only Bob Dylan

So I guess that's been sort of the theme of my work for quite a few years now. But I don't mean to be all debbie-downer about it. There is a certain peace that comes with accepting the fact that the universe, not you, is in control. So I wanted this painting to have a very tranquil feeling. I hope I accomplished that."

And she certainly did.

Feel free to comment about the Evolution of a Painting video here on the blog. To me it is fascinating to see, how a simple line drawing becomes a detailed, lifelike piece.