a wedding in malibu

after a year of planning, dreaming, worrying, and waiting... it's finally here! my little sister annie is getting married! i have had the honor of helping her with all of the creative little details and it has been a lot of fun (and a lot of work!) the big day is friday, so i will be taking a few days off from blogging to fly down to malibu and celebrate.

here are a few of annie + fred's engagement photos- aren't they darling? the photographer was the very talented felicity murphy from los angeles. 

photos by felicity murphy. link to her website here: www.felicitymurphy.com. 

i'll be back on monday with lots of weddings pics! ta-ta!

the weather in portland keeps teasing us! the sun will come out... the sun will scurry behind the clouds. it will sprinkle unexpectedly or a particularly windy day will have us all reaching for our sweaters. spring is certainly here, but i still can't wear most of my springy clothes yet because the temp doesn't often get above the mid-60's! (I prefer 75 degrees- that's my kinda spring weather). I am longing to wear some pretty spring dresses! here are a few lovelies that caught my eye...

all dresses and photos from nokomis clothing. 

darling design :: cynthia warren

i thought i would leave you with some inspiration for the weekend! calligrapher + artist cynthia warren does amazing, exquisite work. i'm inspired...

found via oh happy day blog.

have a lovely weekend, my darlings!

little kitchen

remember tea parties? remember playing "kitchen" with your friends when you were too young to really cook or bake? this fun little shop in Australia is called "Little Kitchen" where they sell their own brand of cookware designed for little hands. their shop also features a classroom where they teach cooking lessons to the wee ones. what an innovative idea! 

i would have loved this when i was a kid. i think i still would. well, i also think i still want that" "easy-bake oven" too. (mom thought it was too dangerous, ha.)

top photos via thecoolhunter.com, bottom photo from littlekitchen.com.au.

apartment therapy :: small cool contest!

my girlfriend Jenny made it to the elimination rounds for the apartment therapy "small cool contest"! she is competing against one other apartment today, so click here to vote for your favorite: http://contests.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/small-cool/main/faceoff/38.

(i'm pretty sure you'll pick Jenny's apartment. why? because it's cooler.) her apartment is in round 1, matchup 8 in the "little" category. here are a few more pics of her place:

etsy finds :: the great lakes

i have pretty much stopped giving/sending greeting cards in general, they just seem to be a waste of paper and always get thrown out (or recycled, i hope) anyway. but i have decided to break that rule if i find a handmade greeting card worthy of sending. here are some clever little greeting cards from etsy seller thegreatlakes. they are screenprinted illustrations with some sweet yet unordinary sentiments. 

lovely illustrations and beautiful choices of colors. see more of these smart designs here.

me

blooms

i've gotta post a few more pics of these amazing cherry blossoms before they all sprinkle to the ground...

inspired interiors :: rustic modern

i have very eclectic tastes: fashion, music, art- but especially interior design. my training is in interiors, so i love mixing different styles together: old with new, rustic with modern. here are some inspiring combinations:

from top to bottom:

the city sage

the style-files

mimi and meg

pink wallpaper

found it!

check out my new used bicycle! now this is vintage style. i traded in my not-cool mountain bike for this lovely. she rides like a dream (although the seat is a little bumpy). dx says i have to name her, so i'm thinking some vintage-sounding 'ol-lady name... like betty. or edith or sylvia or marjorie. suggestions are welcome. 

inspired by...

a beautiful frame with nothing in it. love it.
photo by lobster and swan.

new used shoes

i am going to be a bridesmaid in a couple of weeks and the bride (my little sister) tasked me with finding a pair of silver shoes to go with my dress. any silver shoes at all. i rarely buy new shoes, i prefer used (that might sound gross to some, but i have my reasons: A) they're already broken in + B) you can get really good deals on expensive shoes! 

after scouring a few secondhand stores, i found this pair of used Kate Spade heels for $18! ::score::  i bought them at the Buffalo Exchange in portland, my favorite clothing store. they sell mostly used clothes and shoes, but they are always going to be fashionable. and the prices are excellent.

fashion :: frocky jack morgan

if you live in portland, you may have seen these beautiful "deconstructed" dresses at various boutiques around town. the fashion line Frocky Jack Morgan is the darling of designer Julia Barbee who literally takes apart vintage dresses and reconstructs them into something part sculpture and part apparel. Her work is totally sustainable and she often adorns her clothing with leaves, feathers, and other bits + bobs for embellishment.

and the word on the street is that most of her dresses sell for less than $500! perfect for say, oh, a wedding dress? you can see some of these lovely frocks at Flutter on mississippi street in portland (a gorgeous shop, by the way). and visit Julia's website at www.frockyjackmorgan.com.

polaroid grafitti

i came across these photographs by danske on her flickr site. i absolutely adore these images- the handwritten text gives depth to the photos so plainly, it's hard not to feel some emotion when you look at each one. polaroid images are quite raw and beautiful, i can't imagine writing on any other type of photograph like this. genius.

see more of her "defaced" polaroids here. and check her website too, it's very cute: www.jengotch.com. and don't forget to stop by her blog. There are more beautiful, inspiring photos every day!

alexander girard bicycles

i must admit, i am developing a fondness for bicycles. partly because dx is a bicycle lover, but also because i have become fascinated with vintage bicycles (and if you live in portland, the more vintage your bike, the cooler you are). i am now on a quest to find the perfect vintage bike, but if i had a little more money (ok, a lot more money) i would buy one of these! 

these are alexander girard bicycles. i am a huge fan of alexander girard, a textile designer in the 1950's-1970's. His ability to blend vibrant colors with folk-art inspired designs makes for delightful, whimsical objects.

aren't they lovely? and if you want to see a few more alexander girard designs, feast your eyes on these: 

these items can be found at www.maximodesigns.com. not cheap, but oh so darling!

new product!

i've just added a few cute new aprons to my etsy shop! this one is made from a vintage tablecloth, i just love the pattern. 

 i stitched on a cute abstract flower design over a yellow floral pattern for this apron.

and this one is functional AND cute- with pockets! and the fabric pattern has darling little berries and polka dots.

custom orders available too!

happy easter weekend!

this house is the color of an easter egg. have a happy weekend! even if it's raining. which it will be in p-town. but that means i get to stay inside and sew. so i'm happy 'bout that.

fantastic ceramics

while at crafty wonderland this last weekend, i probably spent the most amount of time at this vendor's table: kristine morich, a ceramic artist from brooklyn, ny. her porcelain tableware was truly amazing to see in person. and the tactile sensation was even more incredible- each piece was so smooth and felt like it was meant to be held and fondled. even dx (my guy) couldn't put them down. 

all images are from kristine's website, www.kristinemorich.blogspot.com. doesn't that food look even more delicious on those bowls and plates? yummy.