Sweet Lindsay's Wedding (+ a change in location)

Oooooh it's an exciting day! My darling friend Ms. Lindsay had her wedding featured on the Style Me Pretty blog. I knew this day was coming and was hoping to be a bit more prepared with my Etsy presence but things don't always work out that way. But the exciting part of that statement is that I'm starting an Etsy page! Yay! I thought I'd try to streamline things a bit more though, which means you need to pack up your cup of coffee, wrap that sweater around your shoulders and make the trek to my new blog: Hello My Dear (which is also the name of my Etsy storefront). Luckily it's an easy move. I've decided to stop updating this blog as of today so you can find me exclusively here. I'll be keeping you posted through the HMD blog, but if you'd like an email letting you know that the Etsy page is stocked, email me at hellomydearinfo@gmail.com and I'll be in touch. I'm loving updating this blog and am so honored that you and your commentary have decided to go on this journey with me! See you soon!

Pretty Tables: Thanksgiving

I’m sure you’re thinking this (as I certainly do every year!), but I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving. This year it’s probably even more unbelievable to me since I’ll be spending it in 80 degree weather on the other side of the world. No matter. It's still Fall in my heart and I'm glad to share these lovely table decorating ideas. What will you be doing this year?



Images from: MySticKitchen // BlogNTell // Anne Sage // Kitchen Daily // Sunset

Meet: Marcus Nilsson

My friends— please excuse the short post as I am trying to do eight things at once and all in the course of about a half hour. I’m heading to the beach for a night and am late for the door. But I couldn’t leave without sharing these amazing images from food stylist Marcus Nilsson. You know I love a beautifully styled photo, especially when it’s of a maple-sugar walnut pie. These images conjure up the sweet and savory smells of Thanksgiving so I thought they were perfect to end the pre-hustle and bustle and help get you all excited for the holidays fast approaching.

Pretty Papier Mache (and Just Plain Papier)

I find it hard to believe that I went through elementary and middle school art classes, as well as 4 years in pursuit of an art degree and never created anything using papier mache. This technique does seem right up my ally: inexpensive, whimsical and seemingly simplistic. However, it does seem to take a long time and I'm not the most patient of creators. I'd like to give it a try one of these days, but I'm in full realization that they won't look anything like the art of Anna-Wili Highfield or Elizabeth Jardine.
First, Ms. Highfield. She's a young woman from Sydney, Australia who grew up with a puppeteer father. Can you imagine how cool and creepy and fun that must have been? She was destined to create these amazing birds. Apparently she creates the form with cotton paper, then hand paints each piece to get the desired effect, then sews it all together. The end result is absolutely stunning in it's movement and form.

Aren't they amazing? Visit her site to see more birds as well as some horses and other animals.
Next, Elizabeth Jardine. Her sculptures are more traditional papier mache and are more funky and rough than Anna's. They remind me of something out of The Fantastic Mr. Fox or another cheeky stop-motion animated piece. I love that fox—I want to put a pretty patterned bow tie around his neck and give him a prominent place next to my Roald Dahl books.

And mostly because I haven't mentioned Anthropologie in awhile and I wouldn't want either of us to forget it's loveliness (as if we could!), here are some incredibly charming birds they had for sale. I don't see any trace of them on the Anthro website any longer, but they can still be admired. And if you're feeling particularly crafty, check out this tutorial inspired by these birds. Let me know how it goes! I'll do the same.

Capote's Black and White Ball

Truman Capote was a strange man: eccentric, selfish, talented and obsessed with high society. In 1966 he decided to throw an amazing and (ahem) bitchy party for a little over 500 guests—those he deemed the most important at the time. Apparently he had enough clout to be taken seriously with this shenanigans and people went bananas trying to get invited. Among those he did invite were Frank Sinatra, Candace Bergen, Mia Farrow, Andy Warhol, Sammy Davis Jr and Harper Lee. The following are pictures of the night (set in NYC at the Plaza on Park Avenue). The ladies were instructed to wear black or white dresses with white masks and gentlemen in black tie with black masks. Amazing.


I got most of my information from a great article on the hub pages website. Read it. And I got some of the images from Fashions Most Wanted blog. (PS. One of my favorite things I read was that while so many of the guests purchased couture masks that cost a fortune, Capote's black mask was purchased from FAO Schwarz for 39 cents.)

Charming Cameos

When I was in 3rd grade, my teachers assistant drew our silhouettes. She shone a light on our profiles and traced the shadow. And I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Cameos have obviously been popular as artwork and jewelry forever but recently they've become a staple in modern interiors. You've surely seen some great examples but here are a handful more (concluding with the lovely idea of layering your cameos for a romantic and stylish statement piece).



Images from: Simply Silhouettes // Occasional Enthusiast // Coco Cozy // Dear Designers // Country Living // Jeanie and Jewell

Living with Beci Orpin

Beci Orpin is a Melbourne, Australia based illustrator/artist/designer/inspiration. I became familiar with her work after exploring the Australia-based design blog, The Design Files and must admit that I became obsessed with her house before her work. Although they really are one in the same.—the inclusion of a design studio and the fact that she decorates with a lot of her own work result in a space that could actually double as a gallery. All of it is so fun and happy. Let's start with her house:


I love that she not only uses her own art to decorate her walls, but she uses her children's. They go together really well!
Speaking of her work, here is some of my favorite stuff of hers:


I especially love the wooden, die-cut brooches. I'd wear the heck out of that fox brooch.
Images of her home are from the Design Files. Beci is represented by the amazing Jacky Winter Group and you should definitely check out Beci's website (where you can also get to her blog and online shoppe).

Curiouser

Maybe you're one of the lucky few with a little extra pocket change this weekend? Maybe there aren't any good flea markets or a little-bit-nutty boutiques near you? Well, you my friend, are about to spend that money at two of my favorite online shops.
The Curiosity Shop is a fun spot to find anything from an artist-created necklace to a great book or stationery. Here are some of my favorites (including the hilarious stamps "of disapproval". Clever.).


Another favorite online shop is Three Potato Four. This one specializes in vintage industrial pieces like specimen bottles, old signage, school house furniture and cash register price flags. Some incredibly beautiful things to find here (if you appreciate a little bit of rust on your incredibly beautiful things that is).


I love the "worry worry" cup! I love that it makes me do anything but—I wonder if that was the idea?

Woodland Interiors

It's amazing what a little outside-inside will do for a room. The addition of some faux antlers or a container of sticks adds a sense of whimsy and energy to a space. The problem I normally have with a more "rustic" interior is how dark it usually is—I've tried to keep the inspiration images on the lighter side, but wood has the tendency to be rich and dark. Everything in moderation dear ones. And read through to the end for an awesome tutorial on making a patterned dear head for your wall. It really is so fun!




Images from: arthound // garrendeny lane // creamy line // room envy // momoy // design is mine
And here is the lovely mounted deer how-to that I promised. Send me a picture if you make it, I'm sure it'll be stunning on your wall.

Images from Chronicle Books and Remodelaholic

Diane von Furstenberg

I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the classic beauty that is Diane von Furstenberg. If you've ever worn a wrap dress you have this lovely lady to thank for it. Ok, that's probably a bit of a stretch but she is very well-known for this fashion staple. She became a designer in the 1970's, left the fashion scene in the 80's (for Paris) to become a publisher then returned to NYC in the 1990's where she relaunched the brand to wide acclaim.
Her portfolio is timeless. Any one of the dresses could be worn at any time during her 40 years of designing and will probably be worn for decades to come. And they're not ridiculously expensive. Expensive, yes, but not totally unobtainable. She's a lovely woman with a heart for other women entrepreneurs and is definitely an inspiration. Here are some pictures from her recent collection.

So beautiful. I love the flowy, belted, printed top with the leggings. Gorgeous. And timeless right?
Here are some older pictures of her, pictures of her home in Connecticut and of her Manhattan office. You can get a sense of her as a designer by looking at what she surrounds herself with and chooses to wear.



She's recently announced that she'll be designing housewares, to launch in the Spring of next year. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with - it's bound to be amazing. Especially after creating rooms for the London hotel "Clarigde's". She did a wonderful job layering textures and patterns and colors. I can only hope that her housewares will have the same personality.

Images from: Coco and Emma // DVF site // Claridge's // Yatzer // InStyle

Paris vs. New York

Vahram Muratyan (ooooh! so French!) is a Parisian graphic designer in NYC. Not too long ago he decided to create comparison prints between Paris and New York and the results are charming and witty and (at least in an iconic manner) honest. He's not selling them yet, but they've been very well received so I imagine it's only a matter of time. Visit his blog and site.







Ok, I got a little carried away with this one—I just love them all so much! There are even more (and he's adding often) so go visit the blog.
I'm obsessed with the idea of NYC. How could you not be really? So much history and glamour and personality in a tiny, tiny space. Taschen has published a new book "New York—Portrait of a City" that has some stunning photographs. As long as we're already in a New York State of mind, I thought I'd share some of those pictures as well.



Pick up your copy here.

The Finders Keepers Market

This past Friday I helped set up the Finders Keepers Market here in Brisbane. This means that I spent five hours fluffing tissue paper flowers, tying said flowers in clusters with fishing line and hanging (or at least watching as they were hung) said clusters from the ceiling of the Old Museum. The result was very rewarding and I consider the afternoon well spent indeed.
The Finders Keepers Market is a delightful display of 65 crafters peddling their creative wares. I saw everything from clothing to letterpress to jewelry and if I had a scrap of extra money I would've for sure spent it. My sister-in-law bought a fun ring and an amazing cloud necklace and I was excited that at least one of us was being supportive! Here are some pictures from the event:



The Old Museum and grounds made an unbelievable venue. Inside and along the side veranda were beautiful craft stalls, outside was a live music stage, food and coffee area. The talent was overwhelming. Speaking of: Brisbane-based illustrator Natalie did the gorgeous poster for the event. She has some stunning work on her site and her Flickr provided me with some of the photos from my collage. Visit her and say thank you. Other images are from the Finders Keepers site and from the Flickr tagged stream. Did you see the flower creations? Yep, pretty proud of myself. Of course it wouldn't have been possible without the dear Alischa of Bespoke Press (don't worry, more about her later) who was one of the ladies in charge of the event. It was a great weekend!

Pop-Up-Palooza

The idea of the pop-up shop is not a new one, but for some reason it's been a reoccurring theme in my online travels lately. In case you aren't really sure what they are I'll explain in very elementary terms: for a multitude of reasons established retailers decide to put up a (generally) small shop that will be up for one day to one year. Often they do this to test the market or introduce a new product or just to rejuvenate a brand. Whatever the reason they're usually quite interesting and fun little shops. I've put together a handful of images to show you. Pay attention to the materials used (almost entirely cardboard at Leelamae) or the space itself (a metal storage unit for the Puma shop). Very cool.


Read a better description of these shops here.
Images from: TreeHugger // Brooklyn the Borough // The Weekly Review // Ink + Spindle // Gradient // Cherry Flava

Meet Ashley Meaders

Ashley seems to be one of those girls you instantly want to befriend. She's adorable and quirky and spends her days making amazing events. I've loved her event details even before I knew they belonged to her, so when I came across her website and saw all of the gorgeous things she's crafted I became enchanted. And jealous. And inspired. And I had to share these images with you. You've probably seen some of them already, but you can never have too much beauty in your life so look again. And then go to her site to see even more.