Put the Load Right on Me

Simply had to share this amazing version of “The Weight” rehearsed backstage by Mavis Staples, Wilco and Nick Lowe. If only all of our practices could be this wonderful.

Happy weekend, friends!

JooHee Yoon

I’m always so impressed by illustrators who can create fantastical worlds that find a way to be fun and engaging, but not at all creepy or juvenile. It’s a tough balance, but Massachusetts-based artist JooHee Yoon’s work is like that. She creates worlds full of wonderful creatures that could be straight out of a children’s book, but there’s nothing childish about them.

See more here. Via DesignWorkLife.

Bob Ross Gets to Work

Feedback fom an recent customer:

“Bob looks as good as the picture and was a big hit!!! He’s already started painting and seem to really enjoy his new surroundings!”

So. Awesome.

I really do have the greatest customers ever.

Art Blocks

Again with the chevrons, yeah, I know. But I’m really loving these Zig Zag Art Blocks from Red Tile Studio. A little bit mod, a little bit country, I imagine them being so lovely collected on a wall or along a mantle.

Paper Snow

Having just made it through another big storm this weekend, I have to say that snow is the kind of thing that’s lovely through the window when you’re warm and cozy inside, somewhat charming when you’re outside dressed properly to enjoy it but, I’ll be honest, generally not one my favorite things.

That said, I’m a big fan of paper snowflakes. How can you not appreciate creations so delicate and lovely that don’t leave your pant legs soggy?

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Wanderlust

My Bostonite friend Ellen sent me a link the other day to her fair city’s Public Library’s digital collection of vintage travel posters from the 1920-1940s, “The Golden Age of Travel.” The collection features locales from around the globe rendered in gorgeous, vivid color and beautiful design. The selections are enough to make even a modern gal with access to a million travel photos and websites ready to book a ticket on the next flight out.

According to the Library’s website, “Travel agents and ticket offices during this period were festooned with vivid, eye-catching posters, all designed to capture the beauty, excitement and adventure of travel and to promote a world of enticing destinations and new modes of transportation. Individual artists gained fame for their distinctive graphic styles and iconic imagery, and many posters from this era still remain important works of art long after their original advertising purposes have faded.”

See the online collection here.

Chevron Fan

Chevrons are the new owls– we can all agree on that, right? Or- wait– were foxes the new owls and chevrons are the new foxes?

At any rate, chevrons are trendy, yes, but I still like them. And I really like this fun DIY chevron ceiling fan project spotted on Ohdeedoh (via Design*Sponge). It’s pretty simple and cute, plus when chevrons are finally out and something new and exciting has taken their place (alpacas? polka dots? the possibilities are endless), it seems like it’d be pretty easy to paint over and have a simple fan again.

See the whole project here.

Patrick Hruby

The work of Patrick Hruby is a feast for the eyes. His use of brilliant color combos along with a  charming mix of psychedelic and modern design is truly a wonder to behold. I want to take it all home with me and, in fact, we may be doing just that as we’re planning on utilizing one of his pieces fairly prominently in the nursery… but more on that later ; ) In the meantime, get ready for awesome overload.

See more here.

The Water Cycle

My relationship with my water bottle is, well, intimate. We’re together nearly every day and on the off chance that I live it at home when I go out, it’s like discovering I’m missing a limb.

Beauty isn’t the first thing I look for when a new bottle becomes necessary, though just like with a lot of things, a pretty face doesn’t hurt, and I’m quite enamored by the pretty face of this “The Water Cycle” bottle from minifanfan. If your missing limb is going to be plastic and 6″ tall, it helps if it’s also super cute.

(Belated) Christmas Scenes

I haven’t been great about capturing things in photos recently, but I did want to share a few of the shots I took over the weeks around the holidays before they’re too distant of a memory. I was so consumed with orders that there was no time to do much of anything Christmas-y, let alone decorate the house at all, up until the few days before Christmas was actually here– subsequently, I’ve decided that the lovely decorations, now that they’re up, will stick around till February or so, so we can properly enjoy them. It was our first Christmas in our new little house, after all– Gotta live it up!

Our little dining area, with fancy garland and some of our favorite holiday cards. I bought the poinsettia on a whim a few days before Christmas dinner was to be at our house, but I’ve never actually had one before. Do they actually live past the holiday?

I had lots of extra ornaments leftover from preparations for the fancy wreath I didn’t end up making, so they were hung along the bookshelf in the living room so we could still enjoy their colors.

This was dessert for Christmas dinner with Ben’s family. We had a lot of things to celebrate, so I thought a proper cake was in order.