A few morning paintings for today. :)

This lil painting of a fox and crow is supposed to represent Jesse and I.  The fox for Jesse because he is so smart and clever and looks out for me all the time, and the crow for me because I too like a crow love all things shiny and sparkly. 

So many ways to help out Japan! A favorite letterpress company of mine: Sycamore Street Press, has a lovely print for sale [Designed by Eva the co/owner of S.S.P with her husband] and all the proceeds go to the American Red Cross in Japan!

A lil item that won't leave you with buyers remorse. :) 

My best friend Sarah just sent me this video...... I am in love! 

Is green your color? It is for me today! 

But if you prefer animals instead....Emerson Made gold coin necklaces. l<3ve the Lion one! 

 I am a self diagnosed print mixer.... : (

I can't wait for the day when I get to stay home and draw & paint allllll daaaaay long. 

Here's some good Beach House for you.

  

 I would say most of my inspiration for all my designs comes mostly from children, children's book, and children's fashion magazines! I honestly prefer a children's fashion mag [mostly european/asian/scandinavian/australian] over Vogue any day!!!

small magazine is a favorite of mine! Their spreads are so creative and the attention to detail is what always catches my eye.  Plus, there is something more interesting in a child's expression be it sad, happy, wild etc. than adults.  There always seems to be unexplored worlds of imagination going on in their tiny little heads. :) Anyways...I could go on forever about how much I love small. Check out this latest spread!

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on a decorating note:

When I think about decorating my walls, usually wall decals are the last thing that comes to mind.  Even if I had children I still would shy away from them. Mainly because anything that has a "non-hand" look almost always turns me off.  However,  when I stumbled across these FABRIC decals from Love Mae via small magazine I fell in love.

working on more Roxy Marj prints. :)

Jesse and I saw "Arthur" last night...... and we LOOOVED it!  I actually have never cared for Russel Brand but this movie really got to me. Any movie that inspires me to be a better person or continue working hard to achieve my dreams will always get my vote. The cast was well picked, the dialogue was soo witty and had us laughing so hard clear through to the end. I was prepared to get sick of Brand but in the end...I didn't want it to end. I actually find this version of Arthur much more appealing and waaay funnier than the original with Dudley Moore. You want to laugh hard this weekend? Go see Arthur!

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On a more creative note: 

My newsletter from Designer Pages this morning is about fantastic fireplaces. All I can say is wow! This Estonian artist Mati Karmin makes some truly incredible fireplaces, beds, chairs etc. made from marine mines! Do READ the short but fascinating story behind Naissaar island, which is situated in the Gulf of Finland, and where Karmin collects his mines.

Below is the artist himself hanging out with some mines. 

This image is from one of his exhibitions he had and what looks to be inside of a cave?  How amazing would it be to have a show in a cave?! Not only does the cave [?] offsets his pieces so well but it has convinced me

to now want to recreate a space like this in one of my dream homes someday. 

Here's a little secret. I have a HUUUUGE crush on Nat "King" Cole! It's true.... I do. :) I wish there were more famous musicians out there with thoughtful lyrics like his. : /  it's sad that songs with ridiculous lyrics [chanelling Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rhianna ] do so well.  Music use to be full of sooo much feeling and meaning...I believe that it really is a sign of lack of creativity when songs are "dummed" down.  Such a bummer.

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But to end on a happy note, hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Luke Best is a favorite illustrator of mine, and is with a favorite agency of mine that I hope someday to be represented by. I love how his mind narrates and the simplistic quality of his work as well as the innocence of his paper cutouts.  Plus anyone who pretty much paints or draws a Lion will be an instant favorite in my book. :)

You can find some of his prints in his shop Peepshow.

Here is one of my "Fand" floral prints that is inspired by Luke Best, Henri Mattise and Eric Carle's style of paper cutouts.

A new print based off of my "Fernande" character. :)

A little Grateful Dead for you my friends! :)

One regret I have of my wedding reception:  that we didn't play "Good Lovin" & "Shakedown St." ---- but there is always my BIG 30th birthday

party coming up!! :)

A jumbly of things today :)

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Last night while Jesse and I were having dinner, we made a  3,6,9 & 12 Month goal chart together. Together we set personal goals and family goals. While laying in bed last night a goal popped into my head that I needed to put on the 3 month column : To memorize all over again the swatches in my "All About Cotton, Wool & Silk" books.  My Sophomore year at Parsons, my Concept's teacher [ Julian ] had us all memorize the fabrics. At first I thought "YEAH RIGHT, that is insane" but then after a month of feeling the fabric and reading all about it, I had almost memorized those books.

Sadly, I have forgotten a lot of information on fabric.  These books are a real asset to have for a fashion/interior/textile designer.

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A couple weeks ago a family in our new ward [the Otts] invited Jesse and I over for dinner to celebrate the Iranian New Year with a couple of their other friends. The food/spread was sooooooo delicious and beautiful! I could eat Iranian style all the time! Plus sitting on cushions, eating at a low table completely changes an eating dynamic, it's more intimate and peaceful. 

Wish my pictures were better, a little blurry. : /

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With our place coming together, my attention is now on the little things that make a home a home. 

Framing pictures is an easy thing to do, but I love to tell a story... and create a vignette of sorts with pictures, art, trinkets etc. 

Here is a simple photo of my Grandmother when she was younger. I easily cut some heavy weight lined cardstock paper - spray painted it gold, and made a nice graphic frame to go around her picture. 

Another  thing I love doing is collecting bits of fabric with vintage illustrations.  

This guy is from an old ratty/stained and burned table cloth that I cut up. 

I have had this little guy with me for years now and he has followed me from one place to another.  Before framing him I had him hanging above all my kitchen entrances. :)

And lastly, things that I find on the street, in parks, dirt etc.  These two plaster faces I found a couple years back by a tree while waiting for the bus in midtown Manhattan! I was thinking for the longest time of how to properly display them, and then the other day I thought,  frame them!!! :)