Double Outstanding!

First this awesome art installation/camper for one on a deavy duty tricycle, found on Inhabitat,

then the awesome painting by it's owner Boston based Kevin Cyr. Loving. And check out his truck paintings, too.

I don't know why I've been loving campers and airstreams lately, but I have. Actually I always have. I'm a nester at heart, and sometimes I wish I could travel with my home right there with me.

If I had this camper, I could put my groceries away before I left the grocery store!

Cute Kids Rooms and Musings on My Weird Style

I love this kid's room. It's by Sussie Bell and I found it via Brown Button. I showed it to my daughter and asked her if she liked it. She didn't seem to know what I was talking about. LOL

There's what I get for trying to push my tastes onto a two year old.

But I'm sure when it comes time to decorate her room, she will very happily ask for this flower or that dolly or that thing in pink and when I make a banner with the alphabet or a pillow out of a felted sweater, I'm sure she will enjoy it all.

Of course, that is all assuming that I'm going to manage any crafting and decorating instead of just lusting for things I found on the internet.

But on the plus side, I'm really getting to understand what I like and what elements create that.

I love the eclectic white rooms with pops of color... but I don't like them too white or too shabby chic. Now this is a great, girlie room, for a girl, but in general, I would want something a little more modern and a little more bohemian. I'm discovering I really like white draped furniture, but I like it to have a citified edge to it's funky, thrift store vibe. And that means I like white walls and old furniture, graphic elements, a little bit of black, bolder patterns, worn surfaces, old wood, odd color combos, interesting collections, a few modern clean lines, a smattering of industrial and lots of books.

I will be looking for more inspiration, and someday soon... stuff.

I'm looking forward to it.

Sandra Juto's Done it Again

How adorable is this little bedside crate/shelf/table? I know, I know, certainly not high fashion, right? There's no name brand designer or high concept style.... except I love it. Love love.

The warm wood with it's worn use-pattern of circles from long gone bottles. The drapey tendrils of plant in the pretty planter, with it's sparkle. The personality laden weird little doodad. The botanical pod, echoing the shape of the circle pattern. The box spring on the floor, the journals, even the radiator in the background.

Love. This is one of Sandra Juto's favorite things, and I found it on Holly Becker's Decor8 blog.

I do believe Sandra Juto is the one who made that inspiring afghan. That I'm still having trouble posting. Hey, you can go see it on the Sandra Juto's favorite things link.

To tell you the truth, it's one of the reasons why I'm not posting that much lately. I'm having a tech idiot moment with my new computer and have not managed to figure out how to cut and paste photos from the internet. What the heck?

So it might be a little skimpy around here until I work out an acceptable method. Wish me luck.

Wouldn't this be wonderful in your house?

How awesome would it be to have this typeface deer head mounted in your living room. The graphic quality of the print and the majestic, natural quality of the deer combine to make it a cheeky and conceptual statement, which is at the same time down to earth. Me love.

And if I have figured out how to post pictures from the web to my blog, again, I might just be able to start posting here again. My computer died, you see, and now I have to learn the new system.

I think I got this. I've been trying to post this for a couple of days. Yay me. But I'd like a better shortcut. I will keep figuring out.

In the meantime, lets thank this wonderful etsy seller, ruby's lounge, for her inventive creation.

Oh dear. I just realized this seller is Jennifer Koshbin. I've seen her art around for a while. She's wonderful. Check her out.

Gorgeous Clutches from Red Ruby Rose

How beautiful is this purse? I could really imagine it in place of a bouquet as a bride walks down the aisle, maybe with a corsage on her wrist. A beautiful white peony on a teal silk ribbon.The thing that really knocks me out about this purse is the pop of teal inside. Loving this color scheme. Totally makes me willing to change the colors I was thinking about.
However, I also have a soft spot for Lotuses. So I like this one, too. It has a rose colored lining. I'm not as thrilled with pink and green color scheme. Hmm.Maybe this one? Rosa the Romantic? I wonder how that would look with a teal interior? Although, now that I think about it, with the flower on the purse, I wouldn't want to do the corsage.

Any way you cut it, RedRubyRose has some awesome clutches in her etsy shop.

One Dress: 365 Ways. You Go Girl.

Wow. Loving what this girl is doing. I adore this outfit in it's punk/poet chic, but she is wearing this same dress everyday for a year and documenting her outfits. It's called the Uniform Project and you can find it here.I like this romantic one.

And this sexy tough one. I guess I like layered clothes and muted colors. She wears it as a mini sometimes, but I'm almost 40 and I'm kind of done with minis. I'll leave that to the kicky young girls and get me some leggings and long skirts to layer with.

Even better. I just read here that this project is both an exercise in sustainable fashion, with all the accessories being vintage or donated, and a fundraiser for uniforms for Indian school children. What a cool woman.

I want seven of these dresses, by the way.

found via secret notebooks hidden pages

Backyard Living

Wow. Backyard tent, found at Design Inspiration Planet Stencil Library. This one is stenciled. That's pretty awesome although I would probably never do that. But seriously. AWE. SOME.

This would be great for a backyard wedding, or any party, or an afternoon reading poetry and lounging around, or a play house for the kids, or a romantic brunch... or a romantic night *wink wink*. So many possible options.

Maya*made has a simpler, more temporary tutorial for a summer pavilion for a similar feeling with smaller commitment and expense and trouble. I loves me some maya.

Here's a site to buy your own tent... if the thought of constructing your own intimidates you.

Found Via The Haystack Needle and Frolic.

The Dreamiest of Dream Studios

Talk about a dream studio. I have been wishing for this baby for a long time. If you think this is impressive, mosy on over to Sarah Lechner's slide show and take a look at the whole thing. Right now, I might be satisfied with a bag of paints and a couple of corners wherever I am in the house, but someday I would love something like this. So I could paint and write and hold workshops and meetings and shows. Sigh.

So Pretty I Like to Pretend I Could Make One

(update: she moved).
Speaking of crochet, I LOVE this, from Smosch. I want to make it. Theoretically, I know how it's done. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was about seven, and these squares are within my technical ability. It's just a matter of looking up the pattern on Martha Stewart, getting the supplies, and actually doing it.

When I was a child, we had an afghan like this hanging on our wall. It was set in a black background though, and used 60s type color schemes. Maybe earlier, since my mom told me that some great aunt or other type of great had done it. Maybe I will do a white or cream one with all my favorite colors... rose, teal, pale turquoise, creamy yellow, rich brown, cranberry, a little orange, spring green, some black... in other words... something that looks just like this.


Oh, here. Granny Squares. Another tutorial, just in case.

Backyard Cottage/Shed Studio: The Dream

Oh, yes!

I want one now. I have been dreaming about having a studio in the back yard... a shed or cottage or even a airstream trailer. Having the little table outside for picnics or art projects would make it even dreamier. And I think I need some galoshes in a splashy color, too.

But how cute is this little cottage? I could have a little comfy day bed or sofa for resting, napping, reading, reclining. A great place to write my great American novel. A great place to paint daily paintings. A great place to escape and watch my So You Think You Can Dance in a girl retreat. Because you know the guy doesn't want to. And I will have a tv there, too. I know it's lame, but it helps me relax and it helps me paint, and I have come to recognize that and accept it. TV is in my life to stay.

Now all I need is a backyard retreat in which to enjoy it all.

Thanks to my new friend curious+covetous for the find and the cool link

We Interrupt this Summer to Bring You Some Fall Fashion Dreams

Loving the blue sapphire beret by LazyTCrochet.

I think it's a function of being in Florida and having no end in sight to the oppressive heat. It's making me long for cool falls in the Northeast. Sweaters and hats and scarves. Boots. Tights.

Cotton sundresses and tank tops can only take you so far before you yearn for a little dressing up.

I'd like to wear this beret with a cute cropped jacket and an Aline skirt. in neutral colors... maybe a black and white striped skinny knit top beneath the jacket. Oh and heeled boots. I've been in Florida chasing toddlers for too long. I long for grown up things like heeled boots and lipstick.

Oh, maybe this instead of the cropped jacket... or would crochet on crochet be over-crochet? How bout we switch the crocheted beret out for a tweed newsboy cap?


Okay. Back to your regularly scheduled flip flops and popsicles.

What I Want Is a Magical Tee Pee Tent

Living etc.
photo by Regression by Claire L. Evans

Have seen some wonderful tee pee play tents via The Haystack Needle.

My son hates to sleep in a bed. He always ends up sleeping on the floor. We laid out some mats and sleeping bags, and he still ends up in front of the door. Lately, we brought his sister's play house into the room, and set up a half of the play house with sleeping bags and comforters and pillows... one for each of them. But I still dream of a wonderful tee pee retreat for him... posssibly one for her too, although I don't know if she's sleep in one.

Then I started searching and realized, those buggers are expensive. I don't see me buying a 300$ play tent in the near future. I also found some instruction in how to make your own, pages of instructions. Ai ai ai. I am not a seamstress.

Then I found this Camp Creek blog entry, years old. A no sew tee pee made of bamboo and an old duvet cover. That's my kind of project! Give them some love... project based learning from a homeschooling perspective. I see authentic art lessons, too... worth more exploration. Did I ever tell you that I was a project based, art integrating progressive High School teacher?

Seeing

OH how beautiful! Found on Bee House Hives. It makes me want to paint a picture in pale yellow, ochre and silver, echoing bee hive shapes.

And not just beautiful, but so interesting. Learning about bees and hives. I will admit that I have the city girl fantasy of having a farm and raising my own animals and picking fruit from the trees and making everything with my own two hands. This blog sure makes me want to do what she does.

via the lovely Karen Blue Bee

Casual Garden Wedding Ideas

I know I haven't posted lately. With the upheaval of nap time and the new projects and the reduced computer time and some other big stressors, I have neglected this blog sadly. The new stress is a moving plan. Nothing is one hundred percent right now, but we're pretty sure that we'll be moving to Northern California by Autumn.

So such a big shift in location has my whole brain turning around. I haven't been thinking about weddings... but I saw this wedding on Once Wed and thought I couldn't lose this bit of inspiration. I love the casual feel of this seating arrangement. The intimate party. Relaxation. String of lights. Mismatched garden furniture.
I also love this table arrangement. Mason jars and candles and herb pots and garden/wildflowers. Yeah, baby. I've actually thought about collecting mason jars and vintage jars and jelly glasses for drinking. I mean, what's more down to earth, insouciant and romantic than drinking sangria out of a mason jar? Cava out of a jelly glass?

Found via Paper n Stitch

What Are You Afraid Of?

What Are You Afraid Of, sculpture

I know I have been absent lately, kind of being a hermit, if you will, and have not posted... but I saw this artist in a treasury that I was included in and I fell head over heels in love. If I had a spare 500$ I would buy it. But since I don't, I have to post my love. Love love love.

Her name is Darla Jackson. Glad to find her.

And it is quite, uhh, coincidental that the title of this sculpture is "What Are You Afraid Of."

Stop hiding little hermit rabbit and start posting again.

Moss You Can Wear and Moss That Might Like to Wear You If You Hold Still Long Enough.

Look how beautiful and lovely. A pendant reminiscent of moss and stone. Neither are real, so you don't have to worry about water or weight or even little lively insects taking up shop in your jewelry. You can find this and OTHERS! at AdornJewelry, which I found through secret notebooks wild pages.

They have both inspired me to add my own image of moss.

I took this picture back in January in my garden, because, well, that's what January is like in Florida. This is a planter that was covered in this cool moss with sprouts-- or whatever that is.
It was kind of hard to photograph because there was so much green. The planter was green, the moss was green, the background was green. I like this shot because you can see those moss things so clearly. I like the narrow focus.

Maybe I should start taking daily photos again. Hmmm. I really want a new camera, but it is not in the budget at the moment. Someday, though.

Cool Idea(s) by Ashley over at 31 experiment

Just found this great blogger who has all sorts of great handmade ideas... a whole post on inspiration for making your own business cards. The above picture is only one out of many she is showcasing. Her name's Ashley and her blog is 31experiment. Check her out. I'm pretty sure I'll be visiting regularly. Not quite sure why I've never seen her before.

Ahh! She's only been blogging since February. Lots of great projects over there in a very short time. Thanks Ashley!

Armour Sans Anguish-- Are You Woman Enough for This Dress?

The Doily Dress from ArmoursansAnguish. Made to order and only 260$! I imagine this as a wedding dress for someone daring and slender and young. She would walk down the aisle with a feather fascinator and a bouquet of dark dark, almost black, red roses. A bride who always wanted to be a ballerina, and cares not a whit for any of that industrial rigamarole.

But then, maybe one could also visit their site and get Tawny and Julie to lengthen that flirty skirt and widen the straps just a tad, and one could still be a Degas Ballerina with a splash of shabby eco chic punk thrown in even though one was heading down the road to 40 years old.

My New Art Studio!

It came! Yesterday, I got the WIP bucket that I won on maya*made for her first blogoversary. You can't imagine how lovely it it. Well, maybe you can.. Look at it!

First the wonderful bucket, wide and solid. I was growing out of my little beach tote, needing to dig deep into the thing to reach my paints. Now I will be able to see them, and I can put my paper pads in there too, along with my satchel of pens and my tin of pencils. Even my little jar of water and my palette.

Some people have whole lofts for their studios, garden buildings, basements, attics, farmhouses, even an airstream or two.

Me, I've got a little maya*made bucket to carry around the necessities-- to the kitchen table or the living room sofa in front of the tv, my corner desk in the playroom or out into the garden. Wherever I need to be. Could be anywhere, really. Good thing my studio is portable.

(In addition, there's a wonderful printed moleskine sketch pad that I will keep by my bed in case inspiration hits in the middle of the night, a burlap pincushion, which I really need [I have a portable sewing kit in another beach bag] the most marvelous smelling lavender sachet, I want to carry it with me everywhere)

Keep an eye on her shop and be quick and you might be able to snatch up a WIP bucket for yourself. They go fast... you can see why.

Art or Dream? Life Size Doll House

If you follow my likes and my paintings, you will often see little houses. Or you might see apartment buildings. Sometimes, you might even see cross sections of houses, looking like doll houses.
Just like this.

Yes. That's the inside of my head, and here is is in Saskatchewan. Real live. Life size. Canadian artist Heather Benning created it and stocked it with furniture from the 60's, when last the house was kicking.

I'm not sure what this house means to me, but it means something.

Thanks to Mrs. French for posting about it here: Bliss: another house that has been on my mind lately...

Stuff My Kids Gave Me and Other Spiritual Practices

Stuff My Kids Gave Me This Morning, 3/31/09

In a post on Spiritual Practices for Hope in Uncertain Time, Magpie Girl talks about walking in the dark, about riding out the wave in writing and about breathing true things. All beautiful practices. Go there to hear what she has to say. At the end of her post, she asked a question. "What spiritual practices do you have to nurture hope in times of uncertainty? "

That got me to thinking about what I do when money is tight and there isn't any on the horizon, and the only thing that keeps you going is hope. You've just got to believe. How do you keep the faith? Now, I'm not religious, although I know people turn to religion for that hope. Me, I have to turn to the little things. The beautiful things, the point of it all.

That's what this blog is supposed to be about. Little things. Inspiration. Cheap and/or free things, so I thought this is the place for me to share a little bit of what I've learned, not just the cool things I see on the web while going about.

So these are the things I have done in uncertain times.

I have kept a list of at least three things a day that made me happy. Sometimes it was tough to make my quota, Sometimes my happy file floweth over.

I have taken a picture a day. Often many more than one. There are beautiful things out there if you look for them. They turn up everywhere.

Lately I am starting to draw a sketch from life once a day… or maybe not even once, maybe just every once in a while. When you pay attention to the line of a grape stem, you start seeing the wonder all around you. I think it also helps to take up a project so you feel like you are growing as a person and being productive, even if other things aren't going so well. It could be the photography or it could be learning to play guitar or cooking vegan, or growing a window garden.

Also, my kids keep giving me stuff they find, rocks, berries, twigs… I think I’d like to collect these things somehow, a record of them. Perhaps a photo of them, laid out on a piece of paper. (Oh, hey, it's already done! Inspired by this post, and this post. See, this blog really is my inspiration file. Just stick around and see what else I create based on what I find here. :)

Also, have picnics. Take walks. Window shop. Stop and listen when someone is playing music in a public place. Sing. Dance. Spin with a child. People watch. Go barefoot. Have long heartfelt conversations. Have sex. Stand in the rain… take advantage of all the free sensual and spiritual pleasures in life.

Life is still good, even when it sucks.

Keep the conversation going. What are the things you do to keep hope in tough times?

Beth Hannon Fuller

"Making art and ignoring the dishes since 1994" Now that's a blogger I can get with. Beth Hannon Fuller has 3 kids... little ones, and does a painting a day. I mean, I don't know if she does one EVERY day, maybe it's 5 out of 7 days a week, like me. But how cute is that studio/workspace of hers? And how cute are her pieces? Go check out her etsy shop. She has originals and prints for very reasonable prices.
Love this blueberry collage with the little stem over the map.
and I am really attracted lately to anything that resembles a lollipop. I'm doing trees shaped like these olives. Ivy calls them "popsiple" trees and makes me draw them all over the place.

found via paper n stitch blog. she's the featured seller.

Kendra Baird

How lovely is the work of Kendra Baird? I love the stylization of the figures/foreground against the textured and painterly backgrounds. I like it when the painting fools with the fourth wall and reminds you that this is not real, not a window you are looking through into another world, but an actual painting, made by someone's hand.
I think this one is my favorite. Love the girl in blue, and shadowy, foresty paint splattered canvas. Oh wait, there's more.She's called "Dissappointment"

found via scoutiegirl.

Let's Talk Purple and Such

Oh so pretty, found through sfgirlbybay. She has lots of purple there, but this one is my favorite.

Love this living room. Anything with lilacs gets my heart, but also, I love that black chair... although I don't usually like black leather furniture... too oppressive. But this one looks good. Maybe because it's a small chair. I like the patterned rug. I like the piles of books. That's another thing I find calls me. Books. A room needs books in order for it to feel finished. At least for me. I also like the art. A room needs art. And strangely, I really like that radiator. I know everyone wants to hide them, but maybe radiators are nostalgic for me, growing up in NYC. Or maybe I like the graphic pattern. The stripeyness. The industrial feel.

Now let's talk about purple. I really like purple and have found it is great on walls. I used a darker shade than this in my living room once, Benjamin Moore Tropical Dusk. And my kids had a lighter shade from the same paint chip in their nursery. That was an amazing color. So warm and light and fresh. Not girlie at all. I wish I could remember the name of it.

The best thing about those shades of purple were that they were not that purple. They were muted and had a great deal of gray in them. Like shadows. I would definitely use that paintchip again. Maybe not as dark as Tropical Dusk, because that has to fill a need, but that light color was wonderful. Not as pink or as bright as the picture here.

What a Dreamy Room!

Vineeta's done it again. Found something to match my inner vision I didn't know I had until she put it on her blog. Thanks Vineeta.

I love this room. I love the white draped couch (on a side note, I saw a gorgeous white bedspread at the thrift store, but before I could get there, someone else picked it up and examined it. I hovered about hoping she would move on, but maybe I hovered too close and she took it!) I love the collage of pictures. I love the ivy crawling up the wall and the wide windows. I like the spots of red. And I'm not usually a fan of carpeting, but that floor looks so cozy with all the pillows.

Anyway, I would love to live there, even if the room is a bit girly so I'd probably have to limit it to my studio. That's okay. I could handle that.

Image from Debi Treloar Photography

Hi! This is Me.

After I cobbled together a dohickey made out of a cereal box so that I could take my through the viewfinder pictures on thisthe Duraflex II I got at a great estate sale a few months ago.

It's a lot less pretty now that it's got cardboard duct taped to it, but it works better for taking fun photo shots.

Hey, now that I look at it, some kid of mine has lost the knob on the crank. Grrr.

But I'm impressed with the picture I took. So, I guess I don't need the crank. I don't even think the camera works in its original state.

Really? Oh My. I Had No Idea.

Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Dave Eggers?

Can I find wolf suits for my littles before this comes out on October 16th?

Modern Pirate Frock FANTABULOUS PHOTOSHOOT!

Oh, well, see, I loved these pictures and this dress so much I was going to post about them anyway before I found out they were a giveaway. I love the fantasy world, make believe, story book setting. The dress is fantabulous.

How fun would it be to set up a pirate background and have a kid photo shoot in costume? Well, she talks about a green screen, and that just ain't gonna happen for me. I'm the kinda gal who makes things out of paint and cardboard and newspapers. Computers mean I spend a week pulling my hair out trying to figure the some'in some'in out.

Still, I like the idea of a photo shoot. I have some giant cats... a leopard and a black panther... we could start with that. And goodness, our back yard looks like a jungle anyway. Now I need some explorer outfits. If I won this Modern Pirate Frock we could start there. One down, one to go.

Modern Pirate Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!