Eggman Studios

Loving this shop right now. The carnival/museum/specimen feel of the work is eerie-cool. It's hard to pick a favorite, but as someone who spends most of her time around people, I'm feeling a longing for this solitude print.

The artist is Michelle Knowlen and she also has a blog, here.

they sacrificed everything to the stars, print by Amanda Blake

One of my favorite artists, Amanda Blake, and her new print available now in her shop.

Oh buying art could bankrupt me, at least if I bought everything I loved. I love everything about it, the stars, the houses, the bonfires, the family, and the tapestry-like details of the ground.

Love.

Leah Giberson and her Pretty Trailer Painting

Land Yacht (three)

I love this painting/print by Leah Giberson. It's for sale in the Tiny Showcase and 250$ of her sales there will be donated towards the Gulf Restoration. Love also the rest of her work here on etsy.

I wonder where I would put this print if I were to buy it. Hmm...

Oooh. I bought it. That's too exciting.

Now we can have a print of one of these dreamy trailers, even if we don't have the actual trailer yet.

Bleach Striped DIY Scarf

I want to make this.... or some other version of something similar that I can cobble together and smoosh around with whatever fabric I have or can recycle from old clothes.

Reduce reuse recycle...

BABY

How lucky that the HOW TO of this scarf has led me to not one, but TWO new to me bloggers, etsians and all around creative knock outs!

A guest post by Julia Okun (blog and etsy )
On this evaforeva's blog (etsy here and here)

How Would You Fake This Room?

Okay, I'm behind the curve on this one, but it just about makes me sick with real estate lust, and there's a bit of a personal connection here, so I thought it was a good thing to post for my return to small and heartfelt (sorry about the absence).

I LOVE. No. I LOOOOOOOOVE this apartment, and it happens to be catty corner to my old apartment on Elizabeth street. I would have been able to look out the window and see this building, the record holder for expensive in the neighborhood.

Okay. Suffice it to say, I will never be able to pay 7 mil for a penthouse (barring a miracle) so, why not think about what it is I really do like about this place.

I love the high ceilings, the wood floors, the clean but cozy lines of the furniture. I ADORE the black trim and all those windows/ french doors. The light is nothing to sneeze at, either. Love the white walls and the warm woods, also the organic feel of the accessories.

If I were trying to replicate this look, without the 7 million dollar penthouse, I might try to find a nice... or not so nice (I like the beat up leather look) black or dark brown leather sofa, maybe craigslist would do, or Ikea. For the coffee table, I think I might something a little more rustic... something like thisfrom Maya*made (who just one apartmenttherapy's best green home design blog by the way [yay Maya!]). But I'd probably like a square top, and maybe all in wood rather than glass.

And let's say I don't have a wall of exquisite windows and french doors everywhere...what is a poor (metaphorically and literally) home design lover to do?

Well, I can't help but think it might be really cool to have a wall of frames lined up as if they WERE french windows... something like this
which I found via littlegreennotebook, and she found via apartmenttherapy, though I don't have a link. I was thinking the frames could be filled with images of anything, but the thought of breaking up a map is kind of nice... almost like you'd be looking through the frames at the rendering of the city. A little google serendipity.

What if the house doesn't have those huge windows? Hey, why not a large work of art. Maybe something suggesting what you might see out the window, that you can gaze at and ponder the nature of distance and time. Like thisby Aisyah Ang whom I love, by the way.

Oh, and thinking about that organic looking lamp, but what if I don't have the chandelier budget and/or lamp? What about this string of tea light holders?
This is by oneblackbird. Don't you just love etsy?

And really, this room is missing books. If a room doesn't have books I just never think it's finished.Oh hey! How about a bookcase like this! The frames of the bookcase are reminiscent of those black painted doors....

Who says you need to have seven million dollars to have a lust worthy home?

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Work Outfit

Here's me in my new apron. Well, old apron. I found it in a high cupboard when I was looking for the juicer to make grapefruit juice (the dark leaf at the top of the picture is from the grapefruit tree).

This apron used to be my grandfather's. I like that. It's mine now. Here's a detail. Look at the rick rack and the embroidered flowers. It's made out of a heavy cotton and the ties are adjustable. And the colors are just my colors. I'm a total winter.

I've needed this apron, because I have been working HARD.

I've been cooking and tending kids and fending off sticky peanut butter fingers and painting and writing and BECOMING A BUSINESSWOMAN.

Yes, I've finally opened up my etsy shop. Stop by. I will be adding prints to it as time goes on and you never know what new flying person or dream will show up next.

Swoon

I'm a little in love with this artist at LittleRobot. Her name is Lindsey Carr and she has a blog, here, too. Let me tell you, it was hard to pick which images to show, because they are all swoon worthy.

I picked this one, Flight, because it reminds me of my Flying Girls. Not in style, obviously, but well... it's a flying girl. She has a sister, too.
And I wanted to show one of these puppets, too. They are fantabulous. They make me feel like I have fallen down a rabbit hole and into a strange and magical land. This one is the Strong Man. You can assemble him yourself. It reminds me of how I had my HS students create puppets to represent Shakespeare characters in The Tempest.

I found her through The Explorer's Notebook and Allison Murray's great etsy treasury. How does one get one of those, anyway?

Tiny City

From Sparklerama on etsy. How cute is this? I found it via Melissa Loves on a post about things she would love to give to a child. But I have to say, I would want it for myself.

I have loved miniatures since I was a child. I used to make my own little clay dolls out of plasticene. When I was a teenager, I graduated to Sculpey.

I also love boxes. Little boxes, little assemblages. I love squares and grids, something that I have decided comes from growing up in the city, walking around with streets and apartment buildings. I imagine all those little rooms in those big buildings. All those little lives in that big city.

I imagine walking around a big city, with a little tiny city in my pocket.

Oh yes. That pleases me.