Wallflower

Wallflower (2004)

A hauntingly beautiful work by Elaine Wilson.

Accent Wall

via Apartment Therapy

Oooh this blue wall is gorgeous! What a good way to highlight your art collection (and hanging skills).

Gnome Blog

I'm a little obsessed with this Tumblr I just came across: Gnome Life. The premise is simple, the photography is excellent, and its combination of weirdness and whimsy is right up my alley. The shot of him running for the bus is what really got me - mythological creature meets real world frustration.

Shopping at: ASOS

Left: Nordic Vintage Style Scarf by Lowie
Right: Mini Camo Dress by Whistles


Left: Contrast Belted Dress by Mango
Right: Fold Over Plaque Shoulder Bag by Ted Baker


Left: Bella Animal Print Sweater by Reiss
Right: Petra Print Eyelet Dress by Whistles

Sweet Helsinki

How darling is this girl from Helsinki, Finland? I love her big yellow scarf. She also has an adorable story about her sweater:

"I'm wearing my favourite, lucky piece of clothing: a pullover which my mother knitted for my father when they started dating. The pullover is my amulet."

I would like to look this cute every weekend this fall please.

(via Hel Looks)

Marine Boxworks

LK 196 West

My mom recently sent me a link to the gallery Godfrey & Watt and the work of Alex Malcolmson immediately jumped out at me. His pieces seem to effortlessly blend earthiness with sophistication; I keep discovering fascinating details the longer I look-- like how the wood grain of LK 196 West seems to mimic ocean waves. They are reminiscent of shadowboxes, but I love how some of them, like Karlsten's Fort below, extend beyond the frame. Malcolmson apparently drew his inspiration from marine folk art and sailing trips around the UK, and the results are very intriguing.

Karlsten's Fort

Boxed Compass

Etsy Find: Erin Jane Designs

Moonstone Ring

You know you've found a really good store when you keep returning to the website just to stare -- it's pretty much the online equivalent of repeatedly pressing your nose up against the glass. Such is the case with Erin Jane Designs, a Seattle-based jewelry store that I have been ogling for weeks. It features all sorts of jewelry, but it's the rings that I keep going back to, which is funny because I don't even wear rings that often. But these designs are so distinctly modern and clean that I'm beginning to reconsider, especially when it comes to that Moonstone Ring. It's begging to be adored and loved and worn by me daily, I swear.


Rutilated Quartz Ring


Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Ring


Rose Cut Crystal Quartz Ring

It's the Weekend...

via observando.

...and I have three papers due next week. Let's hope I fare better than this little guy. Have a great weekend!

*liza

Carey Mulligan

Left: RM by Rouland Mouret dress & Fendi shoes
Right: Unknown but entirely covetable

Carey Mulligan has just been knocking it out of the park lately and it's hard not to be inspired by someone so polished. It's so refreshing to see an actress in her 20s be playful with fashion and choose pieces with an innate structure, grace, or whimsy. "Ladylike" is a term I usually see with regard to Mulligan, and I think it's appropriate; she doesn't show up to a premiere looking like she's just there to party. Rather, Mulligan is able to mix looking fun and pretty with a sort of professionalism (going to events is after all a part of her job). And then sometimes she throws in killer accessories like those incredible Fendi platforms. Seriously, those are almost too amazing.


Left: Nina Ricci
Right: Christopher Kane

(Images via FabSugar)

The Cardigan's Origins

"James Thomas Brudenell, seventh earl of Cardigan, led the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War, but we remember him best nowadays because he gave his name to the sweater with buttons down the front." (via Life)

I love learning things like this! Etymology is so fascinating. I wish this slideshow had gone into more detail. Did the Earl just love to wear button-down sweaters? Did a cardigan-maker want to honor the Earl by naming his/her creation after him? How exactly did this come about?

I wonder how many sweaters have been called "The Earl of Cardigan" in their product descriptions, not knowing how meta that title really was. Thankfully, this cute sweater below has a much more creative name: the Research Assistant Cardigan. Rather appropriate for this discussion, no?



from Modcloth

Poster Reminiscence

When I first got to college, I remember how absolutely essential it was to have really cool posters on the walls of your dorm room. They designated your space in the room and served as an instant introduction to your roommate and the people living down the hall. Having posters transformed a corner of an industrial dorm into your own creative area. It was a little nerve-wracking to walk into your dorm room for the first time-- what if your roommate put up a poster of that band you hate? What if she hated yours? Could you ever get along with someone who juxtaposed their poster of the cast of "Jackass" with your Beatles? In the end, of course, it wasn't so dramatic. There were never any looks of disgust or demands of removal. I remember putting up my Bob Dylan and Madame Butterfly posters and feeling satisfied. Feeling like I'd made myself a home. Though I've thankfully moved on from dorm life, the desire to carve out and design my own space has only gotten stronger. Choices like the ones above from Poster Cabaret show that poster designs have only gotten infinitely more stylish, making having something cool on the wall, whether it be in your dorm room or your living room, that much easier.

Row 1: The Lonely King, Two Rooks, The Shining
Row2: Of Montreal, Hoots McShoots, Villages II
Row 3: Copper City, Bear Mountain, Broken Social Scene

I Want To Go To There

While I will have to wait until Friday to watch it on Hulu, I am so so so excited for the return of "30 Rock" tomorrow night. I am in serious need of some Liz Lemon, and it's been a deadly dull summer without her.

Variations On A Theme: Moss

Platform Heels from Dear Golden Vintage

Succulent Garden from Eucca

Slumber Dress by Samantha Pleet

Acorn Neck Warmer by Rag & Bone

Vintage Vogue from Ffffound


Long Fortuna Dress by Rachel Pally

Party Invitations

How sweet are these new invitations from Anna Bond at Rifle Paper Co.? Her aesthetic simply never ceases to amaze and charm. These make me want to have a Halloween party just so I can send them out to people. Well, and because I love Halloween, but more on that come October. I can't wait!

Fabric + Fabric = Quilt

I am just utterly inspired by the patterns on these quilts from Fabric + Fabric = Quilt. My own work features a lot of simple geometry (who knew that class in high school would have had such an effect? It seemed so wretched at the time), so when I came across this Tumblr site I immediately bookmarked it. It does have a lot of images to weed through, but the ones that reference mosaics and Native American designs are especially striking and totally worth it. I keep going back to that gold and white one-- its simple color scheme completely belies its incredible texture and intricacy.

Etsy Find: Elkhorn Design

I just discovered the Etsy shop of Elkhorn Design, a mother-daughter collaboration based out of Sydney, and am currently swooning over their stock. Their pillows and table runners are all screen printed by hand with water-based and solvent-free paints, which to me adds another layer of thoughtfulness to the whole process. I think the bird motif below might be my favorite, but their feather designs are pretty hard to resist.