I’m signing off for the weekend but before I go, thank you all for visiting with me here this week, leaving your comments, sending thoughtful emails and for being such good friends! I hope that you can find time this weekend to do some special activities with your friends and family, maybe set aside some crafty time or take a moment to pause and reflect with something that heals and restores you.
Whatever you end up doing, I’ll meet you back here on Monday and next week, I have something special to share with you for Summer that I’m sure you’ll enjoy! See you Monday!
Oh and I want to mention that a friend of this blog, Contemporary Cloth, who also advertises here, is offering decor8 readers a special discount in case you are looking for quality fabric. From today until June 19th take 20% off your order using coupon code: decor8june. They have a nice selection of Amy Butler fabrics here.
P.S. I’ve updated my wists, over there. Have a look. :) ————————>
(image: holly becker for decor8)
Is this Penguin wallpaper from Isak not the cutest in the world? I don’t show lots of kids stuff on decor8, I do that over at Cookie instead, but I couldn’t resist sharing this because c’mon — is it not smile inducing?
If you don’t have babies, you’ll want to run off and start making them after seeing this. :) Yeah I know, not the right reasons for having children. But still.
And by the way, if you are curious as to where these wooden animals are from, they are from Germany and made by a company called Holztiger. You can find them at lots of privately owned kids shops in the U.S. (not big box stores though) or online if you do a search under Holztiger. I have a few myself, they are perfect for kids and adults alike. I have some wooden animals made by Ostheimer, another great company specializing in wooden toys – here’s my unicorn. Told you that they’re not just for kids. ;)
(images: isak uk)
I first heard about Yvette van Boven, food stylist and recipe writer, illustrator and co-owner of the Aan de Amstel restaurant in Amsterdam from Pia and knowing she now has a blog is thrilling news. We can all play sneaky spy and follow her work, yay!
Here’s the link to a most beautiful place where gorgeous food lives with creative styling and photography that beckons… the blog is new so give her time to grow it out but I can see that it’s going to be quite nice there.
Now I’m hungry… lunch time!
(images: yvette van boven)
Urban Outfitters sent out their Fall Preview recently and I couldn’t have loved what I saw more. The preview books reminded me of Lena and Mav’s lovely Lines & Shapes or Mav and Stephanie’s 3191 Year of Mornings. The UO presentation is clean, minimalist and more grown up than usual. Still a younger version of their big sister Anthropologie, but more mature still. And I loved the big poster that they included, the paper smells lovely (I know, sick aren’t I?) and the paper feels divine – I just may hang it on my wall this Autumn with it’s creamy texture and subdued color palette. I’m glad they put such care and thought into their choice of paper, it seems to be recycled.
I like the message on the mirror, “Take Me As I Am”. A good message for us all, right?
I only wish they’d included a press contact or CD inside because I would have loved to share their Fall line up. These images will have to do for now. And of course, you can always snoop around the U.O. website as I’m sure the Autumn goodies will start showing up soon enough.
Here are a few things I found from their current collection that I would consider adding to my own nest if I weren’t packing up to move. I’m not exactly college age so I tried to find things that I’d say would fit the post-college crowd. ;)
a. Tiny Ceramic Basket by Perch! in Brooklyn, b. +oo chair by Blu Dot, c. Double Wire Basket, d. Rattan pouf, e. Desk Tidy, f. Granny Smith Container and g. Ceramic noodle cup.
By the way, have you noticed the crazy selection of off beat cameras they’re stocking lately? LOVE them.
(images: photos by holly becker, all from urban outfitters)
I know, I’m a day late with this so please forgive me. I came down with a killer MSG reaction yesterday from eating out (Indian) and man, I was down for the count for several hours and barely slept last night. Today I need lots of music, for sure! Here’s who I’m listening to this week.
a. Pink Martini - I never heard of this group until last week, thanks to several readers who pointed me their way. I’m hooked! I immediately ordered Hey Eugene and Hang on Little Tomato. My husband is now a fan, too. I love the song Lilly because it reminds me of my friend, Paris, and her dog Lilly and Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love because the second I heard it I grabbed my husband and started dancing right in the middle of the work day. It’s catchy and fantastic. The vibe is super upbeat. I love the cover of the cd shown above, doesn’t it remind you of a Doisneau photo? They are going to be in Boston tonight, I wish I had tickets!
b. Paolo Conte – I’ve been a fan for ten years, introduced to him by my husband who loves Italian music — ah this man is fantastic. He’s been called the Italian Frank Sinatra only a bit rough around the edges – his voice is grainy and his lyrics tell stories. I love his moody style, his sound, everything – the atmosphere that suddenly pops up around you when you play his music is the best, it’s like having a pop-up Rome in your back pocket. Whenever you want to travel there, you just put on a little Gioco d’azzardo, Gelato Al Limon, Happy Feet or Gli Impermeabili and you’re on your very own Roman holiday. This is going to sound wacky, but I have a crush on Tony Bourdain, travel writer, chef, television host of No Reservations, and I imagine that if Tony could sing he’d sound like Paolo. ha!
c. Melody Gardot – I found out about 23-year-old blues/jazz singer-songwriter via Alex and I’ve not looked back since. I think I’ve played her CD, My One and Only Thrill, a million times since it arrived a few weeks ago. My favorite songs from this cd are My One And Only Thrill (beautiful lyrics), Our Love Is Easy, If The Stars Were Mine and Your Heart Is As Black As Night (love her ‘tude her). In addition to her gorgeous music, her personal story is touching and inspiring, she was, “hit by a vehicle while riding her bike at age nineteen. Following her accident, Gardot was instructed to take up music therapy as a way to rebuild her cognitive impairment. Before her accident she had played piano and it was suggested that music therapy, which has been shown to help redefine neural pathways, would benefit her. Since then, she often speaks and advocates in favor of music therapy. In the accident, she hurt her pelvis, so she couldn’t sit to play the piano. During that time, she learned how to play the guitar. To this day, she needs a cane to walk, and, when performing, she sits on a special chair (or stands). Besides that, she also became sensitive to both light and sound.” – Wikipedia.
d. The Courteeners from Manchester, England. I saw them live in March and they were amazing. The lead vocalist is dreamy to look at (blush) but his voice is divine and I love how he really gets into his performance, you can feel his own energy and it’s nothing short of magical. St. Jude is a great CD, especially Not Nineteen Forever which really reminds me of The Killers (whom I also love). It makes sense though as both bands are heavily influenced by Morrissey. I guess you really have to be into this alternative rock to get it, which I am obsessed with, so I dig it. If anyone is from Boston and remembers Dave and British Accents, please comment because there was nothing like his Sunday radio show and when he used to throw down at The Pill.
What are your musical faves this week?
(images from amazon)
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