Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts

Illustration day continued

I am in the mood for fantasy today as it is so grim outside, and although I am dressed it is still cold so I am back in bed writing, drinking a cup of tea and eating turkish delight. Extravagant I know, but I can't go anywhere so that is that. I will admit, even though I think it to be wildly uncouth I have reheated this tea twice, please lets just keep that between us.

Anyway my third illustrator today is the wonderful Kate Wilson of Little doodles. I do wish my backyard wildlife were as enthusiastic about pretty things as these little feathered folk, when we finally get our own garden and bird table I will teach them some new tricks. They will dine on peanut party rings and birdseed macaroons.


All images Kate Wilson

Image by image

I just saw this over at Living etc's Twitter feed and had to show you, two of my favourite cities go head to head, image by image at Paris versus New York.

"A visual but friendly match between those two cities seen by a lover of Paris wandering through New York's infinite details, clichés and contradictions : this way, please."

All images Paris versus New York.

I wish I could crochet

My highlight on twitter this morning is finding out from Sandra Juto that it is Wristworm season. But which pair? I love them all.

All images Sandra Juto, one of my favourite bloggers. Her photography really does makes my day.

12 with Isidora, Kate, Julie and Maureen

Isidora of E-sidora


- a letter my father sent me when I was only two months old, and that was before he had even seen me. I believe that it was a moment when he predestined me to be a letter fan.
- another letter is from my sister when she was little
- a pair of "opanci", traditional shoes from balkans I got as a present more than 25 years ago
- my kindergarten drawing of dandelions. I started drawing my way, but the teacher told me it's not how dandelions look like, so I finished with her version. mine was better, I see it now clearly. :)
- my notebook from 1st grade
- a bible
- my favorite skirt because it suits me best of all clothes i own
- my first camera
- matryoshka, the smallest one from set
- sarah kay sticker album
- a picture book "Hedgehogs little house"
- natalie jost's coloring book because it was a reward for the first contest I won in my life

Kate Kelleher of Blue sky butterfly studio.


My jewellery box, given to me by a friend. It is a fancy old medicine box, filled with jewellery that I have collected over the years. I have a small crush on Emma Cassi’s jewellery, it’s so delicate and beautiful. Each season she creates magical wonder and I love it.

Our family money box pig, we bought this in china town when it was Chinese New Year when my boy was born. It has bought us luck ever since, despite the fact my boy took a hammer to it when he was two as he wanted to see what was inside! I have attempted to glue it back piece by piece, but as you can see a fair amount is missing!

My glass wedding domes bought in Paris, filled with little bits from our wedding day.

My wedding bracelet, with a teal heart an old friend gave me.

Memory blocks, pictures printed onto ceramic tiles collected over the years, evoking thoughts of different times and places.

A carved wooden box my husband gave to me this year on our wedding anniversary.

My sketch book filled these days with pictures I find inspiring, be it through colour, form or pose.

Behind the sketchbook is a painting I am working on at the moment. It is a little camera shy, made from silver leaf that has been treated and worked upon to create a smoky grey exterior.

And finally, liberty suitcases. I bought a few when they opened the doors for the Merci Liberty collaboration. We gave one to my husband’s god daughter filled with treasures for her christening day. Another I am going to fill over the years for my daughter which I hope to give to her on her wedding day. And there is one more that I shall never be able to give away, some things are just too precious.


Julie of The craft caravan.



1. A beautiful photo book that a dear friend made me of all of my wedding photos.
2. A jar of love letters between my husband and I.
3. My favorite candlestick (rescued from the dumpster).
4. The silver tea set that my mom gave to me for my wedding. She purchased it when I was fifteen (and had to save it for thirteen long years...) One of the most beautiful things I own, and hands down the most valuable.
5. A lone birdcage earring that my mother in law gave to me, which I turned into a necklace. I have a hard time not wearing it every single day.
6. My collection of Anthropologie latte bowls. Anthropologie is so sneaky, always changing their colors so you have to buy more. I'd be so sad to lose the ones that are no longer available...
7. Photos of my dad as a little boy.
8. My copy of Etc., purchased just days ago and not yet fully read. Definitely rescuable.
9. An autobiographical homework assignment my husband made as a kid that still perfectly describes him.
10. An amazing hand-quilted book of drawings by my grandmother, depicting fashions throughout the ages. An amazing heirloom entrusted to me by my aunt.
11. The jar of money we keep for emergencies (and vacations!)

Thanks for inspiring me to take stock!

Maureen of Lady and light.


*An old jewel encrusted frame that belonged to my grandmother, some stones have fallen out but the picture of her happy smile still radiates.
*The Celtic cross bell was a something my husband and I picked out together as a reminder of our first trip to Ireland.
*The glass ball was a gift from a high school friend, sent from Japan. It always amazes me that the intricate Koi and Japanese characters were painted through a tiny hole on the underside of the ball. *Blush brush that I received from my grandmother as a child.
*New York Confidential book, I picked this up on a trip to New York when I was 20. I can still remember being inside the bookstore and finding this little book. It reminds me of everything that was so mysterious, fast, loud, dangerous, and exciting about my two weeks in the city, spent with two close friends.
*The Nepal Prayer Wheel was what I brought back with me from my first truly eye opening travel experience. I spent six weeks backpacking through Asia with my cousin G, three of which were spent hiking the Annapurna's. I fall back on these memories whenever I want to lift my spirits and it comforts me that no matter what I will always have that experience.
*A picture of myself on my beautiful Mother's lap. She is one of my best friends and I talk to her about anything and everything, I feel very blessed to have such a close relationship with her.
*Small martini glass that belonged to my Great Aunt Buddy (sister to my grandmother in the picture). She lived many years after my Grandmother passed, and she was the pure embodiment of a women with a cutting sense of humor. She never failed to say exactly what she thought, and it always brought everyone great laughs.
*Blue Moroccan "lamp", another travel artifact that brings me back to certain smells and tastes, images of the sunsetting over a land of sand.
*A journal, which was a gift from a good friend. I love journals and have always brought along a small one while traveling.
*A ring from a yearly family trip taken to the ocean, symbolizing the importance of tradition.
*A necklace from a trip to Spain.

These items serve as reminders of my past and great experiences I've had in my life. Some tie me to the importance of family and others to the importance of travel, friendship and love. The only thing I would have also added to the picture but could not would be my camera, I take it with me everywhere and helps me explore the world I live and love. So I guess there are really Thirteen Things.

Thank you for the opportunity to think about important things in my life and the chance to share a few tangible examples of them with you.

Colour burst

A final colour burst before hitting the colour trail myself next week when (volcano permitting) we should be in Marrakech. I was just over at Design sponge seeing what I had missed over the past week or so and found this amazing interiors shoot of the Buenos Aires studio belonging to the super talented Lula Aldunate and her sister Rocio. Take a look at the beautiful party styling in the bottom picture.

Images via Design sponge and Lula Aldunate.

Wishing you all a super weekend and hopefully I will be back next Sunday.

Time for tea

My friend has just bought a new coffee table from a local auction so me and my girlfriends are going to christen it with tea and a sponge cake that is in the oven. oh and maybe some ice cream lattes? I was just catching up with one of my favourite paper artists, and saw this beautiful post of the prettiest tea party ever. Everything Miss Clara makes is so enchanting from the paper spoons to the gilt paper jewels, lets hope our little gathering can be half as nice.


All images Miss Clara.

A thing for beauty


Aren't some things so beautiful that they almost cause you physical pain? I feel like that about the inspiration boards of the blog A thing for. I want to get inside the pictures and live the moments all for myself. I discovered them earlier today over at Once Wed

Check out her other lovely blog too. The post featuring turquoise walls makes me happy.


All images A thing for

Wishing and thinking

A freezing cold Sunday morning in Ireland. Today I have enjoyed visiting other people. Here are my favourites for today.

Wishing for sun, enough for swathes of sheer fabric and chunky knits dancing at the shoreline a pretty beach shack, like this shoot featured at Paranaiv.

Thinking about being small enough to perch on one of these tiny dolls house chairs created by Joel.

Thinking how nice it would be to share a pot of tea with the lovely Liivia

Wishing our snow was as serene as it looks over at Nadia's

Thinking about adding more to my tattoo like cutie bride Michonne.

and finally adoring this embellished cape and anything made by the fair hands of Emma Cassi

Enjoy your Sunday.
All images from the links above.

Huge smile


Thinking about this very happy year of posts and meeting lots of wonderful people who have really enriched my life. This Wednesday has been another amazing day. I got home, opened my email and found a message from a sweet friend telling me that Lobster and Swan has been listed as number 18 in the Times Online, 50 of the world's best design blogs

All I can say is thank you. I am gobsmacked.

Rituals

Building works may mean we won't have a living room this Christmas. I may have to just pop our tree on the kitchen table, the annual visit to a local farm to choose our tree is a favourite festive ritual. Do you have any seasonal rituals?


Elsewhere the best dressed tree of the day is from Dottie Angel.


All images Dottie Angel

Other peoples things

A comment was left here, I think, on which post I am not sure, the trail back has abruptly ended and I am not 100% on where it began. I am one of those that find peace of mind from deleting my history and clearing out my sent/read messages. I must learn to hold on to this information longer.

Its late and I am very sleepy, I have just watched a film about Enid Blyton, beautiful costumes elegant setting, (Cath Kidston eat your heart out!) but boy oh boy, if the film is to be believed, behind closed doors she was a spiteful misery. Did anyone else watch it?
Now with my beliefs shattered I am heading off to bed. I thought I would share these pretty collections/collages from the commenter mentioned earlier, Spanish Rakufrecsia.

All images Rakufrecsia.

PS. happy Friday!!

Make someone else's day this Autumn

Nothing makes me feel better when I am under the weather than watching a good old Fred and Ginger romantic caper. All the dazzling outfits and superb footwork. I doubt anyone will ever dance as well as them again. Movies from this time are my absolute favourites. All the sequins twinkling. Life seemed so simple then. A romance, a pretty dress, someone to love you.

I found another blog writer today with a shared passion for movies, old and new, Cathi who runs the thoughtful project Everyday Matinees For Seniors.

Everyday Matinee's for Seniors is a non profit organization that was founded by Cathi Nunn in 2006, after her father Fred Gunther was murdered in Plantation, Florida. It is a program that provides seniors with a free mobile movie lending library in which they can check out as many movies as they would like on a weekly basis. It also gives the seniors time once a week to chat with some awesome volunteers while checking out movies. They also provide free tickets to see local live theatre productions for the seniors. Hoping to wipe out loneliness and isolation in the lives of many seniors in the San Fernando Valley with smiles, laughter and love.

You can help by popping over to Every day Matinees 4 seniors, and read a little more about the project. Cathi welcomes more suggestions of independent, foreign and old classic movies. She is also getting together a collection of holiday films, so be sure to include those in your list if you have any favorites. All ideas are truly appreciated.

Maybe you have some films you could donate? I think I will get some together to send, it would be nice to make someone else's day better this Autumn. For more info contact Cathi at - cathinunn[at]gmail[dot]com or visit the site Every day Matinees 4 seniors,

baked, iced, dusted and decorated


For anyone who now has a macaron craving but has no hope of getting within 100 miles of Laduree, why not try making some at home? I have yet to brave it myself but a Thursday seems like a great day to start.

The best place to learn? My absolute favourite blog for eating pretty Cannelle Et Vanille. Aran has a fantastic archive of recipes where you can spend the afternoon getting lost in her beautiful world where a sweet tooth is rewarded with a daily fix of all things baked, iced, dusted and decorated.

Here is Aran's stunning recipe index

All images Cannelle Et Vanille.

ps. if anyone actually makes any or has in the past, be sure to let me know how you get on!

Almost there

I am just popping in to say I have been doing some things, just over here instead!

Stopped in my tracks

My newest love. I was stopped in my tracks today. Silent and still. Just adoring this, Heather's new collaboration. The Cup & Saucer Collective is a creative venture between photographer Rachel Saldana and artist Heather Smith Jones. Creating collections of art and handmade items.

Go immediately and swoon over at The cup and saucer collective.

Image from The cup and saucer collective.

flowers and wood grain.


I would be so much more psyched to be going to work this morning if I worked at the beautiful new saipua shop.

All images Saipua.

Can't stay down for long.

Even though mail order is giving me some difficulties at the moment. Etsy does have a great side. Meeting people. The best thing about having an Etsy shop is all the wonderful people you meet. Buyers, sellers and people who share your tastes. Someone I have met recently is Jessica Goodman from Way side Violet "a student, a coffee lover, proud corgi owner, an admirer of pretty things and a devourer of literature".

I was very happy to be asked by Jess to answer a few questions for the first interview in a series about her favourite Esty sellers. We are also having a little giveaway with the interview. so pop on over and leave a coment to win.

See more from Jess, coffee snugs (like the one above) in her Shop and day to day life at Flickr.

Thank you again Jess.
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