neon pink

It's funny how colors come in and out of style. I definitely wouldn't have been attracted to neon pink a couple of years ago but now I find it to be such a happy and refreshing pop of color. This pink mesh is part of the packaging for some Chinese rice noodles I was cooking the other day, and I found it so mesmerizing that I decided it should have its own little photo shoot.

color and pattern

Couldn't stop taking pictures of the beets I was preparing the other day. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful.



I've been playing around with patterns a lot the past couple of days, trying to decide which ones to use, and what kind of goods to make out of them.

used books

I found these beautifully illustrated used books from a used book store near our house recently. The children's books are only 50 cents apiece, so I go there every once in awhile to look for new (old) books for Oscar. I was really excited to find the Paul and Ann Rand one. I've never heard of the other two authors but really love the illustrations.

a teeny trip up to the city

We drove up to San Francisco with Oscar a couple of weekends ago and walked around Hayes Valley after lunch at Frjtz. We stopped for some French macarons at Paulette, but we ate them all before I could get some pictures. Maybe next time I'll have more self-control! Of course, I had to stop by Miette as well to admire all the beautiful packaging. So inspiring! It was a short trip since we went in between Oscar's morning and afternoon naps, but it was great to get out and walk around.

pretty wrapping

A friend got me a something from Anthropologie for Christmas. I've always loved their wrapping and couldn't resist taking a photo of this one!

orla love

I dutifully made the trek out to a couple of local Target stores this morning in hopes getting my hands on the new Orla Kiely line. It looked like much of the tableware had showed up on the shelves before today, as much of the items were picked through already. I still managed to nab a few goodies though.






I first discovered Orla when I was in Tokyo a couple of years ago. I happened to walk into an Orla Kiely store in a shopping center there and could not believe my eyes. Patterns that were simple and bold yet classy. Deliciously colorful but not in a way that was too loud or distracting. Everything was of course way out of my price range, but I was thrilled to be able to take a small souvenir with me: a catalog that is a piece of art in and of itself. I pulled it out the other day for some inspiration and thought I'd share some pages with you.















Oh, and I'm on Twitter now!

More garage sale finds

Ever since finding the globe at a garage sale, I've been on the lookout for more signs around the neighborhood on weekends. It's so much fun finding hidden gems for just a couple of bucks. Talk about guilt-free shopping! Below are my most recent finds - a genuine Italian leather vintage purse, a little coin purse, and an old Penguin book with an irresistible cover.




Oh, and everything was only $1.75. Crazy, huh?

It came!

As some of you know, I won this incredible giveaway a couple of weeks ago from the talented Sharilyn of Lovely Design. Well, the lovely address file arrived today! I am utterly smitten. There is some big-time swooning going on here, my friends. Sharilyn, thank you so much, I absolutely love it! Thanks for the personal note and tags too - such a sweet touch.

Christmas is over but...

I've got another gift or two left to give.. (wrapped in a drawstring pouch I sewed, which I then stamped with a little tree I carved out of an eraser - forgot to take a picture of it until now!)
















..and I got a bunch more gifts over the weekend when my brother and my new sister-in-law came back from their honeymoon in Asia. They brought me so many goodies from Hong Kong that I nearly fainted. Fabric, trim, and a stack of sewing books! One of them is in Japanese (shown in the first picture - I've seen and drooled over this one before in blog-land), and the rest is in Chinese, which is fabulous because I think I'll actually be able to read most of it. Apparently there is an entire district of Japanese-y things!

A time to sew

Happy new year everyone! It's hard to believe it's 2009 already. Time flies, especially when you're on vacation! I'm super bummed that my 2-week shutdown is coming to a close. It's been so nice to sleep in and take my time with everything. This is a bit late - but I wanted to share with you what Irving got me for Christmas - vintage pyrex! I guess I've been pining away at them enough that he knew exactly what would make me happy. I love them, and they'll be especially useful since I've been trying to phase out most of our plastic food containers.



While we were in Monterey on Christmas day, Irving actually spotted these pods on the ground and pointed them out to me because he knew I'd like them. I've never seen these before and love their simple shape.



I was hoping to start screenprinting this last week, but had an overwhelming desire to sew instead. So sew I did! This plastic bag dispenser was a quickie - just a tube that's open at the top (for stuffing in bags) and has an elastic opening at the bottom (for pulling out bags). It was nice to finally use some Amy Butler fabric I'd been hoarding for a couple of years!



About a year an a half ago my little mustard-colored wallet (which I bought in Japan and really liked) was stolen. Since then I've been using a plain old black leather one and have resisted buying a new one because I really wanted to make one. Recently I fell in love with these wallets and decided to use them as a model for mine. I used cruddy fabric to practice making a couple mock-ups since I knew it would take me a few tries before getting it right. I think the only difference is that I also made a pocket behind the coin compartment. The outside fabric is wool I cut out from an old men's blazer found at the local goodwill for $3. Even though it took me the better part of a day, I had so much fun making it.

Moss and felt trees

I spent the entire day at home today (except for a quick trip to the post office) and loved it. I slept in, re-organized the studio and unpacked a couple more boxes. Charlie kept bugging me 'cause she wanted to go to the backyard, so I went out there with her and all she wanted was to sunbathe! I stayed out there with her and just sat in the sun for a bit too. It's been a bit drizzly lately and I noticed bits of green moss peeking out in between the patio slabs. Such a beautiful green.



I also tried out an idea I've had in my head for awhile: simple felt trees. I only made three, but I think it'd be fun to make a whole grove. They're inspired by these trees (which I still want to make one day) I found awhile back. I love the simplicity of it, but thought it would be neat to add some texture.



I sewed up little cones out of semi-circles and just stacked them on top of each other. I'll try and post some pictures of the process soon. Oh, and I just caught up on my blog-reading and saw this tutorial for similar trees made out of fabric. Really cute as well, be sure to check it out.

Yellena print

I've had my eye on Yellena's prints for awhile, but recently came across this print and just had to have it! It's so beautiful and interesting -- almost mesmerizing. I love it and can't wait to find the perfect spot to hang it up.

fall in california

The pods on our wisteria tree has been popping now that fall is here. They snap fairly loudly when they pop, and on the ground you can find many open pods and seeds. I picked a few up the other day and was surprised at how hard and sturdy both the pods and seeds are. Charlie is teething and seems to enjoy gnawing on the pods.



The weather hasn't cooled down much during the day even though it's fall, so I let myself buy a couple of summery tops from Target recently. I like to layer anyway, so I figure even when it cools down a bit more, I can still wear them under cardigans, especially the vintage-y floral one.





I've been working on some new things, and hope to update the shop in the next couple of weeks or so. It's been taking a bit longer than I had expected (I forgot how long it takes me to finally be happy with a series of designs), but I'm excited. I'm getting a bit tired of looking at the old designs!

Alameda flea

I went to the Alameda flea this weekend and got an eyeful. The place is huuuuge, filled with all sorts of vintage goodness. We managed to walk through most of it - here are some things that caught my eye.







I ended up buying these vintage textiles, which the seller said she got from Germany. She had a lot of gorgeous prints to rummage through, all fairly large pieces. Many looked like they were drapery at one point. I absolutely love these two pieces, and am so excited for all the things I can possibly make with them!

Found

I've been adding to my collection of odds and ends found in nature. The last photo is of some gift tags I've been including in orders.







I want to thank Mon Petit Lapin for giving me the Art Y Pico award. She's got a beautiful blog with plenty of inspiration and really nice photos as well. I know I've said this before, but I really am loving this online creative community.

Oh, and I really enjoyed this article.