raining for two days now...

Illustration by Julia Morstad. Via niotillfem blog.

It's been raining for two days ...and apparently it will just keep raining.

Before that it was sunny and spring-like outside - we were hanging out on the balcony - think we're all just feeling cheated right about now...

I found this wonderful image above on Sandra's sweet blog. That's how she was feeling yesterday - I'm sympathising.

Immersed in blue

Images from and by underbaraclara.

These images are from a blog called underbaraclara. Underbara Clara means wonderful Clara and Clara's blog is without fail absolutely always wonderful.

The images are from her grandmother's house and are just plain spectacular I think. I can't imagine wanting something more right now than a joyous spring-like room like this one!

I could spend hours dissecting why they're so absolutely beautiful and amazing, but I think I'll just leave the images to speak for themselves - a weekend treat for you...

Charley Harper x2

Charles Harper's Birds and Words and Charley Harper's ABC. Both by Charley Harper, with numerous colour illustrations, published by Ammo Books. Found via Apartment Therapy.

I love Charley Harper and am so excited about these two books out in the spring! (you can pre-order them at amazon for example).

Charles Harper's Birds and Words was first published in 1974 and is now being re-issued. It 's seen as a classic and "pairs his beautiful paintings with poetic commentary." A wonderful wonderful book.

Charley Harper's ABC is a children's book that (not surprisingly perhaps) gives you beautiful illustrations from A to Z. Definitely not just for the kids though!

Nina Simone Sings the Blues

Nina Simone Sings the Blues (1966) - album cover.

The album was re-issued in 2006 with two extra bonus tracks, but I still very much prefer the original album that I own.

"The blues from the original LP features Simone with organ, guitar, harmonica, bass, and drums. Her blues band is sufficiently small to allow her plenty of freedom. She covers the whole spectrum, from Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey to Muddy Walters, Willie Dixon, and Koko Taylor."

Nina Simone sung blues from the bottom of her soul - the way it needs to be sung.

This is one of the best albums of all times - and it sure is up there with the most beautiful album covers ever! If you don't have it you should really make sure to get it.

Muted colours

Images by Martyn Thompson (picture 1 and 2 published in British Vogue February 2007). Images from this is glamourous.

Maybe it's because I escaped from the dreary Swedish winter for a little bit - or maybe it's just that you can only have so much technicolor - but somehow these muted colours just looks really really fresh and exciting. I also really love the different textures - it's like you can almost feel them under your hands.

this is glamorous has lots of goodies on her site - I'll definitely be referencing it again!

PS. Maybe it's not so much a departure, but more a sense of rejuvenation in patterns and objects colliding / mixed together - rather then bright colours - that is the theme.

Magical - work by Catherine Hammerton

Work by Catherine Hammerton - images from catherinehammerton.com.

Catherine Hammerton is a Royal College of Art-graduated designer based in London. As she puts it herself her work is defined by its handmade aesthetic, utilising traditional silk screen printing and hand embroidery together with cutting edge digital technology. You can clearly see her intuitive use of techniques, colour and texturing.

Her work is sometimes magical and sometimes fresh and graphic, but always very very beautiful. Her website is also one of the greatest ones around!

Aila.

Aila. Photographs by Rinko Kawauchi. Foil, Tokyo, 2005. Unpaged, numerous color illustrations, 9½x12".

This book is interesting as a whole, but it is especially this haunting picture (quite different from the other in the book) that really grabs me.

"The photographs cropped by Rinko Kawauchi invite us to confront the line between life and death. By interspersing the portraits of everyday situations throughout the series, AILA finally becomes the most completed, overwhelmingly big series of Rinko Kawauchi to date."

Obsessed

Lovely milk is unhealthily obsessed with everything summer - so am I...

I love!

Lovely lovely pattern (and folds) on my new-ish second hand dress - reminds me of Swedish summer seen through nostalgia - I love!