unruly-things

I opened up my mailbox after getting home from work today, and this pretty little package sat waiting for me. Emily, my swap partner for the mellow + yellow swap hosted by Marta, sent me some gorgeous things, all in yellow! yellow has really been my color lately. I've loved and wanted everything yellow that I've seen. in my package was a wonderful set of lip glosses, all boxed up in a cute yellow box, an A for me to hang on the wall, and, my favorite, the most adorable yellow rose earrings! Emily, you did well! I love letters on the wall. I love cutesy earrings. I love wearing a little hint of shine and color. and lately, I've really loved yellow! thanks so much to Emily for the wonderful gift, and Marta for hostessing this wonderful swap!

this is what I sent my swap partner, Emily. she received her package on Friday. thanks for the sweet commentary on the package, Emily! I'm so glad you liked it. I loved her description of the mini seasonal pocket journals. she calls them, "pint-sized, perfectly practical, pocket journals". she plans to use them to write special things that happen each spring, summer, fall, or winter. how cute!
I can't wait to get mine...I'm sure it's lovely!
{image from Emily. I forgot to take a picture before I boxed it up!}

I love vintage posters, especially vintage travel posters. just looking at them makes me want to sling a bag over my shoulder, filled with the weekend essentials, and take off for paradise.
{images from art.com}

Lands End's towels are always really big, and super soft. when I was a little girl, we always had beach towels from Lands End, so naturally when I saw these towels in the new issue of domino yesterday, I got a little nostalgic. I'm always a sucker for polka dots, therefore I instantly fell in love. is having a red polka dotted beach towel, and a red polka dotted bikini taking polka dots too far? :)
{images from lands end}

oh Monday, why are the weekends so short? I'm sleepy.
but I had a wonderful weekend filled with many things to make me smile.
simple indulgences.
red & white and black & blue.
139.
moose fetches.
my sparkling clean car and new flips. thanks babe!
checking out my poster at Crow Bar.
wheat free blueberry/raspberry waffles.
the new domino arrives in my mailbox.
being silly.

I'm DYING to see Zero 7 in concert. just dying. and this video, the way the sun is oh-so-perfectly shining on Sia's face is amazing. Zero 7 is amazing. and this song is amazing. please, Zero 7, return to Bumbershoot this year...

oh my goodness, I couldn't be more excited for the release of the new line for Target's International Go Collection. I love the look of line by newest edition, Patrick Robinson. it's super cute and casual with little feminine details. I especially love the linen tie shorts! the line is set to be released in stores Summer 2007.
{via people style watch, images from target}

• pancakes on saturday morning.
• old keys.
• this song. these lyrics.
• 55 days of work.
• african nectar.
• the lovely colors unveiling on the flickr mellow + yellow swap page.
• southwest veggie burgers.
• sketchbooks, ribbon, cork, scissors, pencils.
• jeans that have become too big.
• movie night with my man.

sometimes I miss my innocence.

I've been thinking about posting this for a long time now, I just never actually got around to it. after seeing a post on decor8 a few weeks ago about "how we feel about our blog" I got to thinking about it. why do I blog? for me, blogging is my chance to reach out and share my thoughts. whenever I've felt down, needed a pick me up, or just couldn't find the right way to say something, I've resorted to writing. actually, I resorted to typing. before I even knew what a blog was, I had a journal on my computer. maybe it was that I've always been on the fence with my handwriting, or maybe it's that having a file hidden on my computer made it harder for someone to stumble upon, but whatever it was, typing just felt better for me. then last year, I discovered blogging. at the time I had a myspace account, and my blogs were simply thoughts, or random musings, jammed into the pages of my account. I didn't post pictures, or things that I liked, I just posted my thoughts. it was nice to go back and read what I wrote, and reflect on how I felt at the time. but then people started reading, and taking interest. and it felt good.

so to answer the question, I blog because it makes me feel good. I enjoy sharing things I find. I enjoy posting little snippets of color. I enjoy making new friends. and I enjoy expressing myself. thank you for reading and enjoying my unruly.things.

Eleanor Grosch designs again! these sweet little pocket mirros are available over at My Favorite Mirror. so cute!
{images from My Favorite Mirror}

my poster made the weekly planet, a local "whats happening" magazine. I'm so "jazzed". :)

the screenprinted details from inaluxe are fabulous. I'm really loving the intricate patterns mixed with big, bold florals. all the things in the etsy shop are designed and created by Kristina Sostarko. not only does she have these amazing pillows, she also has some great prints and dresses.
{images from inaluxe}

I really like these screen printed tote bags from sophie says go. the print choices are so cool, a peacock, bike, hibiscus, or lantern, and the colors are so bright! I especially love the stripes sewn into the interior of the bag. I love little surprises like that!
{image from sophie says go!}

after much talk about starting my collection of rock posters, I've finally given in. I couldn't resist lovely poster artist Francesca Montanari of Red Bird. her illustrations are beautiful. it was tough picking just one poster, but I ended up purchasing this bright yellow one for Broken Social Scene.

oh my gosh, what a fabulous website! sprig is a site dedicated entirely to eco design, then broken down by food, fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle. sprig takes the hard work out of hunting for great green finds. each item on the site explains "why it's good" and "why it's green", which I think is truly amazing. I have a feeling I'll be browsing this site a lot more when I have the time.
{post via design*sponge, images from sprig}

as promised, here are some links of some great gig poster artists out there doin it.

Eleanor Grosch - aka, rock poster extraordinare and head of push me pull you design.
Strawberry Luna - flowers, kitties, silkscreen goodness.
The Small Stakes - quite possibly my rock poster idol. simplicity at it's peak.
Hero Design Studio - lots of bright colors.
Cricket Press
Powerhouse Designs - LOTS of stuff.
Patent Pending Industries - simplicity, color, great.
Aesthetic Apparatus
Red Bird - amazing illustration
Large Mammal Print - we're thinkin about buying the Wolf Parade poster.
The Heads of State - how could I have missed this one before!? great work.
Voodoo Cat Box - very cool illustrations. thanks Les!
the Decoder Ring - lots of cool stuff, lots of Modest Mouse.

{this list will be continually updated, so if your interested, bookmark this post, and come back for more!}

while looking for inspiring Mother's Day gift ideas, I came across these beautifully wrapped bouquets. I especially love the paper corset wrapped around lovely yellow tulips.

thanks for the tip from decor8, I am totally in LOVE with these prints by photographer, Jen, of simply photo. I wrote about her a couple weeks ago, having just discovered her work. this series is titled "hello spring" and is simply gorgeous and filled with vibrancy!

I love the work of graphic designer, Sandra Isaksson. her work is so pretty and almost "Orla-esque".

I picked up the May issue of Elle magazine on Sunday, which just so happens to be titled "The Green Issue". I didn't have a chance to look at it until yesterday while at the gym, and I found some really great things that tie into my eco-friendly posts from Monday. Under the Canopy is an entire collection of men and women's clothing that utilizes the Earth's resources in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner by using organic fibers and fiber blends such as organic denim, organic cotton angora, and soy. both of these tops are made from 100% organic cotton. I love the relaxed and layered look of the collection. and of course, I adore the neutral colors. {if you've been reading my blog long enough, you know I'm a sucker for neutral colors...indigo blue, gray, white, chocolate brown...} they also have organic cotton sheets, towels, and spa robes.
{images from under the canopy}

my kitten is in LOVE with little mice toys. he plays with them for hours, batting them and chasing them around the apartment. my grandmother gave him some that she purchased from the local supermarket, and he has managed to loose ALL 6 of them somewhere in our apartment. I love these plush mice from designers Lance Foley + Haruko Fukui. the fabric choices are so great! they are available at Canoe.
{image from canoe}

ever since I got into the indie music scene and gig poster art, I've been finding more and more super talented people out there who also design concert posters. gig posters is a fabulous site, filled with lots of eye candy and links to many individual artists websites, where you can purchase posters. I've promised myself that once I get settled into a bigger house/apartment, that I will begin work on my gig poster collection. until then, I'm free to drool.
*if time permits, later I'll post some other great gig poster sites where you can purchase posters at great prices.
{all images from gig posters}

ever since seeing these for the first time on Oh Joy!, I've been dying for one of these little handmade birds by Ann Wood. they are the most adorable things ever! Joy posted about them again yesterday and it wasn't until then did I really start dreaming about one. Ann has been posting a Daily Bird on her site, and I'm hoping to possibly snag one.
{images from Ann Wood}

a friend emailed me this picture yesterday. I guess dlb and I were playing with the iPhoto on her laptop. we look so uber artsy don't we?

one down, four to go.

ok. so I know I said I was dedicating today's posts to eco-friendly fashionable items, but I couldn't resist posting about J. Crew's newest arrivals. the theme seems to be inspired by "getting away" as some of the new dresses have a spanish glam appeal and sailboats are present in soft t's and purses. the line is filled with bright, colorful pieces, though my favorite are the bright whites.
{images from J. Crew}

I've always loved the layered screen prints of amenity home decor. amenity offers a wide selection of organic pillows that not only are eco-friendly, but bright and colorful as well.
{images from 2modern}

I saw these dresses once before in domino and wanted to post about them, but never did. I'm in love with the style of these dresses. they are a bit vintage looking and oh so fabulously "green". designer Vanessa Barrentes incorporates natural fibers such as bamboo into her linen fabrics.
{images from lola y maria}

since yesterday was Earth Day, I decided to concentrate my posts today on effective ways to be earth friendly as well as chic and fashionable. now, not to say that I'm 100% perfect when it comes to doing things for the environment, but I'd like to be better. here are some really cute canvas shoppers with the environmental shopper in mind. designed to tote along with you on your light shopping days but big enough to fit an entire Italian meal, including bread, wine, cheese, pasta, veggies, and meat!
{the two on the left are from Urban Outfitters and the one on the right is Marimekko.}

as another side job, I design posters for aestheticized presents, an indie music promotion team here in Tampa, FL. this is my latest gig poster. I created the poster in 4 different colors, from which a snazzy color changing gif was made. check out the poster here.
the Album Leaf, a great sounding alternative electronic band from San Diego, California, is heading to The Crowbar on May 7. sure to be a fabulous show. I'm hoping to get myself there for a Monday night show, because these guys are sure to be great. check out details about the show and other great upcoming gigs here.

update: the album leaf do have a website, though I think the tracks are best on the myspace page. the website can be found here.

I'm in a particularly good mood, despite that I can not access gmail for some reason. it must be that it's Friday and in just over 2 hours, I will be walking out of this office door, and flinging my arms free for the weekend. and...I decided to deem today and all Fridays, "List Friday". since lists make me happy, I'm a pro at making them, and Fridays are always happy. so expect a special list every Friday. I'm such a big fan of lists, that I doubt I'll be able to contain myself, and will surely create more lists during the week, but the Friday ones will be special!!

so here goes.

10 things that made me happy this week:
• love notes in the morning
• the bridal shower pictures
• crazy headstand yoga
• laughter
• surprise parties
• new gig posters
• moose mice
• late night walks on Bayshore
• burgers and baked beans at grandma's house
• getting through it!

I love these drawings by Ashley G. the somber yet sophisticated look of her characters grabbed my attention while browsing etsy today. Ashley believes that "...what you're happiest doing at five is what you will be happiest doing your entire life." I love this quote...and I love her philosophy. it's amazingly true.
{image from ashley g}

I fell upon this collection today through another link on print & pattern. Paul & Joe was created by French designer, Sophie Albou. inspired by retro menswear, the womenswear collection is made of ultra feminine dress shirts, dresses, and trousers.
{images from Paul & Joe}

happy happy HAPPY Friday!! man, am I glad that it's finally Friday. this has been a long week, filled with stress and lots of work. and I've got a lot of work to do tonight on a fabulous journal for my boss's suprise birthday party tomorrow, so I'll sure be busy! Sunday will be my day for r&r. I'm hoping to spend some time in the sun.

I just put the final touches on my mellow + yellow swap gift this morning, packed it up safely, and shipped it off. the lovely Emily of Pearlie Girle will be receiving her mellow package very soon! :)

I'm excited, I just signed up for another craft swap! the girls of the Free People blog are hosting a swap where participants simply make something beautiful inspired by the idea of travel. I'm thinking vintage maps, big sunglasses, straw hats, blue oceans, and sandy beaches. read more and sign up here.
{image from Free People blog}

I've been seeing lots of posting lately about different ways to display art on a wall. my personal favorite has always been the clothesline idea, though I'm very fond of this scattered look as well. lately, I have been dreaming of having my own "art" wall, filled with rock posters, one of a kind prints, oversized letters, pretty photos and handmade goodies. I think the clothesline idea works great for little prints, or prints in a series, but the scattered look is great for a mixture of things. I've really got a big wishlist of art that I want, I just need a really pretty space of my own to place it in. hm....now I'm dreaming of a crisp office space, with a great desk, great supplies, and my art wall.
{image from neet magazine}

I've been really into photography lately. especially when I find amazing botanical pictures like these by Lanita Photo. I love the bright colors and soft feel of the prints.
{image from Lanita Photo}

to go along with my previous post, I thought I'd post this photo of my Dad and I in Boca Grande, Florida. I think I'm about 6 months old or so in this photo. oh the love for the beach started early... :)

Holly from decor8 posted yesterday about the Marlin wall hanging from PBteen and it got me thinking about my ocean decor. growing up in Florida, we always went on beach vacations and went fishing a lot. we were a fishing/beach family. we had fish hanging on the wall, a big fishing boat, lots and lots of pretty shells, and other miscellaneous decor associated with ocean/coastal living. being at the beach all the time, I developed a love for shells. the shells remind me of afternoons spent running along the shore, dodging waves, and breathing in the salty air. my dad and I would walk along the beach to find shells and decide whether our discoveries were worthy of our collection or not. to us, all the shells were pretty, but for us to stick them into our pockets and display somewhere in our home, they had to be unique.
now, I'm not talking about the tacky "glue shells to things" shabby chic decor. I'm talking about delicately displayed nautillus shells. iredescent abalone shells converted to little jewelry bowls. giant starfish. there is something so peaceful and serene about a gorgeous shell collection, and I love them.
{the image above is from my gorgeous shell collection, given to me by my dad. this shell came from the Philippines, where my dad currently lives}

yvestown, one of my favorite flickr users, has some really pretty photos. her style is so neat and organized. everything about this photo makes me want to be creative. I've always had a weakness for ribbon. polka dots, solid grosgrains, tiny animals, ditsy florals.... I love them all. and I love this photo.
{image from yvestown}

I want:
time to speed up and slow down all at once.
to bake a cheesecake.
to go to the beach and wear my new red polka dot bikini.
a new pair of shoes.
a gigantic scoop of oreo ice cream.

I need:
to have more patience.
these 63 weekdays to be over.
to come up with a plan and stick to it.
a big box of crayons.
to learn to conquer bad moods.

I have:
to buy a journal and dedicate it to list making.
a full belly.
a lot to do tonight.
tasted over 100 different beers.
unconditional love.

five hearts
05. a big bowl of warm, salty edamame.
04. my kitten's paws.
03. the feel of sand in between my toes.
02. tasting new beers.
01. listening to the rain.

five "dislikes" {cause I hate using the word "hate"}
05. my alarm in the morning.
04. green canned mushy peas. blecckgh...
03. blisters.
02. superficial people.
01. being poked in my belly button.

if you want to join the fun, consider yourself tagged.
post five hearts and five hates on your blog.
I was tagged by marta.

after reading about this once before, and then seeing another post today on daily scribblings, I decided to join the paper crane project. it's a really neat idea and a rather inventive way to create the symbolism of the 1000 cranes. I love it!
{image from the paper crane project flickr set}

I'm simply crazy about the photography of Alicia Bock. I'd seen her work before, though a recent post on decor8 made me check her out again. I must say, I absolutely love her work. inspired by beautiful moments in nature, each print is unique. I would like to have one of these two prints, as they look so lovely together! check her out at her etsy shop here and on her blog, here.
{images from Alicia Bock}

I love these adorable prints from Foxy & Winston. hand screen printed by Jane Buck, these little prints combine the beautiful texture elements of lace with cutesy animals. these would have been perfect easter basket gifts!
{images from foxy & winston. post via sub studio design blog}

sorry about the lack of blog posts yesterday, our internet was down. I hope everyone survived Monday. I had a lovely weekend filled with good friends, good conversation, and great golfer gear! I attended a good friend from high school's bridal shower/bachelorette party on Saturday night. the theme for the night was "bar golf", therefore we all dressed in our cutest plaid shorts and polo shirts and walked to all of the bars in Soho. this is a photo of the bride's best friend and mother. and if you look really close, that's me on the left! what a great outfit! the night was a blast, and it was great to see some old friends.

after seeing a post on m.writes, I had to see more of Jen from Simply Photo. there is a very serene feel to her photography. and her flickr set is fabulous. I'm absolutely in love with this dogwood print. the colors are incredible. if only my wallet weren't so empty, I would purchase this in a heart beat. it's photos like these that make me wish that I was a better photographer.

I love this shirt from Threadless. it's called Ballad of the Birds. being a musician, I always have a weakness for sheet music illustrations on shirts.

here are some of my loves:
1. dlb and moose.
2. polka dots.
3. Rogue Wave.
4. Duvel.
5. Mighty Leaf Green Tea Tropical.
6. chocolate chip cookies.
7. oversized zinc letters.
8. red velvet cake.
9. favorite jeans.
10. sushi.
11. Rainbow flip flops.

I love these prints by Steve Harrington. the use of color and detail in his work is amazing!
{images from Steve Harrington}

Urban Outfitters has always had great home furnishings at relatively good prices. after seeing many blog posts about the new stuff, I had to check it out for myself. first of all, I have been looking at couches for some time now, as we will be needing a new couch soon. most of the couches we have liked have, of course, been way over our price range. this couch, from Urban, is moderatly priced at under $500. and the rugs at Urban are pretty fabulous. some are a little too much for my decor taste, but I love the bright prints and modern styles.
{images from Urban Outfitters}

I absolutely LOVE these mobiles from frazier & wing. I saw this post on decor8 today, and had to share the love. designer, Heather Frazier creates each mobile using hand selected photos and images from magazine clippings. {note: a light went off in my head, and I just had an "ah ha!" moment. what a great idea to utilize all those old magazine!!} I just love the colorful and cheeriness that the mobiles add to the room.
{images from frazier & wing, tip via decor8}

the rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

I just bought this duvet cover from West Elm, and I couldn't be more excited!! and to make it even better, it was on sale. we've been looking for a new duvet for some time now, but were having a hard time finding something that we liked in our price range. I'm pleased with the color, indigo, because I'm sure that it will go with lots of other great colors, like chocolate browns, lime green, or light blues.

I just received an email about pretty storage available from Brocade Home. Brocade Home is typically a little too ornate for my style, though I love these peices. and I love the color combinations. I'm already a total sucker for neutral colors, but I'm loving the bright pop of hot pink mixed with the neutral greys and chartreuse. and that lace cut-out side table is fabulous!
{images from Brocade Home}

this dress has summer written all over it. if you know me or have been reading my blog lately, you know I've been dying for a cute, knit dress. I saw this dress online at J. Crew, and my heart literally did a flip inside my chest. this is the perfect take-me-to-the-Caribbean-Islands, drag-my-toes-in-the-sand, feel-the-sun-on-my-shoulders, dress. heart!

I'd say, one of the better photos of us together. dlb is so tall, my short little grandmother wasn't able to take the pictures without cutting his head off. oh well. I still love it.
and I love him.