unruly-things

sometimes all it takes is a little splash of color to brighten my day. in my case, today it'll take the clock striking 5 o'clock, lots of colorful pictures {no more spa photos}, and to be in the arms of my best friend. maybe a nice dinner too.
happy Friday everyone!
{images from my flickr favs}

call Dad's friend for Portland tips.
find antique shipper.
price Desert Rose.
work on new posters.
bake something with white chocolate chips.
paint toenails pink.
attend a wedding celebration in honor of the Yetters.
Samurai Blue with good friends.
drink good beer.
buy new feather toy for Moose.
R. E. L. A. X.

here's a glimpse of what I'm sending my swap partner for the Favorite Things Swap. Heather will receive my belated package soon!

I freelance for a couple different companies designing t-shirts. here's my latest shirt from Amadeo Decada. I can't wait for them to send it to me, I think it's hot!
{image from amadeo decada}

inspired by a set of 60's science encyclopedias, fisk and fern has taken images of organisms and cells to create cool designs and screen printed them moleskin notebooks. I love the idea of screen printing on moleskins. I just recently made my first moleskin purchase, and it's a boring set of kraft paper pocket notebooks. now I'm inspired to design and print on to them!
{images from fisk and fern}

I simply adore the jewelry designs by Lucid. so simple, yet unique. I love her use of material and color.
{images from lucid}

Ali posted about the lovely clothes from Myth & Ritual yesterday, and I'm in love! I too am anticipating Fall weather while drowning in the Summer heat. especially with gorgeous Fall dresses like these. yay for Fall clothes!
{images from Myth & Ritual}

lately, I've been posting things that inspire me. if you've ever kept a journal or sketch book, you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that I'm in love with magazine clippings. I "dog ear" every page with something on it that I like, so I can easily come back to it later, cut it out, and tape it into my journal. some times it's a photo, other times it's a pattern or text, some times it's my sketching, other times it's a quote or a drawing, but mostly, it's simply beautiful things that I'm inspired by that fill my books. I love flipping back through these books over time to see what inspired me then. I've got about 5 notebooks, almost all full, with stuff.
see the rest of my photos here.

I have finally gotten everything together for my shop. after lots of going back and forth with how I wanted everything to look, the perfectionist in me finally got everything set. I couldn't decide what colors to print my cards in, but ultimately, I wanted them to be a reflection of me and my design style. always being a fan of neutral colors, I decided to pick the prettiest grays and neutral colors. so here they are! my first set of note cards.

I've always been in love with wildflowers. tiny flowers, long stems. big petals, bright colors. the delightful way they pop up unexpectedly. they're bright, cheery, and a bit unpredictable. all the designs are printed on 100% recycled card stock, printed with transparent inks, and are available in either bright white or natural white. for a full description, go to my etsy page.

thanks for all the support up to here. it's really been helpful and encouraging! I hope you love them! look to see more from me in the next couple of months. and please, if you feel so inclined, pass on the word!!

I love these sea life printed cards from Sub Studio. the colors pop so perfectly against the bright white cards.
{images from sub studio}

• taking another sick day because, well... I'm actually sick.
• black eyed peas, tofu jafrazi, cous cous, and mineral water.
• finally getting good pictures.
• lysol.
• tissues.
• allergy issues.
• flickr-ing. {my new term for the flickr trap.}
• pecan pollen candies.
• 1 month, 1 day till I move.
• blogging.

I want this mug. so badly. could the criss crossed lines, tiny dots, and bright yellow/black combination be any cuter?
{image from good shape design}

Holly, from decor8, just finished up the Amy Butler mood board contest and posted the winners. she added a little bonus question at the bottom of the post as a give away for 5 more patterns. the questions was, "what makes a house a home". and here's what I think.
personal touches.
art you've created.
photographs you've taken.
antiques that have been in your family for years.
quirky things your mother gave you for housewarming gifts.
the smell of fresh baked brownies.
the sound of laughter.
things that remind you of your childhood.
warm blankets.
big open windows.
and of course, the love inside of it.

happy friday everyone.

• finally getting my hair cut.
• changing my banner again. I thought this one suited me a little better.
• baking brownies for my man.
• fixing things to have my shop up next week!
• Portland browsing. and yes, I've been looking B.
• my new wishbone necklace.
• anticipating a yummy dinner tonight with my best friend.
• 1 month, 4 days.
• two days off. loving it.
• making someone's day.
• seeing one of my favorite people in the world yesterday, my piano teacher.

tgif. I'm off to buy chocolate chips and other goodies for my brownies.

I just love these pieces from French Connection. the colors are so bright and cheery!
{images from nordstrom}

a super cute white top with dark denim with the perfect accessories to match.
{images from anthropologie}

oh how good it feels to have a day off. or two in my case. I took today and tomorrow off from work to gather things together and work on really hunting for jobs and a home in Portland.
so, I've been productive today. thus, the lack of posts. I'll be sure to post something tomorrow for list friday.
but until then.......

oh yea, p.s. - if anyone knows of some cool places to visit in Portland, great job possibilities/opportunities, super hot restaurants, or anything else neat, I'd love to know! please email me.

they say a picture speaks a million words. well, if I could use pictures to describe my feelings about moving, these would do it.
anticipation.
excitement.
nervous.
giddy.
delighted.
free.
colorful.
light.
curious.
innocent.
ready.
{images from here, here, here, and here.}

I've really been on an earring kick lately. I love these totally affordable earrings from Purple Me. so feminine and sweet.
{images from purple me}

my swap package arrived in the mail yesterday from Evelyn, my partner for the Free People Travel Craft Swap. I didn't have a chance to look at it until this afternoon, when I was blow away by the contents of my package. Evelyn sent me the most incredible, handmade box, covered with stamps! the time it must have taken her to add those lovely stamps to the box amazes me. she also added in a great Texas cookbook, which I was able to find a great recipe for fried green tomatoes in, a matching journal, also covered with stamps, and a lovely hand sewn tote bag, made with the softest American themed fabric! the time and care that Evelyn put into my package was so thoughtful. I really lucked out at having a wonderful partner!
now onto myself.... I feel awful after receiving Evelyn's package, as I still have yet to send mine out. this has been a hectic month. I've kind of been waiting on finalizing some things this week before sending Evelyn her package. I've got some really special things that I want to send her, and I promise Evelyn, they will be worth the wait. you should receive your late late late package next week. :)

I'm in love with this photo from J. Crew's Summer collection. how fun is that?! not to mention, that lobster dress is adorable.
{image from j. crew}

I love these purses by stitch and swash from crafty devils. started by two friends and fellow graphic designers, Nicole Sarsfield and Angie Bowlds, crafty devils carries high quality handmade goods that are not only unique, but are super cute. they also carry cards and jewelry!
{images from crafty devils}

my swap partner for the Favorite Things swap, Heather, sent me the sweetest note yesterday with this great article about Portland from Elle Living. the article was filled with Portland hot spots including food, booze, books, and arts! Thanks Heather!

I really am getting excited about starting over fresh with new home decorating in Portland, so much of my spare time is spent searching home decor sites and dreaming over things I'd love to have in my new home. today I found these pillows from Bholu. how cool are the innocent looking scribbles? the colorful felt pillows are hand stitched and embroidered in India by female artisans.
{images from bholu}

I just love these earrings from Early Jewelry. they are so simple and elegant. Kylie Earlene Grater, designer behind Early Jewelry, creates each piece with inspiration from her rural past, using natural materials and organic influences.
{images from early jewelry}

the sound of rain is pounding on the roof above my head. there is something so relaxing about rain. there is something that I just love so dearly about the rain, thunder, and lightening. I wish I were curled up on my couch with all the lights off and windows open, watching a movie or two, or three. sometimes I wake up on Monday's feeling refreshed, though I could not be more tired this morning. my eyes are heavy and my body feels weak. weekend highlights:
surprise pizza and beer paddles.
squirt bottle water fights followed by tender kisses.
anticipation building.
wine and dinner at The Grape with my best girls.
Sunday afternoon naps.
passenger seat navigating.
finding a green home in Portland.

lots of neutral colors.
lots of metallic sparkle.
lots of little flowers.
lots of love.
{images from my flickr favorites}

finally finishing my notecards.
finally feeling good about something.
finally telling my boss that I'm moving.
finally being fully excited about moving to Portland.
finally being able to blog about it!
finally being able to relax.
finally feeling finished without even starting yet.
finally it's Friday.

I just adore these chair prints by Anne Harwell of Annechovie. so simple. so perfect. I may have to break down and purchase one, but I can't decide which one I want.
{images from annechovie, post via decor8}

I'll be back later for at least one post today, but for now, I'm off being a busy little worker bee. tomorrow is a big day. for more reasons than none. and I have to admit, my chest hurts just a little thinking about it.

for now, I like this photo. it makes me happy. so do the beautiful, hot pink peonies I bought yesterday, and chai tea, and moose cat, and of course, dlb.

loving this image. loving these new threads.

and speaking of loving, I'm totally in love with these new dresses and the extra special attention to the often overlooked part of a woman's body: her back. I just love how these dresses go from simple to fabulous all in one spin.
{images from urban outfitters}

{all images from alloy}

I always love everything produced by graphic designer Eleanor Grosch. she's got some great new postcards which illustrate popular Aesop's fables. check them out here.
{images from nineteen seventy three}

it's so nice to start thinking about buying new things. on my list are a bed, couch, and desk. I've been drooling over west elm's new furniture and awesome sales for the past couple of days. I'm in love with this bed, rug, quilt, pillows, lamp, baskets....yea, pretty much this whole photo. be sure to check out their great sale right now. lots of furniture, bedding, and accessories!
{image from west elm}

pop up father's day cards from Tracy Chong. I love their simple elegance.
{images from tracy chong}

I really like these journals from five and a half. each journal is handmade and filled with pages made from sugarcane fiber and post-consumer recycled papers.
{images from five and a half}

cute, cute!! I love the collection from Turk & Taylor. it's so carefree, yet stylish. and the colors are fabulous.
{images from turk & taylor}

I love baking and I'm such a sweet tooth, so when I saw this book at Borders this weekend, I got really excited. Vegan Cupcakes with 75 different recipes!! I'm not entirely vegan, though I avoid all dairy, gluten, and sugar when at all possible, so alternate baking recipes always catch my eye. especially gooey, yummy, cupcakes!
check out the Vegan Cupcake blog, dedicated to all things vegan and cupcake.
seems like I've got food on the mind today.
{images from amazon}

has anyone ever tried Clif Nectar bars?? I had never seen them before at the store, until yesterday. this morning, I tried the cherry pomegranate bar, and oh it was so delicious, I simply had to share. packed with organic dates, cashews, sour cherries, and pomegranate juice, this little bar is equal to two servings of fruit and low on the gylcemic index.
and I thought the packaging was pretty neat too!
{image from clif}

siiiiiiigh...... this is going to be a long, busy, important week. I have so much happening all at once. good things, exciting things, sad things, and things that make me nervous. there are things I have to do this week, which I've been dreading, afraid of, or putting off. on the flip side, there are things that I just couldn't be happier about.
one of the most thrilling things is after much work and going back and forth on what I wanted for the final product, I'm finally printing my notecards. I couldn't be more excited, and a little nervous. check back as the week ends to see what's in store!!

as for this week, I'll just take it one step at a time. and all the while, breathing.

thanks to maggie nikole, who posts pretty things that always make me swoon, I found out about stillwater, online Japanese boutique. there are such lovely neutral things, which I love. these are a few of my favorites.
{images from stillwater}

my flickr favorites inspire me to...
photograph.
love.
paint.
spill.
touch.
eat.
bake.
spend.
save.
notice.
vacation.
pick.
swing.
play.
enjoy.

today I will... be productive.
tomorrow I will... play.
I love it when... the sun starts to come out shortly after a good rain and causes the water droplets on the grass to sparkle.
I hate it when... time gets away from me.
I have... the the best oatmeal cooker in the world.
I haven't... ever lived outside of Florida.
I can... say the 50 states in alphabetical order.
I can't... believe I move in a month and 18 days.
I'm happy when... I'm being creative.
I'm sad when... I have to spend a gorgeous day indoors.
I love eating... sushi or tapas.
I hate eating... green peas and cauliflower.
I'm glad that... I am who I am.
I'm disappointed that... there isn't more time in one day.
{image from traskblueribbon}

I knew it was coming, I just didn't know quite when. Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line called Bitten is so subtly sexy and surprisingly affordable. I love the mix of casual low cut shirts with ankle jeans or layered dresses and t's.
{images from bitten, post via oh joy!}

custom photo stamps from stamps.com. just one more thing to add to the "list of really cool things I plan on making".
these are some stamps designs I came up with. thanks for the tip on these cool stamps babe!

as you may or may not know, I'm a huge fan of Zero 7. they could quite possibly be my favorite band. after my recent post about Bumbershoot, I decided to do a little Zero 7 research to determine if there had been any leaks that they might be playing there. I came across the homepage of Sia, the voice behind songs such as Home, Destiny, or Distractions, and singer of Zero 7. at first, her site seemed a little childish, with stick figure drawings for links and no real fonts. then I found her blog and gallery of photos. I simply loved each photo of her. they capture her so well.
{images from siamusic}

I'm always a fan of natural elements in jewelry, like shell and wood. the jewelry from handmade boutique sodafine is so pretty.
{images from sodafine}

dlb and I are going to Bumbershoot this fall in Seattle, and I am getting more and more excited everyday. a couple months ago, before we bought our tickets, the initial list of artists was released, including The Shins and Devendra Banhart. a new list of artists was just released yesterday, including Andrew Bird and Joss Stone! we've been dying to see Andrew Bird so that was enough for us to get really excited about the show. the full list won't come out until July, which I'm hoping will include Zero 7 and Rogue Wave, both performers from last year.

I love the whimsical feel of these illustrations by Wolfie and Sneak. the attention to detail is gorgeous.
{images from wolfie and sneak}

one of the things I discovered in Las Vegas was Zara. I had gone into the store last year while I was there, though this time it was closed so we just peeked into the windows. I loved the look, style, and feel of the clothing. and I loved it even more when I went to their website today. the photos made me dream of European vacations filled with romance.
{images from zara}

after a looong weekend in Las Vegas, I'm finally home! despite the Vegas heat, dry skin, blisters, and sore feet, I had a nice weekend. the trade show was pretty successful. going to the esthetics show has always given me a better perspective of the industry. I met some of my clients and I got to know my co-workers a little better. the last night we went to this fabulous tapas restaurant in the Fashion Show Mall called Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. I had the seared scallops and stuffed mushrooms and oh were they amazingly delicious. Vegas definitely isn't my thing, but I can say that I did have fun. and blew only $3 on quarter slots. :)