Akoko ba

Just got one of these Ghanian baskets from a corner store to corral my magazine obsession. I'm feeling right proud of myself -- something beautiful that is also storage? Work!

The Whale Has Swallowed Me

I don't know an avid Mad Men viewer who has emerged untouched by the incredible sets and costuming of the show. I get giddy each Sunday, eagerly anticipating the next episode, its flawless writing and its shot of mid-century goodness. Perhaps in part I like the decor because where I grew up a lot of things had been built in the early 60s and not much had changed. It's a bit like going home. Anyway...






















Watercolor dress






















Ancient ship necklace






















Geometric dress with neck-tie






















Am I crazy? I think this cave-paintings dress is aaaamaazing!

















Glass bird dish






















Abstract line dress

Angel

Not in the mood to appropriately match the post to music today! More in the mood to just stick what's on my mind there instead...Can you tell I'm tired?












Such a sweet little charm bracelet!






















And such a lovely tea towel!

















These napkins are pretty fab too!

p.s. where can I watch the Tusk documentary in full?? It's a seemingly lifelong quest.

Cactus Tree

I'm drawn to things that have handmade qualities, pattern, texture and bright colors, and a sense of mythology too, so it makes sense that I've become interested in Huichol indian crafts. Huichol people live in North Western Mexico, far up in the mountains.































They make impossibly beautiful beaded designs, pressing the beads into beeswax and using patterned symbols to speak of their religion which has three main components: deer, corn and peyote. You can see the deer embedded in the jaguar's cheek and the prayer bowl has deer surrounding a flower center that represents peyote.






































They also make yarn drawings, which tell stories about their system of myths, usually having to do with tribal shamans communicating with animals or aspects of nature, or the gods of the sun, moon and fire.

It's fascinating stuff. The pieces I have were found at Scarlet Sage Herb Co. on Valencia and Mixcoatl Arts and Crafts on 24th, both among my favorite stores in the city.

Wild Horses

cover by Flying Burrito Bros.

I've always been a nostalgic person, and as I continue to decorate my own apartment, I keep looking back to things that I loved as a kid. The most blatant example of this is my using much-adored illustrations from childhood books as art in my home.






















Paul Goble's incredible artistry was seared into my brain as a young girl. This illustration is from The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, one of my favorite books. Each page is more beautiful than the next.















And did you know that Curious George author H.A. Rey was also an astronomer? He wrote and illustrated The Stars, which is full of his own sweetly kitch illustrations of the night sky.
















And finally, you can tell I was an avid horse lover and equestrian as a kid, cause the other images from a childhood book that are on my wall are from Marguerite Henry's Album of Horses. I had every page of it memorized when I was growing up.

It adds an extra layer of meaning to my home, having this cherished and carefully selected artwork around every day.

Silver Raven

Vancouver is one of the few places I have been where I thought, "I could live here." All of the Pacific Northwest, actually, just feels right to me -- the evergreen trees, driftwood-strewn beaches and slate sky and sea. Yesterday's totem pole post reminded me that Haida gear has never gone out of style in my home! I am wearing this beloved scarf today:

















And I also got these beautiful raven earrings months ago and wear them all the time:






















p.s. This song was written in the PacNW-like mists near Mendocino.

A Case of You

Really trying not to spend extra money right now, but I find temptations left and right! It's difficult not to when one spends so much time on the computer. I'll hold back, tho...Anyway, I saw these stackable totem pole cups a while back on design sites, but now the piece has been picked up by Urban Outfitters...I still love it just as much! Comes in gold too...Oh, Canada!

What Am I Gonna Do With a Gun Rack?

I know I sound a bit bananas here, but this weekend, as we were walking Valencia, the boyfriend and I bought a gun rack that was for sale on the street! Stay with me on this... The decor of our apartment is sorta lodge-like, so the gun rack will be perfect for a spice rack/photo display/etc, hung on the kitchen wall. No actual guns, promise.

Tapestry

Spectacular bags made from textiles, mostly from Thailand! Check the pom poms! Obsessed!

Car Wheels and a Gravel Road

Our apartment has almost no windows (well, there's 3 total), and we face an air shaft between our building and the one next door, so my boyfriend and I are always trying to figure out ways to bring more light and especially air into our tiny living space. Forever now, tops on our list has been a screen door -- but how to find a screen door in SF?






















Screen door image from here.





















I love the country look of this one and the one above, but I don't know if I could find such lovely screen doors round these parts, realistically.

















Though I hate to give Home Depot my money, they do have this screen door, which is simple enough and ripe for a nice glossy coat of some bright color. Wonder if they have some options at the hardware store my dad used to work at. To be honest, I don't know the first thing about buying a screen door! We'll see if it actually happens! Regardless, measuring our front door would be a good start...

The Poacher

I'm still swoony for Mexican crafts (starting to think I am gonna be a lifer), and this headboard is totally outta control! Now where's that extra $4,000ish I've been looking for?




















I also found this company that will fashion and decorate plates of tin to cover surfaces in your home, like this fairy headboard -- fascinating and intriguing! You can see more of what they do to kitchen cabinets and more here. If I owned my own home and had limitless funding a tin roof in the kitchen would do!

















I've learned some about design in the past few years, but one thing I haven't quite learned yet is restraint! When I like something, I can go a little overboard! Luckily, all this tin work is just to get dreamy about...

Sweet Thing

Even though these cards from Rifle Paper Co. have been all over the web, I just had to put em here as well -- they are too good to miss! I am such a card fanatic, I couldn't help but finally order some today...the color combos are just perfection!

On the music side of things, been on a mega Astral Weeks kick, although, now that I think about it, when am I not? Probably my favorite record ever.

Easy

Every summer/fall for the past few years, there have been multiple weddings I either have the pleasure of attending/being in, or that I at the very least need to send a gift off to.

I love these personalized mini dishes -- I feel like they capture the elegance and simplicity of the best weddings, and who doesn't want something that can do that? -- and they have become my go-to present for each happy couple. At one wedding I attended, the dish was incorporated into the decor! They are super budget friendly too, esp for something that is so special.

Bundles

"Bundles" by my dear Mariee Sioux















Yay! My birthday was a week and a half ago or so, and one of my nearest and dearest is gonna get me this bag for a belated pressie! So lovely.






















And hello, bag of my dreams! They sell these at Spool 72. I really wish they pictured their items hung on a person, since measurements and my imagination are not the best together. I think these bags run a tad too large for my day to day use though (which means they must be SUPER big!). Oh, and there's the price too...(that little thing)... But they are effin' incredible, nonetheless!

p.s. I kind of want a Pendleton laptop sleeve. Maybe it's a bit much, tho.

Boots of Spanish Leather

I have unfortunately large feet. I say unfortunately because of the difficulty of finding a good vintage shoe in my size, or even a pleasing new shoe, for that matter, and because I have seen disdainful looks from Nordstrom's shoe salesmen, as though shoe size were a measure of lady-like-ness or something. I'm sorry I internalized any of those feelings as I've traveled my road of shopping, as they've dogged me my whole life. Silly, I know.

But the older I get, the less I care about things like that, and the more I care to find myself particularly well shod for stomping it out about town!

I was a tad astonished to find such choice options on etsy today:






















Is it weird that I want these? I used to dislike this kind of shoe but I kind of love them now. Progress?
















Good lord, these are amazing! Pricey, though. Still...tempting.






















And these guys are good, too, though wedges aren't really for me and my big ol' feets. There I go again...

Guess I need to work harder on embracing them. It's a lifelong journey, and I'm on it!