BoHo Chic

Let me start out by saying I might have to rename my blog "The Covet Place" because I feel like that's what I've been doing most lately is coveting. Next, let me say that I love my house. It could be a little bigger--or maybe I should just purge the clutter better--but it's cozy and welcoming, and I'm grateful for it. But would I be human if I didn't just wish a teensy-weensy bit that it could be kind of different? If it were entirely up to me (an of course if budget were bountiful), I'd treat  my home like a never-ending palette of playful colors and objects (minus the clutter, of course). Turquoise or royal purple walls? You bet! An eclectic mix of Indian, Moroccan and Scandinavian textiles? Why not?? An african mask set next to a silver candelabra and an orange Bauer vase? A bigger mantel on the fireplace, pleeease!

Don't get me wrong--I love a beautifully designed room in any style. But my "druthers" scream "Bring on the Bohemian!" There are so many wonderful things from fabulous cultures it seems so hard for me not to want to dabble in them all. And I love putting things together that don't seem like they'd fit, but do. It makes for a pleasing surprise every time I look at it. Here are some sample images I stumbled upon that are examples of what I mean. I hope they inspire you to bring color and joy in your own happy habitat!

Monsters galore!

So once again I was perusing Spoonflower (if I had a pipe, I'd smoke that site), and I came across this adorable Blue "Monsters on the Loose" fabric. Simple, sweet little monsters that you'd be glad to have under your bed (or on it, for that matter--on a cozy quilt). So I asked the artist/owner Jessee Maloney of ArtSchoolDropout if I could do a little blurb on my blog. In going to her site, lo and behold, there is the same monster fabric, but in PINKS. How fantastic that it is so versatile. I thought TWINS! How fabulous that the monsters are so friendly, both for boys and girls, it would totally work in either a solo kid's room or even a boy/girl twins room. Especially if you're tired of the princess/trucks themes. I love it so much, I wish I had twins....okay, almost. Take a look at her shop and her Spoonflower page--you won't be disappointed.

Guilty & "The Long Arm of the Law..."

So I am guilty...again....of coveting. Tina Michalik has yet again made my insides all squirmy-in-a-good-way with her beautiful and fabulous quilting skills. In her post on her blog Little Blue Cottage Tina describes how she put together her beautiful king-sized quilt and the fabrics she used by Anna Maria Horner (one of my personal faves). Tina is very focused in this photo--I'm used to seeing her all smiley and stuff! : )  Take a look at her blog, I think you'll like what you see. And take a couple moments to browse through her site; she has an abundance of samples of her wonderful work posted. Congratulations, Tina on yet another delciously pretty project!

The Magic Word

So my friend Tina piped up and said the "fabric" word to me again, so I came up with this little number:

Then she dared mention the upcoming palette trends, so I changed it up a bit:

What color palette do you like? I've posted the blue one to Spoonflower; we'll see what where my endless tinkering will go!

Axelhoney

So I was trying to think of more creative people I know who I could brag about on my blog--someone whose creativity inspires me....hmm...(clanging sound in my head followed by slapping my hand to my forehead)...Duh!  Melissa Contreras and Axelhoney.

Melissa and I used to work together in an art department of a highly successful educational toy company. She was a diligent worker and typically rather quiet, so it wasn't until after she moved on from the company that I witnessed her own personal art and style. While perusing a craft fair in L.A. I stumbled upon Melissa in her booth selling a variety of her unique and beautiful creations. Jewelry, mini-sculptures, and paper goods were all lined up, and Melissa's smiling face peeked up from behind the table. I hadn't seen her in several months so not only was it a pleasant surprise to see her, but a pleasant discovery to see, in art, what Melissa was all about: Talent, tons of it. Here is just a sample view. I encourage you to go to her site and visit all the links possible as she has a very wide range of art that she does. Her style is distinctive, colorful, unique and refreshing. Take a look--what is your favorite thing she's created?

Coveting This

I covet a studio space. A lot. Visions frequently go through my head as to what that would be--rent an office space (out of budget); buy a small wooden cottage kit? (again, out of budget and space in the yard); convert the garage (sighhhh, again, budget and space). I'm surprise I haven't been in a car accident (knock on wood) from craning my neck around while driving thru my hometown, scoping out and fantasizing how the perfect little bungalow or cool loft space would make my nirvana-esque art retreat.

So when I see this post on Poppytalk Handmade. It gets my brain flowing again on the possibilities---oh, the possibilites--if I just had the budget and space. In the meantime, I do enjoy finding and being inspired by the spaces people are able to convert into something cozy and oh-so-useful. What would you do, if you could?

Cielo Roth Photography

And as long as I'm highlighting photographers whose work I love, I have, have, have to mention Cielo Roth Photography. I will admit I'm a bit bit influenced by the fact that Cielo took some stinkin' super precious photos of my little girl; and I'm admittedly influenced by the fact that I know Cielo is a hard, honest worker with a shiny personality that I love; but I must say that I truly love the moments she captures such as the one below...

Or this one:

Cielo does both color and B&W and has a wonderful portfolio filled with moments and precious faces. Browse at your leisure and prepare to smile! If you live in the L.A. area, I know she's having a special this weekend on photo sessions! Give her a call! Here's her Facebook link, too:

http://www.facebook.com/cielorothphotography

Thanks for sharing, Cielo!!

Melrose Trading Post

So I received a last minute call from Maude of "Stop Your Circus" and we hopefully will be sharing a booth at the Trading Post, located on Fairfax and Melrose, by the high school. I've never been there, but Maude is pretty confident that my furniture and trinket boxes will go over well there. I'll post how it oges! Wish us luck!

If you love B&W Photography....

After college, I did a short stint in an internship where I met Mel Cardenas, a very talented graphic designer, passionate about design. Well, over the years that passion must've spilled over into his personal life (without getting too personal), he married the equally and fabulously talented Katie Settel. Katie has been expanding her professional photography portfolio over the past few years and here is an example of why she has been successful and loved. Beautiful composition and light, and here's the tricky part: emotion. We all know color film can capture a lot, but for some mysterious reason black & white photography (to ME) captures even more.  Below is a couple photos proud husband Mel posted to facebook, but browse thru Katie's site and you'll see some gorgeous moments and faces.