Thank you...

....to everyone who visited my little corner of the Internet today. (And thank you to LA Observed for the mention!) The Pulitzer Prize winning critic Jonathan Gold proclaimed my blog "girly."  A compliment, indeed! Stop by again....t.

(photo credit: Corrie Bond.)

Not Your Mother's Embroidery

These embroidered handkerchiefs by illustrator Kate O'Connor made me laugh. I especially like the Facebook one. I was recently rejected on Facebook by someone who went on to friend my husband. Ha! O well. 

Charms...

..for a happy life, as captured through the lens of the amazing Sydney-born photographer Petrina Tinslay.....

1. A green velvet curtain with silk embroidery and trim, with little tassels. A flea market painting of pink roses.

2. White linens, preferably vintage. Red shoes, with rosettes.  A white organza dress.

3. Travel books, to faraway places.

4. Moroccan slippers and a blue silk cushion from India. 

5. Little cakes with sugar frosting. And raspberries. 

Which do you like the best?

(PS--there are even more beautiful things on Petrina's webpage.)

Summer Dreaming

I've officially been blogging for a little more than a month now. When I started, I had no idea that the most incredible joy of all would be meeting people from around the globe.  Today, while escaping the Super Bowl frenzy, I spent the late afternoon on an amazing blog, Rummage, authored by Nanette Louchart-Fletcher in Canberra, Australia. It's summer there and Nanette's photos (above) bring to life the season in vivid detail:  Tomatoes from her garden, handmade cotton dresses, a jar filled with nasturtium. On her companion gardening blog, acacia_et_coquelicot, she talks about the trials of growing a pincushion plant. "I did everything bar of sending it off for a spot of psychoanalysis," she writes. Witty girl!

Rummage and acacia_et _coquelicot are more delicious than a double scoop of Daiquiri Ice on a sugar cone.

For a bonus, visit Nanette's flickr site.  The Corners set made me swoon. 

Summer love!

Weekend

The weather in Southern California has been beautiful this weekend...I think the beach would be the perfect escape from the Super Bowl!

(Photo credit: Rodney Smith.)

Maira Kalman

Makes me happy to see Maira Kalman's new blog post (on the inauguration) for the New York Times...(And I adore the pink chair).

Flickr Tree(s)

From a gorgeous post this Saturday morning on the flickr blog.  (I'm loving images of bare trees at the moment!)

(Photo credits: Natureluv and Biancavanderwerf)

A Prize

Awarded by the Denver Post in 1925! And now, a charm for getting through hard times.

(Photo: Twig & Thistle.)

What's Your Inspiration?

When I was little, I would build inspiration boards on whatever piece of cork I could find.  They became the mediums of self expression and cheer, packed with cards, scraps of wrapping paper, fabric, dried flowers, love notes.  I still have an inspiration board (It's almost as big as the kitchen table now). I will try to get good photos of it for an upcoming post. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some other boards I spotted around the Internet this week. Which image do you like the best? (The full moon on d.Sharp's board especially caught my eye.) xoxo

1. Bandelle Blog

2. Coach (via Bandelle)

3. d.Sharp Journal

The Evening Sky

I have enjoyed the past few days watching the moon and Venus make their transit across the winter sky.  This evening, beyond the trees, the waxing moon was shaped like delicate bowl, to toss wishes in. 

(Photo credit: megseggs)

I Love....

Goodies:

1. Vintage Bird Correspondence Cards

Lindsey Ryan Design

2. Custom Made Silhouette Pendants

Lucky Me Beads

3. Decorated Moleskine Notebooks

Shoofly

As found on my quick Etsy break! xoxo

Life Through A Viewfinder

I'm awed and inspired by Pennsylvania artist Valorie Cox's photos, meticulously taken though the bubble-top glass viewfinders of vintage cameras. (Usually Rediflexes).  She has a number of prints for sale on Etsy at the moment and she also has a blog, where she generously shares her process for creating these little works of art.  Unexpected and beautiful.

Mother & Daughter, Milano

There are so many interesting images on The Sartorialist, but this one really struck me. How beautiful is this mother and daughter? Picture taken in Italy, of course. 

Le Love

From the blog Le Love. So lovely...

Postscript from Elizabeth, one of my dear readers:  The quote is from a page in a book by artist/author Brian Andreas.  You can find more of his work here. 

Chinatown Treasures

In honor of the lunar new year, Dylan & Jean from Ladies & Gentleman  have a charming post (via Poppytalk) on all the treasures they've found in Chinatowns from Seattle to Los Angeles.  The little coffee pot is very functional, but I prefer the pink plastic cake stands. Frivolity in plastic. Pure bliss. 

John Updike 1932-2009

My small tribute to John Updike:

From Rabbit Run:  "Men are all heart and women are all body.  I don't know who has the brains. God Maybe."

(And I also love "The Witches of Eastwick.")

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year.  We've left behind the year of the rat (take that Bernie Madoff). And now for the year of the ox, a symbol of strength and good luck.  I love visiting Chinatowns in various cities--Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and, last week, Washington D.C.  I can never resist the mooncakes. Gong hei fat choi!

(top photo: liquid sky arts.)

My DC Holga

I just got my film developed from my trip last week to DC for the inauguration. I wanted to share with you some of the images I took on my Holga camera at the Jefferson Memorial. The middle picture is of the ice and frost on the Potomac River. It glistened like diamonds. Please visit my flickr page to see the entire set!

Home

Hello everyone! My friend Susan has been encouraging me to post more photos of my house. I've been hesitant because, really, I find other people's houses more interesting. Anyway, here's a little collage of a few spots around the house. The bald poppet wearing the crystal necklace on the perfume tray is one of my favorite things, for reasons I can't entirely explain.  

Old Magazine Covers

Which one is your favorite?  I love the top one. I always feel I like I'm walking on a highwire (but not quite with as much style.)

(Source: AllPosters.com)