nest explore design

small shoot

2011-04-24T22:25:00.001-07:00

Any kind of crafted bird gets me laughing ever since Portlandia's "put a bird on it" skit. Regardless of the perhaps over-birded design scene, I was inspired by my daughter's above drawing and couldn't pass up a chance to make a large newspaper version as a prop for our Wilderness Queens shoot for the 17th issue of Small magazine.

my living room/large scale bird construction zone

another prop and new favorite past-time...

spray painting furniture

one of my concept sketches

bird in flight

the lovely Christine

and glimpses of the shoot...

I love the collaborative work I get to do with Christine and Steven, we had a great time making this one happen.

projects

2010-12-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Oooohh the projects I've seen...

The last few months have been full of new projects--with a handful of them actually landing in the finished category. Hooray! This week I'm going to try to get back into the swing of posting by sharing one each day.

This little upholstery attempt is an ode to my madre and a loving nod to my grandma whose chair it was a joy to repurpose into the official reading chair in my girls room.

glimpses of fall

2010-09-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

Of course, it's not fall weather in Texas until December or so, but the day dreaming of fall attire is in full swing--along with the dream of wearing my fanciest duds to ride Argentinian horses bear back, in the Argentine countryside. Thank you Anthropologie.

quebec

2010-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

The beginning of August we escaped the heat by flying off to New England. We ate, hiked, drove and spent as much time as possible outside in all the green, cool beauty. We ventured across the border into Quebec and failed miserably at speaking french--the Quebecers were sadly unamused by my attempts to communicate in english with a heavy french accent...who knew. Quebec City is such a gem of a destination for families. My girls couldn't get enough of the many talented street performers and I couldn't get enough of the open food markets or the city's beautiful buildings and colors.

austin

2010-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

This week we spent some time lovin' on the Texas hill country swimming holes, live oak trees and our Austin friends.

So much summerness under those cypress trees and in that cold spring fed swimming hole.

Krause Springs just outside of Austin

Here is a shot of my talented friend and official hostess with the mostess, Emily in front of her AMAZING large scale art piece that she was commissioned to create for the wonderful Mathews elementary school. She collaborated with the school kids and had them help to make the small sea and land figures that are swirling throughout this beautiful piece.

art desks

2010-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I finally succeeded in forcing my hubby to make these low art desks for our girls. I ordered the hairpin legs online months ago when a friend of mine showed them to me in an article in Readymade. Now, a big piece of plywood and a Saturday afternoon later they are finished and just in time for all the summer art hours ahead of us.

They also double as window seats for a cozy afternoon read. Hooray!

film love

2010-06-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Visual Acoustics is a beautiful film about modern architecture and the wonderful photographer Julius Shulman who captured a great deal of these amazing structures. I LoOovEd this film.
From the film's website...
"Visual Acoustics celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the world’s greatest architectural photographer, whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream. Shulman, who passed away this year, captured the work of nearly every modern and progressive architect since the 1930s including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, John Lautner and Frank Gehry. His images epitomized the singular beauty of Southern California’s modernist movement and brought its iconic structures to the attention of the general public. This unique film is both a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the magnetic, whip-smart gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images."

images via Visual Acoustics

mix it up

2010-06-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a little on the hot side for a Texas June so we stayed indoors at the Trammell Crow and the Nasher and enjoyed Il Lee's ballpoint drawings...

© Art Projects International; Courtesy of artist and Art Projects International, New York

as well as Rachel Whiteread's drawings and collages.

Whiteread's collages made me long for my favorite sir-mix-alot, Robert Rauschenburg.

I recently watched an interesting ol' school documentary from 1973, Painters Painting which highlighted Rauschenburg, among others--good stuff.

Rachel Whiteread images via ArtSlant & Daily Serving

Robert Rauschenberg via artnet

oh chile

2010-06-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Oh Chile why do you and all your beautifully cool architecture have to be so far away from Texas.

This is the Los Molles house in Cachagua, Chile by Oltmann Ahlers W. + Oltmann Ahlers G. + dRN Arquitectos.

images via arch daily

small summer

2010-06-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

the summer Small is here

I loved working on the Of Their Garden shoot with Christine, Steven and Joslyn. My girls helped me make the floral masks that ended up doubling as colorful hairpieces.

The whole summer Small issue is delightful but I am especially excited about the first Small film.
I luv-love-luv this little ode to imaginative summer wanderings--just watching it makes me so excited to be and create with my girls this summer.

little bits

2010-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

this beautiful room via Inside Out

cuddle up with Paris

And this fine Dallas architect

images via Inside Out, Images Francaises, and Shipley Arcitects

summer

2010-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to always go through a nesting phase during May while I'm preparing to have my girls home for the summer. I've been busily cleaning out the attic and all our little closets trying to get my life a little more organized so that I can relax and enjoy my summer with the girls. While rummaging though my stuff I found sooo many half-baked projects that I'm currently on a kick to finish the many things I've started--for the sake of order in my home and my head. So this weekend my youngest and I recovered our sorry looking bathroom stool with color copies from one of their favorite books, This Is Texas by M. Sasek.

Some other random images I like...

I had a somewhat graffitied wall in my bedroom through my teenage years so this headboard feels like home to me.

oh white-quiet-book-laden-widowed-nook wanna hang out?
images via living agency

Nanny did

2010-05-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

More NYT goodness featuring the Design and the Art of a Doo Nanny

these pictures make me want to go create something...something simple and clean and a little quirky

white nightgowns and oil rigs

2010-05-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend with some good friends at the closest beach to Dallas. We closed our eyes and plugged our ears and chanted nah nah nah nah all the way pass the oil refineries right into the best little gulf beach that could, Surfside Texas.

These are pictures of my girls and their sweet friends too early in morning running around on the beach in their lovely white nightgowns. I LOVE seeing them dance around in these twirly bits of cotton sleepiness.

Have a beautiful weekend!

needs

2010-04-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

I've wanted for sooo long to turn our little dilapidated 84 year old garage in to a guest house/studio. I love this garage updo from the New York Times

have a happy weekend :)

let the font flow

2010-04-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love flow carts and who couldn't use a little font direction

via swissmiss

reincarnation please

2010-04-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am always inspired by repurposed design. My mother was and is a big advocate of creative resourcefulness and made me like it until I actually grew wise enough to like it on my own--something I hope I am inflicting on my daugthers as well.
Nightwood makes it too easy to see the beauty and genius behind "reincarnated" design. I love their deconstructing/reconstructing, geometric lines, minimal, and rustic style--such good karma.

stripes

2010-04-20T07:46:00.001-07:00

As of late, I can't get enough stripes...

click on the individual pictures for the sources

ideas

2010-04-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been working (ever so turtle-like) on a designed-to-be-printed memory book of my little family. I'm still gleaning ideas for the cover and graphic/text/illustration elements that I'd like incorporate and I'm fond of the style and art of Austrialian artist David Bromley.

and check out these inviting pics of the artist's home

images via design files

mary, mary, quite contrary

2010-04-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

I never really thought I would enjoy gardening but, especially this time of year, I do. As a big fan of perennials, things just start magically appearing in March and all I want to do is be out in the middle of it. Here are some pics of my favorite spots in my garden this year...

This is the entrance to my girls' fairy garden...

I love finding them in this little shady nook fairying away.

Happy beautiful Wednesday!

cat fight

2010-04-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love the beauuutiful vintage Little Bean fabric I used to make these kites.

I'm finally, really, truly going to finish hanging all of these bad girls, including the 8 footer, this week in preparation for the installation party at the end of this month.

Once it is time to take down these lovelies Christine and I can fight over who gets to hang them in their girl's rooms. Being the amazon woman that I am I'm pretty sure I can take Christine but she's probably quick so we will have to see who will bring home these taily, knoty vintage kites in the end.

hello again

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've taken a little blogging hiatus but I'm back...and excited to post this week about a prop styling and art instillation project I've been working on.

One reason for being absent from posting is because I've been focusing on teaching creative dance at my daughters' Montessori school.

I've taught creative dance off and on for the last five years but never for four hours straight. Sometimes I just feel like I'm helping to raise an awesome generation of clubbers versus the intended creative exploration of ideas through dance and movement. Oh well, we'll see :)

I love getting to know these kidos and each week is a new experience as they always surprise me with their interpretations and dances. These are a few pics from one of my classes. We dance outside, which is wonderful (this time of year).

photographers

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at Johnny Millers' photography. I reallly like his work, especially his Coney Island book that you flip through on his website. Here are some of my favorites from his interior shots.

ummm...those windows

images via Johnny Miller

if...

2010-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

If I were in the hire-an-architect-to-design-&-build-my-dream-home phase of my life (sadly I'm not), I might consider these fine people for the job.

Why?

Because of...

enormously beautiful sliding glass doors opening the kitchen and step down dinning area to the backyard,

cool stoney kitchen that is open to the upstairs

and a quaint 2-story libray, light and ladder included.

Did I mention enormous sliding glass doors?

images via Feldman Architecture, Old Bernal House

design--helvetica

2010-02-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

I love great movies in general, but I luv-luv a good documentary. There isn't anything as fascinating to me as real life, with all the beauties, hardships, loves and perspectives that come along with it. I watched two wonderful documentaries this week but the one that fit most perfectly into my current happenings is Helvetica by Gary Hustwit (I also dig his other documentary Objectified but that's a post for another day). The beginning of this week I finished up copy-editing for Small. When I first started working as a graphic artist I worked at a wee publishing company and ended up editing here and there as well as designing. Putting back on that text-obsessed hat reminded me how much I enjoy graphic design and the whole production process and then, on top of that, watching Helvetica put me in pure design-loving mode. This film is about "typography, graphic design and global visual culture." I really appreciated being introduced to the different designers and listening to their comments.

Here are a few of the designers from the film that I enjoyed...
Norm

Build

Paula Scher

explore--well traveled

2010-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Aren't all these outfits a trip within themselves? So lovely...

images via toast, anthropologie, & urban outfitters

nest

2010-02-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

My house is so clutterific right now. I would much rather stare at these clean spaces than delve into the madness and do something about it.

some more loftiness

I love this simple painting--I'm taking a painting class right now and slowly I'm getting over my fear of messing up a perfectly good white canvas.

images via modern house and danske

weekend loop

2010-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend we...

went here and...

and watched this most fabulous, standing ovation, inspiring, innovative dancingness.

AND my camera disappeared on Saturday...

snatched by my favorite 5 year old culprit, I could hardly be mad when I found this self portrait and these other four lovely POV shots she took.

happy monday!

lofty ideas

2010-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

I did go ahead and order some of the Paumes books and even though I don't read Japanese and have no idea what is being communicated the pictures say it all for me.

We are struggling with a lack of space right now so we are looking at the option of make a loft area out of our attic. From the Paris Family Style, I love this idea.

I'm also liking these floating bookcases and cabinets from Children's Rooms Copenhagen

images via Paumes Children's rooms Copenhagen and Paris Family Style

tuesday love

2010-02-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

this morning I'm laughing at the unhappy hipsters...

"At the art opening, he’d been convinced the blank canvas symbolized endless possibilities. Back at home, it was just one more reminder of his own desperation."
--unhappyhipster

and getting ready for valentines day--if anyone is going to get a valentine, today is the big push to get something in the mail.

and here is my new favorite v-day decor...
the moulin rouge inspired elephant vase, a treasured $3 find at the local antique mall.

weekend discussions

2010-02-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

elodie rambaud

This weekend was full of my favorite kind of topics. We talked about building things, moving over seas, visiting beautiful places and what to taste along the way.

Here is a perfectly fit modern farm house in Toten Norway.

favorites from the ever cool Australian Vogue Living

And we started watching Ken Burns National Parks series on PBS--fascinating and inspiring, I am now longing more than ever to explore the natural world with my family.

Glacier national park

Zions national park

recent finds

2010-01-29T09:21:00.001-08:00

recent blog finds that I'm loving

images via design files, design sponge, pia jane bijkerk, desire to inspire, dress design & decor

color vs white...me vs myself

2010-01-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

I'm always changing or tweaking my house. I go back and forth between a simple, clean, mostly white palette and bustin' out with an innovative mix of colors and patterns. Here are few of inspiring photos that make a case for both sides of my MPD battle.

I'm easily swayed by a union jack but the plaid chair and especially the lamp make me swoon.

holy mix-y loveliness

images via sarah kaye representation click on the pictures to see the individual artist works

winter installation party pics

2010-01-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

road tripper

2010-01-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorite pics from our fantastic voyage west.

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo Texas

A white out spoiled our plans of hiking in Arches National Park as well as our plans of driving over 30 miles an hour for the last 10 hours of the journey.

oh the snowy splendor

Happy Friday!

installation inspiration

2010-01-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hello...after a month away I'm excited to be back in the swing of things.
My little road trip and treasured holiday family time nearly left me for dead, but I'm all the better for it.

This Friday, as in tomorrow, we are having another installation party at the beloved Little Bean.

Along the installation theme... Tuesday I was at a friends house and noticed a picture with her at The Gates installation in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

I saw photographs and renderings of the The Gates at the Austin Museum of Art in 2006. Even via photographs I was taken by the beauty of the massive installation in a natural setting and the way it seemed to bring new life and appreciation for Central Park. Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude have done many installations. The scale of their work is daunting and added to that is the remarkable fact that they do not accept donations or sponsorship but pay for the works through the sales of their original works of art. The installations only last around two weeks and the land is left as they found it and the installation materials are donated or recycled.

Although their work is visually impressive and often controversial as a result of its scale, the artists have repeatedly denied that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate aesthetic. The purpose of their art, they contend, is simply to create works of art or joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes. Art critic David Bourdon has described Christo's wrappings as a "revelation through concealment."To his critics Christo replies, "I am an artist, and I have to have courage ... Do you know that I don't have any artworks that exist? They all go away when they're finished. Only the preparatory drawings, and collages are left, giving my works an almost legendary character. I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain."

Here are a few of my favorites...

3,100 Umberllas in Japan and California

Indoor installation of 13,000 oil barrels in Germany

Miami 11 islands wrapped

This is the Over the River Project which is still progress. I plan on seeing this one in person.

see...bigger is better--a maxim that is especially comforting following the holidays

quote via wikipedia

explore

2009-12-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

Today is nothing but packing, wrapping and battery checking for me. Happy Friday!

image via Erica George Dines

freak out

2009-12-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Today I'm racing to get everything ready for Christmas and a 3 day drive/adventure with my friend and our combined four kidos 7,6,5 and 5. I'm close to losing what little there is left of my wee mind and still struggling to let go of some of my ridiculous holiday expectations. Here a short, random illustrated list of my to dos and not to dos...

Go to Half Price Books... get the girls some bookage for the trip and life.

Ignore all the cool design sponge holiday decor ideas and release myself from any need to make something crafty wafty.

Send out Christmas cards TODAY! We have never done it because I always end up in an overwhelmed ball on the floor with all my half-baked, stupidly ambitious ideas for the most-creative-christmas-card-ever spread out all over the house. This year we bought cards and my hubby is writing in each one for me because I always want to write extremely long, personal love notes to each person (basically I have a problem shutting up in person or in letter and that takes WAY to much time). I was only able to let go of making cards this year because we have a GREAT photo of the girls thanks to this fine fellow. Thank you Steven Visneau you made the Christmas cardness possible.

Time with the man I love. I miss him when I'm in crazy mode and I know he misses the un-frenzied me. I gotta slow down and remember who I really want to be with and what I want to be doing and let everything else go.

Must take time to exercise some creativity and explore design with the googles (girls) and play, just play.

Finally, NO MORE shopping! Only love, music, friends, family and food, lots of glorious holiday food, from here on out.

images via design files & design sponge & hometta

quote author unknown

cool kids

2009-12-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

When I was looking around the Paumes website yesterday I discovered that they are the publishers of another one of my favorite design books, cool kid's rooms.

This book details the rooms of Parisian artists' children. Each entry show the parents trade (artist, fashion designer, interior designer, etc) and the child's name and age. I love the eclectic, unplanned, treasure-driven approach these rooms have. Some are cluttered, some are simple but they are all so real, living and beautiful.

So...guess what I found out, Paumes has TONS of beautiful books with the same artistic direction and I'm dying to get a copy of them. The only hiccup, cool kid's rooms is the only book they publish in English, everything else is in Japanese. Oh well, I still think the pictures are worth it. For example...

The Parent's Loved-Chiselled Gifts for Their Tiny Ones

Despite anxious nights, preparing bottles and changing nappies, or living under the stress of preparing baby's imminent arrival, some parents still find time to create wonderful gifts for their tiny ones! It seems that expecting a child or becoming a parent stimulates creative energies within families, what could be more beautiful than designing and producing one's own unique and personal gift for one's child?

Kids' Bedrooms in Stockholm

Children's Rooms "Copenhagen"

Children's Rooms London

There are about 32 books in all that I'm curious about and most of them non-kid themed

London Vintage

Pàtisseries à Paris
Copenhagen Apartments
Appartements de Garçons
London Gardens

Paris des fleurset des fleuristes

London Ateliers

San Francisco Kitchens

Paris Kitchens

Paris Studios

Paris Brocante

Paris Book Lovers
Mum's Favourite Recipe. Paris.

Paris Love Apartments

A to Z of Nathalie Lete

Stockholm's Ateliers

Stockholm's Love Apartments
Studio Apartments Paris

Kids' bedrooms in Paris

Stockholm's Kitchens

st... st... studio

2009-12-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

still wishing for...

Time Fades Away by Gideon Bok

Franklin Evans open studio

a place to spread out my madness.

images via paumes

it is finished

2009-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had no time, energy or single stream of coherent thought to post last Friday. I was finishing up the final preparations for the last of three events I've planned and carried out for 150+ people in under two months. I'm finished. It is done. I can go back to my own personal craziness without any large looming parties hanging over my head. I will miss the nightly Sprinkles cupcakes, bag of Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips, or Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk that were easily justifiable mandatory stress eating treats. For this party last weekend, a few good, kind friends and I made a 100+ paper flowers that turned out fabulous. My girls enjoyed playing in them post-party.

holiday smoliday

2009-12-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Honesty, how do the holidays get so CrAZy each year? I'm totally ready to loose my mind with all the places to go and lists to do. Here is a Parisian mental health break courtesy of danske's beautiful and calming photos of April in Paris.

nice reminders

2009-12-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I don't remember the sources for these two images, they have been in my love files for awhile and I do LOVE them. On those feeling-lost days (like today to be exact) these few words bet my bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be suuuuun.

dreaming of ....

2009-12-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

While my almost toothless seven year old is dreaming of her two front teeth for Christmas, I'm dreaming of...

a vacation on any beach in Spain

a studio

an organized closet, either drawn or real

white walls, clean large windows and big art

bookcases for the book piles

and finally

a Lake Flato house on Lake Austin

That should do it.

images via Annie Schlechter and Serena Eller Vainicher

snowballs in Dallas

2009-12-07T10:32:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a winter display at Little Bean which includes...

a million (almost) handmade white muslin snowballs

of all sizes

felt stockings

and paper doilie covered sticks

for hanging sweet little ornaments by Maileg.

The rest of the weekend was spent Christmasifying the house.

Nothing quite like the happiness of waking up to my girls cozied-up together behind the Christmas tree making a serious dent in the Christmas book pile. Happy Monday!

friday fleas

2009-12-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

Some think Dallas is all cowboys, big hair and big boobs but the truth is...we have fleas. Dallas has multiple cool fleas but this Saturday there's a brand new flea in town and it's curated by a newly transplanted Brooklynite who is bringing Dallas a much wanted Brooklynish-flavored-spread of vendors. I've long wanted to visit the Brooklyn Flea, known for its gifted artist and designers. Sometimes I'm even smart enough to do some virtual Brooklyn Flea shopping from it's vendors that have online shops, which if you are not a Dallasite can do the same here for the Dallas Flea. I'm hoping to wrap up all my holiday shopping with unique flea-style gifts tomorrow. Here are a few of the vendors I'm excited to see... click on the pics to get to their websites.

again & again

little bean

one up designs

gypsy wagon

julie michel designs

petit four designs

three bishops

design--random goods

2009-12-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

My favorite computer-nerd/photographer/annoyingly-long-distance-runner big brother sent me an interesting interview of Dieter Rams, the german industrial designer. Rams has designed for Braun and many of his designs (coffee makers, calculators, radios, audio/visual equipment, consumer appliances and office products) have found a permanent home at many museums all around the world. This article, "Simplicity, Purity and Openness," highlights Rams "less, but better" approach.

"I feel that as the world continues to fill with clutter at such a disconcerting pace, good design has the task of being quiet and helping people generate a level of calm that allows them to be themselves." --Deiter Rams

Here are a few designs that calm me...

j crew

collett-zarzycki

this and the next two images from nest dreaming

this and the next two images via Studio Aandacht

bjorn wallander

From Arch Daily, Lofts at Cheokee Studios in L.A. I love homes that can open and close.

view from inside the lofts

Now say Dieter four or five times with your best german accent...fun huh (probably only fun it you aren't german).

explore--ode to the road trip

2009-12-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

What's your preferred mode of travel?

As previously posted, I'm fearful of flying but my desire to travel overcomes that in the end. For me, the real source of travel joy is the road trip. I love to drive. I come from a long line of open-road-lovers and I'm happy to have a road trip on my horizon. This Christmas I'm leaving the plains of northern Texas for the snow and mountains of central Utah. I'm not sure yet of all the stops and restaurants we will seek out on the way but I do know we will be on the historic route 66 for a bit and will be stopping here...

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo Texas and...

Arches National Park. I can't wait to show my girls the natural wonders as well as the seedy velvet Elvis paintings at the truck stops.

One of my favorite road trips happened two summers ago. My hubby and I spent four days driving around southern Utah and it was one of our best trips ever. Utah is a natural beauty wonderland. Here are some of my pics...

Zions

aspen trees on scenic route 14 outside of Cedar City

we took mostly back roads and scenic routes and loved-luved-loved the drive

The texture, scale and colors of the rock are inspiring and intoxicating.

We ate and everyone should eat at this amazing grill in the middle of nowhere on Boulder mountain.

We loved our meal at Hell's Backbone Grill SOOO much we bought their cookbook.

This book is fabulous, not only are the recipes delicious (ie Outrageous Chocolate Chile Cream and Pear Gingerbread with Butterscotch Sauce) and simple the photography and story of this little restaurant-that-could and the town, farms and people involved in its existence are extraordinary.

nestilicious

2009-12-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

Another great lifestyle-home design library find.

Home is Where the Heart is was discovered during those student years when I lived in the most unattractive of apartments. I struggled with what I had to work with as well as the lack of funds and time allotted me as the mother of 2 under the age of three. This little gem of a book seemed to calm and encourage me to keep my interior design focus on what was really important--as stated in the book's explanation "being human: how we can integrate the way our homes look and feel with our basic emotional needs." Thanks to the library, freecycle, masonite, and dumpster raids I turn our little dive in Austin into a home. This book made me into a huge Ilse Crawford fan. Some of my favorite quotes from the book are on the pages below, here are few more...

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The living space is never unfinished and never finished. It lives with those who live within. --Josef Frank

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Somebody's boring me, I think it's me. --Dylan Thomas

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God invented the giraffe, the elephant, the cat. He has no real style He just goes on trying things. --Pablo Picasso

small shoot

2009-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

Small's winter issue is out!
Click here to see the story I worked on.

Here are some my shots of the process...

ideas

getting to hone my mess making and vintage kite crafting skills

attempting the first flight outside of little bean

the raft

particularly fond of this little girl

Oh to be stranded with only nature, kites, flags and extremely beautiful clothes to entertain. I think I'm going to try that with my girls.

happy thanksgiving

2009-11-25T10:04:00.001-08:00

image via stylist Lili Dialo

image via Anders Gramer

I'm taking the rest of the week off so I can adequately focus on the traditional series of food fests otherwise know as the gluttoness Thanksgiving weekend.

Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.-- Romeo

Merry eatting!

nest

2009-11-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

photo by Chris Everard

Today I've been busy with my much neglected domestic duties...seriously if laundry were cash I'd be a bazillionaire everyday.

what a weekend

2009-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend my Madre was visiting us so that meant...

lots of fabric time with her and...

image via toast

loads of relaxed, spontaneous nights out with my man--so great.

I also found a new book I must read via Design Files

60. Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future is a "celebration of sixty visionaries in art, design, fashion and other creative fields. This landmark publication celebrates creative makers and thinkers who are redefining the way we and future generations will experience the world around us. These artists, photographers, architects, fashion designers, product designers, street artists, curators and writers enrich our visual culture, our planet and our lives. A group of international experts from twelve fields of creative practice – from fine art and photography to graphic design, architecture and ecology – have each selected five people who are making significant contributions to the way we experience life and visual culture."

Parisian photographer/street artist JR

Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto's Final Wooden House in Kumamoto, Japan.

La Boca del Lobo (2006) - paper installation by Brooklyn-based street artist Swoon, in collaboration with Alison Corrie and Polina Soloveichik.

So exciting!

friday -- my architect

2009-11-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's post I was thinking about what turned me onto architecture. First influence...my hubby, he isn't an architect but should be (he is the one with the initial and greatest architectural interest). Second... another great documentary, My Architect.

After seeing this film and getting a sense of the passion and artistry of Louis Kahn and his work I went to one of his buildings, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Through the film, I was made aware of details within architecture in general as well as the specific space of the Kimbell. When I was standing inside and outside of the Kimbell, reflecting on the different aspects of light, space and line that were previously unknown to me, I was completely amazed by the beauty and complexity of the structure and the space that it created.

Rent the fabulously made movie + go to the amazing place = blow your mind.
Even if you can't visit a Kahn building, the film (made by Kahn's son) stands alone as a great experience.

More interesting architecty viewing, Sundance channel's Architecture School. I really enjoyed watching the students and the process of design and construction.

from the website..."The show follows a group of students at Tulane University's prestigious School of Architecture as they submit competing designs for an affordable home in Katrina-battered New Orleans. The winning model will be built during the course of the school year and put up for sale, enabling one fledgling architect to begin his or her career with a high-profile splash."

I hope you get to watch or read something interesting this weekend, have a great one.

design -- the big d

2009-11-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Look what's happening right here in River City...
with a capital C that stands for cool. -- adapted from Musicman

One of my favorite architecture websites, Arch Daily, posted about the most exciting addition to the big D's cityscape. The Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theatre are the new superstars of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Here they are in all there fine design-ness...

the Winspear

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the Wyly

All this right down by the Nasher and the Dallas Museum of Art.

Great architecture and museums does a cool city make. --yoda

explore

2009-11-18T07:23:00.000-08:00

Isn’t flying the most amazing thing? I confess a constant struggle with a fear of flying. The night before a flight, during takeoff, landing and whenever the flight is turbulent I can’t help but picture my fiery death. However, once the plane is at cruising altitude and the ride is smooth, I can’t get my forehead off the window. The scale and wonder of the earth below is intoxicating.
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I'd love to fly off to L'Isle sur la Sorgue in France and stay here...

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and shop some flea markets...

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and eat these.

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But today I’m going to summon some of that same french flea market browsing bliss as I’m off to some of my favorite local hole-in-the-wall consignment stores to find some items for the winter window display for Little Bean, and a chair for the finest Texas sis-in-law. And I get to do all this with my favorite crazy lady,

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my mom—isn’t she fantastic.

Dream big, explore locally.

nest -- books

2009-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

For me much of my craving for home/interior design is satiated by our local library.

I can rarely get my hubby to go with me because he is somewhat embarrassed by the amount of books I try to check out. Between my stack of home/design/art books and my girls stack-o-books, it is a small production to get out the door and to the car. I have found some of my all time favorite interior books via the library and I want to share my number one pick...

Home (British version) or The Family at Home: Love. Life. Style (US version) by Anita Kaushal. I have the British version because I lived in London during college for four months and therefore consider myself at least half British and heir to whatever coolness they produce.

I love her undecorated, livable yet beautiful and meaningful style. This book is my token wedding present, I wish I would of had it from the beginning. I LOVE this book. Please check it out.

This is a peek inside Anita's home.

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Speaking of books...last week on Man Shops Globe they found some beautiful recovered books from the 1920's which got me thinking about covering some more of our favorites.

I like these cloth covered notebooks from Toast.

Here is a little project my girls and I did for their dad for Christmas last year. One of his favorite books is Brothers Karamazov. I told the girls the story had three Russian brothers and a priest in it and to draw something along those lines. I enlarged a photocopy of Russian text and found some images of old Karamazov covers and this is what we came up with...

It was a fun gift to work on together and my hubby loved it.

Oh and here is a peek at the photo shoot. Have a great Monday!

weekend loop

2009-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend was biz-EEE! I was up most the night Friday happily finishing the props for my first prop styling gig with the magnificent small magazine. Early Saturday morning I loaded the car with all my handmade and salvaged goodies as well as my little girl and we left for the photo shoot. The shoot was especially nice because my youngest and blondest girl got to be in some shots as well. (I'll post more about the shoot post production). After the shoot I headed to my local park to set up for my church's chili cook off and as soon as the sun set we were off to watch my oldest and most dramatic girl sing and play in her first open mic night downtown. And now it's Monday!

Here's a wrap-up of some of my favorite things from my favorite blogs from last week.

From Dress Design Decor, I could spend a whole day/ week /month finding & consuming dessert based on design.

The style files posted on Pinch and I love-luv-love their furniture, style, look, everything...especially the lighting.

From Dezeen, I'm so impressed with this memorial called the Tree of Knowledge by m3architecture out of Australia (what did I tell you about them monopolizing cool). I'm convinced that we need more memorials everywhere. What a fantastic way to employ artists and infused more art and design (with cultural and historical significance) into our cities and our lives.

Design sponge posted about Annie Coggan and her Eudora Welty’s garden yellow chair. So inspiring, I love it! The chair is part of a series and I can't wait to see the rest. I started a fabric based design on my great grandmother's chair from the late 1800's about a year ago. This week I'm determined to do some chair work of my own!

friday film love

2009-11-13T05:46:00.000-08:00

Great films are a huge source of happiness for me. I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson and am eagerly waiting to share his genius and style with my girls when his first animated film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, comes out on Thanksgiving. One of my all time favorite movies is The Royal Tenenbaums. Anderson’s style is so distinctive in this film. Stylish comedies with an honest narrative and a decent message are rare and The Royal Tenenbaums is just that.

I've been in love with Bill Murray since I was a seven year old Ghostbusters fan.

I’m genuinely attached to all the characters in this film but feel especially fond of Ethel Tenenbaum (Anjelica Houston). I love her calmness, intelligence and dedication to her kidos and love that she wrote a book about raising geniuses…perfect.

Here is a fabulous little video from the Museum of the Moving Image that edits some more of Anderson’s brilliance.

Have a great weekend!

design

2009-11-12T06:08:00.000-08:00

Design is involved in every part of our lives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are effected by line, shape, size, color and light. I know when I pay attention to good design it opens up a world of wonder and beauty to me. There are so many exciting and inspiring aspects of design, I wanted to start by sharing a little from my favorite design blog Dezeen. These images are from Casa 11 Mujeres (Eleven Women House), a cliff-top house near Santiago in Chile by architect Mathias Klotz.

I love the openness of this home and the how much it brings in and reflects the beautiful surroundings.

And this house is in Chile which adds to my suspicion that Chile (as well as, Argentina, Brazil, Australia and Europe in general) is trying to monopolize all the coolest designs and ideas. Man…I would love to live in Chile for a few years!

Dezeen covers design student's graduate work all over the world. Here is a piece from the Dutch design week last year, Maarten De Ceulaer's Pile of Suitcase.

Description: A pile of suitcases functioning as a classy wardrobe with a variable composition and well-measured compartments. Steel profiles keep the pile firmly together, leaving ample room for change.

I would love to replace my drawers with this awesome piece.

explore

2009-11-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

The explore part of this blog is to help me satisfy my need to discover new places, find treasures and taste new fares. Exploring does not always have to incorporate food, but let’s be honest, everything turns out better if it does. Today I’ve got some serious mid-morning, mid-week cravings (not to be confused with a midday mid-week craving, that's later today) and wouldn’t mind being in NYC to stop by these two spots with my girls.

sign me up for the Sweetiepig--sponge cake, whipped cream, bananas, strawberries, 18 scoops of ice cream.

moomah

This place is "practically perfect in every way"--Mary Poppins

I wonder if they get people trying to cozy up and call it home.

Thank you wonderful and creative moomah people. I would love to open a moomah right here in Texas.

Alas, I'm most likely to stop into this little gem of shop a few miles from my house for a wild and crazy after school snack.

Worth a trip to Texas? Well...I'm the kind of person who as driven 100 plus miles for a slice of pie (and I'd do it again)--so the answer is yep.

nest

2009-11-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

For me, to nest is to convert wherever you are living into a home. A home is…well, a home is something different for everybody. My home tells a little about my story and perspective, reflects my values and interests, and illustrates the things and people I love. My hope is that in my home I’ve created a place that is inviting, interesting and comfortable. This is a lifelong process and an intriguing venture to create the world you want within the walls of your home. Here are some pictures that I scanned in from library books sometime in 2003. I don’t know what books they are from, unfortunately (and I’m not going to make a habit of this). Throughout the last ten years I’ve been scanning and clipping images of my favorite interiors and home making ideas, here are a few…

A page from an "idea" journal I started in 2006. I think the images are from Domino and a Ralph Lauren Paint flyer.

Big door, open inviting space.

If I had stairs they would be these...

or these.

I love interesting ways of shelving and the creative use of space.

mural for a headboard...yes please

cool collection

monday monday

2009-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Friday's Little Bean Party was pure happiness for me.

I'm so glad that my girls, hubby and sister-in-law got to be there. I'm also so grateful to my friends who came out to support me and soak in the aforementioned coolness of Little Bean and its creators. I always love meeting new people and it was great to meet a fellow Nasher addict, Joslyn of Simply Lovely. Joslyn helped create the spread for the night, complete with a Aspen bark center piece that I especially liked (although it made me long for the beauty of those tall, slender autumn quakies).

photo by Grant Skousen, right brain activist

Also, this weekend I got to go to our local White Rock Arts festival with my purse toting 7 year old daugther. Of course I was curious about the festival and wanted to expose my daughter to local artist but I really went to seek out my friend Marianne Gargour. We met through our daughter's basketball team a year ago and I've been trying to get to one of her shows ever since. I love this woman and her work. I feel so fortunate that I've been able to take one of her painting classes. She is a fabulous teacher and inspiring to watch paint. I can't tell you how happy I am to have one of her original works, which I LOVE, in my home.

All the creative mojo of this weekend makes me think of a FABULOUS documentary I saw about a year ago.

Who Does She Think She Is? is probably the most inspiring documentary I've seen. It makes me think of all the beautiful courageous women I know striving to balance their lives, their loves and follow their hearts. Find a way to see this film, check your library, if they don't have it request that they get it.

tonight...we party

2009-11-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited for tonight's little party for Little Bean and my first window installation project. I'm grateful to Christine and her hubby Steven for being the inspiring, supportive and creative folks that they are. I really love Christine's work and admire her and Steven for creating an environment that is open, collaborative and so cool. Thanks again!

Little Bean Shop
5308 Junius Street
Dallas, Texas 75214
214.370.9111
email:theshop@littlebeanshop.com

www.littlebeanshop.com
blog: http://littlebeancollection.blogspot.com
http://www.babybeanwear.com

Here are some pictures of the process...

and what I ended up doing for my girls room along the same lines.

a few of my favorite things...da da..da da

2009-11-06T08:05:00.001-08:00

This blog has been a long time coming for me. Although I'll miss the ability to imagine how cool my blog would be, the hope is that having a place to park all my favorite ideas and images will serve to organize the pictures and projects scattered through my files. I hope you will enjoy my attempt to organize and record the things that inspire me.

I love the pattern, the stools, the short table and the tall lamp. via the design files

Modern chairs, exposed brick and a kitchen that looks randomly installed--love it.
via desire to inspire

Repurposed modern from Man Shops Globe.
The Holland/Belgium episode was sooo inspiring to me.

I love this wallpapered and tidy closet (mine in neither unfortunately). via domino

Egon Schiele--you died too young

Unfortunately I'm not sure where this image is from but I love a simple kitchen and chalkboard paint.

Tim Walker's fantastical photography.

This one...basically everything about it captures me. via desire to inspire

I love a room lit by natural light and the silhouette of leaves and trees. I'm also big on subway tile, white bead board, and tiny toes peeking over a deep tub.

Texas's own mixed media master Robert Rauschenberg

Perfect outdoor setting for a long drawn-out delicious meal with old friends.

This image as well as the next one are from an unknown source.

Deconstructed, repurposed furniture--so cool.

White and gray are somewhat of an obsession for me. As well as simple and weathered.

via tinekhome