Friday, August 28, 2009

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Daily Design Inspiration


Book Review: Blue Eggs, Yellow Tomatoes

Blue Eggs, Yellow Tomatoes is a favorite in my collection of cookbooks. It's focus is on slow, local, and seasonal food. The author, Jeanne Kelley, lives only minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles but she grows her own food, has chickens that lay beautiful pale blue eggs (hence the title!), and even keeps a pet goat!  The book has a section about keeping backyard chickens and building a kitchen garden. The recipes are delicious and the photography is amazing.  The book is so large I have a hard time finding a place for it on my bookshelves but it makes a great coffee table book!




Photos: Candice

Fashion Find

I have to say I am a little bummed that I'm going to miss out on a New York winter this year. It just won't feel like Christmas when I'm wearing flip flops and shorts in December. Of course when I call my friends up North and they tell me about the six of inches of snow they had to walk to work in maybe I won't feel so bad! I am definitely going to miss the cute winter clothes though. At least I can get away with wearing cute scarves like this down here in Florida.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Daily Design Inspiration


Parisian Getaway

I've been thinking a lot about Paris lately.  I've never been, but it's on my list.  I would love to take my mom there for a girls weekend.  Just the two of us, exploring the city and all the fabulous markets.  Drinking cappucino, eating lots of yummy bread and cheese and drinking carafes of red wine at outdoor cafes.  Ah, it sounds fabulous doesn't it?  Since I can't afford a plane ticket to France right now, I thought I would create my own little Parisian getaway via photographs. Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Flipping Out

Flipping Out is back for another season on Bravo and that means even more of Jeff Lewis's fabulous design aesthetic. Here are some of my favorites from previous spec homes he has done.




Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Daily Design Inspiration

Book review: Falling Cloudberries

I am introducing another new feature to the blog this week, Book Review. I love books, and my collection is always growing. My book obsession is very similar to my magazine obsession! I'm an extremely visual person and I love nothing more than to peruse through design books or cook books or craft books, drawing inspiration from the beautiful pictures and thoughtful words on the pages. This feature will introduce and share some of my favorite books with you.

The first book in this feature is the cookbook, Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros, (author of Apples for Jam).  My future mother-in-law gave Mike and I this book as a housewarming present and I am absolutely in love with it!  The author has a diverse heritage and the book takes you around the world, exploring family recipes from her collection. The book is an inspiring assortment of recipes, stories, and photographs, it's the kind of book you can pour through for hours and that you want to share with everyone you know!





Photos: Candice

Monday, August 17, 2009

Behind the Design - Oh, My Deer!

Welcome to the newest feature of my blog, "Behind the Design." Behind the Design is a look at the designer/creator behind the product.  This week features Chelsea Petaja of Oh, My Deer! Chelsea designs amazing vintage inspired hair pieces made with feathers and flowers and buttons.  I am definitely planning on ordering one of these lovelies for my own wedding! 

Where does your inspiration come from?
I have an affinity for things that are beautiful, tiny, and that have a story.  Because of that, vintage brooches and earrings are normally what brings me the most inspiration.  Also, because each piece of jewelry I collect is one-of-a-kind, the pieces that I make using them are also special and unique; those are my favorite lovelies to create.  


Do you have a spot that you like to go that helps you feel creative?  Where do you do most of your work?
My husband and I bought and moved into our first home!  It's a small, 1905 Victorian house, and I've set up shop in our spare bedroom.  This past Christmas, my husband surprised me with a vintage tailor's table for me to use for Oh, My Deer!  It's the perfect spot for me to spread out and get messy with scraps of chiffon and feathers flying!  Also with a little Rufus Wainwright, Sufjan Stevens, or Gregory Alan Isakov in the air, I could work for hours upon hours.


How did you come up with the name of your business?
I've always been a sucker for a good play on words.  I was driving home from work one afternoon and the name "Oh, My Deer!" just popped into my head.  At the time, I had no reason to use it, but when I was ready to open up my shop, it was perfect.


What is your all time favorite design from past or current collections?
Truth be told, my favorite pieces are either in my bathroom, ready for me to wear since I couldn't part with them once they were created, or they're owned by a friend, so that I could borrow them whenever I want. Ha!


You couldn't run your business without (fill in blank) _________?
My husband.  He's my encourager.  He's also the talent behind any of the "good" pictures on my Etsy shop or blog of the pieces I create.  I think that makes a huge difference in my work; he makes it look as lovely as it's intended to be!

Coffee or tea? 
Coffee in the morning, with a healthy splash of Coffee Mate Vanilla Creamer.  Then blueberry green tea in the afternoon, especially during the school year.

Favorite magazine/blog/daily read? Do you have any other hobbies or creative outlets?
CNN and OnceWed.  Truly, they're the two sites that I visit every day.  And though I've been married for over a year now, OnceWed is just one habit that I couldn't kick.

Do you have any other hobbies or creative outlets?
Aside from Oh, My Deer!, I'm also the Visual Arts Teacher at a Montessori School here in Nashville.  I love, love, love it.  I teach ages 3-15, so I'm always kept on my toes!  Plus, it's a great way for me to stay fresh with my fine arts skills--the students work with every medium from printmaking to ceramics.   

Thank you so much Chelsea for participating in the first segment of Behind the Design!

Photos: Courtesy of Chelsea Petaja

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ajalon Printing

Ajalon Printing is a small, family owned letterpress printer in Northern California.

I was lucky enough to receive some samples recently and their work is beautiful. Best of all, they've developed a special offer of 100 letterpress invitations and enclosures for $398. This is truly a great deal! Mike and I are going the DIY route with our wedding invitations but if we weren't I would definitely consider Ajalon for my printing needs!


Photos: Ajalon Printing

Blog Love - Modern Country

Right now I have a major blog crush on Modern Country. The blog's author Aina, has a beautiful aesthetic and her photographs are amazing.  The blog is written in Norwegian but thanks to the wonderful and handy Google Translator, all posts are easily translated, some even by the author herself. Aina also has a shop, Aina's Charme, which is a beautiful collection of handmade goods for the home.