turtlecross

turtlecross is a rad etsy shop that has recycled wall art like these...












with influences like 80's dance parties, depeche mode, Native American mythology, the Irish, pianos & percussion, turtlecross creates a unique, cool medium i've never seen before. these recycled materials are repurposed to create a three-demensional piece of art. they are so rad i had to pick up a few for my nest. visit his etsy shop more designs.

i like her: part deux

the on-line boutique fred flare, just kicked it up a notch in my book. they are now carrying a few designs by our little miss amy sedaris. check these goodies out and more.



so, now you can actually have a dash of sedaris in your very own kitchen. add a sprinkle from your jar of jimmies.


i LOVE and want (note:friends & family) this mushroom kitchen timer. it's adorable & twisted, i love it.

if i could photograph a scent...

for a unique, organic & natural way to find or ceate your perfect scent, try beebeebee's soaps & such. a great green company on etsy that specializes in lovely scents & soaps. delicious smells you won't find anywhere else for a very reasonable price. all natural, perfect strength, mild on skin, no preservatives, and they do not test on animals.




honestly, their sugared fig perfume for is better than jo malone's super-expensive wild fig & cassis flower, which i love.


another feminie, pretty scent is their jasmine rice flower perfume. i really like combining this with the fig for a nice balace of sweet & strong. check out their long list of soaps & scents to create your perfect combination.

create beauty everywhere

don't discount your weathered bathroom when creating a look for your home. you can work with almost any space, shape and colors. the photograph above is of three vintage items we put in the bathroom. the lucite purse was a gift from will a few years ago. he saw me holding it & loving it in halcyon, this great vintage store in richmond, va. the vintage black pattented leather hat box & pink metal suitcase were handed down to me from my nana & mom. they are used for storage.


this was being put on the curb for trash by a neighbor. the mirror that was in our aparment was a generic wooden medicine cabinet. will hated it and dismanteled it. we found this in the perfect robin's egg blue.


as seen before, these are a picasso & matisse prints, a vintage teal blender from the coles family. used as storage.


this is our kaiku shower curtain from anthropology

what time it is

i LOVE this wood pinth clock from west elm. bravo, west elm, for these great finds.


this love bird runner

and this...

illuminating

here are some great lamps from target for every budget.


this brass table lamp is just beautiful. a little steep at $84.99 but it's brass, handmade in India, and has a 'bright peacock green' dupioni fabric that i love. this piece adds warmth and a splash of color every room needs.

a better deal, and very fabulous, this modern glass table lamp is bronze and chocolate brown, and can be a classic and elegant addition to your pad. it's a great deal at just $39.99:


the steal!ceramic table lamp with faux-suede shade only $29.99




*Always use energy saving bulbs available at Home Depot

my fav periodical

i heart domino!

before boarding a plane to portugal summer of '05, i picked up a magazine that caught my eye. a new publication on living in style. looks, styles, and ideas for your home. perfect. domino turned out to be the absolute best guide/handbook/magazine for living in style. with tips & resources for everything you could ever want or need for your nest, and Domino always gives innovative & unique ideas with each new issue.
rest your eyes on these lovely rooms for inspiration.

woody allen style

woody allen captures the essence of new york city better than anyone. the opening sequence of 'manhattan' is an incredible and personal homage to the city that never sleeps. shot in black and white, and with allen's insistence that the film only be released in wide screen sweeten the experience. the montage with george gershwin's rhapsody in blue gives me goosebumps every time.



the fashion in allen's films is always an interesting addition to each one. the clothes seem to be an extension of the person, and tend to tell a story about who they are. diane keaton's famous wardrobe  in annie hall consists of ties, vests, and blazers give her a youthful, disheveled, & layered look.

allen's interiors give new york real estate junkies a high no other can. a great example is allen & keaton's apartment in 'manhattan murder mystery'. the apartment is just so new york, filled with art, books, real life on top of itself. the old canal street sign above their bed is SUCH an amazing find. i love it and think about it all the time. it's truly a coveted piece that anchors the wole bedroom in such a simple, urban style.



in 'husband's and wives', allen's comment on ingmar bergan's 'scenes from a marriage' a piece of brilliance of it's own. read more here), woody used mia farrow's real apartment. the authenticity of collected art, rows of framed pictures, antiques and rows of books serves the film in that you truly feel like you are a fly on the wall, intimately watching a marriage crumble right before your eyes.

indie finds

love this antique, mod, retro clock. love lots of old clocks in a home. the light ticking & tocking is relaxing.



lovely robin's egg blue church candle.

shout-out to nana. love this seattle space needle plate.
lots of great finds at parish.
hoot, hoot pillows by atlanta, georgia indie artists fabricate design. nice work, girls. and props to the bowling pic.

local

*pleat shirt by laurel wells. this is a beautiful top. so interesting & unique. it's bringing images of the 30's, black & white movies, movie stars with cigarette holders. it's just lovely.



i love this top! the collar is so precious. color is perfect. the detail, just lovely. sadly, it is sold out. of course it's the 'grey gardens' blouse by rebecca turbow. some of her line is sold at mighty flirt.

i love the detailed design on this stark white top.

anthro-freakin-pology

star light, star bright, first star i see tonight...this lovely ring is on my wish list. it is the perfect large, but classic, simple addition to the staples i wear daily. watch on left hand, this ring would be the perfect balance on the right hand. so pretty.
so many of my wish list items are from anthropology. they're darn near perfect. see...

a simple, elegant gold arm cuff. arm cuffs are so rad. i feel a little like cleopatra in brooklyn wearing my arm cuff. i would love one like this from anthropologie.

spiced curry tote & crosshatch satchel. if i had half a grand to spend on a bag, or actually could bring myself to do such a thing... but they are beautiful to look at. they say in new york, your handbag is like your car. truth be told.

i heart etsy

etsy is like ebay, for all things handmade by indie designers. accessible, simple, almost free, and easy-to-use, etsy is for any and everybody. you simply sign up & you are able to create your own shop or simply browse around and purchase unique finds from other indie artists & designers. i'm always satisfied when my etsy supply, gift or treat arrives in the mail. visit enderby's shop and all the other great artists out there. or join me at the etsy labs come meet us party on february 1st. located at 325 gold street in brooklyn, ny. by the clocktower building. *bring whatever you can for them to recycle in etsy labs. see below for more.

little owl clutch from keyka lou

the miltons illustration by ashley g.coffee buttons from kate black

my sister, lauren saw this firefly lamp. neat. and functional. and re-purposing an old recycled object.
this nerd plate is awesome. i really want a lot of trixie delicious's plates & designs.
i love this squirrel light switch cover by robot candy. it's little details like this that really make a place a home.

etsy is also rad because they are super green. they are currently focusing on recycling anything and everything into usable fashion/supplies/items to sell at their etsy store. they are chopping up old kids' books to make packs of envelopes, using fabric people have been storing in their attics, etc. instead of throwing away old cloths,books and fabric, donate them to etsy labs.

two g's

Graham and Green has some beautiful things. a mother & son team, this is a family business that has been around in the u.k. for 30 years. very unique, fresh, style & taste. i love the *above 'rack oh deer' coat hooks. very cool. much better than the real thing.
look at these lovely hand stitched pouffes. hand crafted in Marrakech where they can take a whole day to make. quite expensive, but lovely inspiration. i'll look for something similar that is cheaper and maybe not leather.

these are pretty bowls that were once anklets. really lovely, cool new use for them.

ah. beautiful. the whole photograph is nice. simple & lovely. g & g uses a lot of leather which i'm not crazy about, but this clutch is just too scrumptious to not pass along.

re-purpose

i love taking older, vintage, antique objects and finding new, innovative purposes for them in my home. here are just a few of my favorite re-purposed vintage finds.
*below is an antique camera our downstairs neighbor, sue, had years ago. she passed away last year leaving some of her belongings to us. this camera no longer works, but the box is used as a small storage container in the kitchen. the camera itself hangs in the small space between will's record shelves & window.










*below is a neat hand-me-down from the coles. it's a retro beige sturdy container with a small brown leaf & dot pattern. this vintage, functional planter was a kitchen canister in the Cole household years ago and was just sitting in their garage since who-knows-when. mrs. c gave to us and it works very well for one of our houseplants. any china, porcelain, stone or glass container works as a planter. as long as it's water-proof, you can make it work. simply put some rocks or stones at the base of the planter for drainage. then add some soil, and the plant. voila! vintage/antique planter out of free old stuff.

















*below: this mirror was nana's that she had tucked away in the closet in her attic. i found it when getting something for her in college and she said to take it. there are 2 of them. both with these lovely etchings in them. one large, one small. the larger one i have on the tiger oak kitchen table as a centerpiece. it's easy to clean, practical, and a really pretty addition to the kitchen.
















*above: good ideas
1-have an antique, cut-glass spooner on your table. that's where you keep the medium-sized, every-day-used spoons.
2-to have an antique wooden stirrup on your table. that's where you keep your napkins.
this spans aunts, uncles, even my divorced parents spread the stirrup-spooner gospel to their new spouses. i don't know if we're the only ones that use such objects as storage & display for spoons & napkins, but i kinda dig it. i have brought the tradition with me to brooklyn.
behind the spooner & stirrup: framed vintage advertisements.