cool weather and cozy plans

so the weather here is gorgeous!

i don't think it could be more perfect..

the air is cool and crisp

some sun some rain

lots of wind

that swirling playful wind

you know that special autumn wind

that smells of change

that picks up leaves and carries them as if celebrating

..so many reds browns and yellows dancing

and singing

it's absolutely perfect scarf weather

sweet woolen hat weather

boots and sweaters

and cozy thoughts of visiting friends at pubs

sharing laughs and a nice dark beer

(or hot chocolate..)

and some cozy wonderful music

weather

i would so love to be at my favorite pub

with favorite friends

seeing these guys playing.

how cozy..

(i think cozy is my favorite word when it gets cold out..)

doesn't that piano sound like rain and leaves falling?

and her hat and dress..

adorable.

and her lovely voice and sensitively thoughtful

and playful words.

perfect.

what are you planning for this gorgeous fall?

xo

*ps. thank you to everyone who participated in my photography giveaway at 'kind over matter' this past week!

the winners have been announced at kom..so congratulations!

oh, and i had such a great (and giddy) time reading through everyone's comments...

the world is filled with so many sweet people!

(((big smile)))

xo

feeling lucky?

well

the gorgeously inspiring and oh so generous ladies

over at

~kind over matter~

(one of my daily haunts..and all time favorite inspirational blogs..)

are hosting a giveaway of my work!

from now until october 7th

head on over

for your chance to win one of my photographs

..of your choosing..

..from anything at all..

in my photo shop or even from my flickr

i can't wait to see what everyone picks..

..and to see who wins..

it might even by you!

good luck!

xox

*head on over now, so you don't forget!

*and thank you sweet jenn and amanda

you are two extremely amazing ladies!

xo

butterflies gathered around..

butterflies gathered around to protect them from the night

when i first saw this painting

i have to admit to you

that it brought tears to my eyes

with it's beauty

and it's hope..

nigel and lily embrace at sunrise

my emotions are often stirred though, with amanda blake's work.

she creates a seemingly endless stream of vignettes and stories

nigel and lily embrace at sunset

often visiting the characters over and again

so over time we get to know them

and wonder about them

caroline carefully arranges everything she holds dear

and love them.

butterflies gathered around to protect them from the night

rich in color and depth

they have the power to simultaneously

make you feel calm and still spark the imagination

lead you into a dream

or take you on a journey for a moment

(a journey that is sometimes surprising but somehow always seems familar..)

this one though...with the angel butterflies..

i just want to climb in to

and stay for a while.

i think we could all use butterflies surrounding us

sometimes.

don't you?

enjoy more of her incredible paintings here, here and here.

happy wednesday.

xo

*ps. tomorrow (thursday) my photo store is being featured on one of my favorite blogs

where they're giving away two of my prints!

more info and a link tomorrow..

i really do

*alyssaduhe

how perfectly sweet is this image?

and how lovely it feels to read (or hear!) this sentiment

a sweet and simple thought..

but with deep and happy effects.

looking at this makes me smile from the inside out.

take a second to stare at it

does it do the same for you?

i hope so

and i hope you have a refreshing weekend

full of even

more smiles too.

xox

see you next week

with sneak peeks of....

owls!

(there's a whole flock of em coming to my shop in early october)

xo

*you can find more fresh playful work from alyssa here and here

a little press..

so, my little secret that i wanted to blurt out to you guys

a few months ago

is in print now and i can finally reveal that i am the featured artiste

in the fall issue of bead & button magazine

it's been a few years since a magazine has featured me,

and so it was nice to be interviewed again.

it puts things in perspective for you as an artist, i think,

to revisit your journey..to look at changes and new directions

by looking back at where you started.

it's quite a nice long article

with large lovely images..hehe

(except i really wish photo credit had been given..)

yvette doss did a great job writing it..i like her perspective and intuitive writing style

she (happily) mentions

the wonderful 'san gabriel bead company' in los angeles

where all of this crazy clay bead business started for me

and also peppers the article with mentions of 'etsy'

(which i was also very happy about)

and salmon and cemeteries and guadalajara

and all sorts of things that inspire/inform my clay work.

it's always interesting to see yourself through someone else's eyes, isn't it?

(and funny enough, it's really not embarrassing at all..!)

if you want to see a copy, it's on newsstands and in craftstores

and bookstores all over the world

(how cool is that?!)

and please contact me if you want me to autograph a copy for you..

haha!

wishing you a really happy mid-week..

see you tomorrow

with more fun.

xo

coco avant chanel

i love that this week has turned into an accidental tribute to france!

(not a bad way to spend a week, i'd say)

and what a better way to end it

than to talk about something completely and undeniably french..

an upcoming film

that explores the beautifully artistic

and gloriously indomitable spirit

of the quintessential french fashion icon

.coco chanel.

it's release date

is one week from today here in the states

(friday september 25..yes my calender is marked in red!)

the exciting part,

other than it starring the gorgeously easy to watch

audrey tatou

(amelie!)

is that it follows coco's life before she was chanel

before the fame and fortune..

she had such an interesting life.

i never knew she was an orphan, or that she tried to become a singer..

oop. stop me before i reveal too much.

(i'm one of those..i research everything feverishly when i find something i love)

her unique vision and strong spirit are incredibly inspiring

and really,

whether you go in knowing her beautiful story or not,

the movie is going to be one poetic frame after another.

...french countryside, early 1900s, paris,

the clothes, the colors, the sets...

a true feast for the eyes.

so in the meantime,

i hope you have a wonderful weekend

full of inspiration.

we're going to lake ontario...apple picking has begun in ny state!

what are you going to do?

i'd love to hear

xo

*all photos via imdb

speaking of things french...

***

in between ballet lessons

playing the piano

and drinking tea

in her 200 year old house

***

lovely julia of rennes-le-chateau

has been creating beautifully poetic

new clothing and handbags

for fall

each piece is romantic and modern

and

although she lives in boston

i swear each time i look at her work

i feel like i'm in paris

(it's happening a lot these days..)

you can find her sweet new items

in her etsy shop

rennes le chateau

ohh la la

how i love you so.

*all photos via rennes le chateau

memories of eating truffles in paris..

***

we stepped out of the chocolaterie
onto the cobblestone street
just below montmartre
just as the rain started falling

***

laughing and looking up to see the dark clouds
old iron work from the old metro
curved and gorgeous
caught my eye
between trees hanging low with drops of rain

***

windows boxes filled with soft flowers
just beyond
and stone walls filled with time
smiled down at me with their stories
of life and love

***

maybe it's because it's been almost 4 years to the day

that i was last in paris

(much too long if you ask me..)

..or maybe it's because i have a serious case of wanderlust

but

lately i've been dreaming remembering and fantasizing

about paris (a lot)

and

have been making jewelry and plotting photographs

inspired by these *dreams*

it's just an indulgence i happily allow myself..

going there in your mind (and heart)

is *almost* as good as being there..

n'est-ce pas?

***one of the little creations inspired by memories of beautiful old

historic dreamy paris

in my jewelry shop

hope you have a happy and inspiring monday!

xo

into the trees

and now we interrupt our regularly scheduled program

with a moment of utter gorgeousness..

i love how relaxed and inspired this makes me feel..

i want to dive right in to those images.

ahhhh...such a nice way to start the work week after the long holiday weekend

(you have to ease back into these things sometimes..don't you think?)

and now, off to translate some of these images into clay..

xo

happy weekend

***

wishing you all a very happy weekend

full of adventure

rest friends food and all the things you love best.

xo

postcards from sweden..

*

*

oh the lush greenery..

(so wild and still somehow kept and not messy..a perfect combination)

the quaint houses and lanes..

the bright cheery colors..

*

*

the adorable signs and packaging..

so perfectly and sweetly designed

*

*

oh the utter charm and quaintness

*

*

all brought to us in the form of photo postcards

by the lovely chelsea over at frolic

while she travels through sweden

(..chelsea is also one half of urbanweeds..one of my daily haunts..)

how lucky are we??

*

*

and she's promised a tour through a swedish house..

oooh i'll definitely be there for that one!

won't you join me?

wishing you a happy wednesday!

xo

*all images via frolic

(tack så mycket, chelsea!)

*ps. a big huge blitz of new work is coming to my bead/jewelry shop over the coming weeks..

sneak peeks to follow..

(heheh..i love building anticipation..)

yellow whispers

with a light gray rain falling today

there's a gentle first hint of fall in the air

a certain stillness hangs lightly

as the days get a little shorter

and all of the green loosens its hold

slipping into whispers of yellows and reds

i love this quiet time just before the explosion of fall color

there's a certain dreaminess

as summer drifts into memory

......................................

olive juice kids

how adorable are these clothes??

so paris chic..

i can definitely imagine sipping coffee in a cafe

while wearing these

or visiting galleries

and walking down the champs-elysees

boating on the seine

browsing through books at shakespeare & co

or

just pretending i'm in france..

and they're making me really excited about dressing for fall

(it's right around the corner..can you believe it?)

oh if only they came in adult sizes.

(via abby sharp)

happy monday!

xo

down the rabbit hole

**

she looked into her dreams

where her good friends lived and played and decided

the day had come to join them

and so

**

into the sun we ran

letting fears fall away

**

stopping only to see that this place

in all its gorgeousness

with all its newness

**

had really been ours all along.

sketches and notes from an adventurous day

(with many more to come..)

wishing you a happy weekend full of dreams and adventures of your own.

xo

*these photos are a small part of a collaborative series that my bf sam and i are creating

i think the word for this one would be..sweet

this animation..

the music..

the words..

her voice..

it all just tickles me inside

a little bit 1930s

a little more 1940s

some 1960s

and slightly edgily modernish too

..a nice combination i'd say

hope you're having a happy week.

xo

joi de vivre

have you seen it yet?

oh

you must you must you must.

i'm telling you.

you must.

within the first minute

i was dreaming of living in paris

(even more vividly than usual)

and by the fifth minute into the film

i was starving

(despite the fact that we had just stuffed our faces

at the farmer's market 30 minutes earlier)

..oh those endless images of melting butter and bruscetta and souffles ..

(i didn't find any stills of those online..just trust me)

and about an hour in

i had made up my mind to turn my wish list on ebay

(for the entire le creuset set of pots and pans)

into a fedex delivery to my kitchen

gather a good girlfriend or two

come armed with loads of snacks

(maybe sneak in a basket filled with french bread and cheese and wine..

i'm going to do just that next time i see it..oh and i will see it again soon)

and get ready to smile

and laugh (outloud)

and cry a little bit

and laugh some more

and simply become filled with julia's contagious joi de vivre.

(meryl streep absolutely channelled her)

if i had to sum up julie & julia in just a few words,

i'd say exactly what my new sweet friend beth said after it was over..

'that was just lovely'.

it really was.

happy monday

and bon appetit!

xo

ps. and if you become as obsessed with julia and her food and life as i did

(i think you will)

you'll love this website