Oh My Pod!

{Image from Mudpuppy}

It would not be a lie if you were to say I was a tad obsessed with air plants. I've come to terms with my obsession. It's really nothing to be ashamed of...especially given that there are so many cool products for air plants. Take for instance, these ceramic hanging air plant pods by Denver-based Etsy seller Mudpuppy. I'm partial to these high-gloss white pods, but they also make a more rustic version.

Heart and Soule

{"goldfish trick" from Elizabeth Soule Photography}

Back in 2008, I stumbled upon Portland-based photographer Elizabeth Soule's Etsy shop, where I bought a photo box of her "little deer" print - which I love! There's something about Soule's photographs (many of which were taken with a Polaroid SX-70) that speaks to me. Her work reminds me of that adorable French flick, Amelie - perhaps it's the saturated colors or whimsical nature of it. At any rate, if you haven't seen Soule's work, I highly suggest you check out her site.

Tonfisk Design

{Image from Tonfisk Design}

I'm loving the clean lines and functional design of this plant ladder by Tonfisk, a Finish design company started back in '99 by Tony Alfstrom and Brian Keaney. Apparently, Tonfisk translates to "tuna fish" in Swedish. Odd, right? Well, whatever they call the company, there's no denying that they create some pretty covetable products. Check out more of their works here.

Make It Official

Every time my friend's daughter looses a tooth, they sprinkle "fairy dust" (aka glitter) where the tooth was left for that little winged tooth thief. That's pretty adorable, huh? Well, the folks at Notion Farm like things a little more official - hence their official tooth fairy kit. Each kit comes with a letterpress "certificate of record," where you can record your child's name, age, which tooth they lost and, my personal favorite, the compensation details. Simply slip the certificate in the bag, go to sleep and let the Tooth Fairy work her magic. Fairy Dust sold separately.

On the Road

{Images from yorktown road}

Designer Carol Gilbert, of yorktown road, lets the fabric dictate the form when she's creating her collection of totes, clutches, pillows and scarves - meaning each item is unique. Gilbert works primarily with linen and wool, hand dying her fabrics in small batches to obtain intense coloring. Check out Gilbert's Flickr stream for some wonderfully vibrant images of her work and process. You can shop the collection here.

Small & Cool? No Way!

{Walter kicks it on the rug}

{where the magic does (or doesn't) happen - haha!!}

{I like to think of the gun-range target as a burglar deterrent - look closely & you can see I got him where it counts!}

Somehow, and I'm not exactly sure how it happened, my apartment made it to the next round of Apartment Therapy's Small, Cool Contest. I don't expect to get to much further than this, given that the first apartment I'm up against is pretty spectacular. That said, I'm going to do my best to drum up support from family and friends (virtual and local alike). If you feel like voting for me, you can do so here. Thanks again to everyone who voted for me during the first round - you guys rock! Wish me luck!

{You know you love my awesome linoleum!}

Rule the Roost

{Image from Rare Device}

Loving these sleek Bodega Bird Houses by Roost, a Sausalito-based wholesale design firm. The houses are fashioned from stoneware and recycled teak. Find them over at Rare Device.

Shower Power

{Images from Grain}

The folks at Grain, a collaborative with a focus on sustainable design, have a created a shower curtain that comes blank and equipped with a permanent marker - so it's ready for you to work your creative genius on. If your looking for inspiration, check out these designs. In addition to letting you get your art on, the shower curtain is made from high-density polyethylene, which is one of the most commonly recyclable plastics. Plus, unlike vinyl shower curtains, this plastic one breath, meaning less mildew and mold. Oh, and you can wash it and your design will stay put - yay!

It's A String Thing

{Image from AREAWARE}

Some people believe that tying a string around your finger will help keep an idea from escaping, but who wants to sport a string ring? NYC-based designer Kiel Mead offers up a far more fashionable means of remembering - his Forget Me Not rings, which are available in many colors and metals.

Knit Wits

{Image from plainMADE}

The folks at Portland-based plainMADE know how to knit, they also know how to fake knit. Confused? Well, check out their gossamer silk scarf, which has been screen-printed with a knit pattern. The scarf is available in four color combos - I'm partial to the one with teal ink.

Go PUBLIC

{Image from PUBLIC}

PUBLIC, a San Francisco-based bike company, will launch its collection of modern (and totally covetable) bikes come May. The collection will feature four colors, three gear configurations (1-, 3- and 8-speed) and will be priced from $650 to $1200. Love, love, love it!

Q: What Do You Call A Smart Dinosaur?

A: A Thesaurus!

My friend Darcey is uber-talented. I mean, the girl has skills. She's also just about the sweetest, most genuine person that I have ever met - one of the reasons we've been friends for more than 15 years. That said, I wasn't at all surprised when she offered to design a downloadable card exclusively for Bows & Sparrows readers. I was, however, extremely flattered by her offer. Then, she gave me the files and man, were the cards adorable! So, here are two downloadble versions (blue & yellow) of her Thesaurus cards. I hope you love them as much as I do! Oh, and for a peak into Darcey's home, visit this old blog post.

(Bow) Tie Me Up

{Image from Laurent Desgrange}

Parisian designer Laurent Degrange makes an assortment of colorful and fashionable bow ties...at least one of them is bound to strike your fancy. I say ditch the skinny tie and sport one of these bad boys. Do it!

Attention, Ladies & Gentlemen

{Image from Ladies & Gentlemen}

Jean Lee and Dylan Davis, the brains behind Ladies & Gentlemen, specialize in giving new life to vintage items. Their Etsy shop is chock-full of vintage typewriters, maps, lab equipment and more. That said, the duo also has some kick-ass, original designs. For example, their Chalk it to Me! figurines, a collection of chalkboard-coated creatures that let you decorate and redecorate to your heart's content. Pretty brilliant, if you ask me.

Go Ahead, Put Something on a Pedestal

{Image from iacoli & mcallister}

Loving these mini-pedestals by Seattle-based design firm iacoli & mcallister. The bases of the pedestals are fashioned from rescued candlestick holders that are then powder coated in vibrant colors, while the top is constructed of hand-finished corian. Each pedestal is uniquely it's own. Check out the current stock here.

15 Minutes of Fame

When SN&R writer Rachel Leibrock approached me for the rag's 15 Minutes column, I was super flattered and, truth be told, more than a tad nervous. I mean, at one time I was an SN&R staffer. During my five years with the publication (I left in 2008), I worked in the front office, editorial and finally in the design department. I was used to being the one asking the questions, not the one answering them. So, armed with a little liquid courage, I took Leibrock's call and did my best to answer her questions in an somewhat intelligent manner. Well, the time has come, the paper hit the stands today. Onliners and out-of-towners can check out this digital copy of my 15 minutes of fame. Oh, and a special thanks to Leibrock for thinking me worthy of being featured in the column!

Heads Up

{Image from Claudia Schulz}

The hats of Berlin-/Vancouver-based milliner Claudia Schulz hark back to styles popular during the '20s and '30s, but still manage to maintain a modern flair. Perhaps it's the vibrant colors, bold graphics or clean and simple lines. Whatever it is, there's no denying that the collection is fun and totally fashionable.

Industry News

{Image from Redeem}

A little wild and super fun, these lace-up pumps by Industry are totally covetable. Love the blue suede, grey leather and wood-grain heel combo. Need. These. Now.

Vegan Friendly

{Image from Crystalyn Kae}

Seattle-based handbag designer Crystalyn Kae has a line of vegan-friendly handbags that are super cute! I'm really liking the clutch wristlets, which are available in numerous colors and feature gathered sides and a vintage fabric pleat. Plus, they're totally washable. Love it!

The Lucky One

{Image from Sword + Fern}

I'm loving the work of Portland-based sustainable jewelry designer Emily Baker. The Lucky Cloud Necklace is one of my favorite pieces from Baker's Moon Frontier collection.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

{Image from Molly M. Designs}

Love, love, love these layered earrings by Molly M. Designs, the brainchild of Molly McGrath. McGrath trained as an architect before coming to the realization that the laser cutter she used to design architectural models could also be used to make unique jewelry. These earrings, dubbed Drops 3, are fashioned from cherry and birch wood, and sea-foam suede. Check out McGrath's other designs - they're equally delectable.

Holy Foodgasm!

{Image from Skillet}

A friend of mine recently posted a Facebook status that read: "Bacon jam = foodgasm." I've never tried the stuff, but I have a serious thing for bacon and imagine that I would totally agree with my friend's sentiment. Anyway, I spotted this T-Shirt by Skillet online and it made me laugh...so I thought I'd share. Skillet also sells bacon jam, in case you can't find any in your 'hood.

Shady Ladies

I simply cannot resist the Shady Lady. First, there were the $2 Olympias. Then, I discovered the Pimm's Cup (man, are those things tasty?!). And now, as if I needed another reason to go to Shady, they put in a photo booth! I have to confess, I've been in that photo booth seven times in the past three days. The booth costs $4, and doles out black-and-white, strip-style photos (I edited the above into a square to conserve blog space). A special thanks to my shady ladies (Rosemary, Madeleine & Sarah) for letting me include their pictures on my blog. Hey ladies, I've got $4 burning a hole in my pocket!

Night Shift

{Image from Melissa Odabash}

Loving this sparkly shift dress by Melissa Odabash...and apparently so is everyone else (most sizes are sold out).

My New 'Do

Today, despite feeling a bit under the weather, I went to get my hair did...because, when you have a hair appointment you can't just go flaking on it. I mean, the sanity of a lady depends on it. Marci did a fabulous job, as always (thanks, lady!). And, of course, after you get your hair did, you have to go out and show the world, right? So, off to Roseville I went with my ladies. We hit up Anthropologie, where I spotted this gorgeous hunk of leather.

I'm telling you, the Backlit Bag was really was a thing of beauty, but the price tag was a little too steep for me. Off to F21 and Urban we went, where I scored lots of good finds (for instance, these) for more reasonable prices. At any rate, now I'm beat and I'm going to eat some food and hit the sack. Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

I've Got the Spins

{Image from NYBD}

I am currently obsessed with pinwheels. My obsession started as a the result of this photo by Nicole Carman. It just makes me SO happy. Then, I spotted these stainless steel pinwheels over on Mrs. Lilien, and it was love at first sight.

Pet Pillows

{Image from Workshop}

Most of us are familiar with the Boston Terrier pillow by Fauna, but not all of us own Bostons. For instance, I've got a Walter and I have no idea what breed he is. Now, thanks to the Screen and Sew: Pet Pillows class at Workshop in San Francisco, we can all have pillows that look like our pets. The class costs a mere $34 and no supplies are needed. Simply sign up for the class and send them a digital image or rendering of your favorite fur ball. Basic sewing skills are required. Hurry, there are only 6 slots left in the May 15th class. If you don't make it this go around, don't fret, I'm sure they'll offer the class again. If anyone from Sac is interested in going, let me know - we could carpool down for the day!

A Chair Affair

Ah, if only this chair didn't cost $989 - I'd be all over it like white on rice. *swoon*

Two Birds, One Cup

I'm addicted to coffee. I covet almost anything that sparkles. So, how could I resist this 2 Carat Cup, which allows me to combine my love of both?

Hats Off to this Beauty

{Image from Victoria Albert Museum Shop}

This would be the perfect hat for a day spent in the garden or lounging poolside. Unfortunately, the lime green and black versions are temporarily out of stock.

Come Fly With Me

{Image from Blackbird}

I was so excited to find these stylish photo makers! I mean, I appreciate the instant gratification of digital cameras, but my heart will always belong to film. The Blackbird, Fly camera is a twin lens reflex (TLR) that shoots 35mm (yay!) and is available in five covetable colors. The best part? You can shoot in 3 formats: normal (24mm x 36mm), square (24mm x24mm) and large square (36mm x 36mm). Rad!!! The cameras are only $119, which isn't too bad. Curious if anyone out there has one. See samples of the photos on Blackbird.

Before (or Rather During) & After

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to pull the bird decals off of my kitchen wall. They'd been up for several years and I'd finally grown tired of them. Unfortunately, when I went to pull the first bird off, the paint came with it. Uh oh! And, of course, the paint under the top coat of paint just had to be a different color. Double uh oh!

Once I got started, there was no turning back - peeling the paint was SO addictive! If you've ever had a sunburn peel, you may know what I mean. I pulled the other birds off with the same results - a mixture of fear and excitement filled me with each large sheet of paint I removed. Well, I decided that if I was going to have to repaint the walls, I'd add some color. Enter Behr's Hallowed Hush (love, love, love this color!!). After two days of scrapping, sanding and priming, I had finally finished - and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Without further adieu, here are the results:

P.S. You can see more of my apartment over at Apartment Therapy, where it's a contestant in the small, cool contest. If you feel compelled, you should vote for me!!

Go Ask Alice

{Image from Artful Goods}

I'm jumping on the Alice in Wonderland bandwagon with this post. I just couldn't resist when I saw these Shake Me salt-and-pepper shakers by Flora Lam. So adorable.

Save For a Rainy Day

{Image from Ignacio Pilotto}

This ceramic Rainy Day Bank by industrial designer Ignacio Pilotto (spotted over at NOTCOT) makes me so happy!!!

Air Supply

A couple of months back, I spotted a DIY tutorial on how to make an air-plant chandelier over at Modish. I liked the general concept, but decided to make mine a little different. Instead of using CB2's whirly hanging candleholders (which I still plan to use to make something similar to this bird feeder), I opted to use their teardrop diamond hanging vases. I purchased black gravel from my local aquarium, some air plants from Capital Nursery, and twine and a ceiling hook from a hardware store. I put it all together and this is what I got:

Come Again Another Day

One of the plus sides to all this rainy weather - in addition to the fact that I don't really mind being at work when it's this wet out - is that I get to accessorize with cool umbrellas. I heart this "Rain Rain Go Away" clear bubble umbrella by Felix Ray (available at Bloomingdales).

Top Coat

{Image from Misewell Modern Furniture}

The walnut Stretch coat rack by Misewell is simple, modern & functional...just the way I like things. The only down side is the $625 price tag. Ouch!

All Felt Up

{Image from Giant Dwarf}

I've been looking for large pinwheels for a photo shoot some friends and I are doing later this month and these Pirouette Pinwheels by Etsy seller Giant Dwarf are perfect. Unfortunately, they appear to be sold out. On the bright side, the description explains that custom orders are available...now to figure out what colors I want. Yay!

Animal Attraction

{Image from Todd & Holland}

These animal mugs available at Todd & Holland are SO adorable...I can't decide if I like the giraffe or the owl the best. What say you?

She's Having a Baby

This letterpress card by Zeichen Press has me busting up! The best part is the card description, which includes this little gem: "She may not laugh, but you will." Brilliant.

I ♥ These Card > ♫ + :)

{Images from Mitchell & Dent}

I ♥ these cards by Mitchell & Dent - math has never been so sweet.