Oh Land - Sun of a Gun

I randomly ran across this band on youtube. It has a catchy dance anthem-ish sound. The music video is pretty fun. Check it out.

Nestrest by Dedon

How cozy would it be to hoist yourself over a little lake in your back yard and read a book in the Nestrest made of durable Dedon fiber? I stumbled on this design by French designers Daniel Pouzet and Fred Frety and I have decided that it will someday grace my backyard somewhere, someday, somehow.  It's modeled after a birds nest to promote meditation and tranquility. Love it!

Jackalope the Fearsome Critter Men's T-shirt

I saw this and loved it. I love the color combination with the gold shirt and the brown ink. It has a nice vintage feel. Plus it's such a good deal! $16 + $4 shipping. Check it out on happyfamily.

Portland Throw Pillow

I stumbled upon this vintage Portland map pillowcase on etsy. The seller apparently has the designs printed on the fabric which makes them pretty unique. But of all places, the seller is in Australia?! They are a bit on the pricey side at $57.25 plus $7 shipping but I do love vintage maps...and that's my part of Portland! There are also really cool designs of Antarctica, London, Chicago among other various places. This one is my favorite though! You can check out all of My Bearded Pigeon's designs here.

If I had a little girl...

If I was ever to decorate a bedroom for a little girl, I would love to hang these pretty little French-inspired prints on the wall. So cute! By evajuliet on etsy; $45 for 5 prints

Love this tee.

Another etsy find. I love screen printed shirts that actually look like the designer actually had some kind of artistic epiphany. I love that it's a simplified cartographic map. It looks fantastic. It's a relaxed style but with thought and character.

Cartographic T-Shirt - $20

I like this seller's shop because the shirts are American Apparel t-shirts which are great quality with exceptional comfort. For $20 they are ridiculously affordable and competitive with mainstream stores.

Check out nonfiction tee's on etsy. And there's a sale right now. Can't beat that.

Denver vacation

The first week of February I took a little (what I hoped to be) relaxing vacation. I was looking forward to checking out the city with a break from the monotony of Portland weather. Usually, Denver has some pretty exceptional weather and sun.... except for the ONE week I traveled there where temperatures dropped to record lows for the last decade. Freak snow and negative temperatures meant that indoor activities were a must. Luckily, one of the highlights of my winter adventure was my (all too brief) trip through the Denver Art Museum. Hopefully the next time I am in town, I'll be able to check out more than a hand full of exhibits... but what I did see was absolutely worth it.

I love art museums... they're such an amazing link to the past and the art community in general. It's a completely different experience to see an original painting on a gallery wall than it is to see it in a book or on a poster. I couldn't have been more ecstatic to see an original Lichtenstein painting in it's full scale and glory.

The Violin by Roy Lichtenstein. 1976

Clearly, I was like a kid in a candy store from the look of my huge cheesey grin. Irregardless, it was as amazing as I would have expected it to be. I was mostly excited because it was a complete surprise that it was at the museum. In a high school art class, we were asked to do a painting "in the style of" an artist. I did mine in the style of Kandinsky and my best friend did one in the style of Lichtenstein. That was my first exposure to researching the artist. I'm always really drawn to bright colors in artwork, so seeing large scale reproductions of comic book frames had me hooked.

It was a year and two days ago that I found out my best friend was no longer with us, may she rest in peace. She's been on my mind a lot the past several days so in honor of her memory I am posting the painting that she did. I miss you all the time, Maddi.

Painting by Madeline Laurel Gronemeier (1986 - 2010) completed in 2004

Current shopping obsession: Ruche online boutique

Anyone who knows me knows that my fashion sense is borderline retro. Not over the top. Perhaps "classic" is a more accurate descriptive word. I'm not trying to guest star on Mad Men. As much as I love Mod Cloth, some of it seems too vintage-y for me. Ruche's headline is "a modern boutique with a vintage touch." I think that sums up my aesthetic pretty well. I love how this store is reminiscent of things I would find at Anthropologie but at a fraction of the cost. Key example being this scarf:

chenin grape scarf in light pink

$22.99

And it's a steal of a price.

Here's some images of the spring collection for your viewing pleasure.

Ellie Goulding - Lights

I just recently stumbled upon Ellie Goulding's music and I am rather smitten. I love her outfits. And her accent.

Ralph Lauren

A genius marketing campaign, this commercial appeals to the young male demographic on many levels. The song, the lifestyle, the style in general, the care free attitude. A male friend of mine told me to look up the commercial on youtube because I hadn't seen it. He said it worked on him because it made him immediately want to download the song and buy the cologne. Marketing isn't a bad thing...it's just important to know your demographic and appeal to the consumer with something they actually enjoy. I would say good job, Ralph Lauren. Also, I really heart Onerepublic.



Ralph Lauren was also recently featured on the cover of Architectural Digest showcasing a "new classic" style mansion he built in the Beaux Arts style in NYC to be a high end retail showcase for his merchandise. I love classic styles and he has mastered ways to keep them fresh and appealing. Plus he's a cute little old man with impeccable style.  

Style watch

I haven't posted anything in the men's style category for awhile. Channing Tatum is featured in the new GQ. In the slideshow posted online he's featured wearing an art tee from Urban Outfitters by Deter with an image of Kate Moss on it. I absolutely love it. And for $24 it's a steal. And I can't say it looks bad on Chan either. ;)

 

The cover photo encapsulates classy men's style. Skinny black tie + white button up + leather jacket = the perfect combination between prepster and rugged bad ass.

Kid Cudi - The Prayer (with Band of Horses sample)

I love this song for so many reasons. The primary reason being that Band of Horses' song 'The Funeral' is sampled.