Paintings by Clare Elsaesser

As soon as I get a place that I'd actually like to settle down in for awhile, I will definitely be purchasing a 16x20 print from Clare Elsaesser. This artist has been featured on Etsy in 2010 and again for a home tour in 2012. She and her artist husband work from a home studio in their California beach house. What I especially love about her work is how calm and serene the scenes are. By making her subjects faceless, they become easy for anyone to relate to, especially my introvert self.
Her color palettes are soft and dreamy with pale blues, mossy greens and soft peachy tones. These are a few of my favorites from her etsy shop.

1 Desert

2 Happiness

3 Summer Girl

4 Swirl

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I also love that she regularly posts to instagram and you can really follow her artistic process. You can follow her here. Here's a snippet of her work: 

Seattle // Queen Anne

 

I had a glorious walk around Queen Anne today in Seattle. 

Got Thai food for lunch, walked around in the sunlight which I always seem lucky enough to catch somehow. Then headed to West Elm where I fell in love with this mini tabletop lamp.... too bad it's backordered forever.

bicycle furniture

This stuff is way too sculptural and awesome not to post. Bike Furniture Design has been recycling old steel frames from bicycles since 1990 when Andy Gregg founded it. Since the design studios inception, they have branched out into re-purposing old train and automobile windows for tabletops and seatbelts for upholstery. I love the modernist/industrial lines.Prices are available upon request... I can only imagine how expensive these must be but they are truly works of art. If I am ever in the market for a sculptural piece of furniture I am definitely remembering this design studio.

Spring lovelies / Etsy finds

I cannot even begin to explain to you how ecstatic I am that spring is here. It was 61 degrees today in beautiful Portland, Oregon and the sun even peaked its' head out of the clouds for a few minutes. Unfortunately, it isn't quite time to bust out the summer dresses that longingly beckon to me from the back of my closet. But it's almost here, maybe April. I did, however, forage through my winter purchases and imagine all of the lovely outfits I will be able to compile by mixing the new items with last spring/summer season's clothes when the time is right...

I'm also pretty sure that I'm going to start getting into making earrings. I was going through my jewelry collection and found a bracelet I bought at Anthropologie a few seasons ago of which I love the beads but not how heavy or noisy it is when I move. My plan is to deconstruct it and make some earrings. I stumbled on a shop on etsy by a woman who used to make jewelry for bloomingdales and the smithsonian... she has a really cool collection of vintage beads for sale from her years of jewelry making. I'll be sure to post up pictures of the progress when I start!

Until then, feast your eyes on some spring ideas from etsy in anticipation of the sun and warm weather!

8x10 Antler drawing and flower photograph 4217 by kariherer

$30

Chamomile Tea - Fabric/Labradorite/Sterling-Earrings by kangas

$24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handmade flowers halo-headband by mignonnehandmade

 

$75

The gum drop necklace. bold. bright. clusture. statement. by NewFashionedWhispers

$68

Flowers Linen Pillow Cover - 12x20 by sukanart

$55.95

Pei Pods

I've been looking for cute animal furniture because I need some stuff for my cat...but everything looks so ugly! Giant carpeted platforms definitely don't appeal to my design sense. I stumbled on PEI Pods accidentally and really like the idea! The design might be a little too modern for my current style but I'm definitely bookmarking the site. The cushion is washable and the plastic is safe and recyclable when it's outlived its usefulness. They make them in different sizes for dogs, cats and smaller pets too... Ooh la la. $129 for the small cat version.

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

Luxury soaps? I think I will spoil myself a little...

First and foremost, I love the product. Secondly, I respect well designed packaging. And Gianna Rose definitely has the packaging to match her quality soaps. Christmas is coming up...Is it wrong if I want to treat myself? Mannequins, seashells, acorns, owls, eggs... lots of great designs for any occasion!

You can never have enough pillows...

I am guilty of being that girl that has a huge pile of pillows on the bed. Luckily, I have a queen size bed and I sleep alone (excluding Mariska, who usually takes up my foot space anyway) so it's pretty easy to share half my bed with pillows. Seriously, when I see an amazing throw pillow cover (currently sporting West Elm, and Urban Outfitters throw pillow covers) I usually have to give in when they match my decor and style.


I am currently coveting some gorgeous handmade pillow cases from the Home Centric based out of India.

The designer is a fashion and textile designer schooled at the leading fashion institute in India. I was already in love with handmade textiles from India...somehow they have mastered the art of heavily saturated colors, sequins, tiny mirrors and shiny thread. I think I'm going to need a window bench and possibly three or four sofas for my pillow collection to spill onto once I obtain all of my heart's desires... Haha. If only.

Chair Couture

Anything refurbished, modern v. traditional, bright and beautiful is high on my list of beautiful things... especially if there are stripes involved. Always a sucker for fun pieces that remind me of candy chaircouture makes me want to go out and find some Queen Anne period furniture and reupholster/paint it to cheery oblivion.

Similarly, Josh & Louis have some really cool and colorful high style chairs as well.