Top Five Tuesday:: Gasp worthy findings

There are some things I come across in my daily *research* that makes me gasp... and, by gasp worthy, I mean it wakes me up, makes my heart burst, stills me.
Here are my picks from recent discoveries:

1. Perfect serenity from Pascal Shirley Photography

2. This cool before/after project from photographer Irina Werning: (click here to see more)

 

3. Oh my.  Something cute and so sexy from BHLDN :

4. The Gramercy Park Hotel in NYC is something special ( I want to sit in those cozy blue velvet window booths and sip port) and somewhat overwhelming (I can't help but freak out over those five zillion light bulbs hanging from the ceiling in the second photo below.  Here's hoping for no earthquakes.).  I'd totally take it all, though. (Initial link from DesignLoveFest)

 

5. And these extraordinary invitations from Royal Steamline...wow.

Off to discover more gasp worthy goodies...

Word for the Week:: Align

 ( 1000 Beautiful Things )

Yep.  Align.
My focus this week is on the greatness and the bold and the higher road.  I'd prefer to align with that than, say, with the despair and the fear and the inauthenticity (is that a word?  Spellcheck is telling me, "no", but I'm keeping it in).
Instead it's this for me as a gentle reminder of just how to align with this greatness... (a shout out to Tiffany for sharing this.)

"Most of the shadows in this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine" Emerson 

(BomoBob)

So, I suppose it's all up to me.  Aligning with the sunshine will be pretty awesome. 

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine

Source : Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine Ralph Waldo Emerson | Quotes | Dictionary of Quotes - quotesMost of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine

Source : Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine Ralph Waldo Emerson | Quotes | Dictionary of Quotes - quotes

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine
Adversity
Quotations by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source : Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine Ralph Waldo Emerson | Quotes | Dictionary of Quotes - quotesMost of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine
Adversity
Quotations by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source : Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine Ralph Waldo Emerson | Quotes | Dictionary of Quotes - quotes

Street Photography :: Paris ::

Something extra special to take with you into the weekend...

 ( Peter Turnley/Corbis )

 

 (unknown photographer)

(Yanidel's Blog)

( Robert Doisneau- here and below )

Oh, Paris, you little vixen, you...

Behind the Design :: Sneak Peek

As I'm hard at work piecing everything together in preparation for the upcoming photo shoot, I came across these awesome images of Spring '11 runway shots from fashion week.  The colors, the lace, the overall materials mirror key elements for my next collection.  So exciting...

 (Pattern People)

*This*

Lou Mora is a pretty wonderful photographer.  And since a short post is all I have time for today, I'll leave you with one of his portraits...

Wishing you a day like this.

Top Five Tuesday:: Colors

Used to be that the base AND the extension of my wardrobe was black.  Once in a while I might have worn a teeny bit of red or purple or, if I was daring, white sort of mixed in with the black.  But I mostly liked black because I'm clumsy and you can't see coffee or tea or paint or food stains on black... usually.  Also it all started in high school (shocker) when I started to think I could best identify with the music I was listening to if I wore a good coordinating color (The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshee, Joy Division, The Smiths.  I was very predictable.).  But lately, in a very very peculiar twist of events, I've been drawn to wearing great big bursts of other colors (with black mixed in).
These are my favs...

1. Soft Pink.

(Lynda Naranjo)

(T Capone Photo )

2. Turquoise.

 

( T Capone Photo)

( Jen C Photography )

3. Red.

(Heather Stevenson)

( Marc Loret )

4. Ivory and Gold (tie).

 (Sand Maiden Sleepwear)

 

( dress from PrizySebastian)

5. Navy Blue.

( Ara 133 )

( The Fancy Lamb )

What color do you love to wear?

Word for the Week:: Open

There is so much possibility for love.  I hope that you, my sweet friends, will open yourselves up to the vastness of these possibilities.  Because, heck, there's nothing much better than feeling like your whole body is smiling...

Also... these prints by Holli are every bit of perfect that is wonderful.  Their simplicity makes my heart burst...

Into the weekend... Love

(Evolve Studio's *Love is in the Air*)

Here's to love every day of your life.

Here's to slobbery kisses from your dog.

To a great warm hug and holding hands with a toddler.

To a door held by a stranger.

To a smile from an elderly couple walking hand in hand.

Here's to art that makes your heart flip and eye contact from a handsome stranger that makes your belly flip.

To red skirts and turquoise stockings.

To the freedom to marry the person you love.

To kisses on the forehead and behind the ear and on the lips.

To lounging in your favorite spot, drenched in full sunshine.

Here's to love, in its many appearances, every single day of your life...

Love,

Cath

p.s. If you're "one of those" people who will be scrambling for a last minute Valentine's gift at CVS at 9:02pm on Sunday night, consider opting, instead, for a Ciara Obscura gift certificate.  I suspect that might win her over a tiny bit more than would, say, that stiff teddy bear holding a little balloon and a heart shaped box of Russel Stover chocolates. Though I can certainly appreciate the cheesy class of such a gift.


Enjoy a beautiful and love filled weekend and always...

Voila!

I so want to share some photos of this custom bouquet that I recently completed.  And there are a few reasons why I'm sharing...

1. I got to use vintage lace (really truly vintage... like from the bride-to-be's mother's own wedding veil circa 1960) and great great great vintage brooches AND wonderful buttons.  Gasp!!!

2. I also had the chance to use various parts of my brain that I wasn't aware even existed in the process of designing and then constructing it.  My gosh... intense... but a total blast. 

3. SUCH a lovely bride-to-be.  She made this process a total pleasure.

I'm a bit bummed though,  and only because I wasn't especially skilled at taking a good full scope shot of the bouquet.  But here are some angles to give you an idea...

 

and here are the bridesmaids hair adornments that were a part of the order, as well...

Will, hopefully, have some wedding photos to share of these pieces in action in another month or two.

Do I love my job?  Yes.  Yes, I do.

Today I'd like to feel like this...

 

 and this...

(both lovely photos are from This Year's Girl )

Top Five Tuesday :: Alternate Valentine's Gifts

Truth be told, I've never ever been a fan of Valentine's Day.  I'm a fan of the love and the treats, but not so specific to that day.  So I thought it might be neat to search out some great artists with a fine eye for an off the beaten path gift of love... little gifts that would be really perfect to give at surprise intervals throughout the year, rather than just when you are told to on Valentine's Day.
Ready?

1. Anti-Valentine's Day card by Stocking Tops

2. Robots in Love tee shirt from Happy Family

3.  My Darling Deer by Kitschy Kitschy Cool

4. Mix tape postcards from Anchor Tag

5. Bike Love by William Dohman

 

Ah love...

Word for the Week:: Motion

 ( Love this website )

The last few days I've felt like a slacker.  Even though I've let myself take normal person breaks and actually enjoy a normal person weekend with normal person party good times, I feel like I will need to overcompensate for this by moving along to a sped up fluid pace this week.
I've got two paintings to start and finish, prep work for an upcoming photo shoot for the Spring designs to process, and bits and pieces of about twelve other things.  So, basically,  it's just life moving fast and me keeping up.  But this motion is not a rush (oh no, I've learned my lesson from my past two weeks.), it's all about keeping the momentum and creating with gusto.  

This week is artistry in fluid motion.

p.s. my bicycle is almost up and running... can't wait to share the photos of her here soon!

Into the Weekend:: Embellish

(from Design Lovefest)

Minus the fur (I'm hoping it's fake), I dig this shot (above).  But I think it's the colors more than the dolled up girl being abandoned in the middle of a desolate nowhere place.

(Idylle)

This kind of reminds me of my friend, Stephanie, whose birthday it is today.  Happy Birthday, Steph!

Going out, celebrating and ready to be a little too hung over tomorrow...

* Secrets *

( All photos by the magnificent Elle Moss )

The Magnetic Fields have a fantastic song called "Save a Secret for the Moon".  I listen to it and give myself the rare opportunity to think long and hard about my secrets.  Thing is, I only have a few... and they're all surreal but lovely.

Do you think of your secrets when you are safely behind a mask?

Do you stare into far off dreams from your window?

 

Do you secretly wish you were born in another time or place?

(I love the lyric on the bottom of this photo below, not because I wish for it, but because I think it's taken from a Belle and Sebastian song... and I love that band with a giddy passion.)

 Do you wander this world with secret hopes?

Ever think of releasing your secrets?