Category: Design

  • Design Foraging: Rainy Day Artsy

    Design Foraging: Rainy Day Artsy

    When we arrived in Seattle and pretty much for the last few weeks, the weather has been glorious.  As in uncharacteristic bright skies and unseasonable warmth.  At first we thought it some kind of cosmic joke– we’d left Florida, then most recently the California desert, to escape the heat, thinking we’d be safe from it in Seattle..  But we found that we didn’t flee in vain.  The grey skies, soft drizzle and cool temperatures returned this week, leaving me ready for a quiet day spent doing rainy day fun.  Here are a few artsy essentials I found to aid in the soggy fun!

    Delicious: The Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud
    Delicious: The Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud

    find it here

    Print Burst Umbrella
    Print Burst Umbrella

    find it here

    Emobossed Dots Mug
    Emobossed Dots Mug

    find it here

    Cavez Rain Boot
    Cavez Rain Boot

    find it here

    Mosaic Dots Tote
    Mosaic Dots Tote

    find it here

    On damp days, we love to sit for hours in a coffee shop, chatting and reading.  Mr. F likes to tour breweries ( that’s on sunny days, too 😉 ) and I love to spend rainy afternoons wandering around a favorite art museum.  What are some of your favorite activities for the days of grey?

    All images linked above.

  • Design Foraging: Artsy Nesting

    Design Foraging: Artsy Nesting

    So if you read yesterday’s late afternoon post, you’ve heard the news– Mr. Forager and I have officially moved to Seattle!  That’s right, no more traveling around, no more putting up with someone else’s decor taste or grody furnishings.  We’ve rented a sweet little mid-century apartment in a beautiful Seattle neighborhood and I’ve been completely obsessed with furnishing it.  Since I’m not working yet ( Did I mention I now have to get a real J-O-B? ), we’ve been furnishing on a “for now” budget until we have two incomes coming in.  And then there’s all my lovely home goodies in storage back in Florida.  I can’t wait to see them again, but am having serious issues remembering what I kept!  So I’ve been doing a bit of day dreaming today.. looking at lovelies that would be perfect for our first real home together.  My favorite colors, a little artsy for me, a bit rustic for Mr. F.

    Large Jar in Summer Moss by Ben Fiess
    Large Jar in Summer Moss by Ben Fiess

    find it here

    Teak Measuring Spoons
    Teak Measuring Spoons

    find them here

    Hawaiian Salt Cellar
    Hawaiian Salt Cellar

    find it here

    Forest Found Hook
    Forest Found Hook

    find it here

    Rose Ombre Velvet Pillow
    Rose Ombre Velvet Pillow

    find it here

    Anyone else doing some artsy nesting in a new home?  Any Seattle  area artsies know of a job opportunity for a hard working Artsy? 😉

    All images linked above.

  • Design Foraging: Seattle, I <3 You

    Mr. Forager and I are beyond excited to make Seattle our home!  The city holds such a special place in our hearts, after a long friendship, Seattle is where Mr. F & I finally fell in love.  We can’t wait to get back, settle in, and start getting to know the city again.  I’m afraid we’ll be walking around for a long time with huge grins on our faces!  To celebrate our arrival in The Emerald City, I’ve rounded up some design finds to show our Seattle spirit.  Enjoy!

    Seattle Space Needle & Sailboat stamp set
    Seattle Space Needle & Sailboat stamp set

    find it here

    Seattle Pillow Cover
    Seattle Pillow Cover

    find it here

    Beacon Hill Mugs
    Beacon Hill Mugs

    find them here

    I Heart Washington Necklace
    I Heart Washington Necklace

    find it here

    Seattle, May the Road Rise With You letterpress print by Amy Rice
    Seattle, May the Road Rise With You letterpress print by Amy Rice

    find it here

    I hope you don’t mind me gushing about my favorite city too much!  Mr. F & I have been waiting a long time for this.  We arrive on Saturday and that’s when the real fun begins– apartment shopping.  Gah!  But in the meantime, we’ll enjoy the cool air and grey skies.  I hope the mountains come out to greet us.

    All image sources linked above.

  • Design Foraging: Erie Drive

    Design Foraging: Erie Drive

    For today’s edition of Design Foraging, I’m excited to introduce you to online retailer, Erie Drive!  Erie Drive offers hand-picked unique gift and home items and I was happy to be asked to curate for them a few of my favorite ED pieces.  Now that spring is in full swing, it is time to get out and enjoy all the art and music festivals coming our way.  Check out a few of my favorite pieces perfect for an outdoor and artsy day below, plus more soon on the Erie Drive blog, The Niche!

    Baby Alpaca Throw
    Baby Alpaca Throw

    find it here

    DF_ED_Magno Portable Radio
    Magno Portable Radio

    find it here

    Critical Cycle Fixed Gear Bicycle
    Critical Cycle Fixed Gear Bicycle

    find it here

    Stelton Classic Vacuum Jug
    Stelton Classic Vacuum Jug

    find it here

    Thomas Paul Elephants Bandana
    Thomas Paul Elephants Bandana

    find it here

    Don’t these make you want to spend a day picnicking?!  Have a wonderful weekend, Artsies!  Mr. Forager & I are leaving Joshua Tree tomorrow, will spend a few days with friends in San Diego and then make our way up the Coast to SEATTLE!!  We are so excited we can’t stand it.  PLUS, I’ve got some fantastic Guest Foragers coming in next week.  I’ll be in and out around these parts for the next few weeks, but can’t wait to start sharing Artsy finds directly from my favorite city!

    Peace & Artsiness,

    Lesley

    All image sources linked above.

  • Design Foraging: Wonky Pots

    Design Foraging: Wonky Pots

    I don’t know about you, but I love anything that’s just a bit off.. wonky if you will.  So of course, I’m loving this collection of Wonky Pots by Anthropologie Featured Artist Vanja Bazdulj.  A little odd, a little irregular, a whole lot wonderful!  Here are a few of my favorites!

    Small Yellow Wonky Pot
    Large Jug Handle Wonky Pot
    Large Coral Kingdom Wonky Pot
    Large Riptide Wonky Pot
    Small Pink Strip Wonky Pot

    Normal is completely underrated! ( see yesterday’s post 😉 )  I’ll take my artsy a little on the wonky side any day.  Happy weekend, Artsies!

    All images via Anthropologie here.

     

     

  • Design Foraging: Cloud Illusions, I Recall

    Design Foraging: Cloud Illusions, I Recall

    Monday morning, as Mr. Forager & I were leaving home, we both got excited at how grey and blustery a morning it was here in the desert.  A “Northwest kind of day!” we both exclaimed.  Perhaps you might think us a bit odd, but we really miss the grey and the rain.  Cool days spent reading in a coffee shop, wandering through used bookstores and galleries.  Those days just don’t seem to happen here in the desert.  So as I’m finding myself longing for clouds, I rounded up a few artsy finds of the cumulus variety!

    Cloud Slivers Lamp at Anthropologie
    Cloud Slivers Lamp at Anthropologie

    source

    Animal Clouds Pillow by SCHOP
    Animal Clouds Pillow by SCHOP

    source

    Tiny Cloud Necklace by Boutique MI
    Tiny Cloud Necklace by Boutique MI

    source

    White Cloud Teaspoon Rest by JD Wolfe Pottery
    White Cloud Teaspoon Rest by JD Wolfe Pottery

    source

    Rainy Day Wool Throw at Leif Shop
    Rainy Day Wool Throw at Leif Shop

    source

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend and may all your clouds end in rainbows.  See you Monday, Artsies!

  • Design Foraging: Get Out Your 3D Glasses, Ya’ll

    Design Foraging: Get Out Your 3D Glasses, Ya’ll

    Ok, so I’m not really using 3D in quite the right context in that there title.  But doesn’t the whole 3D thing still seem terribly futuristic, even though every other movie these days is being made that way?  I admit, I tend to avoid 3D movies if I can.  I think it goes back to a harrowing 3D movie snake experience at Marineland as a youngin’.  Thus solidifying my dislike of snakes and my skepticism about 3D films.  But 3D printed jewelry?!  That’s a snake of a different color.  The idea that you can design an object on a computer and then print it, not on flat paper but in real, three dimensional proportions and in mediums other than paper was mind blowing! I’m just beginning to explore this world, but check out some of my favorite finds so far!

    Radial Necklace I by Nervous System
    Radial Necklace I by Nervous System

    source

    Matryoshka Earrngs by Michiel Cornelissen
    Matryoshka Earrngs by Michiel Cornelissen

    source

    Rabbit Bracelet by Ineke Otte
    Rabbit Bracelet by Ineke Otte

    source

    Round Stone Dangle Earrings in Multi by Half Craft Studio
    Round Stone Dangle Earrings in Multi by Half Craft Studio

    source

    Hexagon Rays Necklace by Alissia Melka-Teichroew
    Hexagon Rays Necklace by Alissia Melka-Teichroew

    source

    I’m kind of dying to see some 3D jewelry up close & personal now.  How about you?  Have you seen any 3D jewelry?  Do you own any?  An inquiring Artsy wants to know.  Have a fantastic weekend, Artsies!

    All image sources linked above.

  • Design Foraging: Plant!

    Design Foraging: Plant!

    Spring is officially here!  As much as I adore winter, there is something about spring that brings out the joy and hopefulness in us, don’t you think?  Like when I owned my little house in Florida, how excited I would get every spring to go to the local nursery and buy pretty flowers and mulch and transform my little yard, keeping my fingers crossed I could somehow keep everything alive! ( Hint: I usually didn’t.  ). Even while we’re vagabonding it and renting, I long to transform each space in the spring.  This year, I’ll have to just gaze longingly at all the wonderfully artsy gardening products popping up all over.  Here are a few of my favorites found in my design foraging this week–

    Ceramic Cylinder Birdhouse at Terrain
    Ceramic Cylinder Birdhouse at Terrain

    source

    Chevron Herb Markers from Sesame and Sparrow
    Chevron Herb Markers from Sesame and Sparrow

    source

    Heritage Garden Hose at Terrain
    Heritage Garden Hose at Terrain

    source

    Hudson Valley Seeds at West Elm
    Hudson Valley Seeds at West Elm

    source

    Sunny Side Watering Can at Terrain
    Sunny Side Watering Can at Terrain

    source

    Any plans to do some diggin’ in the dirt this weekend?  Mr. F and I are heading over to San Diego for some much needed time with friends.  I’m hoping we’ll see some glimpses of spring while we’re there!

    All images linked above.

  • Design Foraging: The Artsy is in the Bag

    So yesterday I confessed to you that I am trying to pare down my clothing collection.  What I didn’t tell you is that I am also traveling with way too many purses!  Back in my gallery days, I was the girl who changed bags with almost every outfit.  And I’m carrying about 10 of them with me every time we move.  That’s about 9 too many to find a place to store.  I’m ready to let go.  I told Mr. F, if I can just find that perfect bag, that Goldilocks & The 3 Bears, it’s just right bag, I would happily donate all the others.  He didn’t think I could do it.  Hmmpf.

    Well, I haven’t been successful yet.  If money were no object I’m sure I could have been, but this is real life after all.  Needless to say, I’ve had bags on the brain.  Now none of these would be my IT bag ( need more neutral if I’m going down to just one ) but oh boy are these artsy bags fun!

    Small Weekender Bag in Abstract by Kate Spade Saturday
    Small Weekender Bag in Abstract by Kate Spade Saturday

    source

    Mini abstract art zipper clutch by kindah
    Mini abstract art zipper clutch by kindah

    source

    Flower Cloud Vintage Painted at Terrain
    Flower Cloud Vintage Painted at Terrain

    source

    Desert Mountains Fold Over Clutch by Lee Coren
    Desert Mountains Fold Over Clutch by Lee Coren

    source

    Wouldn’t one of these clutches be seriously perfect to carry to your next gallery opening?  What?  Clutches don’t count.  They’re for special occasions.  Duh.  Happy weekend, Artsies!

    All image sources are linked above.

  • Wear The Artsy: Peri Schwartz + Block Shop

    Wear The Artsy: Peri Schwartz + Block Shop

    The limited palette and tight scope of the work of this month’s Featured Artist, Peri Schwartz is what continues to keep me enthralled with her paintings.  An artist whose work shares these same characteristics is Lily Stockman, whose work I’ve featured twice here on the blog.

    Lily and her sister, Hopie, have teamed up to create Block Shop, a textiles company creating hand block printed, naturally dyed scarves crafted in India by the Chhipa family of master printers ( more about the process here ).  Doesn’t it seem fitting that if you love Peri’s focus on her place of inspiration, creation, and process that you would wear an artist designed, hand crafted and created scarf?  Of course it does!

    art | Studio III by Peri Schwartz

    scarf | Mosaic [ marigold + black ]

    Because they are hand crafted, only a limited number of Block Shop textiles are created at one time.  The entire inventory sold out in less than a week when Block Shop launched back in December!  So Lily & Hopie have restocked and are taking pre-orders for April 1st shipping.  And if you love these as much as I do, you’d better get your order in now before they’re gone!

    See more from Peri Schwartz and Block Shop on their websites, linked here and here.

    Image sources linked above.