the gael gallery: design, weddings, decor, & fashion through the eyes of an artist

i didn't sleep well last night. i actually woke myself up yelling, "just let me sleep!" needless to say, i felt really tired today. so, i aimlessly rode my bicycle around, exploring the city, stopping first to buy an espresso.

found these adorable rabbit earrings in a local korean dress shop. i love that from a distance they look simple & classic, but up close, so cute

... my new everyday pair.

letting go ... what it feels like to leave everything you own

2011-12-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

my old place

i've never been one to amass collections of anything. so far in my life, i've moved ... allot ... allot allot ... over 30 times before moving out after high school allot. my first apartment things were clothes, a bed, 2 chairs, a kitty, my paintings, & a clunky desktop computer (no desk, mind you). in the next apartment, very little changed except that i bought a desk & had made a few more paintings. my places were empty to the point of, upon me opening my front door to accept some late night vegan pizza, people would ask if i was moving out. this was due to 3 factors: 1. i had no money; 2. i am quite picky & always hold out for what i want & will not waste what little money i have on settling; & 3. every-time i moved (almost once a year), i purged & simplified my belongings.

eventually, i was able to have a fairly well stocked home, a gorgeous steel dining table, a few mid century pieces, my giant easel ... then one morning, my droid buzzed new e-mails & there was a message alerting me that our 5 year goal of moving to thailand to volunteer was shortened to 3 months. moving our things was NOT an option, & i didn't want my most cherished belongings sitting in some dark storage bin, of no use to anyone. we had to sell & give everything away. we spent the next few months on craigslist, ebay, & hauling things to vintage shops.

everything we own & our kitties on the morning of our flight

when you actually begin to sort out, label, & sell every ... single ... thing, you own, you are overwhelmed with HOW MUCH you actually have. then, once things start to disappear, & shelves empty, you notice something ... your daily life is the same ... you don't miss it.

think about it. have you ever gone on vacation & completely enjoyed your life, even wishing you didn't have to go home? you probably only had a suitcase or two with you, & yet, you managed to function.

everything on one luggage trolly

now, i'm not telling you to sell everything you own & move to another country. i'm not saying owning things is bad. however, being able to let go of everything has taught me how little we all actually need.

source: national geographic via mymodernmet via wendy casey on pinterest more on the real up house

during my packing one day, i watched up & couldn't help but identify with the old man when he cut his home free. he had learned that although he had lovely memories attached to that home full of things, they weren't actually those memories. in his case, & mine, he had to let it go in order to let something amazing in.

f+f: post nap

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

took an amazingly long nap after a competition in surin, threw on a skirt, & went on a walk in search of a vegan restaurant, saw some elephants, came back to the hotel victorious, stuffed myself w/ veggies, & fell asleep by 8.

cardigan: target clearance

skirt: anthropologie hand me down

camisole: urban outfitters imperfection clearance

lip stain: revlon just bitten in gothic

it's just paper

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

2011-11-15T02:20:00.001-08:00

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2 years

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

beauty ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

looks were kept simple, relaxed, & ... yes, pretty.

the row

marchesa

alexandre herchcovitch

tribal ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

ever since moving east, i've been loving more & more tribal inspired pieces.

mara hoffman

marchesa

costello tagliapietra

hervé léger

jen kao

the flooding in thailand

2011-10-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

today my post will digress from the usual focus on design.

those of you who follow my blog know that i moved to isaan, the farmlands of thailand, 4 months ago. our home is safe. i am very thankful. however, 1/3 of thailand is underwater, over 300 people have died, & the waters are still rising.

so today, instead of fixating on your sheets that aren't quite the right shade, focus on having a dry place to sleep.

home is transient.

via telegraph.co.uk via cody aagard via pinterest

via chez blanche designs greenfield via pinterest

via facebook via benji s. via pinterest

via theatlantic.com via charlotte yong via pinterest

via hayley barrett via pinterest

via gaurdian.co.uk via sophia roberts via pinterest

video i made with my cell phone on our way back to our home in isaan from bangkok monday

classic ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

my favourite style of the bunch

flapper ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

color blocking ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

bcbg

mod ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-10-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

apparently, i wasn't the only one experiencing the pangs of mad men withdrawal. this nyfw around, some of the biggest influencers gave nods to mod. yes, it rhymes!

twiggy: the mod muse

alice & olivia

alice & olivia showing off a key mod style, black & white, but making it fresh with soft eyes

derek lam

marc jacobs

sachin + babi translate white go-go boots without being so literal as to feel campy

sachin + babi

peter som

tory burch brings my fav of the bunch, reminding me of a vintage dress i used to wear,
& look at those shoes!

f+f: the real me

2011-10-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

sick for 2 months

day five hair, knotted into a messy side bun,

$3 cotton dress & $12 belt

hop on the bike & head to the market for some fresh fruit

cozy mix: fall 2011 fashion

2011-09-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

inspired by

cozy knits & mixed patterns

"bounty of a country weekend" lucky magazine jan '11

nanette lepore fall / winter 2011

"bounty of a country weekend" lucky magazine jan '11

essie's fall collection carry-on

fall '10 anthropologie

stila's coconut crush lip stain - yummy nude lip without looking muddy, even if you're very fair

aveda for rodarte fall '11

f+f: the reality of beauty & the beauty of reality

2011-09-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

form + function introduction: part one

form & fashion are often pitted against each other,

but is that really all we have? is it one or the other?

must my feet choose only to be incased in either sky high, red soled, costlier than my rent, gorgeousness or sinking into the soft, antimicrobial rubber utopia of crocs? if i care for design, must i only rest on a bertoia weaving of wires, wincing as much at the idea of a cushion interrupting the clean, minimal lines as i am at the waffle pattern being pressed into my skin?

my question, argument, & the topic of my new series:

do we actually need to choose?

kaleidoscope? no, these are the cells of a banana leaf.

growing up as an artist, science & math have always been great inspirations to me because they very clearly answer the form vs function debate. do the beauty of these cells detract from their function? no. so, then, why is it that we feel the need to put art & fashion into a box & sharpie scribble "impractical vanity"?

walking art ... nyfw s/s 2012

2011-09-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

well, nyfw has come & gone once again, & i've been mulling over the designs. over the next few weeks, i'll be posting, not trends, but design. fashion is not about trends to me, although they are certainly linked.

first, the designs that left me wishing real life wasn't so practical.

fall barn wedding

2011-09-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

forget me not wedding gown by sarah seven

dried wheat bridal bouquet by LeRoys via etsy

for the bridesmaids micha barton in plaid D&G dress

custom wooden wedding signs by DesignsByRobynLove via etsy

rustic farm wedding invitations by TwoCardinalDay via etsy

vintage gravy boat from havenvintage via etsy

sugar leaves topping sweets make a warmer alternative to the tradtional white tower by andiespecialtysweets via etsy

after the harvest fine art photography by YannPendaries via etsy

mason jar chandelier by BootsNGus via etsy

farm fresh soap wedding favors by oldgatesfarm via etsy

smores brownies by reeaadd via etsy

barn greeting card by lilypadprints via etsy

lamb fine art photograph by YesandAmen via etsy

vacation

2011-09-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

my etsy shop will be going into vacation mode till december.

if you'd like to have jars shipped before december,

please make your order before monday.

my mason jar reproductions

currently in stock:

ดอกอัญชัน from seed to cup

2011-09-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

on one of my first days in thailand, i was introduced to dok un chan or butterfly pea tea by a new friend. it was bright purple & sweet. i was quickly hooked & set about learning how to make it myself.

buy organic dried butterfly pea flower tea from monpraon via etsy

soon, i discovered the tea came from drying the blue flower of a beautiful vine. these vines are everywhere, & i began collecting the seed pods from the streets & growing my own.

butterfly pea vine seeds via amazon

here is how to make this very healthy & beautiful tea.

growing the vine

you will need:

simply put the seeds into the tray
once they sprout move them to a larger pot
once those become substantial, put them in the ground near something they can climb
when the flowers fully bloom, pick them from base
dry the flowers & keep in an air tight container

preparing the tea

you will need:

carafe or teapot
sugar or stevia
any sort of fresh citrus juice
dried butterfly pea flowers

add the sugar & flowers to the pot (for my size, i used 3 blooms)
add boiling water
to make it turn purple, add the citrus juice

benefits

this tea is an exotic way to introduce color to your table & i personally think the process of turning colors could be gorgeous at a party or wedding.
good for circulation & blood
for healthy hair
& beneficial for vision