I know, the Holidays are over. Excuse me for one moment, while we take a trip waaaaaay back in time to December 2011….

Kiehl’s shops all over the country were plastered with these awesome, colorful, lively illustrations. They caught my eye, even made me smile. But I didn’t think TOO hard about where they came from, until I saw some similar work last night. Sure enough, the genius behind these doodles is also the genius behind plenty of other cool stuff!

Philadelphia-based Andy Rementer seems to have a lot of fun stuff going on. He’s exhibiting his art and working on clever comics and animations while whipping up some rad graphics like these forDwell, Businessweek and the NY Times.

And maybe you’ve seen this fancy update to the Oxford American Dictionary at Urban Outfitters? It sold out for a reason.

Andy’s clearly a busy guy with a lot of cool ideas, which is the best news I can offer to anyone that appreciates the kitschy, bold and bizarre. Check his site often for new work, and visit his shop to snag something cool for your blank walls.

The installation above is by far the most inspiring thing I came across last week. Artist Yayoi Kusama created an amazingly stark white interior and let children decorate with thousands of colorful dot stickers in her aptly titled exhibit, “The Obliteration Room.” Not only is it an amazing idea, it looks awesome! Check out more of the before and after shots on This is Colossal.

The photos reminded me a bit of the recent confetti craze.. colorful, whimsical and a little silly. Confetti has been permeating the styling world for quite a while now, but the multi-colored polka dot look is also trickling down into product design. I only did a little bit of hunting, but it seems totally possible to decorate a room in your home to look like Kusama’s exhibit without the help of a single sticker.

Tempting, but so ridiculous! Maybe just the whippets then…?

Clockwise from top left:
Large spot clock by Damien Hirst on Other Criteria (£490)
Multi-dot pillow cover from West Elm ($19.99)
Polka dot glasses from Fish’s Eddy ($24 for a set of four)
Accent plate and sugar bowl from Kate Spade’s Market Street collection ($19 and $65)
Set of two polka dot whippets by Emma Bridgewater (£495)
Felted wool pinocchio rug designed by Hay ($345)
Multidot serving set from French Bull ($16)
Dot to dot flannel bedding on Garnett Hill ($15-$80)
Polka dot painted dresser featured in Elle Decor

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is kicking off their 2012 on a positive note! Looking forward to a lot of fun stuff in the months ahead..

Happy New Year!

(photo by Eric Medsker. Thanks pal!)

Fell in love with these surreal animal portraits by Sharon Montrose today. They admittedly remind me a bit of taxidermy, but it’s just so much cooler knowing that these crisp, clean, detailed shots are of real, live animals. I almost didn’t believe it until I saw this interview video with Sharon, from Etsy. Such amazing work, and it’s all available for purchased on her site, Animal Print Shop. I could stare at these captivating creatures all day long!

The winner is…. [drumroll]….

Lindsay of Originally Me!

Congrats again to Lindsay, and for everyone else, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for announcements about more fun giveaways in the near future!

xo
Anjelica

Most of the work in her portfolio is pretty awesome, but this is definitely a stand-out series! A paper lobster? I mean… come on! Too cool.

Hi guys!

So excited to offer up this adorable little desk calendar to all my new readers!

It caught my eye recently and I couldn’t let it go. Twelve 4×6 letterpressed cards with delicate watercolor designs of flora and fauna come nestled in a perfectly pale wooden box that coordinates with most palettes.

The lid features intricate woodburning detail and props up to create an easy display backdrop for your new favorite desk accessory.

How to win:

1. Simply leave a comment below telling us about the date you’re most looking forward to in 2012.

2. Double your chances by becoming a fan of Mismatcherie on Facebook and sharing a link to this giveaway post.

A winner will be selected at random and announced on Sunday, 12/18 at 10pm EST.
(Sorry, US residents only!)

Good luck friends! Can’t wait to see who wins!

xo
Anjelica

All of these items are cute, reasonably priced and – best of all – made or collected by independent artists. Sometimes I just can’t remember what it was like to do holiday shopping without Etsy..

1. 22k gold rim dish by lovedaniella, 2. Vintage Swedish wood tray with gold stripes by smallvictoriesshop, 3. Vintage gold bamboo flatware from vintagequeen, 4. White and gold faux deer head by LucyHaus, 5. Dottie handprinted hemp pillow in gold and black by melongings

1. 10k gold-dipped geode by eringotz, 2. Gold-lined snakeskin cuff bracelet by UNEARTHED, 3. Gold-dipped geo rings by amerrymishap, 4. Asymmetrical gray and golden leather pendant by underanewlight, 5. White leather bangles with gold tube accents by LeatherWraps

1. Gold leather mask by NonDecaffeinatedArt, 2. White and gold scalloped buttons from BonitaBellitaEct, 3. Gold and white nautical stripe passport cover by Jenni20, 4, Gold anemone screenprint from printsbyamandajames, 5. Heart of gold sequined confetti from duskandbloompaperie, 6. Vintage Brass Squirrel from PineandMain

I found this super affordable print on Etsy from Articipe — a clever artist making fun typography-based art out of simple recipes. You can snag a copy of a classic, like the above oatmeal cookie ingredient list, or commission a personalized print of your granny’s legendary dish. Holiday gifts, anyone?

Speaking of the holidays and delicious baked goods, I’ve been inspiration-gathering for a cookie swap that’s coming up next week! I’m sure all our bases will be covered for the classics, so I thought it might be fun to find other festive cookies to share. A bit non-traditional, but snowflake designs and crushed candy cane bits shouldn’t be a pre-req for holiday cheer!

Some of these guys look pretty time consuming, but the artist in me is tempted to take a stab at the chevron print beauties…

Clockwise from top left:

Lemon poppy seed cookies via With Sprinkles on Top
Chevron print cookies featured on Sweet Sugar Belle
Peppermint pinwheel shortbread cookies from Food Network
Almond butter blackberry jam thumbprint cookies on Poppytalk by Lyndsay of Coco Cakes
Crisp sugar doily cookies from Martha Stewart
Glittering sandwich cookies via the Purl Bee
Quartrefoile iced sugar cookies by Bee in Our Bonnet
Herb de provence orange butter cookies by Luna Cafe
S’mores cookie bars from Baked Perfection

Design Work Life had a post last week about the work of artist Lulie Wallace. Her still life paintings are too cool — colorful, dynamic and a little retro, infusing energy and style into a potentially dull subject. I got caught up for a while this evening flipping through her portfolio, but the image featured above is one of my favs. I can’t be too sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the striped vase has something to do with it!

While I save up to hoard a few originals from her shop, I’ll hold myself over with a little dress-up inspired by Lulie’s bold, vintage vibe.

Clockwise from top left:
Tunic dress in old rose from Mango ($79.90)
Black and white polka dot foulard from Mango ($29.90)
Cosmic thread copper and walnut wood necklace by Goldlyn ($161)
Pastel pigments earrings by Modcloth($17.99)
Opaque tights in green wood from Nordstrom ($11.99)
Portola Valley Kaley handbag in mauve by Kate Spade($295)
Fuschia wool knit pencil skirt by Nina Ricci on MyTheresa ($765)
Orange “Oh My Darling” wedge from Modcloth ($54.99)
Essie nail polish is “Wife Goes On,” “Carry On” and Luxedo
Chartreuse vintage cat eye glasses on Flickr by Vintage Eyewear
Gray and navy stripe Breton top by Beth Graham via FarFetch ($87)
Bronze blaise flat moccasin with metallic dot studs by Loeffler Randall ($325)