Shimmer Like Gold

Anne Ten Donkelaar

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:12 +0000

If where you live is anything like here, May flowers are a bit lacking. (Possibly from a lack of April showers, but that’s another story.) In any case, for the flower-deprived, check out these, what she dubs “flower constructions”, by artist Anne Ten Donkelaar. Crafted from photos and meticulously collaged, these beauties are filled with bright and cheery colours. Plus, look closely – they pop off the page as if truly alive and casting the most delicate little shadows back onto their bed of white. Pretty neat, huh?

Images via Anne Ten Donkelaar

Magdalena Frackowiak for Vogue Germany

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:09 +0000

Oh, Magdalena, you beautiful, beautiful creature, you. Shot by Ben Hassett waaaay back for the January edition of Vogue Germany, I’m still smitten by this editorial months later. Magdalena Frackowiak reels me in with her movements and that hair! Wowzers. It’s like it’s come alive. With the photos shot in black and white, it makes the set even more striking. I have a thing for simplicity, and this is simplicity at its best: luscious locks in grey scale. Dig it.

Oh, the hair envy!

Images via Fashion Gone Rogue

Mad Men by James Minchin III

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:49 +0000

Prepare yourself to die from pretty overload. Are you ready? Here it comes… with these absolutely EXQUISITE black and white photos from the set of Mad Men by photographer James Minchin III. Are they blowing your mind? They’re blowing mine. I love how candid they are capturing the quickest and most fleeting moments in time. I love seeing behind the scenes shots in general – be it outtakes from interior shoots, or backstage photos from fashion week – and these ones taken during those in-between moments of filming are equally as thrilling to me. There’s something strangely magical and captivating to me about seeing the little “x” tape marks for an actor or a prop during the take, or a rack of perfectly crisp white dress shirts, or a cropped view of the lovely January Jones waiting for her scene.

Are you on the Mad Men train? I’ve only recently hopped on, but it’s instantly become one of the shows I most look forward to each week. It’s one of those shows that’s so honest and fearless, and that’s what I love about it. It’s very real. And I love how that’s captured in this set of photos.

P.S. You can see a whole bunch more photos – there’s a tonne more! – and at full size, over here. Well worth your while.

Images via Everyday I Show

A Contemporary Spanish Apartment

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:39 +0000

You see this dining room?

Ya, this one. It and I, we’re kind of having a bit of a love affair going on, oh probably a year or so. It was love at first sight for me, and if I had the means, I’d be all over plopping this beauty spec for spec right down in the middle of my apartment. I love it. I want it. I need it.

So you can imagine my sheer delight when, after all this time, I found the rest of the interior space it belonged to! Oh, happy day! And the rest of the apartment is just as drop dead gorgeous. It’s filled with copious amounts of light, beautiful mouldings, rich wood tones, an array of textures at every corner, an envy inducing mid-century modern chair collection (jealous!), and of course, that gorgeous, gorgeous dining room.

And you know what else really tickles my fancy? The light fixtures in this apartment. They make the entire space. No room is forgotten; it’s just one perfect fixture after another. The shapes are simple, the lines are sleek, they’re the perfect combination of basic geometry and elegance. Plus I love the various bursts of unexpected colour with the yellow one in the living space, and the gold in the dining room.

Watch out dining room, these light fixtures might give you a run for your money!

Images via Houzz

Natalia Grzybowski Spring 2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:01 +0000

Fashion designer Natalia Grzybowski has taken an interesting approach to her spring collection: one part printed, one part crisp white. A hybrid. It makes for a contrasting and complementary pairing of soft flowing shapes and silhouettes against rigid architectural constructions. I love the way these forms have been integrated between both halves of the collection, the delicate floral side and the stark white side. There is an obvious link between them but also an obvious separation. It’s unusual and inspired, and totally fits with what she calls an “intentionally part-human, part-botanic” collection. It’s like a mash-up of these historical East Orient-influenced botanic prints and this sort of outer-galaxy alien vibe. It’s so wonderfully weird. Gives me a bit of a Mary Katrantzou sort of energy too. As she’s a favourite designer of mine, naturally, I dig this. Can’t wait to see more from Natalia Grzybowski in the future. I suspect she’ll be one who’ll be constantly catching my eye.

P.S. I’d just like to quickly note that I’m currently in the midst of final projects, and the next two weeks are going to be pretty intense. After that, I will be away in California for a week for graduation (!!), and a few days in Toronto visiting family. Posts from now until June 1 have been scheduled in advance. So if you don’t hear from me as quickly as usual, that’s why. See you again in June! xo.

Images via Natalia Grzybowski.

J Bennett Fitts

Sat, 05 May 2012 12:00:34 +0000

Beauty can be found anywhere and everywhere. And often times it’s not necessarily the conventionally pretty things that are the most remarkable, right? Case in point: a series of photographs featuring decrepit swimming pools. So ordinary, easily overlooked, even considered and eye sore in their state of dilapidation. No clear water, no chlorine smell, just ruins. But in their decay, they make for some oddly captivating subject matter, don’t they? There’s a sense of melancholy and nostalgia to these photographs by J Bennett Fitts, and I find them oddly quite beautiful in all their strangeness. (Or maybe I’m just weird?)

Images via J Bennett Fitts.

Mixology / I Believe In The Power Of [BLANK]

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:44 +0000

I’m having difficulty putting into words what exactly this month’s mix is about. Like the majority of my mixes that are, more often than not,ra about some random+abstract feeling, this one also follows that pattern. So pardon my lack of eloquence when I simply say that this mix is a chill-meets-peaceful-and-soft-but-also-happyish-slash-optimistic-slash-feel-good-all-the-while-being-relaxed sort of mix. Sound good? Marvelous! On with the tunes…

♪ Click here to listen to the mix on 8tracks ♪

Image sources: 1 and 2.

Paul Rand Book Covers

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:00:22 +0000

How rad is this set of vintage Paul Rand book covers? Bright colours, bold shapes, handwritten-esque type, collage feel… I’m diggin’ them in every way. When the cover’s this good, forget judging the book…The covers could each easily stand on their own as a piece of art. Why, oh why, don’t they make book covers like this any more? Wishful thinking, I suppose. But it’s probably for the best or I’d have spent every last penny I own on more books than I could ever possibly read. (Or wait, I may have already done that… just a little bit.)

Images via sllab on Flickr.

A White Studio Space

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:01 +0000

Folks, I’ve found my dream office. Right down to the smallest detail, I’m positively smitten with this white-filled studio space. My, oh my, my heart beats just a little bit faster at the sight.

This is the studio space of Daniella Witte and from this day forth, I’ll be super duper jealous of her and her gorgeous work space, from the gorgeous wood floors and bookshelf wallpaper, to that giant modern work desk and copper pipe light fixture. And, obviously, all of that white! Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin…

Images via Daniella Witte.

Stay Inspired / № 10

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Part 2! Because I had such a blast compiling my little inspiration collage for yesterday’s post, and I had a folder overflowing with great images that I just couldn’t wait another few weeks to share… so a double whammy this week. So happy Tuesday and stay inspired. xo.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22