henri, je t'aime!

Henri Rousseau is on my mind. Love his cheerful colors, climbing greenery and fantastical landscapes. One of the many things I admire about Rousseau is that although he painted a lot of jungle scenes, he never left France. He would get inspiration from visiting various exhibitions and the greenhouses at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Such a great imagination! Unfortunately, like a lot of now-famous artists, he was not recognized for his work until after his death. Being self-taught, he was ridiculed and many critics considered his work flat and juvenile. In reality, he was at the forefront of the vanguard movement among post-impressionists, influencing many other artists, including Picasso, Matisse and others. So, that's a pretty big "face!" to those snooty critics. I was lucky to see a huge exhibition of something like 50 of his paintings in 2006 in D.C. at the National Gallery. It was amazing. Some of my favorite of his paintings are, from above, Myself, Portrait-Landscape, 1890, National Gallery, Prague, and Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest, 1905, The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania, and more below:

The Dream, 1910, Museum of Modern Art, New York

The Wedding, 1904-05, Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris

 The Artillerymen, 1893-5
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre, 1908
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bouquet of Flowers, 1910, Tate Gallery, London

{All images by Henri Rousseau from Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris, ed. Frances Morris and Christopher Green, Abrams, New York, 2006}

slate interiors

I want to marry this store! Recently visited Slate Interiors, a wonderful shop in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte. Slate features more than 50 artists, merchants and designers offering a carefully curated and edited selection of beautiful art and home furnishings. I fell in love with all the great throw pillows, vintage maps + prints, mid-century glassware and the insane assortment of fantastic lamps + shades. More photos below:

Definitely visit Slate Interiors next time you're in the neighborhood – certainly a must-do in Charlotte. And, also check out their blog, which features updates on the latest happenings and new stock.

{Photos by me at Slate Interiors, 1401 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC}

tote it!

Recently discovered this new book, The Tote Bag by Jitesh Patel. A designer himself, Jitesh runs Jai Studio out of London and is also the author of the Tote Prints blog. The book is a photo survey of various tote bag designs by illustrators and designers from around the world. Even the book itself is wrapped in an actual tote bag. So cool! I ordered a copy, but in the meantime and in the spirit of toteness, here are some bags I found on etsy. Any one of these would be great for groceries, flea market finds, workout gear or hauling around art supplies. Check them out!

 Navy Kelp Tote by Zanna

 Cable Knit Tote by Justine Ellis

Passing Whales Tote by Bright Beige

Art/Punk Tote by Punk Masters

Keep it Chill Tote by Anna Tillett Designs

Dutch Tulip Tote by dutch door press

Nerd Glasses Tote by Naomi Cayne

 Red Check Tote by Rose de Borman

Gingerbread Fox Storybook Tote by Crowsmack

{Photos from top: The Tote Bag by Jitesh Patel, and Etsy shops: Zanna Printed Textiles, Justine Ellis, Bright Beige, Punk Masters, Anna Tillett Designs, dutch door press, Naomi Cayne, Rose de Borman, and Crowsmack.}

it's funfetti, ok?

A while ago, I made some confetti, otherwise known as funfetti, for a friend's birthday surprise. Funfetti is a great project and really easy to make. First, I printed both sides of regular printer paper with colorful stripes.

 Next, I cut off any white edges of the paper and then went to town with the creativity. I cut out hearts, initials and curly spirals. I also folded the paper fan style and cut out zig-zaggy strips.

 Another pal and I had cooked this surprise up, and we decorated the birthday girl's desk at work with the funfetti, balloons and a happy birthday sign.

So much fun to get crafty – I haven't done that in a while. Best of all, it was a great way to spice up her office and make the day a special one.

some pretty things

So sad to hear that Turq Jewelry is closing its shop! They designed some of the most beautiful + special pieces I own – the kind that strangers will stop you to ask where they came from. I posted a few of my favorites from their latest collection above. Check them all out here before everything is gone – all items are marked down up to 70% off! And, make sure to visit their great blog, Turq Girls – all about home design, inspiration and great ideas.

{Photos from Turq Jewelry}

oh jane!

Can't wait for the latest film version of Jane Eyre, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as the troubled and mysterious Mr. Rochester. You can read more about it here in a write-up by Charles McGrath in the NY Times. Opens Friday in a few places – hope it comes to my town soon! The lovely photos above are stills by Laurie Sparham, who has done a lot of gorgeous film photos, including The King's Speech, Brightstar, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, among many others. Check out his fantastic website here.

{Photos: Laurie Sparham for Focus Features}

red hook summer cottage

Trying to find some good inspiration for some new designs I'm working on and saw this great photo story at the NY Times. The fact that "Summer Cottage" was in the title was a big draw. Such a beautiful, clean space! I love the old lamp and those purply Danish chairs and that blue wall color, too. Makes me happy! The home is owned by architect Thomas Warnke, who found the property on, of all places, Craigslist. You can read the story here and view the full slideshow here.

{Photos by the fantastic Trevor Tondro for The New York Times}

see america

Tiny Showcase just posted a link to purchase the latest version of Head Light Hotel's awesome See America! screen print. I missed out on the one they did last year and felt kinda sick about it ever since. Can't wait to get mine and loving those bright + clean spring colors. Definitely frame-worthy. You can get yours here, but do it quick – only a limited number available.

{Photos from Tiny Showcase.}