note to self

i think this print by linocutboy pretty much is perfect.  i think the message is fantastic, and i would love to have it hanging in my studio as a reminder to stop being so hard on myself.

xoxo,

lesley

what i'm watching... dancing with the universe

many of you have probably already seen this video... and if you have, i encourage you to watch it again.  if you haven't, take a five minute break from whatever you're doing and watch it.  with everything that's going on and all the negativity around us, i hope this will put a smile on your face and make you feel good about the world.

xoxo,

lesley

etsy finds... slowowl

i am so very excited to share my latest etsy find with you... a beautiful new shop called slowowl.  

slowowl transforms vintage plates by covering almost the entire surface with colorful glaze... leaving the pretty patterns underneath to show through silhouettes of birds she leaves unpainted.  gorgeousness!  

there are currently only a handful of items for sale, but i have to admit i am tempted to buy every one of them (especially the pink one... i call the pink one!)... but i'm afraid i'll have to find a bit of empty wall space in my apartment before i do ;)

xoxo,

lesley

fashion finds... ombre effect

check out this week's fashion finds over at papernstitch!  

ombre effect.

xoxo,

lesley

fresh mint

left: soft french lace bag by tortilla girl, $60

right: the gardener print by munieca, $13

don't these just look perfect together?  both were featured on the front page of etsy this morning.  two of my favorite etsy shops, and this just made me fall in love with them all over.

xoxo,

lesley

forgotten fragments by sarah-jane cook

this is my 3rd post about embroidered art in the past week... i think it's safe to say i'm obsessed!  i'm sorry if you're getting sick of all this embroidery, but sarah-jane cook's forgotten fragments series just has to be seen.  

the series is comprised of hand stitched doilies featuring found notes and lists... from quick messages to loved ones, to grocery shopping lists, to seemingly incoherent lists of random words and markings.

other people's discarded notes have become a kind of cultural phenomenon (check out passive aggressive notes and grocerylists.org to see what i'm talking about), and i always find them interesting to read... sometimes amusing, sometimes touching, and other times horrifying.

i think sara-jane's doilies are a great new interpretation of these discarded notes... she takes these "forgotten fragments" and transforms them into heirlooms to be passed down, memories to be cherished forever.  a very interesting idea and a lovely execution.

sarah-jane also has an etsy shop with original embroidered pieces for sale, and a flickr page showcasing her work.

xoxo,

lesley

colour lovers... shadows on precipice

i really loving this dreamy color palette called shadows on precipice.  there is something so romantic and feminine about the soft, muted tones of ivory, beige, and nude... so i came up with an equally feminine and romantic outfit to match!

this rhinestone butterfly hair clip instantly adds femininity and sparkle to the look.  from tarina tarantino, $75.

a simple, menswear-inspired linen vest adds a bit of structure and helps tone down the girliness of the other pieces.  from ruche, $27.99.

this ruffled tulle slip skirt is insanely gorgeous, and the creamy ivory and soft taupe colors are spot-on.  from yesstyle.com, $16.20.

this gorgeous chrysanthemum embroidered silk frame clutch adds a touch of luxury.  from red ruby rose, $105.

i'm totally in love with these multi-colored leather pumps with stacked heels.  the neutral color scheme and classic shape means they'll stay in style for years to come.  from anthropologie, $198.

this pretty, feminine top is the perfect peachy-nude color, and the bow detail brings attention to your face.  from zapelle, about $30 (prices are in indian rupees).

add some polish and dimension to the look with sophisticated ash grey tights.  from urban outfitters, on sale for $4.99.

xoxo,

lesley

fashion finds... painterly prints

sorry you didn't get your weekly dose of fashion finds over at papernstitch last week... but i'm making up for it this week with some amazing finds! the theme is painterly prints... perfect for anyone looking to add a creative, artsy vibe to their wardrobe. check it out here.

xoxo,

lesley

new blog header

just changed the blog header to a new design... what do you think?

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want... embroidered art from miniature rhino

while searching for embroidered art to include in my etsy finds yesterday, i came upon this delightful little shop called miniature rhino.  her hand embroidered pieces are so special, i just had to share them with you.  

everything is perfect... from the customized heart samplers (which would be a lovely, one-of-a-kind gift) to the tree ring designs and the constellation series.  i would love to have a whole bevy of these hanging in my studio!  yet another one to add to my ever-growing etsy art wishlist...

xoxo,

lesley

relaxing weekend

here are some pics from my relaxing weekend in the poconos... we all had fun fishing (though my hubby had a bit of a hard time getting the hang of it), canoeing, and just enjoying the scenery.  thanks to mark and lauren for inviting us to stay at the lake house, we had a great time :)

robin attempting to fish on the beautiful lake :)

robin's tangled fishing line

robin's catch... a water snake!  see that bulge?  that's the bait he stole off the hook.

hubby & me canoeing

xoxo,

lesley

etsy finds... embroidered art

from top left:

1. dropes de mentol 2. samski art 3. five spoon gallery 4. dash of magic

5. dare song 6. iviva embroiders 7. neawear 8. selflesh

9. shelby healy 10. gillian bates 11. aqua rabbit 12. spes

xoxo,

lesley

flickr favorites... j.kolo

those of you who have been following my blog for a while may remember this post about my obsession with abstract photography.  well... i'm still as obsessed as ever, so it was love at first sight when i stumbled upon j.kolo's flickr page last week.  

her photos are so stunning, they inspired me to dust off my camera and take it for a spin... something i hadn't done in a very long time.  it is almost impossible to pick favorites, but here are a few that stood out to me while i was clicking through her gorgeous photostream.

xoxo,

lesley

getaway

{photo by simple moth}

so sorry for the lack of posts lately... it's been a frustrating week involving a bunch of issues with the apartment and some not so great news.  but i made it through the week and now i'm off to the poconos to enjoy a nice little weekend getaway with friends.  the timing couldn't be better... i really need a vacation!  

i promise i'll be back next week with some great new posts for you guys :)  hope everyone has a spectacular weekend!

xoxo,

lesley

fashion finds... peachy keen

happy monday everyone!  this week's fashion finds are up over at papernstitch blog... the theme is peachy keen!  click here to see my picks.

xoxo,

lesley

flickr favorites... independence day

from top left:

1. labutle  2. bamacam  3. splorp

4. shoegazer  5. kaleidoscope  6. claudine

7. j.kolo  8. zocalo2010  9. *andrea.

happy fourth of july everyone!  have a fantastic weekend.

xoxo,

lesley