Flickr Fridays #94

1. Untitled, 2. pyramids, 3. side-effects, 4. Fall, 5. G12 test shots (jpg only) 3, 6. Untitled

It is one warm Halloween weekend day. All the native Californians must've had wonderful trick-or-treat nights, free from wearing large coats atop their cute costumes like we had to do in the Midwest. I'm retroactively jealous. Today I am getting our home prepared for a little get-together for scary movies and seasonal eats.

I'm feeling very proud of myself for venturing to the post office earlier to mail off some query letters and my absentee ballot. (It's the last possible day to mail in ballots, so I might be one of the laziest voters in the world. But I'll have you know I did my research on every candidate, including all 5,000 judicial candidates. Snore.)

Happy Friday, friends!

Design Dialogue: Mixing Patterns

My current nesting phase is making me reminiscent of the decor choices of my past. In my early 20s I subscribed to an eclectic vibe, one with an ethnic feel. Lots of photos and art on the walls. Thrift-store couches. Then I went into my White Period. White shag carpet, white walls, white couches, minimal everything, black and white art. After that I turned to bright, bold colors. Mod blocks of reds, oranges, greens, blues. I had large red rugs accenting our living room and yellow curtains in our bedroom. Now I go for a midcentury modern look with classic, clean lines and pops of color here and there, mostly soothing blues and greens.

I like this style. It's cozy, it's casual, it's appeasing to my aesthetic. But I'm thinking about mixing up some patterns. Here are some images I've been collecting in my inspiration folder.

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These all feature some kick-ass wallpaper patterns. I'm not sure how I feel about wallpaper (I rent, so, yeah). But I'm thinking I could easily mix a large pattern in the form of a rug with smaller patterns in pillows. I tend to crave a style change once every two years or so to keep it fresh. Not sure where I get this from because I'm pretty sure my parents only changed up the decor once in the whole time I grew up, and then only because we moved to a new house.

What about you? How has your decor taste evolved?

Photoshoot: The Lost Month

I uploaded photos from my camera today. It was probably the smallest amount of images I've transferred to a computer since the advent of digital cameras. Anyway, it was a definite "lost month" in my photography career, for sure. There's not much even worth looking at. A few doodles, a snapshot from our hotel stay last month during the Bathroom Construction of 2010, a transition photo of the once-library and soon-to-be-nursery, a huge box of baby goodies my family sent us (thankyouomgyouarethebest). But we did so much more over the course of this month. I really ought to be better about documenting our lives. In fact, a vow: I will be better about documenting our lives. Tomorrow.

Baby Talk

It's disappointing how few owl-themed baby items there are at traditional baby stores like Babies 'R' Us, especially when that's the theme I've chosen for our baby's nursery. "Why owls?" you might ask if you are my husband. Because they're wise and awesome and why the eff not! These are a few of the items, some handmade, that I've come across on my never-ending search for all things owl. Bookmark, discuss, buy. Do you need my address so you can send them to me? (I kid, I kid.)

Alisonalison

Lee Arthaus

Matte Stephens

Manic Muffin Totes

My Mimi

Blabla Owl Dream Ring

Target owl lamp

My Little Night Owl snugglie

Owl onesie

Dwell Studio owl

Flickr Fridays #93

1. studio calico sneaks, 2. Books :: Falling, 3. butterfly, 4. all my nightmares escaped my head, 5. haven't had a dream custom hoop, 6. Fish

Happy Friday, friends! It's been a rainy week here in L.A., and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm getting gung-ho about getting the nursery ready; right now it's in a state of near-disaster. See, it used to be our library, and there are several furniture pieces that need to come out to make room for the crib (coming soon). Not to mention an old computer that needs dismantling. Plus there are boxes and boxes of baby clothes (thanks, Sara!) that need to go in the new (thrifted) dresser we found last weekend. Whew. Wish me luck.

Design Dialogue: Halloween Treats (or Tricks?)

A decade or so ago, if I invited you to my Halloween bash, we'd probably eat some pumpkin seeds and bob for apples. If I were really on top of it, I'd feed you some candy corn. But now, thanks to the Internet, my culinary skills are top-notch. Or at least I can pretend they are.

Wanna come to my virtual party? Come on in, don't be shy.

I'd greet you at the door with a lame joke ("Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers? No, they eat the fingers separately!") and a charming cocktail like this one:

Dark and Spooky Drink

Then I'd lead you to my entrees, sure to delight. Or fright.

Mummy Dogs

Witches Finger Sandwiches

And what would a party be if you didn't indulge your sweet tooth?

Halloween Apple Bites

Apples not sweet enough for you? How about some of these scary sweets?

Sweet Bones

Nutter Butter Ghosts via Marta Writes

And, of course, no party is complete without a cupcake.

Scary Spiderweb Cupcakes

I do hope you enjoyed yourself at my Halloween bash. Don't let the ghouls get you on the way out. Bwahahahahaha!

The Photography Phantom

I've been thinking about starting a new photo project, something to get me in the mood to shoot something new. I've been in a bit of a photo funk lately. It's been at least a month since I felt inspired to snap a photo of anything at all. Any grand ideas? I welcome them in the comments!

Kris Atomic, Brighton, U.K.

A few days ago I stumbled on this project, and I was super impressed. Ten photographers around the globe, ten photos, all taken on 10/10/10. There are a lot of pretty images to peruse at the 1010 Project, check 'em out.

Written Word: John Lennon's Scrawl

On John Lennon's birthday we went to the Grammy Museum to check out an exhibit about him. Among the treasures: his Sgt. Pepper costume, some sweet-ass-sweet guitars and some spectacles. My favorite part of the exhibit, though, was the myriad handwritten lyrics spread throughout.

Imagine writing lyrics in a hotel room, on a hotel notepad no less!

I think seeing something as personal as an artist's handwriting is really powerful, especially when you see the things they crossed out or discarded. Or how they rearranged a song after working on it awhile. Plus I love the way John Lennon drew his cursive capital "I." Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks his handwriting is awesome -- there's an entire font dedicated to him (which I will be downloading shortly).

The It List

Five things I'm lovin' right now ...

Stunning, and I mean absolutely stunning, artwork by Yellena. [via]


This blue headboard. And pretty much the entire room. [via]


Organic camera toy for the little one! By Little Sapling Toys.


The styling and ambiance of the film "The Runaways."


Jeggings. I'm a convert and now a fan.

Flickr Fridays #92

1. [ 7 \ 45 ], 2. I Like This Red One {Explore}, 3. Untitled, 4. Northern Light Road

Happy Friday, friends! Has it been a week already? Time certainly has gotten away from me lately. It's easy to do when you catch a cold, keep several doctors appointments, work full-time and sleep 11 hours a day. When my dad first told me how much my mom slept when she was pregnant with me, I was incredulous. But I must say it's no exaggeration. I used to be a bit of a night owl, working on this blog and other projects well into the wee hours of the morning. Now I'm lucky to make it to 10 p.m. before dozing off wherever I am -- the couch, a movie theater, you name it.

Anyway, I'm keeping it simple this rainy Friday. I'm going to watch "The Runaways" before the disinterested H gets home from work. Then I'm going to bake banana bread with our overly ripe bananas. What do you have planned?

Flickr Fridays #91

1. red, 2. F L Y, 3. Butterfly stone, 4. Untitled

Happy Friday, friends! What do you have in store for the weekend? I wrote a list to keep me on track. First up: shave legs and paint toenails. Sounds simple, but the baby bump is making it more and more difficult!

Design Dialogue: Masquerade Masks

I used to love to dress up for Halloween. What kid doesn't? But in my 20s my enthusiasm started to falter. One year we hosted a party where I dressed as a nun. Another year I dressed like Olivia Newton John in "Grease." Mostly these costumes started to come apart when I pulled off the wimple or the wig. Apparently I don't like foreign objects covering my head, making my scalp itch.

Now my costume of choice is a masquerade mask. You can wear your normal clothes with it but with your eyes obscured you do not look like yourself. Exactly the point of Halloween, right?

Here are some pretty awesome-looking handmade masks I found on Etsy. How to choose, how to choose ...

Balmasque

Petal and Thorn

Effigy Masks

Burlesque Boutique

Totus Mel

M1ra

Tune Time: Song Suggestions

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My iPod needs charging, but I heard one crappy radio song too many this morning so I risked iPod death to avoid any more torture. Soon the baby and I were rocking out to songs I like ... OLD songs I like. It was then that I realized how little I've been paying attention to music lately. And, just to confirm, I checked my iTunes "recently added" folder. Nada. Zip. Zilch. This is unfathomable! Abominable! Outrageous!

As someone who is generally well-versed on new artists, new tunes, I'm loathe to say I've been slacking on seeking out new treasures. I'm such a sham. It's like I'm like a dog who meows. Or a doctor without a medical degree. Or a homeless man with a yacht.

Friends, could you help me out? What have you been listening to lately?

Baby Talk

Graco Lauren crib

Dear Baby,

We just ordered your crib! In fact, we spent a good portion of our morning yesterday working on clearing out the library to make way for your soon-to-be nursery. Daddy's even looking at laptops so we can get rid of the monster desktop we've had since 2001. I know, that's ANCIENT, isn't it?

We can't wait to meet our little girl. That's right -- you clued us in on your gender at the ultrasound a few weeks ago. Dr. S was pleased with your progress. Your little heart is pumping, you are growing, and we couldn't be more pleased.

Right around 20 weeks you started kicking like a soccer player. You are getting so strong Daddy felt you for the first time last night. He couldn't stop grinning.

XOXO,
Mommy

The It List

Five things I'm lovin' right now ...

Thai iced tea. I'm actually obsessed with the thought of drinking one today, so I will have to make it happen. [via]


This DIY arrow tutorial by Danielle.


A map that comes with pins, including one in a different color for your "headquarters." By You Me and the Royal We. [via]


Heike Weber's amazing room. May I move in? [via]


Sleeping in my very own soft bed. No more hotel nights!