Posts Tagged ‘accessories’

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Gilded Goodies

I was doing some Etsy browsing last night and came across all of these awesome golden gifts. Metallic accents are an easy way to make a simple item feel special, and the picks below manage to add shimmer without going overboard.

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

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Retro Floral Still Life

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)

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Watercolor Brushstrokes

Michelle Armas and her amazing paintings have been popping up all over the place lately, and with good reason. The colors and technique are whimsical, and I can’t help but be captivated by most of the pieces in her portfolio.

When I came across this Once Wed post on Michelle’s painted votive project, I felt inspired to do a (belated) recap of some fun pieces to come out of the watercolor décor trend. Pure magic..

Clockwise from top left:
DIY tutorial for dip-dyed pillar candles on MarthaStewart.com
David Stark for West Elm brushstroke dinnerware ($32-40)
Louisa Setee watercolor-inspired seating from Anthropologie ($2,500)
Painted calendars from Fine Day Press via Design*Sponge
Watercolor floral duvet from Urban Outfitters ($79)
Paint palette pillow from CB2 ($35)
Handmade blown glass votive holders by Glassybaby in Creamsicle and Raspberry Sorbet ($40)
DIY painted votives from Michelle Armas via Once Wed
Abstract printed linen pillow in Berry from Bluebellgray (£70)

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

The Hippest Shape

This photo from the nümph brand news feed is a real treat!  The bold and retro mosaic pattern jumped out at me for obvious reasons, but the artist here has introduced enough “busy” elements to keep things interesting and balanced.

I’m a sucker for a good geometric pattern, and while I used to be a die-hard polka dot enthusiast, I’ve recently found my tastes graduating to triangular tessellations. Lucky for me, triangles are everywhere these days–from art to fashion, triangles are downright trendy.  Is the triangle the hippest shape out there right now? Check out some of the inspired pieces below and weigh in on the debate!

Clockwise from top left:

Cassette Society metallic gold triangle tee on ShopBop.com ($58.50)
1960 tribal triangle necklace by House of Harlow on Bloomingdales ($80)
Geometric beams dress with bead embellishment from Beyond the Valley via Asos ($450)
Cropped triangles top from Fred Flare ($33.99)
Geometric pop earrings by nomilktoday on Etsy ($9.50)
Multi triangles heather grey tee by jessalinb on Etsy ($36)
Converse triangle-print hightop Marimekko sneakers via Saks Fifth Avenue ($80)
Occult triangle badges from PandaEyesPendants on Etsy ($5 for 4)
Beaded geometry bag from Anthropologie ($228)
Geometric mosaic cuff by American Apparel ($24.50)

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Sweet on: Mara Hoffman

This post will be the first in a new series departing from the typical collage format. Every now and then (or, really, just about every day) I find a person, place or thing to become temporarily obsessed with. Today’s apple of my eye is NYC-based designer Mara Hoffman.


Uh-maz-ing. It’s like this bag is speaking to my soul. Maybe it’s because today’s high was only 20-something degrees, but these pieces from Mara’s resort collection are looking especially good right now. The colors and the patterns are spot-on trend, and I’m kind of wishing there was a beach in my near future!

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Punched Dots

Peter Freitag Private Stages


I first stumbled upon this image from Peter Freitag’s “Private Stages” on Today and Tomorrow, and felt an instant attraction. A bit of reading revealed this work as one of many collages that was conceived with some creative editing of amateur nude photos found on the Internet. Say what? I know, crazy, but each of the lovely pieces in this series was painstakingly crafted by layering hole-punched dots from several copies of the printed photo until the provocative content was obscured. As a girl who has spent many an hour cloning, patching and healing in Photoshop, I find his handiwork especially impressive. Check out the full series on Peter Freitag’s portfolio site for so many more beautifully transformed photos.

Besides the fact that this work is absolutely stunning, the colors and the playful layering of dots in this particular collage got me dreaming of other things.. fantastically feminine pieces inspired by the white and pink hues and the pattern of the circles, reminiscent of cascading bubbles from a freshly opened bottle of champagne. My mind has been known to wander..

Punched Dots Collage

Clockwise from top-left:
Cream pom pom scarf found in melelim’s Etsy shop ($10)
Hand-crafted rings bracelet from bluehourdesigns on Etsy ($60)
T-Los Angeles circle tee in off-white on Boutique To You ($110)
ASOS DARE studded hightop sneakers ($55)
Circle jelly flats from Marc by Marc Jacobs
Mesh teardrop crop top from Topshop ($40)
Champagne bubbles ring by Kate Spade ($55)
Marc Jacobs polka dot mini-skirt in rose and cream on MyTheresa.com ($660)
Scalloped shift dress by Robert Rodriguez on Shopbop ($594)
Sequined fold-over clutch from BCBGMAXAZRIA ($43)