2.08.2010

Morten Holtum

Very lovely images from photographer Morten Holtum...

Things are going to be a little slow around here for a little bit.  I am in a bit of a Who Dat Haze today {this will likely last a few days, we have the celebration Saint's parade after work tomorrow}. 

It is also Mardi Gras!  Thursday is the Krewe of Muses parade {aka my favorite day of the year...yes better than Christmas} and then Tuesday is Mardi Gras, when we will be marching in the Krewe of Saint Anne.  Plus, some other great parades in between.  AND, I need to finish two costumes for the occasion...I hope to have to great pictures for you next week!

2.06.2010

Inspiration {Revisiting Some Old Favorites}

While tweaking my blog title banner, I went throught my inspiration files to pull out some of my favorite images.  I have definitely shown these before I the blog, but they make me so happy I didn't think anyone would mind seeing them again.

This process also reminded me that I really need to do a better job organizing my inspiration images and recording their sources...like seriously.

Does anyone know anything about that desk in the first image??

{1} Lil Dao
{2} Domino Magazine
{3} Christiana Coop of Ferm Living

Who Dat @ Burke Decor...


Check out all the fantastic items in the Who Dat Saints Boutique at Burke Decor...free shipping and 20% off $250 purchases are great deals!

Go Saints!

{Side Note}  Sorry non football fans...I myself have never been a big football fan, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to live in this city and not be a Saints fans.  New Orleaneans, for being so laid back, have the biggest hearts and are so absolutely passionate about everything they do.  Between this game and Mardi Gras (happening simultaneously) this city is crazy right now...

And the Winner Is...





Congratulations, the winner of the {Black.White.Yellow.} + Bella Lulu Vintage Fantastic Giveaway is Kat of On The Road Again!

Thanks to everyone who entered and a big thanks to Bella Lulu Vintage!

2.05.2010

Last Day for the Giveaway!!

Today is the last day to enter the {Black.White.Yellow.} + Bella Lulu Vintage Giveaway!  Click here to enter by midnight tonight! The winner will be announced in the morning...good luck.

2.04.2010

Les Queues de Sardines


These tights from Les Queues de Sardines are so freaking amazing...

Inspired by Architecture {Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House}

I promise not to turn this blog into an Architecture history class, but as I mentioned a few days ago I really want to revisit some of my favorite iconic works of Architecture.  As soon as I googled Mies and saw this picture, I knew this would be my first post...

As I am sure you have gathered from my posts, I am a big fan of straightword, uncomplicated, and clean lined elements...with a touch of warmth and a sense of history/location/meaning.  I love the idea of pushing people a little past what they are comfortable with or what they expect.  I think the Farnsworth House and most of Mies' work embodies these ideals...

Name: Farnsworth House
Architect: Mies van der Rohe
Location: Plano, IL
Date: Completed in 1951

First conceived in 1945 as a country retreat for the client, Dr. Edith Farnsworth, the house as finally built appears as a structure of Platonic perfection against a complementary ground of informal landscape. This landscape is an integral aspect of Mies van der Rohe’s aesthetic conception. The house faces the Fox River just to the south and is raised 5 feet 3 inches above the ground, its thin, white I-beam supports contrasting with the darker, sinuous trunks of the surrounding trees. The calm stillness of the man-made object contrasts also with the subtle movements, sounds, and rhythms of water, sky and vegetation.


The dominance of a single, geometric form in a pastoral setting, with a complete exclusion of extraneous elements normally associated with habitation, reinforces the architect’s statement about the potential of a building to express “dwelling” in its simplest essence. While the elongated rectangle of the house lies parallel to the course of the Fox River, the perpendicular cross axis, represented by the suspended stairways, faces the river directly. With its emphatically planar floors and roof suspended on the widely-spaced, steel columns, the one-story house appears to float above the ground, infinitely extending the figurative space of the hovering planes into the surrounding site.

At the same time, the prismatic composition of the house maintains a sense of boundary and centrality against the vegetative landscape, thus maintaining its temple-like aloofness. The great panes of glass redefine the character of the boundary between shelter and that which is outside. The exterior glazing and the intermittent partitions of the interior work together dialectically, shifting the viewer’s awareness between the thrill of exposure to the raw elements of nature and the comforting stability of architectonic enclosure.

The architecture of the house represents the ultimate refinement of Mies van der Rohe’s minimalist expression of structure and space. It is composed of three strong, horizontal steel forms - the terrace, the floor of the house, and the roof - attached to attenuated, steel flange columns.
From: The Farnsworth House website

{Side Note}  Although I sometimes post images from weddings on this blog, I am more inpsired by the decorative elements and the way people pull everything together rather than the actual wedding itself.  I think I am missing the wedding gene...I just never really have had a desire to have a big wedding, wearing a white dress, with all the traditional hoop-la. That said, when I saw this page it kinda made me want to have one...

Nigel Peake MAPS

I am very fascinated with this...
Nigel Peake MAPS
Documenting small time adventures and excursions outwith a mile radius from where I call home. From train rides facing backwards, to crammed bus rides in tiny hill-top towns, to bike rides through the backyards of Europe. Records of the vast, unyielding concrete miles of Shanghai, to the paths between mountains and forests in late night French countryside to the old paint splattered wooden floor in London that I sleep on from time to time. In addition to this there are also some imaginings of possible places - cities built from train tunnels and underground arches to invisible concrete cities.

2.03.2010

Black and White Graphic Quilt

I NEED this quilt...a lot.

A Lovely White Townhouse

This lovely white townhouse in Landskrona, Sweden was designed by the architecture firm Elding Oscarson {the same Architect that designed this}.  There are many things I love about this house, including:
1. The fact that it stands out from the neighborhood.  I am all about being the odd ball on the block, as long as the house isn't imposing or not well maintained.
2. The clean white walls and exterior...
3. The concrete floors
4. The interior courtyard...I NEED one of those {okay....not in New Orleans.}
4. That wall of bookcases filled with books
5. That studio area...

Awesome.  Maybe I should move to Sweden.

The Blob...

Now this is my idea of camping...

2.02.2010

Postal Press


I have to give some love to this shop, Postal Press, because everything about it is lovely.

Shelf Life House from Dwell {Clever Storage Inspiration}


Unlike many of these houses that I feature here, this isn't one that I necessarilly want to live in.  I love the idea of having built in bookcases, but there are a few too many here {leaving not enough room for my precious art}.  That said, I really admire some of the clever elements that are built into the space. The hidden storage and table that swivels and becomes part of the bar are awesome. Also, those floors are AMAZING...


Style at Home

Lovely inspiration images from Style at Home via: The City Sage...

2.01.2010

J Crew Work and Play {Fashion Inspiration}


My favorite latest J Crew picks for work and play...

I am on a serious hunt for a black and white gingham shirt {the one pictured above is navy and white}, if anyone has seen one, please let me know!

Alvar Aalto Studio Tour from Apartment Therapy



Who doesn't love the Finish Architect Alvar Aalto?  I was excited to see the Studio Aalto tour on Apartment Therapy a while back {sometimes I save links when I like them a lot, to post much later instead of right away...then I get to get excited about them twice}.  When I was doing this post, it inspired me to revisit some images of my favorite Architects and I was reminded of why I fell in love with Architecture.  I am thinking I will start featuring some of favorite buildings this month....

Do you have a favorite Architect or building?

My Favorite Inspiration Image {for Today}...

You may have seen the work of Interior Designer Nacho Polo at Desire to Inspire.  This home in Madrid is just all around amazing...but that living room kills me.  This is absolutely my most favorite inspiration picture right now...

1.31.2010

{365} A Drawing a Day...






This year, I wanted to make a resolution that was a bit different.  I still pledged to myself that I would work out more, get stressed less, and follow my budget...but more importantly I decided to do a drawing everyday. 

I miss drawing...a lot.  All through high school I had art first period every morning, it was such a fantastic way to start they day and I LOVED it.  In college of course being in Architecture School meant that I started out proving my drawing abilities, but things quickly moved to more technical drawing.  Now being an Architect is a continuation of that idea.  There is so little hand and creative drawing and designing that goes into my job unfortunately.  The drawing that I do is technical and precise and there is an emphasis on perfection. {Future Architects...take note.  They don't tell you things like this...but it is still a great job to have.}

So, I decided to do a little exercise.  One drawing a day.  Some take a few seconds, some an hour. 
The goals are trifold:
To draw...
To be inspired by all the little things..
To be ok with something that is imperfect... 

So, on the last Sunday of each month I plan on sharing a few of my favorite drawing from the month here.  All the drawings can be seen at my Flickr.

1.30.2010

Fabulous and Yellow at West Elm




CB2 isn't the only place with fantastic yellow items right now.  Check out all the awesome things at West Elm ...fantastic. 

And I now have two good options for desks for our room in LA. {2x2 Console Desk and the Parsons Console Table} I am also thinking the desk I already own from West Elm may need a paint job.

1.29.2010

Vote for Bella Lulu!

Don't forget to enter the Black.White. Yellow + Bella Lulu Fantastic Giveaway! Click here to enter!

and today is the last day to vote for Bella Lulu at the Poppies, so vote, vote, vote!

Bella Lulu Shop + Blog