{words} light

{visit} analog memories

{step inside to step back in time}

collection: in a word {round two}

here is the collection of words from my bag that have zoomed all over the globe this week...

a few details:

* i pulled each word randomly from rob brezsny's pronoia.

* the words are written on paint chips gifted to me years ago by a dear friend and talented designer.

* the background is frank lloyd wright wrapping paper from pomegranate.

* the photos were captured and edited on my diphone with the camera+ app.

there are still words swirling in the glitter...feel free to drop me a line if you would like one.

{design} mod santa

i discovered this fantastic santa in a crate of vintage holiday cards at a local antique store.

this particular saint nick instantly captured my heart for four reasons:

i am a sucker for stripes.

always.

there is no mention on the card of company, designer, or year.

i'm guessing somewhere in the sixties?

swoon!

the card is flocked with red velvet

which transports me instantly back to my childhood.

our early seventies home had two rooms

which were covered in flocked foil wallpaper.

i was smitten with the velvety stuff.

check out this fabulous lettering

from the inside of the card...

isn't the whole thing simply swell?

this is what a one dollar treasure from an artist date does for me.

ho ho ho!

{symbol} nunquam dormio

i am fascinated by this image...

the first time i saw it, i was riding my bike in the desert. it was very late at night, and i was a weary burning man traveler who suddenly discovered an exquisite tea temple out in the middle of the playa...

{photo by zippaparazza}

the tea temple was a peaceful respite from the harsh desert winds and constant chaotic activity. i left my dusty boots at the door and entered a space where a calm, thoughtful camp was brewing and serving tea. the vibe was soothing, the voices hushed, the faces content. pillows were arranged around low, circular tables. generous people kept filling my cup with steamy oolong tea while i rested within the warm tent walls...

{photo by zippaparazza}

i have no idea how long i stayed at the tea temple, but when i left i felt completely restored. every day after that i rode by the tent and looked gratefully at the sign on top...

{photo by mark matthews}

according to my research, nunquam dormio is latin for i never sleep.

the image showed up again this week in a book i am reading: pronoia by rob brezsny.

and i am once again pulled by it.

right now i think of it literally - as the tea temple, a physical space that is perpetually open for weary travelers. i also consider it a metaphorical symbol - as the peaceful place within myself that is always awake, aware, and available for respite and rejuvenation...

{illustration by justin kamerer}

maker faire twenty eleven

i spent yesterday at the bay area maker faire, an event where participants can "make, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play, celebrate, and be inspired by arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science, and technology."

it was a wonderful way to spend a sunny sunday, soaking in all the amazing creativity of the people who live in and around san francisco.

a collection of just a few of the amazing creations i saw...

{lantern light show}

{human-powered kinetic sculpture - "colossus"}

{steam-powered antique player piano}

{steam engine which powered the piano}

{glowing inflatable forest}

{mechanical pterodactyl}

{cupcake cars}

{winged vehicle}

{big bicycle}

costume swoon: coraline

last year i dressed up as coraline...

still pondering my costume for this year.

i am a theater girl and super geeky about this kind of thing.

{geeky in a fun excited hyper silly happy way}

are you dressing up for halloween?

if so, i would love to hear about your ensemble...

color wheelin'

this pocket color wheel has been in my studio for a long time...

i got it at a color workshop with claudine hellmuth almost ten years ago and have used it ever since.

however, i have recently discovered the world of digital color wheels...

this color scheme designer allows you to easily explore color combinations with various relationships and hues.

fun! and quite useful, too.

do any of you have a digital color tool of choice?

renegade craft fair - san francisco

i recently spent a fabulous afternoon at the renegade craft fair in san francisco.

it was a veritable cornucopia of crafty goodness!

for many hours, i wandered around looking at beautiful creations.  i chose to go by myself because i wanted to be free to roam aimlessly and spend as much time as i wanted in this incredible community.

i only took two pictures, and afterwards realized they were the same two that many other visitors took...

i had the divine pleasure of visiting the red velvet art booth and finally meeing elsie + emma!  they were fantastically sweet and it was a highlight to connect with them in person.

during the adventure, i made a special note of my four favorite artists...

emma sancartier

raw toast design

rar rar press

the mincing mockingbird + the frantic meerkat

there were many other delightful designers as well:

jen skelley

scout books

nate duval

caitlin kuhwald

sycamore street press

little crafty bits

honeylux

mahar drygoods

craftyfolk

cathy of california

uppercase magazine

i loved this fair so much that i am going to save my pennies for the holiday event later this year.  it will be a renegade gift extravaganza!

obsessing over octos

i have an octopus obsession lately.

further evidence of this can be seen on my recent octo inspiration board over at pinterest.

i was thrilled to see a plethora of the eight-legged beauties on display at renegade san francisco.

amy at mr. deadfish conversed with me about cephalopod adoration after i swooned over her "octopus carousel" illustration...

are any of you admirers of the opulent octopus?

wine and yurts

i spent last week working on two exciting creative projects:

designing a new internet presence for our family winery

+

preparing for + teaching a workshop on how to build a hexayurt

i am planning to elaborate on both of these projects soon with words and pictures...

but tonight, i am:

catching my breath after a week of intense creative output

+

mentally preparing for school to start 

(this is the last official week of summer vacation)

amelie inspiration

* a magical location filled with delicate flowers + lush ivy

* a palette of red + turquoise

* french french french

* vintage tins filled with crusty bread

* cherry soda with stripey straws

* heart tags + bud vases + meringues

* a petite croquembouche adorned with raspberries

mes cheries, these are just a few of the delights you will behold in this lovely short film from lovespun...

pin it forward: what home means to me

i am very excited that today is my turn to pin it forward!

 

the event: 

a blogger mashup hosted by victoria of the beautiful design blog sfgirlbybay.  

the basics: 

three hundred bloggers were invited to use a new visual bookmarking site called pinterest.  the site is a virtual inspiration board, a place you can "pin" images from your internet adventures and combine them into themed collections.  it records and links where you found your images.  it is also a social experience, as "pinboards" can be shared with other users. 

the assignment: 

each blogger was asked to create a post for the theme "what home means to me" using pinterest to gather images.

the mashup:  

ten groups of thirty bloggers have been posting and passing it on since the end of may. 

my thoughts on pinterest: 

super easy, really fun, visually satisfying, incredibly useful for blogging, and totally addictive!

my post: 

what home means to me...

this has been a wonderful idea to ponder for the last month.

the process of searching for and collecting these photos filled me with gratitude.  every single snapshot is something that is an essential part of my daily life. 

there have been many layers of thought and feeling in this search, but ultimately what i want to share is simple.

i was madly in love with my childhood home and heartbroken when my parents sold it.  although it was truly the best decision for everyone, i thought that "home" was gone and that i would never feel that feeling again.

however, the process gave me the freedom to realize that "home" is really about the experiences created in a space and the amazing people who live there.

in other words,

home is a place for being

and

home is a place for being together.

may we find a home 
everywhere on earth 
where we are together.

to me, home is...

a place to love

a place to cook

a place to eat + drink

a place to grow + harvest

a place to relax

a place to rest

a place to play

a place to listen

a place to create

a place to read + learn

a place to find peace

things to check out:

here is my pinboard for the images in this post.

you are cordially invited to visit suzanne at S.HOPtalk tomorrow for the last post in my group.

i have ten invites to pinterest and would love to share them with you.  comment here or email me if you would like one!

gratitude:

thank you emma of the marion house book for introducing me.

thank you victoria for a lovely experience.

and thank you pinterest for a super cool new way of collecting images i love!