From the monthly archives:

February 2010

Sweet Obsessions Friday

February 19, 2010

Oh happy, happy weekend everyone! I hope you’ve had a pleasant week, and I apologize for being so absent – bad blogger! Bad blogger! Aside from the baby-related appointments and tasks, I’ve been suffering from a bit of information/inspiration overload. I am in the middle of this class, and it always takes me some time to allow new ideas to percolate before I can begin working with them – can you relate? But – hooray! – I woke up this morning feeling so super energized and inspired that I literally just rolled over and grabbed my notebook and pen and began jotting down ideas for new posts and features! Ah, but enough blathering on! Here are my seven sweet obsessions this week; all things I am feeling excited and inspired by, and I hope that you will, too…

1. I love this idea for a simple inspiration/message board DIY – it looks like this would be very inexpensive and relatively easy to make; would you try it? Found on Martha Stewart.

2. Hm, and if you are looking for a sweet new print to hang above your desk, may I suggest something from Rosie Music? Many of her designs have an indie romance vibe that is just too cute.

3. How do you feel about hankies? Hehe. I would never have thought of buying hankies, but the dandelion print vintage hankies from Pi’lo have such a lovely, organic design that I am tempted! Oh, you know what I just though of? What about giving them to your little one to use as “napkins” at pretend tea parties? They would probably be just the right size for that ;)

4. I always enjoy checking in on Something’s Hiding In Here to see what’s new in their shop, and today I am taken with these little chalkboard calendars, perfect for propping up on a shelf above your desk.

5. If I close my eyes and click my heels three times while chanting “Spring, Spring, Spring!” do you think it will get here any faster? Hm, perhaps not. But nevertheless, I am looking forward to those first sunny days when a fresh bag from Drika.B is just the ticket. At the moment, I have my eye on this one.

6. Have you seen these cool, modern genealogy charts from My Tree and Me? The bold designs are such a refreshing antidote to fusty old family trees, and would make such a thoughtful gift. My favorites are the Super Mod Tree (pictured above) and the Birds of a Feather…but I would take any one!

7. And finally, a bit of luscious bedroom inspiration from Skona Hem, spied on the brand-new German design blog Harmonie Design. I am still trying to decide what color to paint my bedroom, and seeing this room is making me seriously consider going with white walls, perked up with warm & spicy colored textiles.

So, that will do it for today! This is my last post before the weekend, but I will be around this afternoon building out ideas for next week, so you can find me here in the comments if you want to say “hi” I hope you each have a lovely, inspired weekend :)

{images: linked to individual sources above}

{ 6 comments }

L’Amour Toujours

February 17, 2010

in Art,Stationary

Well, hello there! How is your week going? I apologize for being neglectful, I have been totally preoccupied with baby business – but I am excited to be back today! Over the weekend my sweetie and I celebrated Valentine’s day, and I was also able to set up a wee at-home photo studio which I used to capture the shots in this post. Now I know that some of you may feel differently, but I love Valentine’s day. This probably stems from childhood, when my Grandpa would sneak into our house early in the morning on Valentine’s day and leave cards and raspberry danishes for me & my Mom :) So I guess I equate Valentine’s day more with loving and appreciating all of the loved ones in your life, not just your significant other – although that is certainly nice, too!

Last year, I chose an art print as a little gift for Benny on Valentine’s day. This year I decided to make it into a tradition, as it seems like a nice way to build a little art collection over time – this time, I chose the L’Amour Toujours print from the delightful Ninainvorm, and we are both very happy with it!

I am a total sucker for pink and red, chocolates and flowers and cards, so I think I just can’t help but love this silly little holiday. Above is the card I gave B from Modern Printed Matter, along with the chocolates he gave me, my new colored pencils, my favorite hefty little brass pencil sharpener (that I found thanks to Ez; it really is the best!), and one of my Grandma’s little dessert plates.

Also over the weekend, I went to see An Education, which is just perfect if you feel like getting swept up in a dreamy young romance – though I must admit my favorite part was more the wardrobe and art direction than the plot! Oh, give me London and Paris in the 60′s any day…romance makes life more fun, don’t you think?

psst ~ as always, remember you can click on the images to see full-size if you like :)

{images: Laura Gaskill}

{ 3 comments }

Fancy Some Toast?

February 12, 2010

in Personal Style

Instead of Sweet Obsessions this Friday, I just wanted to pop in to share one delicious obsession I have…with toast. Oh wait, that’s not right – I meant with Toast. As in, that marvelously inspiring UK-based clothing & home decor company that completely swept me away with their new Spring ’10 catalog! It makes me feel so much better – fresh, inspired, optimistic – to gaze into the pages of the Toast catalog while the winter is dragging on endlessly outside my window. It reminds me to take note of the travels and adventures I hope to have. So before we part ways for the weekend, would you like to join me in a little day-dreaming?

Don’t these images – the clothes, the mood, the scenery – make you want to pack a suitcase and head out the door for a trip to a far-flung place right this very minute? Sigh. I feel very lucky to already have many delightful travel memories to savor, and yet there are still so many places I want to go!! You can view the entire Toast collection right here, and do check out their new Toast Travels section, which includes articles, podcasts, and other fun stuff.

So I am signing off for the weekend a wee bit early as I have lots of fun things planned! I’ll be going to the cinema with my sweetie (doesn’t that sound so much more romantic than the movies?) – I’d like to see this, which looks like a visually gorgeous film (the costumes! the scenery!) – enjoying a few nice, leisurely meals, and generally puttering around and relaxing :) Have a lovely weekend, and I thank you so much for choosing to spend a bit of your time here with me; your sweet words and emails really make my day!

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Tinted Mint: Eco-Friendly Craft & DIY Supplies

February 10, 2010

in Craft & DIY

As soon as I saw this adorable little shop, I knew I wanted to share it with you: Tinted Mint specializes in creative craft and DIY supplies, and founder/designer Patty chooses natural, recycled, and eco-friendly materials whenever possible (from products to packaging & shipping supplies), so you can feel good about shopping here. And if you are feeling how I am lately (a bit tired and dull from the tired, dull weather) and are looking for a bit of inspiration for small creative projects, I think you will really enjoy having a look around this shop!

From unique washi tapes (including these which I am still obsessed with), stickers, pins and buttons, to translucent wax paper file folders, wood block print wrapping paper and beautiful furoshiki cloth wrappers, I am assembling quite the little wish list in my mind right now! Hehe. What do you think? Are you doing any little crafty/DIY projects lately? What sort of supplies make your heart go pitter-pat?

For me it is Japanese washi tape, because I swear every time I turn around, some creative person has discovered a new way to use this versatile, decorative tape! For instance, did you see this picture frame project (pictured above) that Holly Becker of decor8 did a while back? Or what about these DIY tea party invites made by Merrilee and featured on Creature Comforts? It just seems that the potential uses for this tape are endless!

As I was clicking around the Tinted Mint site I was so pleased to discover a little ideas section, showing creative ways to use the craft products in your home or in simple DIY projects. My favorites were the studio ideas (pictured above), showing washi tape used to label file folders, secure inspiration images, and decorate plain storage boxes. I think it is such a nice touch when a shop goes the extra mile to show how their products can be used in your home, don’t you agree? You can browse more at the Tinted Mint site or on Etsy.

{images: Tinted Mint; Holly Becker for decor8}

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Inspiration Assignment

February 8, 2010

in Blogs,Mood Boards

Happy Monday to you! Today I would like to share a fun little assignment that was part of the e-course I am taking. I really enjoyed it, and after hearing about it maybe you will be inspired to take a little break and do one of your own! For each of the photos below, remember you can always click on the image to see it full-size. Okay, here we go!

I created a little inspiration board on the inside of a file folder, the purpose being to bring focus to what I want my blog to be. The look and feel, yes, but even more so I focused on the sort of content and general direction I want to go in. As you can see from the large “draw it yourself” in the center of the folder, one of my major goals for this blog as I move forward is to introduce more original content – be it drawings, original photography, documenting my home decorating projects, travels, design classes, etc.

In this close-up view of the upper right corner, I chose a few images to represent creative spaces and studios, which I would like to feature more of here on Lolalina…and to serve as inspiration for my own workspace! And la tour eiffel is there to reflect my passion for travel :)

I chose this image of a steaming cup of tea and the words “heartfelt & handmade” to remind myself that the little things are often most important, and that what I want most for this blog is that it continues to come from an authentic place in my heart.

And there is my little owl business card! I stuck one onto my collage because although I adore my cards (from here, by the way, and very reasonably priced!) I have yet to give away very many of them! Circling back to my intention to collaborate this year, I would like to get out there and meet fellow bloggers in person, attend events that sound interesting, and generally put myself in more situations where I will have an opportunity to give away those cute little cards – having a big stack of them sitting in my desk drawer isn’t doing me any good! And the image below my card (from a Kate Spade ad) sums up the open, spontaneous attitude that I would love to cultivate!

If you would like to create your own mini-inspiration board too, I would love to see it! Feel free to link to an image on your blog, flickr, etc. if you have something you would like to share!

{images: Laura Gaskill}