I was thrilled to come across Est Magazine the other day, a fresh new e-magazine out of Australia. This one is gorgeously styled, seasonally inspired, and simply beautiful. I love checking out international style, from the UK and Scandinavia to Japan and Australia, it is so inspiring to me to see what others around the world are coming up with creatively – don’t you agree? Editor in Chief Sian MacPherson & Creative Director Lynda Evans of Est have done a marvelous job and really put their hearts into this magazine and it shows. I hope you enjoy it too! :)
I’ve pulled images from my favorite story from each of their first two issues to entice you…
In their debut issue, Est featured a story called “Style Nomad” shot by photographer Colin Doswell, filled with the gorgeous colors of ripe apples and caravan style. I loved the black bike basket above – I own the same one in white, but I use mine to store magazines!
I appreciate the creative detail stylist Deb McLean put into this story, from the pom poms adorning the horse’s bridle to the layers of color and texture, it all feels so warm and autumnal.
And from the current issue, my eye was immediately drawn to the story “Stars, Stripes and Acid Brights” by stylist & trend reporter Anouk B (I’ve featured some of her work here) and photographer Marjon Hoogervorst. This feels so fresh and current to me, I love all of the chalkboard paint, neon nails, gingham, indigo, white, and natural wood.
I hope you were as inspired by these photographs as I was! If so, please do go read the full issues, available for free at Est Magazine. Have a lovely Wednesday my dear friends! xo Laura
(images: photographers Marjon Hoogervorst and Colin Doswell for Est Magazine)
It was quite a challenge taking Bixby’s photo this month – he kept trying to dive off the chair! Yesterday’s photo shoot was a total fail. We didn’t fare much better today, but I was able to (at least!) get one picture in which he is both sitting down and in focus, so I am calling that success!
While it may look like he is just randomly pointing at his hand, in fact he is showing off his latest trick – pretending to write a “B” on his palm. Singing “patty cake” was the only thing keeping that boy in his seat for half a second! :) And sadly, that is not a speck of dirt on your screen – little B has a scratch on his cheek from tumbling with Daddy. He really is a toddler now, I can hardly believe it!
What’s new? Practically running. Saying “meow”, “cheese”, “baby”, “keys”, “tree”, and “read”…actually, usually he is saying “read, read READ!” and waving a book in my face :)
Loves: Reading books, helping “clean” the floor, talking on the phone, lions and tigers, going to the playground.
Does NOT like: Walking by a park without stopping to play, leaving before he is ready to go, diapers.
(I will be taking a photo of Bixby in the white armchair with his lambie each month until his second birthday)
So far… One Month Old :: Two Months Old :: Three Months Old :: Four Months Old :: Five Months Old :: Six Months Old :: Seven Months Old :: Eight Months Old :: Nine Months Old :: Ten Months Old :: Eleven Months Old :: Twelve Months Old :: Thirteen Months Old
(images: Laura Gaskill)
Well, we made it through Irene just fine around here; a tree is down in our backyard which knocked over a section of fence, but otherwise no damage – we didn’t even lose power! Unfortunately, our neighbors had a tree fall right on top of the workshop they spent all summer building in their backyard by hand – so frustrating! :( Overall though, I feel lucky this turned out to be much less intense than predicted. In honor of hurricane/tropical storm Irene, I thought we could all use a nice cocktail. Preferably one mixed using Eva Goicochea’s mighty fine looking recipes on Monkey in Los Angeles. They come with coordinating outfit ideas and everything!
1. The Trail Blazer. So cute, right? Now, I am not a big drinker, but I do appreciate a well crafted cocktail from time to time; especially when made with top notch ingredients and fresh herbs from the garden, yum! Plus, I am such a sucker for nice packaging, and Eva seems to choose the prettiest bottles – perfect for setting on a cute little bar tray in the living room.
2. The Outside Land. I love ginger drinks, so these first two sound delicious to me…and the outfit above would be so cute on my hubby! I think he would really like the sneakers, and probably the sunglasses, too, but he’d likely veto the bag ;)
3. August Dusk. Have you tried absinthe? It has quite a history, and has been enjoying a revival here in the States recently. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it straight, it’s strong stuff! But a little mixed into a cocktail imparts a deliciously warming anise flavor.
4. Mister Bramble & 5. Boyes-enberry Bliss. That dress! Those shoes! The straws! And what a very pretty drink, too. Don’t you think “Boyes-enberry Bliss” and “Mister Bramble” would make wonderful signature drinks at a wedding? You can find all of the recipe details, sources for the outfits and more in the Swell Sips column on Monkey in Los Angeles.
Cheers to Monday! xo Laura
(images/layouts: Monkey in Los Angeles)
Happy Friday, my dear ones! Can you believe that August is nearly over? I can’t! To be honest, I won’t be too sorry to see it go because that means Fall is just around the corner, my favorite season of all :) Still, I am hoping to savor these late summer weeks with delicious ripe produce from the farmer’s market and lots of time spent outdoors. Of course, with hurricane Irene on its way this weekend, I will likely be spending the next few days at home! Before I sign off for the weekend I would like to leave you with these images from the home of Norwegian blogger Ifra Lahell, demonstrating yet one more reason why painting your (ahem, my) floors white would be a fabulous idea. Enjoy!
Beautiful, right? I read a tip that using deck paint, the kind used on boats and found at nautical supply stores, is the way to go for painting floors. I’m sure that would be the most durable choice, hands down, but I would love to know if there are any eco-friendly options out there that would also be somewhat durable. If any of you have a lead on that, please email me or leave a link in the comments section, I am all ears!
I also love the enlarged family photo on the wall in this home, I would love to do the same with one of my favorites from my own family. What do you think? Are you a fan of family photos in the dining area, or do you prefer to keep it more neutral with art or simply a mirror?
Overall, Ifra Lahell seems to favor white with pretty pastels as accents, and just a little black for contrast – a scheme I have been drawn to more and more over the past few years. Pastels get a bad rap sometimes, but I think that when done in a modern way like this, they can be quite cheerful and welcoming. I know I would love to live here!
So…what is in your planner this weekend? Anything special? If you are on the east coast too, I hope you stay safe and weather the storm cozied up in your home as I will be :) Happy Friday!! xoxo Laura
(images: Ifra Lahell)
It’s Thursday, so I thought now would be a good time to talk about the lovely Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday :) Marisa is an artist with a thriving business, and an infectious enthusiasm for life and creativity – a beautiful example for all of us, whether or not you think of yourself as “creative”. We are all creative, we each have our own voice and something to offer to the world in our own small way. If you aren’t familiar with Marisa’s story, she started her business while working a 9-5 job by taking a small piece of time to herself to create something on Thursdays…and so Creative Thursday was born. Amazing, yes?
I would like to propose that if you can spare a bit of time today, you set it aside to work on something creative. You could write in a journal, doodle, paint, pick up that knitting project that’s been on hold far too long, bake something, style a space in your home, take your camera with you on a walk and begin snapping photos…whatever gets your creative juices flowing. Not sure where to start? How about making a mood board?
For my time today (while Bixby is taking his nap) that is what I will be working on, inspired by the mood board workshop I attended over the weekend. A mood board is a great way to notice themes in what inspires you, and to visually define your style, so this could be a great project to kick off a series of “Creative Thursdays”! I have tons of inspiration images in folders tucked away, and I am really looking forward to sifting through them this afternoon when I have some quiet time to myself.
I will report back next week with a few photos of my mood board, as well as to share my notes from Holly Becker’s mood board presentation…and if you create something today I would love to hear about that, too! To see more of Marisa, check out her Etsy shop, website, and blog. Happy Creative Thursday, friends!! xo Laura
(images: Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday)
