artist love

I know it's been a while (yet again) but I really wanted to share this artist's etsy shop. I just came across it and I really love his prints.

The shop name is Elgarbo Art and the photographer is Michael Garbutt who is based out of Sydney, Australia. He has an incredible array of the most beautiful vintage-style art prints (I read in his profile that he digitally ages his photos to create this effect). Here are a few that I particularly love:

Highway Surf Patrol

Ballooning

Melody

Beach Wagon

Wouldn't these look amazing hung together in a room?! (My room :)

it's been a while...

Did anyone else have a momentary Staind circa 2001 flashback there? No? Just me?

Despite having been a completely delinquent blogger lately, I just bought a couple of things online that I reallty wanted to share. So the silence is broken. {Sidenote: I am a perpetual online-pretend-shopper; I fill up my shopping cart with things I love at stores all over the web, and then I never check out. I don't know why I do this, maybe it is some sort of 'placebo shopping'? Anyway, I don't know what has gotten into me, but lately I have actually made a few real purchases... now I am feeling like I'm on a slippery slope...}

It all started way back when I posted about these beautiful braided leather flip flops. Ever since then I have been on a mad hunt for a pair of brown leather flip flops that were a) in Canada, and b) less than €60. Not as easy as one might think. In fact, totally impossible in my experience. I went everywhere. I will spare you the agonizing details of every single store I visited, but believe me when I say that I got around. And then, one fateful day last week, my cubicle neighbour (just so you know, typing 'cubicle neighbour' just made me feel sick) was talking about how much she loves ordering from Abercrombie & Fitch. 

A negative: I have only been to an A&F store once in person (maybe five years ago), and was totally put-off by the half-naked men who are paid to stand in the store entrance with their shirts off. There are actually a lot of things that I find off-putting about the store. Having said that, I am not claiming any moral stance against them by any stretch, it was just not a store I enjoyed actually going into.

A positive: At my cottage there is a very old pair of binoculars in a beautiful old leather case - they were my Grandfather's and they must be considered antique by now. Only a couple of years ago did I noticed the embossed logo on the leather... Abercrombie & Fitch. This has totally changed my immediate mental association with the store. (I suppose it also helps that I haven't laid eyes on one of their brick and mortar stores in half a decade.)

So, when my work neighbour mentioned the store last week, the old, beautifully beaten-up and weathered leather case came immediately into my mind. Followed closely by the braided leather flip flops of my dreams. And off to the online store I went. Where I bought these.

No, they're not braided, but they are all leather, and I think they're gorgeous. And they were on sale for $42. I know that's an expensive pair of flip flops, but I've heard they're super comfy, and real leather doesn't come cheap.

While I was there... I found this bag in the clearance section (I actually didn't look at anything on the site that wasn't in the 'sale' or 'clearance' section... call it self-preservation). I have also been looking for a large-ish brown leather purse/bag for a while now. When I saw this one, I could just picture it once it had been broken in a bit and it has that lovely look that worn leather gets... so I had to get it. And it was on sale for $99 (down from $310)! I have to say that I really appreciate the subtlety of the Abercrombie logo on both of these items - I usually associate this brand with huge contrasting labels emblazoned across their clothing, so this was a lot more up my alley.

A big factor in this was the fact that abercrombie.ca ships from within Canada, so there are no duties or all those other fees that always seem to pile up with online purchases from American companies. Although I have a feeling that the prices are a lot less in USD... luckily it won't even let me look at the American site so I'll never know.

I am so excited for my purchases to arrive... also a bit nervous that they won't live up to my expectations, which have gotten rather high with all the anticipation. I really hope it all works out... and I will be sure to report back!

p.s. Is it just me or was that an unimaginably long-winded post about a two-item online shopping spree?

here comes the sun...

Or, more accurately, here comes a big freakin' thunderstorm... but where did accuracy ever get anyone anyway?

However, in anticipation of the sun someday returning, I wanted to share a project that I have been really excited about for a while now (I just haven't gotten around to it yet)... some diy cyanotype art!

After seeing this blog post over at House&Home, and this one at Apartment Therapy... I have been dying to try something like this at home. Basically it is as simple as lightly spray-painting (or spray-paint-misting) a cyanotype blue colour over some leaves or flowers, or anything you want really (I am planning to use some herbs - rosemary, thyme and sage would make such lovely silhouettes, especially to hang in the kitchen) on white bristol board, and then framing your prints with the old go-to white Ikea frames. I love projects like this, that are so inspiring and so SIMPLE, that it might actually provide me with some confidence and motivation to tackle one of those other diy ideas that I am accumulating at an alarming rate. (Thank you for that, Pinterest.) Also, if you clicked on the link to the Apartment Therapy post, you will have seen those gorgeous chairs. You will have also noticed that there is a company selling cyanotype fabric (now available in a beautiful array of colours). It is called bluesunprints, and their white cyanotype fabric is selling for $20/yard... maybe it's just me, but that seems like an awesome deal! I have a chair that I picked up at a thrift store a while back, I am planning to spray paint it white, and I have been trying to find the perfect fabric to cover the seat... well this is definitely it! (I have had these pages bookmarked for ages, I don't know what took me so long!) All I can say is, those Sunprint kits of my youth have come a loooong way.

On a related note - I just spotted these plates over at West Elm... just beautiful. I would love to get a set for my Mom, I know she would love them.

My favourites are the wild grass and the clovers

west elm - nature sun print dessert plates, $8 each

Well my friends, I hope this has provided a little bit of summer inspiration for you! I am quite excited (she says as the first crack of thunder rolls in) and I hope to have some photos of my own cyanotype artwork to share with you sometime very soon. Have a lovely weekend!

catch you on the flip side

I love flip flops. Like many (most?) girls, I pretty much live in them as soon as the warm weather hits. Mostly the rather inexpensive, often rubber variety... maybe the occasional "fancy" sequined pair.

But these...These are just downright beautiful.

Summer leather flip flops - from Scotch & Soda

artist love

This week: Sharon Montrose of The Animal Print Shop.

Her photos are so incredible, they actually made me tear up. I know I generally have a bit of a ridiculous soft spot for animals, but there is just something in the way she is able to capture their eyes and their movement, it is really just breathtaking. I would love to create a mini-gallery wall with a grouping of her prints. These are just a few that I have fallen in love with.

Giraffe Close-up

Nubian Goat No. 2

Donkey Ears

Baby Fox

Baby Kangaroo No. 1

Baby Raccoon No. 1

White Goose No. 3

  {I first saw her work in this post from A Cup of Jo}

madewell

These past few days, I've been spending a lot of time in the sale section of the Madewell website. As I've said before, I have no problem admitting that I am a little behind the curve when it comes to, oh, quite a few things I guess, but especially trendy-type-things. I also have no problem admitting that I have a major mental block when it comes to paying full price for certain things, okay, okay, for clothes. Unless it is a really special item, or if I am shopping for a specific occasion the day before said occasion (which I do all too often) I much prefer to wait for things to go on sale. Knowing that pretty much everything does eventually, it makes it really difficult for me to justify paying full price. And that is just my very personal feeling on the matter. I definitely do not think I am a cheap person, it's just that there are a million other things I would rather waste spend my money on. Like absurd amounts of expensive cheeses, for one.

Anyway, for those of you who already know how great Madewell clothes are, this won't come as a surprise. But for those of you who are new to this, like I am, here are few things that I found - my virtual shopping cart, if you will. I have yet to decide which items I will actually be buying... and I would absolutely love any comments!

balldrop mini - $60

 

pleated pembroke dress - $130

 

rooftop party dress - $30



shimmer dust tee - $40



silk capulet tank - $70

sketched feathers dress - $80

 

ticker-stripe tank - $25



tomboy tee - $20

Stetson denim havana - $55



So... any thoughts??

the deer hunter

This guy is exactly what is missing from my living room. He'll live on the wall overtop of our obnoxiously large flatscreen television. I've been waiting for him to go on sale, or for an applicable promo code, for six months now (I just can't bring myself to pay full price, what can I say).

I really think Mr. Owl will like him! I can't wait for the day I can finally place the order. He will be mine. (That doesn't sound creepy, does it?)

these are a few of my favourite things

Since I seem to have developed a serious online-window-shopping problem (I know, I know, who doesn't have that problem) I thought it might be therapeutic (or maybe just fun!) to share a few of the things I've been "visiting" a lot recently. Seriously, every single day I find at least twenty new things that I absolutely cannot live without. I guess it's a curse of having access to all the amazing blogs out there, not to mention Pinterest - an eternal fountain of inspiration... holy moly. It never stops! So here are few of today's favourite things, hope you enjoy them too.

This crocheted dachshund from Le Souk.

In. Love.

This blanket - first seen on Sophia's Pinterest board.

These vintage maple syrup bucket planters - found on Hindsvik's Etsy shop.

This pillow cover from West Elm.







This six-pack bicycle frame cinch (which doubles as a polo mallet holder, naturally)... along with all of the other gorgeous leather bicycle accessories from the Walnut Studio shop on Etsy.

These perfect pre-fab cottages from Modern Cabana - photos from Sunset.

 

These solar-powered illuminated planters from the new President's Choice Lawn & Garden Insider's Report.

PC can do no wrong in my eyes.

 

{Had to take a screen capture, hence the weird image quality}

 This perfect-for-my-bedroom sheet set from Anthropologie (oh, and every single other thing they sell, but that goes without saying).

So, there you have it, that's my wishlist of the day...

What's on yours?

lovely lace

Only over the past few years have I discovered that I really love the look of lace. In the right piece of clothing, I find it can be a perfect union of femininity, tradition, and contemporary style. To celebrate my new passion, I thought I'd do a rundown of some of my favourite lace clothing items. Many of these pieces are so classic and timeless that I know I could wear them for years to come. Having said that... some of them I can afford, and others I can barely afford to look at.

Here we go, in order from 'don't mind if I do' to 'only in dreams'...

AE Lace Skirt - $38

Lace & Tulle Cami - $50 (currently on sale!)

Essential Summer Shift - $128

Gemsa Lace Dress - $229



Dream Strapless Lace Dress - $232



Lace Asymmetrical Dress - $247



Oblique Blooms Dress - $258

Lace Zarita Dress - $323

Leather & Lace Dress - $437