a slight theme

I love Halloween, the smell of fall, skulls and bones, and scary archetypal animals.
"Monster Mash" Shadow Puppets by orangemoontoys; $30 on etsy. Check out my personal Fav

"Big Bad Wolf", modern trophy by rubyslounge on etsy; $345
The infamous Eames house bird; $195 (cah!)
The scent of burning maple leaves; by CB I hate perfume
"Skeleton Keys"; by Miso and Ghostpatrol; Screen print edition of 20. Check out their new book.
"An other black day", Letterpress print by HONEYLUX $12 on etsy; websiteInk Woodblock prints by Don Carney for Patch NYC, via Jonathan Adler

Happy Halloween

This skeleton decanter and set of skull shot glasses is one of my most treasured items. Every time I visited my grandmother's house I'd stare at this ceramic and gold lame piece and be slightly spooked. It was handmade by my great uncle Carol over 40 years ago. I absolutely cherish this set and I admit I've never taken a single drink out of it in fear of breaking it.

work

This image by artist Julie Morstad pretty much sums up how I feel right now.
resources: when you were small;custom wallpaper via rollout

Great movie: Harvey

I saw this for the first time last night and I am in love! Harvey is an inspiring film about a delightfully pleasant man named Elwood P. Dowd who is best friends with an invisible 6'3 alcoholic bunny.
I have a soft spot for Jimmy Stewart, bunnies and pookah's.
Favorite quote: "Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."-Elwood P. Dowd
Resources: IMDB; clip "Nobody ever brings anything small into a bar"

kitty

Photograph by: Kristina Williamson, "Wiz"
for SCHADENFREUDE, curated by Daniel Newman
via artlurker

good design: iittala alphabet

I don't know much about typography but these handmade glass letters by iittala featured in last months Wallpaper* totally blew me away.

I want to ingest that little Q

Inspiration: self containment

The newest addition to our vastly growing collection of treasures is this antique ship-in-a-bottle previously owned by my Bf's grandmother. With her unfortunate passing last year went the history behind this vintage little relic. I love looking at this precious little self contained ship and have been dreaming up a story of it's creation and inauguration into the Ellsworth family.
Staring at this ship now nestled in my office, has reengaged my love for glass containers and self contained objects. Encasing something is a surefire way of making it romantic and precious.

Below is a gorgeous selection of fancy apothecary jars, plant terrariums and bell jars.

One of my favorites:
Paxton Gate Wizard Mouse encased in a wood based glass dome.


Perfect housewarming gift:
EcoSphere self sustaining contained no fuss eco-system.

Always a crowdpleaser: Succulent Terrariums
(I'd love a house full of plant terrariums but I am a little crushed after my first attempt died within 3 months)

And lastly, the ultimate in self containment: a pet fish.
I've been eager to post something about industrial designer Roger Arquer's brilliant fish bowl project for a while now. The project explores a variety of social issues expressed in a series of 15 custom fish bowls.
Russian Dolls
XS or XL
Do Not Piss Me Off

delicate

When things are hectic I tend to gravitate towards subtly.
These amazingly intricate paper cutouts by Cuban artist Elsita (Elsa Mora) are awe inspiring and peaceful. I cant say enough positive things about her work. I'll let these images speak for themselves.
the wound
good-bye bird
secret anatomy of a young girl
bird mask
Resources: elsita's papercutting blog; Etsy shop
More white, subtle and organic:
Below are a couple of images of hand carved eggshells by craftsman Gary LeMaster:
I can't even begin to fathom how difficult something like this is to accomplish.

Good Design

question:
answer:
Maarten De Ceulaer "Pile of Suitcases"
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate

This stunningly simple yet beautiful wardrobe has it all; vintage appeal, functionality, clean lines and shades of green. I feel like this designer crawled into my subconscious and made my dream furniture.
via Dezeen

Great find: The PinPals

I just picked up these little paper dolls by The Pin Pals at a sweet little shop in Davis square.
I absolutely love how nasty and feisty these guys are.
The Pin Pals blog is amazing and it's great to see how many different projects they explore. This darling duo Burnaby and Alicia are available on their Etsy site:
Along with prints, t-shirts and paper dolls they also make adorable little one of a kind buttons. How sweet are these tiny cross stitched pins?
These tiny pins undoubtedly remind me of my dear friend Tiffany's handmade needlepoint charms available on her heist jewelry blog and Etsy:I really do love handmade pieces!

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Covet: Wood Eyewear

I NEED these vintage wooden wayfarers.  

Andy Beach from Reference Library didn't win them on Ebay so it made my day when I spotted them on his amazingly disappointing blog. 

Boutique buzz: Boston

I just got back from visiting my lovely home away from home Boston. I was inspired and impressed with some of the delicious little boutiques I came across on this visit.
A new favorite of mine is ACQUIRE, a tiny little gem of a shop nestled in the North End.
I picked up a ridiculously affordable handmade wooden wreath and was tempted to buy a few more things. The reclaimed boudoir chairs, vintage medical apothecary cabinets and the teenie live shrimp eco-system were among my favorites.
Shop curator and owner Nikki Dalrymple's shop blog.

Here are a few other great design boutiques around Mass:
Good-always a delight. This Beacon Hill shop is a constant go-to for amazing treasures and jewelry.
Magpie-cute and local artist supporting kitsch shop in Davis Square.
Map-interesting mix of men's clothing and hand crafted pieces and art in Province Town.
E.R. Butler & Co.-a stunning mix of architectural hardware and slightly macabre lux accessories.
Louisboston- high priced couture fashion and lust worthy home accessories on Newbury Street.

mini obsession: tiny things

If it's 1/12th the size, it's safe to say I'll be into it. Below is a selection of tiny things that make me happy:


Fun photos of deliciously modern interiors from dollhouse blog Minimodern

Two photographs by local Miami artist Nestor Arenas

I love his dead animals series and one day plan on picking up the kitty photo. 

Above is a selection of various photographs by amazing artist Lori Nix