Wednesday, March 30, 2011

dresses, bags and type, oh my!

inspiration wednesday.
{dresses, bags and type, oh my!}


found this lovely dress through this blog, eeep! gorgeous collar. gorgeous color. made by the highly talented hannah elise. check her out, she's incredible.
{image via}


found this dress through the selvedge blog, surprise surprise. made by bojo childrenswear. there should be more linen on little people.

{image via}


more linen on little people. this time an apron. how lovely. made by les toiles blanches.

{image via}


darling bag. made by lisa stickley. she's great.

{image via}


type from wine? yes please. saw this on designdog.

{image via}


you make me happy when skies are gray. thank you colorful type.

{image via}

happy wednesday!

Monday, March 28, 2011

je bent so lief!

liefday monday.
{je bent so lief!}

today is a history lesson of sorts. a description of the process. I know for myself, when I read or hear why a company developed or where it came from, I have a deeper appreciation for the product and design. in this connection, the human element has been attached, and for me, this creates a sense of meaning.

so...lief.[leef] (via)

lief comes from the dutch language, meaning sweet, dear, or treasured, as used as an endearment. growing up with a father who was born and raised in amsterdam, I was instilled with that dutch love at an early age. visiting the netherlands throughout my childhood, and later on, living there for a short while, built a deep sense of connection and appreciation for the dutch culture. so, when it came to deciding on a name for my designs, I knew I wanted to honor that rich history and the influences it has had on where I have come.

this whole reflection was sparked from a conversation I had with my father last night who told me that my oma (grandma) had worked for a fashion company, klunder, when she was younger. culture and design collide! awesome. to see that red connecting stitch through family is so inspiring!

as I was trying to research this amsterdam fashion company called klunder (no such luck), I did stumble upon some sweet blogs/websites:


this image wraps it up well:


you are so sweet!
{image via}

so, what's your inspiration? where have your designs and ideas evolved from?
happy monday!

Friday, March 25, 2011

wine labels

thing day friday.
{wine labels}

I love wine. red wine in particular. white wine for those hot summer afternoons. when it comes to perusing the wine isles and deciding which bottle will satisfy, type, in the grape sense, does not always have the final say for me. I judge a bottle by it's cover. if I don't like the label, chances are I won't buy it. so today, the thing is wine labels. here are a few that I have enjoyed.


this label was created by a super cool graphic design company from barcelona called Atipus. check out some of their other packaging designs, pretty great.


{image via}


this label was designed by a Canadian company called Brandever.


{image via}


A local favorite of mine, 45North Winery. (found in lovely Leelanau County in northern Michigan.) The winery is great, and so is their font.


{image via}


a metal looking label. sweet.


{image via}


colorful. clean. white. by Stef Baxter.


{image via}

hope you can enjoy a nice glass of wine this weekend.
cheers!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

sartorialist + fashion

inspiration wednesday.
{sartorialist + fashion}

i love fashion. not so much for how I look, but more so for the art of it. for the matching of textiles and fabrics. how the fabric lies on one's shoulder, gliding down to the sole. how shoe choice absolutely matters. and, how sometimes all you need is a scarf. granted, most days, my sense of fashion is thrown together in roughly ten minutes, and really is no fashion at all, but I am still thoroughly in love with this art form.

i love reading the wall street journal's life & culture section. it is full of fashion inspiration. shoes, coats, belts, how to's. it's great. opening the outstretched paper, smelling the freshly printed ink while quietly sipping jet black coffee - perfect. (but if you must, wsj.com does okay too)

this video has so inspired me this week. scott's eye for fashion and the things and people in his world is wonderful. it has definitely inspired me to look for art in abnormal places.


happy wednesday!

Monday, March 21, 2011

wall hangers + stitching

liefday monday.
{wall hangers + stitching}


I'm in the process of stitching a wall hanger for a baby, and I love embroidery. I find it to be such a beautiful art form to combine fabric with thread, texture with color, simplicity with complexity.

so here's to you, grant william.







Friday, March 18, 2011

shoes for the little one.

thing day friday.
{shoes for the little one}

this week's thing day started with my little niece getting these seriously awesome lelli kelly shoes.



{image via}

so I just had to search for some more...

the smart baby loafer-moccasin.



{image via}


puj baby. love that name.


{image via}

victorian baby boots.

{image via}

and, last but not least, some delicious wool by pia wallen.

{image via}

happy friday!
enjoy your weekend!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

jackandsuz

inspiration wednesday.
{jackandsuz}

this past week I visited a dear friend of mine, Suzy, who always seems to inspire me; she is just so crazy talented! simply walking in her room was a burst of inspiration! here are some images of a quilt and paper flower that she made.


{image via}

{image via}

{image via}

thanks suz!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

felting + handwriting

liefday monday
{felting + handwriting}

for the past month and a half I have taught a knitting class to about 15 sixth grade girls. such a treat! For their final project I had them each knit a wool square so that I could felt them all and stitch them together for a wall hanging that will eventually be sold at their school auction. here is a picture of the process. I am so proud of them!


being the first time I had felted, here was a video that I used to help me with the felting process. if you have never done it, this may help you as well!



and a name card project this past week.


happy monday (or tuesday...road trips are not conducive to blogging. :))

Friday, March 11, 2011

coffee cups, yes please!

thing day friday
{coffee cups}

in leu of road trips and busy days...coffee has been a big part of this week! so the thing for this week: coffee cups!


for the dutch in me (and in lief), a dutch delft mug

{image via}


hema mug. plain, simple and grey. :)
{image via}


hema mug two. I love this combination of an italian wine glass and a coffee mug. and only five euros!

{image via}

the next three mug images I found on this girl lel blog about the ceramic artist Samantha Robinson. just love her work. I love the colors, the thinness of the sides, the textures. just great.

{image via}

{image via}

{image via}

happy friday!


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

looms + UK

inspiration wednesday.
{weaving looms}

I am finding the practice of sitting down and reflecting on what has inspired me over the past week nourishing. so often we are moving at such a rapid pace that the things that inspire us come and go just as fast. I have really enjoyed this process - and if you are one that loves to be inspired, I would encourage you to do the same. I think you will be delightfully surprised.

this past week's inspiration: weaving looms.
oh to sit and weave that beautiful textile back and forth - such a beautiful process!

{image via}

i was initially inspired by hand weaving when I was reading through selvedge (issue 38 - zoological!) magazine where they had a beautiful layout of artist Eleanor Pritchard. Her work is calmly wonderful. Below is one of her woven blankets.


{image via}

some days when I think about the beauty of crafting the whole fiber process (sheep, shear, spin, stain, stitch (or weave, knit...but for alliteration sake, stitch) I think I belong in the UK, particularly Ireland or Whales, even if only for a couple months...



oh, and I loved this dress. :)


enjoy your wednesday. may you be inspired this week!

Monday, March 7, 2011

CAREballet + birthdays

liefday monday.
{GRunveiled + CAREballet}

here are some more photos from the show from talented nicole haley. thank you again for all of your hard work that night!


also, CAREballet (creative arts repertoire ensemble) is having their auction on Saturday, March 26th at Kent Country Club.


CARE is a great organization that I got connected to through a dear family that I simply cherish. Two of their three girls dance with CARE and I had the chance to see them this past Christmas in their 'TWAS show -- it was great! (and at st. cecelia!) CARE also works hard to connect under-served children in the Grand Rapids Area to dance by providing tickets and transportation to Friday night performances. I think what they are doing in the lives of children in the GR area is wonderful and inspiring. If you plan on attending the auction, keep your eye out for a lief design bag filled with thank you cards, a journal and a gift certificate -- all tied together in a handmade bag, of course! :)


and a big happy birthday to some of the dearest people to me!
happy monday!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Salt + Pepper Shakers

thing day friday.
{salt + pepper shakers}


jonathan adler elephants.
{found via}

anthropologie goodness.
{found via}

pantone s+p mills.
{found via}

break it to use it salt and pepper shaker by StudioKahn.
beautiful and creative.
{found via}

hand cast porcelain pebble shakers by littlegreenseed.
{found via}

a favorite local artist of mine, hyun yoo with OOM.
{found via}

and just because this cracks me up. picture yourself with baby heads on your kitchen table.
{found via}


have a beautiful friday!