Springtime with Normann Copenhagen

Look at the lovelies in Norm's Spring 2011 collection. I just love the bold hints of color amongst the whites and neutrals. Here is a little sneak peek from the maison-objet trade show in Paris. You can see more of the photos at the NC flickr page.

uno candle holders


light houses

Briones and Co.

Love these wonderful stationery gift ideas from Briones and co.

Newness

As I'm getting back into the swing of things slowly, I've had some time here and there to bounce around on other creatives blogs and have noticed a growing trend on the notion of time in this new year. Not having enough of it and not being as creative as you'd hope to be with it. I thought I'd reaffirm this as something we all shouldn't be afraid of (even though I find that sentence being repeated over and over in my head). Honestly thats life... we have babies, work full time at something else, and start up businesses that need the mainstay of our time, love and tenderness in turn moving us farther and farther away from our little creative passions that we began with. I can tell you that I am one of those who blame the birth of my daughter and that pesky full time design job that I need to make a living from... yes, I would love to be a full time artist/crafter but I think I would miss my roll as a designer in the publishing industry as well. and my daughter of course has been the best thing thats ever happened to me (besides my marriage) and It would be literally impossible to take her back! lol

For a while I sat thinking that I was the only one with these creative roadblocks and kept asking myself why everyone else is on their way to creative happiness and I wasn't. I realized that a lot of those people were kidless and had the opportunity to focus fully on their work from day to day.  I've grew to accept the fact that I am not that person and I never will be (well at least until Zoe is in college and on her own) so I have to do what I need to do at this point in my life and that is be a mother, a wife, and a designer first. I haven't decided what I will really do yet, I'm not sure if "time off" is necessary, maybe I'll get a new sketchbook and start small again and see where it takes me. At least I have the blog!

envelope pillows

from the very talented Geninne...

Eco toting :: PAWLING

As you know I'm a big fan of minimalism...less is always more in my eyes for good design. Pawling print studio is very much a representative of this theory. I especially love their big bulky eco shopping totes that sport these wonderful minimalist patterns and illustrations.

Vintage By Color :: Hilda Grahnat

It's great to be back in this New Year! I've been doing a lot of resting and focusing on my family this past month, sadly to say that in the process my studio turned into the catch all for gift wrapping and storage for when holiday guest arrive... I knew it was time to jump back in and maybe spark enough inspiration to get myself  going with some new projects that have been stewing in my head. I am looking forward to this year, but I hope most of all to get back into the saddle with my art, it's time for this mommy to give herself a little bit of her old creative intuition back!


What a better way to start off the new year then with these wonderful shots by Swedish photographer Hilda Grahnat. Vintage by Design.