{Inspiring Couple} Lucienne & Robin Day...

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Creative couples really inspire me. I'm always curious about how their individual work influences each other & their creative process. It's the weekend before Valentine's Day and I thought it would be fun to revisit this interest of mine by starting a series of posts about creative couples. The first couple of the series is UK designers Robin & Lucienne Day. 

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I had written a post a few weeks ago about Lucienne's beautiful textiles for Fabric Friday, but I wanted to learn more about Robin and his furniture designs. I found this great video at designonscreen.org which is a wonderful site to know about if you love design & architecture. 

Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day from Design Onscreen on Vimeo.

I love how their work compliments each other. Robin & Lucienne have that added benefit of having different design strengths & being able to communicate their ideas to one another. I can't help but think that makes them even stronger artistic voices & adds volumes to the continuity in their work. They are truly an inspiring couple don't you think? Do you have a favorite creative couple? 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend....

{Fabric Friday} Emilio Pucci...

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My first memory of discovering Emilio Pucci designs was about 15 years ago when I lived in NYC. There was this really wonderful vintage clothing shop a few blocks from my school/studio. Every now and then I would stop by to browse & play dress up. This store had a lot of high end designers from the 50's - 70's and I remember being particularly taken with the bold & colorful designs of Emilio Pucci. One of the bizarre facts that I just learned, is that Pucci's first clothing designs were for the Reed College skiing team- in 1935 he received a skiing scholarship from Reed College and later received his MA in social science. It just strikes me really interesting that someone born in Florence, Italy to a noble family, would end up in a small college in Portland, Oregon. I won't go into his whole history, but this fact was one I found particularly notable. Needless to say, he was known for his bright & bold textiles and his designs have been sought after by quite a range of woman like Marilyn Monroe (she was been buried in one of his dresses), Jackie Kennedy, & Madonna. 

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I'm really enjoying my textile design history tangent that I have been on lately. I had to include that hilarious helmet design. You know, I live in the rainy NW & something like that just might be the answer to these grey rain filled days.  I think I could totally pull that off at the local grocery store, don't you? Happy Fabric Friday! Do you have a favorite textile designer? 

{Everyday Inspiration} comfort palette...

I absolutely love color.  But I do find that there are colors that I gravitate towards more often than others. My paintbox, closet, & house are full of greens & blues. They seem to be my comfort colors. Maybe it's because my eyes are a combination of the two. I created another Etsy treasury of colors & images that feel comforting & happy to me. 

You can view this Etsy Treasury live here. What are your comfort colors?

Photos: My watercolor tubes, travel palette, & favorite brush.

{photos} put a quarter in the jukebox...

I'll need more than a quarter for the jukebox today. I'm selecting my tunes carefully and locking myself in the studio for awhile. The sun is shining through the window & I think it's going to be a productive day. See you when I resurface. 


Photo: Sayer on his 3rd birthday at Big Scoop. 

{Everyday Inspiration} Converse + Marimekko...

When I first read about this awesome collaboration in December, I was really excited to see what the finished product would look like. Well wait no further - the Converse/Marimekko shoes  were just unveiled yesterday along with this great little mini documentary. They can be found at converse.com - all the styles range from $75-$85 US (& those cool shoe bags come with the sneakers). I really don't need to tell you how much I love these do I? What do you think? Do you have a favorite? I think I have it narrowed down between two.... stay tuned.

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{Music Monday} Don't look back...

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

This new video from She & Him fits my mood perfectly today. It inspired me to get out our old, "Decorative Art in Modern Interiors" book and flip through it (the picture above is a photo from the book). We just bought an orange modular couch & have been rearranging all of our authentic '60's furniture (inherited when my parents moved from our old house) all weekend. Oddly, I think we are almost recreating the living room from my childhood. So this just seemed like a perfect music selection for today. Happy Music Monday! What music fits your mood this Monday?

{Valentine} Owl Couple...

February is my all time favorite month. So I guess it goes without saying that I'm a sucker for Valentine's Day too. I remember so fondly, how carefully I used to select my valentines for all of my classmates when I was little. Because I love this sweet holiday, I just added an owl couple letterpress print (limited edition) to the shop last night with the thought that it would be a nice gift for someone special. My owl couple 2011 calendar has been marked down as well. 
Hope everyone had a great weekend! How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?