{Good Read} Uppercase #11 love...

My love of UPPERCASE Magazine isn't new. I've been a fan for awhile now- I'm only missing the 1st issue in my cherished collection. The magazine never ceases to inspire & delight me. I'm always amazed at how timely the topics are- it seems like each issue is always full of everything I'm currently interested in.  Now I know I say this EVERY time, but issue number 11 is my absolute favorite so far. In addition to the stellar content- there is another reason why I was thrilled when I flipped through the pages... 

Sayer was pretty excited to see the "Wise Old Owls" article too- particularly the {covet} page (pg 101). It's always nice to get a nod or mention in print- but when it is in a favorite magazine that is so beautifully curated & designed, it's particularly smile inducing. 

I'm still savoring the magazine but here are four articles that caught my attention right away. 

- carving a niche : the small marvels of artist diam chau - page 39-41

- scherenschnitte - page36-37

- Scratching the Surface - page 86-87

- fibre and fire : Lizz Aston - page 82-85

Funny, but two of these articles caught my attention because of Chris. He is a ceramicist & has been doing "sgraffito" for over 20 years in his personal work- which is where I first learned the term. In the work that he does for hutch studio, he has been exploring the concept of "sherenschnitte" over the last few years. So I the, Scratching the Surface and scherenschnitte articles, stood out to me in particular. 

This is truly a gorgeous magazine & I don't have enough thumbs to give it the "thumbs up" that it deserves. If you are local to where I live - you can find this great magazine (in person) at, ideal: carefully curated goods,  in Bellingham, WA. 

Thanks Janine, you made my day. Kudos on other fantastic issue!

{Fabric Friday} Wonderful Textile Archive

Andrea Aranow Textile Archive from Aaron Rayburn on Vimeo.

I learned about Andrea Aranow's textile archive last week on the FORTPORT blog. It's such a great project & truly amazing collection - I felt the need to share it with my fellow textile enthusiasts. Pop on by to read the article if you have a chance- it's a great blog as well. Can you imagine having all of your fabrics organized & archived like that? Well, maybe you already do- but I don't & I'm in awe. Happy Fabric Friday! I'll be doing some sewing this weekend. Will you? 

Also, a big thanks to the men & women that have & continue to serve our country. Happy Veteran's Day!

{via here}

{La Petite} For the Love of Books...

I don't think Rachelle knows how much I truly enjoy the opportunity to contribute "For the Love of Books" to La Petite Magazine. I don't think I honestly knew how much I would look forward to hearing what the next theme of the magazine was just so I could start dreaming up what I would write about - & then what I would photograph to go with it. My love of books & research is only part of what interests me in this project. Being that I am totally immersed in the day to day life of a small business owner/designer & mom, it is nice to be given a creative challenge on a continuous basis that is completely unrelated. I love coming up with a direction & including Sayer in my adventure. While I think I say it each time I write the book feature, this one is my favorite. Sayer & I played a little Swiss make- believe one day. This photoshoot with him was somewhat spontaneous too. We were actually taking photos for my fox tee that we had just picked up & I packed a bag of various things just in case it got chilly & the opportunity for more photos presented itself (the attention span of a toddler is unpredictable). The day was gorgeous & we headed out to enjoy the weather at one of my favorite local places. We read our Pippi book (that was a sweet gift from a blog reader) on a break & then got out Sayer's ukelele for what turned into a Sound of Music moment. The lighting was great & I took photos as Sayer explored - I loved it! My vision was coming to life & it is particularly exciting when that happens. The scarf he was wearing was actually mine - it was getting chilly so I took it off me & put it on him. His whole outfit came together organically.These photos make me smile & remember a fun day- so I wanted to share them. Every time I send Rachelle my writing & photos, I get nervous about whether it will fit her vision. What I'm always so amazed at, is how well it fits in with the rest of the contributions & general feel of the magazine. I was tickled to see that my view of the Swiss Alps & Mountain children was fairly spot on

When I saw this photoshoot spread on Monday, I was tickled. I posted this picture yesterday as a favorite from the magazine. It almost looks like we could have been in the same place! This was my fourth, "For the Love of Books", & I'm so excited to start on the fifth one! Thanks for including me Rachelle- it's truly a joy to be a part of your magazine. I have so much fun!

-Check out the new issue of La Petite here

-All "For the Love of Books" features here

{La Petite Mag} Issue # 6 + Gift Guide

La Petite Magazine - Issue #6 came out yesterday & it's really quite stunning! The photography, interior spaces, interviews & features are really wonderful.  Again, I feel really proud to be a contributor to such a beautiful magazine. This issue I was asked to contribute 3 of my top picks for the La Petite Gift Guide. It was such a hard task to narrow my picks down to 3- but I finally did. I was particularly honored to be among such a great group of blogging women as well. The funny thing, is that at least one of my picks came from Amanda's blog. I remember ordering the Tegu blocks for Sayer when she posted about them. My favorite local design store, Ideal, now carries them & I have the little pocket pouch that I chose- all because of Amanda's blog. Amanda, Rachel, Celina, & Peggy have such great taste & I enjoy all of their blogs very much. 

Tapikid Playmat

kidsonroof - totem figurines

Tegu Tints Pocket Pouch

I've been waiting for the Tapikid Playmats to come to the US for awhile now- so I wanted to make sure to pass on the US link (under the picture). All 3 of these things are inspired by watching Sayer play - so his picture should really be on the gift guide I think. If you haven't checked out the new La Petite Issue, you are in for a treat. There is so much to browse through! Here are just a few of my favorite images from the magazine...

So, grab your favorite beverage, put your feet up & dream while you click through the gorgeous pages. Well done ladies! Thanks for including me! 

Visit La Petite Magazine - Issue # 6 - www.lapetitemag.com/current-issue/

{Music Monday} What's playing in the studio...

It's dark & rainy- actually the perfect ingredients for locking myself in my studio (which is good because I need to). I've been listening to the new Ryan Adams album, Ashes & Fire all day- pretty sure it will remain on tonight until I go to bed.  I have a long night in the studio ahead. Happy Music Monday! What are you listening to?

{photo via}

{Everyday Inspiration} Kiel Johnson cardboard love...

Kiel Johnson's Cardboard Twin Lens Reflex Camera Time Lapse from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

THE SHORT STACK from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

Holy Moly- aren't these unbelievable cardboard creations? A friend told me about this post over at Odette Manon & it blew me away (thanks again D!). Then I checked out Kiel Johnson's website & was hit over the head with his brilliance. I highly recommend taking some time to cruise through it - this post barely scratches the surface of his projects. I particularly love his videos by Theo Jemison too! 

Hope you are having (or had) a wonderful weekend. Did you make anything cool?

All photos from www.kieljohnson.com