On that IG : Wanderlust

Saying something like "I LOOOVE Instagram!" is stalker language for "I'm a little lot obsessed with secretly creeping around the lives of total strangers + I spend too much time doing it."

sianricho : Hokiang Harbour, NZ

But dang it, I LOVE Instagram. Scrolling though my feed isn't the most productive part of my day, but you better believe it gets done on the daily.

I get that many/most/all images have been set up, styled + aren't actually candid or in the moment, including some of my own. People spend a lot of time on IG and for good reason : fame + fortune + Rihanna + procrastination!

Plus, throwing a filter over that otherwise mundane pic of your din has to be the easiest way to show how freaking rad your life is - Do you see the way the light hits the chicken? So good! #nomnom.

maraserene : somewhere in the Redwood forest / thethriftstorecowboy : Horseshoe Springs, UT

As narcissistic + inconsequential as IG can be it's also pretty inspirational.  And getting to see the world through others' eyes makes me so overwhelmingly wanderlust-y, that I'll hop on AirBnB while simultaneously pricing out flights for my next imaginary vaca. It's fun + someday I'll pull the trigger and book that swanky flat in Cape Town. Either way, I love the accessibility of sharing images + how excited it makes me to see the world.

Who are your favorites on that IG?

California Keeps Calling

[...this time in the form of beautiful photos from the OLD BRAND NEW blog.  See more of dabito's LA life through the lens on instagram.  I'm a fan.  And now I want to vaca to Cali more than ever.]

From the Weekend

I spent a lot of time playing with a big girl camera (read : Nikon DSLR) this weekend, in hopes that with a bit of patience, practice and a 300-page manual, I may be able to figure how to take a decent looking photograph with something other than my iPhone.

What I got was frustrated, because I basically wanted to turn the camera on and immediately channel some sort of Ansel-Adams-protege-photography-savant-geniusness.  That did not happen and so frustration set in in about 4 minutes.  Here's what I got instead:

An out-of-focus kitty, who thinks he's my shadow, a basket of cherry tomatoes from Patterson Farm and some ugly rocks I painted.  So I'm a weird-o, rock hording, cat lady who likes little fruits.  File that in your "Things I Never Cared About, But Now Know" memory bin.  Based on this image, I can only get better, right?

Yeah, ok, things started to get a little much better.  Here are some product shoots from the Fall collection that will be in the shop soon! (Barely even retouched in Photoshop! Expensive cameras are are so good.)

Happy Monday!

Photograph // Cat Love

[Just because a kitty photobombing what would be a super cute picture is totally typical.  Love it.]

From here and via Miss Moss.

Photograph: Jung Lee

Gorgeous and atmospheric photographs of Korean landscapes with ghostly overlaid text or neon signage nestled within, by Jung Lee.

When you look at the mountains and the trees and the landscapes before you, what else do you see?

swiped from Raneytown.

Recently // Instagram

My life has looked like a lot of jewelry-making lately (spring shop update next Tuesday!)  Which is exhilarating and stressful and all-consuming.  That and a little bonding time with the cat and snacks replacing actual meals.

I'm all over Instagram like a bee is to honey.  Are you?  It's the perfect way to capture a moment and has me looking at simple things in a much sweeter light.  Pretty nice for a free, phone app, yeah?

Myne - Spring 12 Lookbook

[...or clothes I'd like to where whilst taking a sunny stroll, playing old-timey board games and playing with film cameras.  Models have all the fun.]

Beautifully draped and detailed pieces (with some fabulous open back action) from the Myne '12 Spring Lookbook.

via ofakind.

travelust: The Hearst Castle

Peggy Wong's photographs of the Hearst Castle are so eerily pretty, with their parched, but vibrant, sun-washed feel.  This place is a must-go the next time I happen to be anywhere near the west cost.  #soonerratherthanlater

Where are you wanderlusty for?

No Words, Just Photos

[Working on being quiet and practicing photography...]

Happy Weekend

These photos by Angela Hardison are brillz.  And now I have a craving to go hot air ballooning and photag'ing like no other.  They just evoke a feeling of happiness and hope and play that I will definitely carry into a sure-to-be-fabulous weekend; I hope you do as well!  (And be sure to check out her beautiful blog too.)

...Feeling Better, Grounded.

(Woof, I guess a blog rant is good for the soul every now and then!)

After that last post, I induced foreced-relaxation on a super dark drive home from work, bear hugged my man before he went for a run, made the most amazing homemade pizza (with garlic sauteed mushrooms and broccoli and a dash of curry on top).  And I did something I rarely EVER do.  I took my time.  Finely chopped garlic, perfectly crisp veggies and a sense of calm ensued.

Anyway, I ended up happy and not overly stuffed (taking your time = not shoveling food in face = happy tummy) and in the mood for a little jewelry making.  Freebie time to make whatever, letting my mind wander and my fingers play with beads and chain.  Came up with some stuff I really like.  In the shop soon, hope you like!

Hello Monday

          

Recipe for a stomach ache: Mix one 1 part sugary drink with 1 part cracker and pepperoni-flavored cheese snack with 1 part high fructose corn syrup covered in sour sugar.  Mix well with an empty stomach and 3-hour long drive.

An amazing (but too short, as always) weekend.  Lots of jewelry making with clay, pretty produce at the farmers market and a quick road trip to visit family, booze it up and play disco fever pinball.  Monday, I love you, but you came too soon.

Yokoo

Yokoo: Amazing handmade products, style and sense of humor.  That last scarf looks like it could keep me warm in the coldest/longest/snowiest of Ohio winters. (1 // 2 // 3)

Make Something Cool Everyday

I tried to only pick a few funny ones, but I just couldn't stop myself.

Make something cool everyday?? This idea and the works that have come out of it by artist Brock Davis (you may have seen some of his work on Threadless tee's) are so nerdy and clever.  This goes to show how making art can just be a matter of being weird yourself , using your imagination and tacking on a little ingenuity.

One day, when I run an art/design program for under privileged youth, I'm going to have them do a whole bunch of renegade art like this!  How fun and hilarious would that be? Check out all 365 creations he made on the daily for a whole year right herrrr.

via Melissa.