pattern pals #6: abstract

Maybe you've noticed, but Katie and I haven't posted a new pattern pals in awhile. We went on a little hiatus, but I'm happy to say WE HAVE RETURNED. On the same day as the new Kanye album comes out - coincidence? Yes, but let's pretend that it's not.

This time around for a theme we unwittingly gave ourselves a challenge: abstract! I am always admiring the simple shapes and texture patterns that textile artists create. But it turns out that is easier admired than done. I played around with about five million variations of patterns before I settled on this one. They kinda look like fancy bon bons, don't they? Katie's is a great compliment to it, like freshly cut grass.

As per usual, here are some free wallpapers: iphone / ipad / tile for desktop

And! It's also available as an iphone case over on my very dusty and unused Society6 page!

Next up: the corresponding dream outfit. This one is an early summer, window shopping, iced coffee celebration of the fact that it hasn't rained for TWO DAYS here in Minnesota. That's right, we dumped the snow and almost instantly fell into a rainy spell. Portlandians, I don't know how you do it. 

bag / shirt / skirt / sandals / bracelet / hat

current events

Some photos, recently taken and edited on my phone with the brand new VSCO app. I stopped using the old version awhile ago in favor of Snapseed. I'll probably go back to Snapseed after awhile too, but for now I'm enjoying the gorgeous, highly editable filters that VSCO has.

They also have a cool new "grids" feature, which is a simple, gorgeous way of showing off your photos. After flickr's recent redesign (so heavy and unorganized!), I've been enjoying looking at grids of the currently approved users (it seems to be in some sort of a closed beta):

dear leila

kevin russ

body of work

table (which I'm actually currently using as a desk)

So, a long time ago (2009, woaaahh) I made this post. My tastes have changed a little since then (that rug! I'm cringing), and now that I'm back to working from home I figured it was time to do a little update. It hasn't even been a year since I went freelance, so I'm still working on what sort of furniture I need.. but that doesn't mean a girl can't dream!

wall mounted shelves / chair /  rug

• Things I'd like ideally:  a new chair that rolls, a rug to keep my tootsies happy, a wall mounted shelf for tchotchkes and the like, a flat file for paper and art, multiple filing cabinets for supplies

• Things I have room and the money for: a latte

Our apartment is small, so I don't have a ton of room for studio space. That's really okay since I do most all of my work from my desk. But it would be nice to have more room for storage, and the money for a fancy new chair! Gisèle d’Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht's (how's that for a name?) home is ideally what I'd love for my studio space to look like: classic, full of life but not cluttered.

table lamp / ceramic ghost / planter

I also wouldn't mind adding some new decorations to my workspace. Obviously I can never get enough plants, and maybe I could start a collection of Ahroj's Ghosts project. They are just so darling!

What does your ideal desk space look like?

drink it in

Last night, bag of nail polish in one hand and cocktail fixins in the other, I got together with my girls Alli & Carla. We chatted, ate snacks, made drinks and painted our nails watched Carla paint our nails. Much fun was had by all, and I whipped up a new adult beverage that I might just start drinking all summer long. 

I'm calling it the Pineapple Joy, because that's how you'll feel when you drink it!

You'll need:

• Pineapple Juice (Trader Joes has it by the carton for CHEAP)
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• Prosecco (any sparkling white wine will do, but I prefer the Italian variety.)

Combine a splash of pineapple juice in a cup, add 3-5 torn mint leaves and muddle. Fill the glass half of the way up with pineapple juice, add ice and top with prosecco! This obviously isn't a very precise recipe, so if you want more or less booze feel free! We also tried versions with simple syrup and with raspberries muddled in as well - they were both delicious!

alli finds a big stick / our beverages in action (photo by alli)

finished nails (photo by carla) / nail polish concentration (photo by alli)

seek & ye shall find

Show of hands, how many of you read food blogs?  EVERYONE DOES, RIGHT? What's better than opening up your web browser of choice and navigating that baby straight on over to a well designed & well photographed utopia of tasty delights!?! 

For the first time I got to participate in the designing of one such blog! Tasteseeker's Kitchen has gone live, and just look at that beaut. Working with Annie & co. on coming up with a charming but simple logo was a blast, and I love seeing it in place now in the midst of Kate's fantastic web design work.

Here are some sketches I provided at the onset. They were a little more image driven, and eventually we simplified the logo down to a more type based design.

Final sketches, and color palette building (a guilty pleasure). 

The final logo! Hello, baby.

food baby

I bought a little travel watercolor set last month. Nothing fancy, just those little hardened cakes of pigment (not what the pros use by any measure), but it's been perfect for me to get back into this challenging and frustrating media. Watercolor, in my opinion, it the least forgiving kind of paint you could ever use. Make a mistake? Huh, too bad, there's no way to cover that business up. 

Yet I still find it intensely satisfying! I love laying down color and going back over it with a good pen once the paint dries. Bill and I have started doing series of food paintings, which ware way fun (Bill's already got some for sale, and all the money he makes from them will go to his wedding! BUY SOME). Mine are all tiny little doodles based on what I'm eating at the time. Soon I'll make some more!

If you're wondering, the orange and white thing in the wrapper is one of Trader Joe's mango cream bars , and the yellow blob next to that is pub cheese to dip your pumpernickel pretzels in!

select few

A selection of images from a personal project, arranged for this blog with love.