Have some words:
When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and not being create each other. - Lao-Tzu
In the closet of my studio, I have a large bag filled with many 2 gallon sized Ziploc bags, each of which contains the pattern pieces to one of my design projects in college. It seemed like a good idea to save them, considering how much work I put into their creation; but, I’ve never been quite sure what exactly to do with them.
In addition to being a saver, I’m also a fan of putting strange things on my wall as decoration. Always have been. I’d buy a box a pretty notecards, and hang them on the wall. I’d buy old records, not necessarily for the music (until I got ahold of a record player, at least), but because they were pretty. And onto the wall they went. Purses. Clothes. Paint swatches. Old sheet music. A period where I was obsessed with aluminum tape(…). Pennies. And an endless stream of etceteras. All standard fare in my decoration handbook. So, of course I’ve pondered decorating my wall with all of those dear, lovingly handmade patterns of mine. But I wondered if it’d be too odd. Or something? But! Then I saw the lovely above photo by Italian fine artist Maurizio Pellegrin and I smiled. Because it looks oh so intriguing and classy. And I love how he incorporates the dress and other elements. The chaos is organized. It has a nice visual texture.
My pattern paper, though, is stark white and splashed with numbers and letters and x’s in addition to my hand jottings. Not sure how it’d look up against my already stark white walls (which I ought to do something about anyway…). Also, being fond of somewhat complicated garments (considering, at least, that I barely knew how to sew upon entering design school) and very full skirts, a lot of the pattern pieces are very oddly shaped. Could be fun though, to have them all jumbled up. I could have a party and play a game with all of my design novice friends called “Guess what part of the garment this piece belongs to !!!!”.
Could be practical, too. Small pattern pieces can get lost and misplaced very easily. Don’t ask how I know.
February is upon us, dear friends; and, it’s cold. Very cold. So cold that my ears hurt even though I had them tucked all snug in a bug in my little teal hat. Alas. There are a lot of places it’s colder. So, when I saw Ms. Rita Cordeiro’s gorgeous winter wares from her wooler line I couldn’t help but think they’d (help) take the edge off the gloom of coldverycold. Because, as you’ll see she does some splendidly wonderful things with color. And not only that, but all her hats and neckwear (and pieces that do double duty) made from Portuguese wool look oh-so-very snuggly. Cheerful color + copious coziness = maybe, possible venturing outdoors when the wind feels like cold little knives.
With a teeny bit more investigation, I found the button to Rita’s other shop cooler, where she works her excellent color sense and crochet skills into some lovely and unique textile jewelry.
And now, the proof:
Lovely, yes? I’m going to post now, lest I spend even more time pondering if I should be switching pics around. Go on ahead and visit her sites yourself to see more :)
I’ve had photographer Roberto Kusterle’s page open in one of my browser tabs for a really, really long time. I’ve always intended to show off a smidge of his amazing work, but obviously I haven’t as of yet. Well, today is the day it does seem because I have always, always wanted a pair of wings. It just seems like it’d be right on me. Granted, that could just be influenced by my being referred to as pixie-esque for a good lot of my life and going by the nickname Tinkerbell (or just “Tink”) for two years in college. Indeed, it was always amusing to be walking around and have some person I didn’t really know shout out “Hi Tinkerbell!” across the Green as I passed. Or make a connection to someone in my fiction writing class a few years later who, when we realized we shared a mutual friend, exclaimed “Oh! You’re Tinkerbell!”.
What can I say, my nicknames and apparently odd style has a tendency to precede me. But, that’s besides the point beyond to say, I guess, that I have always had an appreciation for ethereal and otherwordly things; and apparently so does Mr. Kusterele, who’s work does delight and invite into an intriguing world in which I do not live. But, it’s not like those two worlds are separate. What I find interesting, is the ways in which they connect.
I like how the wings seem so normal here. It’s interesting how they seem less like a body part than an article of clothing you put on; something you could choose to have on or off; have different pairs for different occasions, different needs. Maybe sometimes you feel like flying, maybe sometimes you don’t. Maybe sometimes your wings get dirty and muddled, and they need a bath. Maybe you lose your wings. Maybe you’re devastated because you liked them so much. But, maybe you can get yourself and new pair. A new pair of wings.
I like trees, obviously, if you haven’t noticed. I think it’s because of, and it’s kind of hard to explain, the human side of them. Metaphorically speaking, perhaps. You know how people can say “oh, so-and-so is a very grounded and/or down to earth kind of person”, or “oh so-and-so’s head is in the clouds and/or such a dreamer!” Yeah? You’ve said something like that before, yes? Well, I’ve been called both, at times; though, as I’ve said I’m a very in-my-head daydream-y kind of gal. But, I can be realistic, and practical, and totally thoroughly logical. Its kind of like a tree, and how it has it’s leaves all up in the air, free and rustling with the wind, branches going every which way all wily-nily. That silly top of the tree with it’s head in the clouds. But that very same tree with the free- for-all leaves (and fruits and flowers, and etc!) also has roots that flow deep into the ground. It has a core. Its grows a new layer every year. It reminds me of someone who once told me that I was very head in the clouds-y and that to feel more grounded, I should close my eyes and imagine that my legs were a tree and to picture roots sprouting from the bottom of my feet and heading into the ground. Sometimes I do that; but mostly, I think it’s nice to think that you (and I mean we all) can be both. Each part needs the other to be.
See what I mean! The top of your head, your hair: Leaves! Ha! And, I’ve always thought it would be kind of fun to have a hat like that. I’m working on it.
This one makes me think of affection and human touch. How it lingers, and how energy spreads and sticks with you.
All pregnant ladies all over the world get the baby belly. It’s what comes next that’s interesting. I mostly thought of the recent article in the New York Times about mother’s in Germany and the ensuing commentary in the comment section regarding mothers and whether they should or should not work and governments do or don’t or should or shouldn’t support families. What’s best is a never-ending debate.
And, with that, I urge you to go check out more of Robert Kusterele’s work; it’s definitely interesting:
I think. I think a lot. I like to look at things from alllll different angles, pick it apart, put it back together… you get the drill. (For some reason, the phrase mental origami popped into my head. And I like it. But. I’d have to think about it to see if it really, truly, adequately reflects this thinking process). A lot of times the thought put into things is beneficial, other times overwhelming and time-consuming and you find yourself in a labyrinth of possibilities, with no clear way out. Sometimes, you just need to hear a good old fashioned shut up and get on with it already (!) to get you back on track. These lovelies by Supermarket do it in such a nice, attractive way they manage to fill me with glee and shame me at the same time. And that, my friends, takes talent.
(I was going to say that I really need these on my studio wall so that I can look up at them the next time I am agonizing over something (that only seems) mundane (to the untrained eye!!) and receive a nice refreshing perspective. And then I realized that I actually should probably get these sayings tattooed onto my left arm, or maybe wrist. To remind me. Constantly. ((The other wrist would say, “You’re a total rockstar.”))
(via)
You know I love color by now, right? Yes, so, I fell for each of the following artists use of color, and then noticed that they all shared a great sense of movement as well. And the wonderful use of color in more abstract ways, in non super literal forms (like oh! a great green chair!), gives the colors their own sort of life. Kind of like energy hop bopping, swirling, dancing, winding, lolly-gagging around and interacting with one another. I find them simultaneously exciting, calming, and fascinating. Each artist reminds me a bit of a different part of one my one of my favorite little books/animated shorts The Dot and the Line by Norman Juster (which I posted about some time ago. Click the link to watch)
Jason Karolak
spotted via
Jessica Snow
spotted via
Chris Duncan
spotted via
Isn’t this little home absolutely dreamy? It combines some of my favorite things, like a little hidden bedroom nook, a spiral staircase, a whole gosh darned library, and a sweet little loft. If I could just colorize the place a bit it’d be a dream come true. In fact I love those brown pillars, and it could be fun to create some abstract-y leafy shapes at the top so that there were a bit of a treehouse feel (another favorite thing). Maybe using metal wire bent into leafy shapes. Maybe with some leafy bits of fabric dangling too. A really multi-textural, dreamy, magical sort of tree that’s open enough so that you can still sit on the upper loft and see straight out! It could be pretty amazing don’t you think?
And then I saw this stunning illustration by the talented Renee Nault just few minutes after I swooned after the above photo and fell in love with this piece, too. They sort of remind me of each other. They kind of sort of go together. I adore the way Renee elaborates on this piece:
This illustration accompanies a series of short pieces of writing, all of which are about how small moments can lead to larger ideas or epiphanies. So the figure under the tree is experiencing a seemingly mundane moment, while under the ground there’s a whole world unfolding. I think anyone who’s a big thinker or a big imaginer – anyone who has a rich inner life – experiences moments like these.
It’s perfect, that sentiment of a rich inner life. Of the life hidden beneath a seemingly quiet facade.
When you look at them side by side, it’s really clear, yes? It’s like the girl is standing on top of the loft with a few quiet books. She can travel down the staircase, like the roots of the tree, down and down until everything opens up. And there’s a whole little world right there. It’s perfect.
Stumbled upon Li Xiaofeng’s gorgeous porcelain dresses a few weeks ago and have been itching to show them to you all ever since. I find them very striking, in how something so hard and sharp as ceramic shards could manage to look so soft when utilized in a dress. The patterns on the traditional chinese porcelain almost look like embroidery, albeit exceptionally bright and potent in their color and shapes; the variety of shape used gives a patchworked sort of feel, but there’s that interesting discongruity in how each piece of ceramic maintains a shape that gives “patchwork” a whole other dimension (as opposed to flat pieces of fabric pieced together to form a 3-D shape). They’re dresses that look particularly alive in a way.
(imagine all of the family dinners, and teas, and stories that have been told in each objects presence!)
Although Mr. Xiafeng’s clothes were created a few years a go, I feel they hold a particularly poignant timeliness to the present. When I saw them, I thought about Sarah’s Smash Shack which I wrote about this past January. Basically, you can go there and take your aggression out on ceramic and glass objects. I think all of us, at some point, and especially in the past year or two would really like to break something out of frustration. At the same time, people have been trying to be happy with less, spending more time with families and loved ones in a pared down existence, trying to foster kindness and giving. Trying to be optimistic. And of course all of this has entailed picking up the pieces of the things that have been broken and creating something new from them. And these dresses take something beautiful and traditional and done some new and modern with them, while still allowing you to feel a sense of the history, the background from which they came.
Carry on!
Ladies and gentlemen(!) it’s that time of year again:
The holiday season
Are you feeling the warm fuzzies? Are you letting out a groan of dread? Some combination of the two?
It seems to be a season that’s all about reminding you of the haves and the have nots; and I’m not (just) talking about social status. It’s the time of year when you really feel it: the effects of the people in or not in our lives; how much money we do or do not have; how life is in relation to where we thought we would be by this point. It can be a very material time of year. People stay up all night to go shopping. People go crazzzzzzy over the latest deals. We’re obsessed with giving and we’re obsessed with getting. Love sometimes being deemed in how much money was spent (or appeared to have been spent) on a gift. How much do you love me, with dollar signs ($$) glinting in our eyes.
I was thinking about this as I dragged myself out of bed at 5am to go to work, having been assigned the arrival time of the bright and early 6:45am (to a night owl like myself). Good golly miss molly(!), I thought, having just watched the CNN Heroes presentation with my parents Thanksgiving evening. I was in awe of the amazing work these people do, selflessly, to better the lives of others and for a while I pondered and raged about what kind of society are we that we will so eagerly camp out for hours in the cold to score a deal on a new TV/sweater/blah blah blah, but we’re so reticent to help others. To really dive in and contribute to truly bettering others lives.
I stewed and stewed about this as I power walked to the train pressing against the cold whipping wind of the morning, damning us all for making me wake up so early because of our greed. Then, of course, I remembered that one of the main things hearing from all of those amazing do-gooders did to me was make me feel ashamed for all of the times I complain about my life in terms of wishing things were different (*ahem* since I was probably more peeved about having to get up so early than our culture of rampant consumerism. Granted, I did think about how it would be nice if families who dragged themselves and sometimes their children out of bed to go shopping also took a day to drag themselves out of bed to do some volunteering. Wouldn’t that be nice?). Back from that I aside: we all do it (the kvetching about our lives thing); but, really, it could often be so much worse. Certainly my life isn’t perfect and I can attest that I’m not where I thought I would be on the eve of my 26th year of life. But. Oh but. The struggle has made me so much better. And I think this whole economic climate has, on the whole, been working to make us better, kinder, and more appreciative of the little things in life.
And going with less has been a surprising lesson to me as a former (thrift) shopaholic, and general lover-of-stuff; as a person who did, in fact, once go on a (admittedly somewhat exaggerated) rant on super practical gifts (like socks). It’s been really interesting. I don’t need as much, and I don’t want as much. I used to buy stuff just because I liked it and now I’ll pause and think about if I really need it. And I’m happy and in, in fact, thankful, if someone feels like getting me socks as a present. I need those socks probably more than I need jewelry (not that I wouldn’t or don’t like it, haha). It’s interesting learning to go with less. It’s not so bad. And I appreciate the little things, and the people in my life so much more. The past year or two have been rough, a shock to the system. But looking back, and in trying to look forward (since time doesn’t stop), all of the shenanigans (both man and situation made) have made me a better, stronger, more resilient person. I think when you have to stop and pause before you buy things you just might find yourself stopping and pausing before you do things and it helps you to better evaluate your life. I think we were all so used to just running, running, running (energizer bunnies beating on our drums!)…. but maybe now we’re allowing ourselves to pause. And realize what’s important. To think about not just where we are going, but who we are and who we want to be. To take a moment and actually be thankful for what we do have.
Because while money does make the world go ’round (all those charities need our money in addition to our time), so do love and hope and friends and family. Judging from some of these lovey-dovey messages popping up, I think others feel this way too. You know something is going on when graffiti is telling you to love more and hate less. A message that, though it might be as cheesy and schmaltzy as all get out, is a good one.
Alright, holiday-ish cheese fest over. Go have some wine.
a
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” - Maya Angelou
My loves! It’s been such a long time, and I apologize profusely. Lady Tilly has found herself in a new (day) job, which has been taking up a good chunk of head space. I’ve been missing you kittens muchly though, and am hoping to get back into regular posting soon/now since I do have oodles of ideas and all of that delightful jazz.
In case you didn’t know, wandering NYC is one of my favorite hobbies, and I always have a camera around so I can snap pictures of interesting and surprising things as I go. What’s interesting is when you see some similar anomalies popping up at around the same time. We’re used to seeing it in fashion, accessories, and home design sorts of areas; but recently I noticed a little bit of a trend in the way we decorate our city. It’s really small, and maybe it’s been there all along, but for some reason I suddenly noticed this sort of “faux city” vibe as I like to call it.
It really rings true to the city and the people in it, in the personas we create for ourselves. In the way we are, the way we want to be seen, and the clash between the two
Some time ago I was walking along bopping along to my headphones when I saw this sight: I did a little double take and laughed when I noticed the fake brick and windows pressed up against the real brick building. It has this delightfully cartoon-y sort of look to it, all the lines perfectly straight and even, yet it’s perfection is not enough to escape the inevitable graffiti.
This one I saw right after the first, and I stood there for a minute scratching my head. I may’ve even pulled out my glasses to attempt a better look. Something just looks a little off. It looks like someone intentionally painted it to look old and run down – the opposite of the previous. It’s those two perfect windows that have me perplexed. I’m probably missing something obvious which someone will point out to me and I’ll feel very, very silly.
This one caught my eye while I scurried between interviews. I’m amused by the effort of attempting to cover up the scaffolding or whatever you want to call the black screen covering up the actual building, with a print of a similar sort of building….which is subsequently, err, kind of falling down.
This one would allow you to claim to have a great view of the city’s immaculate skyline even though you’re just looking at the side of a somewhat low building (in comparison to the supposed skyscraper scene). I do love the gardens implied on top of the skyscrapers, too. That would be lovely, wouldn’t it (granted, I’m sure there are some that do…)
Interesting, wouldn’t you say?
And this next one is similar but different.
I almost walked right past this one. Out of the corner of my eye it looked just like regular, run of the mill graffiti type situation. But, I looked a little closer and was delighted to see a depiction of a lovely farm-y country-side (Italy maybe?). On the side of a building, behind gates, next to trash cans.
The dreams of the places we wish we could be tucked to the side.
Not too long ago, April in fact, I was perusing through Wallpaper magazine when I stumbled upon an article about architect Bart Prince. It made me a little giddy inside, with all of those gorgeous organic undulating wavy-esque organic type curves. So, dorkily, I snapped pics with my phone with the intent to look more up on Mr. Prince later. Months later I still hadn’t done it, until I saw jewelry designer Anthony Roussel’s work on Design-Milk the other day and jettisoned over his site to check out more :
First, I was all holy crap, that’s gorgeous. And then I realized something about his work looked familiar, and the gears started turning.
I smell some inspiration, don’t you? And by reading more about Mr. Roussel’s work, you’ll notice that he has a “passion for modern architecture”. Personally, I love his work. It’s gorgeous. And it’s a great way to be able to wear that beautiful architectural vibe of Mr. Prince when you can’t afford to live there, especially tweaked to fit on the human body.
Love them both!
Intrigued by the dual natures going on here: it feels both incredibly organic and space-y out of this world-ish at the same time. It’s really stunning to see all those vibrant colors dripping and bleeding and mixing into one another in this collaborative piece between Lucy McRae and Mandy Smith. It’s a more sophisticated and certainly more beautiful version of my childhood antics of drawing on folded up coffee filters with magic markers and then dipping them into water so that the colors would bleed and spread; of swabbing watercolors onto paper, dipping the paper this way and that so the colors bump and cascade into one another. This seems – dare I say – almost wearable. I’d love it as some neat-o drippy asymmetrical in a nice way neckpiece.
The quest usually starts out as simply enough; it’s that everyday adventure called Time to Get Dressed. I grab an item of clothing – in today’s case, that large swatch of pink and dark dark blue swirled fabric – with the attempt to wear it simply. Sometimes it works – I tie that piece of fabric into a shirt, throw on a pair of jeans, grab a cardigan and go(!)… and sometimes it doesn’t. I start to fiddle. I add a little bit of this, a little bit of that; I find something else (*ahem* lovely DKNY skirt I practically forgot I owned) that’s similar but different, toss it on, and soon enough find myself in Let’s Experiment Land (!!!!). And then, whoa boy, you never quite know what I’ll end up in. I surely didn’t quite expect all of this to work, but somehow it does (at least in Tilly-land). It’s the common colors, I believe that help tie it together (the pink and dark blue that’s almost purple that shows up in the skirt. The pink, red, and variations on taupe-y gold-ishness in the bag that make nods at the skirt. The fact that they’re all kind of loopy, discombobulated, fuzzy sorts of patterns).
And there’s the humorous fact that my nails match, too. I didn’t plan that at all. It actually may be my new favorite nail polish technique: The one nail different look. I got the idea from some guy I saw on the subway holding onto the pole, and also a book I think, with his thumbnail (and only his thumbnail) painted red. And I was intrigued. So, I tried it out first on my toes and, pleased enough with that result, moved onto my fingernails. I really rather like it, because you can do it with classy sorts of colors (or not) and it adds just a touch of offbeatness to the look.
So, yes, my lovely reader people.. go forth and experiment with the stuff in your closet. It’s fun, I promise.
I’m loving this bag, the 2Unfold by hardgraft. Its exquisitely made, not fussy, AND (how I *love* this part) it can be worn/used multiple different ways(!):
Being able to use something multiple different way is sort of like the holy grail for me. The excellent craftmanship combined with the multiple usage factor makes it feel possible worth the hundreds of dollar price tag. Maybe.
I’d pass out with glee if it were in (can you guess?)…… RED! A perfect wear everywhere shade of red (with the chesnut strap, still).
It’s funny sometimes how you have to see something a bunch of times before you really start to notice. Lately, it’s been miniature little figurines… and more interesting the different ways they “interact” with their supplied surroundings.
To make up for my pokyness, you’re going to get a lot of nice, big pictures…. Because I know you cats and kittens like that.
First off is Matthew Carden’s “Small World” series, which you may have noticed careening around the blogosphere some months ago:
Carden and his wife teemed up and took these adorable shots of figurines interacting with life-sized food. It makes me think of things like the mice in Cinderella, and how they live as small creatures in a big world and how they adapt to those surroundings. These are more whimsical than that, but hopefully you sort of know what I mean… They’re living in “our” world.
Then there’s Kendal Murray, whose work I first saw on Inside Out:
I love how in her work, the characters create their own little worlds out of objects from our own. While they feel so alive, you can almost imagine they live in secret. Little creatures that come to life only when we’re not looking, or when we open things specifically to look. I also have to say, I love the compacts because they remind me of (old school early 90’s) Polly Pocket. (look in the mirrors to see what you can’t see from the front).
They also kind of make me think about how we (or at least I) attach meanings/stories onto objects. You know? When you can’t throw an old shirt away because you wore it the first time you and so-and-so kissed? Or all of the conversations you remember having with your grandma while she sipped from her favorite teacup? Stuff like that…. Yeah?
And then there’s Thomas Doyle’s work, which I saw on booooooom, and immediately swooned over. It’s what got me thinking: Miniatures! I’ve been seeing those around!. Here are a few pics from the booooooom’s lovely piece, because once I poured through Doyle’s site I realized I loved them all and wouldn’t be able to decide what to use. So GO check them out in more detail if you like these:
I love how whole and complete and contained these little worlds are. How they look like moments from real life frozen in time behind glass. The amount on detail is stunning, and you’ve got to love the darkness in a sort of craft that could tend to be of the “soft and fluffy” variety ( sweet and sunshine-y dollhouses, y’know). But real life is beautiful but it’s also a little offbeat, and I like how these have a surreal realism to them..
They look like how you feel when you stumble upstairs to finish collecting the last of your belongings from your old apartment and you find that a place that holds so many memories suddenly and very, very quickly turned to rubble:
And you stand there, flabbergasted and horrified, trying to remember to breathe… because you have the sneaking suspicion that that’s exactly what’s happened to pretty much your whole damned life. And the feeling is ineffable, because while it’s terrifying to have that happen, there’s also this kind of beauty to it; to the process of knocking things down and rebuilding. And in that moment where you’ve got all this whirling through your head, it’s like being frozen in time in that glass bell jar. A jarring moment you always remember.
Because it makes you wonder, if maybe – just maybe – we’re all just little miniatures. If our universe is just a marble in someone’s hand, clinking around with all the other marbles.
