My good friend is getting married and I'm doing her invitations. We've just started talking about design and this is what she gave me for the color palette.... all from their garden.

Pretty awesome.

A little late to the game, but I've stocked the store with some good oldies and some new things!

Nice message inside the cap of a delicious sparkling beverage.

And it's true, or at least becoming true after a tough 2011 and a tumultuous start to this new year.

The letters are final up on the title wall, but still more to do. The exhibition I'm working on, Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980), opens at the Chinese American Museum on January 19th. If you're in LA, come check it out! It's part of the Pacific Standard Time initiative.

Letters for an exhibition opening in a couple of weeks. Just need to sand and paint them now...

My very dear and talented friend Catherine has started making jewelry. And just in time, because not only have I a lost a few pairs of earrings lately (I'm so mad!) but I'm also just bored with the little jewelry that I have. She had a sale last night and I now own a pair of earrings that I love so much, I can't stop wearing them, even though I was in my pajamas all day. (Top pic, lower left, the ones with the triangle cut outs)

In addition to creating organic shapes mostly out of brass, she uses a lot of industrial pieces, like copper pipe fittings, or washers and she hand paints them with enamel paint or dips them in rubber. I love the colors, the art deco bold shapes, and simplicity of the industrial pieces coupled with the delicate chains. I'm so excited to see more! And I'm wondering if I can sleep in my new earrings...

I drove to Austin, Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday. It took me 3 days to get there, but I decided to do the drive home in two days instead. I arrived last night after a very long day of driving, which included sitting on the highway for 2 extra hours without moving an inch just after crossing the California state border.

The upside: its not often you get to see people walking around, chatting, standing on the roof of their cars, and walking their dogs along the I-10.

Hello again Blog!

This is a photo of my To-Do list. I got a lot of work done this week! I get such joy out of scratching out completed tasks. And when I use a sharpie it's even more satisfying. Done done done. Done!

A lot of things have happened since I last wrote; family stuff, relationship stuff, dog stuff, career stuff; it's all too much for now, slowly it will trickle out. Needless to say, this year has been quite eventful so far, and that's not all good. But I've come to terms with things and I feel good. One day at a time.

I have to share a few lovely things I've seen along the way and can't stop thinking about:

The most amazing house plant set-up. Home of Maurizio Zucchi. I need to get some plant stands like these And taller plants. Tout de suite.
{via yellowtrace... thank you CG!}



This beautiful artist in residency residence....
{via Neëst... more info here: J.B. Blunk Residency}



New blog love: odette



And lastly, clean graphics and branding approach by Anagrama.
{via Black Eiffel}

Family is a funny thing.

And a hard thing.

And a wonderful thing.

In the last two weeks, I've learned about a long lost and very important part of my family. And it's been a roller coaster, to say the least.

I've learned about new branches in my family tree that I didn't know existed, which makes me happy, but it's countered with very sad news as well.

I have to mix the good with the bad all at once and I'm still learning about how to do that. But overall, I'm just really happy that I have new branches.

{image via Jennifer Davis}

The little concrete vases with wire holders are lovely. And delicate.
Makes me want to get back to working with concrete and casting again.

{by Thai designer Decha Archjananun, via dezeen}

I love this house.
{via ffffound!)

I love when new buildings take notice of their predecessors in a really interesting way. Reminds me of this building. And my architectural thesis.

... . ... . . .. . .... . .. .. .. . .

Happy belated blog birthday for yesterday... 4 years old!!

I am itching to travel. I can't go anywhere for a while and so I thought this map would be fun to have. I've been lucky to travel to many places, but there's still so many more!!

{via momstastic, available at uncommongoods}

And... I started a blog for my dog called me + my arrow.

Cause, clearly, I don't love him enough already:)

Dear Blog,
I didn't mean to disappear for a month... it just sort of happened. And to be honest, I did not think you about every single day like I used to and actually it was a nice little break, albeit unintended.

But in the last few days I've been thinking about you a lot. I've been wondering if I've still got it in me to post a message or photo as frequently as I used to, or even muster up the energy to read all the wonderful blogs I love out there and not feel a sharp pang of guilt that I've neglected you so... or, worse... I wonder if I really have anything interesting to say, and who cares anyway in this world wide web of beautiful blogs?

And then I remembered why I started you in the first place: to collect my own thoughts, observations and obsessions; to create a visual diary of the things that inspire me because my memory is like a sieve and I wanted a place to shelve the things that I think about and the things that I love and and look at them later. Initially, I had you all to myself, but along the way other people, total strangers, started reading you, and that became such an inspiration in itself.

So I'm back, I think... and maybe it's a little less frequently, but I'm back because my memory needs you! And I missed you, you good ol' blog... and I missed all the people that you bring with you from all over the world. AND I just realized that you're turning 4 years old in July and so I thought I better step up and get ready to celebrate.

Lot of love,
Debi

p.s. For starters, let me recap some parts of June and the things I loved/found/learned:

Losanges Rug by the Bouroullec brothers at Dwell on Design.

Mormor tableware by Gry Fager for Normann Copenhagen at Dwell on Design.

New loves:
Lottie + Doof - food blog
Ambatalia - gorgeous everyday textiles
Haven Vintage - Etsy vintage store
Design Tripper - Travel and hotel drool/love/jealousy

And, of course, Arrow.... who is now 8 months old and more energetic every day. I have to come up with new stuff all the time to save him from boredom and subsequently trying to chew everything in sight. My latest trick: Ice Hand! Latex glove filled with water and frozen.

He loves it. He grabs it by the palm and then tries to parade around the yard. But after a few steps his jaw is tired and he drops it and the fingers break off and fly in every direction, which is so exciting... for him :) And then he eats them, crunching them up like potato chips. And that lasts about 10 minutes. It's a nice break and I can get a little work done.

Kidding.

The Studio Dog of my dreams is still a lofty goal...

Idea via El hada de papel via craftgawker.

I bought this letterpress poster a while back from Studio on Fire.

It reads:
"You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making a nest in you hair."

-Chinese Proverb

I'm really working on that nest today... want to get it out of my hair!

Some recent beach finds on a walk with Arrow in Ventura.

Can't get much better chalk type than this, right?
Dana Tanamachi, via grain edit.

{R, if you are reading this: since I stare at an empty chalkboard everyday, do you want to give my eyes some chalky goodness??? Consider this a major hint, but a loving one.... I know you just bought some chalk.... wink wink, nudge nudge}

My new shoes arrived yesterday.
I don't think I've loved a pair of shoes more, at least not for a very long time. I think I could literally go to bed with them on, that's how much I love them.
I never want to take them off.

{Crossover Clogs by Schuler & Sons at Anthropologie, my Achilles Heel}

I learned a few things this weekend:

- Señor Fish on 1st and Alameda has a lovely courtyard, complete with globe lights.

- My favorite dish was the taco al pastor, hands down. And the calamari was pretty good too.

- my dog still eats grass despite my efforts to stop him; we took him to the dog show and that was his favorite trick: eating grass. And playing non-stop with his brothers and sisters.

And now, a new week ahead. How can it be May already? And how can it already be 90 degrees outside? I thought this was spring!

I love this series "Working Artists" by photographer AndreW Paynter.
Especially the ones of Serena Mitnik-Miller since I love her painted blocks so much.

via simply lovely}