obsessed with: home edition

{1. this is glamourous/mariaemb/ikea} {2. designlovefest/mirubrugmann/kinskashop/lotta vase} {3. unknown source/into the gloss/zara home/zara home} {4. niotillfem/ikea/ikea} {5. finnish design shop/orla kiely} {6. little fine day/apartment therapy}

DIY: lyrics party banner

I've always liked the lyric banners that have been floating around on pinterest and tumblr, particularly the Love Will Tear Us Apart banner (UO) and the Wild Heart one featured in the Rookie road trip (you can buy the latter here). It's been on my to-do list to make one of my own, and what better occasion than a friend's birthday to get my DIY hat on?

First I had to choose the lyrics that would mean something to her and went with Donald Where's Your Troosers, which is one of her favourite song (listen to it, it's very funny). I picked the first sentence of the chorus 'Let the wind blow high'.

I used the Wild Heart banner as my main inspiration, as I love the glitter and the fringe background. I had no idea where to find, or how to make a fabric one, so I looked around for a tinsel curtain as the shops are full to the brim with Christmas decoration at the moment. I found a brilliant one made of holographic stars in a poundshop.

So let's get cracking (it's quite an instinctive DIY, so I'm not sure how helpful this actually is, but here you go anyway).

Here's what you need:

- sheets of glittered cardboard (you can find them in craft shops, but you could use plain cardboard and glue glitter on it)

- a reel of rope or catgut

- a fringe of tinsel - optional (if you can't find any, I think that a tasseled crepe paper garland could totally work as well and would be easy to make)

- scissors

- stapler
- ruler
- pen

Once the lyrics have been chosen, you can start cutting the letters in the cardboard, use a ruler to cut them straight and the same size.

When all your letters have been cut out, it's time to make holes at the top of them (I used a little nail to do so), pierce two holes at the top of each letter as far as from each other as you can so the letter is stable on the rope (or the nylon thread) when mounted.

After all your letters have been placed on the rope, staple the end of each side of the rope to both ends of your fringe edge. Trim the length of the tassels if need be and... voilà!

desmond's drawings

Like everyone and their canary, I am totally obsessed with the brand Dyptique. So far, I resisted the urge to buy one of their iconic candles as I am still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of splurging 60 quid or so for a bloody candle. I might reconsider that when the time comes to treat myself for another of those increasingly painful birthdays. Reveling in their beautiful designs is still free, thank God for that as I just spent a ridiculous amount of time screen-capping their website. I seriously can't get enough of Desmond Knox-Leet's (one of the founders of the brand) intricate drawing details.

When I was in London last month, I spent half an hour sniffing every candle and fragrance in their boutique at Liberty. They had little business cards with those botanical illustrations, I only picked up one in fear of looking greedy. I regret it deeply as it looks so beautiful on my wall. Sigh.

source: dyptique

home

It's not always easy to make the place you rent feel like home. Most of the time, you're not really free to update the decor to your taste and you might find yourself trapped in the nasty combo black leather sofa+smelly carpet+beige walls. I ain't too far from this situation even though the flat I live in has its charms. I've tried to personalize it, mainly spreading my mess around (consisting of bric-a-brac, vintage frames and piles of clothes) but there are still some areas where I am not happy about. Namely the mantelpiece area and the kitchen.

It's the first time I've ever had a mantelpiece and I find it difficult to decorate it. It is by essence the focal point in my living room so I don't know if it should be stripped or overloaded with stuff.
As for the kitchen, well it's one of those cheap ones made of generic oak-like plastic. Vomit bag please. So I'm always on the lookout for decorating ideas for those two places and I came across what very well could be my next projects.

Room from The Falmouth Townhouse (source : Remodelista)

I am really in love with those "Origami Anatomy" boards. Wouldn't it be a great ornament for a mantelpiece? I need to find loads of pastel paper and get down to it (and incidentally learn to do origami - this tutorial on youtube looks quite clear).

Elinkan's kitchen

This idea is just perfect for rented places! Bit of wrapping paper, whole world of difference. Tear it down and the flat is back to its initial state : happy you and happy landlord. All you have to do is unhinge your kitchen cabinet door, wrap it with your favourite paper, put it back and ta-da new kitchen! I love how simple and pretty it is, best combination. I might go for some lovely Cath Kidston wrapping paper.

abso-fucking-lutely!

source : decorology

It's funny how you can miss a place you've never actually been.

oh to have a bath

He : Having to live with one square metre of shower as a bathing room (or a sorry excuse for one, at least), We find ourselves craving those days where one could spend an age floating in a good old proper bath, pruning and melting and steaming away.
She : Please baby jesus of leases, bring us a flat with a huuuge bath in April. Hugs and kisses.

dial P for perfect furniture

Dial M for Murder by Alfred Hitchcock (1955)

Print this

Now that I have more than four walls in my flat, I am itching to buy all those heavenly prints that I have been religiously bookmarking. There was a time when my life only consisted of apricot juice-drinking and deviantART-browsing... Literally.

I haven't had the courage (yet) to go through all of them but, from the top of my head, there are four that are on my absolute priority list.


Fine Little Day

I can't get over how this wall is perfection! If you ever see my collection of thrifted frames, you will notice that I have a fascination for framed embroidery. I think it comes from this stamp (like everyone really I had the stamp-collector phase when I was a kiddo) that looked exactly like a carpet. I remember spending hours and hours just looking at it from every angle possible, hoping that it will turn into a real furry carpet. Imagining things are often better than the real deal, aren't they? Well, this print reminds me being a child obsessing over the carpet-stamp.

It is called "Rebuild Square" and is designed by Swedish (so inspiring) artist, Elisabeth Dunker. Please pay a visit to her online shop, Fine Little Day, where you can find the print above among other lovely things. She has also a blog where she's recently published pictures of her dream-house in Sweden. Worth a look, I tell ya!


Face toward the sea, with spring blossoming.

If the print above is ringing a bell, it is because I already wrote about this incredible lady (providing someone actually reads my ramblings). Since this post, Nancy has changed her blog name (The Sea of Fertility) and she opened an etsy shop. O joy!
I hope that she plans to sell prints of individual outfits.

Caitlin Shearer

I don't think that there's a need to introduce Caitlin Shearer. Her art is often featured here and there on the most popular blogs. She even designed wonderful banners for Niotillfem and Fieldguided.
And it's through my intense blog-reading (which replaced deviantART - I had to make a choice, there's only so many hours in a day), that I re-discovered this Australian wonder. I first encountered her work about 3 or 4 years ago when I stumbled upon her rendition of Patrick Wolf who looked like a Bavarian kid with bleeding knees (her trademark back then). Needless to say that patrick wolf + childlike creepiness = inner fireworks.
Since then, Caitlin has grown up and her drawings have evolved with her and the creepy kids turned into curvy women with a love for Vintage looking clothes.
If you want to grab one of her fabulous prints, it is your lucky day because she's recently opened her new etsy shop : go go go.


Roadside

A true genius who is behind the etsy shop Roadside. Her name is Jayme McGowan. She could be the fiancee of Edward Scissorhands. She cuts about everything and gives a second life to paper. She writes a blog on her work, documenting the various steps of her creations, the details are just mind-blowing. It just looks magic.