A moment in time…..

to remember. Today is a great day…
{artwork found here}

I feel like this lil’ guy…..

although, he looks like he’s enjoying the thought of jumping into a vat of ice. I, on the other hand, can’t believe this 20 below weather.

Meet Odie the Otter. The story goes that he was found snuggled up to his mother, who was no longer alive. He has since been rescued and is living with his other otter friends. Thank goodness!

I “polaroided” these images up with Poladroid. Such a fun addiction. You’ll go nuts with all your photos.

On the hunt…..

{1 cover}

for a good planner. Yes, I know, it’s already mid-January. But, better late than never! The hold up was whether to go digital or stick with good old fashioned paper. Besides the fact that the computer seems to be swallowing me up day by day, the thought of plugging in all my daily planning in a device without ever picking up a pen or pencil made me feel a little bit sad. No random sketches whenever a design pops in my head, no cursive writing whenever I feel like it (which is rare to never, but the option would be nice), and no color options (what will I do with all my Sharpies?). Blackberries, my Zack Morris style Palm Treo, and other computer applications to organize your life just seem too sterile for my liking.

Recently, however, I have been informed of the Things Application and I must say, it looks intriguing. I might just give it a whirl. In a nutshell, it’s a task management tool. And then a friend of mine had to go and tell me that it has something to do with the GTD methodology. What? So, I researched and there seems to be a good overview here. But the thought of following this “Getting Things Done” system kinda stresses me out. Back to square one…what to do.
I suppose there is no rule that says I can’t use both. Problem solved.
{1} diary planner made from antique furniture by Lacuna Work {2} Moleskin daily planner

Objects that inspire…..

Whether it be pebbles, a spool of string, a feather, or clothespins for that matter, there are some objects that inspire. And who doesn’t need a little inspiration now and then. I particularly love the neutral tone of what appears to be an antler next to the brightness of the red rose (via Simple Lovely). For more of photographer James Merrell’s work, click here.

Isabel Marant

My wardrobe needs a serious makeover and I’d like to push a “do over” button and blanket it with Isabel Marant clothes. Her line epitomizes that quintessential, effortlessly chic French girl. Seriously, it’s like they rolled out of bed with perfect hair, threw on a dress, slipped on some sexy boots, and voila, perfection! Oh sure, that happens to me everyday. But tell me, how can I get me them boots (in both black and brown for variety of course)?

Unicorns…

Elisabeth Dunker

are so underrated. Loving the little details throughout. And how about that majestic owl? For more of Elisabeth Dunker’s work, click here.

Jewelz

After hanging out with my five year old niece, she told me she wanted to see more jewels in jewelry. Yup, that’s right. While she was fiddling around with her Hello Kitty pendant necklace, she strongly stated more jewels! Not sure what she meant by it exactly, but I think she’s onto something. Check out these jewel inspired pieces by David Wiseman for Artel.

Looking forward….

to what’s ahead for 2009! Now that I’m back from a holiday retreat, which included a lot of movies, watching DVR’ed shows, cleaning, taking “O” to the park, catching up on much needed sleep and just plain relaxing, it’s time to get right back into it and make things happen for this brand new year! From the moment I started my business, I knew it wouldn’t be a cake walk and it would require a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of heart. Every year I’ve learned something new to make my business better to grow and nurture it into a brand that I am proud of. It’s been quite a trip thus far and I look forward to learning from the bumps in the road (hopefully they will be small bumps) and celebrating the victories, no matter how small or large, along the way. Although at times running your own business can make you feel isolated in many ways, especially when you handle virtually all aspects of your company, I know I couldn’t have done it without the support, advice, and endless encouragement from my family, friends, clients and some amazing people I’ve met along the way in this industry. So, thank you. And to start off the new year on a good note (quite literally), I received an incredibly thoughtful email from a woman who purchased a pair of earrings a couple of years ago. A little excerpt of what she wrote:

“i just wanted to let you know how ecstatic i am that i have finally found the maker of my favorite pair of earrings. i got them a few years ago in chicago and never found out who made them. you made them! i wear them at least twice a week and never tire of them. anyway, just wanted to let you know how much your work is appreciated. keep up your amazing work and all the best in 2009.”

Speaking of looking forward, I thought these birds photographed by Audrey Corregan were quite beautiful. Made me think of one of the many photos I’ve taken of our beloved studio manager, Oliver. He always has a good hair day…

Here’s to 2009!