Think Pink

I've been in West Palm Beach for a week to visit with family and do a bit of work under the sun. As much as I love Fall, a tropical girl needs a constant shot of sunny vistas and palms shooting the breeze. I was here last December to celebrate my birthday and spend the holidays. I am reminded how quickly time flies and how the pursuit of time relentlessly fills my days.  My aunt gave me this gorgeous book, The Sundial Ticking, two years ago with poems by Theodore Plotkin and art by Edna Hibel. It is a great collaboration between real life partners.  

Someone asked me in High Point where she can get this book. It was published in 1978 by JAR Publishers, my recent search results led me to 3 sites: Ebay, Amazon, Alibris. You can find more information about Edna Hibel's works here.

I added a splash of pink to our grey and orange vignette in High Point to celebrate breast cancer awareness last month. My late grandmother and aunt are both survivors so the cause is personally dear to me. I also wrote about it last year when I dedicated a post to a good friend and mentor who is continuing to fight it bravely. I made this for her from Subversive Cross Stitch. Thinking pink is not only for October but all year round and I've scheduled my mammogram for next month. 

I dried some roses to layer the sweet-subversive look.

Sometimes, niceties just don't cut it. 

My friends at Irwin Feld Design had a Fall celebration to support the cause and custom made this glamacious bench. It is available for purchase at $1800 with all proceeds going to Komen Connecticut. A perfect multitasking accent piece that will inject mid century modern style into your home. Please contact them for details. 

It's no secret that I love to shop and gift shopping is an all year round affair wherever my travels or online jaunts take me for special and just because occasions. I have a long list of loved ones and personalities to pick for and I try to be original and thoughtful. It's a big plus when it's for a cause. Perhaps my most eco friendly and stylish find for bags is Sally Ferebee's SewFew line.  I love how each bag complements the different personalities in my book. Light and great for travel, it immediately adds a punch to a cocktail dress or basic t-jeans-heels outfit. It is the whimsical and original find amongst your row of ubiquitous IT bags. If you live in or near Greenville, SC ,there is a holiday bazaar going on right now. Participating artists are giving 10% of proceeds to favorite charities. 

Textiles. Reincarnated.

 SewFew transforms fabulous fabric remnants and scraps 

into sassy purses, zipper pouches and smart sacks. 

Chic, striking and accented with vintage 

brooches and embellishments, 

All are truly one-of-a-kind... 

just like the fashion-forward ladies who carry them.

I attempted to style the bags at her home
 on my last visit and took these photos.
Bags are instantly snatched so 
please contact her for the latest creations.

"It all started with two simple observations: I saw too many beautiful fabric samples and swatches being thrown in the trash... and I saw too many ladies carrying mediocre handbags. Appalling, right? SewFew was born as a solution to both of those ridiculous situations. Easy on the environment, and easy on the eyes, SewFew bags prove just how sexy eco-friendly style can be." ---- Sally Ferebee 

More than Words

Pardon the profanity but sometimes, it is the only way to express indignation when it comes to the Big Bad C....especially when it shows up time and again. I was going through the to do pile on my desk when I saw the subversive cross stitch kit for my art teacher and dear friend, Zizi. I bought it a year ago and knew I must.get.it.done. So I x-stitched away for the next 5 hours and reminisced about how we got to know each other during our Euro sojourn in the summer of 2007.

Zizi is an odd bird. I mean that in a good way and which is probably why we get along. She spent her first few days and nights redecorating her suite at Chateau de Pourtales (Strasbourg) until she could comfortably lay in bed knowing that the antique desk was where it needed to be, walls were scrubbed, and the covetable French Normandy armoire was situated in the room..nevermind that she had to haul it herself. I can go on and on extolling her beautiful qualities and our (mis)adventures but the very important lesson I learned from her was to look at everything with a fresh and creative twist. What is seemingly banal even to the unjaded eye is viewed with renewed interest. While others bought tchotchkes, she explored unbeaten paths and came back with hardware supplies, Dior paperdolls, or a shopping basket she found along the road in Basel to create art with. Never was there a dull moment during classes, museum walk throughs or early morning flea market jaunts. I came to appreciate Conceptual Art even more through her eyes.

I had become listless for not calling Zizi lately but then, how best to express things you want to say but can't find the words for? Well, I got a wonderful surprise from artist Laura Loving, last Friday. She read my New Year post where I featured her brilliant cheery artwork and sent me a fab mix of her note cards - A Honeymoon in Paris, Loving New York , and The Fabulous Flower Collection - as a sweet thank you! The cards were absolutely perfect for Zizi and here's why....

we watched the full moon from the Eiffel Tower...

we had a Laduree moment rowing in Versailles...

(let them eat macaroons!)

we spent Saturday mornings at the Strasbourg flower market...

Aren't the cards just perfect for celebrating each memory? Laura Loving's images weaves its way into  your heart and life like that. She also accepts commissions in a variety of sizes and mediums and  can be contacted here.

*photos from personal archives*