i *heart* you

i will be updating the shop on monday morning (around 10:00 am PST) with some limited edition, stuffed valentines hearts!

you could tuck one away in a pocket for someone to find, or you could sneak one in your little one's school lunch. maybe your child would like to give one to their teacher? but once the day is over, you can nestle it away in a drawer because they are stuffed and lightly scented with some organic lavender (handpicked by me!) or attach a small string to the top and use it as an ornament. so many options!

a lighter shade of pale...grey

i've been busy working away lately on a couple of orders, but i wanted to show you how the new elephants look. they aren't too different from before, but i'm using a paler, softer shade of grey for them and i really like how they look. i think it makes the fabric colors stand out a bit more now.
it also helps that i'm using some more vibrant fabrics for spring. they are making me think of fresh cut flowers and jellybeans. (easter will be here before we know it!)




i will be adding some little elephants to the shop in the next week or so.

haunting

beautiful photography by bryan graf .

(via duskin)

hours of amusement

i can't stop watching this clip. i think it is incredible and it cracks me up every time! my favorite moment is around the 0:31 second mark....watch for it.

i haven't shown it to our dog sara (also a dalmatian) to save her from feeling bad about her arthritic hips. i don't want to rub in her face all the fun she could be having it she wasn't a senior.

today

it feels like spring inside. (i'm making bunny tails with white yarn in the background.)



and this is what it is doing outside. (this normally is a partial view of downtown and the north shore mountains. the fog is so thick!)

billy twinkle

i'm so excited! we are going to see billy twinkle by ronnie burkett tonight! we saw his '10 days on earth' when it was here in 2006 (or 2007, i'm so bad with dates) and we were blown away. if you're able to get tickets, GO. it's so worth it. trust me.

tighten up

snow yak

okay, as if i needed any more reason to want to visit japan.
mark ryden is having an upcoming exhibition in tokyo called the snow yak show from february 7th to the 28th. we saw his 'wondertoonel' show in seattle in 2004 and it was so wonderful to see his work in person. the scale and colors were AMAZING. (speaking of colors, i tried to upload the other two images from this show, which i prefer, but the colors were very distorted. weird. check them out on the gallery website)


we have his blood, sweat and tears prints hanging in our hallway and we were lucky enough to get a signed lithographic poster of the 'california brown bear' while they were for sale. it's just waiting to be framed. i think it would be fun in a little kids room. yup, mark ryden, i heart you.

growing

i have a very strong urge to grow things lately. perhaps it is because it is a new year, i feel that i want to try new things. i've been thinking about this for a while, so maybe by posting about it, i will actually attempt doing it. so here it goes:
i would like to make a terrarium.
there. i said it. nothing earth shattering, just a sweet, simple, calming terrarium. i am a little bit nervous though because i don't have the greenest of thumbs. but i think they are beautiful. and i'm pretty sure my husband will also like the clean, modern look of them. he's not a big plant guy, nor am i, so needless to say we don't have tons of greenery around. just an orchid (which is blossoming again! i haven't killed it-thanks again theresa!) and a jade plant. and a succulent.



for inspiration, check out paula hayes' handblown glass terrarium. gorgeous right? (i have a feeling mine will look nothing like this.)

so, there is no shortage of info online about how to make one of these. check out here or here.
these are gorgeous and i love the whimsical dinosaur thrown in. or you can visit the terrarium museum for more inspiration. or if you can just shop here if you would like all of the work done for you. which may be the route i end up taking.
we'll see how it all goes.

big cartel

just a quick note to let you know that i've updated my big cartel shop with 3 animals, including this little elephant.
it's super easy to shop there, just add to cart, pay with paypal. done.

(quick side note, this will be the last dark grey elephant. i have switched it up and will be using a lighter, softer grey for the elephants now. i love the way they look and i'll be posting some pictures in the near future. if you love the darker grey, i'd grab this little fella before he's gone!)

owls on sale!

if you've been thinking about purchasing an owl, now is the time. these two owls (plus two others) are for sale over at the indie fixx shop and they are on sale! enter the code '2009indie' to receive 20% off your purchase. (contact jen for details though, i'm not sure how long this sale is on for or if there are any restrictions etc.)

juicy

every time we are in los angeles, the song 'juicy fruit' by mtume comes on the radio. we just heard it again on this trip. that's the only time we ever hear it. ever.
i didn't know the song from when it came out (1983) but now i realize that i have heard it sampled in other songs (by warren g. and biggie smalls)
it is fantastic and it cracks me up, in all of it's 80's glory (complete with sequin dresses and dry ice machines) the video is really something too. i thought i'd share.

a new year

happy new year! i'm back from our christmas holiday in los angeles and palm springs, and i'm fully wiped out with a terrible cold. posts will be brief, but i just wanted to wish everyone all the best for 2009. i feel good about this one.

(calendar from alyson and bud vase from the new heath store in los angeles.)