A few Sunday snaps

These are by no means great pictures, but I wanted to record a few favorite homes and buildings in Des Moines. The first house, which is actually for sale right now, is one of my all-time favorites here. It looks as if it were plucked right out of Cotswolds. The second is my favorite apartment building in Des Moines (and actually along the same street as the first house). It's called The Wetherell. Built in 1922, it's an example of Spanish Mission-style architecture. I helped produce a story for a magazine of one of the apartments inside and instantly fell in love with its charm. Several of the spaces have solariums and terraces. The next house I spotted on a drive through a favorite neighborhood adjacent to ours. I love it for its Great Expectations/Grey Gardens qualities. The final shots are of a church (also along the same street as the first house and the apartment building). The church is also for sale.

A home, only smaller

Annina Gunter creates life in miniature, with all the messiness and coziness that home entails for most people. I have to keep reminding myself when studying each frame that these scenes are not human scale, but tiny representations of simple everyday life. Read more about her here.

poster

My friend recently opened an awesome shop in town, called Domestica, and I had to have this poster of awesomeness.

Evan's world

Being the mom of a 9-year-old who adores all things Star Wars and Legos, I often wonder what it would be like not picking up light sabers or stepping on tiny bits of hard plastic every day. But the other day when I walked out our door and saw these two military trucks on our front stoop, I had an overwhelming feeling of how innocent childhood is and how I most certainly will one day long for the moments watching Evan play for hours constructing his latest castle, starship, or warrior on our long dining table covered in those precious little bits of plastic.

Loving this project by Aprile Elcich

Abandoned yet inhabited buildings

this might be the holy grail of photos for me, by photographer/documentarian david carr smith. he has a web book devoted to creative types who have moved into abandoned buildings in europe. via enhabiten.

some collaging

I worked a bit on this collage made of scraps from magazines and catalogs (and an old Target ad for John Derian's line sold at their stores a couple of years ago...stay tuned though, Target's bringing him back for more in stores Sept!!!). I've also been working out of our guest room, which I am also trying to decorate and make useful at the same time. I'm liking the slightly Asian/bohemian thing going on, but I'm well aware that it also can look like Grey Gardens in there with all the prints and colors. I found the painted screen above the bed at a flea market-type shop in Little Rock with my mom, the hanging lamp is from her (the 60s?), and the red, 12-drawer chest (perfect for paper goods and bits) at the flea-market shop in Des Moines where I also have a booth.

Poppies

I'm pretty certain these are my favorite type of flower. I love their vibrant colors and their crepe paper-like texture. These were left over from a photo shoot this week, but they're still looking great. Now if only I can figure out how to grow them in my garden.

In the afternoon of life

Some outtakes from Sunday around 5 p.m., a time when the light streams into our living room.

spring has sprung

Got a few flowers planted and a quiet family Easter done this weekend, all the while knowing that we'll likely have another snowfall before spring temps are here to stay.

Day off

At the last minute, I snagged today off and spent last night jotting down a list of things I wanted to do today. Then this morning, I saw this (quoted from the Eternal Sunshine movie--love!), and thought that maybe I should ditch the list and just "enjoy it."

Fox, no sox

Darling little paper puppets. Naturally, they are from a Korean papergoods maker, but available at this cool online shop, here.

OMG

pretty please: teleport me to this bedroom at once! (via beauportblog)

new blog love

a visual feast awaits: BibliOdyssey.

Paper sculptures

Anna Wili Highfield's gorgeous sculptures made of paper. Naturally, she's an Aussie. Seems there is a high concentration of design talent there.

new obsession

I have a new journal that was designed for a sketch a day, but I do not draw, so I'm doing a collage a day instead.

Courthouse

Got called this week to do my duty, which apparently means waiting and waiting to the point of getting bored with my books and work, so out comes the iphone for some play.