natural(inspiration).

my husband and i spent last weekend in monterey, california, enjoying each other as much as we enjoyed the monterey bay aquarium, which is brimming with sea life that is so amazing and stunningly beautiful, that it almost seemed almost unreal. like these jellyfish, for instance, that fluttered through a bright blue tank of crystal clear water. they were nothing less than art in motion. looking at them, i was instantly inspired by their vibrant colors and sculptural, symmetrical yet organic shapes. their tentacles remind me of strings and yarn and they had "ruffles" along said tentacles, that fluttered beguilingly in the water as they moved.

suffice it to say, my mind is filled with a myriad of ideas just looking at these stunning creatures: ideas for potential pieces of art, ideas for fashion-y objects...

patch (entranced)

i'm overflowing with patchy love for the following: this strip patch tote that goes by the name spring fever by jenny of frecklewonder! it exudes a lovely vintage charm. the bright colors are more than ace!:

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this patchwork tote by cyn contemporary over at etsy is a bit more subdued and not my typical colors, but i love the octogons, the wooden handle, and the tabs at the top edge that add a little extra detail:

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i covet these patchwork blankets and pillows by mes textiles, out of the netherlands. i'm actually going to amsterdam at the end of april. i'm hoping to seek out their work when i'm over there...

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i'm not into metal, but i think these handmade patchwork blankets by seattle quilt artist boo davis (aka quiltsryche...killer name!) rock:

i love the juxtaposition of something sweetly homespun with something some might consider devilish. awe. some.

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all photos belong to the artists. click on any photo to learn more about that artist and their products.

frida's personal style (or, dressing as an art)

ever since i saw the frida kahlo retrospective at the tate modern in london in the summer of 2005, i've had an little obsession with her. i am intrigued by her story, her intelligence, her work and her compelling persona, not to mention her exotic, irreverent beauty. i have been reading her biography since last week. this book is like food! i cannot get enough.

the passage below struck me particularly deeply. why? because i have always believed that clothing, and style is an art, that it goes deeper than the surface, deeper than just fibers that cover and protect our bodies from the elements. clothing and fashion communicate, and are a form of personal expression. fashion is not always frivolous. the way frida presented herself was intertwined with her art, as she herself was the most common subject of her body of work.

"For Frida the elements of her dress were a kind of palette from which she selected each day the image of herself that she wished to present to the world. People who watched the ritual of her dressing recall the time and care she took, her perfectionism and precision. Frequently she tinkered with a needle before donning a blouse, adding lace here, a ribbon there. Deciding which belt would go with what skirt was a serious matter. "Does it work?" she would ask. "Is it good?" "Frida had an aesthetic about her dress," painter Lucile Blanch remembered. "She was making a whole picture with colors and shapes."

-from Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera