To Inspire Relaxation...

On your backyard terrace or patio... Add oversized pillows, a hand-painted umbrella for shade, glass hurricane lamps with fresh candles, a good book, and a place to rest your glasses.

In your kitchen... Purge all unnecessary items from your countertops. Collect all of your loose recipes and store them in beautiful binders. Plant herbs near the window. Use fresh but fragrant hand soap at the sink instead of regular dish washing liquid.

In your office... Organize your activities before you leave the night before. Keep all your inspiration in one place. Use a desk and accessories that inspire.
Buy new #2 pencils, sharpen them and display them on your desk in an unexpected but beautiful container. Don't take the stress of work with you when you leave.

In your bedroom... Use ambient lighting, include fragrant candles, buy the softest sheets you can afford, get rid of the TV or vow not to turn it on before you go to sleep.

Breathe.

Designer Bling

This weekend I was invited to see my friend Karis' collection of vintage jewelry. The snapshots on this post don't really do this collection any justice. Karis began collecting these pieces at a very young age. So these vintage jewels are gorgeously exquisite. I was in awe of this YUMMY stuff. When people say that they just don't make it like they used to - there is a reason.

Because we love re-use in design, we are lucky that some of these jewels and a few of her vintage buttons will make their way onto our own line of one-of-a-kind handmade pillows and other linens.

We we be sharing these with you in the weeks to come, so stay with us for more vintage glam for your home.

Enjoy!

Lise

I Heart Embellishments - New Listings on our Shop

I have literally been dreaming about ribbons and other embellishments. I'm not kidding about waking up with new projects and ideas in mind with my hands flying about as I sleep... and I wonder if this is normal? Anyone? Anyone? I have a friend who adores furniture and always says she can eat the furniture because it's so delicious. I have always found this to be an odd statement - but somehow I can now relate with all of this creative deliciousness.

These are some of the newest additions to our shop at Etsy. I'll be interested to see what you all create with the latest embellishments!

Enjoy!

Lise

Embellished...

I thought I would share a few snapshots of some of the embellishments slated for use in upcoming Jump Off Design boxes.

I love the ethereal quality of this particular flower. We are trying to choose between a lampshade or silk pillow project; or even a very simple project - using it to adorn a tassel that hangs from your doorknob.

And speaking of tassels, we've found some gorgeous and colorful options. Since this is so cute, I'd probably hang it on a door that I use daily, just so I could admire it often.

This flower is made from tin in a design that's not for the timid. One project idea is to use several around an otherwise plain round mirror. It could be painted or left in its natural state.

And finally I looked at this trim and immediately thought about redoing the back sun porch pillows with this trim. Hot. Spicy. Fun.

Margaritas, chips and salsa anyone?

All photos courtesy of VVR.

A Creative Home

She was sourcing products from various time zones in countries she's never visited. Trying to find the things that fit into her idea of a creative home. A creative home beckons you like a well kept secret, perhaps beyond a vine-covered brick wall just past a wrought-iron gate. It is a home that is definitely customized for the people that live there, life-inspired, friendly, approachable and memorable...

So for the last several weeks, she's been asking herself what kinds of beautiful things go into a creative home? And here's what she mentioned to me...

She intends to provide the raw ingredients for creativity like trims, buttons, and notions from all around the globe. And vivid fabrics. Some screen printed by hand, some imported from far away lands with authentic designs that can't be found locally. And many more fabrics that are domestically produced by independent design studios and artists.

She's discovered a few products that will allow you to design and redesign your creative home to your heart's content. Portfolios to carry and keep your notes, photos and dreams about your home and your life.

And then she remembered that she's downshifting into a lifestyle of simplicity. She has made a point to keep the things she loves, pull them out of her storage bin and live with them every day instead of buying new every time. And perhaps others were as well. So she created a few project kits for creating unique and quirky mixtures of textures and textiles, including the ability to remix your own vintage fabrics.

But because she can't cover everything with her vintage fabrics, she found some paint that doesn't require her to work outside because of the smell. Eco-friendly paints, dry pigments, stains, glazes and patinas - all to help her color her environment and make it her own.

She has a great appreciation for tradition and loves the feel of letterpress stationery and hand embroidered linens; but she requires a more modern and whimsical design. So she's found a source to help her customize some luxurious towels, bedding, and paperie with some very creative monograms. Things worth saving for her children to use when they marry and move away.

However, it seems the thing she loves the most are the ribbons. She has been dreaming of ribbons made of velvet, silk, and cotton. How she loves to embellish...

oh and then there's the art....

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The e-boutique at Artistic Lifestyling is launching soon...