sf spoils

I found lots of good treasures up in the bay area over the weekend...there's nothing like a new tea towel or giant pom-poms to get me re-inspired for home projects:

(the little round guys are dharma dolls which symbolize indomitable spirits--they're supposed to bring "good luck in business and school exams")

And finally, the piece de resistance--my new grande visor avec sunglasses:

à vacances

Going north for a much needed mini-break!

xo

A working lunch, Vreeland style

"At Vogue, we were always so busy.... We always seemed to be working on the Christmas issue. I had a bridge table brought in with my lunch on it--a peanut butter and marmalade sandwich. And a shot of scotch."

-Diana Vreeland, in D.V.

eye of truth

I've been thinking about the Eye of Providence lately--I have this old drawing from a high school sketchbook and I'm thinking about how to incorporate some of this imagery into some new designs

Anyway this week I watched Desperately Seeking Susan for the first time since I was probably 12. I had forgotten that amazing jacket with a pyramid and the eye embroidered on the back (according to the interweb, it was made by costume/prod designer Santo Loquasto):

These images are all from an fantastic book I have called The Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols:

The Eye of Truth shines from the breast of the Goddess Reason (French Revolution engraving).

The eye represents both the Sun and God in this Algonquin carving.

And here's one I need to research, attributed to The Book of A Thousand Hands, which I believe is a Korean Buddhist text (?):

I like the idea that we can carry the truth in our hands. Just my interpretation....

couture

Giambattista Valli is a real artist. What a show--and the headbands are so fresh--made me miss my black hair.

[via style.com]

w i s h l i s t

One day I'd love to own a photo by Ruven Afanador, especially anything from his Mil Besos book of flamenco-inspired work. His fashion photography is beautiful, but to me his portraits are a revelation.

The heat wave we're having in LA makes me think of southern Spain...

This last one reminds me of a scene from Tarsem's film, The Fall (see it for the visuals alone!) - here's a still:

summer pinks

Summer flora inspiration

This blooming succulent reminds me of something out of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights