Images from the Conde Nast Store

Did you know that Conde Nast is selling photographic images and illustrations from their vast archives from their myriad publications ranging from Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Gourmet to House & Garden?  There are also images from long defunct (well… longer than H&G) magazines including Charm and Living (For the Young Homemakers).

Even if you can’t afford to buy any (prices start at $180 and go up from there), it’s still fun just to browse them.  There is so much history contained in these images of people and times past.
 
Here are a few of my favorites from the Conde Nast Store…

1950’s Accessories photographed by William Bell- Vogue February 1959


A Straw Hat Against Orange photographed by Horst P. Horst- Vogue January 1949


Castello San Nicola L’Arena photographed by Henry Clarke- Vogue December 1967


Christian La Croix Models photographed by Arthur Elgort- House & Garden May 2004


Vogue Dress & Taxi photographed by Constantin Joffe- Vogue November 1945


Roses in Silver Bowl photographed by John Rawlings- House & Garden June 1952


Under Parasols at the Beach photographed by Louise Dahl-Wolfe- Vogue January 1963


Strapless Givenchy Swimsuit photographed by John Rawlings- Vogue July 1953

What's interesting about looking through the fashion images is that it’s not always easy to guess what year the images are from.  As I looked through the images, I began to see how little fashion in general has changed in recent years and how heavily the styles of the 2000’s have borrowed from decades past.  Each decade of the 1900’s has a distinct look wherein it seems that fashion now is just a combination of or “reinvention” of those styles.

P.S. If you have a golf lover in your life, there is a great wealth of golf images from Golf Digest that are for sale on the site as well that would make for a great gift.


all images via Conde Nast Store

Julia Child’s Life in France

I love books.  A relaxing day for me is spending hours in a library or bookstore looking at books in all categories just hoping to find my next great read.  However I haven’t read a book since I started blogging.  I blog after work and thus spend most of my free time reading other blogs and magazines and traipsing around the internet in search of interesting things to write about.
       
I found myself in a book store this past weekend, and happened to pick up a copy of Julia Child’s autobiography “My Life in France” (from the hard to miss movie tie-in display, of course) and was intrigued.  My parents were avid watchers of the local public TV broadcasting station KQED, so I grew up watching Julia Child cooking shows, but my interest in her never really went farther than watching her cook. 

The book was small enough that I thought it might actually be manageable for me to get all the way through it, and there something inside me that said “just get it.  you’ll love it.”  So I bought it, and I’ve been reading it, and I love it.  I love her.  And as luck would have it, one of the local public TV stations was showing her original (in black & white) cooking shows, and it happened to be the one where she’s making the bouillabaisse that I was just reading about her learning to make in Marseille.

The book has given me a whole new appreciation for her and her work and what she had accomplished.  It is a wonderful read and a must have for any Julia Child or cooking fan or anyone who is still searching for that one thing in life that really gives their life purpose and joy.
   
*Is it just me or is it really annoying that they switched out the real Julia Child for Meryl Streep on the cover of the book?  I understand that the publishers are helping to promote a film, but it the book is not a work of fiction, it’s an autobiography of a real person.  They should have stuck with just using the top third of the cover for the advertisement and left the rest as it was.


image via Amazon

Smock’s Pink Papers

I know these have been out since May, but I’ve been busy and hadn’t checked out Smock’s line of fine papers for awhile.  It’s really my loss because I absolutely adore these designs in pink. 

Etsy Find: Bold & Noble

I love the thought and detail that go into these hand pulled screen prints by Bold & Noble. They have so many great prints, I had a hard time just choosing which ones to show you.

Alphabot- made out of the letters of the entire alphabet. Would make a great gift not just for kids, but also for the male (and possibly female) typographer in your life.


Birds A-Z- looking at this takes me back to kindergarten when you’re just learning to write, but with a great twist of the addition of birds on wires to make it more adult.


Ark- two by two beautiful!


Hedgerow- and Moonlight below are reminiscent of Art Nouveau, which I love so much.


Moonlight
Alphabot, Moonlight, and Birds A-Z are available from their Etsy shop or from their website. Hedgerow and Ark are only available from their website.

Upcoming at West Elm

I’ve just heard through the grapevine that West Elm has partnered with Patch NYC to produce some exclusive items for this upcoming Fall/Holiday season that will include pillows and other decorative items and will feature artwork by Don Carney (shown above).

Additionally Lutz & Patmos will also be making an appearance in West Elm again this year with luxurious new knit pillows and throw blankets.

Lutz & Patmos, West Elm 2008

Yummy Citrus

As the days get shorter and summer begins to draw to an end, I find myself grasping at bright images filled with citrusy mixes of colors in yellow, blue, orange, and green like those in this wedding wheel quilt that I featured previously.

via Purl Soho


via BHG via Decorology


via Jean Allsopp


via BHG

Flickr Find

There is nothing less fun than going to work when you’re sick especially when said work is not enjoyable when I’m not sick. That being said, I have a hard time not coming home and doing one of the things I love best- blogging- even though my mind and my body want nothing more to rest. So I hopped onto flickr and chose the lovely images below to present to you today. These photographs are by Berta….



Aren’t they so calming? Maybe I can sleep now…

New Designs by Kim Westad

Caught a nasty little cold over the weekend, so I’m not feeling the most thoughtful this week*. I am at least still able to admire beautiful craftsmanship, so I checked in on Kim Westad’s Etsy shop to see what she is up to and found these amazing new architecturally inspired pieces that she’s been working on. They are made from pieces of multiple thrown forms that are deconstructed and then reassembled into a new pieces creating works that are each entirely unique.






*it could also explain why I’ve got back to back vase posts… err

Jardins en Fleur

Stunning vases from Jardins en Fleur.

Field of Flowers

New work from artist Miro Sinvocic. Makes me miss Spring already.

The first in a new series. You can bid on this one here starting on Monday, August 17.

Blues & Oranges

Inspired by this image by Jean Allsopp…

I’m dreaming of of beachy blues and oranges…


Elle Interior via Sasa Antic


via Jean Allsopp


Sunset Magazine via Decorology


Jeanne Botes via Mary Ruffle


Michelle Morgan Harrison via House of Turquoise via Mary Ruffle


House Beautiful via House of Turquoise


via Ohdeedoh


via Mark Lund

Graphic Designer Jordan Michael Gray

Loving these super cool posters by graphic designer Jordan Michael Gray. So far you can’t buy his work anywhere, but maybe someday… until then you can keep up with his latest works on his Flickr photostream.

Note the cracked heart detail where the trigger is.

Discovered via Mary Ruffle’s Tumblr