April 2009

Big spring bag round-up: Orla Keily, Moop, Hable Construction, Jack Gomme, Le Sportsac, & Kate Spade

big spring bags

Last weekend I went to a baby shower for the fabulous Abbey and got into a conversation with Lina and Joanna about big bags. Actually the topic arose around diaper bags and how they sometimes look juvenile. We all wondered why having a baby should mean a woman wants to carry around a babyish looking bag adorned with bows and kiddy prints. We decided that a big bag can be glamorous and functional for diapers, groceries, or anything else one might like to tote.

My problem is that my phone gets lost in the sea of wallets, journals, pens, books, and lip gloss floating around in my midsized purse. I’d like to get one of these gorgeous big ones but would have to swear to choose a pocket to stick my cell into and responsibly return it to that pocket after calls (for my husband’s sanity and my own).

Like the featured bags above? Here’s where you can pick them up:

  1. Orla Kiely Perforated Leather Bucket Bag via Twig
  2. Moop The Organic Market Bag (a favorite of Joanna’s. Thanks for pointing it out this fabulous bag)
  3. Hable Construction Leather-Handled Watermelon Checker Overnight Tote
  4. Jack Gomme Empreinte Shopper bag
  5. Le Sportsac Fifi Lapin bag (been meaning to post about this for a while. I’m a big fifi fan. I even have a fifi print in my apt from a couple of years ago)
  6. Kate Spade Thompson Street Noel Stevie bag

Chris Cunningham shoots strange and cool Gucci commercial


I love Chris Cunningham‘s work. If you told me a month ago to imagine a Chris Cunningham-Gucci collaboration I could not. The master of disturbing music videos not only created the visuals but also reworked Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”. If you are not familiar with Cunningham’s work definitely check out these Portishead and Bjork videos:

Blue Bicycletta: etsy artist

Blue Bicycletta

Maquette reader Nicole just wrote to tell me about her work. I love the delicacy and economy of line. I think a series of these looks great in simple black gallery frames as pictured above.

Here’s what Nicole says about her work, “I am constantly inspired by putting black lines on white paper, and so my work often starts from that simple place. Most recently, I have been creating a series of whimsical miniature landscapes that play with texture. You can see that series in progress on my flickr page.”

Nicole loves language and poetry, many  of her drawings incorporate words in the form of hand typography, to create visual poems about everyday things or reminders about ways to appreciate life.

Check out Nicole’s work on etsy.

Stepping back

Places I've been

Many of the projects I’ve worked on in the past have come to fruition recently, which is so rewarding.

I have lots and lots that I still want to accomplish but I just took the weekend off from doing anything productive!

We went for a long walk in the botanical gardens looking at the magnolia, dogwood, forsythia, newly budding trees, a pond with coy,  babies playing in the grass, and happy joggers. It was glorious.

Back to the grind really soon….

Above are some photos I’ve snapped on trips…while enjoying some outdoor/not-at-my-computer time

  1. along Rt. 1, Calfornia
  2. on a cliff in Vernazza, Italy
  3. in a pool in Sosua, Dominican Republic

Eloise Corr Danch: Paper Flowers

Eloise's Flowers3

I’m excited to tell you about my friend Eloise Corr Danch‘s newest project. She pain-stakingly hand crafted 2,500 paper flower sculptures!! They are on view through April 19th in the windows at Macy’s flagship Herald Square store on 34th St. between Broadway and 7th Ave. The installation features 20 ornate headdresses and paper flowers strung into colorful, swirling garlands.

This project follows the 2008 paper sculpture exhibition, Lady Dulcinea, a life-size baroque dress that was displayed at Anthropologie’s Rockefeller Center store (posted about here). Eloise’s interest in paper sculpture grew from a collaboration with New York designers Ruffian in which she created a paper dress in rococo style for a New York Observer charity event.

Eloise's Flowers

Anyway, check out Eloise’s work if you are in NY. Otherwise I hope you enjoy these photos!! Have a splendid weekend. XO.

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