happy new year!

wow, 2008 came and went by so quickly, and what a year it has been! a part of me didn't even want it to end, but i know 2009 will be even more incredible. i can feel it already - more inspiration, joy, and peace are on the way in the coming months.

i've been fortunate enough to feel incredibly blessed almost every day. i'm especially grateful for all the generous and supportive friends i've made through this blog. all of you give me so much inspiration and encouragement, it truly colors my world.

here's to a kick ass 2009!

image from annabelle breakery

happy holidays

have a happy, warm, and safe holiday and best wishes for a lovely new year!

image from red thread

calendar habit

calendars are one of the many paper products i just can't seem to get enough of. every year, i tell myself i will limit myself to one, but i always find a way justify another calendar purchase. i'll choose one where the week starts on mondays for work, another with whimsical illustrations, and another that has a more grown-up, sophisticated feel. the excuses could go on and on!

with the 2008 coming to a close, i'm again having the hardest time putting a limit on my "calendar habit." i already bought port2port press's gorgeous calendar for my desk at home. for work, studio on fire's calendar has graced my desk for the past two years. i took a look at their 2009 version and find myself in awe at the work of the artists they collaborate with. having taken a letterpress class once, i can fully appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating work of their caliber.

images from studio on fire

i'm also quite fond of egg press's letterpress calendar, too. i find myself quite drawn to the lettpressed patterns and shapes.

image by egg press

herman yu's calendar had been on my desk for a few years, and i've given them as gifts, too. i get a sense of a reverence for nature from her work.

image from herman yu

sigh! so many calendars, so little time.

moi je joue...

image from dior

i was going to start my new posts in the new year, but i can't resist posting about this advertisement. it's so delightfully feminine.

and i'm loving the accompanying commercial. apparently it's directed by the super-stylish sofia coppola. the song is so peppy, it's been stuck in my head for days. oh, to be that girl in the commercial, enjoying the delights of paris without a care in the world!

new directions

with the close of the year being a time of reflection, i've been thinking a lot about the direction of this blog - mostly about how i feel that i should move away from choosing a theme or "red thread" since it seems to be limiting for me. often times i'll think of something i'd like to blog about, but then realize it doesn't fit in with the "red thread" of the moment. rather than selecting a theme and forcing my posts to be about the theme, i thought i'd simply post about what inspires me at the moment and other things that have been on my mind. "red threads" will still be running through my posts, but i can let the "red threads" reveal themselves. this will also enable me to post more frequently, as i always have things on my mind and love sharing them with all of you.

well, what do you think? are you guys still with me?

image above by debra mcclinton

i would love to get lost...

Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden VIII

red thread: libraries

... in any of these libraries that candida höfer has photographed. her libraries book has been on my wishlist for quite some time.

Biblioteca di Belle Arti Milano I

Biblioteca do Palacio dos Marquese de Fronteira Lisboa I

>Playfair Library Hall The University of Edinburgh IV

Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra IV

Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires III

Arquivo Distrital de Braga I

images from artnet

in the library

red thread: libraries

i'm not sure i would want to wear this fragrance by CB I Hate Perfume, but i'd be interested in seeing if it does evoke the scent of a library.

this is the fragrance's story according to the creator Christopher Brosius:

Whenever I read, the start of the journey is always opening the book and breathing deeply. Don't you find there are few things more wonderful than the smell of a much-loved book? Newly printed books certainly smell very different from older ones. The ink is so crisp. I've also noticed that books from different periods & different countries also have very different smells. And then there are the scents of different bindings: leather is marvelous of course but I find a peculiar pleasure in musty worn clothbound books as well. Perhaps just a hint of mildew!

hmmm, this does sound intriguing and very creative. this is also offered as a home spray, but would i want my home to smell like a library? fragrances have a pretty powerful effect on me, and if my home smelled like a library or used bookstore, i wouldn't feel like i was home. i definitely admire the skill that goes into creating these innovative scents, though.

image from adele