Hi there! I've been wanting to post this inspiration blog for a while now, but I wanted to save up enough goodies to really make a jam-packed post! As usual, this post has 3 sections (fashion, home decor, and paper-crafting) that feature patterns, shapes, motifs, colors, and textures that I find inspiring. I won't blab too much, let's just get to it:
Fashion:
Love this dress from Anthropologie - basic on top, wow on bottom! Not sure which I like more, the bow or the color.
Another adorable dress from Anthropologie. The painterly pattern on the top seems to be everywhere now. Sorry that their pictures are kind of blurry.
This Anthro cardigan may not be practical, but I can't get over how gorgeous the draping and ruffles are. It's really so much more than a sweater. It's wearable art, for sure.
What a sweet, girly trench from ModCloth.com! Love the bow and ruffles.
I think the cut and shape of this ModCloth.com dress is so classy and would probably look good on a lot of body types. The soft, floral pattern (with purple, my favorite color) is simply chic.
This is Anthro's "happy day" bracelet and I think the name perfectly describes it. The colors just scream happiness and I love that the link is decorated with fabric and beads!
This black and white dress is from ModCloth.com. My favorite part of it is the surprise trim at the bottom! It's a great example of how to mix patterns appropriately.
The bee motif is showing up everywhere in paper-crafting and it has made its way into fashion! I think the pink, yellow, gold and pearls in these bee earrings from Anthro make them the perfect fancy summer accessory.
This American Eagle bikini top has a gorgeous vintage-inspired floral pattern that I wish I could find on some patterned paper! Too bad I don't get to go swimming very much.
This dress is called the "Floating Lotus Dress" from Anthropologie. I think it's so heavenly and I would probably wear it every day if I owned it. The soft, lilac colors, the flowy fabric, the shape...sigh.
Owls have been a huge trend in the paper-crafting world for a while now and I just adore this crazy, but beautiful rhinestone ring from Anthropologie.
Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a sucker for cardigans and this short-sleeved, belted-waist Anthro cardigan is simply gorgeous. The color choice is really fresh and the bold pattern reminds me of some older American Crafts paper. Love it!
This technically isn't a "fashion" item, but it is a beauty-related item. It's part of Gwen Stefani's first fragrance line and I think the packaging is just adorable! I smelled all of them, but this was my favorite. It has a fruity, coconut smell and I may be adding it to my fragrance collection very soon!
Home Decor:
The "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters are just about everywhere now - they even have posters that make fun of them...that's when you know you're famous. But out of all the ones I've seen, this is my favorite. I love anything that has the Union Jack on it (probably because of the semester I spent in London...or maybe it's because of my childhood love of the Spice Girls) or anything that reminds me of classic British culture.
I found this awesome European-inspired pillow at laresident's etsy shop. Love the colors!
The colors in this lightswitch paired with the super-cool mosaic pattern caught my eye at sooz1's etsy shop. I could totally see this in a future craft room.
Wall decals are also everywhere in home decor lately and even though I think it would be hard for me to commit to one design for a long period of time, this is one I think I could live with for a while. I love the whimsy of it! Maybe dandelions will be a motif we see more in the future! This is from Studiojk's etsy shop.
I just thought this oven mit was adorable and I can't really resist anything purple and girly! I found it at pyknic's etsy shop.
This panda bowl is from ModCloth.com. I just think it's so adorable. It might be for a child, but I could totally see keeping candy in it or displaying it on a wall for fun. :)
This rug is from PBTeen.com and I love the bold, colorful pattern.
Last, but not least in the home decor section is this gorgeous vintage-inspired table from Pottery Barn paired with this graphic, yellow rug! So sunny and warm.
Paper-Crafting:
Here are my four favorite papers from the brand new Lemonade collection by BasicGrey. I'm always honored to say that I know the genius behind this collection - Celeste Rockwood Jones! She's such an inspiration.
I'm thrilled that BasicGrey is now adding embellishments to their product lines! These are called "woolies" and I can't wait to get my hands on them. The little snail is my fave in this collection.
Another embellishment BasicGrey has come up with is these journaling sheets called "take notes". These are from the June Bug collection and they're just so vintagey and cute!
This is one of the best pieces of patterned paper I've seen in a while. I've been waiting for this trendy, flannel/lumberjack-inspired plaid to pop up on paper for a while...and here it is in BasicGrey's June Bug collection!
How cute is this new heat embossing tool from American Crafts? I love that it's pink! If I didn't already have a green one, I'd be getting one of these asap!
AC Thickers are always one of my favorite paper-crafting supplies and I can't wait for this new collection to come out!
These clear stamps will come out in American Crafts' new "Blue Skies" collection. How stinkin' cute is that squirrel?!?
And for the grand finale, some FLAIR! This is from American Crafts' upcoming "Junior" collection. I love love love it, even for the Rubik's cute alone!
Hope you enjoyed another Pretty Things post and that you're inspired to do something crafty!
<3,
Kalyn







oooooooooooooh, love the woolies!! sooooo adorable. i have a feeling i'll be seeing those on a card posted on your blog sometime soon! ;-)
Posted by: Sarah | July 13, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Cute stuff - love that girly trench!
Posted by: susan r. opel | July 24, 2009 at 05:18 PM