Belly's

READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?

 
Who would have thought a close up on a cabbage would make such a fine piece of art? Sometimes, extreme close-ups almost have the feeling of an abstract painting. I once took a picture of my grey sweater really up close, and the result took my breath away even though I'm a mediocre photographer at best. But enough about the art, ho about this beautiful dresser? It's vintage and once belonged in a pharmacy. However, what really works in this room, designed by Orian Dubitzky and featured in Go Style magazine is the fool-proof color combo green-natural-pink. In my opinion, it enhances both the wood and natural elements and the colorful ones.

What do you think?

 

{photographer: Ben Masio for view, Go Style Magazine}

inspired by: water color

One day, after I read Nicole's various posts on art and painting with kids, and The Blue Hydrangea's posts about her art camp, I sat with my son and had fun with water colors for a couple hours. We loaded our brushes with water and made up stories where every color was a character or something that happened. I was stunned by the result, and it's actually still on my pinboard right now, weeks after the fact.

I'm more of a striking geometric prints person when it comes to home decor fabrics, but everyone who knows me in real life knows I'm obsessed with "water color" fabrics when it comes to apparel fabric. I constantly check Gorgeous Fabrics, Emma One Sock and Elliott Berman for them. This kind of fabric, often silk, ranges from ombre to tie-dye to burn-out, but is gorgeous all the same. And it seems like fashion designers agree with me...

What will I do with this inspiration? Maybe nothing, or maybe I'll try spoonflower (which allows you to print fabric with your own design) for once, or maybe something with Moo Cards, with which I've had a good experience.

Meanwhile, I just enjoy looking at this prettiness.

What do you find inspiring today?

wordless wednesday: mondrian

(images: W magazine; Mad Men screenshot; Yves Saint Laurent day dress, 1965 via RC; Piet Mondrian composition via snap2objects)

More about Piet Mondrian

thrifty, barbie style

Ever since I saw these amazing prints from Layla Grace, i've been dreaming up rooms and settings where I could use them. Believe me, the options are endless: the obvious girls' (or boys'!) room, on top of a vanity, in a dressing room, in a gallery wall in an office, mixed with old Vogue covers...

Only problem is- this stuff is kinda pricey! At 99-139$ a piece, it's well out of my price range for what is a Barbie print, after all.

Imagine my squealdom when I read Grace's post earlier today, where she featured this awesome calendar from Kate's Paperie. Yes, it's a calendar after all, not a limited edition print, and the size is smaller at 12"X12" (the AFK prints on Layla Grace are 17"X21"), but the price... Well, the price is freaking awesome:

13.99$

One tenth (!) of the highest priced AFK print.

Now, I'm not saying the prints aren't worth the price. I don't know if they are or aren't, but I'd snatch them in a second if I had the means. But for those of us (like myself) who don't, I dedicate this Copy Cat Chic moment to you.

guest blogger: design darling

Today I asked the darling Mackenzie to fill in for me while I tackle some (or: a lot!) work. Mackenzie has a great blog, and also interns for Jonathan Adler! How lucky is she?

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I'm Mackenzie of Design Darling and I'm so happy to be here on Belly's Button today! Let's discuss one of the most popular trends in decor these days: gallery walls. To me, this isn't a mere trend but a design constant. From the symmetrically simple to the progressively more elaborate, a gallery wall is an aesthetically pleasing manner of corralling old family photographs, children's drawings, flea market finds, or prized original art.

Do you prefer your gallery walls sleek and perfectly measured?

I love these black and white photographs in their frames of varying widths accented with a bold orange mirror.

A fisheye mirror anchors vintage prints as well as a unique black bust.

It was love at first sight when I stumbled upon this bathroom wall with its juxtaposition of antiqued mirrors and the modern clock.

I hope you enjoyed this smattering of pretty art walls. Thank you, Chedva, for having me here today!

(images: Luke Vahle; via Habitually Chic; Domino; source unknown)

our staycation

Here's what I came home to:

Yeah, forgot to put the flowers away. But aren't they kind of beautiful?

For our vaction, we rented a beach house in Caesarea along with my parents. Caesaria is a beautiful little town, known for its golf club and amphitheater, the biggest in Israel (which is actually the dream place for Israeli singers to perform. When a performer has made it to Caesaria that means they reached the top [at least commercially speaking.])

The interiors weren't anything to write home about, though any house looks gorgeous when it has these giant windows overlooking a pool:

 

But the thing that was truly notable about this house, besides the unbelievable amounts of pastries I devoured within its walls, is the art. It was amazing! The whole place is filled with paintings, sketches, prints, sculptures, copper pieces - you name it:

A few more outside pictures to compensate for my poor inside photography:

And that was my vacation! I spent almost all of it working/eating (most of the time simultaneousley) as I have a horrifying deadline.

Thanks for all the fabulous guest bloggers for holding fort while I was away! Check out their blogs:

Design Blahg

The Cupcake Goddess

Home to 3 Duncan Boys

Sketch 42 Blog

Stay tuned for the giveaway winner reveal tomorrow as well as some new posts.

How was your weekend? Do you have any recommendations for a better camera that won't break my wallet?

guest blogger: sketch 42 blog's nicole

Hi All,

Nicole from Sketch42 here! When Chedva asked me to write about my art, I was simultaneously inspired and nervous! While I have been creating art recreationally for years, I'm obviously not a serious artist...

OR AM I?

Since I posted pictures of my kitchen on my blog, and on the Brooklyn Limestone as well as other blogs... a lot of people have contacted me asking me who the painting in my kitchen is by... Well, its by me!

 

I actually painted the entire canvas and then put the entire painting in the shower to get that effect!

Here are some more paintings that I just completed:

As you can tell, I am really inspired by graffiti... I love using neons in a painting... perhaps because my house is all black and white?!?

I hosed down this painting as well... (It's much easier than putting a 4' by 3' canvas in the shower!) I think I like it better than the first one!

This tray is probably my favorite thing that I've ever made.... You can buy it in my etsy shop.

 

Although lately I mostly do abstracts, there was a time when I did nudes.... These nudes are hanging or leaning in various places in my apartment...

 

This one is in the hallway as part of a gallery wall...

This one is propped in the entry way...

Want to see something funny?

 

I made this in my very first art class when I was ten. My grandma had it hanging in her basement and just gave it back to me. Its now in my daughters room... Hideous, but sentimental.

Speaking of my daughter... She is really, really great at painting. Something about her brushstrokes are so organic and beautiful...

You can read my tips for doing painting projects with toddlers here.

Anyway,

I'll be adding all these paintings to my etsy store...

Thanks for having me Chedva!

monday morning coffee

via timothybuckwalter.typepad.com

It's Monday morning again, readers, and only a truckload of coffee will help me get out of my pajamas and start the day. My week is going to be shorter than the usual, as we'll be celebrating Shavuot tomorrow and Wednesday. So how about some web-browsing to kick-start what's left of the week?

• This poster is taken from Timothy Buckwalter's site, where you can see more of his works. Don't we all feel like this sometimes (or most of the time)?

• Another blog I've been lately perusing daily is Found in Mom's Basement - an excellent collection of vintage ads, curated by Paula Zargaj-Reynolds. (Why do all the men in those ads look creepy?)
• Sew A Straight Line's tutorial on flatlock saved Chanoch's preppy PJs in the last minute. I was terrified of trying the flatlock, but Sara's how-to post made it seem so clear and simple, that I gave it a try and I was done sewing the shirt and the pants in under an hour.
• The Cool Hunter did a post on my favorite Israeli designer, Idit Barak for Delicatessen, and her new striking, stunningly-modern designed store.

Stumbled upon any interesting, beautiful or insightful site or blog recently? Why don't you share in the comments section?