Bamboo Jewelry Designs by Molly McGrath

This beautiful necklace and earring designs are created by artist Molly McGrath in her San Fransisco studio. These stunning pieces of jewelry are created using Bamboo and Second-hand Suede Jackets. All of her materials are sustainable and/or recycled. I have a huge fascination with creative earring styles right now, and her Ginkgo Leaf Earring design is fantastic. You can find these pieces at BTC Elements.

Photos via BTC Elements

Fashion Crush: Marni Balloon Bags

I love these large and colorful bags. I found these this weekend on Net-A-Porter. I think they might be a tad expensive especially in these trying times, but that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. My favorite is the terracotta one, of course.

Photos via Net-A-Porter

3 Ways Good Design Makes You Happy: Ted Talk By Don Norman

Don Norman explores the difference between a designer’s intentions and what people actually want and need in a design. He discusses the three emotional cues a well-designed product must hit to be successful. Mr. Norman’s TED Talk is truly fascinating. I love his explanation on the effects fear and happiness have on a person, and the primal need we have for happy design.

Video via TED Talks

Funky Sustainable Furniture

Dennis and I are in the market for some funky bookcases for our library, but we hadn’t quite found what we are looking for until today. These bookcases were fashioned by the very talented designers of the Brooklyn based studio, Brave Space Design. They concentrate on creating sustainable, multi-functional objects for home and office settings. Dennis and I fancy the Tetrad Flat shelves quite a bit. I love that they come as separate boxes that you can attach in any order you desire. This is exactly what we need in a sustainable design. What more could a girl ask for? You can purchase many of their products at Nimli.com.

Photos via Nimli

Five Beautiful Grungy Site Designs

I love this design style. I am trying to do something like this for RH Frog, but I haven’t quite nailed it yet. Here are a few sites that have inspired me during this process. They are absolutely beautiful.

I Love Colors

Carbonica

Free People

Ali Fleski Portfolio Blog

Retinart

Fashion Find: Rock & Roll Recycled Earrings

These earrings are fantastic! Designer Millie Hilgert creates these beautiful accessories from old vinyl records. Her design is very clever, and I love all the different color choices. I didn’t even realize you could change the color of a vinyl record. These earrings are very spring eco chic. I can just see myself wearing my bright yellow dress with those fabulous tangerine vinyl earrings, sipping a cocktail on the seafront. You can get a pair of these fabulous earrings at BTC Elements.

Photos via BTC Elements

Fashion Crush: Spring Dresses

I took a long walk around Brighton this past Saturday. Dennis and I were getting a bit of exercise, and we decided to do a bit of window shopping as well. As we were browsing, this beautiful striped dress caught my eye. I didn’t purchase it, but it made me realize that spring is on it’s way here. It’s time to start replacing my winter wardrobe with my summer and spring ensembles.

I’ve actually been thinking about this dress for days now. I tried to look for it online, but I wasn’t able to find it. Nevertheless, I did find some beautiful summer/spring dresses that cannot be ignored. These bright colors and sassy patterns are so very me.

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania
Net-A-Porter

Zac Posen Picot-Trim Dress
Net-A-Porter

Moschino Broderie Anglaise Dress
Net-A-Porter

City of Angels Dress
Free People

Summer in Tucson Dress
Free People

Coral Way Dress
Anthropologie

Afternoon-At-Ease Dress
Anthropologie

Musing Moon Dress
Anthropologie

Carambola Shift
Anthropologie

Krasna Dress
Anthropologie

Photos via Free People, Anthropologie and Net-A-Porter

Beautiful Urban Ruins: TED TALK by Miru Kim

Artist Miru Kim discusses her inspirational and beautiful photography series. She describes her expeditions into abandoned underground and industrial spaces, and the beauty she finds in each location. I absolutely love her work. She is a very brave artist, and her photographs are stunning. I certainly recommend viewing this talk. She tells some very funny stories.

Video via Ted Talks

Investing in Bespoke Clothing

My journey into the world of Bespoke wares started when I attended university in the States. I surprisingly had many conversation about clothing and style during my years there. I was surprised because I attended a school that specialized in digital design, software engineering and e-business, among other subjects. Additionally, the school’s alumni were primarily male, and us computer workers have a habit of dressing down to work for comfort. This concept of personal style should have been a foreign topic to say the least. Nevertheless, the idea of owning Couture or anything made bespoke came up in many a conversation, which usually concluded with the overall agreement that these concepts were a waste of time and money. I must admit, I used to agree with this. I didn’t understand why anybody would waste hundreds or even thousands on an outfit let alone any single piece of clothing or accessory.

As I grew older, I started to realize how incredibly wrong we were. Now, I certainly do not recommend going on a spending spree, purchasing only designer clothing to fill up your closet. I am sure one would quickly go bankrupt, and spending more than you can afford is never a good idea especially in these hard economic times. I want to advocate the acquiring of bespoke pieces over time to add quality, sophistication and style to an individuals wardrobe.

I was watching a documentary on the Tailors of Savile Row on the BBC, and found their work incredibly fascinating. I hadn’t realized the time, effort and skill required to create one suit. Some might note that suits made in a factory are created faster and can be sold for a much lower price, but they are certainly no match in quality and fit. The level of care taken for each piece sold in Savile Row truly is second to none. Over the years I’ve discovered a number of boutique shops that specialize in bespoke wares, and I have never been disappointed. How could I be? Each piece was made to fit me.

I suppose it’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s difficult to start looking at clothing as an investment, but I have learned over the years that nothing of value is ever cheap. The concept of Cost Per Wear really helped me understand this idea. Essentially, this concept has to do with the price of an item, and the number of times you have worn or will wear it. The more times you wear it, the less expensive the item becomes, and the larger return you get on your initial purchase. For example, Dennis gifted me with a pair of winter boots for £170. I have easily worn them at least every day for 4 months during winter. I even wore them to my wedding in New York! This comes down to the following: £170/122 wears = £1.40 Per Wear. In essence, it costs me £1.40 to wear these boots, and the cost keeps coming down every time I wear them. They are just as beautiful as the day they were purchased. I know they will be worn for many years to come.

Bespoke items don’t need to break your budget nor do they require you declare bankruptcy. They take time to create, but the wait is certainly worth it. Granted, they are typically more expensive than items you find on the high street, but nothing will fit better or last longer than a bespoke garment meant to fit you.

5 Really Funky Product Designs

Now, I don’t know if a few of these would be more of a hassle than a solution, but they certainly are beautiful. I really love those waterproof watches. I can use one instead of a chunky bracelet. The Eden Project Design really interests me as well. I could really do with a portable veggie garden.

Earth Bowls

Eye Candy

Uses sensory substitution and can be used to supplement senses.

Too Late Waterproof Watches

Infinity Aquarium by BCXSY Studio

K-Wine Dishware

Eden Project-Portable Garden by David Barry

Photos via Yanko Design and Fluid Forms