HAPPINESS IS...

Alphabet Letter Shelves

I'm really digging these wooden letter shelves, handcrafted by Italian architect duo, Giulia and Lucio of WE ArchDesign. They're deep enough to hold books and large enough to make a statement. They sort of remind me of the alphabet furniture pieces I featured awhile back. Think of all the word possibilities. Pretty genius, don't you think?


{Images via Design Milk}

To Read & Rest

I've had a trying, emotional week, my dears. I think I'll take the next few days to read and rest. My body and my mind deserve a little escape.

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are in the world. And please enjoy the links...

Wishing this room was mine right now.

A handy guide to stacking rings.

How to land a book deal.

Beautiful ice cream roses.

A spring vegetarian dinner for six.

Frozen pb and banana snacks.

How to manage internet overwhelm.

A cute storybook garland.

Spring roll in a bowl.

A love story in a treehouse.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• An Outdoor Open Air Library
• Loving Life
• Childscapes

 

{Image by Carles Rodrigo}

Vintage Picture Books

Swoooon! Mid-century illustrations get me every time. And these are the real deal. Mallory collects vintage children's books and sells them from her Etsy shop, Elwood & Eloise. They're all out-of-print, so each one is super rare.

Do you own any awesome picture books from the past?


{Images via Elwood & Eloise; Illustrations by: 1. Adrienne Adams; 2. Rosalind Welcher; 3. Robert E. Barry; 4. Fritz Kredel}

Becoming A Published Author

My dear friend and fellow founding member of the USC Sirens, miss Guang Ming Whitley, is such an inspiration to me. She just published her second book. And did so in the midst of raising FOUR children under the age of five, two of them identical twin boys! This adorable photo was taken at my wedding while her fourth child, Luke, was presumably running around somewhere with a tambourine.

I know many of you aspire to write your own book one day. But like the music scene, the book industry is changing. More and more independent authors are self-publishing as a means of getting their book out there without an agent or a large publishing company. Guang Ming shares with us how she turned her dreams into reality...

Why did you decide to self-publish and what platforms did you use?

I don't know how I'd make time for going the traditional publishing route. I use Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (e-books) and CreateSpace (hard copies).

With your busy schedule, how on earth do you find time to write?

I write in the evenings, working around choir night, date night, weekends, and general exhaustion. I also jot down ideas on my phone during the day.

What advice would you give to others who want to become a published author?

Find an editor who will give honest criticism of your work (however harsh) and listen to him or her. Mine happens to be my husband. He shredded my first attempt at a novel to pieces. I'm still putting them back together.

What are your goals for the future?

My ultimate goal is to become J.K. Rowling and retire. In all seriousness, I write because I love writing. Like an indie musician, I have dreams of being a rock star. But if that never happens, I'll keep writing for my small, appreciative fan base.

---

If you like quick reads, download her newest novella, Peace Out. It's a thought-provoking character-driven story about euthanasia set in the not-too-distant future. I found it fascinating.

Her first book is Lockdown, An American Girl's Guide to Chinese Postpartum Recovery. And she has two more books in the pipeline. Get notified of their release by following Guang Ming's adventures on Facebook.


{Image by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 03: Bridesmaid Proposals

For today's wedding Wednesday post, I'd like to share with you how I proposed to my darling bridesmaids.

I debated long and hard about whether or not to have bridesmaids at all. I know how girls complain about being one. Let's face it. It can be expensive, awkward, and there's always a chance of drama. But ultimately, I realized I needed their support.

Choosing my girl posse was difficult. I'm terrible with decisions, can you tell? I've been blessed with many close female friendships in life, so if bridesmaids were happening, there would be many. I chose 7 women to stand by my side. 3 from high school, 4 from college. There were a few others I would have liked to include, but Hal put his foot down, rightly so. I figured/hoped the gals I didn't ask were confident enough in our friendship so as to not take it personally.

I thought about how I could propose to them in a meaningful and original way. How were we all connected?

Books! We were all readers and 3 of the gals were in my book club. One day, while perusing a thrift shop, I happened upon the sweetest little vintage book: Friendship, by Hugh Black, published in 1901. I brought it home and miraculously found 6 more copies with the same cover through various online used book stores.

Inside each book, I placed a wooden bookmark engraved with their name.

As they flipped through the book, my proposal was slowly revealed in the top right hand corner. Initially, I planned to dog-ear the pages and write on the book directly, but it felt wrong to mark it all up. Instead, I cut off the corners of colored envelopes and placed them over the paper's edge like a slipcover. This way, the girls could take them off and have a keepsake book free of bridesmaid talk.

I don't like the word, bridesmaid, so I changed their title to special lady friend!

On the back inside cover, I glued a matching envelope with a card. In my tiniest handwriting, I wrote down all our shared memories. And asked if they'd like to make yet another.

They said, YES!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

Book Menorahs

With Hal being culturally Jewish, we try to honor this part of his upbringing by representing both Christmas and Hanukkah in our decor. Small things, like placing a Star of David topper on our tree. Or lighting a menorah. We have a classic one, but I'm eyeing these menorahs made out of books. They'd be relatively simple to DIY and I think they'd look beautiful in any home, whether you're Jewish or not.

It may sound silly or blasphemous to some, but I love blending the two holidays and combining each of our family's traditions into one.

Happy Christmukkah!


{Images via Juniper Books by Thatcher Wine}

Books For The Beach

What do you think of NPR's list of the 100 Best Beach Books? I've read about a third of them, so I'm going to research the rest. I've been trying to find some novels to bring with me on my honeymoon. Maybe a book that takes place in Riviera Maya or Belize. Or one that has to do with ancient Mayan ruins. Do you have any suggestions?


{Image by Samantha Lamb}

Little Books For Big Ideas

I'm an ideas girl. I'm sure I drive my family nuts with my grandiose plans and brilliant-to-me schemes. Recently, I've been struggling with this side of myself, trying to figure out why I'm like this, and if it's more of a burden than gift. After reading the book, Refuse To Choose, I was relieved to learn that there's a name for people like me. I'm a "scanner". A highly creative person with a special type of mind that doesn't zero in on a single interest but rather scans the horizon, eager to explore and do absolutely everything they find fascinating.

The author recommends that scanners keep a journal to record their ideas, because every idea should be cherished no matter how silly or far-fetched. While this solution isn't ground-breaking, the simple act of writing down all your ideas will organize your thoughts and give you peace of mind. Searching around for a good journal, I came across these darling pocket-sized notebooks called Scout Books with customizable insides and covers. The Weaver House used them to make their own Like No Other books for recording dreams, passions and projects.

What about you? Do you consider yourself a scanner too? Do you have one strong easily identifiable career path, or a gazillion?  :)

P.S. I cannot thank you enough for your encouraging emails and comments on yesterday's post. Now I know I made the right choice. I feel lighter than air, just knowing you will be here for me always. xo


{Images via Scout Books by The Weaver House}

A Pop-Up Proposal

Chris asked Jackie to design this adorable pop-up proposal book for his girlfriend, Julia. Seriously, how could you not say, yes?  :)


{Images by Jackie Huang}

Literature Heavyweights

I adore these salvaged bricks made to look like antique classics. Literal literature heavyweights. They may come in handy if physical books ever become of thing of the past. Melbourne artist, Daryl Fitzgerald, started making them to invoke nostalgia for when libraries were "cavernous worlds full of yellowing paper, silence and time."


{Images via Smith Journal by Light Reading}

Edible Cookbooks

Now you can have your cookbook and eat it too. Bad joke. But it's true! This edible cookbook is made out of sheets of fresh pasta. After reading, just add tomato sauce, cheese and other ingredients to each layer, bake and devour.


{Images via Laughing Squid by Korefe}

The Hunger Games Posters

We saw The Hunger Games over the weekend and I can officially say I'm hooked. The hype? I get it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire way through. Then dove headfirst into the book when I got home.

Have you read the books or watched the film yet?


{Images via F* Yeah The Hunger Games by Sleep Is For The Weak}

An Outdoor Open Air Library

A plethora of books, a trusty iMac, a deep lounger chair, and fresh air. I could get on board with this.


{Images via Office Sian}

Hollywood Rides A Bike

Have you seen the new coffee table book, Hollywood Rides a Bike? It's a collection of 125 joyful vintage photographs of celebrities and their cycles, put together by movie critic, Steven Rea, author of the blog, Rides A Bike. Looks like an instant good mood!


{Images via Public Bikes}

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Thank you all for your wonderful book club suggestions awhile back. We ended up selecting Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I finished reading it last night and I'm still a bit teary-eyed.

Most of the book is written from the point of view a whip smart and overly imaginative little boy who is on a secret NYC mission to find some sort of meaning behind his father's 9-11 death. His character is so endearing, I wanted to pluck him out of the pages and make him my own. The movie is now out, but I've been told to skip it. Have you read the book? Or watched the film?

P.S. Our next selection is Little Bee by Chris Cleave!


{Image via Life Unfinished}

A Cozy Weekend

I wish for you all a warm and cozy weekend. Hopefully involving tea, cookies and books. Enjoy the links, my loves...

10 mini tabletop trees.

Did you know they have cat cafes in Japan?

Hilarious rapping paper.

Crayon wildfire sculptures.

Cupcake push pops.

Are you feeling snoody?

A free holiday mixtape cd sleeve.

DIY ornament vases.

Beautiful origami swans.

A Christmas greeting from the Girls With Glasses.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Five Days of Felt
• Flurries
• Wool Hand Warmers

{Image via Design Warez}

New Book Suggestions?

Friends, what are you reading these days? My book club has yet to come up with our next selection. It would be so nice to curl up with my cat and a good book during holiday downtime. Here's what we've read in the past. I'd love to hear your suggestions!


{Images via Immortal Marilyn by Alfred Eisenstaedt}

What Birds Do When We Aren't Looking

What started out as one drawing, soon became an illustration series by Marc Johns, titled, What Birds Do When We Aren't Looking. Simply darling! He's thinking of turning them into little book filled with "birds doing non-bird things". I sure hope he does, don't you?


{Images via Lenore Nevermore}

Minimalist Children's Story Posters

Always a sucker for reinvented minmalist posters. These ones by Chicago graphic designer, Christian Jackson, are no exception. They come with an amusing disclaimer:

Though these are posters made from children's stories, not all images are appropriate for children.

Most likely referring to the Wizard of Oz print!


{Images via My Modern Met by Square Inch Design}

Love, Lost & Found

Remember Sophie Blackall's Missed Connections? As I was hoping, she selected her favorite Craigslist illustrations and turned them into a book! And she won't say just yet, but Sophie is planning something special for those lucky couples who happened to find each other through a Missed Connections ad. I can't wait to hear their stories.


{Image via Missed Connections}

Blackout Poems

Most blackout poems remind me of those silly poetry magnets, never really making much sense. But this one by 20-year old Kitkat Pecson strikes a harmonius chord. Click on the image to enlarge.

Isn't it perfect? Almost as if the blacked out words were never meant to be there at all.


{Image via English Muse}

A Dress Made From Books & Music

Can this be my wedding dress? I'm so serious. It's made out of vintage book pages & sheet music and was photographed in a random display window at the Dallas Home & Gift Show back in July. Interested seamstresses up for the challenge... call me!  :)


{Image via Resonating Tales by Lori of Katies Rose Cottage}

Soundtracks For Books

I just discovered Booktrack today and I'm girlishly excited. You download the app on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad and it's as if your book has a Hollywood score with synchronized music and sound effects. The technology is paced to your own reading speed.

Click the top right book here and try it out free with Sherlock Holmes. You'll hear the pounding rain, a wild scream, a creaking door, and suspenseful strings. And the soundtracks are quality. They're made by the production company behind Lord of the Rings.

There aren't too many titles available yet. But I'm looking forward to the rumored release of Romeo & Juliet and Pride & Prejudice!


{Image by Jo Bozarth}

The Handmade Wedding Book

I had my first wedding planning sesh over the weekend. We figured out a location, narrowed down the date, and estimated my family's guest list. I'll give you more details later, but it feels so nice to have a clear direction.

Our budget is small, so we're going to have to get crafty. I spotted this beautifully designed Handmade Wedding book and it seems to have a lot of sweet ideas. Although I don't want to bite off more than I can chew and stress myself out. What DIY projects did you (or would you) choose to make yourself?


{Images by A Subtle Revelry}

Skywriting

I think I might be more inclined to keep a journal if I could scribble my thoughts and doodles in the sky. MoMA says the book is for artists, writers, and dreamers. Or anyone with their head in the clouds  :)


{Images via Sacred Lotus}

Your House

I miss art books. Hal used to bring them home all the time when he worked for the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA. This one is especially cool. MoMA commissioned Olafur Eliasson to design a laser-cut negative impression of his Copenhagen house on a scale of 85:1. When you turn each page, it feels as if you're walking through the rooms of the house from front to back. Wouldn't you love a book of your own house?


{Images via MoMA}

Vintage Book Clocks

You can turn anything into a clock these days, but I really dig the look of these vintage book clocks, don't you? There's just something so warm and fuzzy about old books.


{Images via SteampunksNotDead by Steven Gabriel}

Summer Reading

My dears, what are you reading this summer? The Bookies just finished Fear of Flying and we're trying to decide our next read. Thinking about HEAT by Bill Buford. Anyone read it?

Have a relaxing weekend! Here are your links...

A brown paper bag inspired clutch.

How to pin your grown out bangs.

Golden snitch cake pops for the final Harry Potter.

A cool DIY tree lamp.

If you can't find a wedding gown...

New Yorkers, start putting together your white outfit!

Notebook paper dish towels.

"If I could save time (and dinosaurs) in a bottle..."

Don't you love the bum bows?

A sweet proposal captured on film.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Rolling Huts
• Pin-Up Pillows
• Rudy

{Images by Annikki}

Custom Color-Coded Book Jackets

Whenever I buy a hardcover book, I immediately strip it from its generic glossy jacket to show off the real fabric cover underneath. Yeah, they won't be protected, but the books look so much better on the shelf.

But here are some jackets I'd definitely keep on. Juniper Books will color customize them to create a clean and uniform look. Click on the photo to enlarge, and you'll notice the individual book titles printed within each letter. Pretty shnazzy.


{Image via Design Milk}

The Elements of Happiness

Just spent way too much time browsing through the online version of The Elements of Happiness, a gorgeous book by designer, Laura Javier.

It's based off the The Harvard Study of Adult Development, where 824 people were followed for 72 years in order to understand the concept of happiness. In her book, Laura visually represents 10 particular cases, drawing her own conclusions on what makes people happy.

Thought you'd enjoy it as well!


{Images via Miss Moss}

Nostalgic Houseboats of the 70's

I'm so grateful for Missa, who scanned in these yummy retro images from Houseboat, a book published in 1977 on floating home culture. My dream of owning a houseboat just won't quit. I love this excerpt:

"Nestled at the foot of Manhattan Island. Moored in the heart of Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Tucked into sun-speckled bayous near Pierre Part, Louisiana. In the midst of Sausalito's 'hip' culture. Houseboats reflect a hedonistic Great Gatsby lifestyle, a homespun simplicity, a mellow oneness with Mother Nature."

{Images via Thrift Candy}

A Happiness Companion

If you frequent blog land, I'm sure you've heard of Spoonful, a short and sweet mini magazine dedicated to my favorite subject. They've just put out their 4th issue and it looks divine. Full of inspiring craft projects, artist features, and writers reflecting on the simple pleasures in life. Just the thing to read when you need some extra cheer or a little pick-me-up.


{Images by Spoonful}

You See I See

I'm so excited for my dear friend, Tali. She and Laura just self-published their first photography book, You See I See.

Every week for an entire year, they each took a photo of a certain subject. All the topics were suggested by their blog readers and compiled into a list. My topic was: The first thing you see when you wake and the last thing you see before bed. It's fascinating to see their different and sometimes eerily similar points of view.

Isn't the book beautiful?  Congratulations gals!


{Images by Tali Schiffer and Laura Evans}

Fear Of Flying

I haven't done much reading since my move, and I'm longing to bury my head in a book. Our latest book club selection is Fear of Flying by Erica Jong. I started it, but haven't gotten far. It was apparently highly controversial in the 70's. Have you read it?

P.S. How amazing is this series by Lissy Elle? She photographs fictional characters getting sucked back into their books. Can you tell which is which? From the top: Alice in Wonderland, Wendy from Peter Pan, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.


{Images by Lissy Elle}

It's A Passion

I'm tickled by the "It's a Passion" print series by Susana Parada. Now, if she would just make one for cheese, I'd be all set!


{Images by Parada Creations}

One Hundred Years of Solitude

How was your weekend, my sweets? I had a wonderful time in Cali. The 70+ degree weather felt unreal. And Rachel's wedding was lovely. Performing with the Sirens is always such a joy.

I also got to spend quality time with my book club gals. We discussed our latest read, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Which we collectively re-named: A Bajillion Years of Solitude. I couldn't finish it. I know some of you mentioned it was your favorite book ever... please tell me why. Convince me to pick it up again!

P.S. How cool is this book rest lamp? My copy of OHYOS would sit on it for life  ;)


{Image via Mimpi by Elemental}

Books of Art

How in the world does Isaac Salazar make these? Yay for us, he sells his Books of Art on Etsy. Pretty incredible, right?


{Images via Double Takes}

The Dinner Project

Have you ever wondered what 365 days of your dinners would look like? Mine would be pretty repetitive.

Astrid compiled a year's worth of her evening's meal into one book, The Dinner Project. She's self-publishing and selling it through the online book maker, Blurb. Such an amusing idea. Her other photo books reveal her Everyday Life and her view Looking Down.

If you made a compilation photo book, what would you document each day? 


{Image by Hei Astrid}

C'est Magnifique Wallpaper

Have you seen the latest batch of wallpapers from Anthro? They're so fun! Some of my favorites are C'est Magnifique, Stacked Paperback, Dreamscape Mural and Midsummer Night's.

Hmm.. for the new house. Wallpaper or paint? Wallpaper or paint? Decisions.


{Images by Anthropologie}

Just Being Audrey

I came across these fantastic illustrations of Ms. Hepburn by Boston-based artist, Julia Denos. They are from Margaret Cardillo's book, Just Being Audrey, which would be such a sweet gift for the Audrey lover in your life. Aren't they darling?


{Images via Black Eiffel by Julia Denos}

MY Happy Thoughts - Part 6

I hope you all enjoyed last week's Collaborative Sketchbook Project posts!  I'm so proud to be a part of such a creative group of gals. If you missed them, visit Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

As promised, here are my happy thoughts: 2 favorite classic jazz albums, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane and Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

Instead of a sketch, I wanted to try something completely different. I've always been fascinated with laser cutting, so why not? Initially, I decided on wood veneer, but it was a bit too thick for the book. Cozy gray felt was the next best choice.

I designed the typographic image and gave it to a laser company to cut. I'm thrilled with the results! Interestingly, after a few days, the edges started to brown, as seen in the middle photo. But I sort of like it. A vintage effect!

I think I'm going to make larger versions to hang on my wall. Maybe out of wood this time.

Do you like?  :)

Happy Thoughts - Part 5

Here are the last 3 lovely blogger/artists who sent me their art for the Collaborative Sketchbook Project:

1. Margaret Maugoska of Kardamonium
2. Tali Schiffer of Imperfectly Perfect
3. Kristy Wilson of Kwil

To see the rest of the book, visit Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

P.S. I'll show you MY contribution on Monday!

Happy Thoughts - Part 4

Here are the next 3 blogger/artists who contributed to the Collaborative Sketchbook Project:

1. Breanne of Flattery
2. Vanessa Adao of A Casa Da Va
3. Christina Desmet of DeSmitten

Visit Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to see the rest!

Happy Thoughts - Part 3

Here are the next 3 blogger/artists who contributed to the Collaborative Sketchbook Project:

1. Dyan of Whimsy Being
2. Andrea Despot of The Lighthouse Keeper
3. Christine Utterberg of The Five Senses

Visit Part 1 and Part 2 if you have no idea what this is all about!

Happy Thoughts - Part 1

I've lost my dining room table in a pile of paper scraps, glue and bubble wrap, but I've finally finished putting together the Collaborative Sketchbook Project and sent it off to New York! I'm proud to say, it turned out beautifully and surprisingly cohesive.

As promised, each day this week I'll be showing you the work of 3 talented blogger/artists who sent me their sketches, paintings, collages, photos, and creative genius on paper, with the theme, Happy Thoughts:

1. Yee Von Chan of Yee Von's Illustrations
2. Amy Benson of No. 15
3. Leila Brewster of Olive Juice Photography

Book Clutches

We read Lolita for my book club, so this lovely little clutch has captured my heart.

However, I will probably never carry one, because Olympia Le-Tan only makes 16 of them per book design, with the first edition made by the designer herself. Natalie is one of the lucky few! :)


{Images via Wish Wish Wish by Olympia Le-Tan}

The Exquisite Book

Do you rememember the childhood game, where one person starts writing a story and passes it to the next person to continue it, and so on? The Exquisite Book was based off that exercise and was passed around between 100 contributing artists, illustrators and designers. How fun!

I love collaborative projects like this. Which by the way, our Collaborative Sketchbook Project is in its final phases. There are 16 talented blogger/artists who are participating and I'm starting to receive everyone's beautiful work. I can't wait to share the final book with you!


{Images via Daily Candy}

The Whole Story

Sometimes I long for the good old days of photography. Digital is incredible, but I've lost many memories due to hard drive crashes. And nothing can compare to a tangible book of photos in your hand, right?

Which is why I love Debra Folz's project, The Whole Story:

"Photographs today are stored and accessed digitally, and viewed one frame at a time. These photo albums are designed to fall off the shelf and land in your life, living amongst you the way the memories do, in between the spaces of everyday, yesterday, and tomorrow."

I couldn't put it better.


{Images via Swissmiss}

A Giant Library Bookshelf

Okay Kansas City readers, why haven't you told me about this crazy cool giant book spine mural on your public library parking garage? How fun is that!?


{Image via Amusing Planet}

A Book On Tasseology

I admit it, I had to look up the word Tasseology. It's the ancient art of tea leaf reading. I immediately thought of Harry Potter and his Hogwarts divination class taught by Professor Trelawney. Ah, I want to learn how to read tea leaves too!

Linna Xu has designed this very special book on the subject. I love the soft mug-shaped book cover, teacup cut-out, and tea bag bookmark. It includes a history, leaf reading instructions, a symbol guide, and a diary to record results. Isn't it beautiful?


{Images via Lushlee}