NO FRILLS FAIRY TALE

MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS
MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS
MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS
MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS
MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS
MINIMAL FAIRY TALE POSTERS


Looks like I am in a minimal mood this week. But these subtle, pithy posters by Christian Jackson to represent traditional fairy tales were just too good to pass up. See more here, buy your own here.


p.s. Doesn't the Alice in Wonderland poster remind you of these?



THE WEDDING FILES: VINTAGE STAMP SOURCES

CHERRY BLOSSOMS STAMP

I came across this wonderful website, called Beyond the Perf, yesterday that previews all the upcoming year's stamp designs. I instantly fell in love with this new design design to celebrate the centennial of Washington DC's cherry blossoms. It was created by artist Paul Rogers and (this is the best part) it will be a forever stamp! Thank goodness, finally a forever stamp that isn't completely boring!

(N.B. The image above shows two of the stamps together . . . each individual stamp will only be half this image)


This got me thinking about the stamps that I want to use on my wedding save the dates and invitations. I always had it in my head that I wanted to do something special—partially as an homage to my grandfather who was an avid philatelist and partially because it is an easy way to make a big visual impact. I thought about designing my own stamp through a site like Stamps.com or Zazzle but I just didn't feel like they had enough personality for my liking. So this morning I went on the hunt for some reasonably priced (uncanceled) vintage stamps to use instead.


US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS US MINT SHEETS
US MINT SHEETS


Needless to say, I had great success! There are many stores that sell some lovely sets of vintage stamps, especially if you are willing to shell out a bit more money than normal postage.

If you are looking for only enough stamps to cover 5-10 envelopes I would recommend Etsy shops like Treasure Fox, Verde Studio, or Precious Owl. But if, like me, you are looking for an economical source of stamps to cover 100+ envelopes, I would point you in the direction of larger sellers like Kenmore Stamp Company or Champion Stamp that have slightly difficult to navigate websites but good deals. If you are looking for a site that is a little easier on the eyes you can try The Paper Nickel Stamp Co.

With that said, I had by far the best luck with US Mint Sheets, which sells full stamp sheets (like all those you see above) for very reasonable prices. For example all of the sheets I purchased above have between 18 and 50 stamps on them and cost between $5 and $15 per sheet, with free shipping on orders over $50. Not bad, right? You can even search by key word (say 'love' or 'Massachusetts') to narrow down their selection.

Now the only problem is trying to keep myself from buying out the whole website . . .


p.s. There is an good article on 100 Layer Cake that walks you through the whole vintage stamp process (and, admittedly, sent me in the right direction for most of the stores I mention above). The best part about the article is that it tells you how to get your post office to hand cancel the envelopes—in order to avoid those big barcodes the scanning machines at USPS add on these days.


p.p.s. If you still want to add a little something extra, Martha Stewart Weddings points out that you can actually work with a postmaster to have your invites mailed from (and thereby canceled in) towns with appropriately amorous names. Going this route your postage will seem to be sent from towns like Bliss, NY, Loving, TX or Romance, AR. Just remember to add your return address on the back (so that any erroneous envelopes don't get sent across the country by accident)!


THE MINIMAL TIMEPIECE

I was reading an article in the NYTimes a couple weeks ago about how the cellphone generation (read: me) is rediscovering the wristwatch. Really? Did it ever go out of style? Call me old-fashioned, but I have never stopped wearing my watch and feel kind of naked without it. If you are in the same boat (or are newly returning to the fold) here are some super cool minimal options I have rounded up . . .




MINIMAL WATCHESMINIMAL WATCHES




MINIMAL WATCHES




MINIMAL WATCHESMINIMAL WATCHES

(left) Wherever Dual Time Watch, spotted on Minimalissimo, unknown price
(right) Braun Analog Watch, Vetted, $150



MINIMAL WATCHESMINIMAL WATCHES

(left) Gravity, ZIIIRO, 110 Euro
(right) Moonwatch, spotted on Minimalissimo, not yet in production



MINIMAL WATCHES




MINIMAL WATCHES MINIMAL WATCHES

(right) Reveal Watch, MoMA Store, $100




Q & A: QUILTS & AWESOMENESS

Despite the steamy weather here over the last week, I have been endlessly daydreaming about quilts. Sounds crazy, right? Well, if you take a look at these beauties I have gathered I think you will see where I am coming from. These aren't your grandmother's quilts! The trend now is bold, modern patterns in bright welcoming colors. Doesn't it make you want to grab and sewing machine and dig in? (Or just take a nap, haha).


QUILT INSPIRATION
QUILT INSPIRATION

Baby quilts made by Hi + Low
(The bottom was made by sewing four map-printed handkerchiefs together, brilliant!)



QUILT INSPIRATION

Zig zag (not chevron!) quilt made by honeybear lane



QUILT INSPIRATION

Pdf quilt pattern written by FrozenKnickers



QUILT INSPIRATION

My personal favorite: quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew (pattern sold here, apparently good for beginners!)



QUILT INSPIRATION

Pixel pusher quilt made by splityarn



Untitled QUILT INSPIRATION

(left) Leaf quilt sold by 'of indian origin' for £72
(right) Quilt made by 'i'm a ginger monkey'



QUILT INSPIRATION

Baby quilt made by inch mark



QUILT INSPIRATION

Quilt in 'nap nook' shared by Hooray (design & lifestyle)



RAP REPRISAL



Remember when Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake did a 'history of rap' medley? Well they went at it again to bring you the 'history of rap part two' this week and, I have to admit, I am swooning just as much as the first time. These guys are just too adorable together. Can you imagine how funny they must be just hanging out together?


Hope you get up to something just as fun as this over the weekend!


VIDEO PLAYLIST



So sweet and dear, even if it is advertising fast food. May or may not have made me cry and want to hold my hubby-to-be and never let go. May or may not even be making me tear up just writing about it. Found here.




Street art and technology come together to make something amazing! Found here.




And now for something completely different: includes profanity, but dang, if the concept isn't hilarious. Found here.




If, somehow, those managed to fail to make you smile, this new video from Improv Everywhere—the Bryant Park Stakes—will surely change that. Found here.



WEEKEND UPDATE: GUILFORD CRAFT EXPO

Yesterday I promised I would give you another update on my weekend adventures—here it is! Last weekend, before my trip to Brimfield, my Mom and I made another yearly pilgrimage to the Guilford Craft Expo. The craft expo is a big artisan/craft fair full of wonderful vendors who sell everything from handmade rocking chairs to diamond jewelry. I love going every year to meet new sellers and catch up with old ones, not to mention buy gifts for family and friends. This year I snagged a beautiful handmade cutting board (from The Shade Tree LLC, a workshop that runs entirely on solar power!) to give as a wedding present. Still, there were lots of other things that tempted me. Here are my favorites:

DANA*DAVID JEWELRY
DANA*DAVID JEWELRY
DANA*DAVID JEWELRY

The gorgeous jewelry made by Dana*David really belongs in the Savings & Loans category. I tried on the bottom two pieces—the ring tempted me as a wedding band, the necklace just because the moonstone was so stunning—and had serious difficulty taking them off. If they weren't both in the $1400 range, I might have taken one home . . . alas. Perhaps for a really special occasion?


TANNER GLASS
TANNER GLASS
TANNER GLASS

The goodies over at Tanner Glass always end up in my shopping bag on the way home (not to mention the owner/artist is super nice). Last year I bought one of the key hooks you see above, this year I went home with a beautiful map-based paper weight. Although looking through the Tanner Glass Etsy shop, I wish I had seen some of the exquisite handblown multi-colored ornaments! I would love to hang one in my window and watch it shine . . .


HAPPY ART STUDIO
HAPPY ART STUDIO

Tami Rodrig at Happy Art Studio always has the prettiest, freshest designs. My mom bought a necklace in one of the circular patterns last year and she says she gets compliments on it every time she wears it. More lovely pieces here.


JAMES GUGGINA CERAMICS
JAMES GUGGINA CERAMICS

James Guggina has long made beautiful, highly colored ceramic works like these. But it's not until I saw these new more subtle bowls with simple lines that I became truly smitten. Check them out here.



WEEKEND UPDATE: BRIMFIELD

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BRIMFIELD 2011


My apologies for the short radio silence here at the obsessive imagist—I had a weekend full of adventures that had me going non-stop from Thursday to Monday. I spent two days hanging out with my Mom, including wandering around the annual Brimfield Antique show* (see last year's post here) and snapping up lots of goodies. Some of my favorite purchases were: letterpress type to use in crafting my wedding invites, vintage metal lockers, a full set of blue pyrex mixing bowls, and several vintage Ball jars to store my growing collections. Still, as you can see above, lots of other things (high end and low, silly and sophisticated) caught my eye. Hope you like the them, too!

Learn more about the Brimfield show here. And get excited for another weekend update post (with links to new drool-worthy shops) tomorrow!




*As some of you may know, a month ago a freak tornado touched down in northern Massachusetts, wreaking havoc and devastation in many small towns, including Brimfield. The amount of support amidst the heart-wrenching damage (countless trees simply uprooted and tossed aside, homes destroyed and several lives lost) i witnessed in Brimfield was inspirational. If you are interested in donating to the relief effort, please go here and here.