roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

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Archive for December, 2007

tooting and thanking and wishing – in that order

gather round kids, i’m going to tell you a story now. it’s only been about six months, but as blondie says i am always touched by your presence, dear: nearly 150,000 lovely people from all around the globe have flitted and flown and swooped and graced and reflected and laughed and ultimately created the fabric of this little blog, this little creative endeavor of mine that is so precious to me. and you have no idea how profoundly meaningful that is. well, now you do. in the short time that i have been powering up my own creativity, and hunting and pecking around the interweb for noteworthy art, craft and design to showcase, i was awarded a rockin’ girl blogger award from christina of paris romance, a bloggers with integrity award from john of the homeless family blog, and also learned from reuben miller that i am in the top 200 design blogs ranked by alexa, which is a popular website ranking service. thanks to christina for being so encouraging, to john for such an incredible honor and to reuben and yael for taking the time to compile the data for all of us on this list. i was a girl scout and i love badges!

looking back on this space as the calendar days have flipped away leaves me filled with a tremendous amount of contentment and joy – but not just because of these accolades. it’s also due to you fabulous folks who are out there: lurking, reading, reflecting, expressing yourselves here. whether you have revealed yourselves through the comments in these posts, or have preferred to observe from the edges, i want you to know that i feel your positive energy! and i try to reflect it outwardly, with each tidbit i put up in here. i want to honor you by sparking your curiosity, engaging your sense of humor and creating a eclectic, adventurous place where you can soar and reach and wander into the corners of your mind, even if you only have a minute of time to do it. this isn’t brain surgery by any means, but it is a vehicle to make lots and lots of people happy – especially me!

i would like to wish each and every one of you a most happy, healthy, inspiring, colorful, humorous and meaningful new year. i just know 2008 is going to be terrific!

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kyley hellhake photography

omg what a riot! look at these photobooth strips of barnyard animals and other friendly looking beasts from pennsylvania artist kyley hellhake. she sells them in sets of four and you have the choice of mixing and matching any four strips you like.

how absolutely hilarious and charming! seeing that it’s hard enough to wrangle people together for a photo, i cannot imagine the patience kelly must have had to take photos of all these guys. hats off to her creativity and sense of humor.

find these wonderful photos on her etsy shop, check out her frame shop and gallery, see the beautiful paintings made by minnow, her chincoteague pony (yes like misty and stormy and yes the horse painted them!) and see the rest of her portfolio here (whew!).

via bb-blog

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das design nightstand

this nightstand from san francisco daniel schultz for his das designs is perfect. just perfect. it is made from continuous boards of black walnut wood which wrap around the entire piece, keeping the grain consistent on all sides. excess hardware is unnecessary thanks to the gently curving edges, which serve as a way to open each dovetailed maple drawer. the clean design is finished with an inset top.

daniel has a degree from the school of architecture at rensselaer polytechnic institute. the details of his training are revealed in his precise details, uncluttered designs and thoughtful craftsmanship – the themeline through his entire collection.

see the das website for more beautiful furniture.

via padstyle

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jeff benroth glass

these limited edition, substantial blown glass pieces from berkeley’s jeff benroth glass studio are simply stunning.

custom projects and commissions are also available.

see more beauty on jeff’s website.

via cribcandy

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dew bathtub by balance

i’ve never had the experience of a bathing experience in stone, but i’m willing to learn in this gorgeous blue stone bathtub from dutch bath company balance. do i need to go on and on about the luxurious simplicity, the robust materials or the superior urbane organic style? i think not.

and i dig that el touch floor mount faucet too – coming in february!

see their website for dealer inquiries and more.

via trendir

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susan dwyer art and clay

these pieces that local artist susan dwyer had at the renegade craft fair earlier this month really got the old hamster wheel in my mind wobbling. her bulge series, which is about control and excess, contrasts nicely with the more svelte cylindrical forms of her silo vessels and water towers. and there is something about the intention behind each piece that makes her minimal color palette of grey and fleshy peach seem fresh to me.

when i saw those vases in the first two photos in person, i thought they were made of clay. they actually were papier mache. it makes me think about the lines we desire to straddle: between rural and urban, delicate and strong, neutral and lively. all very interesting places for the mind to wander…

purchase susan’s pieces on her etsy shop and see her website for more info too!

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val̩rie parizeault Рwitty workshop art

the very lively colors and light, whimsical tone of these fun prints from montreal artist valérie parizeault are calling me like the sirens right now.

i don’t know about you, but i find the themes of innocent childhood dreams so appealing, especially in the winter. i jump into a temperate, quiet, happy place in my mind when i look at these pieces.

bonus: a buy one print and get one free sale! impossible to resist i tell you!

see the full selection of prints here . the sale ends january 27th!

also be sure to see multi-talented valerie’s personal blog, business tip blog and jewelry shop too. she writes in both english and french, which is helping me to brush up on my languages in such a lovely way!

via kiddlins

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naxos ceramic room divider

this may be a very site specific thing, but nevertheless a cool thing. behold the ceramic wall from high end italian tile company naxos! to me it is more of a gigantic sculpture than a wall, but it will help to define your spaces and create vertical interest. choices include square, ring and shape (more like a sharp square) patterns, silver or gold frame structure and a limited but luscious color palette which includes a burnt orange and a dusty plum.

i love the mid-century rounded geo shapes, and the fact that it is handcrafted clay just makes me want to run my hands all over it.

via trendir

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