botanical paperworks 2008 seed calendar

create beauty instead of trash every month with this plantable seed desk calendar. seeds are cleverly embedded into the pages of the calendar. when the month changes, simply plant the previous month’s 5″ x 5″ page in a thin layer of soil, place in a sunny spot and watch it germinate! soon you will have coreopsis, clarkia, poppies and other traditional summer wildflowers. the handmade paper is made from recycled bond, renewable abaca and cotton remnants and is acid-free. it comes in a reuseable tin and is whimsically illustrated by canadian artist kal barteski.

this is a great way to do a good deed for the earth, and a fun way to teach a child about plants, recycling and being eco-friendly!

purchase the calendar and other items in the collection from botanical paperworks. it’s also available at the olive barn.

via rare bird finds

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crazy for tord boontje

beautiful, beautiful things from dutch-born, french-based industrial design wonder tord boontje: the die cut, hand loomed little field of flowers rug for nani marquina, and the vinyl wall decal (actually seven individual panels).

$4000 and $7000, respectively. but oh so fabulous.

purchase the rug at design within reach, and the wallcovering at velocity.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

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heather knight & element clay studio

look here at these striking organic porcelain pieces by north carolina artist heather knight. heather is inspired by the beauty found in nature and seeks to represents its complexity in her work. these pieces are coated with a fine white slip that ensures purity of color and matte finish.

i love her natural themes and smoothness of the porcelain juxtaposed with the jagged and rough shells of the critters and elements she reproduces in her work. i also love the idea of those 9″ square white pieces on a richly painted wall. it would make for a beautiful contrast. actually the more i look at all these pieces the more insane i become.

find beautiful things for sale at her etsy shop, and at her element studio and gallery in asheville. oh! and other happenings on her blog.

via sarerinthal

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mike finley photography

i am wild about pretty much anything pam zsori arranges and shows us on her housemartin blog, but i love it especially when she uses nigella, or love-in-a-mist. this is a gorgeous annual summer flower, with delicate fernlike foliage. it starts out as a stripey balloon shaped pod that gives way to a lovely round ruffled flower, and ultimately becomes a very unusual horned seed pod, self-sowing its own seeds.

this leads me to present to you these botanical works from uk fine art photographer mike finley. mike is inspired by plants and chooses to shoot them in monochrome to emphasize their unique forms.

mike is also the resident photographer at the lower moss wood wildlife hospital and nature reserve in cheshire, and has crafted a special collection from his work there.

view mike’s gorgeous portfolio and purchase his pieces on his website, and also at the efikim gallery. fyi, mike donates a portion of every sale from the lower moss wood collection to the hospital, so go forward and feel good about buying!

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the promise of hope

nature’s everyday miracles, sown by a bird.

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true blue

autumnal light and shadows spark vivid roadside thoughts.

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whimsical felt flower pendant light

wouldn’t it be lovely to look up at daisies first thing in the morning everyday? this simple hanging lamp is from forward german (via south africa) designer mary ann williams, and it’s made of 100% felted wool.

more about mary ann and purchasing details here.

via cribcandy

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a stylish load of whites (round up)

i was admiring my deep, dark, tropical tan in the mirror today and decided to get rid of everything in my closet and wear white exclusively.

well, not really. but i do think a few items for the house wouldn’t hurt:

this cool porcelain trivet from charles & marie looks just like the necklace that wilma flintstone used to wear, and can be twisted to form a figure 8 or a double circle, to accommodate a variety of pots and plates.

i love these plaster cupcakes from small stump. they are currently sold out of them on their etsy shop, but check out their other supercute things!

these decadent bouquets from flowerbud feature tons of fresh, gorgeous stems. buy two and send one to a friend!

make a powerful statement with bestow, this resin wall piece, cast from the own hand of modernist designer harry allen. find it at elsewares.

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