So Much Glitter

In the process of cruising Etsy for some craft ideas, I came across these awesome items from Judy's Mosaic Supplies. I've always wanted to create mosaics, and these shiny (and cheap!) materials are especially tempting.  From left to right: Goldwater Silvercoat Stained Glass Tiles, Silver Metallic Coarse Sand Glitter, and Glass Gems in Electric Black

How can you not love something that shimmers in the light? I have quite an affinity for sparkling items, but rarely take the opportunity to work them into my wardrobe. Glittery clothing and accessories can be borderline over-the-top, but certain pieces in neutral metallic colors can make quite a statement when paired with more modest basics. I'd be proud to rock any of these beauties below..

Clockwise from top left:
Stone color wavy sequin blouse from Topshop  ($90)
Crushed glitter minaudiere by J. Crew  ($49.50)
Marc by Marc Jacobs faux bow glitter ring on Zappos ($54)
Black Silence & Noise sequin tee from Urban Outfitters ($48)
Sequin brooches by jeweler Joanna Campbell featured via Fingers
Black stingray cuff bracelet in luluka's Etsy store ($40)
ABS sequined shift dress at Saks Fifth Avenue ($360)
Sequin scarf in iron from Ann Taylor Loft ($29.50)
Christian Louboutin Fred Flat glitter in anthracite at Barney's ($595)
Glitter shimmer pot in silver by Sephora  ($8)
Silence & Noise sequin skirt from Urban Outfitters ($88)
Marni glitter flower necklace on Brown's
Nude glitter pump by Christian Louboutin at Bergdorf Goodman ($595)

Wise Owls

I absolutely adore this collection of owl figurines featured on abby try again (via here comes the sun).  I'm a sucker for anything with an owl on it.. not sure when or why this obsession came over me, but it's been quite a few years of owl lovin' with no end in sight.

Plenty of designers have shown their admiration for our wise feathered friend in their collections - just check out a few of the pieces below that are all on sale right now!  The gorgeous sweater is actually a DIY project from Needled that I could only ever dream of imitating. Amazing work!

Clockwise from top left:

People's Market owl shift dress on Moonspark (£51.99)

Crafty owl scoop neck from Urban Outfitters ($24)

MARC by Marc Jacobs owl pendant necklace at Neiman Marcus ($98)

Bronze owl belt from Highway Child ($158)

Steampunk owl ring by chinookhugs on Etsy ($21.99)

Brown owl handbag on Patina ($78)

Long brown owl print scarf from Pretty Raccoon on Etsy ($21)

Book club owl print Keds slip-ons ($77)

Samurai owl organic cotton tee by ironspider on Etsy ($23)

Owl crystal-embellished clutch by Judith Leiber on Net-a-porter ($3,800)

Cozy owl mittens by Brooklyn-based design company Butternut

Handmade owl sweater by Needled (pattern here for brave knitters)

Le French Dresser

I recently came across this piece by Wary Meyers , a husband and wife design team, on Apartment Therapy.  "Le French Dresser" was created by adding scroll-saw cut wooden letters to a salvaged dresser, drawing upon inspiration from Lou Dorfsman's Gastrotypographicalassemblage.  This awesome DIY project is currently featured in Wary Meyers' book, "Tossed and Found ," along with several other simple masterpieces created from items that others might disregard as trash.

My goal here was to create a space for this lovely piece of furniture to live in.  I decided to stick with the black and white theme and tie everything together with fun patterns, some more typography and a few nods to France. I adore the photo collage in the shot below,  especially since it evokes the alignment of compartments in a california job case - the basis for Lou Dorfsman's remarkable design.

Clockwise from top left:
Ung Drill black baroque-style frame from Ikea ($24.99)
Eiffel Tower votive candle holders at Sur la Table ($14.95)
Black and white bedroom photo via Decor Pad (to recreate the photo collage, try this set of 10 frames from Urban Outfitters )
Fleur de Lis pillow from Pillow Superstore ($42.99)
Versa black stripe pillow by Madeline Weinrib 
Loop leaf ottoman in laser-cut steel by meganauman on Etsy ($750)
Chalkboard sticker with printed frame from Paper Source  ($6.95)
15" black wood ampersand by DimeStoreVintage on Etsy ($19.99)
Removable wallpaper in "Damsel" by Tempaper ($74.95)
Nelson asterisk clock from Hive Modern ($300)
Three-drawer honeycomb print dresser by Paul Marra on 1stDibs 

Redddddd This!

Lisbeth Zwerger is my favorite illustrator. She. Is. Amazing. Please buy all her books so she never stops. One of my favorites is her Wizard of Oz. There's a full spread of the characters in a field of red poppies that is so beautiful and whimsical and strange. It makes me want to live in her books.



Clockwise from top left
Dress from Alberta Ferretti's Spring 2010 show
Embroidery from Neville Trickett's Flickr
Red Hunter Wellies from Shelba's Flickr
Old Red Hat letterpress pieces
Hoboken Pie Store
Thank You card from Pop + Shorty
Martha Stewart butterfly straw toppers
Living room from stylist/textile designer Marieke van Proosdij
RedruM photo frames
Ulrika May pillows

Houndstooth and Tweed Prints

My Vintage Vogue is an awesome website with a collection of images that chronicle fashions from the 1920's to 1960's.  I've always loved vintage fashion photography, and this site is a great resource for inspiration! The photo above titled "Race Track Fashions" by Nina Leen is from a 1958 issue of LIFE Magazine.  Check out the My Vintage Vogue blog  for more photos.

I'm totally digging the clothing in this picture. The mixed check, houndstooth and plaid prints are still in style- just check out the modern interpretations of this retro fad below!

Clockwise from top left:

Houndstooth ring from littlebrownbox on Etsy ($7)

Tweed check purse from Topshop ($36)

Alexander McQueen houndstooth check pencil dress on Net-a-porter ($1,845) 

Sequin t-shirt dress by French Connection via Figleaves ($270)

Houndstooth gloves from Michael Kors ($150)

Ashton Michael adjustable bowtie on 80's Purple ($88)

Buffalo check ruffle knit scarf by Arden B. ($19.50)

Moschino houndstooth heels via Shoewawa 

Gumdrop T-strap flats by oh DEER! on Endless ($53.70)

Plaid wool gauze dress from Lark & Wolf by Steven Alan on Urban Outfitters ($78)

Kimchi Blue vintage tweed dress from Urban Outfitters ($68)

Houndstooth ZJN satchel in winter white from Juicy Couture on Urban Minx ($450)

Houndstooth cardigan by Caroline Rose at Neiman Marcus ($395)

Origami Folds

I really loved the composition of this photo by Snorkiesnork on Flickr (via oh joy! ). Not sure what the image is from, but the colorful cranes are adorable and seem especially fitting for an outdoor party. I think it's the bright assortment of clothespins that really seals the deal-- regular wooden clothespins wouldn't make half the statement!

I've always loved origami. Cheap decorations, good for killing time in a meeting, and if you happen to get really good at it, you could always try your hand at recreating some of the gorgeous items below. The paper lamp shade and the earrings are my personal favorites, along with the sadly-still-just-a-concept paper crane tea bags. I'd absolutely love to make a quilt out of squares like the ones from Hanna Nyman and Marie Dreiman! Maybe when I retire..

Clockwise from top left: 

Folded "Propellerheads" paper tesselation from EricGjerde's photostream on Flickr 

DIY paper table lanterns by Design*Sponge (simple tutorial)

Origami print tumblers by soule on Etsy via Apartment Therapy 

Large white pendant shade by Claire Norcross for Habitat (£65.00)

Lucky wheel origami earrings in funnysky's Etsy store ($5, hundreds of other origami items!)

Structured origami skirt in purple from Topshop ($80)

Silver origami windmill necklace from Origami Bijou ($60)

Folded fabric for a Bogesunds Vaveri tradebooth by Hanna Nyman and Marie Dreiman 

Hand-folded origami dish from EndemicWorld ($145)

Paper crane origami teabag design by Natalia Ponomareva via Emily Chang 

Origami table design by Matthias Demacker for van Esch

Type Your Life

This photo is both hilarious, endearing, and cool from a featured nursery on Apartment Therapy. By the way, what is that bunny doing there?

Big, decorative letters seem to be a growing trend in interior design. You can get these letters everywhere now. The hardest part is really which letters to buy and what to spell. Suggestions anyone? Or should I just create an homage to this blog, M-I-S-M-A-T-C-H-E-R-I-E?


Clockwise from left:
Letter A light from Perch! Design
Personalized G napkins from Envelop
Letter D from Daily Dropcap
F pendant from Ariel Gordon
Initial ring from MAstyle
Typographic fashion E and A from TypeNeue
Letter P from Briar Press
Letter Lights Balls from Perch! Design
Letter B from Daily Dropcap
Laser Cut Scarfs from LittleFactory
Austin Press calling card from Snippet and Ink
NB from Wohnbedarf
Fail Harder Pushpin Board from W+K
Cut paper Q from Grayhood
Hand Lettering from Joel Holland

Fowl Friends

Even though the fall is creeping in and the mornings are freezing in my apartment, an (seemingly) invisible bird outside my window insists on waking me up instead of letting my usual alarm clock do its job. Don't birds migrate south in cold weather? What happened to this guy and why did he get left behind? Maybe I'll try to catch him and domesticate him. OR I'll just look at these lovely curiosities on boxes from Lyndie Dourthe! Amazing!


Clockwise from left
Rotulos Roura company owl in Barcelona via Whorange
Paper mobile from Sandra Juto
Owl Plushie from Night Owl Papergoods
Birdhouse dolls from Tamar Morgendorff
Owl painting from Andrew Holder
Owl Book End from Chatchada
Godzilla Grows Feathers matte print from Charmine Olivia's Etsy
WAWAYA owls from Gnip
Bird Sketches paper print from dolangeiman's Etsy
Owl candlesticks from Laura Walls Taylor's Etsy
Cardinal garden bell from The Gardener
Bird Mobile from Grayhood
Lacy Bird bowls from Prince Design UK's Etsy
Amma maternity stationary from Beastpieces
A Simple Bird from BROOKLYNrehab's Etsy

Catcher of the Dreams

Oh, dreamcatcher. A proud tradition of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) tribe, a symbol of Native American unity in the 60's and 70's, and a kitschy piece of south-western memorabilia today.  I remember having one as a child--it didn't fit with the style of my room, but it served its purpose by regularly ensuring a monster and demon-free slumber.

The image above is from A Print A Day, a neat blog and resource for downloading free graphics--from stationery and gift tags to embroidery templates and photoshop brushes. I love this modern interpretation of a dreamcatcher, with bright colors and an unexpected floral pattern where the web would usually appear.  The style reminded me of bohemian-meets-dance-hall-chic, translated below:

Clockwise from top left:

Beaded feather necklace by Urban Outfitters ($58)

Watercolor feathers V-neck tee from Urban Outfitters ($28)

Minnetonka calf high 3-in-one moccassin boot on Piperlime ($80)
Orange feather chain necklace by Charlotte Russe via Stylecaster

Single-sided pink feathered headband by Laura Kranitz on 80's Purple 

Pheonix striped cuff, part of Alex and Ani's Free Bird collection

Purple feathered headband from Nordstrom ($38)

Feather print gray top from Forever 21 ($19.80)

Beaded feather-trim black top from Forever 21 ($19.80)

Patterson J. Kincaid Greenwich feather tank at Bloomingdales ($88)

Enamel peacock feathered brooch in backintimejewelry's Etsy shop

Salvatore Ferragamo ostrich feather clutch via Polyvore
Chalcedony dreamcatcher necklace from Layla Grace ($37)

Blue and purple angel feather earrings from MountainManCreations on Etsy($10)

Animal-style

Not so very long ago, Twitter changed its default avatar from 'anonymous silhouette' to 'perky bird'. I am now a chipper little chick! It got me looking at my walls and jewelry box and realized I have a few of my own wildlife-inspired pieces of my own. Not only that, I been gravitating towards more things beastie in general.

Also, click here to follow Mismatchérie on Twitter!

Clockwise from top left:
Invisible Dogs from Improv Everywhere
Whale Pitcher from Jonathan Adler
Vintage Ram Pin from Purple Daisy Jewelry
Halloween bird masks from Whip Up
Vintage chair from Hazel & Hunter
Porcelain plate from Studio Violet
Autumn Bird barley candy from Fancy Flours
Bulldog print from The Little Friends of Printmaking
Emily Anderson's home and whale pillow on DesignSponge
Autumn Bird barley candy from Fancy Flours
Owls from Matt Pugh Design
Hedgehog cupcake from Martha Stewart
Ark textile pattern from Rilla
Elephant Bank from Cross Design
Modern Wilderness Rhinos from A+R Store
Gold deco Snake bangle from Luxury Vintage
Enchanted forest rings from Soop
Mini Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder from Too Faced

I'm A Fool For Gold

I'm like a raccoon, I like shiny things. No, wait, I covet shiny things.

Case in point: I found this old Wonder Woman photo and I could NOT stop looking at her accessories (I might also have Halloween costumes on the mind!). Look at that eagle on her chest! Very glamorous and badass at the same time.

They say when you wear metallics, you ought to offset them with neutral colors so you don't look like you're headed to Studio 54, when you're actually headed to your office. Since my gold itch is hampered by such stringent regulations, I went ALL OUT with this inspiration board!



Clockwise from top left.

Suki candle holder from Crate and Barrel
Large Gold Paper Bowl from Upintheairsomewhere's Etsy
DIY safety pin embellishments from Style Copycat
24K gold necklace from Laura Lombardi's Etsy
Gold Pyramid Stud jacket from Knightcat
Gold Dress photographed by Magnus Magnusson
Kitchen Zakka bottle opener from Billet
Lavazza Grandi Auguri Packaging from ARC
Piet Indoor Stove from MocoLoco
Dolce and Gabbana's GOLD restaurant
Rough Herkimer Solitare Ring from Onestonenewyork's Etsy
Backseam Sheer Hose from Free People
House of Harlow Sunburst Ring from Outblush
Antique gold clock brooch from Amazon
Chanel Gold Fiction nail polish from Outblush

Button Bonanza

Well, I'll have to admit, this is an  extremely literal interpretation of the above photo from Chris Glass, but I couldn't help myself! Buttons are cool.

I hardly ever bother incorporating buttons into my crafts, but it's clear that I should! All of the ideas below would be simple to recreate with your own personal touch. I especially love the button hair pins: bobby pin + button + hot glue = super cute! You really can't argue with such a cheap and quick way to jazz up your everyday accessories. 

Check out the links for tutorials and more button-centric inspiration!

Clockwise from top left:

Vintage button earrings from edithandlulu's Etsy shop ($12)

Handmade crochet headband with button accents from brokenhallelujah's Etsy shop ($10.50)

Button Hairclips photo from Flickr, DIY tutorial on Martha Stewart's site

Candy buttons tutorial with cute printable labels for gift-giving, Bake It Pretty blog

How-to: Colorful button bouquet from American Crafts Studio

1940's Vintage necklace with French China button from Bumbershoot Design's Etsy shop ($23.50)

Herringbone stripe button purse from Nonsuch's Etsy Shop 

DIY tutorial for personalized shrinky dink graphic buttons at Oh! I like That!

Letterpress stationery with scissor and button pattern from Letterpress's Etsy shop ($4.00)

Making a button clock article from Martha Stewart

Plus, check out this book of neat button crafts by Susan Beal (Amazon)! Oh the possibilities..