DONALD DRAWBERTSON

My idol. With his successful career aside (Creative Dev at Bobbi Brown & original founder of MAC) he has captured the hearts of runway and art enthusiasts alike through his whimsical & playful freehand artwork.

Each doodle is a friendly reminder that there is always time for creative breaks from our busy schedules. His doodles are on anything, doodled at any given time, and doodled about what ever comes to mind- but mostly runway.

They are infectious- they show you don't have to be a Renaissance master to be an artist, and that art comes in several forms. 

This style in particular being impromptu, cheery and effortlessly chic.

PARTY AT THE YACHT CLUB

Having eloped in Phuket, Thailand in November of 2013, the Stevens planned for a celebration exactly 6 months later, in their home town surrounded by loved ones. St. Francis Yacht Club was the perfect place for the May celebration, with pleasant temperatures on the Marina with the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset as a backdrop. Not wanting to compete with the prevalent "nautical" theme throughout the club, I happily embraced it.

Inspiration: classic navy + white with a punch of pink

Cocktail tables with striped runners over navy linens

 Creating the Welcome Board-I wrapped sturdy bookboards with gorgeous paper (gold stripes on cream and navy linen) as the background for the Steven's breathtaking ceremony photo in Phuket.

 Special touches- Having fun with the nautical theme, I created a customized life preserver photo prop for the photo booth.

 Rounding up the flowers- best co-pilots ever!

 Floral prep work at the club- It's messy and tedious work, but I find it therapeutic.

I used large footed trophy vases, perfect for a loose and "billowing" look

 Centerpieces consisted of ranunculas, freesia, roses and peonies of all stages of bloom.

The happy couple

Post event round up- club members were gawking over the leftovers, which I offered up for grabs. It was relieving knowing they all ended up in happy homes as opposed to being thrown out right away.

ALL ABOUT AUSTIN

Another memorable trip to Austin on the books. This trip was different than past trips, in that there were no plans, no agendas, no sight-seeing. I was an honorary Austinite for the week, roaming and exploring South Congress by foot during the day and wining and dining the hotspots at night with my true Austinite sisters. I admire the playful design of coffee shops, bars and restaurants, the overgrown foliage in front yards, the "anything goes" lifestyle- so organic and effortlessly cool.

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~ Joseph Chilton

Afternoon michelada @ Hotel San Jose

Self-guided walking tour through Travis Heights

 Downtime @ Hotel St Cecilia

 Wake & walk to Jo's Coffee

SIGHTED :: GRANADA TILE

Walking past Mosto // Tacolicious in the Mission, I couldnt help but notice my favorite "Estrella" by Granada Tile used inside. Granada's patterns are always so fun, color selection always so playful. Check out their "Echo" collection here

WEST COAST CRAFT :: SF

 Sunday was a perfect day to stroll over to Fort Mason for West Coast Craft. The weather was pleasant, the location was walkable distance and I had just finished up a latte date with a good, fellow artsy friend. Unlike the Renegade craft fair, West Coast Craft is more curated and requires an application process for all prospective designers, artists & craftspeople.

 

quilt by ria leigh

The turnout was exceptional; there were thousands packed into the pavilion on the show's last day. Some designers weren't prepared for the masses, expecting far less foot traffic. Needless to say, they were very happy about not having enough on-hand inventory. Some I recognized from One Kings Lane Artisanal events, others from the Renegade Craft Fair this past summer, but everyone was in good spirits and just excited to have a presence at the show.

 jewelry goods by jen lorang (oakland)

chair by pacific wonderland (los angeles)

 bowls and light by leaf and light (oakland)

 lamps by caravan pacific (portland, oregon)

 custom bags by alite (san francisco)

 chair by eric trine (portland, oregon)

candles by wendy polish (los angeles)

 ceramic necklaces by jessica niello (san francisco)

 large format culinary prints by jennifer kindell (san francisco)

letterpress maps by archie's press (portland, oregon)

hand cut 3 dimensional wood sculpture by sean newport (san francisco)

cast-concrete, brass boxes & brass wall mounted objects by alice tacheny design (san francisco)

PICKS :: COLORWARE

In a recent flip-through of a color-bursting J.Crew catalog, I was surprised by it's feature of colorware.com - a place to customize your gadgets with over 50 hues to choose from. 

PLACES :: TEXILE TREASURE TROVE

The Lotus Collection in San Francisco is a long-standing secret treasure trove for designers and textile enthusiasts.  Tucked away in the historic Jackson Square, a district famed for distinguished art and antique dealers, The Lotus Collection is a source of antique European, Asian, and Ethnic textiles.

I've had the pleasure to learn a thing or two about the world of antique textiles this summer from Kathleen Taylor and her exclusive collection. It's been quite the journey discovering an endless assortment of textile designs from all over the world through the centuries. In my treasure hunts through her vast inventory I fell in love with so many. 

F02-1488 c. 1925 French printed silk (Bianchini Ferier, Raoul Dufy?) blue on white, "Indienne."

F08-1789 c. 1925 French Art Deco silk brocade with gold metallic, blue and pale blue silk thread woven in a dynamic wave design inspired by textiles from China and Japan.

F06-1704BA Pillow made from c. 1750 French coral colored silk ground with gold metallic brocade in a stylized floral and lace pattern.

The reasons I'm drawn to a particular textile always amuses me. It may be just the right color, or texture, or combination. Or, a specific textile brings me good feelings or brings back a fond memory.  And maybe it's the excitement of seeing something so elaborately crafted and one-of-a-kind.

F03-1570 18th century Italian striped chine silk with white and fuchsia chine (ikat) and chevron patterned in green, yellow, and white stripes.

I94-2067 D, E One of three pillows made from 17th century Italian silk flame stitch, top border.

12-8176 18th century French silk brocade with a tobacco colored ground brocaded with peach, yellow, metallic gold, and white flowers and leaves.

I love that antique textiles have a lasting property as their purpose can be redefined over time. A special textile can be used on a pillow for comfort and later framed as a keepsake. The possibilities are endless.

ME11-6231 Late 19th or early 20th century from Punjab, India silk floss embroidery on red cotton called a phulkari (shawl), embroidered in white large & gold diamond design outlined in green. Large gold colored embroidered borders at top and bottom.

C09-4328 Early 20th century wedding quilt cover Zhuang people, Guangxi Prov., south China, made of cotton and silk brocaded in a geometric pattern in brown and blue. Composed of three widths.

C12-4366 Early to mid 20th century 2 panel wedding bed cover made by Miao or Buyi people, Guizhou Province, southern China, with weft faced compound weave and supplementary weft weave in yellow tan and brown colors

  

A09-7112 An unusual early 20th century Kuba (Dem. Rep. of Congo) velvet made from rafia with checkerboard diamond shapes, diamond shapes half dark and diamond shapes with dark square centers.

Established in 1988, Kathleen Taylor-The Lotus Collection is the leading source for decorative textiles in the United States and has exhibited at the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show since 1989. Kathleen studied art history at Mills College and continues her education through her involvement with The Antiques Dealers Association of California (ADAC), Art and Antiques Dealers League of America, and the Jackson Square Art & Antiques Dealers Association.

A11-7132 A mid 20th century Nigerian, 'Yoruba Aso Oke Cloth' Sanyan wild silk and cotton with eyelets, gold metallic stripes with surface warp strings.

A08-7107 A mid 20th century Nigerian, 'Yoruba Aso Oke Cloth' Sanyan wild silk and cotton with yellow alaari stripes, eyelets and weft stringing.

Kathleen's passion for textiles leads her to travel to all corners of the world for continued discoveries. Upon returns, her findings are a always a source of inspiration and knowledge on the fascinating world of textiles.  The inspiration I've obtained from Kathleen's collection has already made impressions on my soul that will last a lifetime.

C11-4347 Early 20th century wedding bedcover woven by the Dong people, Guizhou, south China. Weft patterned brocade weave in blue and white.


ME12-6239 19th century N.W. Persia white cotton cover (jajim) with pale indigo colored stripes with alternating bands of solid blue, zig zag blue, and solid white. Use of cotton is unusual for a jajim which is usually made with silk or wool.