There are so many amazing artists and designers I’ve come across this year, I have no idea how to narrow it down to a few of my favorites, but here goes. From awesome, one-of-a-kind 24 hour t-shirt designs to adorable, quirky  robots and birds, to unforgettable photographs and original paintings, my art + design fave list for 2009 includes. . .

My Invisible Friends

Branch Homemade

Lauren Shelley Strom

The Poppy Tree

RIPT Apparel

Silhouettes of ANY KIND!!

Sara-Jayne Photography

I could absolutely, most definitely go on and on with more lovely artists and their inspiring creations, but for now I’ll stop. But I do reserve the right to come back at you later today with more! Until then. . .

And of course,  please feel free to visit the above talents and see what they’ve been up to!

Two words for you. . . fable and fury. The self-described wayward adornment designed by Seattle based Fable & Fury is positively lovely and right on point in my opinion. No waywardness about it.

Each design is uniquely modern and still Victorian at the same time. The silhouettes are enviable, and I love the whimsical animals, peculiar characters, and the fanciful vignettes. Between the owl, octopus girl, the sweet tooth, and the kitty cat girl, I can’t decide which one to put on my wish list to Santa! Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend just might need to reconsider. . .

The floating feather holiday ornaments by Jayson Home & Garden definitely caught my eye. Their airy, gentle style is so pretty not only hanging from a Christmas tree, but I’m imagining these feathery gems in my home all year round. But you better act fast, these elegant ornaments are selling out fast!

I liked the idea so much, I tried re-creating it with my own lil’ twist. I used a bit of Bollywood flare with a gold, red and deep purple ribbon, and a purple feather with a teeny tiny sprinkle of gold glitter inside. And I have to say, I think they turned out just as pretty as Jayson’s, but with a tad more spice. Jai ho!

While browsing the Shiny Squirrel, an amazing place for emerging and one-of-a-kind artists, I happened upon the sweet and simple little prints by Blanca Gomez. Her characters with bright orange accents and rosy cheeks remind me of some of my favorite childhood storybooks. And how can you not love that?!

Trish Grantham’s original painting “Milk Mustaches” makes me smile, simple as that. The cute and clever little milks with lovable ’staches are an instant hit in my book. . . I think it would look smashing on any wall in any home, but it would look especially cracking on MY dining room wall. Thanks to HJ for sending it my way!

Grantham’s “Love Letter” piece is just as sweet, and charming. I mean, who wouldn’t want a love letter from that endearing lil’ guy with his lovely cap?!

On this chilly first of December morning, I thought a warm fuzzy would be a nice addition to the day. And thanks to Tollipop’s wonderful little girls and their oh so cute furry friends, it wasn’t too difficult of a task.

These tiny gals love to read, knit and make music in their darling caps and scarves, and I adore the imagination and creativity that just spills out from their sweet faces. Check out more of Tollipop here and see what’s behind the magic on Tollipop’s blog here!

Have a Gobblin’ Good Thanksgiving!!

Mustaches have been quite the trend around here. And over at Moody Pet they’re definitely on top of trends when it comes to their fetching toys. Just look at their mustache ball for your dog?! Your four legged friends love to fetch and well, you love to laugh. . . and voila, a perfect combo for a fetching and fun filled day. It comes with a warning though –only for dogs with a sense of humor. (And enough style to pull off the handlebar ’stache too!)

I don’t know what it is about these two, but Audrey and Oliver are too sweet for words. Combined with my love for photo booth pictures, I couldn’t resist sharing this photo today. Check out Little Big Pants (a Minnesota designer, woot woot!) on Etsy for more of Audrey and Oliver. The actual dolls are just as darling as the photos of them! I mean, that bow tie with his sprouts of hair? It’s just too cute. . . too cute. . .

This stylin’ salt and pep set by Jonathan Adler will not only add a bit of elegant panache to your table setting this holiday season, it will get people talking instead of dozing off after that delicious turkey you slaved over (or tofurkey for your veggies out there).

The handmade, porcelain matte set is simple and cute, and might I say that handlebar mustache is quite the awesome accent to the tablescape! And for some reason I’m imagining he says “Chip chip cheerio!” every time you tip him upside down to shake out the pepper. Ha. . . if only.

Perhaps this is the definition of nerdy, but ever since I saw a vintage card catalog turned coffee table I’ve wanted one too. Badly. And perhaps you’re asking, if I saw one, why didn’t I buy it then? Well my friend, after drooling over the beautiful piece and the beautiful price, my eye caught a glimpse of a bright red sticker that said SOLD on the corner. I could’ve cried. And then I suddenly became a jealous weirdo of the person that got their dirty mits on it before moi. I can only hope they love it as much as I would have. See what I mean? Nerd alert.

So why even mention it, if I can’t even show you what it was? I don’t know. . . but I guess I’m hoping by talking about it and showing you photos of other similar card catalog inspired items, one will suddenly manifest itself on my front step. Ha. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world to live in?!

Beautiful card catalog table seen on Apartment Therapy

Grace of Poetic Home’s card catalog bookshelf

Science inspired card catalog by Lori Kendall

Pretty card catalog on wheels seen on Four Beds Two Baths

Crafty card catalog seen on One Good Bumble Bee

Wine catalog seen on Apartment Therapy (apparently these quaint little drawers hold a bottle of vino nicely!)

Let my card catalog quest begin again! So many ideas. . . so little time! Oh, and please, if you see something super card catalogy cool, let me and the rest of the nerds know!!

The original art and illustrations by the Little Fox of Brighton, England are enchanting and serene; perfect accents for any home or office where creative vibes are afoot. How can you not fall in love with each girl’s delightful expression and wide eyes? It’s as if they all have a lovely or amusing tale to tell, or an alluring secret they’ll never give up.

The fairytale spirit and charming style is evident in all of the Little Fox’s creations, from the plush dolls to the adorable book plates, to the pins and even coloring books offered on the Little Fox’s site on Etsy. Be sure to stop by, as sale offers are often available! Also be sure to stop by the Little Fox Blog to see all the inspiration behind these endearing creations.

Book Plates $12

“Odd Encounter” print $12

“Winter Belle” print $16

Plush Toys $45 – $55

“Pastel Belles” pin pack $8

“She Leaves in Autumn” original painting $75

“He’s With Me” original painting $75

(All images, designs, and illustrations property of the Little Fox)

I’m not gonna lie. Monday was a little more hectic than usual. . . like five days smashed into one, and yet today is still only Tuesday. But such is life! And I’m happy after crazy days like that, the chances of stumbling upon something lighthearted and fun over at Sparkle Paws is very, very good.

So to turn my frazzled frown upside down, I took a gander at the delightful, all original illustrations by San Diego based designer Leslie Thompson. I love her greeting cards and pocket mirrors, because each little creature is so sweet! The next best thing would be finding one of these cute guys in my mailbox, so I can pin it on my wall at work and always remember I’m the bees knees. Mmm hmm, that’s right.

Stockholm designs by Hommin are a gift from above. Now, I realize that sounds a bit dramatic, but there’s no better way to explain the sheer brilliance and artistic style behind their home interior products. Not only are they handsome to look at, their functionality is amazing. . . amazingly simple too. Which by my standards is a breath of fresh air in our overly technical, busy lives. Less is more! Just see for yourselves below.

Bird Page Marker

Clip Trashcan

Sketch Lamp

Necklace & Clothes

We all know the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new. . . “, but my opinion is that newer isn’t always better. Take the “new” Strawberry Shortcake. Compared to the original (see photo below), she’s a tad too sleek and pretty much a carbon copy of every other doll out there now. What happened to her unique lil’ ringlets, freckles and sassy apron?

And Rainbow Brite? Don’t even get me started. She is just so not what I loved when I was little anymore. She’s trying way too hard to be glam and sexy. . . she should be more concerned about keeping tabs on all the colors of the world in Rainbow Land!

* Also want to note that I do realize this is not life or death, nor breaking news here, but I just had to vent. . . will get back to more pressing matters, like awesome jewelry and music very shortly!