Mai Autumn

daydreaming - decorating

every once in a while, i get to thinking that this lil apartment of mine could use some new accents. decorating is one of those ongoing things that will never feel entirely complete, and i kind of like that about the whole process of designing a space - sort of little reminder that life itself is about constantly growing and changing as well. here are some goodies i've had my eye on lately....

((   hanging planter, throw pillow, succulents, overdyed rug, adorable bottle opener, diy tassel garland, iphone stand, cuckoo clock, flora print  ))

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as september comes to a close, i'm realizing time seems to be speeding up and slowing down at the same time. i came across an article that made me feel quite nostalgic, and i thought i'd pop in to share.

a short little article was posted over on zatista a few weeks ago about back to school art supplies. all the talk about crayons got me to remembering that my absolute favorite crayon was always cerulean. i loved it so much that i would use up the whole crayon before any of the others, (and i have to admit, i think i might have stolen a few replacement cerulean crayons in times of need!)

upon realizing this, it dawned on me that quite a bit of my work as an adult centers around shades of this exotic color! it's funny when you notice your favorites still ring true, even through all the chaos of growing up and entering "the real world".

so, in honor of remembering my favorite childhood hue, here are some lovely cerulean sights :)

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mai autumn in west elm!

pretty darn cool seeing one of my peacocks in the new west elm catalog! :)

decorating with vintage art

being in this new place, with all these empty walls, has inpsired me to expand on my (teeny tiny) art collection. i have my eye on some vintage paintings that i think would really add some character to this already quirky old house.

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my wish list could go on for days when it comes to artwork! i always love the salon style of hanging art all over the wall, (up to the ceiling and almost down to the floor!) from long ago times. i think i'm planning to execute some sort of gallery wall of this type in my living room, one of these days. for a really extensive history on this style of hanging art, go check out this article on apartment therapy: Hung: Salon-Style Display

so chic! :)

getting settled

i'm finally starting to feel a little settled in my new place! although there are still boxes taking over a rather large percentage of my space, it's certainly starting to feel like home. (it doesn't hurt that it's just about the darned cutest place i've ever lived!) here are some shots i've been snapping these days.

i adore the way the light hits certain spots throughout the day! after all the boxes of books and things have been sorted out, i'll be sure to post photos of it all decorated. i have the sweetest lanterns to hang all over, and lots of art from my favorite etsy artists to start putting up on these walls! in between unpacking, i've been tinkering around with some new paintings and jewelry, so hopefully i'll get around to posting those soon, too.

my plan is to tackle the garden in the front yard this weekend :) so glad i moved in here just in time for spring! :)

lovely bits from the interwebs

i've become somewhat like one of santa's elves overe here, what with packing all these orders and such, (thank you! to everyone who is shopping!) and in my in between time, i've been wandering around the internet finding pretty things like it's nobody's business. i guess this is kind of like a little wishlist, although some of these wishes are a bit unrealistic (ahem, a new living room and designer sofa..) here are some of my discoveries over the past few days...

 pretty gift packaging via pinterest

spanish wine glasses at spartan (via daily candy)

beautiful greens via conspicuous style

wall stencil via royal design stencils

earrings via seed and sky

wool sweater via andy ve eirn

original illustration via betsy walton

silk ikat clutch via eclu

 

ok, no more daydreaming about all these lovely goodies :) it's back to work for me!

frances palmer pottery

i've been attempting to avoid my computer all day, and it's not working :) but! i have come across something beautiful, so maybe my procrastination of getting down to any actual work has been worth something. frances palmer pottery has stopped me dead in my tracks this afternoon. there are just sooo many gorgeous pieces on this website and it's making me miss my time spent with clay while i was in college. check out these beautiful works of functional art...

aren't they stunning? all of the handmade pieces take my breath away! you can see more of this amazing designer's offerings over on her website.

now, i better try and pry myself away from this screen or i'm never going to get any work done today! toodooloo! :)

(all images via frances palmer pottery)

happy friday + the new 2012 calendar!

i can't believe how fast this week flew by! i *finally* got the chance to get the new 2012 calendar up for pre-order! it's here! calendars will start shipping on oct. 1st - so you can get yours before the rush. last year, i could hardly even keep my little birdie calendar in stock, so this time around, i have a larger quantity available through the holidays, but there is still a chance it could sell out if the season is anything like last year. check out the illustrations that are featured on each page...

it took me forever to decide which ones to include - i probably painted about 30 different flowers before i decided on these 12! each one is inspired by an antique floral motif taken from fabrics and wallpapers from all over the world, across several centuries - so, a little bit of history for you!

i am excited to report, that all of the other flowers are not going to be going to waste - just you wait and see what i have up my sleeve for some new lovelies coming in the future!

i hope you all have a fabulous weekend out there! asbury park is having their annual oyster festival, so i'm sure i'm going to be enjoying my share of seafood when i step out my door over the next few days :)

 

 

happy friday! sneak peek at new gifts

i've been super busy all week! between packing orders and getting some new goodies ready for gift giving time (yes, i am aware that it's only august!) i can't even believe it's already friday! above and below, there are little sneak peeks of some new paper goods i will soon have available - recipe cards featuring a sweet little watercolor flower, and the new 2012 calendar with hand painted flower illustrations on each page. the calendar (which i have been bursting with excitement about for the past few months!) was inspired by antique floral motifs found on fabrics, decorative art and wallpaper from all over the world.

before i decided to start my little biz, i was planning on going to graduate school to study the history of decorative arts. as i was creating this calendar, i realized that those interests still stick with me to this day, and i feel like it's still a thread that runs through most of my work, without me even realizing it! i just love the history of design, so to be able to study it and incorporate it into items that people are using today, is just the most exciting part about my job. :)

these new sweeties aren't available just yet, but if you would like to reserve either of them, you can pre-order them by emailing hello@maiautumn.com with your request. the recipe cards are $15 for a set of 12, and the calendar is $32, and comes hand bound with a lovely vintage velvet mint ribbon. (more pictures will be posted once they are up for sale on the shop site.)

i hope you all have a smashing weekend! see you next week :)

fall is creeping in

my mind keeps drifting to cooler breezes and the smell of crisp fall leaves. you know that time of year when you can sense the changes coming? here are some things that are grabbing my attention for a fresh fall season.

made by nanna

 

lorenzo durán via design milk

 

style me pretty

 

anthropologie

 

arrows design

 

bonnbonn

 

and did i mention that i want everything on this list? (of course, i have no patio to place that lovely orange chair on! but! a girl can dream :) ) sigh sigh

as the summer weeks drift by, i'm finding that it's getting difficult for me to focus on making new art. last week was another dud of a creative week. i'm hoping that i can find some time (and some inspiration) as august continues. we shall see.

hope the start of your week is going swimmingly! :)