Scrap Metal~Part Two: Alphabet Frame

Whilst visiting San Francisco in January (yes, I've been meaning to post about this for 9 months now....) we stumbled upon the most amazing antique store called Aria. It really isn't your typical antique store, I feel silly even calling it that. It was more like you found a trap door to a 18th century European attic and all the owners belongings were perfectly curated in piles of interesting knick-knacks and oddities. I was is hog-heaven!
There were skeleton keys, mini globes, vintage millinery, weathered letters written in French with a quill, bocce ball sets, and even a miniature roulette wheel. My favorite find was an entire alphabet set of brass printer's stencils. They each had the most magnificent patina of corroded old ink and were still in usable condition.
After mulling around what I would do with said alphabet, I decided to make a mirror after being inspired by this. The trickiest part was finding the right size hanging mirror so all the letters would fit perfectly. Once I did, I slapped them on with a little glue and voila! A fabulous DIY vintage mirror! It's so snazzy!

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Scrap Metal~Part One: Lamp Terrarium

I'm a huge fan of the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. They have a rotating inventory of junk turned treasure. I usually stop by every few weeks and peruse the scene. I've been really into old brass light fixtures and have a growing collection, but haven't figured what to do with them until now. Watch this hanging brass lamp turn into the most adorable succulent terrarium right before your eyes.Disclaimer: the hardest part about this project was ripping out the existing bulb fixture. But with a little elbow grease and some pliers, that puppy popped right off. It also left a convenient drainage hole right at the bottom. It also really helped that the side of the lamp has a handy hinged "trap-door" so I could reach my mits into the space.

Boom. Super easy and super cute. All you have to do is give everybody a little spritzy-spray every few days and they are happy as clams.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

treasure hunt

my search for a rustic bath cabinet took a while.

a. i'm picky

b. the little half bath that it's for is very small, and

c. it had to be the right price point

then lo-and-behold, this lovely little periwinkle lady popped up on craigslist. it was labeled $50, and when i called it was still available. success!

since it has glass windows, it's fully functional and display-worthy. i found a decorative ceramic tile at habitat-for-humanity restore, an origami crane gifted by my talented sculptor friend joe spear, and matching periwinkle retro milk-glass containers at a consignment shop.

the little bathroom has been transformed! and i finally have somewhere to store all the essentials.

Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

Take is way back

I love these renditions of old school electronics. The best part is that they are made completely out of paper! Back to Basics is created by a French graphic design duo, Zim & Zou. Check out the stop action video, here! It's wonderfully meticulous and will blow your mind!
-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

bye-bye ziplocks, hello lunchskins

Packing a lunch and snacking is much more fun with these reusable, velcro-sealed bags. I love the bright, bold patterns of lunchskins. They can go in the dishwasher too.

Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

les oiseaux

i.

i discovered that the reason a female canyon towhee had been giving me the stink-eye whenever i sat on the new, plush cushions of my back porch to enjoy my morning-time was a fresh nest she'd built inside of the wall sconce just above my head. i suddenly thought of all the times i'd flicked the light on at night, and hoped the mini-towhees weren't over-heating.

ii.

i started thinking about birds differently the summer of 2006, when i was working at shidoni bronze foundry in the village of tesuque, new mexico. a baby bird flew into the big room where i was working, and after hours of trying to coax it out, it remained. the next morning i arrived early, and found it on the ground just outside of the studio doors, flat on it's back.

it was one of the most beautiful things i've seen.

i pulled out some clay, and sculpted it on the spot. now it's cast in bronze and aluminum.

i continued to sketch, etch and sculpt bird-like figures, wondering why i had such a sudden attraction.

iii.

i asked my mama-in-law to read my animal "totem" during one of her visits, using the medicine cards, which are based on a collected knowledge and symbolism of the animal kingdom. "each person has nine power or totem animals that...emulate each person's abilities, talents, and challenges." of the nine cards that i pulled for my complete "totem", four were birds:

crow= keeper of sacred law

raven= bringer of magic

eagle= ability to live in the realm of spirit

blue heron= self-reflection

-Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

On TV!

My styling session of the Inn and Spa at Loretto finally aired last weekend on the Travel Channel. I don't have a TV so I am lucky enough to watch it over and over again on You Tube!



My grubby hands made WAY too many appearances...see if you can guess the number of cameos! I was really happy that they showed the great styling of the spa, it turned out so dreamy and glow-y!


The segments really didn't do justice to the ballroom styling, so here is a lovely picture by our pro: Babak of Insight Foto.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Quick Glimpse

This weekend I was asked to design and style a video shoot for the Travel Channel that was taking place at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, a lovely destination wedding venue in Santa Fe. Thrilled with the opportunity, I had the chance to art direct the entire event, spotlighting the wedding resources that the venue offers. Here are just a few sneak peek phone pics from the day.

To mirror the elegant Southwest vibe the Loretto offers, I centered the design around a unique and beautiful color palette. I chose colors like coral and peach paired with gray/greens. I accented the tabletop with metallic coppers and golds. The flowers provided by Marisa Peluso popped beautifully off of the linens!
I even designed the look for the lovely couple's ensemble. I had a blast attending a fitting at the elegant bridal atelier, Laura Sheppherd. There we chose a dress to coordinate with our theme, as well as a beautiful veil and jewelry.

Part of the shoot centered on the wedding cocktail hour where we showcased delectable appetizers and a Prickly Pear martini with a gold leaf rim. Yum!

I was super stoked to take part in such a fun shoot. All of the folks were great to work with and I am excited to see the final product. It should be airing some time in June....I'll keep you posted!

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

garden magic

each morning i wait for the coffee to brew, put on my slippers, open the kitchen door, and tiptoe through the yard observing what has opened. i now understand why my grandmothers have spent so many hours digging in the dirt, laboring over their landscaping. the rewards are breathtaking.
it's only may, and the yard is already smiling.
so am i.

the middle, right image shows my new foxgloves. by far the most durable, fitting, and foxy gardening gloves i've ever owned. the style is called "works." indeed they do!
i also discovered a new plant yesterday called "sea lavender" (top left and right images). these babies sprout mini-white flowers out of the purple ones, and can handle a full day of sun. i combined them with some punchy coral geraniums.

happy digging!

-Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

How to be a Knife Ninja

Until now, all our knives were kept in a sliding drawer...the "Danger Drawer" as the mister referred to it. Yes, it was definitely a hazard sifting around there for the perfect tool, but I love knives and have, uh, a few.

We decided we need a knife rack but after a bit of internet surfing we realized that no one manufactures a double sided, magnetic knife rack. They are all magnetic on one side and meant to be mounted to a wood surface. Our only surface was an open fridge side, as we don't have any cupboards.

Shucks.

Then we realized that with a little elbow grease we could mount two to each other and create the ultimate MAGNETIC Magnetic Knife Rack.

We found a simple and inexpensive version from IKEA and purchased two. {I do love IKEA, click here if you want one too.}
It comes with a heavy duty magnetic casing and a strip that is to be mounted to a wall (the one with holes). Once the strip is mounted you can just place the magnetic casing over it. Instead of screwing the mounts to a wall, we screwed them together. (Right)
Then, we dropped the magnetic casing on each side. *Beware if you value your fingers at all, because those puppies SNAP shut and I nearly lost a fingernail, holy molars!
Then, boom, you're ready to magnify to the fridge and display all your pretty sharpies!

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Beauty Overload

All images via BHLDN

Sometimes I just gape in awe at my computer screen.

Today, I couldn't stop staring....and wishing I had a hoard of gold coins hidden under my bed.

BHLDN (pronounced Beholden) is a heirloom quality bridal line developed by the masterminds behind Anthropologie. Today, they launched a line of wedding décor. Be still my heart. The styling of each image is enough to make you gasp. I am in love! Click here to see it ALL!

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

I'm a total sucker.

For these.


Macarons from The Grove in Albuquerque. I sampled the Raspberry and Lavender Lemon. To. Die. For.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Spring afternoon

My first Climbing Eden rose and I send happy, Spring cleaning wishes and a golden afternoon to all!

-Susan Webb, Los Angeles, CA

Morning Pause

So much going on. So many projects, ideas, and things I want to get done. Taking a minute to stare at the beautiful Ranunculus posies on my dining table and take a deep breath. A good practice these days.

Wishing you all a beautiful week.
-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Nothin' to it, but to do it.

We are participating in a bloggers day of silence on Friday, March 18 to support the relief efforts in Japan. Pass the word, help how you can and send healing thoughts their way. Click here to donate.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Floral Feature!

I'm proud to announce that some of my floral creations were featured on Style Me Pretty today. I worked with a lovely bride and groom to design punchy and unusual florals. We used Succulents, Dahlias, Rannunculus, Crespedia, and Kermit Pomps. Click here for the full article.

Amazing photography provided by Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens. Invite shown above designed by the bride's brother, Christian DeCastro.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

I've always wondered and now I know...

...how to make ruffled cake frosting via My Sweet and Saucy.

image via My Sweet and Saucy

Click here for the video tutorial, snap!
-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Valentine's Beach Picnic!

Nothing is sweeter than a stroll on the beach and sharing a beautiful picnic in the sand with the one you love. Add some champagne, amazing pastries, plush pillows and some romantic details and you have yourself a chic and fun Valentine’s picnic brunch with your Honey!

I had a fabulous time teaming up with lovely and talented photographer Maggie Marsek, and here is what we created together! We could not have asked for a more gorgeous day on the beach....

You can emboss fruit!!!

We wanted to portray a fresh, cool, SoCal vibe with lots of loving details. The cliffs, warm sand and gorgeous water provide the always ahhhh-mazing backdrop, so that meant keep the details simple but add a punch of pinks, crystal and white.

-Erin Donoghue, San Diego, CA