baby animal portraits

these have been all over my google reader but they're too darn cute not to post. i swear i'm going to buy one of each of the prints in this series of portraits of baby animals by sharon montrose.

(also check out her husband's etsy shop, chalk chalk, where he makes chalk drawings of human-powered transportation. i might have to get a couple of those, too.)

ryan marshall photography

i loved the maternity series that photographer ryan marshall did of his wife's pregnancy. he's doing another series on his blog, pacing the panic room, called the walk to 40 weeks. i'm really enjoying how these ladies deal with the whole you-have-to-wear-a-tent-when-your-pregnant issue with some really great pieces (including the stellar embroidered mini dress above!)

calling all sheep

sheep made from rotary phones by jean-luc cornec’s from the museum of telecommunication in frankfurt.

(found here)

when grown men cry

this weekend i'll be cleaning out the dozens of bookmarked pages and posting all the interesting things i've been collecting for the last 6 months. first up is this series of 13 portraits of famous actors crying by sam taylor-wood. i picked my favorite actors, steve buscemi, sean penn, dustin hoffman and robin williams. it's up to you to determine if the tears are real or not. i like to think that they are.

flying geese quilt and other quilt inspiration

due to flickr photo restrictions, i can't post the pictures of this incredible flying geese quilt from the tokyo international quilt festival. i am particularly partial to the flying geese pattern (i think i've made three quilts in this pattern) and i love how the quilter used color and shape to make the quilt into a landscape.

it makes me want to start a new quilt. right after i begin my ellsworth kelly quilt inspired by his 1951 painting Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance II.

before and after

call her crazy, but marisa's goal is to take one thrift store purchase a day (costing no more than $1) and turn it into something wearable. new dress a day is where she chronicles her 151 (and counting) new creations. some of the dresses she starts with are truly in the so-ugly-i-could-puke category but marisa seems to be unafraid to cut it up, sew it back together and take it out on the town. there's no way i could do it, but i certainly admire a girl who will spend no more than $365 dollars this year on an entirely new wardrobe.

bethany obrecht photography

photography by bethany obrecht. wonderful.

summer wardrobe inspiration, continued

i'm not a girl who goes for short-shorts but i'm really enjoying these looks from nadinoo's new spring/summer collection. the 1940's details are adorable! i think i'm going to have to make some peter-pan collared summer blouses to wear with my summer skirts (yet to be made).

summer wardrobe wish list

i'm going to be taking some wardrobe inspiration from the spring/summer 2010 line by allison wonderland. it's got everything i like about summer clothes--high-waisted a-line skirts, cotton fabric, big pockets, and adorable cap-sleeve tie-front blouses. i've been disappointed by my local jo-ann fabrics selection of summer-weight cottons so i'm going to have to search extra hard (and perhaps pay a little more) for the fabrics i really want.

kathy mellor

if i had anything resembling a proper dining room (right now it's an ikea desk in the kitchen) or a wedding to plan, i would be putting these linens by kathy mellor on my list. i love the whimsy of silverware wearing historical neck ruffs!

(found via design*sponge)

missing you

dear blog,

please don't think that i've forgotten about you. in fact, i've been filling my notebook for weeks with things i've found that i want to share with you. it's just that i'm working on a big musical and we start dress rehearsal tomorrow which means that i've been too frantic to post this week. next week i'll try to post once a day. cross my heart.

your friend forever,
anna

pap-pap's house

i spent last weekend at my pap-pap's house doing some spring cleaning and snapped these pictures of the basement. as a child i was always scared to go down there. pap-pap's dimly lit tool room was a terrifying place for a small child with a big imagination.

bits of my weekend

inspired by kate from for me, for you (who has been taking pictures of her weekends every weekend for over a year), i thought i'd do a photo spread of my weekend. my sister was either working or visiting her boyfriend this weekend so i had lots of time to work on my projects; i tried out vogue pattern #8241 in some very bright fabric from jo-ann's. i think it'll work really well as a long summer dress in some less crazy fabric. i also began working on a charm quilt for a silent auction this summer (i ran out of kona cotton or the top would be done). i also made pot roast, chex mix and peanut butter fudge on sunday afternoon. and, of course, penny found some interesting places to nap.

ever wonder what i do?

this is an amazing video about the costume shop at the new york city ballet. from start to finish, it shows the process of recreating a tired set of tutus. though i work as a draper for theatrical costumes, the process is much the same. i've also had the pleasure of working with marc happel, the director of costumes for the nyc ballet, several years ago at glimmerglass opera. i also think i saw my friend polly in the background a couple of times.