sTaCkS of fun!

So….as always….jewelry crazy….cant get enough stack rings….i just got these great stack rings by a designer named marcia moran…and i had actually bought some stack rings by her a couple years ago…

whats so special about her stack rings is that they are usually a mix of plated gold, silver and rose gold, and each band is think and elegant with a unique texture…

here is some of her work….

my latest purchase (from wink on spring st-nyc)some more of marcia moran’s stack rings…they are great to mix and match with other rings, which i often do:

Some other fun stack rings thats i picked up at anthropologie….

gleamandglimmer stack rings $48

sun chip stack rings $44.00

stack on….

Stoked on STACKing

i recently came across a new jewelry designer, the name of the label is DEKA RAY and the creator is Eugenie Huang.

Eugenie/Deka Ray’s work is an interesting mix of organic and technical forms, her architecture background clearly prevails in her work. her peices are edgy, unique and subtle-forward in design…from what i have seen she works mainly with metals…

i first came across some of her work on refinery29.com and INSTANTLY went gaga for these stack rings!!

I also must add that i had the privilege of meeting Eugenie in person as she was nice enough to let me purchase the rings from her directly….

heart of GOLD….

I was recently at my local soho bookstore, McNally…a wonderful place to dip into for a coffee, and of course to flip through books!

i came across a jewlery design book, cant remember the name for the life of me! but the book portrayed some upcoming designers from around the world…one of them being Solange Azagury-Partridge, a london based designer with some verrrrrry interesting and contemporary work…

the piece that i found myself most attracted to was her ‘heart of gold’…..literally

its eye catching, simple, ultra cool, and most importantly, anatomically correct….

LUmInArY tAbLe lAMPs

a listing of some of interesting table lamps…

in the past year i seem to have come across some truly fascinating table lamps…who would have thought! there was a time when table lamps to me were matching lamp shades and cushions….how wrong i was…

well, here are some that i have come across that are not your average table lamp

Garland Table Lamp-tord boontje

i came across this lamp at my local fort greene home design store YU and literally walked out with the lamp they were using as a display!! what i like so much about this lamp is the delicate gold garland of leaves, flowers are all tangled together…when lit in a dark room, the reflections it creates is an added delight…also the lamp has 3 shades of lighting, low, medium and bright…simple tap the base of the lamp to turn it on to your desired lighting

mathmos-air switch motion lamp

i came across this particular lamp at the ever so cool design store/gallery Spring in Dumbo…

the Mathmos lamp is turned on and off by motion…and can be brightened or dimmed simply by raising or lowering your hand over the lamp….i must admit, its not a very powerful lamp, and i use it almost a candle…to create a barely lit ambiance…i had originally bought the silver lamp (shown below)…my boyfriend accidentally broke the lamp one afternoon, felt so guilty he bought me a new one!

Eclipse lamp-mauricio klabin

The eclipse lamp is another great lamp….best suited to be placed on the floor…what i love about this lamp is the interaction you can have with it! you can shape it to be as dim or as light as you want, it reminds me more of a cocoon than an eclipse The lamp is designed by Mauricio Klabin, and can be purchased at DWR among other places (like MOMA)

Miss K-Phillipe Starck for flos

I have always loved this table lamp…although its not as interactive as the others, its sleek and sexy…and its size is perfect for a small night stand (although i dont know how well it illuminates a bed side)…’When the light is switched on, the outer shade takes on a transparent appearance and the subtle glow of the inner curved diffuser shines through’. This table lamps comes in several colors, which makes easy to fit with any color combination/decor.

Bourgie Lamp-ferruccio laviani for kartell

So i ALWAYS thought that this was a phillipe starck design! oh….how wrong i was! but i think that this lamp fits so perfectly with starck’s ghost chairs, that they felt like two peas in a pod…what i love the most about this particular lamp is the use of entirely transparent plastic to recreate a baroque style…simply brilliant! the top of the lamp has this pleated plastic which gives its a crystal chandelier type lighting. This lamp also comes in various colors.

SHAKE IT-upbaby

a few of my favorite shakers

a few months ago i had a class project at FIT-let me say this….it is SO fun  and invigorating taking these not for credit classes because you have no obligation to stress out…no grades….but it can lead to slacking…which is what happened to me in regards to my class project…i was supposed to find a niche trend and present it…my infatuation at the time was s&p shakers….i had this great little idea for the project, to have  a photo shoot of s&p shakers on beautiful mounds of salt and pepper….anyways, the furthest i got was finding the s&p shakers and deciding against out of fear that i wouldn’t be able to return them and be stuck with sets of s&p shakers!

so to make a long store short….i personally think they make great housewarming gifts because they come in so many personalities these days….a perfect way to compliment a friend’s abode…

shaker #1-hug s&p shaker by alberto mantilla

This is the perfect s&pshaker to give to a couple that has just shacked up together…a very popular item at moma design store around the holidays… and i think a gift that can be seen as a compliment when given to the right pair of loverbirds…and these little guys are so popular that i even came across a street vendor in soho who replicated this little guys in an array of colors!

shaker #2- polka ms & ms s&p by eno

i found this pair of s&p shakers on the web and tried to purchase them (unsuccessfully). the sole intent was simply  to experience the joy of shaking these maracas over my food….i think i would probably make a mess, but come on…. how fun do these look!!!!?? and they are the perfect combo of playful yet refined…and and and they are pretty inexpensive, under $20….

shaker #3-georg jensen s&p shakers

these mushroom shaped black and white s&p shakers screamGeorg jensen designs….sleek, modern, and clean sexy curves…perfect for the a home where design comes in subtle and tasteful doses…

 

shaker #4-rif & raf s&p shakers by pepe & friends

this colorful pair of s&p shakers really caught me off guard when i stumbled upon them on the net…love that their little horns/antennas are the dispensers, and the mix of ‘cute&wacky’ is just right….enough to make you smile when seasoning your food!

ps. pepe and friends also has an adorable pair of cream & sugar containers called….you won’t believe it….the name is just as cute as the items! ’sugar daddy & coco” again…..love the dispensers

shaker #5-town and country s&p shakers by eva zeisel

these s&pshakers are NOT for sale, but rather part of the moma collection….what blows my mind is how ahead of her time eva zeisel was! what a visionary….also just confirms my opinion that no thought or idea has been original for a verrrrrrrrry long time….its all been done….thought of….but i guess you can always try to make things better or your own…anyways, i also stumbled upon this when doing research for the FIT project which lead me to delve into eva zeisels history….truly an amazing woman….and again, her ceramic designs were so unique, the forms futuristic and to think she was a teacher at pratt, right here in my backyard…

 

 

luster & sparkle…

Here goes the first of many lists to come……first list…..JEWELRY…. the luster and the sparkle that brings a twinkle to my eyes…..

i honestly believe that even the love of something is transcended through genetics….and without a doubt i am my mother’s daughter….its all crystal clear through my infatuation with jewelry.

its funny, because there was a time when i couldn’t stand gold….wouldn’t wear it, wouldn’t appreciate it, not a single second look…..

after a brief stint in greece last summer, i realized just how far back this craft goes having been surrounded by byzantine art and influence.

Jane Diaz-

designer from park slope bkyln

This designer work is near and dear to my heart for one main reason…her 4 stone ring is the first ring given to me some years ago by my boyfriend….although i had never shown him the ring, he knew that i would make my weekly rounds to CLOTH (my fav neighborhood clothing/accessories store owned by Zoe van de Wiele) anyhow…surprise surprise….i received the ring for my birthday, after months of dreaming of it. i later purchased the matching earrings……followed by more rings by her…

4 stone ring

stack rings

Yayoi Forest-

Yayoi Forest is another new york based designer although she is originally from Japan. i was orginally drawn to her peices because of the skull design…i seem to have a thing for the ‘good old skull and bones’…i stumbled upon her earrings…and was immediately drawn to them….the combination of the skull and dove, was a perfect match…and the raw carved effect is what i value the most about these earrings….with a touch of grace-the diamond embedded into the piece. i eventually stumbled upon the skull and bones necklace at cloth and got it as well!

Whats also great about new york based designers is that if anything ever happens they are reachable…i bend the stems of both earrings and was able to contact yayoi, who was kind enough to fix them for me!

the earrings

the necklace

Also, i really fancy the following items by yayoi forest…shows you more of her style

Emily & Ashley-

This is a pair of new york based girls who design 14k gold pendants/necklaces. I really love the emily and ashley necklaces because they are so simple, just a gold disc with an etching in it. the one i personally have is the skull and bones….and whats great is that the size of the disc is just right, and the etching is really simple. this is definitely considered more main stream and can be found in department stores…which takes some pleasure out of buying it for me…its usually a hunt to find something unique and off the beaten path…

the necklace

they did a whole series of zodiac signs, and will also do custom engravings….my other favorite necklace of their’s is the linked elephants..

Camille Hempel-

Yet, another brooklyn based designer that i recently discovered and instantly fell in love with her work…most of her work is done in rose gold…which i love! She designs a great collection of rings, my favorites being: Signet, Finger, Deco Button, Mouse and her bridal section is amazing….unique, simple,small stones, interesting twists for what would be wedding rings….

Signet ring…..

(want it so bad!)

some rings from her bridal section i especially love…

Steven Alan-

i never even knew Steven Alan carried jewelry in their stores until i found myself admiring someone’s earrings. The earrings by Garnish can be described as teeny tiny gold disc studs & staple like bars…they were unassuming and barely noticeable, but i found them to stand out to me and, especially the way this girl was wearing them (both the disc and the bar on one ear)

the bars…

the dots…

first time for everything…..

okay, so this ‘blog’ thing is all very new to me….i think it is making me finally realize how technically un-savvy i really am…for those who know me….im sure you are thinking “you are JUST coming to this realization lea!!??!” well, yes, yes i am!

anyways….so the idea of starting a blog is a result of an ever swelling ‘wish list’ of bits and peices i come across and say to myself….i totally want this! but 2 weeks later may have completely forgotten what it was i found, or how to find it again….so i am going to compile the notebooks, online bookmarks, forwards, random post cards, or store business cards, magazine clippings….the whole works and try to compile them all into this ‘blog’

 

so really, its my own personal reference…but would be neet to share with y’all, and i am sure i’ll only scoop up more cool things from people who do happen to read this…

 

so, goal is, by this weekend to have my Jewelery wish list…

 

ready, set, here i go’s!