ammo

I've always appreciated an artists ability to capture the beauty of mass-produced and seemingly ordinary objects. After all, it is an artists keen ability to observe the world around them in unique ways that allows them to create profound work of their own. Sabine Pearlman takes this to a new level with her cross-section photographs of ammunition. As described by Pearlman, "the cross-sections reveal a hidden complexity and beauty of form, which stands in vast contrast to the destructive purpose of the object. It's a representation of the evil and the beautiful, a reflection of the human condition." So beautiful.

half-circle backpack

half-circle backpack in cubic, olive, & busy floral

There are countless jewels at Kate Spade Saturday, but the piece I'm drawn to most is the Half-Circle Backpack. It's cute in every pattern, playful yet classy, and has just enough of a retro feel to make it a long-lasting piece. I'm just not sure how to pick a pattern. Did I mention it converts into a cross-body?

half-circle backpack in small squares

the only diamond i'd want

I wear a pair of diamond earrings daily because they were my grandmothers, but aside from that I've never been a big fan of diamonds. I think Stefanie Sheehan's simple and beautiful take on the concept of a diamond ring is the perfect substitute.

gold diamond shape ring

the perfect spring shoe

As I look outside at the snow falling, I can't help but dream about warmer weather... and these perfect shoes. I've already planned so many outfits to wear them with, even though I haven't bought them yet.

splendid nickerie natural

lj lindhurst's squirtguns

LJ Lindhurst is really killing it with these photorealistic paintings of water guns (no pun intended). As is natural with photorealism, she has replicated these toys with unreal detail. Check out her website for more paintings of what she calls "often-overlooked detritus of our popular culture."

how-to: put a bow on it

For the past year or so, the only new shoes I've bought are black flats. I basically have two different pairs, one I leave at work and one at home. So when I saw these glittery flats and remembered seeing a really cute redesign of them and thought to myself... why not? Turns out that not only are they super cheap, they're also really comfortable! Head over to Stars for Streetlights for the full how-to and keep reading for my abbreviated version.

supplies: 

pair of shoes

scarf you don't mind cutting up 

scissors

hot glue gun 

minor sewing skills

When it comes to cutting the strips of scarf, you just want to make sure it's wide enough to sew into a tube and flip inside out. So when you cut the strips, the finished bow will be about half as wide as the strips you cut. My bow is not quite as voluptuous as the original DIY pair, but it's totally up to you. The scarf I was using had a border around it and that was the section that I wanted to use. Since I will mainly ware these to work, I wanted them to have clean lines. I'd definitely like to make a more colorful pair with a larger bow for next summer.

After you cut your strips of scarf and sew them into tubes, turn them inside out so the seams do not show. If your tubes are really skinny you can do this by using a safety pin to guide your way back through the middle of the tube. Then it's as simple as tying a bow and hot gluing the bow to the top of your shoe! Then a dab of hot glue under each arch of the bow to keep it in place, and a stripe of it on the edges to glue down the end pieces. This is slightly different than how Stacie did it, but again, it's totally up to you. I love how it makes the bow seem like it wraps around the entire shoe. The final step? Prepare yourself for compliments.

nectarine & blueberry pie

When it finally decided to cool down in Michigan I was really excited to turn my oven on again. When you don't have air conditioning and it's close to a hundred degrees outside, you eat a lot of cold food and take a lot of cold showers. Anyway, since I hadn't baked in quite a while, I decided to go all out and make a pie. I have to admit that I'd never made a pie crust from scratch before this, but I was extremely pleased with how it turned out. And the combination of nectarines and blueberries was absolutely delicious. I didn't follow a recipe for the filling, but you can see all the details below.

Crust Recipe via Simply Recipes 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again. Note that too much water will make the crust tough.

Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape the dough mixture into two disks. Work the dough just enough to form the disks, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

Pie Filling Recipe:

3 1/2 pounds Nectarines, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup Blueberries

3/4 cup Sugar

3 tablespoons Quick-Cooking Tapioca

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

Toss all of the ingredients together and let sit for 15 minutes. After rolling out one disk of the pie dough and placing it in a pie pan, fill the crust will the filling. Roll out the second disk and place over top, crimping the top and bottom crust together at the edges. Lightly brush a beaten egg over the top of the crust and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Cut a couple decorative slits in the top to allow for venting. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool when the top is golden brown. 

corydon cowansage

Maybe my fascination with geometric patterns is just too strong, but I'm really loving these oil paintings by Corydon Cowansage. The extreme close ups and use of cropping create really beautiful patterns out of everyday objects that we're quick to ignore. Who knew shingles or siding could look so fascinating. They almost make me want to move to the suburbs so I can have that white picket fence. Almost.

striped flicker scout

striped flicker scout

There are probably only so many Kate Spade bags that I need to own, but the second this one goes on sale, I will be purchasing it.

gavin hammond's london

image courtesy of magnum photos

Henri Cartier-Bresson's 1932 image of a jumping man's reflection in a puddle has always been a favorite of mine. The symmetries created by the reflection along with the jumping figure on the poster in the background create a beautifully composed image that seems so spur of the moment that it's hard to believe it was caught.

So when I saw the London in Puddles series by Gavin Hammond I was excited to see some similar uses of symmetry and the alluring portrayal of a dreary London.

I particularly enjoy the dark silhouettes against the geometric patterns created by the sidewalk stones. It's almost as if you're looking at an old daguerreotype photograph and the world just couldn't stand still long enough for the photograph to be taken. It's a very dream-like way to look at the world where you can't quite make out the details but the overall feeling of the environment is more important anyway.

For more information on Henri Cartier-Bresson, check out Artsy. Artsy's mission is to make art accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

oxford circus in a puddle

regent street in a puddle

it's all go on oxford street - captured in a puddle