May 31, 2011

entra magazine

imagine my delight when i discovered yet another online mag yesterday, courtesy of the zhush. entra comes to us from a team of former architectural digest staffers, and is full of delight from front to back. i surprised myself a little with some of the spaces i fell for. either my taste is changing, or i'm becoming more open-minded. case in point, the well-collected home of designer thomas allardyce.




photography by mary e. nichols for entra magazine

beautiful, no?

how about the jaw-dropping patio of a st. croix home designed by twila wilson?




photography by dan forer for entra magazine

convinced yet?
i also fell hard for this french stunner.




photography by mireille roobaert for entra magazine

really, i'm just ruining it for you. you might go take a peek for yourself . . .

type tuesday || scripted seat

so in love with this chair by cargo collective. designed in 2009 for dwr's competition celebrating brazilian architect paulo mendes da rocha's 1957 design, this chair was the big winner, warranting an exhibit complete with corresponding storefront signage, posters and promotional campaign.




 see more about the project at cargo collective

May 30, 2011

style is personal

this glamorous and eclectic space has been on my mind since i came across it a few weeks ago. i am in love with the ridiculous combination of styles and eras, the casual and sophisticated feel of the space, the unexpected pops of color (those dining room chairs!) . . . i've been told on more than one occasion that my sense of taste is -- and i quote -- interesting, and this is certainly no departure from that.





images via nuevo estilo

love. it.

the i am project :: loved

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

 The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

May 28, 2011

bringing it back || joplin relief prints

if you follow BIA on twitter or facebook, you might already know that i am thrilled and honored to be mentioned by two of my long-time favorite blogs, decor8 and table tonic. welcome, new readers, and many thanks to these ladies. because holly of decor8's post featured one of our japan prints, i have received several comments and emails about the offer. while we intended for sales to end may 1st, my heart says that if people are asking to give to those in need, who am i to say no???

so the girls and i will reinstate print sales! however, this time around, we would like for the proceeds to benefit a cause quite a bit closer to home. many of you have probably heard about the tornado that rocked the town of joplin, missouri earlier this week. if not, a sampling of the devastation for you:







absolutely heartbreaking.

if you would like to contribute to the cause (and score some inexpensive art!), we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. details below:




prints are 5"x7"
we are selling one print for $12, two for $18, or all three for $25, and all of the proceeds will go directly to the american red cross to benefit the town of joplin, missouri. 
donations will be collected through June 20th, and all prints will be shipped at that time.

please add $2 to your selection for international delivery.
payment will be accepted via paypal. if you do not currently have a paypal account, it's free and very easy to set one up.
paypal instructions once logged in ::
a) click "send money"
b) enter "tobe.reed@gmail.com" in "to" field
c) select "services" (extra fees belong to me this way)
d) include your name, mailing address and print choices in message section
e) click "send money" button at the bottom of the page

prints will be adequately backed and wrapped for safest possible delivery.
watermark will not be loud and proud on final prints. promise.


** please feel free to spread the word about this offer. many people blogged, tweeted, and posted links on facebook the first time around. like those in japan, the people of joplin, missouri desperately need as much support as possible. many thanks! **

May 27, 2011

quick hello and weekend wishes

hello! coming up for air to wish you all a very enjoyable long weekend. i'm still hard at work on my many projects, but am hoping for some serious progress in the next few days so i can be back in action here next week. pressure's on!

signage by portland designer adam garcia | cargo collective  ||  found here

May 24, 2011

wakey wakey

truly a need this morning . . . i will be burning the candle at both ends this week, and maybe even for the next several weeks. compromising my sleep patterns for sure, but all very exciting projects. i always say that i'm going to share and then i don't, so i won't promise anything. but if they pop up, you'll know what i've been neglecting you for :)

May 23, 2011

seeing rue

you guys! i can't wait to dive into the latest issue of rue magazine. these lovely sneak peeks are really getting my attention . . .



the i am project :: the key is me

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

 The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

May 20, 2011

happy friday!


wishing you a weekend of it!

* images via pinterest

sparkle + fade

smitten with this urban outfitters dress in every color way. t'would look marvelous with a bright yellow american apparel oversized clutch . . . or even a simple nude will do.

want on my wall || joanna goss

i can't tell you much about the artist, but i can tell you that i am loving her work! i'm only sorry i was in chicago a month too early to catch her upcoming fix your changes exhibit at ebersmoore.




images via joanna goss  ||  spotted on where the lovely things are via pinterest

perfect package || the pureness

had to laugh when i spotted this milk packaging concept for milla confessions.



concept by christy srisanan and erick barrios  ||  images via the dieline

since they're milk cartons, i might confess to my unsuspecting little brother that i used to eat the dry swiss miss powder straight out of the canister . . . double dipping all the way. or that once, when i dropped the box of cheerios, i put them all back in the box and let him eat the rest.

sucka!  (guarantee you his confessions would be much worse, so don't feel too sorry for him)

do you have any childhood confessions worthy of the carton?

May 19, 2011

hello lady || hello sir

in my mind, the space in the last post is a pretty nice balance of masculine and feminine influence. yes, it leans a slight more fem, but i'm fairly certain hubs wouldn't be out of sorts if our home were similarly decorated. which is good, given my obsession with the space :)

upon noticing the masc/fem balance, i was reminded of a day trip while in chicago a couple of weeks ago. we visited renegade handmade after a very enjoyable brunch with super stylish blogger sarah from design me daily. * brunch was at milk and honey cafe, which i would highly recommend if you're in the wicker park neighborhood anytime soon. * i couldn't help but snatch up these yellow owl workshop greeting cards. they'll likely be framed instead of mailed. i think they'll add a bright, playful punch to our walls.