N E W H O M E

guess what? just follow me, and i'll take you over there to the new design!

G O O D N I G H T

photo by jen causey

change is not my favorite. unless of course change means I get a new look to my blog!! then change is very very welcome!

starting tomorrow my blog is going to go to sleep for a few days while a magical helper codes up the new design and gets this baby running by monday! i am jumping up and down, considering I have wanted this for over a year now and never found the time to actually get it done!

but it's happening, it's real. and now my content can live in a happy home with grids and style. come see the makeover next week, will ya?

S T Y L E / 0 3

photos by angela+ithyle

maybe i don't wanna pick just one print. so there!

mix colors, textures and even patterns. a company that does this quite well? zara! they are experts of mixing it all together for a fabulous result. so i paired these flowey wide leg pants with this striped top and platforms, tied a sequin scarf around my neck and called it a day! a miss mixie pants kind of day!

P I C K

we have this wall in our bedroom. and it might be asking to get dressed up. whether that means paint, wallpaper or a gallery wall...i just don't know yet. but these ferm living wallpapers are nice, right?

which would you choose? left or right?

S W E E T

i really just love these plexiglas polaroids. i want the larger ones, so I must save my pennies.

L E T S G E T P E R S O N A L

and your random question is...

b: "what is one of your hobbies or even something that you love that would secretly be awesome to have as a job? like for me, i want to be a jazz singer, but probably never will be. it's fun to dream though."

j: "A pastry chef! Though I'm not particularly great at it, I love baking and would imagine this job to be like a scene from Chocolat. And who wouldn't want to spend their days taste testing chocolate croissants?"

this week, for {day in the life} I chose jessica from the blog destined to design and co-founder of Collected magazine. i am always inspired by her eye for style, clean design and impressive layouts. thanks for sharing with us your lovely items, jess!

1. Pillow 2. Dress 3. Necklace 4. Coffee Pot 5. Perfume 6. Oxfords 7. Print 8. Bag 9. Pendant 10. Chair

F L O W E R S

so inspiring! my girls over at bash, please know how to make a wedding look like a fairytale, right?

J U S T P R E T T Y

hiddenite

H A P P Y H A P P Y

i can't even tell you how happy i am to feel like my blog is evolving. it's so exciting to be incorporating original columns and highlighting my talented friends. my mind has been flooded with new ideas this week of how to bring more inspiration and unique content to my readers. thank you all for being so so supportive and encouraging throughout the whole process.

i want to give a shout out to angela+ithyle for shooting my new style column. they made it exactly what i wanted it to be: playful, unpretentious, artistic and most importantly, real. i couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and i hope you all enjoy the upcoming weeks.

(those photos up top are a little behind the scenes of what they shot of me and my boyfriend in our new home. can't wait to show you guys the photos of us together. they make my heart happy)


and jen! thank you so much for adding one of my favorite things to this blog. food! (and drinks!) get ready people, because she has some killer recipes to share with us this summer.

happy friday everyone, you guys are the best.
bri

C O V E R L O V E

butdoesitfloat

L E I S U R E

classy classy lad-aay.


velvet mag

I L I K E B O T H

a sweet brass ring from astrik + bambi for josh goot collection

S T Y L E / 0 2

photos by angela+ithyle

messy and dressy, the best of both worlds! feel fancy and twirly girly with a tulle skirt layered with a sheer top (striped bralette underneath) - but let's also keep it real here. throw your hair up on top of your head in a messy bun and slide on some sparkley flats. and lipstick should probably happen too.

my style is to never go too much in one direction, it's all about mixing and balance! try it out, and own it.

C O V E R / L O V E

look to the 60's and 70's for wicked type treatments.

F L O W E R H E A D

a head full of flowers (paired with an awesome patterned shirt) and a shot from matchbook mag issue 5!

2 P I C T U R E S

a simple look with a vintage hair style, and a beautifully styled corner.

S M I L E

stoked that smilebooth will be at our june blogshop! making it all the more reason for you to grab one of the last 3 spots! dooooo it!

H E Y G I R L

i miss fall layering season...just a few random fashion shots that caught my eye.

photo sources

A N O T H E R / A D D I T I O N

as you may know, jen gotch is photographer.

interesting story - jen's blog (here and here) were two of the first blogs I had ever read. i was really drawn to her laid back style, her simple aesthetic, her honesty and her funny jokes. then one day she got way too busy with ban.do and didn't blog anymore (boooo). then we became real life great friends, and i tell her all the time i do not want her photos to come to an end. SO!

...she will (hopefully) be doing weekly foodie post right here. drinks (yum), snacks, maybe even an all out brunch. who knows, let's just see how it evolves, ok? i granted her with full creative freedom, because she works best like that. now, let's all tell her how beautiful her photos are so she sticks around and shows us all how to make a mean cocktail. thanks.

...now let's kick off this new column, shall we? i'll let jen take it from here...


i should actually name all of my drinks kick in the pants, cause that's what you'll get when you drink'em . . . a good solid kick in the pants. you just won't notice it at first. so really it should be called "a subtle kick in the pants that will eventually knock you on your butt" but that doesn't have the same ring to it.

i am a huge lover of booze (but not a lover of boo's), but i find that when mixing drinks restraint is key. there are so many incredible flavors you can add to a drink, but if there's too much of the giggle juice in there, you'll never taste all that other good stuff.

fill your most stylish highball with ice cubes
then . . .

• squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the ice. i cut my limes small, cause i think they look cute, but you can do whatever you want . . . i'm not here to judge.

then add . . .

• 1 oz whiskey (that's the whole "restraint" thing i was talking about, and on a side note, i love blanton's. it is delicious and it's what i used to make this drink, but it's kinda pricey and you could totally get away with using something a bit more accessible like makers mark or even jack daniel's)

and also add

• 1 oz canton ginger liquor
• top off with ginger beer (or ginger ale if your not ready for all of the spicy goodness that is ginger beer)
• then a splash of maraschino cherry syrup
• gently stir with a swizzle stick or . . .with a spoon, the back of a knife, your finger, a pencil . . .
• and plop in one or two maraschino cherries for good measure and to serve as a warning:

WARNING: there's maraschino cherry syrup in this drink.

M O R N I N !

1, shanna murray decals

S O M E W H E R E

on a top-floor loft in Brooklyn...


dwell

N I C E / B R A N D I N G

having one of those 'why didn't i think of that' moments...loving the work of jon contino

P I N N E D

1, poster

S U M M E R

1, 2

D R E E

vogue uk 2011

E A S Y

there is always those couple of editorials that make you stop and look again and again. this is one of mine for sure. cool happening all over the place.

photos by ami sioux

S T Y L E / 0 1

photos by angela + ithyle

over the next few weeks i will be posting outfits from my closet, in hopes to inspire new wardrobe ideas for you. all of the photos were taken in my new home for this brand new column (hooray!) - twice a week, a new occasion every time.

if you are anything like me, you have certain months of style dry spell. you know, where you stare inside your closet (for long periods of time) and sort of hate everything you see and so desperately want to start all over again? and then you go through (sometimes terrible) phases to try to find your style again. i felt myself slipping into that rut, and decided to get creative with my wardrobe and re-like some of my favorite things, and experiment wearing them in different ways. so welcome to the experiment. enjoy!

and as far as style goes, i couldn't agree more with this quote...
" i say, if you feel good at what your doing, let your freak flag fly. " - sarah jessica parker

W I L L Y O U B E T H E R E ?

i just realized I haven't officially announced our BAY AREA blogshop here on my blog. victoria over on sfgirlbybay spilled the news last week and we have had a lot of interest for the class!

we can't wait to take a summer roadtrip and to teach photoshop in this rad artist studio!

when: july 30th-31st
class size: 20 people
get all the details right here!

If you have questions and to reserve your spot in the class, you can email blogshopla@gmail.com

C L O S E T

i picked up this wooden crate at the long beach flea market this weekend. only $15 bucks! whata steal! I am gonna put some simple shelves in it and display some of my snazzier shoes. and the top of the crate works perfectly to add color to the room with my jewelry.

OH! and tomorrow kicks off the new style column here on my blog. angela took some fun photos of me in different outfits in my loft, and even some of me and my lover boy. check back tomorrow for the first post!

S N A C K

i really love cooking. i'm just not at the point where i can go around claiming that i am some sort of spectacular cook. i mostly love watching people cook and trying to learn as much as i can. jen picked some vegetables from her garden and made us this beautiful little snack. so simple and delicious! white bean hummus, tomato salad and cucumbers.

and those are squash blossoms on the bottom, filled with ricotta cheese. i had never had them before, and fell in love. funny looking dudes, right?

remember jen's blog, becoming a foodie? cool drink recipes, awesome polaroids etc? here, just go look and try to get her to start it again with me...


photos by jen gotch

R A N D O M

i love her style + this quirky typography. i can't remember where I found either! shame on me.

H A P P Y

bookshelf, print, dog bank, shorts, tray, shoes

R I G H T ?

beautiful styling by swedish sophie lawett

G L A M O R O U S

source

N O B U E N O

yes. it's true. a real live meltdown as we speak. now i know exactly how interior designers feel when they want graphics done for their site and just can't seem to do it right. but they have good taste, just not the vision. i get it.

i know what i like when it comes to interior design. do i know how to do it for my new loft? nope. not at all. i don't have any idea how to make it all look cohesive. have a theme...all that jazz.

i need so many things (credenza, wall art, side tables, shelves!) and just do NOT know where to start. i must check out emily's list of secret LA shops.

so, that's where we are with the loft. meltdown phase. depressing, i know.

I N S P I R I N G

love these on so many levels.

sandra juto, grain edit

C U T E

two of my favorite shots from the lastest matchbook magazine. she's adorable, huh?

I T S F I N E

poster by photo source

we all get burnt out. freelance life is go go go. and then go some more. and certain mornings, you just don't feel like going anymore at all. there will be days (maybe even weeks) where i feel a lost, tired and uninspired. i'm sure you know the feeling i'm talking about. but one thing i've noticed, is the inspiration always comes back if it's something you love. and i truly do love graphic design. i know this because i notice the typography on the side of the street, on the menus where i am eating lunch... and then that design bug shows it's face once again.

so go ahead, get lost. get burnt out. it's fine, it will be back soon enough.

i went to a little private tasting at Simple Things today with a few of my girlfriends. we are always looking for catering options for blogshop, so we technically call this "research." and by research, i mean eating way too many little pies in one sitting. they are sooo tasty, you must go try them. (the salted caramel and french silk are phenom!)

thanks for snapping some photos, bonnie!

H A T E R S G O N H A T E

i have gotten lots of cute tweets, emails and comments about posting about my style here on design love fest. i am bit hesitant, i must admit. whenever you open up the personal side here in the blogworld, along with the good, comes the haters. (why you gotta hate?) but i have decided i just don't care. if people want to see my outfits, where i shop, and what shoes are covering my toes, i am gonna show it!

started prepping for the new column at my house last night with angela. picking out outfits and thinking of fun little videos she could shoot. i would love to know what ideas YOU have for it!??

speaking of columns...did you see my roundup of vintage goodies over on sfgirlbybay today? well, go on over then...

F E E T F I R S T

i was lucky to get to speak about blogging at feet first, a super cool photography workshop with my pals max wanger and our labor of love they had the workshop in our office, which was also cool because that gave us the push we needed to get our place decorated!

watch this video that went in rue magazine yesterday from the workshop! i guess i'm trying to have a sweet dance scene in all of son of shark pig's videos! we love you, steve!



they shot this how to make a succulent party favor with bright neon pebbles. love! here is one of my favorite shots...

B R I S H O P S

i was having brunch with my boy over at food + lab in silver lake and noticed an adorable new shop had opened up next door. hemingway and pickett!

The interior ceiling, shelves and "archways" are constructed using reclaimed wood from shipping pallet which makes the store look instantly awesome! they sell all sorts of art, furniture and fun little trinkets for your home. stop by there if you get the chance!


photos by bri

P O W

this cool UK shop, Howkapow emailed me some of their products and i just had to show you some things i found interesting...