hello! i’m jill bliss, an artist and designer in portland, oregon. you can see my art and design work on my website, catch glimpses of my daily life and projects on my blog, see my custom house portraits on flickr, and take a sneak peek of my current house here on design sponge.

i’m excited to be the guest blogger this week and share with you a little bit of what i’ve been obsessed with lately – which you can probably already tell – is housing and homesteading. portland has so many great houses, old and new alike, and creative people and businesses that create and cater to modern urban homesteading. it’s a pity i’ll only be able share a small sampling, but i’ll be choosing my very favorites of all we have available here in town, and online!

my own current house – a large updated craftsman house with a small garden – was the ideal place for my family and business two years ago when we arrived in portland. but life has changed significantly and it’s now too much for just me and my dog. i acidentally stumbled upon the perfect new little house for us in the course of doing research for my guest blogging stint this week! whoops! anyone out there interested in my house? email me and i’ll put you in touch with my real estate agent!

CLICK HERE for the rest of Jill’s post after the jump!

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Oh my goodness, my week at D*S went so quick! For the final installment of Melbourne-love, I have chosen to share my very own little illustrated neighbourhood map (a little daunting after sharing such beautiful and accomplished work earlier this week!). Anyway, this is perhaps my very favourite pocket of Melbourne – Gertrude st in Fitzroy.

I love this vibrant shopping strip – such a great collection of small boutiques, breakfast, lunch and dinner spots and small galleries… a truly eclectic mix. It was so hard to choose only a select handful of places to highlight… but you can see a more detailed Gertrude St guide on my blog here!

Lucy’s Gertrude St favourites!

Aesop: Beautiful Australian botanical-based skincare and haircare products, stunning simple packaging, and a beautiful pared-back interior fit-out in each store. In one of these images you can also see Aesop’s custom window installation by Melbourne’s best known floral/event designer – Joost Bakker

Fatto y Mano: Great rustic bread and baked goods… homemade spelt pizza slice that is so delicious and actually tastes like it could be good for you!? Great prices and a bustling, cheerful atmosphere.

Anada: My absolute favourite Melbourne restaurant, hands down! (and there’s a lot to choose from!). Anada serves the most delicious Spanish tapas… delectable dishes, service and extremely reasonable prices. Don’t miss the pork belly!

CLICK HERE for the rest of Lucy’s Fitzroy favorites after the jump!

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Ok so today I am super-excited to introduce one of Melbourne’s best known and most admired illustrators, Kat Macleod! Kat’s work probably needs little introduction, but just in case you need reminding – here are some examples of her exquisite work. Kat makes her beautiful illustrations by pulling together carefully selected fabric scraps, sparkly details, vibrant puddles of bright watercolor and delicate hand-stitching… there’s nothing quite like a Kat Macleod original.

If you’re in Melbourne you can still catch Kat’s current exhibition at Lamington Drive Gallery in Fitzroy, until November 15th! Too gorgeous for words… don’t miss it!

Miss Macleod is based in one of my favorite suburbs, North Carlton! North Carlton is a beautiful leafy green area, characterized by it’s lovely wide tree-lined streets, cute Victorian cottages and the fantastic cafes and restaurants along Rathdowne st. It’s relaxed, friendly and so pretty – perfect for afternoon bike-riding or lazy weekend breakfasts.

CLICK HERE for Kat’s North Carlton after the jump!

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(Image above by Nicholas Jones)

Today I would like to introduce one of my absolute favourite local artists – I first discovered Nicholas Jones when I interviewed him for my site last year and have since become a huge fan of his work. His incredible book sculptures must be seen to be believed – truly stunning. Nick is actually traveling to the US very soon to give a series of lectures and workshops at the Pratt Fine Arts Centre in Seattle! Click here for more info.

Nick’s fantastic light-filled studio is in Melbourne’s Central Business District, in Carlow House – one of Melbourne’s famous art deco buildings, which is rented out primarily to local artists. Carlow House is on Flinders Lane – one of Melbourne’s much-loved laneways, well known for its tiny eclectic shops, cramped and quirky cafes, bustling atmosphere and world-class grafitti! Flinders Lane and the neighbouring Centreway Arcade are a must-see spot for any Melbourne visitor!

I couldn’t bring myself to type out Nick’s lovingly hand-written list… so please find the relevant links below the image!

CLICK HERE for Nicholas Jones’ favorite Flinders Lane spots after the jump!

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[image above by Jane Reiseger]

Melbourne has such an incredible community of super-talented illustrators… Today I would like to share another favorite – Jane Reiseger. Jane’s work is filled with playfulness and child-like innocence – and it takes a very special grown-up to draw with the ease and naivete of a child! Jane’s engaging free-form drawing style lends itself to a wide range of commissions – from printed matter, textiles and soft furnishings, to custom murals and even billboard advertising.

CLICK HERE for Jane’s guide to Yarraville after the jump!

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[image by neryl walker]

Hi there, I’m Lucy… I live in Melbourne, Australia, and I write a local design blog called The Design Files. I’m a props buyer / set dresser in the film industry, and I do interiors styling and sometimes a little event styling too. Of course I am the hugest Design*Sponge fan and am so excited to be part of Grace’s guest blog! Thanks for having me Grace!

This week I’ll be sharing some special pockets of my beautiful home town, through the eyes of some of Melbourne’s most talented creative people. I have selected 4 fabulous artists and illustrators from 4 very different neighborhoods, and each of them have drawn a little map highlighting their favorite local haunts! J I hope you enjoy discovering some of Melbourne’s secrets through the eyes of these very inspiring locals!

Neryl Walker

Neryl Walker is an incredible local illustrator. Her work is girly, sassy and full of personality…. Her cutsie character illustrations inspired by vintage pin-up girls have been commissioned by many international brands including Bloom cosmetics, Shiseido, Nippon Vogue, Korean Vogue, New York Magazine and even Coca Cola.

When she’s not illustrating, Neryl might be working on paintings for an exhibition, avidly op-shopping (= thrift-shopping in the USA!), or playing rock ‘n roll with one of her two bands! Or you might just find her hanging out in her vibrant local neighborhood – Carlisle st, Balaclava.

CLICK HERE for a tour through Neryl’s Balaclava after the jump!

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This is our last post on the guest blog. It’s been a lot of fun posting here and sharing our anniversary ideas. Thank you for having us. Check out Bird and Banner and our blog if you want to see what we are up to! Have a great weekend.—Erin and Nicole

Image above: The traditional gift for the tenth anniversary is tin or aluminum. Our favorite balloons.

Bake some cookies for your beloved.

Hang up some of vintage tinsel garland.

CLICK HERE for 4 more tin/aluminum anniversary ideas after the jump!

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The traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is wood. We certainly don’t suggest you harm any trees, but the sentiment is very sweet so maybe try something similar on a log or branch you keep in your home. Better yet, plant some trees in honor of your beloved.

Vintage carpenter number

Vintage wooden picture frames.

CLICK HERE for 5 more wooden anniversary ideas after the jump!

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The traditional gift for the fourth anniversary is fruit or flowers. Pretty and delicious! Bake a pie!

Simply perfect pear pair.

Give your beloved an arrangement of the same flowers held in her bridal bouquet (top image from James Ryang, both images via Saipua).

Create a custom label for your favorite wine.

Nicole’s sunprints. Make sun prints of your beloved’s favorite flowers or foliage (or repeat the bridal bouquet idea)

The traditional gift for the third anniversary is leather. Make your own personalized punched leather bracelet. Lettering options from Tandy Leather Factory

Tooled leather belt

A leather bound version of your beloved’s favorite book

Awesome leather necklaces by Natalia Brilli

Erin’s dream, a vintage Børge Mogensen for Fredericia sofa.