heidi romano is a fine art photographer based in melbourne, australia. she recently finished a new series of botanical photographs that are seriously tugging at my heart strings. i don’t know what is is about getting older, but for some reason all the things i liked to do when i was really little, like saving three leaf clovers in book pages, are now my favorite activities again. so when i saw heidi’s photographs of leaves and flowers pressed on pages i instantly remembered all the book pages i had stuffed with little leaves. you can see more of (and contact heidi about purchasing) the new collection, garden of knowledge, right here. thanks, heidi!

*click here to learn how to make your own flower press!

Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau/Richard Nowitz

art & architectural history student and design lover amy estes recently returned to san antonio after spending her early childhood here. she’s been busy rediscovering old faves, finding places to drink margaritas, and scouting vintage stores. in addition to documenting her finds on her blog, road to wonder (a visual and written exploration of texas), she’s made time to walk us through her local’s guide to san antonio shopping, eating and site-seeing. thank you again to amy for sharing her guide with us! a always, if you have a favorite spot you feel is missing feel free to leave it in the comment section below.

CLICK HERE for the full guide after the jump!

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last year’s stationery show at the javits was full of beautiful designs- many of which designed to designer kamal from virginia. i’ve been following her work since the show and was excited to hear that she’s launched a new product line called “miniwraps”. kamal’s miniwraps are a series of ‘celebratory’ 16×23 inch gift wraps that come in 4 patterned designs. each mini roll comes with 2 sheets and 2 tissues for wrapping a little something special. i love the idea of mini wraps and having smaller quantities to use for craft projects- i’m thinking they might be just what i need to jazz up my drawers. it’s always fun to open up your dresser and see something pretty staring back. click here to check out kamal’s new collection and shop online (miniwraps rolls are $6.50 each). thanks, kamal!

whether you have little ones or not, brooke’s guest post this morning on abc books is a feast for the eyes. it’s always so fun to see how artists and graphic designers interpret the alphabet in creative ways. click here to check out the full post…

erin heath is display coordinator for anthropologie in chestnut hill, massachusetts and most recently for the boston store where she is responsible for the design and execution of all display elements within our store (windows, large-scale installations, etc). she also does a variety of freelance work which ranges from decorating/rearranging residential interior spaces as well as creating custom installations or decorations for weddings and events (she made the beautiful paper garlands for grace’s wedding!). today we have a great sneak peek into the small two-bedroom she shares with her boyfriend erich, and sweet pup, olive, in somerville, ma. they were initially drawn to it two and a half years ago for the positive energy it exudes and its humble nature (and the private romping ground for olive). {thanks, erin!} -anne

[above: Not only am I inspired by materials, but I am a lover and collector of both imagery and object. This couch was one of my greatest finds! I found it at an antique consignment shop up in Davis Square. I fell in love with it the moment I walked in the shop!  The slatted coffee table came from a shop on Mass Ave called Abodeon that sells gorgeous mid-century furniture and sleek modern design. The mixed media painting hanging behind the sofa is my own work. What I am drawn to most is creating a sense of texture…the tufted sofa, braided rug, plastic chairs, fiberglass, wood, paper, and screen…this is true for my work as well as my home. I love the juxtaposition of natural vs man-made and the dialogue that they create within a space. To me, it feels open and accessible.]

The embroidered print is from Anthropologie and was created by artist, Maxine Sutton. The lamp was discovered and picked up while Erich and I were out in San Fransisco last summer at a unique, one-of-a-kind store in the Mission called X21 Modern; we flipped a coin with the owner to bring it down in price, we lost but bought it anyway.

The chairs are one of my other greatest treasures…they were found in a little shop up in Portsmouth, NH, Re-Inhabit; the owner is the sweetest lady ever and carries an array of great mid-century design, from furniture, to tableware, a collection of paint-by-numbers and vintage clothing. This table has had many lives…I’ve changed the color of its legs countless times. I love the idea of re-use and re-creating something old into something new and fresh.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Erin’s peek after the jump!

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we’re so pleased today to share with you the home of sophie blackall, as it’s one of the more fantastical “sneak peeks” we’ve shown on the site. i’m sure most of you have seen her work in any number of national publications, but i was most drawn to her latest project “missed connections” where she illustrates textual missed connection posts from around the world that really drew me in (which are scheduled to become a book in 2012). originally from australia, sophie has called brooklyn home for the past 10 years. click here for more great images of her space. {thanks so much, sophie, for opening up your home to us today!} -anne

A piano foot, an ‘S’ shaped twig, a deer hoof pin cushion, an old Australian football, a dolphin vertebra, an emu egg, a Brooklyn landscape and a whale.

The sting ray is a rubber one and the shadow box is filled with shells collected on beach in Australia, to remind me of home. I can’t remember why the boy in the painting is blue or why he has a first aid cup on his head, but it seemed to belong in the bathroom.

My daughter, Olive helped me choose the color of the walls in my bedroom. I didn’t know whether it should be a nun’s cell, a womb or a cave: ivory, a rich pink, or a shadowy, earthy color. The cave won, and we went with this one, called desert shadow.
The dolls have been collected over the years. Some from antique shops, some handed down to me in childhood, and one I found on the street. I like them worn and missing limbs. I can’t tell if they are much loved or neglected; they end up looking the same.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Sophie’s peek after the jump!

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