As 2007 comes to an end I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you who have been reading this blog, sharing your thoughts and cheering me on. I truly believe that seeing beauty daily in art or in nature can have healing effects on a person. I want to salute all of the talented artists out there who have the power to create beauty and to make someone feel better by having a visual experience with their creation. It has given me so much joy to share with you what makes me feel happy and has helped me heal this year. Thank you for making Little Willow a success in 2007

(photo courtesy of jammyjampack)

Now on to 2008. On my birthday (December 1st), I woke up and said to Billy (aka the hubs) that this year I won’t hold back, that I want to say YES to everything. I then shared this idea with our friends Mike and Leah who took it one step further by explaining that the fundamental word in Improv Theater is “Yes, and…” I love the simple addition of “and” because it forces you to put into words what you want. It made me think that life is pretty much an improvisation: you create it and you build on it. Where ever you are now and where ever you end up is exactly where you’re supposed to be, so go with it.

Happy 2008! The Year of Yes, and I hope all of your dreams come true!

Ok so this one was really more for me than the hubs but it looks really cool with all the other prints up in the “man room”. I am sad to report that the printmaker Dylan Fareed of I Am Still Alive no longer has any of these prints in stock. I basically harassed the poor man until he got back to me with the good news he found a few more while he was going through a studio renovation, so I got lucky. I will keep you updated in the future when he has more creations available.

I have to share the other awesome print I got the hubs for his “man room” in honor of Wilco his other favorite band. Artist, illustrator and all around cool dude, Grady Mcferrin sold me the commemorative Fillmore rock poster he created for Wilco’s three night run in the Bay Area in 2004. I still remember those shows because I heard about them for 2 years until I finally saw them at the Greek in Berkeley last year and saw for myself what all the fuss was about, yes, Tweedy rocks! Check out Grady’s site for other Fillmore posters and to see his other brilliant designs.

The hubs was thrilled with his Christmas present! A little background: the hubs is a musician among other things and he has a major thing for the Grateful Dead. He claims they were partly responsible for his move to San Francisco after college where we ultimately ended up together, so I guess we have the Grateful Dead to thank for our marriage!

For Christmas I decided to deck out his “man room” with some music artwork. The pièce de résistance was this incredible print by artist/typographer extraordinaire Marian Bantjes. The Fader music mag did a whole issue on Jerr-ball (as I like to call him) and asked her to create a diagram of Jerry’s musical influences, including his predecessors, contemporaries and the next generation. I then had it framed by this incredible framer and it looks amazing! I’ll try and get a snap of the framed version to add because it kicks so much a–!

I am mad for these coats by Soia & Kyo. They are so feminine and stylish with great little details and a sixties flair I find irresistible. The coats are made of European wool and come in plaids and solids. Soia & Kyo are based out of Montreal but you can buy online or check your local Bloomies, Nordies or Macy’s. Prices are between $195-$400.

I beelined it for illustrator Jaime Zollars’ table at the BB. Her spooky fairy tale inspired silk screens have a hopeful quality combined with something not so pretty like pink elephants carrying a coffin or an angry owl surrounded by chopped trees. I wish I had a chance to ask her the story behind the little girl and the bird tree print I purchased but her table was swarmed by fans of her work. Her work is reminiscent of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales which often have scary or ugly but compassionate characters, like his story The Ugly Duckling which celebrates inner beauty. These prints seem to celebrate hope or beauty in a dark or lifeless landscape.

Shamila was another lovely person we met at the BB. Her jewelry was just stunning and you could see her passion for color and fine materials in each one of her creations. She took the time to tell us about the stones she chose from pink amethysts to multi-faceted carnelians with turquoise. You could tell each piece was made with so much care. She is based in Seattle but you can buy her gorgeous jewels online.

My next stop at the BB was graphic designer Willo O’Brien and her carefree illustrations. Willotoons is her line of adorable T’s for ladies, babies and dudes. I think I would buy anything she puts on this child he’s so yummy, he looks like he would be a character in the Willotoons cartoon show, if there was one.

Hi peeps, I’m pooped. What a fun weekend but I need a nap now! I will post later about the great Bizarre Bazaar and some of the wonderful people I saw there. In the meantime here’s a quick taste:

One of my first stops was San Francisco based Sparklebug Designs. Jewelry designer, Erin Hillmer is a very talented gal and we ooohed and aahhed over her hand fused sterling silver necklaces and earrings with gorgeous gemstones. She was such a lovely, warm person and funny enough recognized my Amy Nordstrom earrings from seeing them here on Lil Will. You can get your own Sparklebug right here.

I can’t wait for the Bazaar Bizarre tomorrow! I was peeping out the vendor list and came across Rock Scissor Paper and these fun aprons. You can buy them from their website for $35.

I’m trying to put together a list of the vendors I don’t want to miss otherwise I might go haywire tomorrow making impulse purchases before I get to my favorites. Can’t wait!

moda fabrics

Volksfaden is a Berlin based website run by Linda Gaylord who has an eye for great fabrics. She has a solid selection but the best part is the way she displays the fabric in these expressive vignettes. If I were her I would sell these images as collages. In addition to selling fabric, she is a talented quilt maker and sells her handmade quilts and other accessories through her website.

joel dewberry fabrics

It’s becoming a tradition, at least the last couple of years anyway, my friend Tia has given me the gift of Diana Fayt’s hand illustrated calendar. I wish this picture was better so you could see the detail of the gorgeous Japanese paper they are drawn on. Here is a picture of the 2008 calendar hanging on the wall in my office.

So my Dad calls me yesterday and says “Lark, you’ve got this website thing, so you know what’s hip and new, and I need a new pen. Can you help me out with that?” This from the Dad who in my opinion was at the forefront of cool growing up. He told us about Cabbage Patch Dolls and Intellivision, he subscribed to People Magazine, he listened to Madonna and when gum in a toothpaste tube came out he ran home to show it to us. He also drove a bright yellow convertible VW Rabbit and loved to take us for rides with all our friends. He’s a man of style and he always carried a fancy pen.

Caran d’Ache Ecridor Collection, $220

Porsche Design, $250

Waterford Lismore, $185

Cross Townsend, $125

Tia reminded me about Paper Mojo and their gorgeous selection of papers. Here’s a sampling from their Holiday Prints by Whimsy Press, Snow & Graham and Vivant Vita, prices range from $2.75-$8.00 a sheet.

I just went crazy at French Paper, the amazing family run paper mill in Michigan. They have a huge selection of gift wrap and paper in a multitude of patterns, sizes, finishes and weight, all reasonably priced too. Gift wrap starts at $6.50 for 2 sheets. Also check out their huge selection of melamine plates.

1950’s Melamine Plates

Added to my wish list are these lovely necklaces and earrings from the incredible Danish designer Anne Black. These dainty jewels are made of handcrafted porcelain with silk screened patterns and prints. The necklaces are on silk thread and the earrings are available in gold or silver. Prices are $40-$50, check out Greener Grass Design for available styles.

More fabulous holiday cards from the Queen of Letterpress, Egg Press:

glen plaid barware $100, herringbone vest $98, low ride boot $295, Gonzo $20, hand screened surf bag $220, ticket stub diary $12

Coolest gift ever! The Googs gave the hubs this awesome video camera as a gift (he’s a client of theirs) and we spent the weekend making ridiculous videos. The Flip Video is so easy, you literally plug it into your USB port and upload your vids. Starting at $119 for the 30 min or $149 for the 60 min it’s an awesome gift especially for your family members with new babies on the East coast that you are dying to see footage of.

Every Christmas I excitedly await the newest Christmas Krinkle ornament by artist Patience Brewster. This year she’s doing all eight (hmmm, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donder, Blitzen, Cupid, Comet and Rudolph), oops make that nine, of Santa’s Reindeer. Here are Blitzen and Donna (aka Donder), they make a nice couple I think. You can buy them from Department 56 online for $30.

I went a little crazy with the stocking selection, enjoy!!

Tree Skirts

anthropologie skirt $128, pottery barn skirt $89 , Wisteria retro skirt $259, Wisteria linen skirt $289, Wisteria red felt skirt $119

A World of Stockings

ho ho ho garland $48, embroidered stocking $48, dangle ball stocking $32

Garnet Hill goodness $8, $14, $42

Hable Construction awesome stockings $96

Haley just sent me a link to ceramic artist Catherine Reece and her Village Clayworks. She is one of the many artists who will be showing their wares at the KPFA Crafts & Music Fair this weekend in San Francisco. The fair will be held this Saturday and Sunday at the Concourse Exhibition Center, 8th and Brannan.

My first month in San Francisco as a wide-eyed 22 year old, my college friend Mark graciously rented me his carpeted walk-in closet. It was 1996 and we were trying to live out our Dot-com dreams in SF. Fast-forward 11 years and my old friend is now better known as the artist Mark Moskovitz, the man behind the art and design studio fiftytwothousand. Being that today is the first day of Hanukkah I thought it fitting to share his delightful and clever Kosher Plate series with the words “meat”, “dairy” and my favorite, “milk-it” in circular script. The plates are available in two sizes: dessert or dinner and three different script styles, prices $8-$18. A great gift idea!

I have found my 2008 calendar! I opened the NYT Magazine this weekend and saw this calendar from The Dolphin Studio and knew it was the one. Ceramic artist John Ffrench (yes, with 2 ff’s), and his wife Primm started making these calendars back in Ireland for their friends with watercolors, pen and ink, collage and silkscreening. As time went on and the project evolved, they included their daughters who designed their birth month and now the tradition includes their grandchildren contributing as well. The calendars are 12 x 24, silk screened prints and cost $58 through their website.

I have had such a nice response to the chairs Haley and I reupholstered this year and now my favorite design blogger Design Sponge posted them!

the other day larkyn from little willow left a comment with a link to this fantastic chair re-do project. 5 years ago she and her sister bought these chairs at an antique shop in california. larkyn says, “they had been languishing in my garage for the past 2 years until haley [her sister] finally took charge and got the project started. she deserves all the credit since it was she who decided to paint them white, do two different fabrics, one for the front and one for the back and she found an inexpensive ulpholstery guy to put it all together. we both used pink as a starting point. haley’s fabric came from designer etsuko furuya at purlsoho and mine is vanessa arbuthnott from her sky collection. i am thrilled with the outcome!” i think the before and after is fantastic- and all that pink- they’d be so pretty in a little girl’s room. larkyn and her sister used a professional but if you’re not scared to take things apart this is a project that some of you might be able to do on your own. otherwise, don’t be afraid to call your local upholsterer and bring in your favorite fabrics for a project like this. i’m still looking for a good local resource in brooklyn so i’m glad these guys found someone in mill valley. click here for more information on little willow. great work larkyn and haley!