Kyleen is one of those people that is just effortlessly beautiful.  She is not intimidated by pregnancy and embraces the process and her changing body along the way.  We hung out the other night and I just layed there with my head on her belly and felt the baby rolling and punching.  It’s so amazing to me.  Ky is an incredible mother and friend, and I am truely blessed to have her a part of my life.  This is a pictures she took last year when she was pregnant with Bruce.  I don’t know how she does it….but she is breathtaking.

Last Thursday we celebrated her and the baby on the way with an all out sprinkle party.  Sprinkle donuts, sprinkle cupcakes, sprinkle cocoa.  (you get the idea).  And of course…I was in charge of the invitation.

And while I am on the baby bandwagon, I wanted to share a few things I have come accross while looking for gifts!  I don’t know if this relates to any of my readers….but if your a mommy or a soon-to-be mommy, or even just looking for a perfect shower gift (like me!)….this might inspire you.  Who says baby’s can’t be fashionable?

BELLE HEIR – fine vintage clothing for babies and children

MAKIE – Children’s boutique in NY….are you kidding!?  I want all of this and I don’t have a baby!

LITTLE FASHION GALLERY- stylish children’s store out of France.

Other goodies:

FLORA & HENRI / ELIAS & GRACE / STEL’S / ZAP-STORE / PAPIER-MACHE / SOFT GALLERY / THE LAND OF NOD / KOO & POPPET

BLOG /    SHOP /    FACEBOOK

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Leeana Tankersley is one of those women I wish I was a little more like : smart, funny, thoughtful, reflective, and inspiring.  I was honored when she asked me to read and review her first published book titled “Found Art”.  Given my track record with books, I was a bit nervous in taking on the challenge and felt somewhat “under qualified”.  But I pushed aside my insecurities knowing there was something good to be learned here.  Totally unfamiliar with what the book was about, I instantly assumed it was about art (given it’s title).  And by art I mean the kind of art I know about – paintings, drawings, sculptures, ect.  But come to find out, it was really about a different kind of art altogether.  The art God is busy creating from the scraps and the cast-offs of our own lives.  Any one of these scraps might be a discarded item, but collaged together, they become something entirely different. Art emerges from the carefully collaged odds and ends. God takes the unlikely moments of our lives and pieces them together into something of beauty and worth.

Found Art is a memoir of Leeana’s experiences as the wife of a Navy SEAL, living in the middle east for her first year as a military wife during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Leaving everything she knew, she embarked on a journey of self discovery and renewed faith in a place very VERY far from home.  Although her story is very different from my own, I found much of what she wrote about to be very relatable. She talks about her frustration with the perfectionism of our culture,  dealing with change, the pains of war and death, and finding true passion in God. Her emotions are raw and genuine, and her story will encourage anyone who finds themselves in difficult and unfamiliar situations.  In the beginning pages of the book Leeana writes “While the story is literal, it is also figurative. As you may well know, foreign territory doesn’t only exist ten thousand miles away; we can find ourselves in unknown countries without going anywhere.” Isn’t that the truth!?

Beauty often emerges from our areas of greatest weakness and pain.  One quote that rang true for me was “Pain, like no other place perhaps, is where our art is born, where our stories are written, our canvases brushed, our scores composed.  Though we so often want to deny the discomfort, suffering is one of the few things that can lead us to the place where we find the God we so desperately longs for”.  I have goosebumps even writing it.  It is easy to fall victim to pain.  But God gives us the opportunity to grow, to learn, and to rise up and become a stronger person because of it.

Thank you Leeana for being so raw in sharing your story and reminding me that although my life may not be perfect, God is molding and shaping it into something beautiful.  We all have a story to tell.

You can read through a few of the pages of FOUND ART HERE

And also her blog post a few months ago on me and my art - “Creating”

What workspaces are you inspired by? Any creative home office ideas you’d like to share!!?

You can browse more of this goodness on Melissa’s FLICKR.

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Surfing the Nations believes that surfers are an untapped resource to serve our local and outer island communities. Their message is to influence the upcoming generation of surfers to “give back” by serving and meeting the needs of local communities.

Just a few weeks ago they held the 4th Annual Freedom Surf Contest.  This is an annual surf contest sponsored by Jedidiah in Queens, Waikiki, held mother’s day weekend. It is a two-day event, promoting “A Drug Free Hawaii”. In having this contest Surfing The Nations goal is to raise awareness of substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation issues in order to reverse the devastating affect that drug and alcohol abuse is having on the people of Hawaii.  Every year I have had the opportunity to design the contest t-shirt and (this year) poster for them. Surfing the Nations is an inspiration to me and a motivation to get out into my own community and give back. We all have something to offer.  See the video below to get a glimpse of the event!

Freedom Surf Contest- A drug Free Hawaii from Surfing The Nations on Vimeo.

Surfing the Nations has done a lot of work in Bangladesh over the years.  Gum for my boat is an alluring documentary that touches on the redemptive power of surfing and the work that Surfing the Nations is doing in Bangladesh. This short feature tells the story of how a group of underprivileged kids are making a difference in their community, and how the surf club they started is the catalyst for this change. This film was produced by the incredibly talented Russell Brownley and stars our very own Kahana Kalama

Gum For My Boat: Surfing In Bangladesh Trailer from Jedidiah Clothing on Vimeo.

For more information and ways you can help visit SURFINGTHENATIONS.COM

INSPIRATIONS
Favorite Discovery:  Recently : Using a laser beam as an exercise program for my cat! Seriously try it.  It’s hilarious.
Favorite Place in the World: I have to say that home (Encinitas, CA) is honestly my favorite place to be. But a few of my favorite places to travel include Tokyo, San Francisco and New York.
Style Icons: Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Zooey Deschanel, Alexa Chung
Favorite Designer:  Monique Lhuillier / Miu Miu / Marc Jacobs
Favorite Movie: I could watch Princess Bride a thousand times and never get sick of it.  A few runners up would be Dirty Dancing, Away We Go and 500 Days of Summer.

CLOTHES
Jeans: Silence and Noise
Underwear: Hanky Panky
Watch: Nixon. I have far too many of them (my husband works there) Today i am wearing the all gold kensington.
Day dress and day bag: Free People dress / Vintage Chanel bag
Evening Dress: Sarah Seven / Alice + Olivia
Shoes:  Rosegold / Jeffrey Campbell

HOME
Inspiration: I am a blog-a-holic.  Coco+Kelley / Decor8 / Bloesem
Favorite Art: Ghostpatrol / Amy Sol / Thomas Campbell
Bedding: Anthrolpologie! (I have the cirrus collection)
Stationery:  Precious Moments was my first love.  I remember when I was in elementary school trying to re-create the characters. I guess you could say it was my first art inspiration.  I had dreams of becoming a greeting card designer…and actually still do!
Coffee table books: The Satorialist, Flee Market Style by Emily Chalmers,  BLK/MRKT Two
Flowers: peonies

BEAUTY
Perfume: Daisy by Marc Jacobs
Moisturizer: Laura Mercier
Mascara: Loreal Volume Shocking
Shampoo:  Paul Mitchell
Soap: St.Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter

Check out his BLOG for his most recent projects as well as his SHOP to purchase one of his prints!

It’s time for me to slip on my sunday best and head to church.  Then off to mom’s for a family feast and egg hunt with baby Bruce! (just thinking about green bean casserole right now is making my mouth water!)

XO.

LOLA’S ROOM / FEATHERS AND BONES / LIFE THROUGH THE LENS / DAYDREAM LILY / SHARON MONTROSE

Below is a collection of some of my favorite recently posted looks. Apparently i’m into hats and blazers.