neon accents

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editions #08: tea bowl by ben fiess

editions is back for a few weeks, and starting off with none other than my favorite mr. fiess. i've been more into tea these days than ever before. i used to not be able to drink it because i found it so bitter, but it's growing on me! i think the trick is to start out iced. anywho,  i asked ben if tea bowls would be up his alley, to which he agreed to (and was actually more excited about than mugs, like we did last time around), so i came up with colorways and the rest is history. you can't really see super well from the photos, but the bottoms are pretty pastels, too. i think my favorite overall is "cloudy cove", pictured above, but the lilac bottom of "river pebble" is really pretty too. i've gotten so many emails asking about the sold out mugs from last time, so i hope you guys love these just as much! shop here, $34 each

introducing belinda marshall

i'm SO excited to introduce these brand new pieces to the shop, by australian artist belinda marshall. i was so sure i had to have her work that the time from the moment i discovered her work to when it was at my door was less than 2 weeks (coming from the furthest distance away in the world!). so, if you love these prints as much as i do, head on over and check them out! ($38—$55 depending on size).

p.s. my favorite source for finding frames of all sizes is amazon. for the "dusk" and "reflected" prints, i like this frame, and here it is in the right size for "with distance". since belinda's prints use australian A3 & A4 sizes, you would need to get mats made for these since unfortunately they don't make frames down to the .5 and .75 sizes.

palette: spring

so, i have a plan where if i post enough spring pictures, maybe spring will actually come. is this working for you, spring? i sure hope so.

i am concealing this BIG news in this little post, but you guys —in five days i am picking up the keys to my new OFFICE. (!!!!!!!!!!) i still don't quite believe it. i am having a hard time grasping the fact that i'll have a real apartment again, as opposed to an office/warehouse that happens to have a bed and a kitchen. this also means i will have TWO spaces to make look nice and bombard you with photos of. hooray! here's to spring and big steps!

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take 20% off ceramics, 3 days only!

calling all ceramic collectors! (myself included... can't get enough of the stuff). take 20% off ALL ceramics now through sunday with the code CERAMICFEVER. and hurry and snatch up the few remaining pieces from ben fiess and object & totem! i imagine they'll be the first to go... SHOP CERAMICS

nice cover, nice colors

cookbook image found here

new collages from courtney price

rectangular objects collages by courtney price, $155 each. shop work from courtney price

++ citrus

aren't these photos so pretty? i love the way citrus looks in photos; it pretty much instantly styles itself.

yesterday i ate a sumo mandarin for the first time (so easy to peel and you can eat it without getting sticky juice everywhere!), and i've been adding lemon wedges to my ice water whenever i remember. it really is the best, most simple thing ever.

i'm still dreaming of the day i find an apartment with a good place for growing citrus trees, but you can't have it all, right?

photos: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

++ the philodendron

if there's any plant more popular in the design-loving world right now than the succulent, i just might say it's the philodendron. it's popularity isn't anything new, but the split-leafed giant seems to be a houseplant staple. it's super prevalent in scandinavian design, too, which is probably why i like it all the more.

i'm doing some redecorating around the apartment these days, and i'm definitely going to pick one of these up. i have my eye on these planters: case study planter / mid-century planter

photos: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 & 5

february inspiration

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a new kind of curation: introducing art

i am super, crazy excited to make this announcement — over the past few 4 months i've been working with a handful of my favorite artists to debut a collection of affordable artworks for the shop. art is an entirely new category for LEIF, but i think you'll agree that it makes total sense: my love of color and design comes through as strong as ever.

almost all of the pieces are originals that are really well priced. i was so flattered that fede saenz, whose works are usually enormous and upwards of $10k, started a new series called "small series" that was inspired by me reaching out to him. his works in the shop are 18x24 (which is still pretty big) and priced at $200. they are amazing.

i greatly admire every artist that is a part of this, and i hope you'll enjoy all the pieces in the collection. take a look at it here (or click the image above) and let me know what you think!

things i loved so much & had to keep for myself

for the most part, when it comes to buying for the shop i tend to pick what i like. about 75% of the time, i'd want to buy it if i saw it for sale somewhere else. all in all, i think this strategy is part of what gives such consistency to the site - that "curated" look. believe it or not (sometimes it surprises even me), somehow i manage to not keep half my inventory for myself. the things above though, i loved them so much i just had to have them. after all, that's the best perk of owning a webshop, right?

1. wool dot throw in navy — this is seriously the softest, coziest throw ever... it sits on the back of my blue couch. i love that the navy color isn't super girly - it's a nice contrast to most of the other stuff i decorate with. (p.s., it's in dwell magazine this month!)

2. sheep print wool scarf — i've worn this almost every day this winter. it goes with everything, it's really warm, and best of all it's a little funny. what's not to love about little sheep on a scarf? i always get compliments when i wear it, too.

3. yellow dipped mug — i collaborated with rachel howe of small spells on this one. i love unglazed pieces, so the bottom being matte and raw with a glossy, sunny top is my dream. this mug is in constant rotation for my morning coffee.

4. spear vase — i keep this on a reclaimed wooden shelf in my living room. it's nice for keeping florals that don't need water - i have cotton branches in mine at the moment.

5. baggu moon shopper — this one's a no brainer. it's inexpensive, reusable, super compact, and perfect for keeping in your handbag and using for groceries, errands, whatever.

6. gold vermeil twig ring — feminine, effortless, and goes with everything. the perfect piece of jewelry in my book.

7. baggu leather loop keychain — i switched out my kidrobot breakfast keychains for this little leather number the second they came in.

8. mountains ring — square rings might be a little scary to buy online, but they're surprisingly flattering on. i wear a size 6.5/7, and the size medium fits me perfectly (don't be intimidated by the funky german sizing).

minerals and more minerals

so much amazing mineral inspiration in this etsy shop right here! man, i can't stop looking at that group photo. i went to the latest accessories trade show this past weekend and picked up the prettiest, sparkliest druzy jewelry that i'm so excited about. i think ya'll will like it tooooo. stay tuned!

editions #07: yellow dipped mug by rachel howe

i'm a big fan of this editions release (it's the only one that i kept one for myself!), not to mention the girl behind them - rachel lives 5 minutes away from me and i got to meet her and see her amazing apartment when i picked these little guys up. stay tuned for her feature on maker stories, my design*sponge column! shop this mug, $24

sale ships free!

shipping on all sale items is free through the end of the week! you don't need any promo code; the shipping is automatically deducted at checkout. there are some new additions in there so go on over and check it out! shop sale

bright things ahead

man, am i glad (for the moment, anyway) that the holidays are over. the past two months were definitely a reminder that i'll eventually outgrow this one-woman show and need to hire an employee.

i continue to be surprised by how much support the shop has gotten after just opening its little virtual doors a year and a half ago. it really is everything to me; i wouldn't give it up for anything in the world and i have you all to thank for letting me live out my dreams!

here's to working even harder in 2013. exciting things are happening — the site is growing, slowly but surely... i'm looking into moving into a bigger apartment (which means i'll be able to buy more inventory! hello, throw pillows that take up too much space now), and i'm also working on another brand new category for the site that i'm super excited about (but a little scared). stay tuned. :) — stacy

macarons photo found here (i actually hate macarons, but they're so pretty!)