JuBella.com - Get Your Creative Dose

I love to see the offices, studios, and work spaces of creative people! Not only do you get a chance to gather creative ideas for your own space, but you get to see the things that inspire them, such as photos and small trinkets. In this case I love all the light and the open workspace Fashion Designer Tina Kalivas has in her studio, and that sewing machine is to die for! I would love to have bulks, piles, and swatches of fabric spread out on a large table int he middle of a sun lit room to ponder over for collection pieces…wouldn’t you?

images from The Selby

I wanted to post this earlier this week, but as you all know, with so much going on, I never know how my days will pan out. Nevertheless, there is so much being siad and debated about the disaterous incidents in Haiti. Most of the imagery that we see of Haiti, even before the earthquakes, have been filled with poverty and distruction, which does exist, but by no means is that the only side of Haiti. So, with that said, I wanted to take a moment to show the beauty of design/decor within Haiti amidst so many spectrums of heartache. Even in the smallest of homes, you will find bright and spicy colors that I am sure brings joy to their families, even when times are bad. It just goes to show that home really is where the heart is and no matter what type of abode you are given, you should always make it beautiful for yourself and for those who live within it…true thankfulness at it’s best!

The images within this post are form Marie-Louise Fouchard’s and Roberto Stephenson’s book: “Interieurs d’Haiti. I immediately noticed a common color palette used within the larger and smaller homes, and thought it would be fun to celebrate the colors of Haiti’s design for this post. Most of the homes here were adorned with: rust orange, mustard/golden yellow, cobalt, turquoise blue, seafoam green, rose, brown, and of course green! I am in love with not only the colors but with so many of the elements that are used within these rooms, and the art and textiles are fabulous!

I have been posting a bit about the beauty of Haiti on my other blogs as well. This past weekend I made a Haitian Tea Cake, which I enhanced with warm spices that you would find in chai. If you get the chance, do try out the recipe: Haitian Tea Cake Recipe.

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a nights stay in one of the rooms via Firmdale Hotels. I think these rooms are grand and really take on the feeling of home in comparison to the generic decor.

Hey guys! You did not think I was going to leave 2009 without a new post now did you? This year has been great, but much too sporadic for me when it comes to blogging. After having baby girl and finding out that we will be expecting again next may, my energy has been spread thin to say the least. Yes, you heard it right, I am currently 20 weeks preggo! We will find out if it will be a boy or a girl on Wednesday. But nevertheless, I hope to do more consistent blogging in 2010, but please do bare with me, because when you are preggo and taking care of a 7 month baby along with keeping up with a 6 year old who we home-school, it can get a little overwhelming. I want to thank you all for you immaculate support and here’s to more creative living in 2010!

Ok, on to the post…I could not wait to share these sleeping beauties with you all! Are these not the prettiest pillow cases you have ever seen! I cannot wait for the Rosehip etsy shop to be re-stocked. Just looking through the sold items will make you drool over pretty colors and crocheted adornments! In the mean time, you can check out Beatas (the creator of Rosehip) colorful inspiration by visiting her blog.

“Blog Your Passion doesn’t sell you fairy dust on how to quit your day job or how to work from home in your pajamas but it shortens the journey and saves time for the writer/blogger who wants to better understand the ins and outs of successful “stick to it” blogging.” ~Melinda Lewis, Blog Your Passion

Ok, so how many times have we wanted to ask our favorite bloggers and freelance writers for some tips on making our writing and blogging careers fun, profitable, and successful? I know there are many that I would love to sit down and interview to capture some insightful information to make my blogging career better! So, with that said, I wanted to immediately share the latest from Melinda Lewis of the fabulous creative living & culture blog Get Togetha. Melinda has just launched her first e-book (which is uber affordable at just $4.95) which is lovingly called “Blog Your Passion”:

“Have you ever wondered how your favorite bloggers earn a living and become known for what they do? Have you ever considered quitting your day job to blog? Have you started countless blogs only to serially abandon them? First thing’s first: Stop reading outdated conventional wisdom. Blog Your Passion is the difference between owning your blog and renting one. You’ve read the entry-level articles and posts on blogging that take you on a curiously addictive trip around redundancy but in Blog Your Passion the timeless blog secrets, tips, links, and ideas are shared, and the blogger myths are dispelled. Whether you want to start a new career, own your own business, or establishing your own voice after reading Blog Your Passion you will be better equipped in the art of authentic blogging. Don’t wait. The time is now to live your passion.

Click HERE TO ORDER!

Oh just look at all of these yummy colors! The photography work of Tia Borgsmidt are prime examples of how color can dramatically impact the ambiance of a room. I am in love with all of these colors and the cupcakes are even inspiring!

After flipping through several House Beautiful mags, I noticed that many of times the work of Photographer Simon Brown caught my eye. While most of his photos are on the traditional side, I love these that he took which carries more of a shabby chic, beach-house, and gypsy feel to it!

I especially love the last photo with the baby blues, and all of the quilted and floral patterns. As much time as I spend in the kitchen, a cozy little nook such as this would be lovely to relax in along with a picturesque cookbook!

Oh my..what a pretty kitchen this is designed by Ireland design house Fuse Interiors. It reminds me somewhat of a art gallery the way it’s painted all white with the rich hardwood floors and the colorful artwork framed in silver. I love everything about it, although I am sure that I would need a lot more counter space…a kitchen doubled in this style would be quite perfect!

My favorite part of the second room are the color combos, one that I probably would not come up with on my own. Grays, reds, olive greens, and white..nice! Keeping a bookshelf looking pretty and organized can be quite the challenge, especially for someone like myself, who has a hard time putting things back how they should be..lol. Yet this bookshelf is lovely and inspires organization and how I so want that pillow…I’m a sucker for elaborate patterns/textiles/prints!

I heart these photos taken by Photographer Anna Aden..so sweet…so majestic!

Oh, if I could only live in such a fresh and colorful space..how wonderful that would be! I not only love the Portugal based home of designer/crafter Constanca aka Concha, but her work is equally adorable. The bright cheery colors set next to the baby blue walls are gorgeous and full of life don’t you think? You can find more lovely photos of Conchas home and work by visiting her flickr sets!

Double Swoon! I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed scrolling through the home interior portfolios on the Sarah Kaye Represents website, which is a collection of different photographers. The rooms featured are FANTASTIC! My absolute favorite from the portfolios is the second photo…the living room with an eastern feel! It’s so beautiful to me. I love a rich mixture of patterns and the rustic furniture..gorgeous, and I MUST treat myself to one of the mugs featured in the bottom photo with the cat. The slogan states: “Happiness is a cup of tea and a new magazine” by Emma Bridgewater.

I ran across the work of photographer Julian Wass while flipping through the October issue of House Beautiful. I love the interiors featured in his portfolio! It took me a minute to realize that it was indeed insulation of some sort left exposed in the second photo and I think the deep blacks and the rich wooden hues in the kitchen is balanced nicely between chic and rustic.

You might remember me featuring the interior photography portfolio of James Merrell quite some time ago. I thought that I would re-visit his portfolio to check out some of his new work…at least new to me. I love these rooms and I especially love the lavender dresser..it’s beyond lady like don’t you think? And that white rustic wood panel for the headboard in the last photo is so my style!

So lately I have been a bit fascinated with New Mexico and Arizona. I am not quite sure why exactly, but I find the ambiance, the culture, the art, and the landscapes to be phenomenal. Just the other night I ran across a television version of the life of Artist Georgia Okeeffe and must say that I was quite inspired by her life, and it is needless to say that I LOVE her art. I fell in love with the replica of her home shown in the movie, which led me to do some further research. Come to find out that the official museum for Georgia offers tours of her home during set months!

I could only imagine the artistic inspiration that she grasped from such an atmosphere. I could so see myself living in such nature! I think it is beautiful! I love her home, to be set in the 1940’s it seems to carry a timeless look of contemporary/modern/rustic if you will.

As a creative, what part of the world do you feel you would find the most creative inspiration from? Are you already living there? Do you have plans to move there? Share your thoughts!

The work of Artist Stephanie Levy is not only full of color but it reminds me of the days of putting together design boards for my Interior Design classes. I LOVE the concept of making something that is usually not seen as art into something that is very artistic. Here are a few of my favorites but you can find many more of her original pieces by visiting her etsy store! Oh, and be sure to drop by her latest blog “Kitchen Sketches”, where Stephanie share lovely drawings of kitchen scenes and some fabulous recipes to whip up in your own kitchen!