artist of the day

Tom Killion! Born and raised in Mill Valley, CA (my new hometown) he was obviously inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Northern California and Marin county, especially Mt. Tamalpais. He uses the Japanese woodcut style technique and handprints his original work on Japanese kozo paper. You can buy his work online or at various galleries in Pt. Reyes and Mill Valley.

thickskin

More bags!! I love the distressed leather of these bags by Thickskin, aptly named the "Rockstar" probably because only a rockstar could afford them. This silver clutch is smoking and $385!

clutches

The clutch is making a comeback, or maybe it was back and I just caught on, anyway its my obsesssion of the day and a great way to introduce you to my friend Natalie's line of purses called Lychee Line. I totally dig her new pinstripe clutch, perfect for going right from work to happy hour, fashionably.

My other obsession has become Whiting & Davis purses on ebay (thanks for the tip Leah). My Mom bought me one when she decided I should have an antique purse collection and I thought that was just another crazy Penny idea but I have grown to love them and now of course I want more! Thankfully ebay has tons and they are very reasonably priced. Their trademark is the mesh design and the deco style.

more bags

I have been worshipping these bags by Rebe for years but have never gotten around to buying one, maybe this will be the year. They are soooo colorful, I love the patchwork style and each one is perfectly unique. She also makes adorable clothes.

queen bee

I love supporting independent designers and Queen Bee Creations is a group of very creative folks making very hip bags up in Portland, Oregon. I bought a version of the poppy tote bag about 2 years ago and it still looks brand new. The prices are super reasonable and the bag is really well made. My friend Kristen has the one on the left and its got really cool pockets on the inside too.

Check out the BuyOlympia website for other independent, handmade funkiness.

artist of the day

Did anyone see the movie "In Good Company"? Great movie, but one of the things I remember most was the house Dennis Quaid's family lived in. They had a fireplace mantle decorated with pottery in soothing blues, greens, creams and at the center of the mantle was a painting that looked just like these pieces by artist Dalton Jamieson. To me they are so serene and peaceful, and maybe represent the idea that when one door closes another one opens, which I believe was a theme in that movie. Anyway I'd like one on the mantel in my kickass beach house someday.

Check out some of the other artists at Julie Baker Fine Art, she has some great stuff.

poppy cotton

I am having a love affair with everything 70's lately! Check out these great patterns on lampshades and pillows at Poppy Cotton. They bring me right back to my childhood.