It's October, I went to the grocery store yesterday & was greeted by my Halloween nemesis. Candy corn: so innocent, cute & colorful - I fall for them every time. I feel like the minute I see them, I develop tunnel vision, I must have them & then devour as many as I can! It never ends well, the love quickly turns sour & yet every year I return.... The best of the week, not including candy corn:

1. Stumbled upon this amazing site called maptia. A new site that holds as it's manifesto to promote travel, stories, adventures and global community building. As a member you can submit a story, connect to places of interest on interactive maps and share your photos. The photo essay on the Italian Riviera is worth checking out.

2. I've long been a supporter of Therese Murdza and these colorful canvases are easing me into the season....

3. I've enjoyed getting to know more about this site Be Your Own Beloved, which strives to cultivate self-love through self-portraiture. 

4. I never tire of reading Jess Lively's blog, Designing a Life with Intention. Being more engaged in my decisions and life course is something I'm constantly at work on. Staying inspired on a daily basis is not without some effort and the posts on Jess' blog are always timely and definitley resonate.

5. A pop of color in your in-box is a sure fire way to be inspired. Get fabulous palettes via designseeds. 

 produce hues via designseeds.com

 


Ipcock Residence - el dorado incThis segment is more a firm spotlight than one unique home or space. El dorado is a firm out of Kansas City that manages to blend architecture, fabrication, sculpture and design build projects all under one roof. I initially heard about them in 2004 when their Ipcock Residence received a lot of praise in the press. This residence, as well as many of their others, drew me in because of its elegant material palette and the way that the panes of glass were detailed to create the illusion of a floating ceiling plane.

Westside Residence - el dorado incThe precise way each of the varying interior and exterior finishes was articulated belied the firm's background in fabrication and I envied their knowledge of connections. Designer's are nothing if not for their detailing, how you take something simple and plain and make it inspiring and beautiful - I definitely aspire to this ideal and I think el dorado has moments of this in every project they undertake.

1737 Main - el dorado inc

Pizzabella South - el dorado inc

Through the years they've grown and their work has spread into all aspects of commercial and civic, but they bring that precision and tight material palette to those spaces as well. Creative firms housed in many of the Kansas City downtown buildings call on el dorado to update their space but trust that they will maintain the historic character and charm. Some examples show the firm successfully doing this by employing colorful wall planes, custom fabricating lighting fixtures and entry canopies and integrating branding and shade structures to add layers to the building.

Woodruff Sweitzer Office - el dorado inc

I know there are many more great spaces to show you from this firm, plus there's a whole story on regional design that I'm sure I haven't touched on but definitely adds to their appeal and unique approach. Long story short I like this firm and look forward to their stuff because their story resonates with me, their materials and details have evolved not changed and their initial work is still glimpsed in their current projects over 15 years later. What firms inspire you and make you seek out their latest projects for your own inspiration?

A month of design...ok, two good weeks!

It's hard to believe that next week is the beginning of October. Aside from hunting down all my cold wet weather gear, October brings with it an amazing amount of design opportunities. October 3rd thru the 13th is the Portland Design Festival, which used to be design and architecture focused but this year has teamed up with Design Week Portland Oct. 7th thu the 12th and now spans many more disciplines of design. The schedule of happenings throughout these events is mind boggling; panel discussions, films, open houses, tours, speakers, parties, you name it. I'm looking forward to attending Designing Women Panel Discussion and Pecha Kucha on October 10th, sponsored by Bitch Magazine - it should make for lively discussion. You should definitely check it out, there seems to be something for everyone!

Happy Friday everyone! It feels like a long week for some reason, so I'm really looking forward to this weekend, even if it is supposed to be VERY wet & there are several kid soccer games on the docket. It's fall, break out the gear and embrace the season!
Here are my fave sites of the week, enjoy...
1. I'm a big fan of prints, especially screen prints and block prints. I especially enjoy when multiple types are mashed together to create a mixed print collage. I ran across Freya Cumming, a Scottish artist whose prints employ this style of collage. The colorful screen printed hot air balloons aloft over the dark urban rooftop silhouettes makes my imagination run wild. Check it out.
2. The fall weather has reinvigorated my search for the perfect boots, why oh why is it so hard to find the one! Of course, when you're not on the hunt - they are coming out of the woodwork! I was recently told to check out 6pm.com, now I'm spending way too much time there... mostly looking at boots, I swear!
3. Enjoying the Makeshift Society's Kickstarter campaign video, lucky thing next week's payday - I'm totally on board. First in San Fran, now Brooklyn, next stop Portland?
4. Great business tips via Oh My! Handmade Goodness. This site has a great marketplace resource made up of their membership base of creative entrepreneurs. 
5. This is a great site to visit and subscribe to. Showcasing the many people making progress towards doing GOOD with public outreach, community engagement & grass roots power.