image: i can’t remember where i found this. if you know please tell me!

It’s Friday! And this post is coming to you straight off a fabulous camping trip….yep, we took a 24 hour jaunt to the redwoods. It was amazing! I’ll post more about it next week but until then, here are some fun things to check out over the 3 day weekend. The video at the end is my super favorite!

1. CLEVER IDEAS WITH YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS


Holly at decor8 is one of my favorite people. She had these super sweet little books you can make with your Intagram photos. I love them! She also has a whooooole bunch of other ideas too.  See more here.

2. STAY MARRIED

This has been making the rounds and I finally sat down and read it. It’s AWESOME. 15 Ways to stay married 15 years. Lydia Netzer is a wise woman. Read it here.

3. DIY BAKER’S TWINE

Love the look of baker’s twine but not sure you want to shell out the bucks it costs? (it is KINDA hard to rationalize “fancy string”). This DIY is awesome!

4. DA DA DADA DA DA CIRCUS! CIRCUS!

The best $20 you can spend! This little tent from IKEA pops up and is great for indoor and outdoor play (in nice weather). It has made our entire family smile—especially O’Malley.

5. MOST EMBARRASSING (AND AWESOME) DAD EVER.

Oh I love this story! Dale Price thought it would be funny to wave enthusiastically to his 15 year old son every morning as the bus pulled away. He decided to take it a little further and started dressing up. Every. Single. Morning. His son was initially embarrassed. But soon he (and the entire bus) started to look forward to it. Check it out here. SO sweet!

6. TOTORO!

I soooo want this Totoro iPad case! You can get one here. They have iPhone cases too.

7. BEATLES WALK THE OTHER WAY.

The Beatle’s Abbey Road cover is iconic. But did you know there was another version? There was. The photographer apparently had ten minutes to shoot the cover and he managed to get six shots. The alt version features them walking the other way. And Paul is wearing shoes. Oh, and it just sold for a lot of money. See more here.

8. BLACKBERRY GOAT CHEESE HEAVEN.

Mmmmmm. I swear I could feature something from Tracy every single hootenanny. These little tarts look SOO tasty.

9. CUPCAKE FLOWER LIGHTS

There are some people who look at cupcake liners and think, “Shoot, I need to make 30 cupcakes for the last little league game!” And then there are some people who look at them and think, “Oooooh! I can make some pretty flower lights out of these!” Steph Hung is one of those people. Check out her amazing DIY on Oh Happy Day.

10. ROCKIN WALL ART FOR KIDS.

Oh yeeeeah! I am a guest contributor over at the lovely Simple Design and just in case you missed it, I did a super fun post on awesome “grown-up” art that would actually add a fun little sparkle to your kiddo’s room! Check it out over here.

BONUS VIDEO

I can’t stop watching this video. It was originally posted on Hello Giggles back in November, but then my friend Tracy (Shutterbean) turned me on to it last week. It’s SO AWESOME!!!! Watching this girl dance cracks me up. You have to watch the whole thing. She rules. HAPPY FRIDAY!

It’s Mother’s Day tomorrow! Did you make/send your mama something? If not, a phone call is still special. I’m always torn with what to do on mother’s day. On the one hand, it’s nice to have “me time”….get a manicure. A massage. Sit outside and read a book. But I also just really love spending time with my guys. And having a day with them is always something I enjoy. Rumor has it they are making blueberry coffee cake for me (yes, my non-sweet loving son actually has been really into BAKING lately….go figure!). To all the mama’s out there, may your day be amazing and wonderful. You deserve it! Now….on to some links.

1. PRETTY PERSONAL PRESENT.

Our friend Mari over at Small for Big came up with the sweetest little DIY printable. It would make a PERFECT last mother’s day gift if you are still on the prowl. Make one before tomorrow over here! Or save it for a birthday project.

2. HEY DADDY-O.

This was listed as “my dad’s band”. I don’t know who the kid is, but if this was his dad’s band I am hoping he’s a pretty cool cat himself. I LOVE these photos. See more of  his “dad’s band” here.

3. SHE FOUND THEM SOMEWHERE, OVER THE RAINBOW.

When I was younger, my godmother Tanta Judy always gave me a Madame Alexander doll for my birthday and Christmas. I LOOOOVED them. When I was younger, I was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. So much so that I went as Dorothy for halloween and my parents used to always buy me Wizard of Oz “stuff” as gifts. (although in my bratty 20s I requested they stop.) Anyway, I was soooo charmed by this entire collection of Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz dolls that my friend Jenny unearthed. You’ll never guess where they are from! See more here. The blue “Oh Wee Oh!” guy is awesome.

4. STICKY FINGERS

These little colorful stickie notes are so fun….they’d make great book marks. Find them here.

5.  GETTIN’ DOWN TO BUSINESS.

I’m a big fan of Bri’s blog, designlovefest. She always has gorgeous eye candy, but she also has lots of thoughtful posts on freelancing, running your business and building your blog. This post is a recap of a a session she did recently on consistency of your blog “brand” and i thought it was great. Check it out here.

6. OH WHAT A PEAR.

This Vanilla Pear Cocktail is intended to be a fall beverage, but I think it looks so refreshing I can still imagine sipping it on a lovely warm spring Mother’s Day! Find out how to make it here. (via sfgirlbybay)

7. A BRIGHT IDEA.

This is not only a decorative sticker, it’s also a phosphorescent night light for kids, which glows in the dark when you switch off the light providing comfort during night hours. So sweet. Get them over at My Sweet Muffin.

8. A BEAUTIFUL WALK TO PARIS.
In 1962 illustrator/graphic designer extraordinaire Saul Bass made a children’s book. This past February they re-issued this marvelous book and now you can get all the magic of Henri’s Walk to Paris without having to obsessively troll thrift stores and used book shops. (ahem. not that anyone around here has been known to do THAT….)

9. PANIC AT THE DISCO
Feelin’ like your homies aren’t as ready for mother’s day as they should be? Send ’em over to Shutterbean. She has some awesome brunch ideas for the guys and gals in your life to whip up for you!

10. BONUS VIDEO // MARY POPPINS GETS SMOOTH
Have you seen (heard) these amazing remixes? They are sort of groovy, downtempo electronica but very very cool (via Black Eiffel). I also really love the Harry Potter “Alohomora” remix.

Ah the Friday Link Hootenanny is turning more and more into the “Weekend Link Hootenanny” but I think that’s A-OK, and I hope you do too. We had a little bit of rain and cold but now we’re back to glorious sun shine! What do you have going on this weekend? In the meantime, here are some fun links that caught my eye….

1. PRADA GIFS GOOD ANIMATION

GIFs are all hot again. Even fashion powerhouse Prada is jumping on the bandwagon and have released a series of little playful GIFs that will debut on different fashion blogs. I found these over at style bubble. Check out more here.

2. MIDCENTURY WOW!

Pam over at Retro Renovation always has the most amazing finds for vintage lovers. This home tour of a 1954 midcentury masterpiece is one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen! See the complete tour here.

3. INSTA GLAM

Wow. These high fashion photos were all taken by photographer Nick Knight via Instagram. Again WOW. See more here. (spied via whorange)

4. INSTA PILLOWS.

A pillow made up of instagram photos? How fun! I can see this being great for a kid’s room. Get yours here.

5. INSTA OBSESSION

Yes. I’m obsessed. I find instagram SO fun (both to browse and to shoot with). I loved this post on how to shoot like your favorite film director. Find out more over here. (To get the dreamy, vintage look of Anderson’s upcoming Moonrise Kingdom, add the Earlybird filter!)

6. MINI BUT MIGHTY.

Our sweet pal Erin of Design for Mankind just launched a brand new site called Design for Mini Kind. It’s already got loads of fun goodies, we can’t wait to see what else she comes up with! Congratulations Erin!

7. ROOTY TOOTY FRESH & FRUITY

Balloons shaped like fruits? Yes. Totally adorable (and do-able!). See more over here.

8. THIS SKIRT IS CURTAINS

This curtain was a skirt three minutes ago. Nice one, Aunt Peaches. See more here.

9. OLIVE DESIGN MOM

Design Mom is one of my favorite reads. Gabrielle Blair seems to navigate what could be a chaotic life (6 kiddos!) with such grace and aplomb. In addition to writing about cool design, she and her family moved from the States to a charming farmhouse in the French countryside and it’s been fascinating to follow along. It was meant to be a year long adventure, but now they are extending their stay for another year (or so) and I couldn’t be more excited. I have loved following her exploits. Do you read Design Mom? If not, I def recommend it. Check out the side bar for links to their French Adventure and a tour of the home they live in, La Cressonnière!

10. BONUS VIDEO// OLIVE US

Gabrielle is launching a new video series….here is the trailer. It looks like it will give us a further sneak peek into French living.

image: Erin Hanson

Oh happy joy! We are having GLORIOUS weather here in California. FINALLY! We had weeks of rain and cold and fog. And the sunshine is soooo welcome. The only person not thrilled with the heat? Sammy (our dog….he’s got a big ol fur coat!). We have a busy weekend….little league games, science fair project prep, greg’s band has a gig….lots going on! Also, I’m super excited because my parents are coming out for a visit next week. We’re calling it a “work visit” because they have agreed to help me clean out our basement—aka the vintage wasteland. It’s a huge undertaking but one that has been YEARS coming. My friends will know, I’ve been complaining about the mess down there for ages. AGES! So look forward to some updates on that—and plenty of Instagram documentation of vintage treasures as they are unearthed (I’m “galexina” on there….dottie is “missdottie“). Oh, and if you haven’t entered our Big Kate Spade Giveaway, you MUST! You have til this coming Thursday at 11:59pm, PST.

OK. Continuing on with our Month of Color, some super bright links for you this week! HAPPY WEEKEND!

1. RAINBOW ART

Crafted out of rows of plastic clothespins, Peg Carpet was created by Dutch art collective We Make Carpets and is simply incredible. (via plentyof colour)

2. RAINBOW CHOPSTICKS

Color, color, color. These chopsticks would make any meal more fun. They’d look awesome in a cup in the center of a table.

3. RAINBOW EMBROIDERY

This mixe-media artwork by Jose Romussi is so pretty. (via whorange)

4. RAINBOW MARNI CHAIRS


I love Marni’s shoes and handbags (even though I can’t afford to buy one). Now they’ve created something else for me to covet— a collection of 100 colorful wicker chairs. Each one is made by an ex-convict in Colombia re-assimilating into society. Dang. (via coolhunting)

5. RAINBOW ORIGAMI BOAT CANDLES

How lovely are these Origami Boat Candles by designer Roman Ficek? Available in six colours, they are beautifully crafted facets of thin wax. I would love to see a pool with thousands floating about… (via plenty of color)

6. RAINBOW ROYALTY

This is awesome. Vogue magazine has studied every outfit The Queen of England has worn in the last 12 months to see if they could find her favorite. Like any good royal, she favors a regal blue and finds beige boring. As well she should. See the entire collage of her outfits here. So fun!

7. RAINBOW  ART SUPPLIES

Todd Oldham + Target = Awesome. Those diamond shapes? Yeah. They’re crayons. Coming May 20. See more here.

8. RAINBOW RECORDS

Sweet Modern Kiddo friend Deb (of Amongst the Knick Knacks) sent me this awesome photo….she used vintage children’s records to add a splash of color to her son Wolfgang’s wall. I just love how it turned out! By the way, Deb is not only sweet as can be, her son is also named Wolfgang AND her husband is also named Greg. WILD!!

9. RAINBOW RUN

This race I saw over on Gala Darling sounds (and looks!) amazing. I’m not exactly sporty but this is something I’d love to try.  The Color Run is a unique 5 kilometres event unlike any other. As the founders describe it, the run is a one of a kind experience that is less about speed and more about enjoying a color crazy day with your friends and family. All levels of experience are welcome, all that matters is that you participate… & that you wear white clothing! Why? Because at every mile marker, volunteers throw coloured powder on the runners, turning the procession into a moving rainbow. Sign me up!

10.BONUS VIDEO: RAINBOW DANCE with OK GO

Hello friends! So wow, we are halfway through our Month of Color! I hope you’re enjoying it as much as we are! I mean, we are always rather colorful over here, but it’s kind of neat to really focus on going bold! I love seeing all these splashes of color everywhere. Next week will be super fun as our Big Mystery Giveaway will be happening!!! Can you even guess what it is??? EEP! In the spirit of our colorful month, I have a rather colorful Hootenanny for you this week too! HAPPY FRIDAY everyone!!

1. THE RED BALL PROJECT

The Red Ball Project from Kurt Perschke is so super cool. A giant balloon-like ball that mysteriously pops up around the world. How fun! And can I please get a nod for avoiding any big balls jokes? (via apartment therapy)

2. VINTAGE POSTER PERFECTION

Awesome Modern Kiddo reader Alice sent me these vintage posters and I think I want them ALL!! See the whole collection over at the Human Empire Shop.

3. WHEN COLOR ROCKS

Designer Mark Giglio does all kinds of charming cool work out of his studio pen pencil stencil in Oakland, CA. Like Girard-inspired wooden figurines and this exceptionally cool Eames rocker.  Check ’em out here.

4. PRETTY PLUMES OF COLOR.

Silky, luscious, flowing…..diaphanous fabric? Nope. Inky blue-green and purple streams in water. Italian designer Alberto Seveso has released a brand new series of beautiful underwater photography that is just beautiful. AND available as desktop wallpaper. (via jeannie jeannie)

5. JAPANESE FAIRY FLOWER GARDEN

My friend Annemarie tipped me off to this awesomeness. This Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan looks like its straight out of a dream. Absolutely breathtaking. I would love to skip through that on a sunny day!

6. THIS FIRE PLACE IS HOT

I have always wanted an outdoor lounge area….with comfy couches and yes. A fireplace. I never even dared dream of a hot pink fireplace. (found via honeyhouses)

7. POST IT NOTE PRETTIES

Artist Florian Hildebrandt has made an art form out of Post-It notes. I especially love the tree.

8. SOMEWHERE OVER THE LIVING ROOM

This flat in Hong Kong took its decorating cues from old 70s interior design books. The space age stripes are pretty fun. See more here.

9. GET JUICED WITH SHUTTERBEAN

My friend Tracy is a fabulous cook—in addition to yummy meals, she is always concocting these amazing colorful juices. Juicing is really popular and a fantastic way to get the color of fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. Tracy  just relaunched her site (it looks amazing!) and to celebrate she is giving away this insane juicer! Head on over to enter and try to win one of your own!

10 BONUS VIDEO: MORE4

UK TV Chanel More4 has undergone a colorful metamorphoses in this stylish new identity system. They did a really cool stop motion animation of the logo made out of little tiles. Super cool!