Alicia Martin Cascading Books

These stunning cascading book installations by Alicia Martin are insanely cool. I wonder how long they took to make?



(via designverb > urbanprankster)

Bambako

Deliciously pretty and affordable headbands by Bambako.

Communal Restaurant

Yesterday while attending a tasting at the newly opened Communal, I decided that chefs Colton Soelberg and Joseph Mcrae are pretty much my favorite local foodie heroes. The dynamic, kind, and sensationally talented team met while cooking at Sundance and have added to their catalog various experiences at top notch restaurants from San Francisco to New York along the way. Luckily for the Utah crowd, they've decided to land, plant, and expand their horizons in Utah Valley and I couldn't be happier.

First they opened one of my favorite restaurants in the area, the gourmet and sensational Pizzeria 712 which I have been super impressed by. (see previous posts here) Now, opening last Friday comes the comfort food rivaling sister restaurant, Communal. Even more exciting -- a catering company is forthcoming, along with thoughts and visions for other various projects in the area.



At Communal, Colton and Joseph continue to embrace their keen respect for local farmers and ingredients while enhancing their ability to dissect food to the most pure form with depth of rustic flavors being highlighted. Their delicious cuisine accompanied by a stylish and cozy atmosphere including concrete counter tops, beautifully stained wooden floors, crisp white dishes and fantastically edited modern art elevate this place to the next level. All of these elements make me hopeful that this upward mobility in culinary options is only just the beginning in Utah Valley. Locals, and visitors, you now have another exceptional choice in the area with the cozy sophistication of Communal. Go try it out and tell me what you think, and you should really try the butterscotch pot de creme, it is phenomenal!



{Location : 100 N University Ave, Provo, UT
Open : 5-10pm Tuesday through Saturday (lunch coming soon)
Dinner menu prices : $5-19
Website }

(See additional images here)

Studio Spotlight : Andrew and Amy Bannecker

I am delighted to share with you photos from the studio of Andrew and Amy Bannecker. I am a big fan of both of their work which I previously mentioned here and here. What an amazing and artistic duo they are. Above is Andrew's work and below is more of Amy' s Embellished Ink line. Terrific, huh?



Now... peek into their outrageously hip studio. What a fun and interesting place for them both to create. Thanks for letting us see your space Amy and Andrew. I've uploaded more to see here.

Elina Minn

I agree with Dear Ada these are absolutely stunning. Aren't these amazing compositions by Elina Minn? Love them...

Au Revoir Simone's Shadows

If you love Au Revoir Simone, you've got to check out their new video called Shadows which recently premiered here. It is lovely and what Lynch said, (which you can read on the site) I believe is right on mark. Check it out.

Subway Yearbook Photos

Clever. Improv Everywhere is at it again. They installed a photo studio on the subway and took photos for a so called metro yearbook. Hilarious. See more about the mission here. (via swissmiss)

Simplesong Design

I am happy that Suann from simplesong design is coming out with some new goods this week!! Have a peek at items from her new line which includes a 2010 calendar, kraft boxes and tags for treats, correspondence sets and mini note cards. As always, I love her simplicity and clean designs. Keep your eye on her blog and shop for updates.

Baby Shower

This weekend my mom and I threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law Melissa. It was a lot of fun with unexpected happenings along the way, but that is the joy of throwing a party or shower, right? We used this recipe for caramel apples, which were very good, but while making they got a bit sticky and tricky. Here are a few shots of the shower. Congrats Melissa + Jake!

Update : Since many of you have asked and I forgot to mention, the straws are from a shop in Paris, the cupcake liners were given to me as a gift, but you can find them here and we were inspired by Amy Atlas for the kraft paper trees and favor boards.

Archie Grand Notebooks

These notebook's titles by Archie Grand are very comical. Have a look at all the options. Wouldn't they make the perfect gift?

Dressing like a kid...

My relaxed and minimal style resembles the causal looks of the crewcut line more than the grown-up women's line. So, I thought why not play a little dress up. How can I make their mini looks work on a taller frame? Here are a few ideas...

What other kid's lines do you wish they made in adult sizes? I also played dress up with these and stylish looks for less... maybe I will share those next week.


LOOKS:
1: Ethnic Silk Dress / Moccasin Boots / Pink tights
2: Long Sleeve Shirt / Skirt / Boots / Bracelet
3: Sweater / Necklace / Boots / Jeans

Sequence by Julianna Goodman

Happy Friday! Check out this stop motion animation created by Julianna Goodman, a graphic designer, art director and illustrator based out of Brooklyn. It is crafted from paint chips, tape, found images, type and a paper bag using Adobe Premiere. The music is entitled, "Five Step" created by Overdub (Dave Brubeck vs. Radiohead). It is brilliant, and the bright bold colors and shapes coupled with the music makes me incredibly cheerful. Enjoy! Her website and portfolio is super amazing too.

Dutch Door Press

A wonderful letterpress state bird collection from Dutch Door Press.

White on Rice

A new sponsor this month is "White on Rice" which looks like a hilarious and creative indie film. It is currently playing in areas of California and opens this weekend in various UT locations and Seattle next week. Find out more about it here. It looks so quirky and delightful!


*If you would like to become a Black Eiffel sponsor, email blackeiffel@gmail.com for rates.

Mor Dala Collection

I am a fan of the packaging and color palette of the remarkably beautifully Mor cosmetics.

Dreamy fall handbags

Yesterday, I took two of my handbags to the cute old man at the shoe repair shop to fix some grommets etc... do your handbags ever fall apart? With my two favorites in the shop, I thought I would have a look at some current handbags out there, all a bit on the spendy side, but gorgeous ones to dream about. Right now at piperlime they are having a 20% off shoes and handbags sale, which ends today. How much do you spend on a great handbag?

1: Furla
2: Sondra Roberts
3: Frye
4: Tano

Sian Keegan

My daughter is mildly obsessed with horses and zebras lately. These gorgeous handmade patchwork horses by Sian Keegan are being put on our wish list.

inBloom Event Design

Beautiful wedding eye candy with a modern and minimal edge by InBloom Event Design. I like their tag line which classifies their non-gaudy styling, "the use of sequins, fake ancient columns, and frou-frou are strictly prohibited."

Hockey - Song Away

Have you heard of the Portland band Hockey? The catchy tune, 'Song away' has a fun, quirky dance party 80s vibe music video. I love dancing music videos. (like this, this and this) What about you? (via Music Ramen)

Martha Stewart Living - October

Over at the Hostess with the Mostess, I came across these images from the Martha Stewart Living October issue. I love the cover and fun images, and I can't wait to go check my mail to flip through the whole thing. October seems to often be one of my favorite issues they produce, with lots of great Halloween and Autumn ideas. Overall their issues have gotten better, what do you think? How many of you read and/or subscribe to Living? (Just curious.)

Itty Bitty in the City Party

Isn't this "itty bitty in the city" party adorable?! Love the idea of the tiny 1.5" square invitations by Giddy Ink. (Photography is by Rafael Tongol)

(via Always Tuesday)

Indiana...

A few more photos I took of the Indiana countryside. Ahh, the simple life.

Renegade Handmade

While in Chicago we stopped in the shop Renegade Handmade. Unfortunately we missed the craft fair by a few days, big bummer -- but it was neat to walk into a place exclusively catered to unique, artistic and creative handmade items. One regret I have is not stopping to talk to the magnificent artists in the front, I was so focused on quickly perusing the shop while my husband was watching our busy toddler that I didn't realize what they were doing, and who they were until I left the shop. (Have you ever had a moment like that?) Remember Chad Kouri's work I mentioned here? Well -- I believe that is him and Jesse Brown in the photo above, so ... "hello Chad and Jesse, nice to meet you" if you are reading this. Have you been to the craft fair before in the various cities across the U.S.? Tell me all about it... and isn't their work great?


Print and collage above by Chad Kouri.


Work above by Jesse Brown who also worked on this amazing Mykonos video.

Nanette Lepore

Airy and bright by Nanette Lepore...
(images from Style.com)

Hanging laundry

While in Indiana I had a fixation of taking photos of hanging laundry. I especially loved the Amish laundry because of the multicolored dresses. I made my husband turn around a few times on country roads and a couple Amish people looked at me in disbelieve when I photographed their laundry, but ... isn't it beautiful?

Seesaw calendar

This letterpress calendar inspired by nature and modern shapes by Seesaw Designs is beautiful! I can't believe it is almost 2010. Find it here for $28.

Marc by Marc Jacobs ...

African inspired and lively looks by Marc by Marc Jacobs.
(images from Style.com)