an early start

michigan is currently having a heat wave. this week it is going to be in the 80s... the 80s! i'm convinced it's here to stay and there are no freak frosts in our future, however, last year it didn't get this hot until may. gardening has begun and these beautiful images of beetlebung farm by photographer gabriela herman make me want to get my hands dirty.

join us

ben convinced me to watch 80s horror classic, the evil dead, this weekend. and, while it wasn't really my thing, i did admire the rotting corpse via claymation closing scene. the movie's sequel is a re-make of the original, an idea that brookyn-based artist kadar brock uses in his exhibition (with matt jones) evil dead 2, currently at the horton gallery in nyc. for the exhibit, brock cannibalized his own work—pealing and sanding away paint and color until little remained.

sentiment

wishing you a love-ly day. don't forget to enter the b+b giveaway. i will be choosing a winner tomorrow! xoxo

(photo by: vivian maier, circa new york 1954)

lying elsewhere

beautiful folds and coils of color in artist liza sylvestre watercolor and gouache paintings.

blog tour + giveaway

butter and brass is having its first giveway! author amy thomas just released her debut memoir, paris, my sweet: a year in the city of light (and dark chocolate), sharing the struggles and sweetness she faced adjusting to a new life and culture in paris. her book, much like her blog, gives an honest and fresh perspective on finding happiness and, perhaps more difficult, the perfect pastry.

after communicating via the web and reading her blog god i love paris for years, i am secretly hoping that this book will bring amy to ann arbor for a reading… if not, i think we're destine to meet in paris someday, waiting in line at ladurée.

for a chance to win a copy of paris, my sweet, please leave a comment below. a winner will be chosen next week. good luck and congratulations amy!


2/16 update - and the winner is... najee! thanks everyone for all of your comments and for entering the giveaway!

all shades of pink and red

valentine's day is coming up and i could use a little more pink and red in my closet. (1) aubin & willis, beachwood blouse, $120; (2) barr co., bubble elixer + bath salts and soak, $30 + $32; (3) sage vaughn, two birds, $250; (4) honeydew, polka-dot bralet + undies, $34 + $16; (5) peony plant; (6) alexander wang, rocco leather tote, $770; (7) steven alan, shelby skirt, $169; (8) st. kilda, pink gold loved ring, $320; (9) theo, pink + grey salted vanilla caramels, $8.80 each; (10) marc jacobs, clark twill dress, $330; (11) heath ceramics, bud vase set, $130; (12) love quotes, italian linen scarf, $90; (13) jean-jacques naudet, marilyn, $25; (14) christian louboutin, simple jazz shoe, $770.

backstage

after seeing the lookbook for ulyana sergeenko's debut collection this fall, from the 50s ankle skirts to the big heals, i've been anxiously waiting for the next in line. these behind the scenes picks from her spring-summer 2012 collection do not disappoint.

living in

like a simple train of thought, brooklyn-based artist echo eggebrecht's painstakingly perfect interior paintings seem to connect without an obvious narrative. her beautiful selection of color and pattern makes it hard to look away.

self control

right now, winter sales are going on in france. because stores don't have clearance racks year-round it makes the bi-annual sales that much more exciting... that is, if you can make it through the season. what i wouldn't give to visit a few of my favorite paris shops.


(image from: sessun)

what you see

artist and photographer zander olsen eliminates the distinction between foreground and background in his ongoing series "tree line."

a year in books

sometimes it feels like i spend most of my nights curled up with a laptop rather than a book, but looking back there were a number that i read and loved last year. with so many amazing pieces of literature, how do you choose? what are you reading? i tend to gravitate toward contemporary fiction, so i try to alternate with an unread classic or autobiography.

hold me

for christmas, i received this sweet little leather pouch, by baggu. it's just right for when i don't want to carry around a monster satchel... or when i need something small to fit inside.

cut me out

winter is going to be here for a while so i might as well embrace it, ideally in the carven la femme hiver 2011 collection. oui, s'il vous plaît.

thoughtful quiet

los angeles based photographer, observer, and listener, ye rin mok, captures small details from a distance.

endless shoreline

i spent my summers growing up on one of minnesota's 10,000+ lakes. to this day, i can't get through july and august without running off a dock or kicking my feet in the nearest body of water. designer nicole meyer is taking on the task of branding one mn lake a day for the next, well, 27 years. during that time, i will be patiently waiting for big turtle.

back from a little break

well... what was going to be one week off turned into one month. i'm sorry for disappearing! i will be back next week, thoroughly rested and ready with new posts for a new year.


(photos by: erin)