One artifact

One of these three. Which one got broken?

It survived a tumble in a suitcase across the ocean. It managed to escape breaking at the grabby hands of my 4-year old. It also teetered on the edge of the bed one morning thanks to my 2-year-old daughter, but never fell.

The hand-painted statuette my mom made when she was a little girl, it's pastel pink dress and creamy white angel wings, was like the traveling gnome prank, always showing up somewhere new in our house. But now it's gone to artifact heaven, that place where all the little tchotchke's go when they're broken. Fitting that the word tchotchke is from Yiddish* - my mother's family spoke it, and I wonder if my bookish, clutter-oriented grandmother would be dismayed I have so few of them now.

At a time when I'm paring down stuff, it surprises me how hard it is to accept that the ceramic is gone.

How do you say goodbye to an object that is emotionally laden?

It's timely that the theme of the inaugural issue of MOTIF Mag is Nostalgia. It's cover is graced with a retro feel, but a quick peek inside shows nostalgia can take on a fresh look.

I'm proud to have designed the logo and title of this enticing and lovely free online magazine. Partnering with Lara Cory and Tegan Pasley, we created a motif, no less, for a theme-oriented magazine welcoming talent, skills, and ideas from readers related to the next issue. I hope you'll subscribe and seep yourself in the world of nostalgia. 

*The OAD says the first usage of tchotchke was in the 60's, Merriam-Webster the 70's. Regardless of when it came into parlance, the little effigy I moved from ramshackle apartment to apartment in the Midwest and then over to Turkey, was made in 1955, born just in time to fit the definition.

Free Recipe Cards

From my design archives I dug out a set of vintage-inspired recipe cards I made last year. Download the free size A4 PDFs by clicking on the images below or browse my Mediafire folder for downloading. Please share and enjoy! Bon Apetit! Aftiyet Olsun!

A4 Set of two Recipe Cards (Form-fill PDF)
A4 Set of two Recipe Cards (Print and Fill PDF)

A4 Set of four Recipe Cards (Print and Fill PDF)

Silk Road Stories

Friendships made in just a few short hours. Life stories shared, professional commonalities discovered, mothering suggestions offered, all while eating some of the best Turkish food I've had in Turkey. The women I met from the Bursa International Women's Association were French, Italian, German, Russian, American, and more. How were we able to relate to each other with different cultural viewpoints? Different occupations, different ages? I went to speak about creativity and left marveling at the ability for community to form abroad. Enlightened conversation. Multi-national viewpoints.

Bursa, known for being the last stop on the silk road, has a vibrant international women's community. I met a Turkish woman who runs her own coffee shop after first studying finance in Turkey, designing textiles in New York, and returning to start afresh with coffee and pastries she decorates herself. I met an American opening the first quilting shop in Turkey that will be selling fabric online (yea for me!). I met a German graphic designer who breezed through my drawing exercises. I met homemakers juggling multiple kids and learning new languages. I met a woman with her 2-month old baby who apologized for her English while elegantly articulating that the only thing she wants to do is be a mother right now.

Riding a bus to Bursa that left at 7:30 a.m., I sat next to a university student wearing hand-knit leg warmers and gloves who offered me her saltine crackers. 11 hours later, we coincidentally rode the same bus back to Izmit, laughing when we boarded the small service bus that took us home to nearby neighborhoods. She studied economics. Had taken her final exam that day. She was a photographer. We made a date for coffee.

I believe that the things most difficult to overcome, public speaking being way out of my comfort zone, are emboldened by passion. By the support of a community that honors unique, individual voices that examine larger cultural patterns. I am passionate about art and life being merged, even if it is messy. I am grateful for breaking out of routines. And the kismet relationships that can form just by hopping a bus.

A guest at Colette

I'm so happy to share that this week marks my second week as guest poster at Colette Patterns, where Sarai designs gorgeous garments for real women. Chantilly or Eclair may be my favorites, and I love how the names conjure Paris, cafes, vintage stores, and fashion icons. Every week I'll be illustrating visual inspiration and sharing thoughts and ideas about design, sewing, nesting, and beautiful things that shape our days, little bursts of fanciful drawings to muse upon while sewing away.

Please take a look even if you are not a sewist; Colette Patterns are marvelous eye candy and I couldn't be more pleased to be there every week as a guest blogger.

xo Rose

The non-binary life

When an emerging American artist moves to Turkey and starts a family, she navigates new definitions of career and home life. What does that look like? Come join the discussion on art + domesticity cohabitating at expat+HAREM where I am a guest poster on art, nesting, and being an expatriate.

Guest blogger at IC

This month I've been asked by Tara and Figen of Intarsia Concept (IC) to contribute as a guest design blogger. IC supports the development of creative endeavors and gives resources for creative entrepreneurs to build viable businesses. To give you a little teaser about what I'll be discussing, here's a clue:

Look for my first post this weekend. Come join in on the conversation if you consider yourself a creative entrepreneur making your own products, or are just curious about what I might have to say! Thanks, Tara and Figen for this opportunity!

From Australia, with love

This past summer I did a magazine swap with the lovely Keryn of Eighty Days Design. I got the magazines before I left for a trip home to the US, but for one reason or another didn't get to delve into them until my return. I also think that because we were in completely different seasons (it was winter for her in July-August), I couldn't dive into pictures of warm slippers and sweaters, deeper colors like browns, reds and yellow, until now. I think that was one kind of enjoyable outcome of the swap - it gave me something to save for later, and now that we are getting a chill in the air in the morning and evening, sitting down with these magazines is pure heaven. She sent me not only three design magazines, including Vogue Living and Frankie magazine, but also gorgeous fabric and some of her cards.

I have big plans for this fabric, and now that I'm cross-stitching again, it will involve a hoop and some embroidery thread.  Note the cute lion head below the fabric? That's because Lina's crib is in my studio. Studio by day, nursery by night.

I noticed a little bit of a Turkish theme running through Inside Out magazine that Keryn sent me.   In an article on things under $100, I found this great pillow of the Aya Sophia in Istanbul from PipWilly. And then, Turkey's very own Divan Turkish Delight, below, made the same spread. 

Keryn's blog is wonderful, and it is fun to see her influences and behind-the-scenes peeks into how she makes her cards. Thank you Keryn, for the new project, some great morning magazine reading, and some beautiful cards that I can't decide whether to save or send....

Luna Park

This photo from LeCool Magazine Istanbul edition caught my eye. the aqua green color does it for me, that's for sure. But also the vintage feel is great, and the way everyone's suspended in air.

I am making yogurt this morning (heat four kg of unpasteurized milk on the stove until boiling; let boil for five minutes then turn off; wait until it cools and add a tsp of thick yogurt to the milk, stir; cover partly with lid and wrap entire pot with towels for remainder of day; at night put into fridge; voila!), and did some sweat-inducing house cleaning like mopping the balcony and vacuuming under the carpets. If any of my friend from college are reading my blog, they probably won't believe me. Yesterday I hung new curtains that I am contemplating ironing (Can you believe it? I know!) but like the kind of natural way they hang. I'll snap some pics, promise.

You'd think that if I had time to clean my balcony I'd also have time to get to the pile of things overflowing my desk. Most of the time my office/studio is the last room to get cleaned, but I hate to disturb the karma dust which helps propel projects along. That being said, I am far more tidy than I used to be in the studio in graduate school.

Why a beautiful photo prompted me to discuss my cleaning methods, I have no idea. But I'm wondering if others might have an interesting Thursday tale to tell? By the way, the smell of warm milk has filled the house. It's absolutely delicious and homey.

Marie Claire Maison, June 09

I just participated in a recent magazine swap helped along by Holly Becker's post on decor8 and a forum on Kindred, sending magazines from Turkey to a lovely new friend in New York. I thought about how I sometimes see really gorgeous things in Turkish magazines and that they reach such a small audience. This is partly because it is in Turkish, but also because many of the spreads are regional. In major magazines like Marie Claire Maison, Elle Decor, and others, some of what I see are reused stories and interiors from UK or US versions. While interesting for Turkish readers, it doesn't excite me because I can find those same stories elsewhere. So in the spirit of sharing interiors and objects specific to Turkey, I've snapped some pics of some eye-catching pages. Above, coral and turquoise kitchen decor from Boyner.

Zodiac-inspired beding from Zorlu, from the Valeron collection. The magazine features a horoscope in its ad. While searching for a website for Zorlu that wasn't corporate, I found Dekor Türkiye. Not the prettiest website, but I can see there is more of a concern about interiors and decor being available online now in Turkey as compared to four years ago.

Cheerful kitchen accessories from a handful of places, from Ikea to Paşabahçe. I'm a huge fan of Paşabahçe for their gorgeous catalogs and range of offerings from luxurious to economic. Minus the unfortunate cake stand I didn't buy two weeks ago, I've been happy with everything from their cookery to wine glasses.

Gorgeous painted and inlaid tilework and pattern from the house of Uğur Batur on the Bosphorus.

From the same humble home (ha!), an incredibly gorgeous salon. As an aside, rather than scanning I took the photos with my Canon and it gives the illusion of being a miniature painting rather than a real space, doesn't it?

This fulfills my fantasty of having a bed draped in red velvet and surrounded by paintings. Why leave your room?

A couple from Belgium have settled in Turkey and created a dreamy, airy and sumptuous home. This is the entryway to their salon.

If I were a travel agent, and my clients had an unlimited budget, I would have them stay at this hotel and then sneak in so I could see it. Immitating a palace, this amazing hotel is suitably named Mardan Palace and is in Antalya, a resort city I have yet to see. If you are in Turkey or Turkish and you read that, you'll probably be ashamed for me that I've lived in Turkey four years and never been. Oh, well. I'm saving something for later, and my pennies for this hotel.

Check out the cushions in this close up. And that tea set. Brocade. Oh, my!

So now I'm free to pass on this magazine to a willing taker, in exchange for something fresh off the shelf in another country, and it need not be in English. Anyone? I should note that the binding on this magazine has loosened and that many of the pages are free because it is an oversized issue. If you don't mind, and want to cut up and/or post on an inspiration board, I'd be happy to send it to a new home.

Lemonade Award

Thanks to the lovely Keryn of Eighty Days Design and her other blog gryb at home, I've been awarded the Lemonade Award. Now, to choose only 1o of the most delightful and inspiring blogs that I love!

1. Figen of The Knit Box has inspired me with her new blog. After many years of thinking about having a blog, she finally did it, and her writing, thoughts, and free knitting patterns are so engaging.

2. A new quilter myself, I find Rachel Griffith's p.s. i quilt totally inspiring and funny. With her playfulness and complete love of quilting, I've found myself hooked. Patchwork, here I come.

3. I know that getting a humble Lemonade Award from me might not mean much to a pro-blogger like Anna Maria Horner, but because of her I wait by my blog reader daily with cup of coffee in hand for updates on her studio, her fabric, and her new baby.

4. How About Orange makes me very happy, every day. I love Jessica's tutorials, bright and cheerful photographs, and her Friday Time Wasters.

5. The happy ladies of Intarsia Concept instruct those of us in arts and craft based businesses how to stay afloat, how to pursue those dreams, and most of all, how to make it all happen in a practical way.

6. Having just discovered Ruth's Crafting Istanbul, adventures of a would-be needlewoman, I'm hooked.

7. My friend Tara's blog reminds me always of the good things people are doing in the world, and she writes about social responsibility in a thoughtful, and meaningful way.

8. Ilknur of Bosphorus Glass makes beautiful handmade glass beads, and has just started silversmithing. She's a girl with amazing talent and a million ideas.

9. In Turkish, but with lots of beautiful photos, Kımızı Minder is a glimpse into a life and design blog in Istanbul.

10. From pillows to embroidery, industrial design to surface pattern and notecards, Twig & Thistle rounds up the best and most interesting things out there into one juicy blog.

And that's it, folks! For those of you who want to pass along the award if you've been nominated on this list, read below.*

Every now and then it's really nice to narrow down the blog pool. Some days I can look at my blog roll and get totally overwhelmed. So much to see, so much to read, but what I come back to time and time again are blogs driven by a passion and goal to share, to create, and to ignite their readers with a sense of inclusion and inspiration to create.

*To pick up the Lemonade Stand Award:
- Comment on this blog.
- Copy the award and save to your computer, and then upload it to your blog.
- Nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.
- Link to your nominees within your blog post.
- Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.
- Link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.

Wall Estate at APW

My little bit of wall estate at APW's WOI Vol.2 show. Notice the big yellow arrow directing you to my corner. I magnified many many photos to try to find my humble two. Thanks, APW. Sure must have been a lot of effort to hang 300 x 5 paintings for one show. Hoping my paintings make it back to Turkey as safely as they made it to NY.

Designer Portfolio : Steven Miller

Designer Portfolio : DP CHILDRENS ROOMS : Home & Garden Television

This beautiful pink bedroom from Steven Miller is, I agree with H&G, not too overwhelming despite the layered hues. My favorite part of the room is the backdrop molding on the walls. I love how paint can create such a stage for the rest of the room.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A thoughtful postcard

Everything good has a story behind it, and some of the lovely things I've collected over time are no exception. Last year I bought a vintage embroidered tableau from Emily Lynch Vintage with the title "To a Friend's House the Way is Never Long" and it was nearly identical to the one my mother made when I was a child. I had to have it in my new home in Turkey, so I ordered it from Emily who cheerfully obliged my story about reclaiming a childhood artifact, and waited for the mail. And waited. Turns out some silly postal worker confused Turkey with Saudi Arabia and routed the embroidery via Saudi post, and when the package arrived in the mail, there was a stamp in blue informing me of it's detour. Happy to have it, I chuckled, but also thought, this oversight is a bit illustrative of people's misconceptions about the Middle East.

The adventurous embroidery, framed

Emily made my day again by sending a thoughtful postcard in the mail recalling this incident and our amusement over it, and in terms of customer loyalty, the postcard idea really works. It made me happy to see something besides a bill in the mailbox. The 94 cents an international postcard costs could secure a lasting relationship with a customer, and I immediately went to Emily's Etsy shop to peruse again.


This time I found a beautiful vintage tray that I think might just make it in the mail, if Emily is willing to take a chance on a the postal service again. Lest my earnest promotion of the tray cause someone else to want it as much as I do, I should really put it in my cart right away. It is one of a kind, after all. I do wish people like Emily much success because of the effort they put into reaching out and connecting with customers. It really makes a difference in if I return to a website to shop again.

Maquette

day 15 Der Bilderklub, originally uploaded by samlovesherdog.

Gorgeous watercolors from Maquette for Der Bilderklub.

Lately, I've been working my way down my blog reader and sometimes it just feels rather strenuous. I avoid the blogs with a huge number of posts I haven't read, and just take sips from the others because I can only handle so much visual at one time. I really wish people would post just a little bit less so I could absorb more, sometimes. And I've been in Twitter land so 140 characters is sometimes enough for me!

A stunning illustration makes the digging through blog posts worth it, however.

The Moroccan Palette

Sephora's new Moroccan Palette was just the thing to pull me out of a Sunday blah.



I used to make paintings based on makeup colors, and even now reference cosmetics and adornment in my work. Taking a mental break from a marathon day of product photos and descriptions, data entry and attempting to get the children to bed at a reasonable time (plus meals and baths), I'm staring at these shimmery colors and thinking of travel.... which is exactly what they want me to do. I adore the gold pattern, and the hint of gold in the eyeshadow. Sephora is the sexiest cosmetic website, and a generous portion of my first real paycheck working full time was spent there, in person with a dear friend who introduced me to the world of eyeliner and the classic Poppy red lipstick. It is also where I discovered my fragrance, Hanae Mori. I wear others, but always come back to Hanae Mori.

Susy Jack

Love this heart and arrow set from Susy Jack! I hadn't been really thinking ahead to Valentine's Day, but I think this would be nice for my sweetie any time of year. I also love Susy Jack's website. Her banner has a hand-drawn and graphic feel to it, and as far as subscribing to a list is concerned, her announcements are infrequent enough that I get excited to see them in my in-box, but not so much so that I forget about her work. You can read her stylish and readable blog here.

Kiln Party

Yesterday we enjoyed a delightful party celebrating Zeynep and Meryem's new kiln that Nest helped them buy using a micro-loan. It was so exciting to see the first things that came out of the kiln. We all got interviewed by the local Golcuk newspapers, and I did my best in Turkish, and later were filmed by a Turkish-Dutch couple who are doing a documentary on the area. 10 years ago they came to Golcuk after the 1999 earthquake and followed 6 families after the disaster. Now they are back to follow up and see the changes. I am happy that Zeynep and Meryem are contributing to the resurgence of the area. They were so comfortable in front of the camera, and I felt all nervous and bouncy, with Lina on my shoulder falling asleep.

Way in the back of the photo you can see a bright blue square, and that is the kiln. In front of it is a red ribbon that we cut, as is traditional here, when a new shop (or in this case, a big item like a kiln) opens or is celebrated for the first time. We cut the ribbon with scissors embellished with The Knit Box beads.

I know that I must also post photos of our apartment now that we are moved in and mostly settled. But without art on the walls, I don't want to do it just yet. I may be posting less in the next three weeks as I'm going home to visit my family for an early Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sequin Clutch in Good Houskeeping

Well, we've officially moved in and are dodging boxes and stuff everywhere, so pictures will have to wait. I found out that Sevinc's Sequin Clutch for Nest has been featured in Good Housekeeping's Holiday Ideas Gift Guide for Teens! One of the most gratifying parts of being a loan facilitator for Nest is seeing these amazing items get noticed abroad.

Angel Wings

Dreaming of drinking Cafe Au Lait out of these amazing Gold Wing Bowls by Sami Rinne.

Botanica

Yummy. Through Mikasa and Amy Butler's site (in October). Wish I could write more, now, but I have to run. Eye candy it will be for now.