The Hipster Home

I have a history of chopping off my hair and not telling anyone. Did it in college, grew it out, and did it again 9 months ago, lopsided. But like anything that that’s been sitting around that long, my hair will soon be a new creation. I’m going full pixie. And I’m telling you about it. (HUGE!)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to chop all my hair off. As I told the Mr., “as near as I can get to a feminine buzzcut.” Slowly I’ve worked towards that but it’s time to commit. My present asymmetrical haircut just needs a trim.  I’m still having fun at this party but I think it’s best to leave early.

So, how about a little help from you guys? The last thing I want to do is walk into my amazing hairdresser’s place and say, “Give me that haircut from the girl in Breathless.” PS  Jean Seberg.

Or say, “Give me the subtle elegance of my girl, Audrey Hepburn.” (unoriginal)

Let’s hear it, are there any other classic short-haired hotties?

(Mia Farrow)

Since the last I wwwant that! post, I’ve been collecting more completely desirous items available for purchase on the web. But something else has happened. I’ve been stock piling awesome inspiration and ideas for things to make too. So today’s I wwwant that! isn’t just for pretty objects I can’t afford but also will highlight incredible projects that are within our creatable realm.

TASTY ART ALERT: Kim Piotrowski was recently featured on My Love for You is a Stampede of Horses. I was immediately transfixed. Her paintings remind me of pantyhose (beige), My Little Pony (pastels), and Monet (everything swirled together) and although that sounds like an unsavory combination, I dare you to browse through her website and tell me otherwise. Her paintings belong in a beautiful world I wouldn’t mind visiting. (Clearly I did not go to art school.)

It might be last week’s internet hotness, but I can’t help but wwwant a Selleck Waterfall Sandwich. “April, that is impossible! It’s an web thing. You can’t own it, silly pants.” Au contraire, my good buddy. You can’t own it yet.  How badass would it be to have the creations available as as a giant fine art print for your house? Don’t you judge me. Just thinking about a print of Selleck Waterfall Sandwich IN YOUR BATHROOM or ABOVE YOUR BED will rock your world a little bit. Someone make it happen!

(photo by thriftandthread)

DIY DISCO BALL SHOES! (or ANYTHING) was originally created by Thrift and Thread and brought to my attention on OutsaPop Trashion. I’d really like to make a headband or yamaka using this technique. (2 for 1! OutsaPop Trashion posted a friggen awesome tutorial for custom hangers.) ((Ok fine, THREE for 1. Their post for this dude’s woven sweatshirt. Heaven.))

I just had to share this awesome DIY Valentine from my recent favorite bloggy blog. I found it while voting for The Bloggies 2010. A Beautiful Mess was nominated for the Best Art, Craft, or Design Weblog. FOR GOOD REASON. Look how easy they make it look to draw people and be incredibly thoughtful. So easy!

(Photo by Karen Barbe)

Recently I’ve noticed I’m stockpiling reusable containers. Unsure why, I knew the minute I saw this. Textile artist Karen Barbe created these playful brooches using old plastic bottles which she shared on her awesome Flickr stream. Yes, let’s do it! You can’t beat those industrialized pops of color. Creature Comforts gets bonus points for spotting the awesome.

The Kid Collective posted an amazing assortment of Parisian home inspiration and this Zap rug, designed by Fiona Curran from The Rug Company caught my eye immediately. Our colorful lil cheap ikea rug is on its way out and all I can think of is replacing it with this luxe business.

(photo by Anthropologie+You)

PRO TIP: Cucumbersome tweeted* about Anthropologie’s newest flower window displays made from old bottles (which are BEAUTIFUL by the way) and I noticed that the store has a dedicated Flickr site. It’s a gold mine. The stream is flooded with inspiration and fantasticalness. If you love the Anthropologie feel, then their Flickr stream will provide you with a good 30 minutes of WOW.

*SPEAKING OF TWITTER! Did you know that The Hipster Home is on it? True story! Hear ideas, updates and news the second it pops into my head @thehipsterhome.

With the proliferation of gift guides and holiday wish lists, I wwwant that! #10 took some restraint in pulling together. All these calls to action for internet commerce make cracking open the wallet not only acceptable but encouraged! But don’t doubt me, this wee bank account remains sealed against the supremely priced and produced wares. If you do have the means, support those artisans and independent shop owners!

Photo by: Ladies and Gentlemen

I am 100% a fan of all these uberchunk knits popping up all over the place lately. Why am I so drawn to them? Could it be the cold house, the snuggly warm appearance, the texture, the proportions?? Whatever to reason, I love what the folks at Ladies and Gentlemen did with some cotton rope. Coincidentally, I have some of that exact same stuff I am using to make some of those knot trivets over on design*sponge.

One of my FAVORITE stores in the Mission is The Curiosity Shoppe. Not only is their space a complete pleasure to peruse but Derek and Lauren have absolutely exceptional style they share on their  blog, Smarts & Crafts. Derek recently shared his favorite objects from the store and damnit, I wwwant that clock! If you can’t tell, the left eyeball points to the hour and the right points roughly to the minute. Just think of the joy this mechanical menace would bring to any room. For you lucky bay area bitches, visit The Curiosity Shoppe at 19th and Valencia.

Two things from Modish’s recent Favoite Things gift guide made me squeal out loud. Leggings and a ring. It’s pretty amusing I’m so drawn to these leggings because a) you have to be a crazy person to wear heals around SF and b) I would probably look like a fuzzed-out, tubbo cookie monster in them. But there is no denying that I would love to see these guys in my sock drawer. The second thing is a fricken fantastic rough cut emerald by Erica Weiner. It’s not just that it’s green (which doesn’t hurt) but it’s the earthy feel that makes me desirous of such a treasure. If you’d like to torture yourself with more awesome stuff, I dare you to browse the rest of Bona Drag’s online shop. Double dog dare!

If there’s something you were bound to learn about me, it’s that I love ________. Fill-in-the-blanks are the best! We’ve got this Seattle Show Poster hanging in the living room and I certainly think that a t-shirt would make an excellent addition to my _____ collection. And oh my, that pink. What is this, a Miranda July project?

Another thing you’ll learn about my taste is that I am not generally a fan of quilts (barf). Hot damn if I didn’t find an exception to the rule on My Love for You is a Stampede of Horses! Guest poster Alison Feldmann shared her holiday wish-list which included this galaxy blanket (by etsy seller Stellar Quilts) that I would absolutely use. Remember, I’m a space nerd?

Oops, looks like we’re making SUPER CHUNKY sandwich on this post! Well here you have it, folks. Proof that my love of chunky monkey knitware is because of a COLD SNAP in San Francisco! Phydeaux makes these great neckwarmers/portable cowls that are lovely. If you’re a knitter, you can DIY with a much cheaper pattern! Tip-off for this was by Indie Fixx and their 12 days of awesome, I mean, Christmas. (While you’re over there, check out the Indie Fixx Gifts for Hipsters. Not a bad selection but srsly ixnay on those f&#king trucker hats!)

Your moment of inspiration: the graphic art of James Joyce. Scroll and enjoy his bold lines, bight colors and sheer simplicity. Swoon! (Also compliments of My Love for You. Thanks kids!)

(photo by swankdollar)

What started as a ode to machine knitting turned into full blown blog admiration for this former Target designer and superwoman behind Swank Dollar, Annie Larson. She mixes bold colors and geometric prints that when combined, give you a Fight Club style punch to the eyeball. And you thought machine knits couldn’t be sexy! I am totally ready to drop an imaginary $1,000 on a purl monster. As always, Craft Magazine was on top of Annie’s awesome work. For more of Annie’s inspiring work, check out her Flickr stream.

Sweartogod I DON’T EVEN LIKE PRINTS. But lately, it’s a weak spot, especially the vaguely tribal and westernized ikat prints popping up all over the place.  Rachel Comey did up some hiking gear and it’s deeelightful. I’ve got For You, for Me and Refinery29 to blame again for this awesome tidbit of internet covetousness. You’ll eventually be able to snag these totes and accessories on tenover6.com.

Now to get nerdy, because not everything I wwwant online has to do with wearable (although technically this does). Let’s trod thisaway, to the technology isle. Here we’ll find a SHIRT I got free from Threadless that is now an ELECTRIC new iPhone case entitled Clouds within the Thunder. (LOOK HOW OLD THAT PHOTOBOOTH PICTURE IS.) Design Crush, you are so fired for posting such a great collaboration between Threadless and Griffin Technology.

(Photo by Sarah London)

If you follow The Hipster Home on twitter, you’d have seen that I’m slowly working on the Sarah London mystery crochet project (now revealed to be an advent calendar). Besides sounding like a soft, sweet soul, Sarah’s work is fantastic. The tutorials are really top notch and easy to follow. But I am not here to wax poetic about that. She recently re-highlight an older project because of a reader creation. The inspired scarf is nice but OH MY THAT BLANKET!!!! If you light bright colors and crochet, her flickr stream is your hook hand’s day dream. (I’m tempted to make this one my iPhone wallpaper!)

These next two I wwwant that mentions are the actual devil. By that I mean they’re the reason that this post even exists. Two internet commerce sites designed to make you squeal, faint and then open your wallet. Say YES! to hoboken shares with us a way to bypass all the regrEtsy by using Supermarket, a store for designer created products. You barely have to browse without wanting one thing or another. Is it weird I’m so drawn to this cicada ring??

Next site is Gretel Home. The best way to describe their wares is if instead of getting lost in the woods, Gretel went to school for design and absorbed a simple and modern Scandinavian aesthetic and curated a store using those skills. OF COURSE the items are mostly expensive but OF COURSE they feature craftsmanship and design that warrant the prices. Oh if I were a rich man….

That’s it for this week guys! If you see something you wwwant too, share it below or hit me up on the twitxors.

The internet is of great value to society. You can self-diagnose illnesses, learn how to cook a flawless souffle, and ignore rent in order to buy every shiny object you come across online. This is my attempt to stifle that last impulse. Please join me today as I highlight the best and brightest items I’ve seen recently (whose value exceed my budget).

Some people say Fall is a good time for pie baking, leaf raking and the drinking of hot cider. I say Fall is an excellent time to think about my winter coat. Kate Miss, from for me, for you, shared her favorite coats from Soia & Kyo. My eyes fell in love only for my wallet to break my heart, even though you can buy them on discount site Bluefly. My giraffe neck means I could totally pull off this warm wonder.

(photo from the Tina Kalivas website)

Related, it seems appropriate to jump to this Refinery29 discovery. Following another link from for you, for me, I encountered this website (you know how it goes for the click-curious) and this great discovery: Tina Kaliva! Her designs are colorful, geometric and eclectic. You’ll really want to go see all of her recent designs. I don’t even think these bad boys are for sale (yet) but they are certainly worth the 5 minutes of eye candy.

One of the beautiful things about I wwwant that! items is that you don’t have to rationally think about how you’d incorporate said item into your everyday life. Since you won’t get around to owning whatever it is you want, you can’t help but form some sort of attachment to the idea of it. That about sums up how these playful wood blocks struck me. I want it! Oh, but what on earth would I do with them? Thanks Madam Herve for the moment of whimsy. Don’t you think they feel very Alexander Girard? As makers of simple and pleasurable kid toys, the Miller Goodman has more blocky fun on their site.

Do you love notecards? Do you enjoy adding that extra special touch to any occasion with a little bit of handwriting and wood pulp? Me too. Which is exactly why I LOVE the idea behind this subscription service, The Card Society. Following more link trails (this time from Oh Joy!), I was alerted to the work of Maria Vettese. She recently launched a photo styling portfolio site but has been releasing two cards per month through The Card Society. Lovely work!

Can’t buy me love (cue intangible items and pieces of inspiration):

-Remember that fantastic headband I wwwanted a few weeks ago? It made an appearance in the ever-experimental closet of Mai during her Mighty Closet feature. You may know Mai from Fashioni.st, a street style blog features Bay Area inhabitants. (I particularly love that she ALWAYS has an up-close shoe shot.) Go look at the rest of the shoot and be dazzled! Her wardrobe puts me a color coma. Also worth noting, Mighty Closet is a feature from Maggie of Mighty Girl, another super-fantastic Bay Area blogger.

-I’m kind of afraid to put this into the universe but Lord Help Me I love some Gwyneth GOOP. Last week’s newsletter was all about SEE. It features blaaaghs Mz. Paltrow looks to for inspiration. (She needs inspiration?!? WHAAA????) Gwenny lists old favorites like The Selby, Gilt Groupe and the new ex-Domino Lonny Magazine but she adds one I hadn’t heard of before. Hey, Remodelista is awesome! So if you live under four walls and a roof, you’ll probably like this home decoration site.

-I really appreciate the grit and cheerful approach of this home owner towards their less than ideal balcony location. So does all*over*print who spotted it in Tel-aviv and shared pictures with us. Head over to her site and see what I’m talking about. (There are also more pictures on Flickr.)

-A couple JUST BEAUTIFUL things from this week: Commune Design! Poppytalk posted some pictures of their interior design work and HOLY MOLY, where does one get a that rug?!? I’m ready to plunk down $40,000 for them to do a complete Hipster Home redesign (in my dreams). Another awesome bit, sfgirlbybay asked Homebug to do a virtual house tour for the internet. I’m ready to move in to that splendid home. LOOK AT THE PRETTY COLORS! If you’re interested in home design, fashion and have a pulse, I’d recommend checking out Homebug besides.

-Tasteless and potentially offensive items last: DICKTOWEL.COM Watch the commercial. This is for all my It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia homies. Definitely don’t click through unless you have a slightly warped sense of humor and you find male anatomy jokes delightful. I figure the towel is probably terrible quality, so I’d like to make a miniature version of this as an embroidery sampler. For posterity.