How is everyone? I am just stopping by to share this beautiful photo with you. I managed to do quite some work this week but there's definitely a lot more to be done. I am working on something very exciting but I won't be sharing until time is ready, I don't want to spoil the surprise. What are you doing this week?

I am exhausted and I have decided to call it a day so goodnight! xo

(Photo: Kristybee)

Etsy Love

Earth Hour took place this weekend. Did you guys take part? We were out having dinner and the restaurant was also participating so they turned off the lights and brought us candles. They should do it more often, it was really nice and romantic.

I take recycling very serious and I love all things natural. I thought I'd share some fun things I've came across recently that are really cute and are either made of natural wood or recycled materials. Go Green!

1. White birch trees on birch book file by babableu $32
2. Herb garden markers by JustWork $18
3. Little elephant teething toy by littlesaplingtoys $12
4. Organic skittles 10 pin retro wooden bowling by littlesaplingtoys $35
5. Set of five tiny twig pencils by alliebeans $10
6. Dual iphone/ipod docking station by woodtec $128
7. Letter N custom moss hanging wreath initial by SimpleSweetDesign $35

The Lovely Blogger List

I love things like this which help us learn more about each other and make us feel like a part of this community. The lovely Rachel, who never fails to surprise me with her clever ideas is making this list of creative blogs around the world. I cannot wait to check out all them and the best part is all the blogs are organized by location so it will be really easy to find creative new people nearby. To find out more about The Lovely Blogger List simply go here.



Here we go. My name is Iva and I've studied architecture for four years now. I live by myself in a small apartment and I get inspired by all the beautiful things I see around me every day. I've studied drawing and painting for five years (four at the university and another one to prepare for the exams before that). I tend to spend a lot of time inside of my head and this was just something that helped me leave everything behind. I was really surprised I was actually good at it because I had never taken a lesson before it was time for my exams and being among the top 5 people with the highest scores made me feel so proud.



I also love taking photos. I have always wished people could sometimes see the world through my eyes because honestly, the world is absolutely beautiful! It is really the small things that we walk by and we almost never notice that make our day wonderful.

At the moment I use a Canon EOS 400D and I just recently discovered the beauty of film photography, so my vintage Exakta 1000 and my Polaroid camera are my new loves.





I love all the beautiful blogs that keep me inspired all the time. I have seen such wonderful projects that have made me try bookbinding, styling, making origami, jewelry, accessories, calligraphy and so many other fun things!



Last, but not least, I design buildings, interiors and furniture for my school assignments (and hopefully for a real job soon). It is my 4th year studying architecture at the university and besides all the sleepless nights I have spent during the last few years, once my work is done there is no better feeling in the world.




Well, this is what I do, at least for now. I am sometimes worried that I have way too many projects on my hands and that I am all over the place but then again, I don't think I can give up anything I do - not painting, not taking photos, not even blogging or design. It is all a part of me and I just love it all!

Next on my list: opening an Etsy shop (working on the details right now) and getting better at graphic design.

My Flickr / Twitter / Facebook / Tumblr / Formspring

Lovely Home

Friday is finally here! I've had a pretty busy week and I still have a lot of things to do this weekend but I really, really hope to also find some time to relax and spend with some friends. I've been meaning to watch Bright Star for over a week and hopefully this might happen today. Did you see it?


For today I just want to show you a beautiful home that will hopefully inspire you to spend a lovely weekend with your family and friends at home, perhaps having a movie night (I love those!), making cocktails or cooking some delicious desserts that would ruin our diet, lol. But come on - we so deserve to spoil ourselves for just one weekend, right?








I absolutely love this place! I could move in right this minute! Anyone wanna come share the rent? We could be throwing cupcake parties and having bloggers over, oh that would be so much fun! Hope your weekend is just as lovely! xo

(photos from here)

Inspiration

I'm on formspring. I signed up mainly to follow some really nice people there and I highly doubt my life would be that interesting to anyone, lol but in case you want to stop by and say hi or ask anything you're welcome! Let me know if you are there too.

Also, send me an email or leave a comment if you have linked to my blog on yours or want to exchange links so that I can add yours too.



Have the most inspiring, joyful, wonderful day! xo

p.s. Gorgeous photo isn't it? I would kill for a bed and a brick wall and windows like these!

(Photo from here)

Etsy Love

Hello, my name is Iva and I am a stationery addict. I know you are too and I need help. Not help to stop buying stationery, but help to choose my next notebook/diary. A little side note here, I don't really have a diary, I have notebooks where I draw sketches, keep track of birthdays, make lists or just write random stuff. I have never really kept a diary for longer than a couple of days - perhaps I'm too lazy or whatever but it's not really my thing. What do you use your notebooks for? Do you keep a diary?

Okay, let's start.

I don't always find spiral notebooks very comfortable but this one is just gorgeous. And it comes in a tin case.


This one is so cute and colorful, it makes me smile just looking at it!



Very similar to the previous one but I can't decide which one I like better. I love the pouch you get to keep the notebook in.

Which one is your favourite? Any others you like or would recommend?

(photos: nothingelegant)

Lovely: Bold Ideas

Smart. Fun. Gorgeous. These are the coolest notebooks I've seen in a while. Made of recycled paper (!) they are the perfect little present for someone who loves writing notes while having their coffee (like me). Don't you just love the way they are presented and how each photo is styled? I think the little "Nutrition Facts" tag is a very smart touch. I love seeing products that just seem to have it all, including good price!




You can find them here. They also have some great totes and pencil bags, definitely worth checking out. Thanks Susannah for showing off these gorgeous notebooks you got, otherwise I might have missed them!

So, what are you drinking today?

(Photos: Bold ideas)

I'm just stopping by to share with you probably the cutest thing you have ever seen in your entire life!





See, I wasn't kidding.

(Photos from here)

Spring is here!

To celebrate here are some of my colorful flickr favourites. Have a lovely day everyone!

1. Pink Door, 2. Untitled, 3. ., 4. {tessa kiros: apples for jam and falling cloudberries}, 5. 01.09.10, 6. cherry blossom, 7. 4peonies, 8. I like flowers. I also like children, but I do not chop their heads and keep them in bowls of water around the house., 9. Rosey Laundry, 10. perfectly imperfect., 11. Après la pluie, 12. Untitled, 13. got cake?, 14. it took me a long time, she said, to stop confusing safety with love., 15. The Pot., 16. I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time

1. curtains from the last owner, 2. Beauty Lane: fog, 3. Spring inside 2, 4. La mia Arcadia, 5. books, 6. green, 7. 43/52, 8. green party, 9. ´, 10. Untitled, 11. 36/365 on the move, 12. Untitled, 13. Untitled, 14. bokeh Wednesday and bubbles, 15. Untitled, 16. Project..




1. Untitled, 2. yellow pom-pom, 3. venice, 4. ginko, 5. mellow yellow, 6. poste, 7. yellowpolaroid, 8. ., 9. Rainy Day Coffee, 10. leaf, 11. ~ before sunset ~, 12. only an orange, 13. found, 14. Anti-gravity Tea ll, 15. ., 16. Chateau




1. 345/365 lilac, 2. Untitled, 3. puple flowers on the remains of my purple garden chair, 4. purple skies, 5. Redbor Kale, 6. Untitled, 7. Crossroads_1014, 8. birthday wish, 9. You are my sanity, 10. Raindrops, 11. Violet (flower), 12. peeking, 13. Silk wallhanging, 14. sq3, 15. Untitled, 16. 08-01-25_10h09_Arbre-Mondot

1. *, 2. Untitled, 3. º, 4. Louvre, Paris, 5. old tin & the letter k., 6. watercolor brooch, 7. pretty detail, 8. air, 9. Spring Colour Week: blue, 10. Untitled, 11. Untitled, 12. Santa Monica, 13. Window seat, 14. nest full of eggs, 15. summer holidays :: manjimup, 16. Untitled

Prints

I got the prints today that I ordered at the photo lab, yay! These are my first prints, except for some I did for my nieces but they didn't turn out well and I was quite concerned with the quality of the photo labs where I live. So I went to a different one this time and the result was more than I ever expected. I am really critical when it comes to printing quality and I am very happy I finally found a place to print my photos!

Okay, there is a catch. I ordered both photos shot with a digital camera and a film camera and while the digital ones were perfect, the others turned out terrible! I always thought it would be the other way around but I guess not. So my question to you is Where do you print your photos? Is it a local lab or do you order them online? Any tips? I would really appreciate your help!

Etsy Love

We all love beauty in the simple things around us. I found a sweet little shop called Letter C Design that makes the prettiest labels, stickers and other paper goods. My personal favourite are the stickers made for kisses - aren't they cute? And you can personalize them too!

Etsy shop

Inspiration: Jonathan Adler

When I was a kid I used to spend at least one week of my summer vacation at my grandparents' house. My cousins were there too and it was a so much fun! I have some very random memories and one of them is the cushions my grandma had on her bed. It was so weird when I saw Jonathan Adler's cushions because they reminded me of hers. I even think she had one that looked very much like the blue one. I should ask my parents, perhaps they remember it more clearly than I do.


I am currently looking for a couch (or more honestly trying to come up with a DIY project for a bench or something I can use instead). And even though we don't have IKEA over here (yet) I couldn't help but take a look at what they offered. I love the typical American white couch which is so hard to find here or is oh so expensive. What I like about it is that it looks very cozy and casual, just perfect to lay down and watch some good bad TV.

I think what makes a white couch even cozier are some bright colourful cushions. I love the photo above (by Jen Ramos at Made by Girl, in fact this is her old couch but I still like it) and I used it as inspiration to create my own fictional couch - Ikea + Jonathan Adler.


(photos: Jennifer Ramos, Jonathan Adler, Ikea)

Spring Colours Week: Blue

Here are the last photos. If you click on them it will take you to their flickr page. The challenge was a lot of fun I must say, although I wish I could have shared more photos shot with my film camera. But there is always next time, right?


The important thing is, I can feel spring is near. Don't get me wrong - I love winter, but since we didn't quite have an autumn and we jumped from summer right into winter I am a little tired of all that snow.



Which reminds me, do you have a favourite season? And what are you looking forward to during the spring?

(photos: Iva Yaneva)

Spring Colours Week: Purple

Yes, the week and the challenge are both over, but since I was traveling at the end of the week I didn't manage to upload my photos for the last two days. So I am uploading them here, just for you. I hope you don't mind.



The last blue ones (and some my favourites) are to come tomorrow.

(photos: Iva Yaneva)

Inspiration: Stellan Herner

Stellan Herner is an amazing photographer. Some of his photographs have been among the pages of Elle Interior and I can see why. Everything looks so bright and pretty and I really love the use of white and natural shades with bright colourful splashes here and there.





(photos from here)

Emiliano Godoy: Depleted Tonet

How wonderful would it be to have a poster of modified pages from Tonet's 1904 catalog? I believe there isn't a designer that would say no to this! Emiliano Godoy designed three posters each of which has more and more erased parts from the pieces, starting with very few missing elements in the first one and making the third one almost an empty page.


The designs will be displayed at cuchifritos art gallery and project space in New York from March 19th to April 10.

(via designboom)