Art :: Overgrowth

Overgrowth is an ongoing artistic collaboration between photographer Parker Fitzgerald and floral designer Riley Messina.  Aren't the anonymous portraits just beautiful?  They remind me of Kari Herer's work, one of my favorite Etsy artists.  Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Art :: Floral Solitude

It's Monday, and I don't know about you but I could definitely use a few moments of peace and quiet.  And how perfect are Australian-based photographer Jessica Tremp's images of women doing just that - savoring a perfect moment of solitude.  The project is "catching someone in a reverie, their thoughts clashing, colliding, blossoming, and bursting into consciousness," explains Tremp.  Cheers to a peaceful Monday!

Art :: Current Favorites

Cycles Gladiator by Georges Massias // Topanga Hat Wearing Surfer by Annie Seaton // Flora in Peach II by Yao Cheng // Twilight I by Caroline Gold // Black Sketch by Henri Matisse // Beach Colors 2 by John Bucklin // NY by Anna Bond // St. Paul's Cathedral, London by 45wall design // Seated Female Portrait by J.E. Michaelski // Flight of the Ocean by Sharon Rowan // Happy Story by Melaine Severin // Rural Midwest by robin ott design // desert diptych by Annie Clark // Vintage Books by That Girl Studio

When I moved into my first apartment I went on an art buying spree.  Not that I could afford the real thing of course, but I purchased prints from local art fairs, Etsy, and painted a few pieces of my own.  At this point most of our walls are covered, but I still find myself itching to buy a couple new pieces.  I rounded up some of my current favorites including great print options from Minted and Art.com {both of which offer custom framing options} as well as a few gorgeous originals from Serena & Lily's awesome art collection.  I tend to gravitate towards vintage portraits and colorful abstracts when looking at original pieces, and photography and bright prints when shopping on a budget.  Where do you like to find art?

Fashion :: JCrew Spring 2014

Paillette Necklace Top // Passport Case // White Stones Necklace // Linen Slicker // Fringed Drop Earrings // Wool-Silk Scalloped Pant // Botanical Print Bikini Top and Bottom // Metallic Heels // Jeweled Peter Pan Oxford // Silk Petal Blouse // Sea Salt Texturizing Mist // Floral Short // Leather Colorblock Pouch // A.R. Trapp Sunglasses // Patent Wedges // Lulu Frost 14K Gold '3' Ring // Destroyed Boyfriend Jean // Drapey Crepe Tank // Silk-Cashmere Wrap // Colorblock Sweatshirt // Small Crossbody Bag // Striped Loafers   

After reading Apartment 34's "Madewell vs. JCrew Showdown" yesterday, I decided to do a bit of soul searching {I kid, I kid}...which brand better represents me?   While I love Madewell's relaxed urban aesthetic, I will always be drawn to JCrew's colorful, timeless pieces with a feminine sensibility.  And I have to say, JCrew absolutely knocked it out of the park with their Spring 2014 Collection.  There are far too many pieces to choose from, but lucky for you everything in the store {including sale} is 25% off until midnight tonight with code 'HAPPYSHOPPING'.  I'm head over heels for this metallic linen slicker with gold hardware, this ladylike take the traditional oxford {how gorgeous is that collar?}, and these floral shorts.  But my favorite piece in their entire collection are these pale lavender wool-silk scalloped pants...it almost feels as though JCrew has infiltrated my brain and designed my dream pants.  So what are you, Team Madewell or Team JCrew?  Will you be scooping anything up from JCrew's Spring collection?

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Fashion :: Fragrant Florals

Milly Sateen Top and Skirt // Liberty Baseball Hat // Bond No. 9 'High Line' Parfum // JCrew Sequined Floral Capri // Liberty Ballet Flats // BaubleBar Crystal Sunflower Studs // Blurred Floral Scuba Top // JCrew Floral Shorts // Kate Spade Travel Umbrella // Zimmermann Bikini // Nine West 'Lola' Bootie // JCrew Liberty Topcoat // Library of Flowers Shower Gel // Club Monaco Silk Scarf // Kate Spade Pump // Kotur Floral Applique Clutch

It's officially March which means 1) spring is less than a month away and 2) we are heading to the beach in just a few weeks!  My trip to North Carolina last weekend made it official...I am ready for warm weather, green grass, sunshine, and flowers.  I nearly went into cardiac arrest at the sight of a flowering tree - it has just been one of those kind of winters.  Although while I write this post there is a white blanket of snow covering everything outside my window, I can't help buy daydream about all things fragrant, colorful, and flowery.  From tiny feminine Liberty of London floral prints to dark dramatic florals reminiscent of Emily's gorgeous bathroom wallpaper to whimsical floral appliqués, there is something for everyone!

Art :: Florals by Thomas Darnell

I know winter is upon us, but personally I think fresh flowers are a necessity year-round to brighten up your life.  I would gladly give up a bouquet or two {or a thousand} to get my hands on Thomas Darnell's absolutely out of this world still-life floral paintings.  The colors, shadows, and details are stunning...but the scope is what makes them so special to me.  They are huge!

The artist explains, "the illusion of spatial dimension and light is achieved through a technique involving multiple layers of transparent oil paint and alkyd resin. Starting with blurry images I refine detail and contrast with each pass and often ‘erase’ some of the image with a thin wash of paint and go back to refining the details until the right balance is achieved."  

Wildflowers

Photographer Erwan Frotin's "Flora Olbiensis" series captures the flora and fauna throughout southern France.  They are truly some of the most interesting still-life shots I have seen in ages.  I love how the photos almost seem like they should be in a botanical textbook.  How amazing would these look in a grouping on the wall?  Je t'aime!

PS - Follow Dreams in HD on bloglovin' here!

Images via Honestly WTF

Harvest Moon Flower Farm

It's safe to say that Sunday night was one of the best dates Ryan and I have been on during our six-year long relationship.  I visit our local farmers market every Saturday morning {well, at least on the weekends that I am not out of town for a wedding} and always stop by the sweetest flower seller named Linda's stall.  About a month ago as I was purchasing a bouquet from Linda, I started asking her more about the flowers.  She explained to me that her and her husband own a flower farm about an hour and a half outside of Indianapolis, and while it is not open to the public, she told me that they were having a Farm-to-Table Dinner in July in the middle of their flower farm.  Well as you can imagine I came running home to Ryan to see if he was interested, which he was, so we purchased tickets and anxiously awaited our trip out to the country.

On Sunday afternoon we started the drive to the farm, passing through quaint towns and miles upon miles of cornfields.  We arrived at Harvest Moon Flower Farm and were completely awe-struck by the beauty.  A small farm surrounded by gorgeous rolling fields, we were surrounded by thousands of flowers in every hue of the rainbow.  Linda and her husband welcomed the small group to the farm with appetizers {tomato gazpacho, carrot salad, and goat cheese and beet souffle} and drinks {homemade teas and an amazing whiskey sour made from a local distillery}.  They explained that they purchased the land over 25 years ago and since then have turned the flower farm into a successful family business.  

From there it was on to tour the farm.  Linda taught us about their sustainable farming methods {most of which are organic} and the business of flowers.  She showed us species after species of colorful blooms, allowing time for questions, photos, and simply admiring the beauty of Southern Indiana.  After the tour it was on to the main event, dinner!

We dined under a tent surrounded by flowers listening to a musician play the banjo.  Local chefs created a wonderful gourmet picnic spread using all local ingredients.  Favorites included a creme fraiche chicken salad served on miniature house-made challah rolls with watermelon compote, a delicious local bean salad, and vegetable skewers.  For dessert we ate homemade angel food cake with fresh summer berry sauce and the most delicious peach ice cream that had just been churned that afternoon.  After our meal we sat by the fire listening to music and watching the sunset.  

It was an absolutely wonderful evening surrounded by good food, people, and flowers.  For a city-dweller like myself it was a much-needed evening away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  It's amazing how a few hours of fresh country air can refresh the soul.  I hope you enjoy my photos half as much as I enjoyed visiting the Harvest Moon Flower Farm!

PS - Follow Dreams in HD on bloglovin' here!

Flower Cones

Oh summer - how I love your breezy nights which act as a much needed respite after days of hot, balmy sun.  On evenings like tonight there is nothing more I could want than to eat ice cream while laying in the yard surrounded by flowers.  Apparently photographer P.H. Fitzgerald was in the same mindset when he shot these gorgeous photos for Kinfolk Magazine.  Brilliant, eh?

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Melting Flowers

Artist/photographer Nick Knight recently unveiled his newest body of work in which he takes large scale floral photography and exposes the prints to heat and water during the printing process - resulting in a beautiful hybrid of painting and photography.  I love how the pieces are a combination of 16th century still life paintings and surrealism {Salvador Dali's Melting Clocks anyone?}.  How amazing would one of these statement pieces look hanging in your living room?

Images via Honestly WTF