Birds of Ohio

Pen Tree

2012-02-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Pen Tree, photographed by David Bailey - 1969

style

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

pleased to meet you, ruth asawa

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

go team!

2012-02-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

!!!

wardrobe wednesday

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

embroidered jacket, late 19th century | Ferragamo riding boots | sunglasses, 1930s

instagram it

2012-02-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

we're on instagram!

you can be sure to find lots of pattern inspiration there, as well as other things we see that inspire us.
you'll also find pictures of our mascot, the amazing Max. bonus!

while we were out

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

1960s swagger

2012-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

you can't be a wallflower in this getup...

1960s op art dress designed by Deanna Littell

"practical"

2012-02-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

images from Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement, 1970

celia birtwell

2012-02-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

celia birtwell fashion sketch, late 60s

more here

and here

pleased to meet you, sheila hicks

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

number 6 looks like crazy colored moss, doesn't it?

brighten your day

2012-02-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

...with a vintage Liberty print scarf

wardrobe wednesdays

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Givenchy lounging pajamas, 1970s | Heath ceramic coffee cups | ridiculous, hot pink doughnuts

while we were out

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

nautical vibes

2012-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

p is for...

2012-01-26T16:28:00.001-08:00

from our pinterest

pleased to meet you, dorothy liebes

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | one | two | three | four | five | six

fun facts:

Dorothy (1897-1972) was a talented textile designer and weaver from San Francisco.

She engaged in quite a few collaborations with architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright.

She used unexpected materials, such as plastic thread, jute, straw, ribbon and metallic yarns in her work.

wardrobe wednesday

2012-01-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

sweater, 1970s | yellow teapot | Moroccan pillow

while we were out

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

moustachio

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

it's a moustache kind of Monday...

top: 1, 2

bottom: 1, 2

from our Pinterest page!

miss james

2012-01-21T10:16:00.001-08:00

pretty etta.

pleased to meet you, willem de kooning

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

while in NYC Brian and Missi got to visit the De Kooning Retrospective at the MoMA. here's just a miniscule sampling of his work...

portrait | one | two | three | four | five | six

I have a suspicion (rooted in some past real-life conversations...) that people either love or really don't like his work...how do you feel about it?

wardrobe wednesdays

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

first two: hand beaded Belgian purse, 1960s & beaded bag, 1960s

last two: chenille purse & tapestry bag, 1970s

while we were out

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

florals and speckles

2012-01-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

both swatches from textile design sketches from the mid 1950s

splash 'n dash

2012-01-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

hello, friends! sorry for the radio silence lately, we were at the Indigo Print show in NYC last week. It was fun and I'll share a few pictures soon...as for now, happy Monday!!

(who doesn't love a good old fashioned DIY?)

while we were out

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

new trend pages

2012-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

you can find more on our website (tip: click the preview tab in the upper left corner), as well as swatches that speak to these trends from our collection!

pleased to meet you, kolomon moser

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

fun facts:

He was an Austrian artist and co-founder (along with Josef Hoffmann) of the Wiener Werkstatte.

He worked across many mediums...graphics for books, postage stamps, furniture, ceramics, jewelry and stained glass to name a few.

wardrobe wednesdays

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

gingham puffer vest, 1980s | blue puffer vest, 1970s | polka dot shirt, 1965 | striped shirt, 1969

while we were out

2012-01-03T05:00:00.001-08:00

2012

2012-01-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

can you believe it's 2012?! it's sure to be a fun one.

Hope you've had a good start to the new year!

(*our friends had a NYE party with a photo booth! crazy shenanigans were had)

ray and charles eames

2011-12-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

dot pattern

2011-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ray Eames with the Dot Pattern fabric design, c. 1947

pleased to meet you, helen frankenthaler

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

fun facts:

she began exhibiting her large scale paintings in the 1950s

she had a 13 year marriage with fellow artist, Robert Motherwell. Both coming from wealthy families, they were known as the "golden couple" for their over the top entertaining.

she recently passed away so I wanted to share some of her work with you guys.

jump for stripes

2011-12-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

1953

wardrobe wednesdays

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

pink beaded gown, 1920s | floral beaded "wiggle" gown, 1960s | red floral beaded gown, 1960s

while we were out

2011-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a good holiday!

I'm in Kentucky visiting family and thought I'd share a few pictures with you... :)

most of these found on my instragram (kind of addicting...)

excitement

2011-12-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

via even cleveland

shop til you drop

2011-12-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

still from The Shop Around the Corner, 1940

wardrobe wednesdays

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

ski hat | sherpa lined jean jacket, 1970s | lace up boots

happy holidays from birds of ohio!

2011-12-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

our gift to you, a little stop motion holiday card!

(ps: it was super fun to make...I see more in our future...)

while we were out

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

stop animation

2011-12-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

I'll post the video tomorrow! :)

layered up

2011-12-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

Jean Shrimpton

newsletter peek

2011-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

our December newsletter is out today and it's pretty festive.

see it here

subscribe here

while we were out

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

alike

2011-12-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

this print from the late 1800s reminded me of this Joy Division graphic.

a jingle on the roof

2011-12-12T11:40:00.001-08:00

Clara Bow waits for Santa

get crafty

2011-12-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

holiday decorating ideas from Better Homes & Gardens, 1966

mahna mahna

2011-12-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

(Muppets letterhead, 1963 from here)

have you seen the new muppet movie?

pleased to meet you saul bass

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

fun facts:

born in NYC in 1920

was a graphic designer and film maker

worked with Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese and Billy Wilder

he held the unusual position of "pictorial/visual consultant" on Spartacus, Grand Prix, West Side Story and more

he was responsible for some of the most remembered logos in North America

Saul is one of my favorites. I love his hand-drawn style!
ps: this book looks wish-list worthy

wardrobe wednesday

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

coat, 1960s | striped tote & umbrella, 1980s | bill blass coat, 1960s | hat, 1980s

holiday themed

2011-12-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

vintage fabrics dating back to 1883

while we were out

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

what do you think?

2011-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

wish list: books

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

the holidays are upon us! time to think of what to give (and get!) ;)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

1. Kenzo: totally judging a book by it's cover here, but if the cover is any indication of the goodness inside, I don't think we'll be disappointed. the book chronicles 40 years of the Paris-based fashion house.

2. Jocks and Nerds: I love looking back into what the men were wearing... besides, the title is amusing, no?

3. Textiles: The Whole Story: a worldwide history of textiles with lots of images (which is always a good thing).

4. The Story of Eames Furniture: this book along with this movie should tell me all I should ever want to know about Charles and Ray Eames.

5. African Textiles: I saw this book on Simone LeBlanc's blog and fell in love...such great techniques and inspiration from african textiles (from beading to weaving). her blog has a nice peek into the book as well.

what books are you wanting lately? I'd love to know.

anjelica

2011-12-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

+ +

Anjelica Huston from our pinterest page

pleased to meet you milton avery

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | one | two | three | four | five | six

fun facts:

1885 - born in Altmar, New York

1915 - after his brother in law died he was the only remaining male left in his family to provide for his 9 female relatives

1917 - started working night jobs in order to paint during the day

Roy Neuberger bought over 100 of Avery's paintings and donated or lent them to galleries in hopes of Avery gaining the recognition he deserved

apparently Avery wasn't much of a talker... "why talk when you can paint?" he had said to his wife

axel salto

2011-11-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

wardrobe wednesday

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

while we were out: LACMA part II

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

gaptag

2011-11-28T05:00:00.001-08:00

found an old gap tag. stack the circles!

flower twirl girl

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Vogue UK, 1968. Photo by David Bailey

joni

2011-11-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

just bought Joni Mitchell's Blue album...for the plane ride back from Madison, WI.

can you believe it's my first album of hers? late on the game! I love it.

jackpot

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

so much inspiration at the design center's tumblr ! eek

what to do after THE MEAL

2011-11-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

nice colors, p.s.

to you:

2011-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

from our pinterest page

took a break from the pleased to meet you series today. I'm traveling to Madison, WI for the thanksgiving, any recommendations for that area?

have yourself a nice holiday weekend!!

saddleup

2011-11-23T05:00:00.001-08:00

from a 1951 western catalog

wardrobe wednesdays

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving is almost here. what will you be wearing? I'll be wearing something stretchy to accommodate all the food I'm going to eat. :)

plaid dress, 1960s | Mexican polka dot bracelet, 1960s | sweater, 1970s | bowtie, 1950s | cream cheese biscuits, Dean and Deluca <--what? yes, please

lovecat

2011-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

paris vogue, 1969

while we were out

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

we went to the LACMA gallery for the California Design, 1930-1965 exhibition last week and there was so much good stuff to see! I snapped a couple pictures to share with you. If you're in the area I highly recommend this show...I'll go with you. again. it's that good.

I've got a part 2 to share with you next Tues!

truman capote looking dapper

2011-11-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

similar color

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

1967 book cover design by Denise York and a sonia delaunay fabric sample

set

2011-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

mirrored arrangement of a photo brian took right outside our studio.

it was so beautiful and fleeting.

happy friday friends!

logs

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

type treatment for a 1977 Sears catalog

pleased to meet you:

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | one | two | three | four | five | six

fun facts:

studied at the University of Iowa and wrote his thesis on lithography.

taught at Arizona State University.

c. 1950 - moved to San Diego and started selling his screen printed fabrics.

he was later employed as a graphic designer by the U.S. Navy at Point Loma's Naval Electronics Lab.

//he worked across several mediums including enamel, metal, clay, wood, marble, furniture design and oil painting. we came across his work at the California Design exhibition at LACMA and decided to look him up. his works are rare gems so if you happen to find a piece of his at a thrift store or garage sale, hold it tight! his wooden hand sculpture is rad.

wardrobe wednesday

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

it's finally getting chillier here in southern california...and this invariably means scarves.

lots and lots of scarves.

check out these pretty designs from the Metropolitan museum's collection.

the floral plaid with the pop of fuchsia is my favorite.

one | two | three | four | five | six

november newsletter

2011-11-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

(a little peek at our november still life)

subscribe here!

there's only a handful of words in the whole two pages. lot's of pretty images!

does that entice you?

while we were out

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

brian and missi went on a roadtrip a couple weeks ago up the west coast through san fran, point reyes, portland and seattle. sounds fun doesn't it?

they managed to stop by the portland antiques show and found tons of inspiration to share...lots of american indian treasures.

It's been so long since I've been on a proper road trip, it's a much more hands on approach to traveling..which I like sometimes. do you like to travel that way?

a pairing

2011-11-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

rubber stamp print, emmett williams, 1958 / 1977 limited edition print

pleased to meet you:

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

portrait | one | two | three | four | five | six

fun facts:

her first foray into textile design was in 1956, when she enrolled in a textile design course at Salford School of Art

she met fledgling fashion designer Ossie Clark (her future husband and collaborator) at a coffee shop near her school

in the 60's, she worked briefly at the wig department at Aldwych Theater...the production designer there urged her to start designing textiles again.

she gained international acclaim when she started designing textiles for Ossie Clark's collections

1974 - her marriage ended (Ossie spun out of control with drugs and partying) and she left the industry to raise her two sons

1984 - she opened her own shop in Notting Hill and filled it with fabrics designed for interiors

2006 - she collaborated with the English chain TopShop...In the first six minutes of her collection's release, about 1,000 of her dresses and blouses were sold. That same year she also decided to retire from managing her brand

her and Ossie

do you like her designs? were you lucky enough to get a dress from her collab w/ top shop?

wardrobe wednesdays

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

leopard print has endured as a staple over the years. it's classy, with a bit of quirk.

one, 1960s | two, 1960s | three, 1960s | four (might be cheetah print...), 1950s | five, 1950s

I don't normally wear a lot of animal print, but am always drawn to it.
I like it in small quantities (a scarf or a clutch), adding a little interest and sass to an outfit.
would you wear any of these? how would you style it?

check out Ava Gardner (1950s)...

it's getting colder...

2011-11-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

and that means warmer clothes. wool clothes perhaps?

cool picture of wool sorters from here.

gradients

2011-11-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

book cover design by Quentin Fiore, 1965

while we were out

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

July, 1953

2011-11-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

sunglasses, 1960s

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

don't shoot

2011-11-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Taylor

let the weekend antics begin...

2011-11-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get over the color and the # motif of this dress from the late 1800s!

I wonder if that symbol meant anything?

find this and more on our pinterest page!

pleased to meet you:

2011-11-03T05:00:00.001-07:00

one | two | three | four | five

fun facts:

he was born in Paris, 1889.

he began his career as a fashion designer, but his work evolved into designing book bindings, and became of of the most notable luxury book binders of the 20th century.

two recurring characteristics of his style are known as "erradiante", which consists of guilt lines giving a three dimensional, optical illusion effect and "rayonnante", giving a sunburst effect.

::::::::::::the info about him was pretty sparse on the internet, but the images were too cool not to share.

banana colored walls and belly jewelry

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

ok, summer, I officially miss you a little bit...

portrait of Cornelia Sharp by Slim Aarons, St. Tropez, 1972

robert

2011-11-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

sometimes I wish I had hair like him. not always, just sometimes... like today.

wardrobe wednesday

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

reversible hunting coat, 1940s | blue shirt, 1950s | architecture book | fish tacos recipe from Sunset mag

sad lion

2011-11-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

+
vintage Polish matchbox labels

while we were out: Kentucky part II

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

part one is here

bat lady

2011-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

brought to you by the sneaky letter Y

2011-10-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

(my attempt at a animated gif...it's a bit all over the place:)

have a great weekend!!

stars, no stripes

2011-10-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Anjelica Huston, photographed by Bob Richardson, 1971

check out that studded surprise under her hat.