Brought to you by the letter K

Who knew that Diane Keaton had an awesome housewares line? This actress is also a keen interior designer, architectural preservationist, and Los Angeles real estate flipping maven.

I came across her playful pieces during my recent travels to NY. Perfect for mixing and matching, K by Keaton, is available at the highly addictive Bed, Bath and Beyond.

PhotoS: Geoffrey Sokol

Merry + Bright

Ooops! Is it too late? I forgot to add one of these precious Spartan fold over clutches to my holiday wishlist. In pink pleeeaaasse!

$156

Come to think of it, anything from spartan would be perfect -- from their Good flock fabric cases to their crafted jewelry. 

Guest Post: Thanks and Happy Holidays!

 

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for having me on the blog this week!  It's been fabulous sharing with you all.

Let's stay connected:

Blog: http://theaudacityofcolor.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AudacityofColor
Tumblr: http://theaudacityofcolor.tumblr.com/

PS: And Thank You Amanda, Tam + Sam

Guest Post: Friday Music Inspiration - Target Demo by Tes-One

Most Fridays I like to post about music videos, artwork or new albums to download in a section I call Friday Music Inspiration.  Music literally moves me and recently it's been a big inspiration on my work.  Today I wanted to share a series of portraits of hip-hop legends Tupac and Biggie by Leon "Tes-One" Bedore.

About The Work -- Target Demo: Portraits of the late Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace

“Biggie and 2pac will always be examples of how powerful music can be as a medium. Their ability to translate the often grim, inner-city struggles to the masses had them both praised and vilified. Played in the streets and targeted in the media - a marketing plan of rivalry set sights on their friendship, fans and the entire hip-hop community. A senseless tragedy over extraordinary talent, “Target Demo” is my tribute to both men.“

For more info or to buy the limited edition prints, visit the www.rareink.com.

Guest Post: Louboutin and Typography

Typography and fashion are on my list of favorite things so while these images from the Christian Louboutin store front in London are a couple of months old, I still thought it was worthy of sharing.  Designed by Studio XAG in the UK, the inspiration here was the bright lights of Vegas.  Brilliant!

via The Window Shopper

Visite Libre: Agyness Deyn

Sporting an eclectic vibe coupled with vintage flare, Agyness Deyn's Williamsburg loft is most covetable. We are in luck, this artistic beauty has just hit the real estate market in time for Christmas!
Je veux et j'exige.

SOURCE

Guest Post: Color Palette Series - Man

As a design student, I'm in tune with how color conveys thought and emotion.  I often look at the photography and artwork and break down the colors used in the pieces in a series I curate titled Color Palettes.

This image from New York based photographer Kwesi Abbensett's potrait series titled Man.  Kwesi has a wide body of work ranging from editorial spreads to everyday people and places.  See more from his portfolio here.

Surprises c'est Chic!

If like us, you're running late on your Christmas shopping here is an opportunity (dear Canadian readers) you won't want want to miss. Ready-to-wear brand Jacob  has a  great deal of surprises for us this holiday season. And how does it  work, you may ask?
Go here and print out your Christmas stocking. Then stop by one of the locations or simply shop online and you could either win:
a $290,000 in instant prizes to be won at check-out, with your Christmas stocking
or
a chance to win a $10,000 wardrobe for all those who share the contest online. And what's make this deal even better is that for each Christmas stocking brought in store$1 will be donated to Goodwill and Renaissance.
Pretty sweet huh?

Guest Post: Get to know Aya Morrisson

 I'm really drawn to vibrant/colorful patterns and textures. Something about the simple repetition captures my attention. I'm in love with Ghanian designer Aya Morrison's collection of clutches. They make a bold accessory to any outfit and are sure to be a conversation starter. 

Aya is also known for her superb line of swimwear.  See more from the collections here.

Guest Blogger: Amanda from The Audacity of Color

What better way to celebrate the holidays then to have blogger Amanda George from The Audacity of Color
join us for a week! If you don't know Amanda's blog, we suggest you add it to your daily read, you'll thank us later. 

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda George and I run a design, art and style blog called The Audacity of Color. When I'm not blogging, I'm studying to complete my graphic design portfolio at a private school in NYC and working full-time as a advertising/media strategist at a large Manhattan-based media agency (I'm quite the busy girl these days). 

Tam + Sam is one of my favorite blogs, so I'm really excited to be with you this week.

Oh-so Comely

These delightful illustrations by Joël Penkman are just too sweet to be true. More of the artist's work on his Etsy shop.

via

Giveaway: Greeting Cards by Lucky

Are you looking for some original Holidays greeting cards for your loved ones? Well we've got something for you. Enter to win this set of 4 limited edition greeting cards by Montreal based and talented graphic designer Lucky. All you need to do is leave a comment with your name / email before Friday December 16, 2011 3pm EST

For more info on the designer and her work, peep her website and follow her tumblr.

Paper's Bridesmaid

Celebrity photographer Jake Chessum gives our fave bridesmaid, Kristen Wiig, the glamour treatment for this Paper Magazine Winter 2012 editorial shoot.

Easy Conversation: Ntjam Rosie

A beautiful and gifted songstress whose vocals can only be can only be rivaled by her impeccable style, Rotterdam based singer Ntjam Rosie has been under our radar for a while now. The singer who draws inspiration from people like Jill Scott, João Bosco, Madonna -and  many more- is also an accomplished songwriter as  her latest LP 'elle' proved.
We had a chat and it went a little something like this...

Tell us a little bit about yourself, who is Ntjam Rosie?

I am a singer and a songwriter based in The Netherlands. I have been living here since I was a kid and therefore consider myself a Dutch African (Cameroonian) young woman.

I was born in 1983. Music is my life. I perform it, teach it, compose it, sing it, eat it, and breathe it.

Growing up, what did you want to be? 

I wanted to be so many things when I was a kid!! A photographer,philosopher, danser, choreographer, painter, stylist, manager of a cool clothing store, writer, poet, an athlete, an actress...Music was always there, but not in a serious way. Even though I have been singing since I was 14. My parents always thought school was more important. So I somehow did not seriously consider a singing career for myself. I did not have a big voice, it was cute, but not special at the time. One thing was sure though. I would end up in the entertainment business one way or another. That is something I always knew. I also knew my own style would grow and that I would be sharing it with the world.  

Describe your creative process, what/who inspires you? 

I get inspired by life. My faith in God and his spiritual guidance has a big part in my creative process if not the biggest. Music is one of the holiest things we have here on earth. Therefore I like to make music that is positive, peaceful, cathartic, that heals, feeds and cleanses the soul. So I observe people around me, situations. Life lessons from others can inspire me to write. Not only my own life is a guideline for me. And sometimes the lyrics come first and then the chords or melody. But it can also be the other way around. I pray for the spirit to guide me through the process, and I trust in that. It has never let me down.  

What is your personal philosophy? 

I am a supporter and believer of originality. Try to bring something new to the table by simply being who God meant for you to be. It's a very simple philosophy. Connect with  him, the creator, and find out who you are. There is only one you! So please be yourself.

How would you define your style? 

My style is colourful, funky, edgy and very classy at the same time. Above all, my style is my own. I own my style. As an artist it is important for me to have more outlets than music alone to express myself. And one of those outlets is fashion. I love to get crazy funky, super vintage classy, or avant-garde , whatever suits the moment and my mood. I am impulsive with my style.

What projects are you working on these days?

At the moment I am focussed on touring clubs in Holland with my album "elle". For dates please visit my website. Next to that I am getting ready for my next album. Yes, new material!! I am writing a lot on the guitar. I am also taking guitar lessons to improve my playing. Other than that I teach, I am a vocal coach. So I am quite busy with music and I'm loving it!

What's playing in your Ipod these days? 

Aaliyah, Aretha Franklin, Asa (Asha), Beyoncé, Billie Holiday, Candi Staton, Chopin, Chrissette Michelle, The Clark Sisters, Coldplay, Corrine Bailey Rae, Debra Laws, Deniece Williams, Destiny's Child, Djavan, Esperanzah Spalding, George Benson, George Duke, Gretchen Parlato, Hillsong Live, Hindi Zahra, Nneka, Jamie Woon, Jill Scott, João Bosco, José Gonzales, Kate Walsh, KING, Lizz Wright, Madonna, Marvin Gaye, Michael Kiwanuka, Mings Pretty Heroes, Minnie Ripperton, Nina Simone, Quadron, Sara Tavares, Sensual, Somi,The Clark Sisters, Vanessa Carlton, Syreeta.

I always have it on shuffle, so everything passes by ;-)

NTJAM Rosie elsewhere...

Her Official Website  

Her Blog

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

YOU TUBE

La Signora BonBon

Francesca Capellini aka La Signora BonBon is a Paris based visual artist and blogger that creates vintage inspired collages. Capellini's work evoke love, friendship. nostalgia innocence (...). Shop these prints here and while you're at it stop by her blog.

via

Tablescape Luxe

BHLDN

With the holidays just around the corner, behold some fabulous table top inspirations for MERRy holiday brunches and festive dinner parties. bon aPpetit!

Epitome of Cuteness

Sanrio's latest collaboration with neivz takes the word 'cuteness' to another level. The California based jewelry house teamed up with the Japanese company for a line of products made our of a wood, silver and acrylic paint and featuring some of Sanrio's most iconic characters namely Hello Kitty, Chococat, Keroppi (...) Each piece was handmade at neivz studios in California. We love!

The Littlest Printer that Could

Little Printer scours the Web on your behalf, assembling the content you care about into designed deliveries a couple of times a day.

Available in 2012.

Sac du Jour

This is a match made in heaven. We're head over heels for this gorgeous navy blue satchel covered with white polka dots, crafted by none other than British brand Zatchels.

Get a Grip

Created by Akira Chatani and Ryo Yamada, Gropes is an ingeniously designed unique handmade product perfect for any biking or cycling enthusiast.

Mix and Match
Crafted from high quality, vegetable-tanned Italian leather, Gropes are available in 2 sizes (£25 for short + £39 for long) and come in 8 colours with laces available in 5 playful colours. Our fav combination is the turquoise grope with vivid pink laces.

They currently grace the shelves of London bike shops such as Look Mum No Hands!, Velorution and  The Temporium -- a design pop-up shop running from 1st-24th Dec in Seven Dials, Covent Garden. or you may simply order yours online at nonusual.com