happy holidays & all the best in 2010

i'm out of here until 2010 - my first post will be january 4. i hope you all have a much needed time of reflection & celebration with family & friends. until then.

image via olivia bee.

the songs of 2009

it's been a big year for music, one that is hard to compare to any other. i dare to put it up against 2001 - the year i discovered talib kweli, mos def, angie stone & jill scott. i'm struggling with a way to share this music with you, right now i have most of these linked to previous still dottie posts. i've love to have you download the mp3s or even listen to them online, but i'm not sure what the legalities are & i'm not really interested in testing it out. so here it is, a little more work, but worth it if you want some of the best music of 2009.

--
There is No Light - Wildbirds & Peacedrums
Tightrope - Yeasayer (Dark Was the Night)
Tonight's Today - Jack Penate
Happy Up Here - Royksopp
Dance The Way I Feel - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool (Perfect Shuffle 30)
Lion in a Coma - Animal Collective
Like A Hitman, Like a Dancer - A.C. Newman
Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) - Florence + The Machine
1901 - Phoenix
Never Never - Little Dragon
Basic Space - The XX
Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram
Save Me From What I Want - St. Vincent
Until We Bleed - Kleerup ft. Lykke Li (Perfect Shuffle 30)
Intentions - The Whitest Boy Alive
Cello Song - The Books ft. Jose Gonzales
Parallel Lines - Junior Boys
Tunnelvision - Here We Go Magic
Moth's Wings - Passion Pit
Cult Logic - Miike Snow
Accusations - The Juan MacLean
No Pity - Wax Tailor
Take My Breath Away - Gui Boratto
Ain't Nothing Like You - Blakroc
Good - Physics
Lazerbeams - Fresh Espresso
Make Her Say - Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West & Common
--


i'm looking forward to another great year & a the continued adventure of finding great music to share with all of you. for quick links to my music of the moment go to dottietunes on tumblr.

2009 inspiration

i wanted to go back and share some of my favorite posts of 2009 - the art, photography & fashion that still makes my mouth water.


kim holtermand


tec petaja

medicine for melancholy


copenhagen cycle chic

andrew waits


from keetra


teetering bulb
apartment inspiration


shock value

fleet street scandal
one stone new york jewelry


chictopia

seattle municipal flickr

one month of travel: chicago, stockholm, copenhagen, munich, berlin, & london


dinasour designs



jacob hashimoto 

great stuff seattle  
snowblinded prints 



studiocromie

gala bent art  
needle + thread seattle street fashion 




jim gaylord



francoise nielly 

artmind ceramics  
the iconic lykke li 




marc bordons



20 street fashion blogs by hype mag 

laura flippen photography  
mark weaver art 




amose

lookbook.nu  




grape frogg

graypants design seattle  



i hope you've enjoyed our little back track - there was so much inspiration this year - it makes me happy to go back & reflect.

101 cookbooks - a 2009 favorite

i'm going off the schedule for the next three days, the last posts until the new year. i have about 10 days off of work for the holidays; i plan to take advantage of the time & get some projects moving forward. plus... you won't be reading blogs.

to start i want to reiterate my true love for 101 cookbooks - a beautiful cooking blog heidi swanson. the blog is filled with gorgeous photography, delicious recipes, & a writing style that makes following heidi's instructions a cinch. there is something so special about her featured recipes, she keeps it unpretentious, while focusing on whole, seasonal foods. it has become my go to whenever i need to whip something up for guests or a friend's dinner party or brunch. of course, i've got favorites: spring tabbouleh, strawberry panzanella & sunburst carrot salad, but i'm always excited to see what's next.





i am finishing off the year with two recipes on 101 cookbooks, sante's hermit cookies & sparkling ginger chip cookies. both cookies are to die for & quite easy to make. i encourage any of you looking for a new take on cooking or baking to visit her blog & dive in - you'll be super happy you did.

music to listen to - blakroc

this collaboration is to die for - blakroc. the black keys & some of my favorite hip hop artists - mos def, rza, pharoahe monch, and q-tip. get the album here, check out the in studios here.

handmade days - 3d felt ornaments

thanks to jessica at how about orange for this fantastic tutorial! i'm partial to the felt though - perfect for gift toppers, ornaments or year-round decoration.

etsy friday - woops

 

 

 

this week was hectic, but here i am with a few minutes to catch up (sigh). i love all of these great vintage finds from the best things. great finds from right near where i grew up in michigan.

fashion blitz - perspective

our huge walk-in closet (along with our entire apartment) could have gone up in smoke last night - but thanks to my man's good sniffer and the seattle fire department, we made out with little to no property damage. i mean, we do have a huge hole in the ceiling of our closet, plaster all over the floors, and the contents of the closet all over our apartment.

a fuse had blown in our apartment, but in a weird way. it fizzled & popped - scary! after tripping it back to no luck we started investigating. bart went into the walk-in & smelled something burning (he's got a cold, how did he smell it?). we looked up & saw embers burning above our light fixture; our property manager was with us at this point too. after that we immediately called 911 & the fire department was there in about 3 minutes. there was a lot of commotion, but they were fantastic (look out capitol hill dept - you're getting cookies, lots of them). turns out the wiring had started a fire in the attic above our ceiling, & another 5-10 minutes without a call would have put our entire unit (maybe even top floor) in flames. we are so lucky & we've been feeling that way all day.

here is the point i'm trying to make...

amidst all of this, i never thought to grab any clothing to rescue. it puts perspective on what really matters. so next time you want to drop $100 on that sassy jacket - call up someone you love & get some good food.

found design - graypants

i admire these pendant lights everytime i'm at vermillion & was finally motivated to hunt them down this am. graypants is a three-man design studio right here in my hood & i'm loving what they're doing.

side note - i participated in a small craft show yesterday & shared the spotlight with some great artists. i refered to my table as the "little guy," filled with my weekend crafts. i loved the beautiful silver from caitlin scott jewelry & picked up some gorgeous little window pieces from joby stained glass.

music to listen to - edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros

i can't get enough of this album from edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros. more than that - i can't get over this song. thanks to dave, one of my favorite music gurus (you should also check out his rhapsody commercial here).

handmade days - inspired by

i might try to make a dress like this beautiful silk church and state piece. what about that lace! it seems simple enough (right), but i may look for a pattern anyway.



what about this lovely thing from net-a-porter? i could swing that without a pattern. yummmm.

via lake jane.

anyone have suggestions tips for either?

etsy wednesday - home & high water

it's still wednesday on the west coast. it's also freezing on the west coast. i makes me want to be snuggled up in a cabin - maybe one with a neighborhood watch. i love this linocut print by home & high water.

fashion blitz - sparkle or classic

i want something pretty for upcoming holiday celebrations, but i can't decide between sparkly or classic. part of me wants something fun & frivelous, the other wants the piece that fits amazing & i'll wear for years (& pump it up with jewels for holiday events). what do you think?

found art - grape frogg

the portfolio of russian illustrator grape frogg is many things & i love it all.

music to listen to - a take away show

thanks to strath for pointing me in the right direction. love.

handmade days - auto necklace

not just for schoolhouse tissue box covers anymore - needlepoint. this necklace from auto is frickin' genious. why didn't i think of it?


via design for mankind.

handmade days - clothespin craft

i think that many of us have fond childhood memories of glittering, painting, glueing & drawing all over clothespins. sometimes those clothespins even had magnets on the back or where simply used to group together your important 12-year-old documents. well, that time is back & i'm all over it.

martha suggests using holiday wrap & gluestick for a greeting card garland. whisker graphics suggests using japanese masking tape & magnetic backs. susyjack - well - they just have some super cute ones. i'm dying for a reason to get some of the japanese masking tape, but there are so many choices, i wouldn't know where to begin.

btw - diy tonight at faire gallery & cafe, 7:30-10:00pm.

etsy wednesday - trixie delicious

who doesn't love tacky, raunchy vintage? visit the etsy shop of trixie delicious for all of that & more.

fashion blitz - tea party

found via needle + thread - i'm excited to see where this new seattle blog, tea party, takes all of the fashion inspiration! can i have this vest?