heysusy

I AM CONVINCED { day and a mysterious visitor }

So...I ended up not posting a weekender "jewelry to go with your gray sweatshirts" post because I got so absorbed in this website and their compelling asthetic that I completely forgot. I'm sorry! It happens.

I make it up to you, hopefully, with this link. Seriously, click on everything available and get lost in Day Birger et Mikkelsen's excellent wild meets urban meets quiet style sense. Wonderful!

In other tangentially related news this weekend, I'd like to share what happened outside our window on Saturday Night....K. spotted a HUGE bird quietly perched across the way on the opposite fire escape. When I say huge, I mean...like...about as tall and wide as a skateboard, maybe taller and wider. It was tucked just out of sight, with it's face in the shadows. It stayed there all night, sleeping, I imagine. When I woke up at 4 AM, it was still there...but it was still too dark to see many details. I saw it take in a big breath, and the shape expanded. The feathers on it's breast blew in the wind, just slightly...it perched completely still...and stayed.

When I woke up and it was light out, it was gone.

This was truly magical for me-- I often feel something magical has happened when I see a large animal in the "wild"...like when I saw that huge fish swim up to the dock at Lake George... It was a moment when I forgot about myself, completely. What it's like to be completely, surprisingly, selflessly, absorbed into something else...something beyond your own world.

Wherever you are, mysterious bird, I hope you are well.

OR ELSE { alternate uses for cool vintage items }

Good Monday Morning, sweethearts! I hope your weekends were wonderous. Mine was...work-filled. Taxes. Paperwork. Invoicing. Tabulation. Computation. All the little bits and pieces that require more concentration than I typically have during the week. Things are getting BUSY. So, just probably this one post today-- but it's a good one!

These really cool vintage cheerleading megaphones seemed like just the thing to put up here for a Monday. Go Team! You Can Do It!

I like the idea of inspiring myself with objects I love...finding new uses for everyday things, which I'm sure you can tell from my own collection and designs. There's an element of surprise, but also a kind of delightful transportation that occurs when an object appears out of context.

Each of these would work well, and happily, they are all available for sale. 

In fact, you can find them right here.

CENTS AND CENTSABILITY {penny loafer love}

Hello, Hello! Good weekends? Good. Happy.

Now. Onto today's business. I am SO excited about todays post. I honestly don't think I've been this excited about anything since Krakatoa.  I take the job of providing knowledge on the historical obscurities of classic fashion and personal grooming accessories VERY seriously here at HS* And today, I'm happy to feature The Penny Loafer! 

So, every time I go up to the Adirondacks, I look forward to wearing my trusty loafers; which I leave up in the cabin so I always have comfortable footwear when I arrive. This weekend I said to Kurt..."You know, I'm surprised I don't see more people wearing penny loafers around NYC..." and he said they had a kind of 1960's female expressionist painter charm. This made me realize...it's time to bring my country shoes for a visit to the Big Apple.

The Penny Loafer is a shoe almost as varied as the Penny Itself. My personal favorite is the classic "Penny Keeper" design, which was pioneered by Bass. There are myriad species...heeled versions, patent versions...tassel, and Kiltie varieties (a Kltie is that fringey thing that hangs over the shoe.) My own twist on the PL is to keep coinage with personal meaning into the front.

Shoes aside, I would LOVE to get into the coin-collecting dimension here, but I'll save that little tidbit for another day. I've put a few of my recommendations up here. With mysterious, names like Flowing Hair Chain, Liberty Cap, Coronet, Classic Head and Lincoln Wheat, the US penny has a lot to offer. For a touch of Edwardian or Pre-Punk flair, I recommend looking into UK Coinage as well... Which go by species names like the Britannia, and The Heaton Mint.

Oh, moi? My personal favorite? Glad you asked. A pair of solid gold Widow's Head Queen Victoria Sovereigns. Pricey, but so nicey. Not for spending!

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Clickable Things...
A History of the Penny Loafer
Where to buy Bass Weejuns
All sorts of PL's. Including the Cole Haan Air Penny shown above
History of UK Coin Denominations (you have to do some digging to find images- but it is worth it)
More info on British coins of the Pound Sterling
All about the American Penny 

IKAT ALSO { how it's made }

Yeah, yeah, yeah... we all love Ikat. What else is new Sus?....Good morning everybody!!!

Anyway, I really like THESE Ikats. While there's a prevalence for a more geometric and ornate kind of Ikat, these took me by surprise. A few weeks ago (I believe through The Royal Me), I learned that Ikat is actually created by dying the thread before it's woven. For me, that takes this genre of textiles to a completely different level. The designs are formed by the colors in the thread meeting when it's woven.

So, a search for more types of Ikat brought me to these up here...Personally, I really prefer the drastically simplified squares and stripes to what is popular today. While the geometric styles so in vogue lately are gorgeous, these appeal to me as an abstract artist in how exuberant and joyful they are. The colors just come alive, crackling and humming with energy.

View more Ikat examples from history (well worth a trip) Courtesy of Victoria and Albert

Tweet? { advice, please!}

Do any of you lovely readers do twitter? Do you like it? I'm thinking about doing it, but I'm kind of conflicted. So tell me, do you like it? Find it fun? Useful? A time suck? Relevant? Horrid? Abhorrent? A sign of the End Times?

I'm thinking I should probably sign up because I'd like to do a better job of getting the word out when I have something important to share, like a new product or a blog post or something. And also, it might be a good way to keep up with some of my blogger friends! But I'm wondering how many tweets a day I need to do...and I'm concerned it might become an exercise in self-aggrandizement... Which I try to avoid as a rule!

So, I know it's not often I ask for advice, but, the time has come. I'm really wondering what to do. I would love to know if any of my readers are involved, and whether adding tweetiness to my collection of online activities might be a good idea, in your opinions.

(God, I will be SO embarrassed if this post gets no comments.)
Barbie for The Birds > here

love! s

DUDE, WHERE'S MY FOULARD? {neckerchiefs}

There is nothing I love more than weird, weird collections, and people who have assembled knowledge on one particular topic. In the past, I've been lucky enough to find some great websites dedicated to everything from typewriter ribbon cases, to pencils, to obscure toys from the 1970's...but it never occured to me that people might collect Foulards.

Anyway, I love the square format...so many possibilities. And up here are just a few that popped out at me-- both current and vintage. There's nothing easier than tying a gorgeous silk scarf to your purse, the perfect accessory, and oh so casual. Personally, I never know when I'm going to be hopping into a convertible, or taking a fast ride on a cigarette boat. Ok, I'm kidding, but I do know I'll be visiting the International Hermes Scarf Collector Site pretty darned often.

I should mention that not all of these are Hermes...but, then again, the brand doesn't matter. I just like the format. I should also mention that I can't figure out the key shortcut for an accent grave.

BACK WHERE I CAME FROM { remembering }

When I was little, we had one car: an early 70's Volvo station wagon in a bright, strange Turquoise color. (I believe the turquoise was on sale, and that was why my parents bought it.)

And we drove that car into the ground. It took us everywhere... trips up to Maine...Upstate NY, and out to the Cape to walk on the beach in winter. It had no tape deck. Just a radio with little buttons you could use to save a particular station. And the engine made a very specific noise so I always knew when my parents were coming back home up the hill.

I used to accompany my mom on all sorts of errands, and I remember some of her accoutrements...a battered brown leather purse...a few time-tested accessories inside; a nail file, a little pair of scissors, a Parker roller-ball pen my dad had bought for her.

I guess I've always been fascinated by the story objects tell about a person...about a family...about an upbringing. I found these few keychains to post here-- they're not the most jazzy, or the most ostentatious. But they are the things memories are made out of. The color of old, good leather, the sound of Mom's keys..the ever-absorbing detail on a little wood carving. Micky Mouse, swinging back and forth from the ignition, as you ramble on to your next new destination.

Owl Keychain > Here
Equestrian Leather Keyfobs (my pick...you can hook them to your bag, and they last forever) > Here
Tassel Keyfob > Here
Mickey Keychain > Here
Classic Sterling Horseshoe > Here

Find your own childhood car > Here

ENTER 09 { speak softly, carry a big bouquet }

Hello everybody, Well, I am happily back from quite a crazy week. Packing up the booth in BP, taking stock of holiday goings-on, and just generally doing my end of year reckoning, both in business and more importantly, in spirit.

I've learned a lot this year. And while some of these have been hard, at times humbling lessons, they certainly will be useful. These new collages by John Murphy made me remind myself...always look for something new, eccentricity is more rewarding than the alternative, and even though most prefer songbirds, it's okay to be an ostrich. Especially one carrying a bunch of roses.

GOOD MORNING {welcome back}

Good Morning Everyone,

I cannot speak for anyone else; But for myself, I can say I'm very happy today. Last night was a wonderful thing to behold, and to take part in. So, I'm not going to say much...but I am very proud to be an American today...as I am every day. Still, after a long, long time, It feels like home again.

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For me, this seemed to be the most appropriate image to pair with this post, for so many reasons. A Gee's Bend Quilt. "Closely linked to family well-being, a sense of identity for the individual quilters, and the cultural continuity of their community, a Gee’s Bend quilt constitutes more than a creative outlet. As one of the Benders stated, "It represents safekeeping, it represents beauty, and you could say it represents family history." from The Corcoran Gallery

HOW TO {mindful inspiration with feel boards}

I was hoping to write this article for the etsy storque...but they haven't gotten back to me, so...I'm taking things into my own hands. I hope to post more how-to's in the future!

This summer,  the 'inspiration board' was all the rage on blogs like decor8 and style me pretty. I was thrilled to see something that has long been a tool for designers reaching into the craft/handmade community. I loved reading the articles, and looking at the boards people submitted, so, I wanted to contribute in my own way with a how-to on creating inspiration boards that are not only beautiful, but also useful.

Inspiration boards (I call them feelboards or moodboards) are something I have used for a long time in the 'design discovery' phase for clients. They serve as a guide not only to kickstart the creative/design process, but also to remind, as that process branches out, what the core ideas are. They are like a compass, helping you be sure that you are going in the intended direction. Above, you can see a few of my inspirations...what I am using currently, and used to create the new susyjack* website and identity.

Daily, we see so much that sitting down to create one's own work can feel a little bit like fighting through the weeds with a machete. That's where feelboards come in: combining materials, images, and words which map the terrain and guide us through!

Getting Started:
Spend some quiet time thinking about what's been on your mind lately. What's popped out at you? What's made you say 'wow' during your day to day. Some people find it's helpful to carry around a digital camera, sketchbook, or to keep a list of moments where they encountered something that really 'spoke' to them. These are moments of inspiration, as quick as they may be! Capture them.

Make a list of what feelings, things or qualities you were drawn in by. Just keep it loose...don't censor yourself. Maybe it's words like, 'nature, beauty, children, happiness' or 'relaxation, calmness, soothing' or 'colorful, unique, freedom'. It could be any combination of words which remind you of what sang to you.

Imagery, Textures, Objects:
Over a week or so, collect images and objects that you feel correspond with your inspirations. These may be images which you seek out, or, they could be images which already have a place in your heart. These are your 'compass' images. Don't worry about whether they match, or whether they include your friends or family...These are just for you. Each one should have special meaning, and be true to what you notice in life...not just what's in style, but what you feel has meaning and calls out to you.

Collaging:
Begin combining the images. Don't glue them down right away, but move them around on a board. Which combinations work for you? Why? Use the process as a tool for thinking more about what you are enjoying visually. When a certain couple of images get together, does it make you feel excited? Good! That means it's working. Don't forget your words....make sure that they make it in there. Looking and reading will simultaneously re-enforce your inspiring ideas.

Remember: It's okay to take your time. I've worked in design studios where we worked on feelboards for a couple of weeks...and it was worth the wait, they were precise, inspiring and communicative. The process is part of revealing what you are really getting at. The point is not to create perfection, but to reveal a unique vision...yours.

Presenting:
When you think you've got a palette that is working, make it permanent. Stick those images down, and hang up your board in your workspace. When you get flummoxed, go grab a snack, take a break, then come back and look at your board. Use it as a jumping off point...or, take a look at your work and double-check that it's going in the direction that your board/compass expresses. This is especially helpful when you're creating a collection and have multiple pieces to create and develop.

Taking it Further:
Mood Boards are not only useful for interior design and things visual; they can be extremely helpful as a tool for self-discovery. I have seen people create moodboards for everything from figuring out a new career to planning their next vacation. A successful moodboard transcends style and communicates. It has meaning over time. Mood Boards are also really useful to bring along if you are pitching a product, showing inspiration to a client, explaining your process and ideas, or creative directing someone (for example, if you are hiring someone to do your website or photography).

Keeping it going:
I have folders in which I put images I feel are really calling out to me, both in my space, and on my hard drive. Every now and then, I ramble through and remind myself what I liked about them, and they make a great source for new ideas. If you find an image that you really enjoy, but it doesn't fit with your current vein of thinking, save it. You never know, it could come in handy when you're planning your next collection or idea! Or, if you don't feel like getting out the glue, try shelving it. This can be a great, quick, and flexible way to show off your creative favorites.

Resources:

For more on inspiration boards, check out these blogs and tutorials:
decor8's styleboard contest winnners from last summer's competition...the winner is a must-see, love the way she has used the folder as a background 
style me pretty inspiration board contest
ihanna's article on building a reusable frame for pinning up your ideas.
bella dia's series mood boards on her blog
absolutely beautiful things makes frequent use of moodboards in her interior design work.
Abigail Beal has written a VERY basic tutorial on making a mood board-- what materials you might want to have around etc
inspiration boards group on flickr...where I found a bunch of great examples, including ways of creating change-able boards with clips, frames and shelves! Check out the fantastic sculptures/collages of Lisa Temple Cox while you're there!

UPDATE! I realized there's a link I forgot...if you don't have time to do any of the above...or, just need a way to get yourself started, you can always download the design for mankind ezine. The third issue is out as of yesterday!

 

Well, I really hope this was useful. I certainly have enjoyed writing it. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions, or to show off your own inspiration boards. I would love to see them.