From the city with love

The urban jungle. The metropolitan playground. The bustling borough. Whatever you want to call it, there's something about a cityscape that makes the heart sing like no other. If you can't live there, stare wistfully at these pieces and dream until you make it!

Home is where our heart is by Vol25 nails it. A few basic apartment buildings with one special window--where the loved one lives. There's nothing like a loved one to bring meaning, warmth, and excitement to a place...without it, a city or neighborhood is just a bunch of sidewalk and windows. We also love the musical details.

Pittsburgh 6th Street Bridge by Real City Art is insanely gorgeous and has all the features we crave in city art: a bridge, touches of pink, and a sense of something thriving and exciting. We've never been there, and perhaps you haven't, either, but chances are great that you've seen and loved a similar place and are inexplicably drawn to it, too. If you like this one, check out the other pieces featuring NYC and a city in Georgia.

My Favorite Theatre by Bradley Ralph Robinson (brr--like SFC itself, come to think of it), features our favorite theatre, the Castro, in dramatic black and white. It is timeless and gorgeous, idealizing and yet capturing great Californian architecture. If you love this, check out his other SFC inspired art--truly fabulous.

And finally, Giving Off by Laura George because as any urban dweller knows, there are is a desperate beauty in pollution. Perhaps we morbid beings find beauty because we want to, but decay has always had its charms. The buildings are giving off vibrant star laden clouds--a fun burst of color near the tall, black buildings.

Center stage: objects with star power.

There are times in a woman's life when extra va-va-voom is simply mandatory. At these crucial moments, it's heartbreaking to be thisclose to perfection and miss the mark due to a missing accessory! If you plan your outfits for events like we do, this sensation is something well worth avoiding. Let us steer you in the general direction of Center Stage.

In the event of a cocktail party, it's always a good idea to wear one piece of flair--never 37 or beyond--more is simply unchic. Some women can pull off overdone, but for the rest of us, less is so much more. A fascinator, perched saucily on your little head, can add interest.

This magenta fascinator by SmittenXOXO is gorgeous and not overdone--just a punch of color and allurement. Worn as a brooch or in the hair, it's a cinch for adding that dash that makes the outfit.

Other options available at Smitten include a birdcage veil (oh la la), garters, and orchid fascinators.

Obviously, a part of charm has roots in jewels. After all, what outfit is complete without a bit of snazz? In our youth it was a ball chain necklace with dog tags, a studded belt, or even some duct tape. Let your inner teenager come out to play, tempered with some adult discretion and knowing panache. Annilys's shop is an excellent place to find some scene stealing booty.

A subtle dash of color, glimmering bling, and details to swoon for are all trademarks of jewels by Annilys and the above are no exception. If you have a bit of whimsy, a dash of flapper, and a pinch of starlet, Annilys's shop is your catnip.

And finally, what else can stop a heart, silence a room and gather the attention of all like a dress?

Ladies, never underestimate the power of a dress. It doesn't have to be short, or even particularly decollete to make a statement. A stunner if ever there was one is The Charlie Dress by Miss Braches Inc. Available in Black, Red, Navy, or Lavender with white accents, this body conscious bodacious dress is custom made for you!

Be sure to check out their stores for more getting glam inspiration!

Beauty in the details: jewelry by Amber Sky

There are a lot of jewels available on Etsy, many of which are made with such attention to detail and refreshing elements that it's impossible to have ONE favorite. Despite this fact, there are still certain designers that impart a little something special. Like collage artists, they have a way of putting pieces together that deserves comment, a second look, or becomes a part of a wearer's signature--a way they punctuate their outfits with their own personality.

Amber Sky is no exception. Her pieces tend to have something special that makes the item a must have. This piece, called Victoria, left us stunned with happiness.

We love the teardrop shape, and the lustrous turquoise color, but most of all the hand placed brass leaves and flowers. We have shaky fingers and can only imagine how easy that wasn't, but the effort resulted in a wearable piece of art.

Next up the aptly named Romance. We love that the deep blue briolettes are encased in filigree cages--such an unexpected and lush detail, which accents the beads oh so well. This would be the perfect date night earring, or accent to a feminine day time outfit.

And finally, the lovely Iris, which boast noteworthy color combinations--metallic lavender, copper, and deep purple accents. The layered bead caps and accent beads add interest without fuss. Perfect Spring daytime earrings.

Check out AmberSky on Etsy to see your new signature pieces with a romantic twist!

Greetings you won't soon forget: Mimi Muse

Mimi Muse is all about the love--from the name of the company, which is for the artist's muse: her grandmother Mimi, to the sentimental keepsakes the artist couldn't part with until the time was ripe for a perfect artistic expression (she's a collector of trinkets and mementos, like much of her family)--which is why it's impossible not to feel affection for the beautiful treasures at Mimi Muse Designs.

Linguaggio Del Cuore features a pretty combination of photographic images, laces, papers, and charms, all scanned onto cardstock, which is perfect to prevent damage. (We aren't a big fan of mutilating pretty stuff, us.) Italian lovers will note a phrase "Il mio cuore vola", which is perfect with the flying heart and romantic couple. Romance! (Hey, Spring's coming!)

Woman in Peacock Dress is appropriate for any lover of sensual feminine beauty, or your favorite over the top character. We love the subtle earthy greens reminiscent of plumage, but the best part is Miss Saucy with her hand on her hip! What a wonderful find of vintage modelling--she IS a peacock in everyway!

And finally, the most beautiful winged girl we've ever seen: Art Deco Fairy. This one is perfect for the larger than life or romantic with an independent streak. We just love the stylized, clean lines, and vivid colors combined with the surprising bits of map, glass and stamps.

Check out Mimi Muse Designs and get acquainted with this talented collage artist!

Misanthropic swears and bunnies, oh my!

As some of you well know already, we gals at HMF HQ are geeks--we dork out, get inspired by, and fall in love with all types of things. Sometimes these things are real live people, sometimes they are things made by real live people; sometimes, we get lucky and it's both.

Jessica Pierce, the genius behind Spider Camp, is the latter. She had us at "Buy this rabbit with your moneys" (this very name made us absolutely nuts with happiness). Shown below, a green fleece bunny with wonky eyes and "fuck off" written on his chest.

Those of us that get sick of niceties and 'polite society' can relate to this bunny. Sometimes we just wanna tell people to F*Off. Now we don't have to. We can flash this crazed bunny with pride. Practiced misanthropes and newbies are well covered--there are a few bunnies such as this one for days when you just wanna tell someone what you really think.

We also like the sections in her shop--for instance, the bunnies with diseases. Now, diseases are usually no laughing matter in the human or animal world, but in the world of plushies, they are HILARIOUS. Check out "Plague".

Now that's a conversation starter if ever there was one. You can give it to your favorite angst ridden teenager for a rare and sincere smile. You can show it to your blind date and showcase your brazen sense of humor (and scare away weak sauce or boring losers), or leave it in your house for new lovers to see. You can even nail it to the wall in your cubicle as a warning to your least favorite co-workers to question your sanity or at least fear for their lives. Also available: "Herpes".

There are oh-so-many bunnies available where these came from. Some celebrate Ham and the love of meat in general (she even makes "Pocket Bacon" for bacon-aficionados) , the love of pies and sweets ("Pie for President"), swears, and pop culture references ("WTF" and "OMG").

And finally, the bunny named "Geek" which is our cue to end this post, as it was clearly made with dorks like us in mind!

If you love quirky irreverence, words and cute dolls, you must visit Spider Camp and get acquainted with the hilarious Jessica Pierce.

You're so decadent, darling: Shahasp Valentine and her queenly jewels

Those of us that have an affinity to rustic/nature inspired beauty in jewelry, or the voluptuous sensuality of bygone eras have finally found a one stop shop for earthy and heavenly elegance! Shahasp Valentine, an artisan specializing in PMC (precious metal clay) has a line of jewelry fit for a queen ('Modern Artifacts' or 'Precieux'), or the rugged individualist in us all ('Organic Series').

We love the variety of her design--many items are shown with variations, such as different stones, sizes, and chains, which makes the item as individual as the person wearing it. For a visual example, let's look at "Icicle" below, which is from the 'Precieux' or 'Modern Artifacts' side of her art:

Shown with a gold chain, and without stones surrounding the center stone, the second picture has a subdued regal air, while the first has a cool, understated, yet richly divine splendor. These are just TWO of the variations available in this one necklace...and they are all worth a peeky.

Her Organic Series jewelry has a more free-flowing design, very natural and unstructured. We felt an immediate affinity toward 'Knife Edge' and like the dark beauty of 'Lily'.

And finally, our personal favorites of her collection: Rococo,Nouveau Diamond Necklace, and Opera.

Sure conversation starters with excellent design, and a perfectly captured and balanced expression of romantic sentiment of bygone eras.

Check out Shahasp Valentine's site and get acquainted with this heavily talented jewelry artist!

Sophia Mohamed Al-Maria's Little Shop of London Horrors

There we were, minding our own business, trying to find the next post for your (and our) entertainment, when we quite accidentally discovered Sophia Mohamed Al-Maria's shop on Etsy. Apparently, werewolves live in London, and their observer, Ms Al-Maria, is tracking them to humorous effect. We like her tongue in cheek series of caricatures which toy with the villainous perception of Arabs, Immigrants and the 'Other' in London; a little subversive attitude has been our personal motto since 9th grade gym class: 'in your eye'.

Here's one we adore called "Dream Street" which is based on a friend of Ms Al-Maria's. We love it for so many reasons--the weaponry (one of us ALWAYS uses the 'grenade' while playing Drake's Fortune), the hairstyle and 'side eye' look, but most of all because of the use of the word "Frenemy" in the description! Granted, she said "not a frenemie" but, hey, we love it anyway--we'd love to see an image of an actual frenemy, someday. We just love that word.

Our new boyfriend, BLACKFRIAR'S BRIDGE, was spotted lurking about talking into his cell phone ear piece, a la James Bond, in a possibly North African dialectic (let's face it, languages we don't understand are HOT), and was cloaked in mystery; and, we imagine, a little ridiculousness, which is always rather endearing. This caricature warmed our icy hearts like no other.

And finally, SHOREDITCH, the hipster diva resplendent in Top Shop, with a lot of attitude to go with her flair. Dig her hoops and charm bracelet--we suspect she didn't get them on Etsy, but she very well could have.

Each adult werewolf comes delicately packaged in red tissue with a red EXPLOSION of GLITTER stars and an explanation signed and dated on gold paper. We totally want one. Check out her shop at SophiaAlMaria to show some love.