I've made so many Valentines. If you would like one, please send me an email with your mailing address and I'll drop one in the mail!

my email address is brittmadsen@gmail.com

it's been a warm winter in Seattle

Feeling inspired by blues

8 Days a Week in Blue by tsktsk (top)

Paper Collage by madebyanna

Oofi TIME!
How can one dog be so regal and yet down to earth?

Notes to self, on the wall.

Also which is the most functional seeming yet cool bag?
LA BOHEME or
Yellow from TippyThai
or Juliet?

I recently stumbled across Paragraph Cove (etsy shop and brick & mortar in Wheeler, OR). Her handmade stationary reminds me of envelopes I used to make with my sister from torn magazine pages. The work at Paragraph Cove however is much more polished and thematic (check out the afghan throw series above). So beautiful and restrained.

Sometimes I think I've died and gone to heaven. This is one of those times.

Necklace by Lorena of the Etsy shop Spin Thread

Working on a new box design
(Plus a birthday present for mom inspired by Camilla Engman. I'll share pics when it's closer to being done.)
Which reminds me that Brad gave me Camilla's Uppercase book. It's so fun, crisp and clean.

The work at inaluxe is completely inspiring to me right now...colors & lines...simple things can be the most beautiful.

Her blog is a treat too~

[photos by Kristina Sostarko from her blog and Etsy shop]

Brad and I went to Oregon last weekend for my job. We spent one night in Portland. We were like pinballs all over the city: Kenny & Zukes (BIALY, above), Powell's, Reading Frenzy, Powell's Technical Books, Nationale, and Hawthorne Street.

In Eugene I met one of Brad's college roommates, Christy and her husband Daniel. For their wedding Daniel made a multi-color Robot screen-print for each guest. Awesome!

I'm intrigued. I always love to work the Rosie Thomas Christmas show at Town Hall. And now there's a film (also featuring Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer). It's playing at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center this Thursday (1/21). I wish I could go but I'm contractually and financially obligated to my yoga class.

Here's what the copy says: "Often raising more questions than answers, the film is a lyrical examination of Thomas' quest for an expression of truth and her unique brand of performance; combining songs of plaintive melancholy with sharp-witted banter and Sheila, her bizarre stand-up comedian alter ego."

To quote Liz Lemon: I want to go to there.

Bryan are you seeing this? Viva la Mitten!

around the house in january

lights from the holidays




and from the delightful/genius file: Letters of Note
(interesting letters from the famous, and not-so famous, live on!)

And here's something I made from all those envelopes~

Playing around with all those security envelopes I've saved~

new obsession thanks to Allison: Japanese masking tape.
ideas here and here and gallery here
images from PrettyTape [an amazing source on Etsy for Japanese Washi Masking Tape]

museum view in New York

There's yet another great photo slide show on Slate today: Let's Go Out to the Movies!

I love the lower picture especially. I had a Jaws viewing party for my birthday this year, for which my friends charitably indulged me. Thanks guys!

patches of green in new york~

metal in new york~

Comics and collections in Brooklyn. I'll be posting pictures from our November New York trip this week.

Back to real life today, vacation is over! But I'm kinda glad to be back at my desk. Life is calmer here.

Merry, Cozy and Happy Holiday to Everyone!

Rainbow of Red Hearts by GollyBard

Thanksgiving~pictures from Erin's cozy Brooklyn home

Click on the pictures to see them BIG

Thanks again Erin!

These wintery images are from Sandra Juto who I wrote about yesterday. They take my breath away and make me happier about the cold weather.

Also if you are maybe sitting at a desk somewhere wishing to read something different and delightful read this ode to Albertson's grocery store by Seattle artist/writer/cartoonist/filmmaker Molly Norris. I found out about Molly last weekend at the EDGE film reception. She's making a documentary about indie pop-ers Katherine Hepburn's Voice.

La Danse by Frederick Wiseman is playing at Northwest Film Forum until Dec. 16 (wait that's today!)

2 hours and 40 minutes of purifying beauty. Go go go!

I love Sandra Juto's work. The coffee pots remind me of Erin's apartment in NY.

At the Brooklyn Flea's Gifted Market I came across the reclaimed sail bags and odds and ends made by Katherine Rasmussen of reiter8

Watch an interview with her at The Storque (Etsy's blog)

she also makes x-mas stockings out of sails~

I'm in love with these fruit and veggie bags from Seattle's Wonder Thunder. And equally in love with the product description:

"Take to the farmer's market to bag your apples, cabbage, limes, lettuce, snap peas, or radishes without that horrible plastic bag guilt. Perfect for the bulk aisle of the grocery store for lugging home a bunch of bulk cereal, rice, pasta, flour, or even gummy sharks and chocolate bits."

Items at Yellow Owl Workshop are making me wish for warmer weather. For once I can't complain about the lack of sun in Seattle but it's COLD.

We made gingersnaps last night. And then we turned them into dulce de leche-gingersnap -sandwich-cookies!