I drove by one of their public exhibits here in L.A. and immediately fell in love with this installation / artist group of sorts. Such a simple but sweet message to send out to the world: YouAreBeautiful

Artillery, Chicago, from YouAreBeautiful

Excuse the crappy photos, but these were shot last night at Cosa Nostra’s fashion show for Eternal Embrace, the Autumn/Winter 2007 Collection. For whatever reason I found myself at the very end of the first runway, right next to the press. It pays to not be VIP, I guess. (Which was probably a mere 25% of us regular folk.)

I love that last season’s Project Runway winner, Jeffrey Sebelia, is a fellow Angeleno, and I love his clothes even more!!! Lots of gorgeous, gorgeous dresses, and also plenty of everyday wear in black and gray and perfect for the Eastside.

Better photos from LA Weekly. I swear they look 100 times better in person.

Like many of the clothes from Paul & Joe, I am seriously in love with the packaging for their cosmetics line, Paul & Joe Beaute. It is absolutely divine! I especially love the gorgeous floral pattern and print on what looks to be a perforated box.

Paul & Joe body powder and lip gloss set at my-wardrobe.com

All the hot fashion designers seem to be coming out of Australia lately - Lover, Tsubi/Ksubi, and now Alice McCall. Her collections have that vintage-inspired, casual playclothes look.

Alice McCall Finding a Horse Shoe, Butterfly Sleeve Dress, and Itchy Right Hand High Waist Skirt

I’m loving the jewelry from Malababa, like this Carrascal Necklace from shopbop. Such a unique and fun assortment of baubles.

I love this ad for Anna Sui’s new perfume, Secret Wish Magic Romance. The design is nothing exceptional, but it’s so fun and pretty to look at and doesn’t take itself too seriously, pretty much like Anna Sui’s overall style. The model is Anne Watanabe, daughter of Ken Watanabe who played the Chairman in “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Gorgeous girl!

The website is super-cute too!

These are crazy!!! (In a good way)

Jen Stark’s severely intricate hand-cut construction paper sculptures. This is coming from someone who can barely cut a straight line with an X-Acto knife - yes, even with a straight edge, sadly.

“Detail: Peephole: Anatomical Evolution” by Jen Stark

This woman is like my idol! She is the reason I got into music videos; her work is true artistry in motion. In addition to directing videos for artists like Marilyn Manson and the White Stripes, she also shoots frighteningly beautiful photographs. (Love how this post is in direct contrast to the last two. Or not, depending on how you feel.)

“CHICKENBEFORETHEEGGTHEEGGBEFORETHECHICKEN” and “Mother and Child”, from Spike Gallery

More toy portraiture at junkoseven (including Blythe!) that manages to endearingly capture each subject’s personality.

I wish I was Blythe. Every time I see her, she has on the cutest clothes. Some people think she’s creepy-looking, but you cannot deny the talent of her legion of stylists, who knit her sweaters, sew her dresses, and take her pictures. Who would not want that?

(From This is Blythe, by Gina Garan)

I love how easy on the eyes the splashes of color are in Wakako Katayama’s paintings - diluted and slightly subdued jewel tones, perfect inspiration for a rainy day like today.

I get so excited when I hear about fellow artists who are native Angelenos - or anyone native to L.A. for that matter. (Such a rare breed!) I love the combination of styles and influences - vintage Emilio Pucci and Art Nouveau are some - that adorn the women in Panni Malek’s paintings. Her solo exhibition, called “Dirty Pretty Things”, opens tonight in L.A., as part of the Rising Artist Series. (via Nylon Newsletter)

I spotted one of bag designer Amina Aranaz’s creations in the March 2007 Preview. (Freshly imported from the Philippines, thanks Mom) I love her modern and creative use of native materials to get that distinct Filipino island opulence.

Aranaz Disco Queen and Diva Clutch, both from Bamboo Closet

I’ve been hearing good things about her shoes, so I decided to check out her site for more info. Her current offerings include simple but feminine tops and dresses, with origami-like prints and sailor-inspired details that remind me of anime cartoons, in an oh-so-very covetable way. And how gorgeous is this bag?

The Pink Project has put together a charity photobook with the help of artists, musicians, survivors, celebrities, and other advocates to support the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and the Los Angeles Breast Cancer Alliance (LABCA). I don’t know much else about it, but it’s definitely a cause that is close to my heart. You can purchase the book online or at the book release party this Saturday if you are in the L.A. area.

There’s something about Lovelylovely’s tablewares that’s slightly sinister with a smile. It’s all lace and doilies and ribbons, but completely far from prissy. You know that girl has no problems smashing you over the head with one of her pretty plates if you don’t act right.

OK, I love these. Good Home Company wins the award for most charming-looking household cleaning products. This is their Paris Rain scent - a Parisian flower garden after a warm summer rain. And I love that their products, which include dish soap, laundry detergent, sheet spray, and a surface cleaner, are biodegradable and cruelty-free. The laundry detergent’s glass bottle also reminds me of lemonade from Trader Joe’s.

For us Angelenos, they have a store in Culver City at the Helms District in the H.D. Buttercup Building.

I wish I had found this earlier - Porcupine And Peanut Necklace by Boudoir. Not that I necessarily have the money for it, but wouldn’t it have been the cutest thing for St. Patrick’s Day? It takes quite an imagination to put together squirrels, peanuts, porcupines, and four leaf clovers on a necklace, and actually make it work.

I found this necklace on a search for Boudoir by Disaya’s jewelry, which I have been fawning over for awhile. It’s all teddy bears and caged birds and other images of nostalgia from out of a vintage children’s book or something.

I just remembered that I had these bookmarked - pretty pictures of a perfect spring day, by Joong Seok Oh. (via foto_decadent)

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I was magazine browsing at Borders the other day and was incredibly lucky in finding the sole and slightly tattered copy of Issue #3 of Lula Magazine. At $15, this import from England is quite the splurge, but well worth it. It’s page by page, top to bottom, full of beautiful, frame-worthy photographs. Some of my favorites: