LotusHaus

Nouveau Decor } Inspiration from Indonesia

I'm super excited to be a contributing writer for the amazing magazine and website Wedding Nouveau! Check out my first post about adding decor elements from Indonesia to your home environment!

{CREDITS: (Top Left) West Elm catalog Spring 2006, (Top Right) Balam Bali Villa, (Bottom Left) Indonesian batik baskets, (Bottom Middle) Pan Pacific Bali, (Bottom Right) Crate and Barrel catalog, (Bottom Row L to R), Reclaimed Teak Dip Dyed Stool, Batik Pillows found on Etsy, Ceremic Balinese female statue,  Ikat bean bag/pouf, Indonesian parasols}

Wedding Nouveau Image Gallery!

Are you ready for some global fusion inspiration? Here it is! Go to Wedding Nouveau's new Image Gallery and click and drool to your heart's content!

Eat Pray Love inspiration

Photo by Amy Barry

I'm trying to finish reading Eat, Pray, Love before the movie comes out and have noticed a hailstorm of merchandising that is coming out along with it. I think it's hilarious. I'm a marketing advocate (sucker), so I am aware of it and still appreciate it! Although, the initial premise of the book was that she gave up all her worldly goods due to a bad divorce that left her with nothing. But with Julia Roberts as your moral compass, instead of popcorn, you can enjoy these with your movie... ha ha, sorry for the sarcasm, lol!

The Eat Pray Love collection by Fresh... (I'm sure these smell yummy)

by Dogeared... (these jewelry pieces are simple and sentimental)

by Republic of Tea... (haven't tried it but I'm sure it tastes lovely)

All hail marketing strategies, lol.

On another note here are some posts that may help you find balance:

Reflection

 

New Blog Love } Smitten by Weddings

I'm smitten with another fantastic Asian inspired wedding blog called Smitten by Weddings created by Carmen Weddings, a wedding planner in the UK that specializes in Chinese Weddings! This find was brought to my attention by Wedding Nouveau, thanks Fri!

New Blog Love } Asian Inspired Weddings

As you know, I love event design and wedding style that is culturally inspired! Today I discovered Kim Liu and her gorgeous new blog about Asian Inspired Weddings!  Check it out for some modern and chic ideas for weddings with Asian flair. Also, for more cultural flavor, be sure to visit my other favorite Wedding Nouveau.

Moroccan Spice Dessert Table

Beautiful! I love this Moroccan inspired dessert table by Amy Atlas... genius! I want to throw a party with these beautiful colors and cultural theme! 

China Town Rug

Love this China Town rug!

Utterly Engaged + Worldwide Wedding Style - Wabi Sabi Wedding

I'm so excited for Issue #005 of Utterly Engaged, the hippest new Wedding E-Zine! The theme for this issue was "Back to Basics." So for my second column of "Worldwide Wedding Style", I have highlighted some ideas for a wabi sabi inspired wedding. Have a look and let me know what you think!

Using Chrysanthemum for Good Feng Shui

(Photo & Arrangement by LotusHaus: Happy New Year - Bronze Football Chrysanthemum and Steel Grass Blades)

(Photo & Arrangement by LotusHaus: Ikebana for a Japanese Inspired Wedding)

If you are planning a fall wedding, I would like to share with you some wonderful information about using Chrysanthemums to add beauty and blessings to your wedding and your home! The following information is from Gwynne Warner of 10,000 Blessings Feng Shui:

Revered for its beauty and medicinal properties, the gorgeous and highly regarded yellow or golden chrysanthemum ("chu" in ancient Chinese) is rich both in color and symbolism. They make a most auspicious gift as well as a noble offering on an altar.

The flower is symbolic with autumn; ease of life; longevity (such as life, luck, love or success); simplicity and perfection. Because it blooms out of autumn and right into the season winter, it also symbolizes the mediation between life and death and Heaven and Earth.

For Feng Shui purposes, it is full of super-powerful yang chi, and placing chrysanthemums in your home or office will immediately attract good luck! An auspicious day to pick chrysanthemums is on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month (which falls on October 26th this year). If you wish to receive rewards, success, fame, recognition, honor and bonuses, put a golden yellow mum in the Fame area (back middle) of the first floor of your home as well as the fame area of your office.

If you are in New York, go and visit the New York Botanical Garden's elaborate exhibit, "Kiku in the Japanese Garden" (Kiku = Japanese word for Chrysanthemum). This is the third and final exhibit of Chrysanthemum designs at the Botanical Gardens!

Wedding Nouveau } A Style Guide for InterCultural Brides

If you are fusing cultural sensibility, style and finesse into your interracial and/or multi-ethnic wedding, you simply must head over to the fabulous site Wedding Nouveau! This site is a cross cultural style guide for today’s bride... filled with inspirational ideas, real life examples of fusion style weddings, cultural traditions, mood boards, color palettes and more! The creative gal behind this site is Fri (prononced "Free"), and she is a creative designer and actor originally from Cameroon, with New York sensibilities and a home base in Los Angeles. Here is one of Fri's awesome mood boards, entitled "Vintage Kabuki Wedding":

Mooncake Festival

I just had to share this wonderful collage of mooncakes I saw over at the Lucky in Love blog!
Photo credits from Lucky in Love ~ Top left: Intercontinental - Singapore, Middle - right top: Bakerzin, Middle row: Carlton Hotel, Singapore, Large middle: Peony Jade, Singapore, Middle green apple cakes from Bossacafez, green cake: Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore, Bottom left Royal Series from Tung Lok, Bottom center: Fairmont Singapore, bottom right: also the Fairmont - this one with hazelnut filling.

Also known as the Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, the Mooncake Festival is celebrated by Chinese communities every fall and traditionally, Chinese family and friends will gather together on this day to watch the bright full moon while enjoying outdoor BBQ and eating delicious moon cakes. There are many legends and children's stories about the history of the moon festival from being a tribute to the "moon lady" (photo below) or the mooncake being instrumental in Chinese history (concealing messages for a Chinese rebellion against Mongolian oppressors.)

In Seattle, the Vietnamese community is celebrating with the Festival of Lights on October 3rd. There will be 350 lanterns, moon cakes, story telling, face painting for the kids and more! Go here for more details!

Persian Cotton Candy and DIY Wedding Favors

Via Eat Drink Chic, I discovered these beautiful DIY Persian Cotton Candy Favors! Persian Cotton Candy (or Fairy Floss) also known as "Pashmak" makes an exotic gourmet favor for guests at a wedding or party. Read the full post and download the templates for the envelope and label for your own use! And be sure to check out Pariya Food, a Persian produce company that sells Pashmak, and the website Persian Mirror for more info on Persian wedding traditions and food.

Korean Vogue

This beautiful image is from the Korean Vogue... I love the color, texture and styling! I found this photo via the inspiring PaPaYa blog.

Bath Inspiration from Indian Summer

Via the beautiful blog An Indian Summer, I'm "washed away" by the modern global styling of these lovely bathrooms inspired by India!

Outdoor Table and Bench with Arabic Geometric Flavor

Via Designboom, I discovered the 'Tablecloth Series' by landscape designer Tina Sudell. This outdoor table and bench series has a hot dose of modern design with powder coated steel, rounded edges and laser cut Arabic Geometric "tablecloth" pattern! It's a perfect punch of color and style for your patio!

Global Alternative to Cupcakes... Churro or Éclair!

Thanks to Ready to Spark, sparks are flying with dreams of churros and éclairs instead of cupcakes for special events! I'm loving the unique churro flavors by Xooro (pronounced Sure-ohs) and the many possibilites for dressing up the éclair like those found at Patisseries like Fauchon. If you have a Mexican or Spanish theme to your event, Churros are a fantastic dessert option. If you're after that "An American in Paris" vibe, go with the Eclair! Either way, you and your guests will enjoy a dessert that is out of this world! *Update 11-10-09 - for Filipino flair try the classic treat of Mini Coconut Macaroons in Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers (you can now get them in a custom design of your own)... I forgot about these tasty treats until just recently when I had a craving for my grandmother's version!

Related Post:
Bem Cassados - Brazilian Wedding Cake Favors

Asian Cotton Fabrics at Harts Fabrics

While doing some online research for Chinese inspired cotton prints for my baby shower, I came across a wonderful selection of fabrics at Hart's Fabrics. You could create a plethora of different color stories and themes inspired by any of these fabrics! I love the top left purple and brown patchwork print with Japanese Temari balls, the koi fish and the whimsical leaves and kanji character.

GlobalFlora } International Tabletops

Featured Event Designer: Kendal Brown of Eclatante Design
Featured Floral Designer: Donna O'Brien of Beautiful Blooms
Featured Photographer: Marie Labbancz of Art of Love

Via The Bride's Cafe, an awesome wedding blog, I discovered these fabulous internationally inspired centerpieces that were created for a Bat Mitzvah party. The theme was "Cities of the World" and each table represented a different city. Guests were given boarding passes to their tables. What a great idea for a global party or wedding!

 

Yoshika EuphorianChic } Digital Artwork

I'm loving this collection of intricate and Japanese inspired digital artwork by Yoshika EuphorianChic! You can buy any of these wonderful prints framed, on canvas or as a greeting card! Hmmm, these would look nice for my bedroom redo!

Indian Weddings - Inspiration from Lemiga Events

This Indian Wedding style collage is only one of the many awesome inspiration boards from the talented Michelle of Lemiga Events in Atlanta! Click here to see more.

Indian Love Letters and Scroll Wedding Invitations

This weekend only they were giving away these love letter scrolls made with hand screened Indian paper at World Market! I happened to nab a pair and thought what a wonderful idea for a special Valentine's Day note or invitation! This was an in-store promo only, so they are not available online, but check out these gorgeous scroll options below at Indian Wedding Card for a very affordable and elegant wedding suite.

 

 

Love this modern sari style in orange and green!

This is Mandira Bedi, a famous Bollywood actress who is shown rockin' this mod sari in India's Republic-Day colors of orange, white and green! Love it! Check out the back of her sari and more sari style at Saree Dreams.

What's Pink and Purple and Cute all Over...

...these school children captured by Ella Limbo, my energetic designer/photographer cousin who lives in Manila, Philippines and works with my aunt who owns Mode Matrix Manila, a creative services company. Check out Ella's beautiful photos at her flickr site ellafruitella! Friends, please don't worry about these kids all being in the back of a truck with no seatbelt...the school bus broke down and you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, to get where you're going! They look like they're having a fun adventure! I trust that they arrived at school safely with much to talk about!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Check out these symbolic Chinese New Year Recipes from my favorite foodie, Jaden at Steamy Kitchen! You can also click here for more about the symbolism behind the foods eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations... (egg rolls represent prosperity because they resemble golden bars!)

WeddingSutra.com

Totally Tabletops found this great link, Wedding Sutra, a website dedicated to Indian Themed Weddings. Here are some inspiration boards from their wedding colors sections...Enjoy!

Pink

Orange

Green

Blue

Garden and Cosmos } Royal Paintings of Jodphur at the Seattle Asian Art Museum

I will definitely get inspired by Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur, an upcoming exhibit at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Showing from January 29-April 26, 2009, this exhibit features Indian paintings that flourished in the royal courts of Rajasthan from the 17th to the 19th century. Produced for the Rajasthan nobles, these paintings have never been published; most have been seen by just a few scholars since their creation. This is the first time these paintings will be exhibited in the United States.

Come and check out the exhibit and these related events with me!

Free First Saturday
Cosmic Adventures
February 7, 2009
11am–2pm
Seattle Asian Art Museum
*Make your own garden world, experience traditional Indian dancing, do yoga and get your own henna tattoos.

Indian Music Concert
VadyaVrinda - Indian Instrumental Ensemble" from Seattle (YouTube)
February 7, 2009
2:30-3:30pm
Seattle Asian Art Museum - Fuller Garden Court

Remix with a Twist
Age 21 and Over
March 6, 2009
8pm–midnight
Seattle Asian Art Museum - Fuller Garden Court
*I Heart Shiva spinning popular Indian dance music. Enjoy performances at this special late-night event at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. This event is open to guests age 21 and over only. ID required for entry.

Have a Beau-Coup Valentine's Day!

Shop Beau-Coup and get your party favors and gifts now during their Valentine's Day sale! I love the fantastic selection of favors and customizable options available at Beau-Coup. Here are a few of my globally inspired favorites (click each image for more info):
 

  

   

Pantone Home & Interiors 2009 Color Forecast } "Wanderings"

Today I went to the Pacific Market Center and attended a seminar by Leatrice Easeman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. It just so happens that Leatrice lives near Seattle, on Bainbridge Island, which is just a short ferry ride from the Seattle waterfront. During her talk, Leatrice said the color brown will not be going away (yay!) and that yellow is the new "it" color for this year.  She also mentioned purple and orange as being important.

The Home forecast she presented had several themes but the "Wanderings" theme captured my heart. You can watch an abbreviated version of the Color Forecast here.
"The acquisition of intriguing artifacts, crafts, imagery and artwork spur the imagination and re-tells the tale of a wonderful journey. Dusky tones of rose, dijon-like yellows and deepened taupe mix with both mineral Mediterranean blues and misted gray. All shades are dramatically embellished by rich gold and scarlet red."

Chinese New Year Roundup from One Pretty Thing

One Pretty Thing has an AWESOME roundup of crafts, treats and decor for any Chinese New Year celebration!

Chinese New Year Party Ideas from Pier 1 } Year of the Ox

These decor and party ideas from Pier 1 for celebrating Chinese New Year on January 26th, are so fun and colorful! One year I will make time to have a party!

Lotus Zone of Zero } Installation by Kim Sooja

If I can ever get to Seoul, Korea, I would love to attend the Lotus Festival of Lanterns, which happens every year in honor of Buddha's birth on the 8th day of the 4th month of the Lunar calendar. This magnificent installation of lotus shaped lanterns shown above carries the same spirit as the Lotus Festival...

The "Lotus Zone of Zero" was created by Kim Sooja, a Korean born New York based artist, and is on view at Galerie Ravenstein in Brussels. It consists of a steel structure and cables and 2000 lotus shaped lanterns suspended in a circular pattern. "The installation is accompanied by sounds of Gregorian, Tibetan and Islamic chants. Utilizing space and time, Sooja's installation is a call for peace, love and understanding amongst human beings."

Lucky Wang and Nonchalant Mom

Do any of you have some cultural traditions to enhance my fertility??? I can just picture a pint sized version of me in these incredibly adorable kimono style onesies and mandarin style jackets from Lucky Wang! Buy these cuties and other fabulously modern and colorful selections over at Nonchalant Mom! (Photos by Lucky Wang and Nonchalant Mom.)

Around the World Baby } Lebanese Inspired Baby Shower

Here's a baby shower with some international flavor that I recently designed for my mom's friend. The Mother-To-Be was a young Lebanese woman who taught French and Arabic in Lebanon before moving to Seattle. In Lebanese culture, baby showers are not common because family celebrations take place after the baby is born rather than before. The MTB's family is in Lebanon so her friends wanted to make her feel comforted and safe during her pregnancy so we threw her this wonderful shower! The colors were coral pink and peach with copper and bronze accents. The look was classic and elegant with a modern ethnic twist. On the invitation, I used the Alhambra font to inspire the arabesque feeling of the party.

This is the desert table wonderfully set with a draped linen of middle eastern flair. I used a screen printed cotton window panel from World Market that had an Arabic style geometric print and a gorgeous bronze border.

Here you can really see the draped linen along with yummy raspberry tea cookies and butter cookies from Whole Foods.

Lovely lemon meringue drops and pretty flower sugar cookies also from Whole Foods.

Inspired by Hostess with the Mostess and DIY diaper cakes, I decided to make my own modern diaper cake. It turned out to be super easy and I just love how it turned out! It was a fantastic centerpiece and conversation piece! I used two kinds of satin ribbon to go with the look of the table linens and silk flowers for decoration. For the cake stand I used two white ceramic serving platters with the bottom platter overturned.

For wall art, I found these beautiful Indian wooden letters with a hand stamped metal foil design and paired them with gold Christmas ornaments on a backdrop of two coral pink scrapbook pages. The look was both academic, ethnic and baby-inspired. (Letters from World Market)

Details of the wooden letters and ornaments...

To further the global theme, I pulled out one of my vintage finds that I hadn't used yet! This beautiful hand hammered copper table consists of a large tray and collapsible teak legs. It worked perfectly with the whole look.

For the party favors, I put together these cute booties with tulle, pink ribbon and Jordan almonds!

The booties looked so cute together in pairs!

Finally, for the main baby shower game, I altered an Around the World Baby game I found online. The MTB was a language teacher and our shower guests spoke different languages so this game was perfect. Simply list the word "baby" in different languages and ask guests to match up the language to the word. The guest with the most correct answers won a prize.

Qipao } Inspiration for Holiday Attire

I love the look and history of the kimono and Chinese Cheongsam or Qipao. Check out Alkemie's post on The Traditional Chinese dress - The Cheongsam or The Qipao... I have several qipao style dresses that I had sourced from vintage stores in my college days, but sadly, they don't fit me anymore. (photos from Alkemie)

Ikat Lifestyle

(collage by Design*Sponge)
I love Ikat textiles and the rich history of culture and craft that it supports!  Shout out to Grace at Design*Sponge for rounding up some gorgeous examples of Ikat's use in today's modern design world.

Related Posts:
Ikat } Beauty and the Weave
Ikat Weave Inspired Wardrobe for the Summer
Tropical Modern Floral

Good Earth Retail Store in New Delhi

I'm savoring these images of Good Earth's flagship store in New Delhi! Big hugs go out to ArtnLight and India by Design for sharing this loveliness with us!

Li Xiaofeng } Reclaiming Porcelain

Wow! At the Asian Contemporary Art Fair in New York, Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng showcased wearable art made from porcelain pieces! Amazing! Via Le Zèbre Bleu.

Takashimaya NY - floral boutique

Takashimaya is a delectable Japanese department store with only one store in the US... it's in New York of course! I have been dreaming about New York lately (I need some inspiration and a change of scenery so badly...) and this store is definitely on the hit list. The photos above are of the floral boutique. Ahhh, so beautiful and serene... after you buy some flowers you can have Japanese tea and artfully displayed snacks in the Tea Box cafe.

Tang Dynasty Beauty } Yang Gui Fei

Figurines of beauties and goddesses always inspire me and this one is no exception. I would love to have this incredibly gorgeous doll! "This doll was inspired by the image of Yang Gui Fei from the Tang Dynasty, one of the renowned four beauties of ancient China. It reveals the elaborate craft of dress making in the Tang Dynasty." I want to do my hair like that one day! You can collect this doll at China Sprout. They also have many other beautiful fashion dolls and figurines. For an Indian inspired doll check out Jewel of Bollywood by Devout Dolls.

Wafrica } Kimono ala Africa

Serge Mounage is an African born, Tokyo based designer and well-traveled artist who has created Wafrica, a series of kimonos and obis made with beautiful African fabrics. Instead of calling Wafrica a "collection," Serge refers to his work as a "variation of experiences that evolve as a seasonal, rhythmic dialogue." I truly appreciate this example of international inspiration! 

Related Posts:

Fair Trade African Fabrics } Ananse Village

Vlisco } African Wax Prints

Lalesso } Kenyan Fashion & Fair Trade

Deloss Webber } Incredible Rattan Weaver from Seattle

Absolutely incredible! I am blown away by the work of Seattle artist Deloss Webber, a second generation rattan weaver influenced by traditional Japanese and Native American basketry, wicker furniture, loom weaving, fly-tying, and nautical knotting. I am so in awe of of his stone and basketry work... Each stone is selected and wrapped with a unique design made of various materials including bamboo, cane, rattan, and reed. The smaller stone pieces are called "Small Blessings" and I would be so blessed to have one of these treasures in my little family. You can purchase them in Seattle for $185 at Kagedo Japanese Art Gallery.

Wedding Favors from Japan } Hanakobo.net

Take inspiration for your wedding from these Japanese wedding favors from Hanakobo! Most of them are filled with candies or cookies but the last one that looks like a chocolate cake is actually a folded hand towel with a magnet strawberry! Hand towels are the latest trend...with pastry shapes like cupcakes, muffins, and even sushi! *Update 10/13 - Buy towel cakes online at the Morikami Museum Store or at the spectacular Le Viette.

Bunka Women's University } Japanese Fashion Student Showcase - Sneak Peak

I have a busy week so my posting will be on the light side until things settle down. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at the annual Bunka student fashion showcase that I attended this past weekend at my fashion alma mater Seattle Central Community College. Bunka University is in Tokyo and the whole production is a traveling show put on entirely by students! My girlfriend and I go every year and are amazed at the creativity of the fashions and the ingenuity of the production crew.

Modern Goods by Yuki Murata } at Kobo Seattle

I'm loving this collection of beautiful global style tableware from Modern Goods by Yuki Murata! My favorite is the Asian cloud design! These would be enchanting for the upcoming holiday dinners! See the collection and meet the artist at Kobo, one of my favorite Seattle shops!

Yuki Murata will be at KOBO Gallery alongside her handpainted bone china tableware designs on Thursday evening, September 18th, 6-8pm.
 
Her experience spans multiple cultures and disciplines from her identity as a half-Japanese woman to her product design company working with artisans in Tangshan, China.  From fine arts to architecture to tableware to textiles, Yuki has been exploring the significance and intersection of globalism and modernity.

The origins of her designs are grounded in her Asian heritage, her love for the natural world and her passion for authentic joyful living. 

Please join us at KOBO to meet the artist and see her new work.  Samples of her latest fall collection will be on view and to launch her new designs we are running a KOBO special promotion through the end of September 2008 on all Modern Goods tableware*.   Pre-order any of Yuki's designs and enjoy 20% off if you buy 3 or more pieces of any style or design.  Delivery in November. 
 
Buy early for the holidays or for that special occasion gift.
 
*Purchases must be made through KOBO to receive the special promotional pricing.  You can place orders by email at [email protected] or by calling us at (206) 381-3000. 

 

China Chic 8th Birthday Party Inspiration

The Studio Boum Blog led me to this lovely China Chic birthday party by Hula Seventy. Gorgeous!!!! I love the cheongsam party dress, the pink and red color theme and all of the fun details! Wish I had a 8th birthday party like that!

Rikka in Utah } Ikebana Style Floral Gifts & Event Center

How can I possibly describe in words the true beauty of Rikka's floral design work... "Rikka" means standing flowers in Japanese and all I can say is, "standing ovation!" Combining modern east west floral decor with the art of giving and celebrating, Rikka Floral in Utah is an innovative floral studio and intimate event space (my dream business!). Check out the beautiful event center in the photos below. Just my style...I'm lovin' it!

URBN Hotels Shanghai } Eco-Modern in China

Via the new eco-modern lifestyle site FeelMoreHuman.com, I was able to surf to Shanghai and check out URBN Hotels, the first super-hip, carbon neutral boutique hotel in Shanghai! It looks absolutely stunning with its modern designed suites with wrap around seating, sunken lounge areas and eco-friendly interiors. I definitely want to stay here if ever I get a chance to visit Shanghai! Visit the website at  www.urbnhotels.com

Fair Trade African Fabrics } Ananse Village

Look at these beautiful Fair Trade African Wax Prints from Ananse Village. These textiles support many people in West Africa who are involved in producing tie dye and batik. I love the bold patterns and color combinations!

Vlisco } African Wax Print Fabrics

I'm amazed by this stunning ad campaign by Vlisco a company that produces African wax print fabrics. You can purchase these sumptuous fabrics in 6 yard lots for around $65 US! My mind is racing with ideas! Via 2Modern.

Lucky Koi Wall Mural } Inspiration for your Nursery and Baby Shower!

One of my creative visions for an upcoming baby shower was the use of temporary or removable wall murals and artwork... Here's an awesome example of this idea by Anika, using Blik Wall Decals by Mel Lim and incorporating nursery decor with the baby shower. The amazing cake design was done by A Little Bit of Heaven. Luckily, I discovered all of this joyfulness by subscribing to BACE, the new Business and Creative Exchange blog by Mel Lim and her husband...check it out if you are an entrepreneur and looking for tips to make your creative business more joyful and more prosperous! Speaking of prosperous, I'd better feed my Koi fish! You can help me feed them too (see my Koi Pond in the left sidebar)