a little bit of this // a little bit of that // dutch wax fabric

...some crayzeeeeee african dutch wax fabric set the mood for this weeks inspiration board- blues, blacks, & gold hues.  hope you had a weekend filled with silent snowfall, fireplaces, & fine wine. x mv

un // 2 // 3 // 4 // cinq

a little bit of this // a little bit of that // punchy reds & pinks

...punchy reds & pinks to strike up some inspiration for your week ahead...& don't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling- the world is your oyster!...x mv

un // 2 // 3 // 4 // cinq

...a little bit of this // a little bit of that // slate blue hues...

...slate blue hues to strike up some inspiration for your week ahead...it's never too late to be a rockstar! get out there & be the best version of yourself...x mv

un // 2 // 3 // 4 // cinq

...a little bit of this // a little bit of that // new beginnings...

It has been a longggggg while since I posted last- lots of changes & new beginnings on many fronts.  I'm now working full-time on the design side of things over here at WellWed magazine.  I'm starting to feel more settled after all of these adjustments so I promise to be posting design inspiration weekly now along with creative happenings & projects!  Only good things to come- cheers to monday x mv

un // 2 // 3 // 4 // cinq

...swedish opulence...

...while daydreaming of being somewhere other than here right now I stumbled across this rather opulent little hotel called Gorvalns Slott, near Stockholm Sweden.  Uuuuummmm...yes, please! Merci! 

...wednesday inspiration...

pattern imogen heath, lovely lady here, print here, notebook here, follow me on pinterest here. happy wednesday! x mvg

...sparks of inspiration...

painting selena beaudry, green skirt gal here, flamingo pattern here, necklace venessa arizaga, quote here, follow me on pinterest here. happy monday! x mvg

...julia marco...

...how cute are these handmade bags for summer by Spanish designer Julia Marco?!?!  I'm also LOVING the print below by her of the Balearic Islands...

...creative services update...

We've just updated our creative services!  So here's the breakdown...we're also now available for print specific design services (see below).

Root Design Studio offers both personal & corporate design services- with it's primary focus being surface pattern & graphic design....

corporate design services  include pattern trend direction, custom pattern/artwork creation, CAD services (design modifications, repeats, colorway creation, & color separations) with a side of branding & website design....

personal design services include custom wedding invite suites & baby announcements

Please contact mvg@rootdesignstudio.com for further information & pricing...

...portugal...

...the Portugal post is here....finally!  We embarked on a grand roadtrip with my brother & his girlfriend to Portugal while they were here a couple weeks ago....venturing down to the very southwest tip to Lagos & then up to Lisbon....what a magical country with tons of inspiration!

I was totally in awe with all the tiles, which were everywhere...mostly on the exterior facades of buildings in both Lagos & Lisbon.

I found some great type & old doors- obsessed!  If you ever get to Portugal you must try some of the regional specialties...my favs were the patatas bravas, vino verde, & the piri-piri sauce.  And if you make it to Lagos eat at Cafe Xpreitaqui, it's an awesome local tapas & wine bar with a great vibe.

...I had to take away some souveniers of course....There were some great street vendors in Lagos selling all sorts of fun seed bead jewelry- I walked away with handfuls for gifts...as well as a tile cheese plate & a boucherouite style rug & mini soaps (fell in love with the patterned packaging)...x mvg

...CCEvents...

...LOTS of creative updates & posts are owed right now!  There has been a lot going on lately so I apologize!  So we just (my husband & I) wrapped up an ongoing project for an event planning company called CC Events in sunny California that I'd like to share- I provided both branding & web design services while my husband did what he does best with the back end programing to make the magic happen....

...& of course I started with a surface pattern...ha! BUT what better way to define a brand image than with pattern?!?!  They're eye catching & can be used on everything- from your website background to your business cards...kinda genius!

The design direction was modern yet playful & at this point the client was not  positive which company of they would be using the branding for (they have two) so they wanted something that would translate easily from an event planning company to an ice cream parlor....

I chose triangles as the main design element- representative of movement, celebration, confetti, sprinkles, or bunting flags, which was also meant to have a slight nautical interpretation for their coastal location in Newport Beach.

This was the evolution of the branding...which eventually ended up being quite simple & different, & even the name changed in the process- but it's fun to show anyways....here was the final...

...you can view the full website design here....& if you need any business or life event planning- Cat is your gal!  She's doing everything from weddings to corporate shindigs for clients like Kobe Bryant.  Check out her list of services here too! x mvg

...ariele alasko...

...patterns in wood- just as cool as patterns in fabric...the work by brooklyn based, ariele alasko is inspiring me to turn some of my geometric surface pattern designs into wood inlays for tables- headboards etc...

...loving how she tags her creations- below- not to mention her choice of hand lettered fonts are right up my alley...

...and I'm off today on a roadtrip to Portugal with my husband & brother & gf...I'll be back in a week!

x mvg

...patterns in paris...

...while stomping around Paris last week I got lots of surface pattern inspiration for Summer14!  Heres a peak at a vintage floral I found while hitting up a brocante, & an ethnic geo I came across while snooping at Scotch&Soda. x

...paris bound...

...off to Paris tomorrow for an impromptu visit with my babe...he's what's on my hit list...

...SNOOPING around at Colette, Merci, Fleux, Astier de Villatte, & Isabel Marant among others...NOSHING at Francois Felix,  Derriere & La Maison Rose..oui oui! bon weekend! {image via here} x mvg

...nice package...

...or both!  I love the way the vintage & new tins are displayed in the cute kitchen above...start scouring flea markets & drinking lots of Kusmi Tea to get this look...bon weekend! {image via here}

...print work...

...I've been feeling rather creatively dried up lately...time to get inspired & get my as* in gear!  What positive things do you do on a daily basis to challenge & inspire yourself?  My yoga practice, runs, work projects, & cooking keep all my creative energy moving forward in a positive direction...how amazing are these printed yoga pants by the way?!?  V-Keen makes some great ones......cheers to friday! x mvg

...flea market finds...

I scored some great vintage letterpress blocks this weekend at the esplande de quintaou flea here in france...you can find similar ones here on Etsy...bon shopping! x mvg

...fancy that...

...kirra jamison stole my heart today- both with her killer pad & unique artistic style....ahhhhhh a breath of fresh air...I know this is all over the blogosphere right now, but I couldn't help but to re-blog...

...this aussi gal is a gem & a true inspiration...

...even her work space is perfectly styled...you can see more over here...& how amazing is that duvet below from The Vallentine Project?!?! Love...bon weekend! x mvg

...bloom on...

...flowers are the instant mood booster!  Don't they just make you smile?!?!  I'm just starting on a pattern series inspired by my favorite blooms- succulents, poppies, ranunculus, peonies, & protea. 

These inspirational images I've dug up have me grinning from ear to ear.  Painterly blooms with linear overlays are in the works!  I'll keep you posted as the project evolves....

{images via here, here, here, here, here, & here} x mvg

...ace&jig sp13...

...I want EVERYTHING from ace&jigs spring13 line...their best collection yet- 

amazing work, Jenna!  If you have yet to add one of their pieces to your wardrobe, do it! The fabrics & silhouettes are comfortable, versatile, & gorgeous- I promise you wont be disappointed.  Available at Anthropologie & Madewell.

...just saying...

...happy belated vday! I just returned from the mountains for some much needed snow time.  This is one of my favorite quotes from brian andreas.  I'm a forever fan of his quirky quotes...hope you were showered with laughter & love this valentines day! x mvg

...palette love...

...just a couple palettes for some mid-week inspiration.  I'm a frequenter over at the color collective & design seeds... Where are your favorite places to go for color palette inspiration?  

...the goods...

...how amazing are these fabric wrapped journals from spanish pattern designer, Moniquilla?!?! Her prints are so beautiful- definitely inspiring.  The balcony gardener is one of my favs for simplistic print inspiration- love...hope you have a week filled with creativity, & love. 

...flea market finds...

...I picked up this lovely italian hand painted porcelain vessel at one of the fleas this weekend here in France...&....gifted it straight into the hands of my dear friends, Sage.  I think maybe it's original purpose was as a candy dish, but we decided a pretty place to stash jewels would be an appropriate use for it.  I had a hard time finding something similar in the current market, but came across these lovely hand painted petite bowls from Anthropologie.  What do you think? you can get the look here. Hope you have a lovely week! x mvg

..painterly things...

...inspiration searching right now for a project I'm working on- lovely simple painterly prints by ashley goldberg & watercolor brushstroke coasters by anthropologie.  cheers to friday! x

...2013...

...well here we are..it's 2013 & I've already been a bad bad blogger...I'm sooooo sorry!!!  I've been doing a lot of self reflecting over the past few weeks & have been feeling totally uninspired to be honest.  I've had a tough time figuring out where "home" is lately...actually really over the past year or so- France has not felt like home to me, but Vermont doesn't feel like home anymore either.  I'm not sure if I'll ever feel settled anywhere unless I'm really committed to staying present in the moment & truly digging in my feet & making this my home...so my 2013 resolutions include redirecting my energy, only positivity, living in the moment- breaking old habits & making healthy new ones.  I'm coming to realize that life is really a process & that there is really no "destination" where everything lines up exactly the way we want it to...it's all a part of it- so it's just time to live & enjoy it in the now for what it is.  No more dwelling on the past or worrying about the future...just living for now, taking advantage of each & every day, make healthy choices, & going with your whole heart wherever you are & wherever you go...thats what I've got going on, how about you?  Let 2013 be a year of success & personal growth for all! x {images via here & here}