Lily Inspiration: Maternity Fashion (and Comfort!)

Okay, I admit it, I am not a fan of "maternity" clothes. The idea of buying an entire wardrobe of commercially produced, synthetic and uncomfortable garments that I will only wear for the short time in which my belly measurement will exceed every other part of my body is not appealing to my financial or fashion sensibilities. So far, I have managed to escape purchasing outside my comfort zone and I'm happy to report I've found many Smoking Lily items which have grown with me and my baby, which I'll be wearing long after he or she is snuggling in my arms.

The Hama Hama top was great in the beginning (and perfect for nursing), but now that I'm in my 7th month, the length of the Simple Tee provides flattering coverage and stretch.

The Petite Anglais is by far my favorite skirt, with a wide stretchy waistband and front/back reversible option. Plus I can wear the skirt above or below the knee too, making this super comfy pencil skirt even more versatile.

The Fandango skirt has an elasticized waistband and sits below my baby belly. It hits just below the knee for a fun, flirty sashay.

Our new Frontenac dress (in Black and Olive hemp jersey) is very cute wore with or without the two-tone braided belt, and looks extra special with an Obi Belt.

For special occasions, our Print Your Own service can dress up your own garment with one of our prints. While there are limitations on the fabric we can silk screen on (it has to be at least 60% natural fibers and we can't print over seams or on bumpy fabric), this option can add a finishing touch to an otherwise plain garment. Contact our in-store personnel for details on this service.

Simple Tee in Red $34 and Wool Fandango Skirt in Black $55

The Frontenac Dress in black $102 with cotton Obi Belt $44

Lily Inspiration: Martin Creed

On Thursday last I joined up with a few friends to take a guided tour through the current Rennie Collection. To experience Martin Creed's work we waded through pink balloons, avoided runners while viewing hundreds of broccoli cross-section stampings, listened to a wall of metronomes while viewing explorations in office supply felt markers, watched videos of people throwing up (needless to say it was the most challenging room in the building), and listened as a grand piano gently lifted and slammed shut over and over again. It was a varied and fun tour culminating in a perfect view of Martin Creed's neon piece "Everything Is Going To Be Alright".

Here are a few of the photos I took during the tour. I have a couple of videos of the balloon room that I'll try to get posted for you sometime soon.

Lily Inspiration: Anthology Magazine (again)

I know we just did a post about this magazine, but it was so darn good I had to do another. I was so excited when I was in the Anthropologie shop in New York and came across Anthology. I had been seeing the magazine here and there on various blogs, but never really gave it a thought until there it was, right in front of me! I thought that I would adore it, and sure enough I did. I convinced Trish to carry it here at The Milkman's Daughter, so now you can come pick it up too! (We are the only supplier of this magazine here on the island! So proud!)

I thought it would be appropriate to spotlight this Spring 2011 issue, as I have been inspired by at least eight parts of the magazine (that I can think of right now.) I have narrowed it down to three, and at the same time am giving you a little peek into the magazine itself. Come by and get your copy, you won't regret it! It's really more like a home decor, inspiration, cookbook, people, places...everything awesome book. Not a magazine. It comes out quarterly, with the seasons, so you can be sure to get inspired all year round!

Apologies for any washed out photography, it is rainy here today and I just couldn't get good lighting!

Crazy quilts! Oh how they are so amazing. My mom and I have been collecting 1930's vintage reproduction, and various other quilting fabric, for quite some time. When I saw this quilt at the foot of the bed on page pictured above, I knew that was what I was going to make with it. The photo on the right is the start of my version.

I am admittedly obsessed with Anthropologie's style, so when I found out they recently opened up a store in Vancouver, I worked it in with a visit for my cousin's baby shower. There I found this cute kitchen timer! My boyfriend later pointed out, while flipping through the magazine, that it was the same one as on the door of the stove in this photo. Subconsious Anthology influences!

It was about two years ago that I did this family photo montage in my living room. I was glad to see it in Anthology done with thrift store find paint-by-numbers, still lifes, and landscape paintings. I am now inspired to do a similar collection above the headboard in my bedroom!

Lily Inspiration: when things are not what they appear to be

I had to shake my head a little as I tried to figure out what I was looking at when I viewed the following photos.

discovered via Happy Mundane

I knew my brain was meant to be referencing celestial bodies, but was certain that the materials were something quite different. Don't you just love that? When your mind is suddenly jolted into really assessing something, rather than all the automatic connections we routinely process to make sense of our surroundings.

I think that is a little of what I feel when I'm second-handing and come across a rusty tool box or mini doll hands. I see the doll hands in a bin, and then imagine them cleaned up and attached to an embossed wallpapered wall, and from them dangle beautiful necklaces and earrings (I actually have to get around to making that vision a reality in the shop...). Art, like the pieces above, often provides the inspiration for those connections.

These gorgeous photographs are part of a series called Devour. They are an "investigation of worn-out fryingpans" by Christopher Jonassen - brilliant!

Lily Inspiration: Found Vintage Viking Sewing Machine

On my way home the other day, I spied an abandoned sewing machine next to a dumpster. Feeling optimistic I ventured closer and found this amazing vintage sewing machine. It needs a good cleaning, some electrical repair and a couple new parts, but I plan on restoring it and seeing what it can do. In two-tone grey with all metal parts and red accents I think it is unique and beautiful. I have never even seen a machine like this before, so I am thrilled to add it to my collection (it's only my second vintage sewing machine find, but in my books more than one equals a collection).

Exposed wires where a plug should be

It might be a Viking, or maybe it isn't?

This grill reminds me of the front of a classic car

All metal gears are forever

Lily Inspiration: Baby Heads

Baby heads have arrived at all Smoking Lily locations. They come in small, medium, large and rhino (my favourite). Also, in the shipment: hands, little birds and a wall plaque. Made from concrete, these heavy heads could work indoors (large heads work great as bookends) or outdoors.

Rhino Head $24, Large Head $22

Single Hand $62, Small Chickadee $8

Wall plaque $52

Two Hands $72, Small Head $8

Lily Inspiration: Wools, plaids and TWEED

This winter I visited a piece of my husband's family past, Tonedale, in the Southwest of England. His great ^6 grandfather, Thomas Fox, began the first ever Twin Vertical Woolen Mill (twin meaning they produced both worsted and woollen fabric, and vertical because they did the whole process: took in the wool and sent out the finished cloth). In seven generations, twenty-nine members of the family worked in the factory. It is now sadly empty, but much of the history lives on through stories and artifacts.

Like these awesome sample books Ben's uncle showed me dating from 1909-1920. Knowing my love of everything fabric related, especially plaids and wools, he knew I would be ecstatic!

One of the pages containing tweeds and pinstripes!

The nearby family house is still owned by the family and is rented out for meetings and parties. Here is a picture of the Tone Dale House in the summertime.

On a somewhat tweed-related note, Smoking Lily is a friendly supporter of the Tweed Ride Victoria on May 7, 2011. The ride is raising money for Bikes Without Borders, aiming to help send stretcher-bikes to the African nation of Malawi.

Sign up today at http://tweedridevictoria.com/

Lily Inspiration: Refined Macabre

While in Seattle recently, Trish and I spoke with an artist we had been searching for, for ages. I purchased a small piece of his more than two years ago. We thought they would be interesting to carry in our shops, but he proved to be impossible to find. Then, miraculously, his pieces appeared, and there he was to shower with our praise and questions. I will keep him a secret for now, but soon (early April) his attractively bizarre pieces will be arriving in our shops.

What I will share with you now is his description of his work: "Refined Macabre."

The words instantly hit home with us; it was a new way to describe the "strange and beautiful" aesthetic that we are drawn to and compelled to create. Love it!

Here are a few examples of our work that I feel fit the moniker of Refined Macabre:

Beach Blanket with Skulls, Jellyfish...

Cameo Belt with Skull and Target

Ornament with Skeleton

Shop display with Skeletor--in progress

Nightengale Capelet with Enormous Heart

Duvet Set with Enormous Heart

Footstool with Stag Beetle

Hama Hama Dress with Fly

18th century costume with Bugz

In the photo above there is a hint to the art work we will be carrying...

Lily Inspiration: Competition

The inspiration at the studio today is a good ol' competition! We are in mass production of duvet sets right now. The super duper vacuuming has been done, so the huge fabric pieces will be clean and fresh for your Valentines bed. Print tables have been cleaned and fresh supple fabric pressed flat, ready for printing. Now what to print? That is where the competition came in.

Trish and I printed the usual suspects that have been so popular (hare, enormous heart, ship... which are in the stores already) but we wanted to come up with something "fun and colourful" to brighten up those bedrooms. She is printing one set and I am doing the other. Whoever's sells first wins! Trish madly called Glenda in Vancouver to get her input, and is going for a more bold scheme: bright green flies and roses are involved so far--but she's not done. I am going for a more "fresh spring is just around the corner" theme involving bikes and grass and little birds. These babies should be ready by the middle of next week, so I will get the completed photos up then. For now, here are some shots of the bedding in progress.

Lily Inspiration: Halloween

Holidays are great for inspiring new creativity. Rather than pull out the same decorations year after year, we like to reinvent the wheel here. Sometimes that involves as much frustration as excitement, but we get that giddy sensation of trying to figure out some grand new scheme and that keeps us hooked.

I don't usually do Halloween decorations for the store, but this year my house is Halloween Central (photos to be shared with you soon) and I figured a little creepiness would be fun in the store too. And I mean "a little". While in Seattle Trish and I spied a shoe in a window with a bat wing attached, so simple... and yet it caught our eyes. That inspired me to cut out and paint some big bat wings yesterday. I attached one to each mannequin and to a few other things in the shop. Cute and creepy!