Inspired By: Christina Lynch

It's been a while since I've done an "Inspired By" post here on the blog... So whattya say we get our creative juices flowing by checking in with an amazing lady who makes some seriously rocking' (some not to mention really, really pretty) textiles?

The lady in question is one Christina Lynch. Witty, mannered, and seriously cool, the Dallas native has channeled her deep love for her mother's home country of Mexico into Mi Golondrina, her line of exquisitely embroidered bedding and lounge clothing.

According to Christina: 
The production of each Mi Golondrina item begins in the small villages of Mexico by the hands of creative and powerful women representing four generations of skilled craftsmanship. Each village in Mexico has its own traditions and stories. Mi Golondrina intends to continue to share the stories of Mexico while marketing these products and keeping the women in these villages working and proud.

Lovely yes? Equally lovely is the inky blue and gold Mujer Dormida nightgown currently parked at the tippy top of my wish list. I would wear the heck out of that bad boy, but I digress...

So with out further ado, herewith Christina Lynch's inspirations. 

1. Mexican Painters -- My parents have been collecting Mexican art since I can remember and it has been such an incredible thing to be surrounded by. They collect in many different mediums, but I find myself staring at the paintings by two of my favorite artists, Pedro Diego Alvarado and Juan Torres. The both of them use very rich colors. I had the opportunity to see Pedro Diego Alvarado's house when I was in Mexico City and first beginning Mi Golondrina. The house was just as inspiring as his paintings.

2. Traditional Clothing -- One of my favorite things when I travel is to observe the dress of that country. I think that is why I love Oaxaca so much. The women wear the most beautiful dresses. Each region has it's own style and I have been lucky to witness dances and celebrations of these styles.

3. Film -- I love going to the movies by myself and soaking up all of the details. It's one of my favorite activities. One of my favorite films is Arrancame La Vida. The story takes place in the 1930s in Mexico and the scenes are stunning.

4. Flowers -- I try to always have flowers around me. They keep me happy and I think they also inspire me to see colors differently. I enjoy making flower arrangements and putting unexpected colors together.

5. My Mother -- She had her own clothing line before I was born and is the most creative and driven person I know. She was born in Mexico and her fashion reflects it. I share her passion and because of that her style has evolved into mine. I am always borrowing her things. She has beautiful Oaxcan earrings and long full Mexican beaded skirts. The romance in her style is what I admire most.

Some Scenes...

Some of last week's highlights: sussing out treasures for clients, a working lunch with Sam and baby Wil, a visit to one of the most magical homes I've ever set foot in, fall nails, a Chinese noodle date with Audrey, and brunch with lovely cousin Erin and boyfriend Ben...

Friends, it is official. I am not a fan of the weekends. I used to be. They used to be fun, all museum visits and cooking for friends and art projects with the girlies. Now, well, not so much. We are full-blown weekend warriors, battling our way through volleyball and soccer, nutcracker rehearsals, school clubs, and Girl Scout meetings while negotiating play dates, reading logs, home repairs, and trips to the grocery store. In our down time we tackle the previous week's mountains of laundry and run an in-house restaurant. Good times.

I'm not complaining. I'm not. I know this is the deal, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm also a big believer that the ability to bliss out over the small bits of magic tucked away in the minutiae is where real happiness lies. So I try to be on the lookout for a moment of zen in a perfectly served volleyball, a freshly folded load of towels and Millie's satisfaction at successfully sounding out that seemingly impossible word.

But damn I miss going to the museum.

Loving...Badass Mamas (And One Killer Dad) Edition

Between launching D Moms and the actual act of, well, being a mom (albeit not the world's best), mamas have been on my mind pretty much 24x7 for the past two years. Upon moving on to my new gig, I thought my obsession with cool, interesting, smart, inspiring mothers *might* wane a bit, but, if anything, it's just intensified. So whattya say we devote this week's "Loving" list to my latest crop of mom crushes? 

First up on my list-o-lovely ladies with kiddos, stylist and makeup artist Stacey Nishimoto (above), channeling Anna Karina on Into The Gloss while cuddling her son Gus. Seriously crush-worthy, yes? (Also behold these photos of Stacey when she was pregnant with Gus. Chicest. Pregnant. Lady. Ever. Just sayin'.)

Next up, a local Dallas mama, gorgeous fashion journalist Anais Assoun alongside her equally gorgeous daughter Graysha at last week's TenOverSix opening celebration.

And how about an oldie but goodie in the form of Jade Jagger with her babes circa 1998... (Photo by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia.)

I'm also rather smitten with the insanely elegant Carolina Herrera-Baez pictured with her son in French magazine L’Officiel (via Joanna).

Carine and Julia: You are the mother-daughter duo of my dreams... Full stop.

And of course there's the mama who helped make weddings seem totally and completely badass, one Mrs. Molly Guy, creative director of Stone Fox Bride, hanging with her daughter Sunny over on The Glow. Sigh.


And last, but (most definitely) not least, there's the matter of the StoryCorps piece I heard on NPR's Morning Edition yesterday. Hearing Will Smith (not the actor/musician but just regular guy Will Smith) and his daughter Olivia talk about their relationship was moving beyond words -- just amazing and beautiful in every way. Will, you are my hero. I would highly recommend a listen! It will make your day friends. I promise.

Audrey's Big Kid Room (Breaking This Action Down)

Photos by Chris Plavidal for D Moms

I'm not the only one in my family with a milestone birthday this year... Last month, Audrey hit double digits. Yep, friends, I have a ten year old. And boy is it a wild ride (I'm not gonna lie).

In celebration of her officially entering this new era, months prior we agreed that she could "switch up" her bedroom. At the time I was thinking a coat of paint, some bedding, maybe some new art... But what started out as some heavy sprucing soon became a full-blown makeover, complete with the design prowess of our amazing friend Janet and a photo shoot for D Moms capturing the whole enterprise for posterity (i.e. Audrey was all of the sudden the luckiest girl in the world).

For those of you that have slogged along in this little space of mine, you might remember Audrey's first room redo. (Her current room started out as Millie's nursery before evolving into the serene green retreat that she happily inhabited for the better part of four years.) That process was easy. She was six. She still let me do pretty much what ever I wanted on the decor (not to mention sartorial) front. This time, well, not so much. She had ideas.

Specifically she wanted a "kind of hippie, loungy, cool room." (Ok, I'm in.) "that's turquoise and has patchwork wallpaper and a hanging chair and tie dye fabric and peace signs." (Ummmm...)

Enter Janet.

My lovely and immensely talented friend managed to take all the pain out of what could have been a wholly unpleasant enterprise by designing a room that met Audrey's desire for big and bold and cozy and groovy and hitting my desire for it to be, for lack of a better word, "classy." (We like to keep things classy around the Taylor house whenever possible.)

Elbow grease (Janet was spray painting and gold leafing like a rock star and Bryan got his make on with that canopy bed), some killer Flavor Paper Monaco wallpaper, a custom neon light installation, a bed full of Peacock Alley bedding, art from Read Between the Lines, a Serena & Lily hanging chair and Moroccan leather pouf, and a shaggy Feizy rug later and we had blast off.

Audrey is pretty much the happiest ten year old in the world. And we didn't fight once. Success. Full stop.

Some Scenes...

The weekend was filled with all manner of work and play, but before we go there, let's just pause for a second and revel in the fact that the past two days represented the best weather we've had all year (IMHO). Chilly in the morning, sunny and clear in the afternoon, with just a general crisp jauntiness to the whole enterprise. Perfection, I tell ya.

Amid all that meteorological goodness, we made a family pilgrimage to the fair; I joined up with my Swoon partners in crime to install a baby shower we designed; we took in volleyball (Audrey) and soccer (Millie) matches followed by an über cozy dinner (butternut squash salad, beef beef bourguignon) at Janet's equally cozy casa; and I spent Sunday trolling the bookstore with the girlies for new reads...

All in all a stellar fall weekend. I'm ready for the week ahead. How about you guys?

Loving...On A Wednesday

Farrow & Ball's Stiffkey Blue in all it's inky, indigo goodness. Coming soon to a Taylor guest room in this very house. Stay tuned.

The incomparable Georgia O'Keeffe as inspiration for plowing forward in the face of (abject, frequently mind-numbing...or wait, maybe that's just me) fear.

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”

 -Georgia O’Keeffe

Via Lisa.

The secret to wisdom...

And a host of other goodness on my lovely friend Erin's genius, smart, and wholly inspiring new endeavor, Clementine Daily. So proud of you lady!

Gorgeous flowers in Beatrice Valenzuela's (equally gorgeous) new L.A. shop... Via Heather.

The perfect mix of frothy meets tailored...

Not to mention some seriously killer shoes. Both via Emerson Fry