Etsy Fave: Sharon Montrose

I'm declaring 2010 the year of the bird. Ok, fair enough, when have birds ever NOT been trendy in the design world? This year, however, I think we're going to see a lot more birds of the clunky, quirky variety. No more cutesy robins and nightingales -- I'm thinking haunting owls, cranes, wobbling ducks, hawks, and big fat chickens. I like to think of them as birds with personality.

My favorite source for affordable, stunning bird photography (and lots of other animals, if you're so inclined) is Sharon Montrose, a California-based photographer who's received lots of recognition in the blogosphere, especially for this picture.

I own the owl photo pictured at top, and out of everything in my gallery wall, it is consistently the most commented on. Sharon's work is so surreal that everyone thinks that it's a drawing instead of an actual photograph. I love how the clean white background really puts the focus on the aesthetics of each bird-- from the muted colors, patterns and texture of their feathers to their bumpy, bright beaks and feet. Check out more of Sharon's stuff in her Etsy shop here.

Raymond Loewy Palm Springs House

Raymond Loewy House, Palm Springs, California, USA, Photographed by Peter Stackpole, for LIFE.

If you were close to Raymond Loewy and you were living in Palm Springs in the summer of 1947 you certainly had it made.

The Raymond Loewy House, 600 Panorama Road, Palm Springs, California, was designed by Palm Springs architect Albert Frey. Built in 1946-47 as a bachelor retreat and expanded later when Loewy got married, the house has been restored by metalware manufacturer Jim Gaudineer who said of the design, "When you slide open the glass walls, it's almost like living outdoors." A typical Palm Springs modernist villa with a low-slung pavilion and plenty of glass that provides striking views of desert, mountains, and the pool and garden that make the private oasis complete.

Happy Eid

xx Happy Eid Everyone xx

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