Ask - Jennifer Parry Dodge of Ermie

I'm so excited by the previews Jennifer is releasing for her coming Ermie goodies. These prints, my goodness! And the fabrics? Belgian linen lined with silk so pretty I'd be tempted to wear the garments inside out sometimes. Jennifer's also doing some basics in solids this season - hand dyed solids, of course.  

Jennifer's line is one of the most inspiring and exciting around, and I love that she chose to name her line after the woman who supported her creativity throughout her life, her Aunt 'Ermie', Ermengarde Vincencia Cuhel. 

Can we talk about the name, Ermengarde? I really love it, from it's formal version to it's nickname. Ermengarde has variants Irmingard and Irmgard, and has a host of dignitary namesakes. It also calls to mind for me the names Hildegarde, and Ermentrude. These are all such strong names (Hildegard quite literally so).  


I'm also a fan of the names Jennifer has selected for her garments; they really echo so well the aesthetic. You will find the following on Ermie garments (past and present): Solstice, Canyon, Zuma, Topanga, Tigerlily, Fire Season, Mariposa (butterfly, moth), Cloudburst.

Jennifer's blog is a real treasure, too, isn't it?  I always find such interesting things there. This post on the Japanese art of Bokeh comes to mind. 

Let's talk to Jennifer.

--what do you need going on around you to work? 
I’m usually by myself, and I need something to listen to in the background. It’s usually KCRW (local radio station)/ NPR. I really should listen to more music, as NPR starts to repeat it’s stories after a few hours, and can be a bit heavy emotionally.

--two favorite things in/about your home (other than family/pets)?
I like that it’s an older home- a bungalow built in 1923, and that we have quite a bit of land for our neighborhood. I’m especially loving our front yard this year. We landscaped it last year, and it made a huge difference. It’s so lush, and I love that it’s made up of mostly native, drought resistant plants. Lots of succulents, cacti, and sage. The smell of the sage is luscious.

--favorite drink and snack right now for busy time?  

Almond Milk, or almond butter on a brown rice cake, a hard boiled egg or a bit of good charcuterie or cheese.

--you can go anywhere in the world and can leave today, where are you going"
Japan
--what are you doing there?
Experience everything that I possibly can! 
--what must you bring back
I wouldn’t necessarily come back, but if I had to return: locally produced new and vintage textiles, ceramics, Japanese paper, and art, fashion and crafting books. Mina Perhonen, Eatable of Many Orders, Issey Miyake, Tsumori Chisato, and Cosmic Wonder clothing & accessories by the trunk load (I can dream, right?).






--do you know how her Aunt got her lovely name, any anecdotes about it to share"
I don’t unfortunately. I do know that it is German in origin, and Ermen means “Whole” “Universal” –garde means “Enclosure.” We just always called her Aunt Ermie or Erm.

--any names you love right now?

Andrin Paul, who is my new godson. Giangiacomo, the name of my other beloved godson. Tomory- my husband’s name.

I also like my mom’s first name; Judy, and I love her mother’s first name; Lillian. My mother in law’s name; Madeleine is so pretty, and her mother’s name; Jermaine (although we always called her Gigi). My brothers in law have great names: Alexander Leeman Dodge & John Constantine Bentley Dodge. My sister in law, Satoko, also has a beautiful name.

--name game:

1. a favorite fabric or color
Turquoise. Voile.


2. a favorite designer/artist whose name you love

I like how these names appear as written & sound--they are fun to pronounce:

Polly Apfelbaum, Eva Hesse, Sonia Delaunay, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe. Yoko Ono. Vashti Bunyan. Mia Doi Todd. Beatrice Valenzuela. I also love my friend Hadley Holliday’s name!

Such a fantastic list of names, Jennifer! If I had to do a paring with just two from each list, it'd be Beatrice Turquoise. From Jennifer's list of family names,I'd pick pairings Judy Satoko and Tomory Constantine (too many great names there not to play with them!) 


 It was just so much fun chatting with you, Jennifer - thank you for sharing and inspiring! 

Are you guys excited for the release of the new Ermie pieces?  I am so delighted with each season, and I can't wait to see more! Any favorite names here? 






(images: courtesy and © of Jennifer Parry Dodge @ Ermie)

minä perhonen

I really like the Spring/Summer 2012 beauties from  Minä Perhonen.  One of my favorite textiles is the tree print, called Metsä, which is Finnish for "forrest".  Minä means "I", and Perhonen is "butterfly".  The Japanese designer behind the line (Akira Minagawa) chose a Finnish name for his brand because he "sympathized with the lifestyle and the culture of Finland".  


Me too, Akira.  Naturally, I thought this line a good feature amidst my series on Finnish names.


The lovely photos bring us yet more names: photographer, Norio Kidera, and model, Junko Motoyama. The film attached to this season's creations is really pretty, too.  It carries names Hiromi Chinone (hair and makeup), and model, Kiki.  And the music in the film is by group Karluv207, members Kozue and Natsuko. Interestingly appropriate (and likely no accidental selection on Akira's part) is that this Japanese musical duo plays the mandolin and the kantele, the Finnish national instrument and key player in it's Kalevala.  I think both instruments make names as lovely as their music.

Akira

Norio

Junko

Hiromi

Kiki


Kozue


Natsuko


Mandolin


Kantele

Minã

Perhonen

Metsä


With this beautiful mix of Finnish and Japanese names fueling my inspiration, I can't resist making a few combinations with one name from each language:

Kiki Elokuu


Ilta Norio 


Metsä Koemi

Suzu Laulelma (bell. song.)

Hoshi Ommel (star. stitch.)

Halu Umeko (wish. plum blossom.)

Yumi Kertova

Totta Midori (true. green)

Hiromi Mansikka 


Suvi Mandolin


Emi Apila 


Sachi Omena 


Ilo Maemi 


Sumi Perhonen 


Akeno  Kantele 


Sulka Kozue

Don't Finnish and Japanese names seem such natural pairings? Perhaps for some of the same reasons that a Japanese  line inspired so much by the culture of Finland (not to mention a blend of the countries' musical traditions) works so beautifully?

 I don't quite remember the meanings of each one of these names, but I know there are meanings there. It might be fun to look them up post-pairing, a sort of beautiful meaning-grab bag?


Don't forget to come visit me today at Design for Mankind; I'm featuring three pretty blogs from Sweden, Japan, and the U.S. 

(all images courtesy Minä Perhonen by Norio Kidera)

Suvi Ainoa

Suvi Ainoa is a sustainable lifestyle brand celebrating "simple ways to live" for Parent and child. I'm in love with the simple linen dresses, aprons, baby floor mats, plaid placemats and coasters. The special illustrations by Finnish artist, Hanna Konola, on the pictured tea towels are also tugging at me with their minimal designs and environmentally friendly dyes.  And?  Everything is on sale.  

Suvi Ainoa is run by Yanyan.  She's Chinese - American and has lived in Finland as well. Both clearly inspire her aesthetic. Her blog is lovely, too.

And I love the name of her line. Suvi means "summer" in Finnish, and Ainoa means "the only one". A well named shop with noble values and beautiful treasures is always lovely to find.

(images: 5 & 6 courtesy Suvi Ainoa, images 1-4 & 7 courtesy Design Mom) 

Ask: Megan Nielson of Design Diary

That's oh-so-lovely clothing designer Megan Nielsen above. She hails from Perth, but currently lives in the U.S. with her husband and two children, 'Bunny' and 'Buddy'.  I was so happy to stumble upon her blog and find such a warm soul, lovely garments, and super fun DIY tutorials. 

a giant thank you to Megan Neilsen for giving us our interview today for Ask!

Megan makes and sells patterns in addition to garments, and there are maternity patterns amongst them. Maternity!  The adorable names on Megan's patterns? Pina and Rie (My own great grandmother was a Ree).   She has recently gotten into designing for children, as well, and I can't wait to see more. 

Megan's newest winter line, Country Roads, will be available for purchase this Saturday, December 17, in her online store, featuring the Meadow, Kelly and Chantilly skirts and the Ridgeway, Sudley and Peidmont blouses. Peidmont is a "long sleeve sister" to the Banksia. I'm thrilled the beautiful Banksia got a new sibling--the navy blue silk is so pretty!

The online lookbook for Country Roads was a beautiful collaboration with Tania (model) of the blog, What Would a Nerd Wear, and Sydney Poulton (photographer) of the blog The Daybook (who I previously featured here). Congratulations, Megan, on such a pretty winter collection!

Here are some of Megan's lovely garments from a past fall collection:

And while her recent Christmas garland and stocking tutorials will certainly help you find your holiday groove, her mint green shorts will have you wanting to rewind a bit back to summer time-- I mean, if there were ever a reason to deal with the heat! 

Megan regularly offers generous advice on starting your own clothing lines and businesses, and her support of the independent design community doesn't stop there; she also regularly features

interviews with independent designers! Her most recent is with Lyndsay Senerchia of shop Seams to Be (below).

I love the sense of community that forms around handmade living, small businesses, and peer support. Everyone benefits from this type of supportive community, designers and consumers alike.

And speaking of handmade and recycled goodies, I think I'm going to be heading to the thrift store where Megan found this amazing stack of fabric! Maybe they'll have more plaids and checks?  I'm so curious about what's going to be made with it!

So let's talk to Megan Nielson!

1. I know you opt to share with the public only what you call your children, and not their full names, so how did you arrive at their nicknames?

On my blog I call my kids Bunny and Buddy - they're both names my husband came up with actually! When I was pregnant with our daughter, my husband used to tell everyone we were having a "honey bunny;" when she was born the name stuck, and over time we just started calling her Bunny. Unfortunately, now that she is a little older she won't let me call her that anymore (it makes me so sad!). Our son's nickname came about pretty organically too. Since the beginning he's been a cuddling kind of kid, and he was very colicky, so my husband used to hold him for many hours at night when he was small so i could sleep. He called him his "little buddy", and now we just call him Buddy!

 2.Were there any almost names for your children that didn't end up making the cut? 

Oh we had so much trouble choosing names! We are suckers for biblical names, so for our daughter we were huge fans of Rachel and Rebecca.  I was also pushing for Caro - it was a name from a book I read as a child and just loved. For our son we really had a tough time. Once again, we really loved biblical names, so David was a favourite, but the biggest contender was Christopher, which is actually my husband's name. In the end we just couldn't bear to think he would be known his entire life as Junior, Little Chris, CJ or something. But for me, Cameron was my favourite for a long time. It's a family name that goes back to my first relatively to immigrate to South Africa, escaping religious persecution. I love his story; it's a beautiful rags to riches kind of tale, and one my family loves to tell - I hope that one day a Cameron can be part of our family again. 

3. I love the names Pina and Rie!  Can you share where they come from and why you picked them for your garments?

Aww thank you! Rie is actually the pet name my father calls my mother :) Her name is Muriel, and when they were first married everyone called her "Mue" as a nickname, which he hated, so he started calling her Rie - I've always loved it! I think it's one of my favourite names ever. Pina was my Oumagrootjie’s (Great Grandmother's) nickname. Her name was Phillipina Johanna (named after the apostles Philip and John) but that's a long name! So everyone always called her Pina - i think it's so pretty!

4. Any favorite names right now? 

Cameron is still one of my favourite names. I hope that if we have another little boy in the future that i can call him that.

5. I recently saw that you found a great pack of vintage fabric at the thrift store (pictured above). Any plans yet as to what you're going to do with  it? Have you used any of it already? 

Oh yes!! That was such a find! I really almost died when i saw that box - so many gorgeous fabrics! I actually have a lot of plans for them! I've already used some of the plaids for clothing for my son, and I have some dresses planned for the florals. To be honest, I just can't resist a floral dress :) it's one of my many weaknesses!

6. Do you ever gain inspiration from other disciplines: music, film, gardening? Can you talk a bit about what inspires your design aesthetic? 

Funnily enough, most of my inspirations come from areas outside of fashion. I'm heavily influenced by nature and landscapes, they just really speak to me. I'm a really nostalgic, sentimental person, so most of the time my designs are a reflection of how I'm feeling, and what kind of mood I get from the outdoors. 

7. Do you imagine the women who might wear your creations? What are their stories? 

I absolutely imagine the women who wear my creations! I generally think of them as young women with well curated closets, who appreciate quality and details and think carefully when they get dressed. I imagine them wearing my designs everyday no matter where they going, just because they make them feel pretty. I really think beautiful clothing can influence your mood - and I always hope that when women wear my pieces that they walk out the door feeling amazing, confident and gorgeous! A lot of the time I use my friends as muses - it really helps me to imagine the girl.

7. Do you appreciate the same qualities in names as you do in clothing design? 

Definitely - I really enjoy names that are nostalgic, and a little unusual. The same with clothing - i feel like my designs nod to the past subtly and are different from what you see in any store.

8. Sweetest parenting moment in the last month? 

Gosh there have honestly been so many. This has been a really lovely month for both my kids. I think for my son it was when he gave me a kiss for the first time. He's such a boy, and though he's cuddly, he's never actually kissed either my husband or I; but a few weeks ago when I was reading him a book he just looked up at me and kissed me, and it was one of the sweetest things of my whole life. I will remember that forever. With my daughter -- since she's 3 she's very into imagination games-- her favourite thing to play is mommies and babies right now. You learn a lot about the way you parent from how your kids act when they pretend to be you! I was just touched beyond belief when I overheard her tucking her toy kitten into bed, telling it how much she loved it and how special it was, and finally praying for it and singing the same lullaby i sing to her each night. It was too precious!  

9. Favorite word? 

Bokke - it's an Afrikaans word (my mom is Afrikaans) and it means "little buck" or "little dear", it's something South Africans will say in reference to a pretty girl - and i've always loved it. 

10. Favorite song? 

Gosh of all time? It's an unusual one, especially since it's not of my generation - but I love "Take on Me" by Aha.

11. Favorite book? 

Ooo that's hard, for me it's really a 3 way tie. Each year I read Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), North & South (Elizabeth Gaskel) and Nine Couches Waiting (Mary Stewart). They are always duking it out for first place :) I'm a romantic, can you tell? 

12. Anything new on the horizon for you that you can tell us about? 

Right now i'm really just working my butt off! I'm finishing up my Fall collection (my very very late fall collection) and working on new sewing patterns for my pattern line (some womens wear and childrens wear actually). It's all fun and exciting!

Name game time!  please help me create a name by answering the following questions:

1. A color or you love to work with:

Coral - one of my current favourite colours!

2. For the middle name, please pick a name that you heard more in Australia, but don't hear much in the U.S.: 

Nicole! I knew sooo many back home, and haven't heard of a single one here :)

There you have it: Coral Nicole. Beautiful! 

And from today's inspirations, names found alongside Megan's garments, patterns, children and musings:

Megan

Bunny

Buddy

Coral Nicole

Phillipina Johana

Muriel ('Rie')

Mue

David

Christopher

Cameron

Phillip

John

Caro

Rebecca

Rachel

Bokke

Jane

Elisabeth

Mary

Stuart

Sudley

Tania

Sydney 

Ridgeway

Piedmont 

Banksia (a family of Australian flowers, which can yield Banks, Sia, Nia, Bani, even Betty)

Chantilly

Meadow

Rie 

Pina

Dune

Plains (I've seen a Fields, why not Plains?)

Desert

Horizon

Day (from the Midday top, though Midday, itself, could be an option for some.)

Eucalypt

Brumby

Darling

Range

Kelly

Matilda Bay (too great to split the name of this dress up)

Jewel 

Sea

A few pairings from this bunch that strike my fancy:

Muriel Meadow


Phillip Plains 


Sudly Christopher


Jane Eucalypt 


John Piedmont Brumby (Monty)

Stuart Buddy


Banskia Rie 

Elisabeth Day (Betty Day--double name)

Mary Jewel (double name)


Rebecca Dune ('Rue')

Thank you again, Megan! It was such fun talking with you. Best of luck to you and thank you for all the wonderful inspiration.

What do you think, readers? Any more pairings you'd like to see with any of these? Plan to try out any DIY projects, yourselves?  

Happy Weekend!

(images: all courtesy of Megan Neilson, by Megan Neilson, by Sydney Poulton, by Brett Dierolf, by Bryan Skeen)

Etsy names

While cruising Etsy for the holidays, I've been finding some names that catch my eye as much as the designs! We might be seeing a lot of Etsy goodness here on Marginamia for the next few weeks as I busily prepare for the holidays. Without further ado, I present the very well named bunch!

First image: antique, turkish kilim coasters by shop Sukan

Second image: vintage, embroidered chevron wall art hoops by shop, Bylina Studio. This shop is run by Katarina of Barcelona.

Thrid image: gold 'color study' vintage locket, by shop Verabel + Fox. I'm pretty sure the artist is actually named Verabel. You guys know I love a good -bel smoosh that sounds fresh and a bit quirky. I think this one is so, so nice. Add it to Fox and you have a perfect shop name!  

Fourth image: wooden, mountain stacker toy by shop, Imagination kids. The shop is run by Erin, mamma to Eliot and Stella. She makes the most beautiful waldorf toys. We have one of her stackers, and let me tell you, they hold up beautifully. Ours has made it through two of our children's infancies, and it's going to see my grandchildren's, too.  Erin is also writing a book on wooden toy making! 

Fifth image: bear softies by Lithuanian shop Adatine. Adatine is made of friends Leva and Elena . I love the story and meaning behind the shop name: Adatine means 'pincushion', which they describe as,

--"a useful thing and also an inspiring partner for the Muses to come."

Sixth image: the puffin circle scarf in Youthful Sage (double meaning here = clever, and apropos given that a lot of us are going to be eating a ton of the spice over the long weekend) by Yokoo Gibraan. More names you'll find on her hand knit creations: Europa, Calisto, Plum, Barley and Vermont. Moons, edibles and states I love! 

From today's inspirations: 

Katarina (Kitty, Kit or Rina tickle my fancy!)

Erin

Elliot 

Stella

Sukan

Adatine (pincushion)

Leva

Elena

Fox

Verabel (a divine smoosh)

Yokoo

Sage (I like the double meaning of the name. It seems to serve both meanings for the scarf, too.)

Europa

Calisto 

Plum (I obviously love this one.)

Barley (This sounds like a name to me. could be a new nature name for some!)

Vermont (Monty. We've seen various other state names, so why not, if that's your thing?)

Some combos I like from today's pack:

Katarina Calisto (Kit or Coco)

Europa Adatine (Pia)

Verabel Yokoo

Leva Sage

Barley Vermont (this name is dying to be a character in a short story)

For more Thanksgiving inspired names (beyond Sage and Plum), perhaps visit my food names post, and spice names post!  And please link to your posts on Thanksgiving or November names, as well! 

Big plans for the long weekend? 

What are you most thankful for this year, top three? 

My top three, as of right this second (I'm writing at night, just after putting the girls to bed):

--I got to snuggle Nona to sleep tonight. This is rare because I still nurse June to sleep each night in my bed, so Daddy usually reads to Nona and gives her a snuggle in her bed. I've so missed our nighttime snuggles since little sister came along, but I don't want to start Nona in the habit of falling asleep in my bed again when she's doing so great at sleeping in her own room.  Tonight I just wanted her near, though, so me and my girls headed into my big cozy bed while Daddy enjoyed a free night. I got to feel both of them snuggled into my body, one on each side, falling peacefully asleep. Four year olds don't let you stop too long to admire them during the day, so I got to admire my sleeping sweat pea for a nice long time, just like when she was baby, and really reflect on how grateful I am to have her with me.

--I'm so happy for all the blessings of my friends this year: new babies, companies, new homes, awakenings, marriages, clean bills of health after illnesses, and beautiful creative successes. And I'm thankful for the new friends and contacts I've made since starting this blog!

--I'm particularly reflective this year on how lucky I am to have had such wonderful parents. I'm also so, so grateful for the tremendous love and supportive community they knew in their friends, which was created and nurtured from all the love they gave to everyone around them. What a wonderful example I will carry with me and pass onto my children! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

(all photos courtesy of the Etsy shops they link to)

of flames and leaves

   Above are some photos that personify Fall for me. I'm looking out my window now as I write, watching a leaf shower while my children nap. I almost want to wake them to watch the floating leaves with me. almost.  I haven't seen leaves this pretty in a long time. I sure wish people would let the lovely leaves just stay put for longer than half a day (or half a second) before blowing them to smithereens. After years of island living, Fall is one of the things I have been most happy to welcome back; it's my antidote to missing the island we called home for a good chunk of my adult life. It's my favorite season, I think. 

When I look at this campfire print (pictured above) by Danna Ray, I can smell all the smells of fall: the tobacco barns of my youth, the bonfires, the mix of wet fallen leaves and conifer needles, freshly washed flannel, cider with bourbon, and cloves.  This all reminds me that I've been dying to try this scent by Anne at MCMC Fragrances, called Hunter (on it's way! yay!)  Anne has a thoughtful story behind each scent, often related to memories (love that!) and this one seems to call Fall's name, as well as Harrison's (Hunter). Her perfume shop also happens to be one of the most interesting websites ever, you guys. Her story about becoming a perfumer is so inspirational, and I plan to give it some more attention in another post! 

And with this talk of the smells and foods of fall, can't you imagine some tasty chili and pumpkin stew in the pots above from the shop, blue flower vintage?  I'd slip on these vegan moccasins (I discovered them here), wrap up in this blanket and drink apple cider straight from these jugs (all pictured above). 

Have you guys been reading the Wiksten blog?  Jenny has been posting previews of her latest collection of beautiful dresses over the last few weeks. Her new and improved shop opened Monday evening, and the beautiful, black Lissa dress, pictured above, is was amongst the garments for sale (sold out fast!)  Jenny is carrying special pieces from various makers in her shop, and everything is up and going.  It seems the Wiksten tree is giving us a shower of Autumn lovelies, too!

 (photo by John Allen)

And speaking of more Autumn lovelies, I'd like to make an Autumn name list.   I dedicate today's list to my favorite Fall imagery, scents, tastes and sounds. Here's to Fall as it passes by so gracefully. I'm going to start with those names that require explanation because they have no obvious connection to Fall--they just feel (or look, taste/smell) like Fall. And I can't wait to hear your randoms, too! So from least to most obvious (and please forgive the random extra spacing between some of these; blogger is really acting up!): 

Tobias -- I'm starting with the one that requires a bit of explanation.  I grew up in TN and every fall my town smelled like tobacco barns, which do not smell like cigarette smoke. My brain likely just links the similar sounds and spellings. Simple as that. But when I read or hear this name, I smell the barns and taste spicy, tangy bean chili (tobassco sauce?)....and I love it.  Here's a very interesting post on namberry about how synesthesia affects the name-lover. I find it so, so fascinating that so many name lovers who commented also report having synesthesia! Any neurologist readers who care to take up this connection?


Barnaby ('Barn'... need I explain?)


Clove --My first fall at college smelled like clove cigarettes, because everyone was smoking them. Man, for someone who hates smoke, I sure have some pleasant-ish associations with tobacco products!


Virginia -- no idea why this feels Fall to me. It also feels very Summer, but then, like names, I also think a lot of songs are toss ups between feeling like Fall or Summer songs, usually folk songs.


Nydia


Ernest --literary images of pipes and tweed?


Crispin 


Scott 


Aubrey --I hope to see this one back on more boys again. I think it could actually be the Bread song that makes it feel like a Fall name to me. I have an old album of my mom's, and on the cover the boys are all in corduroy, standing in Fall leaves..of course! And before you tease me for my love of Bread, and yes, I absolutely love them, some really super artists did a tribute album some years ago, which I highly recommend, especially for Fall (or Summer).


Carole --even though it should totally link to the holidays... feels Fall.


Saskia --feels so spicy, also a bit winterish to me.


Sibyl


Naomi 


Talulah


Henri --A lot of H names have a Fall feel for me.


Henrietta


Hava


Hazel --Beyond being an H name, she reminds me of hay and barns, and she feels spicy, even with her tree roots.


Hazlitt


Haze


Harvey


Harvest

Garner

Potter (for some reason I associate many crafts with Fall and Winter, perhaps the vision of my grandmother quilting on a crisp fall day, or of a weaver on the porch in a thick, hand knit sweater is responsible for the association. Do yo guys sew, knit, pot, or create more in the cooler months when you're indoors a bit more?)

Weaver


Loom

Spindle


Thimble

Satchel

Wicker (see Bewitching Name's post on this one!)

Pendleton (blankets)

Tartan 

Opal

Moon


Moonstone


Luna


Ayla


Goldmoon

Golden 


Goldfinch


Demeter (goddess of the harvest)


Aluma
Afra (connections to deer and earth)

Artemis (deer, earth, moon)

Woodlark (perhaps the only time you could use the word 'wood' in a name. this one works)

Plume

Kindling 

Flame


Ember

Cider

Saffron

Fennel

Brown

Siena 

Auburn

Roux 

Rust

Rustylark 

Tawny

Crimson

Garnet

Topaz

Chrysanthemum

Cedar

Maple


Oak


Matsuyani (Japanese for 'sap'. found here...so neat.)

Orchard

Leaf

Rustle

November

September

Autumn

and from today's inspirations:
Jenny
Anne
Ray
Danna
Harrison
Hunter
Blue

What are your favorite fall associations? Any names those bring to mind for you? I must say, I'm a bit more interested in the seemingly random or personal associations for you all.  Do some names (like some songs, perhaps) just seem to feel more Fall like for no obvious reason?  

When my girls wake up from their naps, we're putting on our boots and going out for a walk, so they can wave back at all the twinkling leaves. I hope you all  (for those of you having Fall this time of year) get to get out in them today, too. Yep, absolutely my favorite time of year here!  

(images: by John Allen via Wikstenmade, via Manimal, via Danna Ray, via Blue Flower Vintage. all images linked to above)

bird name for baby

Who could forget the iconic Swan dress that Bjork (mom to Sindri and Isadora) wore? I also love this quote of her's on being with children. Swan, Bjork, Sindri and Isadora is a pretty awesome set of names, too! Back to the dresss-- it sure ruffled a lot of feathers, but it's no wonder we want to emulate birds, they're beautiful! And who hasn't dreamed of flying?

For more mixing of the avian and the human, check out these prints by Australian, Catherine Campbell of the shop My Folk Lover. (below)

I love this feather print by Danna Ray of Grounwork:

And I'm absolutely crazy about Leah Duncan's creations.  I have her pillows and tea towels on my wish list for the holidays.  I would be sad to see her 2011 calendar leave my wall if 2012 versions weren't already available here and here. Plus, the prints at the top of each calendar page can easily become 4 x 6 prints for framing, so you don't have to part with them at the end of the year. Leah also makes these terrific bird prints!

I love Canadian, Kate's, blog.  She recently had a baby girl, Alice Mae (such a pretty name!) Alice's nursery might just be one of my favorites ever.  Kate also makes beautiful, soft animals. Her Etsy shop, Tiny Warbler (love this bird name name, too!) is such a jewel.  Here are a couple of her soft birds:

Speaking of fantastic bird softies, Tel Avivian, Timor Cohen, makes the loveliest, eco-friendly birds and fills shop TIMO Handmade with so many other  lovelies, as well.  Recycled materials can yield such pretty things. I'm also so, so fond of the mice in the shop!

I'm loving these hand-painted, porcelain feather plates and small cups that Tuscon ceramic artist, Vanessa Villarreal has in her shop right now. 

And these mugs by Ricki Oltean can add such a pretty splash of bold color to your kitchen shelf. This design also comes on a portable, glass coffee cup with lid! There was never a better time or reason to replace that plastic one! 

Your little one might want to enjoy some pretend coffee or some real fruit tea with you.  Melissa Brown of Etsy shop, Cedar Pocket (how fantastic is this shop name?) had this in mind when she made this wheel-thrown mug for a two year old.  Gotta love pretty, mini cups for mini hands. Nona would drink this up. 

 How great are these  hand thrown mugs and egg cups (egg cups!) by Manchester shop, Fishink, made with Norwegian artist Tone Von Krogh?

And I'm loving this awesome wooden mobile by 

German shop snug studio (not to mention their bear, cloud and bus shaped wooden cutting boards!)

And finally, some jewelry!  Here's a vintage brass bird cuff by A Common Thread- shop:

 feather necklace by shop Dear June (love the name! and the scarves there, too.):

And that wraps up my collection of bird inspired art for Marginamia's official bird week! I hope our readers outside the U.S. enjoyed seeing artists from your necks of the woods. Etsy is a quite a place, yes? You have to love an international community of makers! 

Now lets talk names!

Wednesday I did a guest post over at Nameberry (so much fun!) There is one particular category from my post on bird names that I really want to talk about some more.   I mentioned Meadowlark there among several others that all share a particular element. Meadowlark, like Maryanne, is a smoosh. Maybelle, Annabelle, Marilou, Rosevine (which I suggested recently in a  consultation)-- all smooshes. 

Sometimes smooshing involves pushing two words together to form a completely new word (Greystone and Rosedew, for example), so the practice might not appeal to some for that reason alone. Other smooshes come to us pre-smooshed, like Lovebird and Goldfinch, so they couldn't be considered by anyone to be misspellings. And yes, I think they still qualify as examples of a smoosh if they come prepackaged as such. What do you guys think? 

 I definitely count myself a fan of a good smoosh.  And bird names are a smoosh lover's dream. I won't re-list all of the ones I talked about on nameberry, but here are some extra examples (some pre-packaged smooshes and some smooshed together by me): 

Goldfinch

Snowfinch

Mountainfinch

Rosefinch

Greenfinch

Songlark 

Sandlark

Sunlark

Skylark

Woodlark

Rustylark

Shorebird 

Seabird 

Blackbird

Lovebird

Songbird

Bellbird

Hummingbird 

Baywren

Nightjar

Feildfare 

Monday I interviewed bird house artist Jenn Wong, of Wongers, and I love her idea of taking names from a genus of birds (or the class, itself-- Aves) as well as individual species.  And while I don't really keep up with celebrities too much, my favorite celebrity baby name of the year was definitely Agnes Lark Bettany. Agnes Lark is perfection. It checks every box for me, really. So combining my love of the lark and Jenn's idea, here are some genus names of larks and finches that I think sound lovely:

Lullula

Aleamon

Alauda

Eremalauda 

Calandrella

Galerida

Loxia (finch)

And more names of bird species:

Brambling

Barbet

Crane

Downy

Dipper

Eagle

Falcon

Hawk

Inca

Kinglet

Kokako

Minla

Munia

Myna

Ouzel

Petrel

Plover

Pipit

Sibia

Swiftlet

Tern

Teal

Tawny (Owl)

Vanga

Yuhina

Still longing for more bird names? I mean, who could have enough of them, really? I haven't been the only one talking about bird names, lately:

Brittish Baby Names gives a lovely and in depth look at crows, doves, eagles, falcons, larks, sparrows, swallows, seagulls and all the names they inspire here. Usoa, Akos, and Ezio, for example, are such pleasant finds!

Bewitching Names gives us a detailed look at a word name relating to birds. 

And again, here's Nameberry's original 2008 post on the topic, the 2011 post, and their list of birdies. 

What do you think, readers? Would you use any of these? What would you put with them? Any more bird name posts out there that I'm missing? I'd love to add them! Any favorite birdies flying from the hands of makers? 

This was absolutely one of my funnest blogging weeks ever!

An extra thank you to Jenn Wong of Wongoers. I've been excitedly holding her wonderful interview for weeks so I could group it with the other birdie posts for one happy flock. It wouldn't have been bird week without it!  Thanks, Jenn!

Thank you to Linda and Pam at Nameberry and, of course, all the lovely berries for having me over this week! 

And thanks to all of you readers for sharing in the fun and tolerating my many bird puns! I'm such a geek with this topic, I tell ya.  I'll see you all next week.

 Happy Friday!

And Happy 11/11/11! 

(bjork image)