Wallpaper
We are always thinking of new ways to seek and share inspiration...
We are always thinking of new ways to seek and share inspiration. For the holidays we thought sharing a few photos or visual inspirations may be nice. You can download to use them as a decoration, wallpaper photo for you phone ... or even as a last minute gift idea if you're in need. Hope you enjoy them ... :)
Wishing you a Happy holiday!
Wallpaper for Iphone Download
Misty Trees | Flower Textures | Sand Waves | Elk, California
Pillow Case - Studio Matsalla
Pillow Case - Studio Matsalla
Print Download
Misty Trees | Flower Textures | Sand Waves | Elk, California
*All images © copyright by elsa kawai. They are for are only for personal use, it is non-commercial, editorial usage.
Classic Sounds
As the holidays are approaching I always look forward to spending more time with family and friends....
As the holidays are approaching I always look forward to spending more time with family and friends. When people come to visit we always enjoy listening to music ... especially old records. It always seems to be a big part of the weekends. It's nice hearing the crackle and imperfections the old vinyl can bring ... discovering music in a different way and listening to an album as a whole ... something we don't often do in todays music world.
As the years go by and technology advances everything seems to be turning digital .... books, photographs, music. It's nice making it convenient and accessible, but for some reason the classic forms always seems to be a bit more satisfying. We've started trying to be a little more traditional ... collecting vintage books, printing photographs, and playing more and more records, things that guests seem to enjoy.
For this post we've teamed up with Urban Outfitters and RewardsStyle to give some Holiday gift ideas. We've picked out a few items centered around music that we've enjoyed to have around the house. We often look for gifts and Urban Outfitters has always offered an array of great products fitting a variety of budgets. Ranging from classic vintage to modern ... you'll surely be able to find something that makes the perfect gift.
Articlegoods - $10 off your purchase by using this special code "ELSAKAWAI"
Happy Socks , Enjoy 15% off & free shipping using this code "HappyElsa" valid until 12/31
Hope you have a Happy Holiday ... ;)
Collecting Memories
The summer season is always thought of as the time to travel...
The summer season is always thought of as the time to travel. Full of happy of times and thoughts of fun and sun ... memories that stay with us for life and help to shape who we are. Travel is something I feel is important for that very reason ... helping us see another perspective and grow as a person.
One thing we try to do while traveling is bring those perspectives home with the keepsakes we gather ... focusing on only a select few things that recreate the rich culture and style of other cities. Collecting visual memories and remembering the feelings that traveling creates ... the excitement of getting inspired by your surroundings and the sense of being at ease while on Holiday. The keepsakes help me to create a little visual diary at home, hopefully keeping you smiling and remembering of those special times ... ;)
Gravel & Gold - Boob Pillowcase . Diamond Quilt . Flokati Shag Rug
Bird House
Our recent weekend projects have been spent trying to fix up the house ...
Our recent weekend projects have been spent trying to fix up the house ... walking around figuring out what are the things we can do ourselves. It's been fun learning ... little by little each day ... the processes and way things are done. Lately we've been getting a lot of inspiration discovering all the beautiful textures throughout the nature and forest all around us.
As we were exploring the woods the other day, we found some old wood scraps and decided to make some little bird houses. We wanted to make some little cozy places and help attract more birds to come visit the garden ... maybe even sing a little song sometime ... hehe
It was nice to photograph this inspiration when the house was so empty ... I hope we can continue keeping it this minimal way. Hope you enjoy the inspiration ... ;)
Paper Bag : That Way
Poster: The Poster Club Sofa: CB2
Hope you enjoy this tune...
Menu - Giveaway
It's been a few months since Rob and I started blogging ...
It's been a few months since Rob and I started blogging ... sharing things we enjoy and stuff that helps inspire us. We've really been enjoying all the mini projects and adventures ... giving us a creative outlet and allowing us to practice that creativity on a daily basis. We wanted to thank you all for stopping by and supporting us ... all the wonderful emails that we get are great encouragement and helps us each day.
We wanted to celebrate this by having a little giveaway from one of our favorite brands Menu. Their products are all great quality .... well designed in a very minimalistic way. We picked out this little chunky marble candle holder. It is so simple and beautiful ... and we thought it would be really cool for a giveaway :)
There's 2 separate ways you can enter to win one of these little guys:
- First ... follow us on Bloglovin and leave a comment below.
- Second ... you can follow us on Instagram and repost any photo from the giveaway using the hashtag #ekgives.
Open to readers worldwide and winner will be drawn two weeks from today. Thank you again for all the support ... ;)
Good Luck and hope you enjoy this photo inspiration!
Till then... Good Luck :)
Around the house
Growing up in Malaysia, most of the things we bought or purchased were necessities...
Growing up in Malaysia, most of the things we bought or purchased were necessities. Only a few times a year on special occasions (Chinese New Year, Birthdays, etc.) we bought gifts and the things we really wanted. This allowed us to think about things and figure out if it was truly what we wanted. I've been trying to take this same approach with things I purchase today. Thinking about the quality of the item ... picking something that will last a little longer.
I always remember my mom displaying her favorite things .... spending time cleaning and appreciating them. Only using them occasionally and really taking care of them to extend their shelf life. I like the idea of how all things have a life to them. Too often today we get caught up in sales and deals ... focusing heavily on price and not thinking about the overall quality in the item. I often find these purchases crumbling after a few weeks or looking very vintage after a couple of trips through the washer/dryer ... ;)
I've been taking the quality over quantity approach recently ... starting to only look for items that I genuinely need or want ... asking myself those few extra times if this is something I "really" want. It's allowed me to cut down my purchases and actually have more with less. I take care of things much better and I'm able to hold on to things longer.
I've been wanting to learn more about how to style the things I share and practice my product shots. It's a pretty interesting process compared to taking pictures of nature or food porn. With product shots you are able to curate everything about the photo. Showing it the way you want it to be seen and felt ... telling the story you want to tell. I've found while cleaning the house is the best time to take these photos ... hehe
Hope you enjoyed this inspiration... here are some of my recent favorite things to share ... ;)
Hat: Monki Bracelet: Jenny Bird, Kamryn Dame,The Leather Atelier
Top: House of sunny
Shoes: Missguided
Bag: Celine Light: Match Light
Vinyl Record Player: Crosley X UO Clock: Fartech Bag: Proenza Schouler
Top: Asos, Missguided, McQ Alexander McQueen, Monki, Ted Baker (similar one)
Shoes: YES
Ring: Luv Aj (other shark teeth inspire jewel) , Alice & Leon Watch: Nixon The Kensington
Clutch: Issey Miyake Zara ( really like this one )
All photos taken with two lenses, Nikon D300s, 18-200mm and my 85mm
Till the next time ...
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My Little Corner
We were away over the passed weekend for the anniversary of when we first met...
We were away over the passed weekend for the anniversary of when we first met. Off to the Lake with a wonderful creative bunch of peeps full of smiles and wonderful spirits. It's always an inspiring event with many moments that I never want to end ... ;) It's so nice to be in a place where you can really unplug from the internet ... turn off the cell phone and all the other distractions that typically consume us in everyday life. Time seems to slow a bit and days are a little more full then normal. It really makes you focus on being in the moment ... appreciating the simple pleasures that are often overlooked and right around us.
Playing a little catch up from being away and getting back on track to the regular schedule, we spent our time recently doing some clean up around the house ... focusing on the simple pleasure of a clean home ... ;)
We use to have our dining table in this corner, but recently moved it closer to the window. It's so interesting how that simple move changes the feel of the entire room ... It has since become my new fav corner of the house.
Do you have a favorite corner in your house? I think I have a few ...
Hope you Enjoy!
I have been looking for a fun storage spot for our pillows and blanket and fell in love with this Ferm Living Wire Basket. They come in a few color options and are very strong and versatile. I was thinking to cut a wooden cover for the top turning it into a table too.
Artwork - Hello: Rifle Paper Co Hugo Dog: Lisa Bengtsson No Fire: Andrew Rado Cowhide Rugs - HD ButterCup ( similar here )
Here are a few fav Balenciaga (Memoirs), Kinfolk and Cereal that we love and my new summer time sandals by Sam Edelman
Thank you for stopping by ... :)
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Wall Art
This week one of our highlights was spending time at home and trying to get things organized and in-place...
It's always interesting to watch how the weather changes in San Francisco. I really enjoy when San Francisco turns into such light tones ... calm fog dancing around the city when we have our little cup of coffee and eat our breakfast. It's also a good surprise when you don't notice that you have a long weekend ... woo-hoo ...
This week one of our highlights was spending time at home and trying to get things organized and in-place. Our main goal was to finally hang the wall art that's been sitting around the house. I hope you enjoy it ...
San Francisco Lovely Fog
If you follow my instagram, you've probably seen a few of these pics :) This week we also spent some time practicing our gyoza and udon making. We are excited to perfect our skills and share more often to see peoples reactions and what they like. Udon is one of our favorite comfort foods ... very simple and light, creating a wonderful warm and cozy feeling when you experience it. I thought I would be good at making gyoza, but wow ... it's not as easy to fold them as they make them seem... getting the perfect ribbon shapes on the edge is really tough. I can't wait to practice more ... my favorite part is after the picture when we get to taste them ... ;)
Gyoza
Udon
Here is my new little buddy ... my hubby has been making a fun mask for our yearly get together at the lake ... I am excited to share once it's done, but for now he's just taking up some caffeine to get ready for the fun weekend ... hehe
There are so many gorgeous homes in the city ... each time I see one, I just have to stop for a sec to enjoy the beautiful details.
Bimbo's 365? So many years in this city and I've never been there. Wow! ... such a beautiful venue with wonderfully classic details. Why have I never been there? I think I just had to wait to celebrate with Brian Sugar for his 40th Birthday. Well worth the wait ... Thank you Brian for such lovely evening.
A few of my favorite things for this week. My new Micky iPhone case is at the top of my list. I feel like I got a new pet that I get to take with me everywhere. His big ears make it so I could never loose my phone too ... lol
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