MAD DREAM DESIGN: spring

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Wanderlust Wednesday // Spring 2013

2013 has been a craaazzzy year...to say the least.

It is one of those times in life where you are like how on earth did I think I was so busy before all this???

This year:
Started planning our wedding
Started my own business
Will attend 5 weddings/receptions by the years end
Paddled the 6 man outrigger season
Travel to: Monterey, Big Sur, Ventura, Havasu, Florida, Palm Springs (2x), Catalina (2x), Hawaii (possibly 2x)...and I know there will be more since Fall is our favorite time to weekend camp trips!

"Have I gone mad?
I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people usually are.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

...I hope this is true.

I have already written about my trips to Big Sur and Monterey in my Central California Road Trip post and Ventura was all about Craftcation, which I wrote about here and here. I can't write about Hawaii (I leave in a matter of days!), but I have yet to write about my Spring trips! Havasu and Florida in April, and Catalina in May!

I had not really gotten a chance to go through the photos from these trips until recently and I been loving going back through and enjoying the memories this past week.

Havasu
My Aunty's wedding.
This was my first time in Havasu and the lake and views were of course gorgeous. It looked like a typical Spring break hang out...which is what it is most known for becasue the weather is so nice. It was hot but dry so I was in heaven. I love the desert (don't tell Jimi). I am a huge fan of dry heat, warm winds, fiery sunsets, and giant mesas always in view. Here are a few photos from the trip.

We really loved these trees..they were every where there!

The best sunset.

Can't beat hot weather and the pool.

Florida
Jimi's cousin wedding and a weekend with his family at their house in Florida.
This was my second time to Florida, check out my first Florida trip post here, but this was my first trip to where Jimi spent most of his summer's as a kid. Sebastian, FL sits along a lazy river just off of the Intercoastal. We made sure we were out on the water each day we were there. The quiet serenity of the river was truly wonderful. We also made it out to the Intercoastal to hang out on the sand bar that sits in the middle. It is kind of a perfect place to set up camp and stay awhile. Got some great shots of us on the water.

Sandbar in the Intercoastal.

Heart Art // Mad Dream Design

In the last post of this series I introduced my Spring 2013 Collection, Tribe Vibes.
Check um' out on Etsy!

I am a big believer in protecting our earth, preserving species, experiencing nature as it is meant to be seen - out in the wild. Animals and the ocean are a huge part of my life. I have 3 cats, 1 dog and a bird + all the animal friends I get to see on the water while I am paddling. The ocean is what makes our world so special and it is full of amazing creatures...many we have not even found yet. My work will always be inspired by nature, whether it is animals, plants, cultures, the ocean, the desert or sky. So I knew when I started my shop that I wanted to donate proceeds to non-profit organizations that are helping our oceans, deserts, plants and animals. My Spring Collection is donating 5% of each purchase to these six organizations.

Meet the Organizations

Falcon Ridge

The Marine Mammal Center

Blue Voice

Barks of Love
Enter to win a pair of Bolt drop earrings here!

A Gift for Animals

BLES

Stop by the shop and say hello! Or go check out some of these amazing organizations to learn more about what they are doing for our planet!

Enjoy!

Heart Art Series

New Series: Heart Art

I have been working this idea in my head and yesterday morning it started to really take form. I really love promoting other artists, especially ones that inspire me, but rather than just promote them I want to get to know them and their thoughts behind their work...whether it be a small interview or just a look behind the scenes into their studio. This is what this series will be about. A deeper look in to a variety of different art forms we all love. The deeper meaning behind the idea and people seeing them out.

I am going to start this series off slow and start with Mad Dream Design and then start to move it toward others and maybe eventually have guest posts be apart of this series. I really want my blog to become a place to dream, create, inspire and be a great resource for art, artists, and design inspired by art. As an art history major, one of my favorite things hands down, was discovering the meanings behind every little detail in a painting or the "mad idea" behind a contemporary sculpture.

You can read more about me under the MAD. tab. Instead of talking about me, I am going to talk about my Spring 2013 Collection I just launched last week on Etsy. Check it out here!

Heart Art // Mad Dream Spring 2013 Collection
Tribe Vibes

My art has always been inspired by nature and animals. In painting class my best work was always a landscape painting - I should have known then. I guess you always just end up gravitating to what you are inspired most by in your work without much thought...this new idea I have is not usually that new because it is a concept of something I already saw in nature. My Spring 2013 Collection is no exception, which is why I have named it Tribe Vibes.

Tribe Vibes is all about getting back to our roots and the values that came with them. For example, birds were always a sign of good luck, the animal that lived between heaven and earth, a sacred creature that meant good things were coming when it crossed your path. The value of family and respect for animals and nature. The power of the ocean and energy of the sky. These are all things that spoke to me and this collection.

Next time, I will be looking at the inspiration and depth behind each piece in my collection. Each piece offers something different and 5% of its proceeds goes to an animal or nature preservation non-profit organization. I will be sharing my experience with all of them and what they mean to me and Mad Dream.

I am excited for this series to take form and for the inspiration and new friends we find.

Enjoy!

Falling For Friday // 4-5-13

Hello Friday, my good friend!

Spring Love Fest

What are your favorite things about Spring?

I am loving the warmer afternoons, my garden going off with flowers everywhere, the smell of jasmine, that it is lighter later, the smell of salt on the wind and that fresh feeling...you know what I am talking about!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Here is a fun graphic for what I plan to do this spring and summer..anyone else?

by Maddie Dierkes

And now, I am going to leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes.

Photo Credit

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears and the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Easter + What's New

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and Happy Easter. For me it was filled with family...which is always the best. Here is a little preview....

YUM!

Mom knows how to host, and she always has gorgeous displays and delicious dishes, especially during the holidays. Above is her gorgeous, homemade (from scratch!) Strawberry Vanilla Cake.
So yum!

And last but not least...me and this little Easter bunny...Sophie! :)

So what's new?

Mad Dream Design Etsy Shop is officially open!!!
Introducing my Spring 2013 line. Rolling out more designs throughout the week.

How to participate in all the fun?
Join our mailing list to receive a sweet deal! This deal lasts Friday, April 5th, 11pm through Sunday, April 7th, 11 pm. Sign up here!

Come by and say hello at the shop! I am so excited to share it all with you.

Enjoy!
xo,

It's A Dog's Life

White Wolf in his Element (Photo by Maddie Dierkes)

I have always loved the idea of a dog beach, because hey why not! As long as people treat it with respect, then why not share one of your favorite places, the beach and the ocean, with your favorite four legged friend. I bet it is, or will be, one of their favorite places as well.

We got to take our dog, Ozzie, to the Huntington Dog Beach this past weekend, with my parents dog, Sophie. Boy, did they have a blast! Jimi and I had no idea how much Ozzie loved the beach, as we just got him, and he belongs to Jimi's sister. As soon as we got to Pacific Coast Highway, and he could smell the ocean he was ecstatic!

The beach was much more successful than the dog park, with Ozzie, because there was a lot more for him to do, since even though he gets along with other dogs, he doesn't really like to play with them all the time. His favorite thing: playing fetch! He is a Border Collie, so he takes this very seriously.

Sophie and Ozzie both did hot laps upon arrival and then settled into their favorite past times: Ozzie playing fetch, and Sophie playing with the seaweed. Sandy, wet and exhausted by the end. This made them clean, yet tired dogs for Sunday brunch though!

Sophie and her Seaweed (Photo by Maddie Dierkes)

Sophie and Ozzie have become fast friends...here are some of their adventures together.

Happy Dogs (Photo by Maddie Dierkes)

Adventures of Ozzie and Sophie (Photo by Maddie Dierkes)

Spring is here!

Spring is here in Southern California and the flowers in my front gardens are exploding with color and fragrance!

We have about 20 rose bushes in our front yard separating the grass from the sidewalk. This is my rose garden. We have lived at our house for about 2 years now and they are one of my favorite things about it. They are hardy, gorgeous and bloom year round!

My other garden in the front yard, is the front porch planter that stretches the full length of our porch...this is what needs TLC and is the next project on my list. My amaryllis seem to be doing just fine.