Anyone who knows just a little about me will confirm my obsession with dogs. Yes, I’m obsessed! (see here) I love dogs. And I love how many artists and designers out there share my love for their pets. Looking at the work of Spanish artist Rosa Navarro, I can tell that she is also a big fan of the four-legged. Her illustrations really capture the sweet facial expressions that dogs have… the little look in their eyes that can’t possibly be captured unless you’ve seen it many times. These illustrations just make me happy.

Even though my wedding is over a year away, I’ve been a little obsessed with all things wedding related since my engagement. Well, maybe a little before then. I love weddings! Searching through some of my favorite wedding sites, I thought about a particular wedding blog I’ve been meaning to share here for some time. Para ti Novia is wedding blog that is “redefining the modern Latin wedding.” It was introduced to me by my good friend Junia who had her own gorgeous modern Latin wedding last year. For many young Latina brides that come from traditional families, it is often a challenge to break traditions in order to have a wedding that suits them. In my own experience, I have had a lot of luck showing my family inspiration photos of other weddings. I find that it goes a lot further than trying to explain new styles and non-traditional weddings. Para ti Novia, which is full of stunning photos of non-traditional weddings, is a great place on the web for new Latina brides to take their families. How could you not fall in love with a wedding like this!

*photos by Sarah Yates

I’ve mentioned one of my favorite photographers and bloggers, Karina Manghi, here before so I was thrilled to come across some amazing photos of her home over on Decor8. Karina’s amazing sense of style, color, and design have really come across in this “industrial chic” space of hers. What a dream home! But I have to say, I’m mostly just completely jealous of her closet.

To view more photos and info, check out this post on Decor8

Based out of Spain, Grossomodo is a small (but awesome) clothing and accessory company. Their hand made clothing silhouettes are inspired by the 50′s and 60′s and they also favor a soft and sweet color palette. I adore their ultra-feminine designs and I particularly love their gorgeous fashion photography. Check out this peek of their current Spring/Summer 2011 catalog.

Their blog is a must see as well. It’s entirely in Spanish but the work and photos shown speak for themselves.

It’s been one long and wet winter here in the Bay Area. At this point, it’s fair to say I’m over it. These beautiful images by Los Angeles based photographer Lou Mora have me dreaming of hot summer days. California style.

Fashion photographer Nicole Bentley recently shot one of the most gorgeous spreads I have ever seen for the March issue of Vogue Australia. Entitled “Viva La Revolution,” this vibrant ten page spread took place down in Mexico and featured model Alina Baikova. I love everything about this! In fact, I couldn’t leave out a single page. Viva la revolution!

A few weeks back I had a twitter conversation with a fellow shop owner that was looking for bright Brazilian art. It made me realize just how unfamiliar I was with Brazilian artists (shame on me!) Through a bit of research, I came across the work of Beatriz Milhazes. Upon viewing her work, my first thoughts were, “whoa!” and “have I been living under a rock?! Why have I never seen her work before?!” Born in 1961 in Rio de Janeiro, Beatriz’s work is influenced by Brazil’s exotic flora and fauna, popular Brazilian motifs, and the vibrant colors that have surrounded her throughout her life in Brazil. I am already a huge fan and have added “purchase a Beatriz Milhazes painting” to the list of my life’s goals. Really, it’s now #28.

Her installation pieces are also quite breathtaking. These stain glass windows and glass mobile pieces are beyond amazing!

To view a selection of Beatriz Milhazes’s work and learn more about her incredible career, check out this site.

Scrolling through letanía para mechudos (an art blog I recently discovered), I came across one of my new favorite portraits of Frida Kahlo by artist Clare Owen. I would LOVE to have a print of this in my home! *sigh* Digging around her flickr stream a bit more, I really adore and appreciate her various paintings of cultural women. It’s truly a delight to see beautiful paintings celebrating other cultures.

I also had to include the beautiful painting below. My fiance and I are thinking about adopting a cat. He’s been wanting one for years and seeing as how Miles is a very cat-friendly dog (we think he was a cat in a past life), we might be welcoming a rescue kitty into our home soon.

Homeboy Industries has recently partnered with Artecnica in their most “provocative Design with Conscience project to date.” In collaboration with graphic design firm Studio Lin, Homeboy Tote bags are being produced and will be made available for purchase in March. Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention program in the US that offers ex-gang members and at-risk youth new opportunities and a second chance at a better life.

The tote bags feature original calligraphy writing created by ex gang members based on famous quotes by the program’s founder Greg Boyle. Part of the proceeds from sales of the bags will benefit the further development of Homeboy Industries. What an amazing project! I can’t wait to tote my homeboy bag.

via Mocoloco

I love twitter for lots of reasons but mostly because it often connects me to wonderful people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. This was the case with the folks at Faberuna, a wonderful site “dedicated to featuring artisans and their wares from across the globe.” With a mission like that, it’s no wonder we would become fast friends. Recently Faberuna has undergone a new and noteworthy project called the Faberuna Blog Blitz. It’s their way of giving smaller but amazing blogs, that don’t often receive comments,  a day in the sun by encouraging readers to leave a nice comment.

What I also love about this project is being exposed to beautiful blogs by incredibly talented people I may never found on my own. As much time as I spend on the web (and I spend a lot of time on the web), it’s impossible to turn over every rock and peek in every corner. Luckily, Faberuna has come along to make this a little easier.

Head over and check out Faberuna’s Blog Blitz! And if you see something you like, leave a comment. If someone you admire is putting out content you love, let them know. It’s the easiest way to brighten someone’s day and encourage them to keep going.