Villejavat – I know nothing about you, yet I kind of love you… you with your flowery horses, mountain stretches, and polished rocks. Sigh.

Jack. Pot.

I’ve never played poker before, but I’m assuming that a bunch of diamonds might be a good thing? In any case, when these little gems showed up in my inbox yesterday I was thrilled! I love these old school portraits, on hand cut wood, by Tucson based artist Erin Wilbur… and let’s just say, if I did know anything at all about gambling, I’d bet it all on ‘Diamond Green Hair Woman’. Love.

What do I love more than vintage photography? THIS! I love this more than vintage photography! Yep, vintage photography reenacted decades later {right down to the bubble bath, grass skirt, and raised eyebrows} by Buenos Aires based photographer Irina Werning. Here is her description of this insanely hilarious series titled Back to the Future:

‘I love old photos. I admit being a nosy photographer. As soon as I step into someone else’s house, I start sniffing for them. Most of us are fascinated by their retro look but to me, it’s imagining how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them today… A few months ago, I decided to actually do this. So, with my camera, I started inviting people to go back to their future.’

{…thanks to Jeff of Liberia 77 for pointing me to Irina’s work.}

“Red Riding Hood Collages” by Rubén B… now this is my kind o’ fairytale. Sigh.

I realize that it’s not polite to stare, but  when you come across mountain ranges {both regular and crocheted}, a ridiculously giant moon, a billowing tower of smoke, and the collage work of American artist Beth Hoeckel… well, it’s kinda hard to look away, no?

{via Design For Mankind & Color Collective}

Ahh, Paris… home to croissants, fancy poodles and Ma + Chr, a design studio created by Mathilde Aubier and Christine Delaquaize. So, where should I begin with my list of things to be jealous of? I already mentioned that they live in Paris, right? Right, ok, then, moving on. Well, how about the fact that they cover the spectrum when it comes to creative endeavors… print, textiles, mixed media, web, interior design! Basically, if it’s creative, they do it. Oh, and of course, those cats! I love those cats with their giant, vintage lady eyes! Yep, je suis très jaloux.

Weaved photographs? Nope. Vintage photographs chopped up into perfect little diamonds, mixed up with each other,  and then rearranged into new dizzying images. Whoa. Today’s lovely touch of vertigo is brought to you by Californian artist Allison Diaz.

{via crisaris}

Embroidery and vintage postcards… Oh, Shaun Kardinal, what are you doing to me? No self-respecting person should be this jealous on a Friday morning.

{via Junkculture… via Booooooom}

I absolutely love this project! Ok, let’s start with the jealous part. Canadian artists {and brothers} Jeff and Andrew Topham did what most of us would love to do – they got to relive their childhoods… kinda. In the late 1970’s they lived in beautiful, war-free Liberia. They played on the beach, ran around the jungle, and even had a pet chimp named Evelyn. Their dad, John, documented all of it through his own amazing photographs {also part of the series}, labeling his negatives, and ultimately giving this project it’s title… Liberia ’77.

So this is where it gets inspiring/scary. Thirty years later Jeff, a film maker, and Andrew, a photographer, decided to go back to the location of their idyllic childhood and document the changes. As you can imagine, they were drastic {note the two “gas stations” above… yes, those are jars of siphoned gas in 2010}. Jeff and Andrew have created a series of photographs, and are currently working on a documentary. So far I’ve only seen the photos, and the stories behind them made me tear up almost instantly. I imagine I’ll need a full box of tissues for the film.

As if you need another reason to go to Paris, but I’ll give you one anyway… well, two actually… Leo & Pipo. They are the artists behind these beautiful, and kinda ghostly,  life-sized portraits that can be found on lonely concrete walls all over Paris. Maybe it’s because Hallowe’en is just around the corner, but I have to say, that boy on the roof scares me a little bit… not enough to stop me from buying a ticket to Paris mind you, but enough to freak me out in a “sixth-sense/I see dead people” kind of way.