Blog About It

Today's Blog About It is all about collections. As a series of like objects, collections help us organize and make sense of the world. And what's so great about online collections, in particular, is that it's not necessary to physically own any of the objects that one collects. A shoe collection takes up a lot of space in real life, but online, it can serve many different functions (shoes by one designer, red shoes, flats, party shoes, etc.), none of which require actually owning any of the collected items. This week, I wanted to share two of my favorite blogs that are all about this idea of collections: Gems and Odessa May Society.

Gems is a very apt name for a wonderful, new blog. In fact, it's so new, that it really only started up last week, but Mallory's previous blog, Where The Lovely Things Are, was one of my absolutely favorite daily reads, and I have no doubt that Gems is going to be just as awesome. Because, really, the only reason why Where The Lovely Things Are ceased to be was that Mallory was sick of the name. Gems comes from her Gems of the Week posts, for which she pulls together a collection of favorite things seen around during the past week.

Red dresses, featuring Giambattista Valli.

Illustrations from Tales from the Ballet - adapted by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen (1968).

 Photographic awesomeness by Brigitte Sire.

But what was really incredible about Where The Lovely Things Are, and I'm sure will continue to be the case with Gems, is that Mallory is a genius at assembling posts about any and all topics under the sun. Some recent favorite have included the topics as diverse as dogs and eating and drinking, with images culled from a wide assortment of art, design, tv/film, fashion, and print sources.

Like Gems,  Odessa May Society is also all about collections, but with a very different look and feel.

Collection No. 8:  No. 1 Dress | No. 2 Baby Romper | No. 3 Rifle Notebooks | No. 4 Terrain Hat | No. 5 Michelle Armas Painting | No. 6 Hemp Pencil Case | No. 7 Plush Rabbit | No. 8 Copper Watering Can | No. 9 Scarf

Love 4 Handmade: I | II | III | IV | V

 Can't Get Enough Of...Leslie Thomson | Jen Causey via Lisa Rupp | Therere Workshop | Honey and Jam

Odessa May Society features art, design and handmade items that are primarily showcased through the format of collages. Whether it's a month's worth of books, can't get enough of posts, or various collections of items, they're always showcased through a simple, lovely layout that really does a great job of highlighting each individual item. I may not know the name of the girl who writes Odessa May Society, but her blog is one of my favorite places to visit for perfectly-curated collections.