Shutter Sisters

girl seeking whimsy

By

When I think about the whimsy in my life, I default to the obvious; life with daughters. Dressing-up, imaginary play, fairies and princesses, tea parties, bubble blowing and balloons. But there are many women that not only welcome whimsy into their daily lives, they use it as inspiration both in their creative work and their style sensibilities.

A recent visit to a Trina Turk clothing boutique inspired this in me. The shop was full of splashy color and styles that were fresh and fun. Every detail accounted for, each element was deliciously thought out. My sister and I each had our cameras shooting little things here and there and from floor to ceiling the boutique made me feel dizzy with whimsy. It was delightful.

Where do you find the kind the kind of inspiration that makes your grown-up heart sing? Share with us the whimsy you’ve discovered lately. 

Comments

  1. Wow this place looks amazing. I find my heart feeling whimsy when I hike in the woods.Listening to things crawl,fly,chirp,,I could stay all day and just listen.It lightens my heart and I so love it. Makes my heart lite, I want to just spin with joy like when I was young (and I do,whos going to tell on me,the trees?) Nature makes my heart happy 🙂

  2. I adore that picture. I love how even the most simple things can be so beautiful.

    We recently took my kids to the aquarium here. It was so wonderful to watch my littles explore. My two boys loved standing on the platform to every tank and pretending they were swimming with the fish. My girl? She dreamed of being a mermaid and living with the sharks.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lochnessmommy/4649297810/

  3. This may sound crazy, but I get really inspired when I go to Home Goods (and Target, lol) 🙂

  4. there has never been a single time that i walked out of an anthropologie store and did not feel exactly how you just described. that store is hands down my favorite… not just for their products, but way more so for their display design and store design. it would be a dream job to work there as one of the display designers. i go into sensory overload mode when i go in there. so much color and sparkle and creativity. ughhhh. i almost have to stop writing about it, ’cause that’s how worked up i get when i go in there. unfortunately {or maybe it’s a good thing…}, i can’t go in those stores right now. being unemployed makes me stay away so that i will not spend money i do not have.

    i also feel the way you described about arhaus home/furniture stores. in fact your photo reminded me of some of the lighting displays they have there. one corner had some similar lights hanging in the window at varying lengths, and also hanging with them on wires were some vintage books. it looked so neat, and i really wanted to take pictures, but i thought they would give me strange looks if i started snapping away, so i held myself back. : )

    so much inspiration out there! great post!

  5. My youngest daughter is whimsy itself – her laugh, her style of dress and carefree love of life, her art, the simplicity of what she finds pleasure in, the way she tells a story…
    I find I love color in unexpected places. Bright yellow rainboots on a gray day. One little green frond in rich, dark soil. Brilliantly hued paper star lanterns hung from lifeless tree branches. Even seeing my kitchen aprons of aqua, orange, watermelon and moss hanging on the line against the backdrop of stark white sheets on the line behind them…

  6. whenever i think of this, i think of the time a blue balloon joined me at a stoplight and followed along side for a block or two before it took a left turn to explore downtown. i imagine its travels across the city and wonder what sights it saw.

  8. I find whimsy in gardens, the woods, the beach, and my friends…especially the old ones. Friends that have known me since I was 6 years old and the biggest dork around.

    also..a string of old white Christmas lights strung around the fence in the back yard and hanging out with my family there…we’ve been known to drag the laptop out, find some music..and dance around the backyard.

  9. I find whimsy in lots of places, but lately, since we’ve been redoing our yard…we keep finding small pieces of brick wall here and there – it’s really sweet – none of it makes sense, but it’s fun to move a plant and find a little hidden treasure.

  11. So refreshing to read this post today as most of my whimsy is channeled through silly,fun things I do with my daughters as well! I would say I find my whimsical self when I take a walk with my husband, go hiking, go rollerblading (just dug those up after 6 years of burial in my garage!), ride a bike outdoors and feel the breezy, fresh air. Basically, being outdoors, doing something active and removing myself from the kids!!! I have the sudden urge to pick up those rollerblades and ride down a hill! Thanks for this post. I know I need to constantly remind myself to remember my own whimsical self and keep her in check with her fill of non-child induced whimsy!

  14. The whimsy of carousels. Photographing them is on my life list. I wrote a post about one and now people are telling me where to find more carousels and sending me pictures of them. What a delight! ; )

  15. I took dance for years and years growing up and I still find that turning on some music and pirouetting on my invisible living room stage adds a bit of whimsy to an otherwise dull and lifeless day. Bruce Hornsby’s rendition of "The End of the Innocence" has been known to drift through the air…

  17. I am so lacking in whimsy it is ridiculous! I think that is probably the best summer theme for myself and my four boys – "a whimsical summer"! I tend to get caught up in the responsibility and seriousness of everyday life and forget to just be silly and live in the moment.
    Thank you for this reminder – my boys will be thrilled to see the change~
    xx