2007/08/31
weekly wrap up + mibo
today is my mom's birthday [happy birthday mom!] and my dad is in town for work so i'm heading out early to catch up with him. i hope you all have a wonderful labor day weekend and enjoy the extra day off. i'll be back on tuesday with new sneak peeks and information on the biz lady meet ups. until then i hope you all enjoy the holiday! [photo above: new pillows from mibo uk, coming this fall]- under $100 and things we love: colorful new products for all price ranges
- mimou wallpaper and textiles
- biz lady date updates
- interiors by fuse id
- dunford wood wallpapers
- sandberg textiles and wallpaper
- artwork by clare grill
- shop nyc without leaving your home, at shelterrific
- gorgeous textile art at asog
- molly briggs artwork at dear ada
- great tour of the meatpacking district at housemartin
- awesome weekend read at bloesem: bloggers' wish list
- potato crouton recipe at 101cookbooks: yum
- fun fabric pushpin board project at at:chicago
8:45 AM 0
(mini) sneak peek: jenny's cabinets
i love seeing how people choose to personalize their home. d*s reader jenny lives in north carolina and was kind enough to share a little peek into her kitchen with us. jenny hired her friend and local artist (and rock poster king) ron liberti to silkscreen this silhouette print onto their kitchen cabinets. it's definitely not something you'll see in everyone's kitchen and i love all of the possibilities you could have with this medium. i'd love to silkscreen a simplified version of my favorite wallpaper pattens on cabinets. how fun. click here to see larger pictures of jenny's cabinets. [thanks, jenny!]
8:10 AM 0
miss martha
i've come a long way since my first reading of martha stewart's blueprint magazine. it's gone from a magazine i barely read to probably my favorite book on the market right now. and this month's spread of beds and bedding is a perfect example of why. they mixed together a wide range of options for every price range and of course, shot them beautifully. i think when i die heaven to me will be decorated by martha stewart's stylists. you can read the bed story online right here but i suggest picking up the sept/oct 2007 issue for the full sized photos. the spread on "living with a guy" is fantastic if, like me, you really have to avoid girlyville. [thanks, katy!]
7:00 AM 0
AUTUMN GARDEN RENOVATION
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. 'robbiae '
aka Wood Spurge
" Rich deep shiny green evergreen leaves are tipped spring to mid summer with interesting chartreuse yellow flowers held on thick wiry stems. " Sold . All I need to do now is to thin out the Rudbeckia and plant it there.
I'm on a mission this Autumn : Divide and conquer the rudbeckias, phlox , sedum and Korean bellflowers.
Add some more perennial mums, coneflowers, daffodils and tulips.
6:49 AM 0
2007/08/30
clare grill
for the last year or so i've been looking to invest in artwork (mainly paintings), but haven't quite found the perfect fit yet. there are many artists i love but i still seem to be on the search for the perfect combination of texture and color. but thanks to d*s reader emily i may have found my perfect match. brooklyn based artist clare grill creates these stunning paintings using gauche and oils; her use of color is really spot on for me. i love the vivid splashes of hot pink, yellow and purple. clare's mission statement says that she "juxtapose[s] structural and gestural marks, bold and neutral color, and varying surfaces to contain and protect painted areas [she] thinks look real in their unmediated directnessuses. [her] current work uses forms found both intuitively through my painting process, and from ephemeral and permanent structures found in nature, specifically camping tents and geological cross-sections, that reference this act of protection and containment." i love the geological references and her extensive series of tent paintings. clare is currently showing at real art ways in 
11:30 AM 0
dash and albert
our friends jon and mindy are putting together a nursery and pointed me in the direction of dash and albert rugs. they've got a huge collection of hooked, hand loomed, wool, braided, tufted and indoor/outdoor rugs- some of which might even be good for our dining room. i was drawn to the "rain or shine" diamond pattern, which is online at lavender fields for some pretty decent prices. just wanted to share in case anyone else was on a rug hunt like i am. [thanks, jon!]
10:00 AM 0
urban
i have mixed feelings on urban outfitters (and their new site) but something about these little accessories is hard to resist. eleanor grosch's owley clock ($28) and the vintage-inspired norwegian squirrel lamp base ($36) are fun ways to add some character to a room without dropping too much money.9:00 AM 0
night owl paper goods
night owl paper goods' line of eco-friendly wooden postcards is now available online. these were such a big hit at the gift fair so i'm thrilled to see them ready to buy on the night owl site. eco-friendly holiday cards should be coming next month, too. click here for more info. [thanks, jennifer!]
7:00 AM 0
the rug company
i'm still on the hunt for a chevron-style rug for the dining room so i've been hopping from rug site to rug site. even though they're out of my price range, i love so many of the rug company's designer collection styles- especially those from marni and vivienne westwood. although sometimes i think i like the styling of the photos even more. the blue wall and pink chaise in the last marni photo is just to die for.
5:30 AM 0
THE COMPULSIVE GAMBLER OF THE PLANT WORLD
Polyrrhiza lindenii
What is so rare about the ghost orchid is that it exists at all because it is dependent upon the giant Sphinx moth that flies only at night to pollinate it. As if that wasn't enough, its seed needs a specific strain of beneficial fungus to survive and if there's not sufficient peat to feed its host, the Cypress, it will likely perish. There's more. It must get enough water to saturate the air and prevent temperature swings. All this for an irregular and infrequent bloom . What odds if you were a gambler.
Fewer than 1,000 of the species remain and only in Southwest Florida and Cuba. Now that the location is known I would venture to guess that orchid enthusiasts will be visiting the site with bags and baskets in hand.
5:15 AM 0
2007/08/29
HOW GREAT THOU ART
Greatest Artist of the 20th Century
This August was the 30th anniversary of Elvis's death at age 42 and if you are a big fan like me you watched all his old movies and documentaries on tv. No other artist had greater influence on our music culture than Elvis and yet he was born into very poor circumstances in a two room house in Tupelo, Mississippi.
More has been written about Elvis as well and I think I've read just about every book published. His life was remarkable and if one were to see his movies and listen to his music without knowing he was a country boy I don't think there would be the slightest clue.
A "tiger can't change his stripes " is a true idiom. It was evident in many ways that Elvis never forgot his roots. He had a big heart and was known to give away many expensive gifts on the spur of the moment and he secretly supported many charities that people didn't know about. He was also a big " Mama's boy. " In later years, true to his country raising he recorded an album of country music favorites and gospel as well. Gospel music is a very spiritual and emotional thing for most Southerners who grew up singing it in church.
Food is always a connection to your childhood and Elvis was no different with his butter fried PB & J sandwiches. Unfortunately, Elvis's ideas of love and marriage were flawed and in my opinion that and his wild lifestyle paved the road to his eventual demise.
Elvis was a big part of my youth, when he first came onto the music scene. Parents and pastors didn't like him and pronounced sentence on his "morals " early on. But rock and roll had just been born and we teenagers thought that Elvis was the " coolest . " That's right, cool. We had that word back then. In fact , we coined it. And guess what ? Elvis is still " cool " even today. A new generation has re-discovered him.
More has been written about Elvis as well and I think I've read just about every book published. His life was remarkable and if one were to see his movies and listen to his music without knowing he was a country boy I don't think there would be the slightest clue.
A "tiger can't change his stripes " is a true idiom. It was evident in many ways that Elvis never forgot his roots. He had a big heart and was known to give away many expensive gifts on the spur of the moment and he secretly supported many charities that people didn't know about. He was also a big " Mama's boy. " In later years, true to his country raising he recorded an album of country music favorites and gospel as well. Gospel music is a very spiritual and emotional thing for most Southerners who grew up singing it in church.
Food is always a connection to your childhood and Elvis was no different with his butter fried PB & J sandwiches. Unfortunately, Elvis's ideas of love and marriage were flawed and in my opinion that and his wild lifestyle paved the road to his eventual demise.
Elvis was a big part of my youth, when he first came onto the music scene. Parents and pastors didn't like him and pronounced sentence on his "morals " early on. But rock and roll had just been born and we teenagers thought that Elvis was the " coolest . " That's right, cool. We had that word back then. In fact , we coined it. And guess what ? Elvis is still " cool " even today. A new generation has re-discovered him.
6:59 PM 0
sandberg textiles
i was categorizing old posts last night and came across a piece on sandberg textiles from last november so i thought i'd see what was up with them these days. it looks like they've launched a new collection of wallpaper and textiles called claude and clotilde- i'm loving the rich greys and purples in the series- it's just perfect for fall. click here to browse the full collection. my favorites are above and below. [i have meetings for the rest of the day so i'll see you tomorrow! sorry i had to post everything before 11.]
8:05 AM 0
petra börner
i'm feeling the switch from summer to fall in our home and i'm starting to pick richer colors like deep reds, magentas, purples and black. i'm feeling really inspired by the color palettes in petra börner's work right now- these prints are so beautiful (her prints for cacharel are gorgeous, too). lena did an interview with her on the guest blog last september and it looks like now she's a visiting lecturer at central st. martins college. those are some lucky students....
7:50 AM 0
rapture and wright
i'm helping a friend pick out wallpapers for her bathroom and we're trying to decide between these two, very different, prints from rapture and wright. i love their handprinted papers (and textiles) and think either of these would be lovely. something about the soft butter yellow makes me think it would be perfect for a small space like her bathroom but maybe the bold pattern would make the little room pop. has anyone worked with these before? my vote is for the yellow...7:30 AM 0
blik picks
i'm not normally a wall decal fan but i'm really enjoying these two patterns at the blik threadless shop. they'd be so perfect for a child's room- someone who really loves pirate ships and animals. i think the animals would be so cute as a meandering border or chair rail around a baby's room. and the ships? they're so cute i think i want them. you can pick up a pack of each for $45-$60 right here. happy sticking.7:00 AM 0
gracie chandelier
my friend jon pointed out that i seem to have a habit of buying things that have my name in them. i swear it's not planned but it does seem to happen a lot. i just picked up this gracie chandelier at crate and barrel (thanks to orange beautiful) and had it installed in our dining room. our little apt is getting ready for its big debut on the new d*s next month and i'm pretty close to checking off "finish dining room" on my list. you can still grab the white gracie chandelier right here for $199.6:00 AM 0
sf biz lady date + portland biz lady poll
i'm thrilled to announce that we have a location for both the san franciso and portland biz ladies meet ups. dwr has kindly offered to host both events so the details will be:- san francisco: tuesday, october 23 at the jackson street dwr. 7-9pm. see you there!
- portland: dwr's everett street studio.
5:13 AM 0
2007/08/28
natsuko seki
after categorizing 600 old posts last night i realized that the majority were artwork and graphic design. if you'd asked me what i post about the most these days i would have said accessories but i was dead wrong. so in honor of the artwork-centric posts of the last few months i thought i'd post some great new artists today. first is natsuko seki, who i found through kate forrester's site. i'm absolutely crazy about her collage-style illustrations that combine bright colors with beautiful patterns. click here to see natsko's full collection of illustrations, animation and package design.
10:40 AM 0
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