Posts from July 2008

Fully Reconditioned Telephone (1960's) - Orange, $195.00.

There's not really much I don't want from the lovely collectibles shop, Three Potato Four... the store features design products and their signature batch of ever-changing vintage goods, some of which there are (sadly) only a few of available.

Enamelware Collection - Mint, $68.00.

It's definitely worth constantly checking in on their inventory to see what's available... and, if you like torturing yourself with that "ah, man, I would've loved to have bought that!" feeling, then be sure to check out their section of what's already been sold to some lucky person!...

Orange Stripey Sugar and Creamer Set, $36.00.

1950's Royal Typewriter (Restored) - Cherry Red, $495.00.

Yellow Striped Vessel, $20.00.

images c/o Three Potato Four.

image c/o che moleman's Flickr site.

From the age of 11 'til I was probably 22 or so, I was a devoted journal-keeper. I have boxes of ratty, old notebooks filled with my ridiculously neat handwriting (not so much any more ;) and it makes me reminiscent of the days when I had enough discipline to write a little something every day.

Sierra Sophie Sketch Notebook, by International Arrivals - B got this for me for my 30th birthday... she bought it at Sprout Home in Chicago!

In the last few months, I've acquired several really great books & journals - all of which I could be filling with sketches and writings, but, weirdly, all of them are still completely blank.

Do any of you have any suggestions for how I can really get on track with writing/drawing at least a little bit every single day?

All-Weather Journal, by Rite in the Rain - I got this for myself at the The Boring Store, which is an AWESOME shop on Milwaukee Ave...

I think part of my problem is that I get really self-conscious when I write and when I draw... I can't seem to get over my OCD/perfectionist sh*t and not worry about how messy my handwriting is, etc. At the same time, I think forcing myself to write/draw every day might actually help to curb some of those anxieties.

Still of the Night Dreambook, by Poketo - I love this journal - A LOT. I bought it nearly a year ago at Willow (an amazing boutique on North Damen).

If any of you have some advice for me, I'd really appreciate it. I desperately want to be one of those people who has shelves of maxed-out journals and sketchbooks... I want the pages of all of my blank books to be filled with ink and watercolors; thoughts and memories; worries about the present and dreams of the future... is that so much to ask?!

Maybe someday my journals will look like these excerpts from the sketchbooks of David Fullarton, via pica + pixel... someday.

On Saturday we had a brief, albeit destructive, hail storm that shattered the glass top of our outdoor table (this is the second table we've "lost" in this fashion). While my husband spent the evening picking shards of glass out of the grass and deck boards, I feverishly clicked around online looking for outdoor furniture made of sturdier materials.

The best inspiration came from Nicole at Making it Lovely. She kept her patio (pictured above) straightforward, yet fun and colorful, with modern furnishings that carve out areas for both dining and lounging. (I'll admit I find the fully-furnished "outdoor room" concept - complete with canopy-clad cabanas, beds and bars that Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware would have us believe should come standard with a suburban backyard - to be oddly resort-ish and silly, so I appreciate Nicole's simple approach.) She also created the adorable vignette below that served as a planning tool for placing the elements together.

Images from Making it Lovely.

To add to the already immense collection of art & design pieces in our apartment, Jw ordered this set of 5 prints from Los Angeles non-profit 826LA (design by Amy Kate Martin)...

Each of the 5 prints (beautifully) represents a different time period in history, and I love the type work & color palettes on each one...

I can't wait until the set arrives at home - and then there will really only be two problems: 1) framing all five 18x27" prints, and 2) finding a suitable place to hang them all!

You can buy each print individually for $19.99 or the entire set of 5 for $89.99, right here!

images c/o Amy Martin.

A favorite interior design firm, Redmond Aldrich, has posted a new project in its online portfolio.

The Pacific Heights apartment has a luxe and playful vibe with its mixed patterns, bright and muted colors, and vintage-inspired lighting and mirrors.

The look is lush yet clean, and edited enough that all the fun details throughout the rooms can be appreciated.

If you haven't already visited the excellent home of Redmond Aldrich founder Chloe Warner via domino's video tour, definitely check it out! Her home is also featured in the Redmond Aldrich portfolio.

I'm putting together a "look for less" post based on key elements from this beautifully designed space...so stay tuned.

Images from Redmond Aldrich.

For those of you who also live in big cities, you can probably relate to the strange sensation of visiting somewhere "quiet"... I put that in quotes, because there are still noises - but it's the chirping of birds (instead of police sirens) and the humming of cicadas (instead of car alarms going off).

I'm definitely a "city girl" (whatever that means), but I certainly do appreciate the calm of being outside of the city.

So, needless to say, our trip to Ohio was good & restful, and not long enough... We were fed lots of delicious food (thanks to Jw's parents!), and we spent a good amount of time going through a lot of Jw's stuff (Boy Scout paraphernalia, old school projects, tons of photographs & boxes of toys - Matchbox cars, included!)

Our trip (in the Mini, shown above) was only about 6 hours, so I'm thinking that we should be making this trip more often!

images c/o me & Jw's really nice camera... for more images of Jw's found toys, go here!

Jw and I will be in Ohio for a long weekend visiting his parents. Among other things, I've been promised some waffles (which may or may not have strawberries, bananas & whipped cream, like the one shown above) - either way, I'm looking forward to a great, relaxing weekend away from the city.

Have a great weekend, everyone - and I'll see you on Monday!

(p.s. I'm on the hunt for Neisha Crosland goods for you, L!)

image from nibblekibble's Flickr photostream.

When I first got married, I purchased several sheets of Neisha Crosland wrapping paper and hung it all over the walls of our new Chicago apartment.

Since then, the paper has traveled with me, and whittled down for use in various projects. I still hoard a few select sheets uncut, because I can no longer find Neisha Crosland wrapping paper anywhere.

So I am reaching out to you, friends! Do any of these patterns look familiar to you? Have you spotted sheets of this gorgeously patterned wrapping paper at your favorite stationer? Please send me any tips you might have (including sources across the pond!).

If I can ever take the plunge, at least I know that Walnut Wallpaper carries Neisha Crosland wallpaper.

But what I really want are wrapping sheets - and I'm desperate for a Neisha fix.

Help me please!

Images from Neisha Crosland.

if I was, I would have this Wedding Organizer set, by one of my all-time favorites, russell+hazel!

The $75.00 set includes an R+H Signature Binder, 12 section tabs with pockets, a planning notebook, a set of lovely post-it notes, and a slew of sheet protectors: for business cards, magazine tear-outs, invoices, guest lists, catering menus, etc.

If you're getting married any time in the near future, buy this NOW. Trust me, you'll need all the (beautiful) organization you can get! ;)

images c/o R+H.

My sister was visiting for a few days, and she left the house literally 10 minutes ago and I am already missing her so much.

She's one of the most stylish girls I know and always arrives wearing things I want to go out and buy. This time around, these bejewled sandals that cost only $25 were the coveted item...

Images from Ann Taylor Loft.

Ever since my drastic haircut, I've been searching high and low for a really great hat. All the hats I currently own look a bit odd without long hair hanging out the back (or at least that's what I've told myself) - I think I've finally found a winner: this Linen Knit Rita hat from Rocks and Salt's Etsy 1. I love that it's not just a solid color (which would be too boring for me) - and the little snap is the perfect accent to finish it off.

LOVE it.

via Scoutie Girl.

UPDATE :: Sorry, everyone. I couldn't resist. I bought the hat ;)

I admit it: I've bought more than a few books in my lifetime based solely on how well-designed the cover is... (I've also left a book that I was intending on buying on the shelf because I just couldn't bear how bad the cover was) - so, I guess that makes me a some sort of 'Cover Design Snob'?

These books (by UK fiction writer, Christopher Fowler) with cover illustrations by Sarah J. Coleman aka inkymole would easily pass my test.

The Victoria Vanishes (top left corner) is currently available in hardback.

via NOTCOT.

Thank you so much to the following blogs for their lovely posts all last week about OrangeBeautiful's new Motivate prints:

- Dear S :: I love each and every one of these.

- Coveiter :: I adore how the type is used as the corner.

- black. white. bliss :: "Need a little kick in the ass?" Yes, ladies of OrangeBeautiful, as a matter of fact I do.

- mdq / mark dudlik :: I enjoy these.

- Eli Horne :: ...for your office or thinkspace.

- claudia catalina :: I love these posters.

- elements of style :: Get it together, grouch.

- shelterrific :: Give yourself a little jolt of motivation with one of these colorful prints from OrangeBeautiful.

- domino mag :: By way of OrangeBeautiful, Shelterrific scolds me for slacking with the house decorating. Nice.

- The Frisky :: Some of us need art that features more direct encouragement (and looks prettier)...

- shoppingsmycardio :: You know you can think of at least one person at your office whose cubicle you're dying to hang one of these in... anonymously, of course.

- purethinking :: Gentle verbal abuse... now that's what I call effective.

- of paper and things :: These are fantastic, and i just couldn't wait until monday when they would likely be more relevant!

- Through the Looking Glass :: I need this on a shirt, on a bumper sticker, on a water bottle, on the sole of my shoe, tattooed on my love handles, and Brandon would like a matching tattoo on his ______.

- Apartment Therapy Chicago :: Have a friend who needs a little tough love?

We really appreciate all the mentions & kind words. It's always nice to see how people receive your work (and whether or not people get it ;) so, thanks to everyone who's ordered prints & to those whose write-ups have helped to bring so many people to the shop!!!

AND HERE'S SOME MORE:

- More Ways to Waste Time :: Because, let's be honest, we all need a little visual slap in the face sometimes.

- Automatism :: ...all guaranteed to stop procrastination in its tracks.

- desire to inspire :: I think I might have to pick up "Get Your Sh*t Together".

- Love It A Lot :: ...all four are equally gorgeous and would look amazing grouped together.

- pretty.pretty.paper :: I picked one up to add to my office.

- delphine ephemera :: Love this OrangeBeautiful print!

...this chapel is it.

The Leaf Chapel, designed by Klein Dytham architecture, is located in central Japan - nearby to the Japanese Alps and Mt.Fuji. The structure itself is made up of 2 separate leaves (hence the name): one made of glass & one made of steel.

The steel leaf is perforated with light-filtering holes (which also create a stunning pattern both inside & outside of the structure). At the pinnacle moment of the wedding ceremony (when the newly-married couple kiss), the steel leaf opens to reveal the outdoors...

What's even more exciting to me than actually having your wedding here is being the designer who creates the invitations for such a magical venue... I think there'd have to be some hole-punching or laser-cutting details involved to emulate that roof!

via Right Brain Terrain LLC.

Since we've been pretty much permanently logged on over at Etsy with our new Motivate Prints, we were lucky enough to catch this Etsy feature & interview with our friend, Jane (of Foxy & Winston)!!! We just love Jane and all her lovely hand-silkscreened goods...

The interview gives us a little sneak peek into her great home studio, her inspirations & where she'd like to be in 10 years (we'd love to have OB products in your shop, Jane!)... Check out the entire interview here.

Daisy Wood Panel silkscreen print (4x4"), $25 from Foxy & Winston's Etsy shop.

Harvest Mouse Collection Boxset, $21/6pk from Foxy & Winston's Etsy shop.

Be sure to check out all of F&W's product offerings - including onesies & tees, limited edition prints, and holiday cards!

images c/o F&W.

Looking at these ensembles, wouldn't you guess they were pages from the J.Crew catalog? Believe it or not, the sophisticated pieces are from Old Navy's upcoming collection (see the rest of the August preview here). I have heard that the man behind the brand's newfound fabulousness is Todd Oldham, ON's new creative director. That explains the sophisticated silhouettes with just-enough elements of exuberant color.

Images from Old Navy.

I'm one of those crazy people who tends to wear a scarf all year round (even though it's upwards of 90˚F for most of July & August around here)... I get a lot of "are you cold or something?" to which I reply, "no, I just like wearing scarves..." - but I think I've found the perfect (& super-stylish) compromise in this knit jewelry from Etsy seller, little purls:

Variegated Merino Necklace - handknit in hand-painted yarn, $46.00, from little purls.

Faux Bling Necklace - Handknit and Felted in Two Shades of Green, $62.00, from little purls.

(The chain style reminds me of a scarf I picked up at Art Effect - here in Chicago - a while back...)

Both of these could easily feed my scarf habit, while keeping me relatively cool & summery... and I could continue to wear both into the fall and winter! Hmmmm... maybe this will become a WMMG? post sooner than I thought!

Be sure to check out little purls' Etsy shop here for more awesome knitwear...

images c/o little purls.

We've been getting quite a lot of hits off of this lovely listing for our new prints over at NOTCOT.org...

Go over to check it out & while you're there, be sure to click the little heart in the lower right corner to let everyone know that you think these prints are NICE! ;)

thanks!

image & banner c/o NOTCOT.org.

The minimalist in me loves Spartan, an Austin shop for home, paper, gift, and travel items. I'm bookmarking it for my next trip to the city!

Every product looks thoughtfully chosen and, as the pictures here attest, beautifully displayed.

Perhaps best of all, the prices are very reasonable - perfect for picking out a hostess gift. The Tear Drop Sake set at the top of the post is $42, the Rustic Wine and Champagne glasses above are $12 each, the small Hayden Harnett zip pouches below are $35 each, and the Japanese glassware at the bottom of the post are $10 each.

The shop's site has not yet fully launched, but you can see Spartan's other offerings here and place orders via email or phone. Better yet, Austinites can pop into the shop and visit sister shop Bows + Arrows, which carries clothing and accessories, next door.

Images from Spartan.

Last night, I came across a set of awesome posts on UPPERCASE's blog about Living With Type... and I fell in love with this art wall (from the home of mixed media artist & illustrator, Lisa Congdon) -

It first caught my eye because of the Anthony Burrill Popular Aphorism print in the dead center, but then there's also a couple great lowercase e's (which I'm, of course, a sucker for) - and just to the left of those... is that a Dolan Geiman print I see? ;)

Oh, and don't forget the ever-popular We Are So Good Together letterpress print from I Am Still Alive... The two large type prints sure look great together!

images c/o bird in the hand's Flickr photostream...

I *heart* these Popular Aphorisms prints, by UK designer, Anthony Burrill. The messages are great by themselves, but have that perfect extra emphasis with both the striking colors and the bold (slightly generic) typeface...

(And for your letterpress-lovers - like me - check this out!)

via Simple Lovely... & originally via design is mine.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Twinkle by Wenlan - so, it's only appropriate that I do a Carry On! post to follow L's lead.

I'm love this Siren Song dress in a grey & orange graphic print... which would also be great with jeans!

Clothes like this make me pine for the cool-down into fall... this 90˚ weather is just not conducive to my style!

There's a lot going on in this knit dress by Twinkle, but I like how the color, line and shape elements all work together. The knotted, striped sleeve cuff makes it for me. I think I'd wear the cotton-cashmere dress over jeans (perhaps inspired by Joslyn at Simple Lovely!).

Image from Candystore Collective.

I spent a good portion of the weekend reading and re-reading the August domino, which focuses on getting the most style out of your dollar (a good theme these days). In the "Scouting" section, they rounded up 10 Totally Affordable New Design Icons that include things I love: this and this.

I thought it would be fun to make a short list of my favorite high-style, smallish budget home accessories - the kind of luxe pieces that feel even more satisfying because they didn't completely break the bank.

Clockwise from top left:

Color wheel mug ($2.95), Anthropologie. These stack into each other, and I love the shiny black exterior.

Lacquer boxes ($59-$104), Lille. Okay, so these are pricey for boxes, but the beautiful color and lustre - and that sleek graphic edging - make a huge statement. Think about just one sitting atop a stack of books on a coffee table.

Noir slim beach book ($18), Paper Source. Made from woven cotton striped fabric from the south of France - just thinking about it feels luxurious. Perfect to keep at a writing desk.

Classic Century sauce boat ($47.95), Crate & Barrel. Eva Zeisel's beautiful design looks more sculpture than servingware.

Jonsberg vase ($39.99), Ikea. Hella Jongerius' contribution to design for the masses combines soft color with rich metallic botanical detailing in an oversize, stand-alone vase.

Mode de Paris stationery ($30), Greer. Said to be favored by Jackie O., these notecards by G.Lalo have pretty deckled edges, tissue-lined envelopes and come in a matching box worth displaying.

Perry Street clock ($40), Kate Spade. A small-but-mighty shot of bright yellow would work unexpectedly well with many different color palettes.

Here they are: OrangeBeautiful's line of 4-color MOTIVATE prints!

We've printed up 4 motivational messages (that have just a touch of crassness) to inspire you (or someone you'd like to encourage) in an office, studio or home.

Stop messing around and get moving! What are you waiting for?!

Get On With It Already print in burgundy, rose red & metallic lavender inks w/ gray text.

Quit Your Belly-Aching print in lime green, mustard, metallic champagne inks w/ gray text.

Do Something About It print in deep purple, periwinkle & metallic light blue/green inks w/ gray text.

Get Your Sh*t Together print in gold, marigold & coral inks w/ gray text.

All of the prints were printed by hand (in a limited edition of 100 each) on our large-format GOCCO printer. They're 8x10" in size (so, easy-as-pie to frame) - and they're available on our Etsy shop for $12/each or all four for $40!

images c/o Jw.

Here's a little sneak peek of something we've been working on for the past week...

Stay tuned for the official unveiling later today!

There's always quite a lot of music going on around my house: music-listening, composing, crazy instruments everywhere, the operating base of a new record label (!) - so, needless to say, I'm exposed to an immense amount of the "best" music (whatever that is).

Click here to see Jw's list of the Best of 2008 So Far...

We own all of these albums. And they're all the "best" ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Haven't seen this in the store so I can't vouch for the quality, but I keep checking out this yellow and gray peep toe flat from Target.

Image from Target.

The home page of our Etsy shop looks crazy!

Check it out!

My love for Thomas Paul's "Kabuki" pillow has been well documented (here and here). But I just found the delightful pattern on a tote as well...how irresistable!

Image from Velocity.

Broadway Paper, a lovely paper (& more!) boutique in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward, has, for nearly 2 years, been OrangeBeautiful's favorite stockist. Their online shop is chock full of amazing finds, both stationery & otherwise - including OB's goods, right here!) - and I can only assume (esp. from the pic below) that their brick & mortar shop is even more enticing!

We had the pleasure of meeting Eric, a long-time employee of BWP, back in October, when he came to Chicago for a short visit... and then we were lucky enough to meet some other Broadway Paper-ites (including owner, Tracie Stier-Johnson!) at NSS this past May...

Tracie has recently started up a Broadway Paper blog, posting about (of course) paper goods, the business side of the shop, fun family events & projects, and more... We were super-excited to see this post earlier this week, showing (above) some of our new OB product displayed in the BWP shop!

Thanks to everyone at BWP, and especially to Tracie, for having such a great shop full of some of the best stuff out there... If you're in the Milwaukee area, be sure to stop in and check out their beautiful space (I hope to do the same some day soon!) - and if you're far away, no worries - the BWP online store is filled to the brim with paper and "so much more..." -

images c/o BWP.

I had so many photos to share of my friend Colleen's gorgeous home that I had to split them up into two parts. Today I'll be sharing some additional room angles and details, plus a fabulous full bath on the first floor.

The kitchen was a masterful renovation. The tile backsplash (from Granada Tiles) serves as a focal point here - truly stunning.

Tableware collections are displayed in the centrally-located dining room on a chrome and glass shelving piece as well as the house's original built-in shelves.

Other collected items find their home atop built-in shelves in the office, located just off the front foyer.

The full bath on the first floor is like a mini-gallery of beautifully framed artwork. The patterned shower curtain balances the assortment of artwork, and unexpected elements like vintage bowling pins add fun to the space.

Many, many thanks again to Colleen for allowing me to share her talents on the SCOOP!

Jw posted some pics of a CD promo from Vivian Circle that he received in the mail... He and I are both huge suckers for a good piece of mail - and, given the industries that we're in, we seem to be lucky enough to receive "good mail" quite often.

There's nothing better than an old-fashioned wax seal with a purpose and mailed properly!

Be sure to check out all of the pics on Sidedown's blog - and listen (& purchase) music from Vivian Circle on VIRB.

images c/o SDDWN.

This week, we'll be updating both our Supermarket shop and our Etsy shop with new product!

Here's a few pics of the L A T T I C E Line for you to check out... Let us know what you think!!!

Wicker 6/Box in WARM (shown) or COOL, $19.00 available on OrangeBeautiful's Supermarket shop.

Sand Dollar 6/Box in WARM (shown) or COOL, $19.00 available on OrangeBeautiful's Supermarket shop.

Static 6/Box (in WARM or COOL), $19.00 available on OrangeBeautiful's Supermarket shop.

Royal 6/Box in WARM or COOL (shown), $19.00 available on OrangeBeautiful's Supermarket shop.

...and pick up a box of your very own, right here!

I am so excited to share this house tour, I could almost burst. Last year my friend Colleen moved into a 175-year old home with her family and immediately renovated to modernize and open up the floor plan, while preserving the home's charming character.

Colleen is a collector of vintage treasures and can easily make an old piece of furniture look amazing with new fabric and paint. She likes to juxtapose ornate and sleek, as the mirror and lucite console in the foyer demonstrate, above.

Vintage wallpaper lines the built-in bookshelves in the office.

The yellow and brown wallpaper in the dining room provides a backdrop for her grandmother's tea set, displayed on chrome and glass shelves.

Double doors lead into the screened-in porch from the dining room. Vintage curtains cover the screens but still allow the breeze to flow through. A capiz shell chandelier and colorful pillows create a happy vibe!

The kitchen was opened up to the adjoining family room to create one large space, where the family of five can comfortably hang out. The photos below show views of the room from opposite sides.

Check out the fabulous hanging chair next to the fireplace...

The entire wall of the kitchen is covered with the most amazing black and white patterned tile backsplash.

I am so grateful to Colleen for her willingness to share her home on the SCOOP! There are so many incredible things to see in this tour that I have to divide it into two parts...so stay tuned for some additional views tomorrow.

Also, Colleen says she will share sources and answer any reader questions...please leave them in the comments!

It's been a hectic few weeks around here (both in & out of the studio), but all in all, I think we're on our way to a super-productive and exciting rest of the year...

A big part of us feeling (as well as being) more productive is having a clean & organized workspace. The studio is now much cleaner than it was before and we've found ourselves walking in each day and saying something ridiculous like, "oh, Studio, you're SO clean!" -

Here are some shots taken recently to give you a peek into what our "office" looks like...

*to see more images (+ full-size images of the pics above), check out our new Flickr site!

I seriously love anything that Angie Hranowsky does. Take, for instance, this cozy and bright den that just looks perfect for summer.

What a great mix of square (the sectional sofa and coffee table) and round (the barrel chair and rattan side table), accented by the fantastic wooden mirror, colorful pillows, and striped rug. The bright yellow lamp is the ultimate exclamation point.

I predict Angie will be the next Ruthie Sommers.

Images from Angie Hranowsky Design Studio.

As more time goes by being immersed in "running my own show" as it were, the more I come across others who are loving/struggling with their own attempts to be self-employed. And since January, I'm now living with another small business owner... needless to say, the ups & downs of clients, product development, marketing, the economy, etc. come up pretty much every day -

To give you a bit of a peek into what another small company goes through, check out this interview that Jw did recently with Indigo on Ponoko Blog... I think my favorite answer is to the question "What would you do with a bazillion dollars?"...

Click here to find out Jw's answer and to read the full interview.

*And while you're at it, take a glance around Ponoko's site... There's a lot of awesomeness going on over there. I'm thinking about submitting something to one of their design challenges...

a bit of Ponoko's M.O.:

Armed with nothing more than an idea, professional and hobbiest designers, crafters, hackers and artists can turn their ideas into real products - and new revenue streams - using our web commerce and digital make-on-demand services. No upfront costs. No minimum orders. No inventory. Simply click to design, make, sell and deliver your creativity to the world, at your own speed.

Sounds pretty sweet to me... for more, go here.

Reading aloud is one of my favorite activities with my daughter. She seems to enjoy our sessions as much as I do - though admittedly, I get the most satisfaction out of cultivating a library that includes some great storytellers and artists.

That's why I was excited to check out Charley Harper ABCs, a board book with glorious illustrations. The late artist, known for his Modernist wildlife prints, created some truly beautiful pages of animals and corresponding letters. I'm half-tempted to cut up the book and the pages on the walls!

If Catherine becomes a Harper fan, she can someday graduate to Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, an enormous (almost 20 inches wide!) volume edited by Todd Oldham. Anthropologie is now carrying this book and I recently spent a good deal of time at the store just looking through it!

For more on An Illustrated Life, visit Emily's post here.

Images from Amazon.