March 2010
58 posts
threx pill boxes →
You know what are useful? Pill boxes. Two people independently asked me for Tylenol yesterday, and I had a pill box on me (sadly for them, the only thing in there was Immodium, which isn’t standard treatment for a headache). But they were both impressed that I carry a pill box. So for all of you who don’t - yet - check out Threx’s unusual magnetic versions ($15).
alexandra ferguson's botanical pillows - giveaway! →
While not technically an undiscovered designer, I’m happy to include Alexandra Ferguson’s gorgeous - and clever - pillows in my Etsy Favorites.
Better still, the {NewNew} NYC Etsy Street Team, which I’m part of, frequently does member giveaways and this week, Alexandra’s tulip pillow is up for grabs for a lucky {NewNew} blog follower!
Click on the pic above to see how you...
rompshop's mini tote →
Sophie, clever creator of Seattle line RompShop, has found a muse in her little girl, who loves having her own purse. I can relate. As a small child I wanted nothing more than an envelope clutch, slave to fashion that I was. And so Sophie created the Mini Market Tote Bag ($32); a stylish mix of denim ticking, floral cotton and salvaged leather. I just want to know if it comes in a grown-up...
derin mavi's crocheted violet earrings →
Wonderfully vintage feeling but with tasteful, vivid, up-to-date colors, Devin Mavi’s crocheted flower earrings ($18) take me back to my grandmother’s house, where hand-tatted lace and rug-hook tapestries were the order of the day. But in a good way.
spectacle a la maison's underwater leather goods →
There’s something really special and eye-catching about Spectacle A La Maison’s underwater leather collection of ipod sleeves, cardholders and cuffs ($28 - $48). Bits of color and texture come together to form a cohesive pattern, equally funky and classic, utterly beautiful.
moozle home's teepees →
There are toys that children love and toys that children LOVE. Moozle Home’s indoor play tents (from $175) strike me as the kind of thing my brothers and I would have gone wild over. My parents would have liked it too - not being branded Dora the Explorer or Spongebob Squarepants, it’s a children’s toy you really wouldn’t mind gracing your living room.
kawartha wilds lily pad pottery →
An artist after my own heart, Lucia McHardy canoes the Kawartha Lakes near her home to carefully gather the lily pads that she uses to make her handsome dishware (prices from $12 to $24 apiece). The result? One-of-a-kind glazed white stoneware dishes with natural grace and simplicity.
vokram's carved wooden horse →
It occurred to me when I spotted Bulgarian artist Ivan De Cristo’s sinuous carved wooden horse ($72) that art these days has changed. Not a question of good or bad, but different. This harkens back to another time, the languid lines of Modigliani and Giacometti. I think it is beautiful.
henderson dry goods' mirror pendants →
Searching for a looking-glass yesterday (they’re all the rage these days, no?), I came across several gorgeous versions at Henderson Dry Goods, but it was their wood-framed mirror pendants ($105) that stopped me in my tracks. Charming & clever!
paapuu's handmade lampshades →
Ah, Swedish fabric. One of my favorite Swedish exports (aside from my fiance). PaaPuu makes splendid use of Blekinge fine linen with vivacious colors and designs with their line of modern handmade lampshades (shown, $100).
kilimani's batik pillows →
A marriage of Western fabrics and African motifs, Kilimani features vivid, hand-dyed Nigerian batik on luscious fabrics, stuffed with fluffy down pillows ($65 - $95, shown). With a wide array of colors and patterns, Kilimani’s variegated pillows are available in styles exuberant and subtle enough to appoint just about any room.
chariots afire's karen skirt →
Who doesn’t love a simple, basic style wardrobe piece with a fun, perky print? Chariots Afire’s Karen Skirt ($23) is handmade Jcrew in my book; the best of both worlds!
kusuda knives' hand-forged cleaver →
Among certain gourmet circles, knife snobbery runs rampant. Nip it in the bud, or give it as a gift (just don’t forget to ask for a penny from your giftee…I’m superstitious) with Kusuda Knives’ formidable hand-forged cleaver ($400), just one of their impressive offerings.
judah ross's market bag →
I suppose I feel about bags the way other people feel about dogs; the bigger, the better (for the record, I love dogs of all sizes). I just never understand how people carry tiny purses around town - of course they’re charming and cute, but purses are meant for holding things. And not just a credit card and a cell phone. Judah Ross’s Silkscreened 3 Dots Market Bag ($65) is just my...
eric ervin woodwork's holly lamp →
By now we’ve established my attraction to wood items as well as lamps, so today’s post (sneaking it at the very end of the day) kills 2 birds with 1 stone: Eric Ervin Woodwork’s stylish, natural and yet simultaneously modern and minimalist Holly Pendant Lamp ($120). Ervin takes wood destined for the scrap heap and tweaks it into something simple, beautiful, and functional.
hello frosting's cupcake decals →
I’ve got a spring birthday, and an affinity for cupcakes, so I just might bedazzle my bday sweets with Hello Frosting’s stunning cupcake decals this year ($19 for 24 decals). So pretty and festive!
sdn 1982's unisex denim jumpsuit →
Getting back to adult clothing, I just stumbled onto SDN 1982’s sharp unisex cotton denim jumpsuit ($90). It’s so hot, I’m at a loss for adjectives.
sweetkm's handknit kiddie sweater
Given my self-imposed rule about not buying clothes for my as-yet-conceived children, I can’t purchase sweetKM’s iddy biddy shawl collared sweater ($38). I don’t trust myself to buy it for a friend’s child, because I’d want them to save it for me as a hand-me-down. So please, someone get it so I can stop being tormented by its adorable baby chicness. Seriously.
smahlow's photo mosaics
I’ve been remiss in my weekend posting, but in honor of my trip to see my brother in San Francisco last weekend, I give you Mahlow’s Mosaics San Francisco Streetcar Photo ($15); a clever multimedia composite of mosaic and photography.
artaffect's stripey draped t-shirt →
It’s spring(ish) again and I’m cleaning out my closet in an effort to make room for new things! Stripes are attracting me lately. I have no idea if they’re “in” this season but who cares? ArtAffect’s Draped Tee ($67) is right up my alley - asymmetrical and fun.
djenya's ceramic bookends →
I don’t know about you, but among certain circles I’ve run in, the ultimate fantasy for one’s “grown-up” home is a library, or at least a floor-to-ceiling wall with built in shelves full of books. Any good library, however, needs space to grow…enter the bookend. Upgraded versions on the original exist, mostly minimalist wire contraptions, but those only...
fuzzy logic felt's rabbit tea cozy →
Perhaps it’s the approach of Easter, when there’s a nip in the air and chocolate bunnies everywhere that drew my eye to FuzzyLogicFelt’s nifty bunny merino felt tea cozy ($35). And I don’t think one needs to be a tea drinker to appreciate a fun graphic animal shape - hide an Easter basket under there, an unsightly coin jar, or just use it as a decoration. Heck, it’s...
celentano woodworks' mini guitar →
My family isn’t remotely musical, we’re visual artists and makers, so I have double admiration for Celentano Woodworks: not only do they create beautiful objects out of wood, but their creations can actually make music. In this case, it’s a Mini Les Paul Style Acoustic/Electric 3-Stringed Guitar ($400), but they’ve got all shapes and sizes and are happy to work with you on...
clamlab's tea pod for one →
As I’ve said before, I have a tendency to turn any and everything into a flower-holder, and Clamlab’s Tea Pod for One ($45) would make a great abstract mini-vase. Uh-oh, feeling thirsty? Pop out your pompom flowers and have a spot of tea! Or just sit it on the shelf like a ceramic sculture. Tres mignonne!
berry island's felted pompom flowers →
My house is a treasure trove of empty vases; gifts I’ve been given, vases I’ve bought myself, and all manner of other things (saki bottles, vintage medicine bottles, little ceramic cups) that I’ve repurposed for holding flowers. Sadly, cut flowers die quickly, but Berry Island’s pert little hand-felted wool pom pom flowers ($15 for 3) live forever!
