One of the most frequent questions we get while traveling is “Are you tired?” Initially, we tried to put on a brave front, but these days — 27 cities into a 30-city book tour —there’s no energy for faking it. And while we’re certainly tired of airports, hotels and food-on-the-run, we absolutely love these events….
Today I am thrilled to announce a special project that I’ve been working on since my trip out west this summer: The Portland Bazaar! After an inspiring month spent in Portland, Oregon, I found myself wondering why Portland didn’t have its own version of The Brooklyn Flea. Portland is positively teeming with talented woodworkers, metalsmiths,…
Secretariat fills the spot in every horse girl’s heart for an underdog victory. The 2010 telling of the Triple Crown winner is quite a looker, scoring high not just in speed but also style. It’s impossible not to root for the amazing mix of horse-girl housewife and southern 1970s, so skeptics, don’t even try. — Amy…
Somehow, unbelievably, it has become the time of year when people put wreathes on their front doors. I must have left my brain back in mid-summer and instead am standing stupefied at the thought of snow on the ground. Nothing speaks to late fall like the arrival of bittersweet and rosehips, so to celebrate the…
All photos by Jay Paul Today’s Richmond City Guide Update comes from the original guide author, Leslie Kingery of Glappy World, a consulting firm for technology implementation, social media strategy and application and interactive design. Her niche is in the travel and food industry, and she admits to being a foodie. Today Leslie takes us…
Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from regular contributor Andrea Baxter of Bratface Marketing and Smart Cookies. In this post, Andrea teaches us what we need to know about growing our businesses outside of our cities. From researching the competition in various cities to casting a large networking net, Andrea covers the basics for expanding your business…
I’ve got Portland on the brain today because I’m making a big announcement this afternoon about an event I’m working on there next month! So it only seemed fitting to fill today with updates from some of my favorite artists and designers in town. It’s no secret that Jessica Helgerson is my favorite interior designer,…
For years, I’ve embarrassed Amy by saying, “I’m not much of a reader” in posts. What was once a sad but honest admission is now happily a thing of the past due to our book tour. With so much time spent on planes and in cars, I’ve been tearing through books like I did when…
It’s getting rather chilly in my apartment, and that means two things: 1. My cat is about to plop himself inches away from the space heater and remain there for the better part of four months, and 2. I need to start preparing for the impending holiday season! I must admit that gift shopping has…
Professional photographers Cody Cloud and Julia Galdo form the two halves of JUCO, based in Eagle Rock, California. Their Tudor-style home dates back to the 1920s and has seen a fair amount of wear and tear over the years, but it all fits with Julia and Cody’s thrift-meets-mid-century style for a home that is clean, simple and…
Annie Coggan and Caleb Crawford are design professors in New York City – Annie at FIT, Parsons, and more, while Caleb teaches at City College. Just this fall, after fours years in the South, they moved their home base back to Brooklyn, and Annie is now also the artist-in-residence at Brooklyn’s Textile Arts Center. (We…
My own kitchen backsplash is an ugly brown tile that looks like something left over from the 1970s. I do my best to cover it up with my cutting boards and try to forget it’s there. I’ve always dreamed of a simple kitchen with a little extra kick in the backsplash area (growing up, my mother…
If this morning’s summer colors seem a little far away in terms of seasonality, maybe this beautiful autumn birthday from Loretta Flower will be more fitting. Loretta Flower is the Austin-based floral studio of Mary Kathryn Paynter, who creates stunning floral designs that embody the sort of loose, organic feel that so many of us…
Marimekko got the ball rolling this morning with some summertime color, so I wanted to keep that upbeat mood going with these shimmery pieces at Leif. From gold-dipped macaron rings to softly fading paint chip placemats, these new pieces are perfect for adding a little color and sparkle to a holiday table. I’ve never been a…
Seeing a summer collection right now feels like a cruel joke as I pack multiple winter layers for this week’s trip. But it’s had to resist when the colors are this bright and saturated. Marimekko debuted their Summer 2012 collection in NYC last week, and I was excited to check out some photos of the new…
To celebrate the release of Design*Sponge at Home, we went East, then West and then it was time for the Midwest and Texas! This trip was extra special for me because it fell right on my birthday. Grace took me out for an amazing dinner at The Bachelor Farmer, followed by a day of crafting in…
My former boss was from Adelaide, and she looovveed to cook, bake and try new restaurants. She knew I did, too, so she always shared typical Australian things with me, like the Green and Gold Cookery Book, or the book that this week’s recipe came from, the South Australian Country Women’s Association Calendar of Cakes:…
Despite the fact that I am sitting in Mexico on a balcony overlooking the Pacific wearing a t-shirt and bathing suit while sipping a margarita, my heart and soul are back on the East Coast, where I imagine everyone is enjoying perfectly crisp fall weather. Don’t get me wrong; I am in no way complaining…
Honestly, I have loved every print from Heather Moore of Skinny La Minx, and that’s not something I can say about many designers and their collections. Her prints strike a great balance between mid-century and modern aesthetics, and her palettes are always well chosen; I’m constantly struggling to decide which color I like best. Heather…
I’m always trying to come up with interesting new ways of using recycled materials, but honestly, sometimes I have a hard time seeing an old milk jug or bread tag as anything beyond a chunk of plastic. It’s great to encounter an artist who has a vision for these mundane materials, especially one who executes…
