I’ve been dreaming about writing this post ever since I first stepped foot inside the Heritage Radio studios in Brooklyn. I can’t even describe how happy and lucky I feel to announce that this spring, I’ll be hosting my own radio show! It’s been almost nine years since I put down my headphones and left my radio station days behind me at William & Mary (where I hosted an embarrassing but fun jam band show every Friday), and not a day has gone by that I haven’t missed it. I’ve always felt comfortable in a radio booth, and I love that radio lets you embrace deeper conversations and really focus on what people are saying.

For a while now, I’ve really wanted — and needed — a place where I could discuss design and craft in a more serious, meaningful way. I sometimes discuss serious topics and opinions here, but I’ve always felt they needed a more appropriate home where they could be fully fleshed out in real-time conversations. Aside from Debbie Millman’s excellent Design Matters podcast, I think the design community has a gap in great radio programming, so I’ve made it my goal to create a place where each week, makers, artists and design enthusiasts can gather to talk, ask questions and learn more about the community we all love and support.

But before I start my first show (did I mention the studio is in a series of old shipping containers connected to Roberta’s, the best pizza place in Brooklyn? Score!), I wanted to see what you guys, and everyone in the design community, would like to talk about or listen to. It would mean so much to me if you could share your opinions, thoughts and feedback to help me ensure that this show speaks to the issues, interests and concerns of the group as a whole. Here are some points I’d love your feedback on:

1. What kinds of topics would you like to see discussed in a design/Design*Sponge radio show?

2. What people would you like to hear interviewed?

3. What type of conversation/subject matter do you think is missing from the design community as a whole?

4. What sort of additional content (outside of each show) would you like to see included (e.g., slideshows, blog posts, videos, in-person meetups coordinated with each radio show episode)?

5. Would you like the ability to write/tweet/call-in questions on air to be answered?

6. Would you be interested in attending an in-person radio show event or taping if it came to your town?

7. Do you have any additional formatting or content feedback you’d like to see implemented?

8. In what formats are you most likely to listen to a radio show: live on internet radio, downloaded as an MP3 or embedded in a blog as an audio file?

I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback you have time to give. This show and this medium mean so much to me, and I really look forward to doing my best to create a show that celebrates and explores the creative community to which I’ve dedicated my professional life. Thank you so much, everyone. See you on air soon! xo, grace

A few years ago, I found myself seriously considering closing down Design*Sponge and moving to Georgia to try and do for that area what Dave Alhadeff did for Brooklyn. I am still in awe of how effectively Dave managed to organize, promote and truly elevate “Brooklyn Design” to the place it is now. Clearly the designers are responsible, as well, but the devotion he showed that particular community will forever inspire me. I never found the right way or time to close things down, and instead found myself re-inspired to focus on D*S and grow our team. But in the back of my mind is always a down-the-line dream to move south and put all my energy into celebrating the amazing design happening in cities like Atlanta, Savannah, Athens, Greensville and Durham. Until that day, I’m glad to see that someone is starting a project that realizes part of my dream to embrace amazing southern creativity.

Along with Melonie Tharpe and Cubby West, designer James Martin is hoping to travel to 13 southern cities in 30 days to “[chronicle and create] an online resource highlighting the people and places driving a resurgence in Southern creativity.” I couldn’t ask for a better way to spend a month, and frankly, I wish I could join them. James, Melonie and Cubby are currently raising money for this trip (via Kickstarter), and I’ve just returned from donating to their cause. If you have a moment to check out their project, please do. I cannot wait to see the final result and know I’ll be sharing it here. Thank you to all the amazing southern designers, past and present, who have inspired and informed all that we do here today. xo, grace

Yesterday afternoon I heard frantic mews coming from the yard behind our apartment building. It sounded so high and frequent that I thought it was a bird call at first. But when I stood up to listen more closely I realized it was the very scared and frantic crying of a kitten. I threw on my vest, ran out the door and found the source of the cry in question shivering in front of the retirement home behind our house. Sitting outside (in freezing temperatures) was a severely under-weight kitten mewing for someone to help. I asked around and no one thought she belonged to someone there. She was filthy and, at first glance, appeared to be missing an eye. My heart sank and I called every emergency vet and shelter in the area and no one would/could come get her. Determined to save her, I found a vet that would see her at 4pm and I spent the next two hours working as a team with Aaron to coax her into a cat carrier. After a good hour of leaving chunks of tuna, milk and cat treats out on the sidewalk I got close enough to pick her up and bring her (in the carrier) into our hallway. We both sat with her until the appointment, feeding her bits of food and watching her drink more water than I’ve ever seen a cat drink in my life.

Our spirits were high as the vet said her eye would be ok (turns out it was there, just covered in some gunk) and that she just needed a course of antibiotics. I was already planning how we’d introduce her to the other cats when the vet returned with sad news: she tested positive for FIV. Normally I would have shrugged sadly and taken her home to live with me anyway, but FIV is transmitted through fluids and bites, so my fight-prone cats would definitely be at risk if they tussled with her like they do with each other on a daily basis.

FIV is a commonly misunderstood disease- cats that test positive can live happy, healthy lives for years and years and cannot transmit the disease to humans or other species of animals. They can transmit it only to other cats, and only through very deep bite wounds. So that means they’re best living on their own, with other FIV+ cats or with FIV- cats that are docile and not prone to fighting (sadly that doesn’t describe my cats).

So, it’s with a heavy heart that I ask those of you reading if anyone knows of, or would like to offer, a forever home to this incredibly sweet and happy cat. She is SO happy that the vet had to put her near running water to get her purring to quiet enough for her to listen to her heart. It kills me to even think about not keeping her myself, but I just can’t put my other cats at risk. Here are the details:

I have spent the last 24 hours laying on the floor next to her listening to her purr and feeling her vibrate with happiness. As much as I love my own cats to death, I have never met a cat this sweet, loving or appreciative to be cared for. Any home would be lucky to have her, and I hope someone this will have that home.

If you would like to offer her a forever home (we’re not looking for a temporary home) please email me at DESIGNSPONGE AT GMAIL DOT COM (subject line: KITTEN) to discuss. As I mentioned before, I will pay all the up-front doctor’s bills to get her healthy and happy again and I already purchased food, litter, toys, a carrier and bed for her- she’s good to go and just in need of a new home.

If you can’t offer her a home, I would be so appreciative to anyone that can re-post, Tweet or Facebook this to their readers. There has to be someone in the NY, NJ, CT or PA area who needs a loving new friend. Thank you so much for helping me try to find that person. xo, grace, aaron and our little rescue kitten

[UPDATE: SHE FOUND A FOREVER HOME! THANKS TO THE VERY LOVELY TUESDAY AND PETE, OUR LITTLE RESCUE GIRL WILL BE SLEEPING SOUNDLY IN BROOKLYN TONIGHT WITH HER NEW OWNERS. THEY'RE TALENTED ARTISTS TO BOOT! HOORAY FOR 2ND CHANCES AND PURRING CATS]

I’m going to take more official “before” pictures, but I wanted to share a few snaps inside the new, raw space. We’re getting ready to tear down the makeshift walls in the center of the room and by the front door (I hate dividing open space), but we came up with a few ideas we’re excited to DIY next week — primarily painting the floors and adding a little pattern where the painted wood meets the unpainted wood. (We’re also going to build floor-to-ceiling shelves on one wall with a rolling library ladder!) I’ll be sharing photos along the way, but I hope this rough glance at the initial space will give you an idea of where we’ll be calling home. Stay tuned; we’re going to have our first D*S event in here before Valentine’s Day. xo, grace

*I took the panoramic photos with my favorite new app, PhotoSynth. It’s far cooler on my phone because you can move the images and see them like a 3D video. There are 3D versions of both panoramas here and here if you can’t see them above.

More images from the shop after the jump . . .

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Whenever I get stuck in a creative rut, I like to step away from what I’m doing and see something new. Sometimes I’ll head to a gallery or museum, but often I’ll find myself wandering the aisles of a hardware store, salvage shop or flea market — just to see some stuff and take in a few new materials, colors and objects. And if I can’t head outside to discover new things, I can always turn to the treasure trove of visual curiosities, creative marvels and endless inspiration found online. This week at MyLifeScoop, I’ve rounded up my five favorite sites for design inspiration, and I hope you find them as useful as I do when you need a little creativity pick-me-up. You can read the full post here. Enjoy! — Kate

Image above by Tony Martin.