Kate, Amy and I have been hunting like crazy for a good lighting system to hang over our main work table in the office. As much as we love the bright, natural light we get in our space, it tends to fade quickly around 4pm, and working on computers becomes difficult. Kate did some searching…
I’m a sucker for a cute animal illustration. Whether it’s on a pillow, towel or card, if there’s a furry (or feathered) friend on it, there’s a big chance I’ll like it. These hand-dyed and screenprinted pillows are from designer Caitlin Hinshelwood in London. I love the sort of washed-out color palettes and that they feel…
Now that we have a proper office, I’m excited to start bringing my lunch to work. The first week or so, I was enamored with ordering in every day (so many options to try!), but now that reality has set in, bringing something pre-made is clearly the better choice. This beautiful ceramic Tiffin Lunch Kit…
Sometimes, there are no words for something so cute that it surpasses the limits of conventional language. Example? These crazy-adorable flower nails from Japan.* I’m not sure why, but half of the “OMG so cute!” things I see these days seem to come from Japan. They’ve got “cute” on lock-down. These nails come in a…
It’s funny — I’ve noticed that some of my favorite bird-themed design comes from Portland, birthplace of Portlandia and the phrase, “Put a Bird on It.” I spotted this beautiful hand-carved ceramic trivet at Alder & Co., one of my favorite shops in PDX. The dark brown glaze is warm and rich, and each trivet…
I’m a sucker for good packaging. When every product has a million different versions to choose from, how can we not gravitate toward the one with the best presentation? That doesn’t necessarily mean lots of bells and whistles — I hate having to tear through layers of wrapping or unpack multiple boxes. To me, great…
Today’s major plant kick continues. Maybe it was the sun’s appearance this morning or just wishful thinking, but I’m ready to start gardening again. Thanks to Jemma on Twitter, it looks like I can start some small-scale gardening with these awesome bike planters from Wearable Planters on Etsy. I’m the sort of crazy person who actually…
It’s funny how some trends seem to come and go, and some need only appear once and they’re forever ingrained in our minds. For me, that “forever” trend/style (which I guess makes it less of a trend and more of a tradition for me) is facets. I’ve been following them like a devoted groupie since…
Good morning, guys! I know it’s the first day back after a long weekend, but I got two solid days of rest (I’m attempting a new “no work on the weekends” rule), so I’m ready to be back at work and to share some cute pieces I saw around town this weekend. For starters, these…
I’m having a love affair with plants this morning, thanks to this beautiful Terra planter from Fort Standard. I finally got to see this in person last weekend, and it remains one of my favorite ways to showcase plants at unexpected heights. I’m used to plants being on windowsills or side tables, so to have…
Kate and I were talking about beautiful geological patterns last Friday when I remembered the gorgeous paintings of Clare Grill. Clare draws much inspiration from geological cross-sections and color palettes, and I had to check in and see what she’s been up to. Of course, she’s been busy creating beautiful new paintings. I wanted to share…
I love it when companies are devoted to producing designs that are equal parts functional and whimsical. Just about everything that Ladies & Gentlemen produces is painfully adorable but has a clear purpose. I rarely endorse the use of a “z” in place of a plural “-es,” but in the case of their cat-inspired Pawz…
Those two words rule my aesthetic life these days. The older I get, the more I value designs that are smart, efficient and simple — with a pretty twist. This gray and peach mosaic vase features one of my favorite color palettes and seems like the perfect way to showcase a few small flowers or…
This week has been full of ups and downs (for real) but I’m so happy to end it on a high note with a day full of craft supply shopping with our visiting DIY queen, Kate. Before we head out to find some new tools and materials for the office, I wanted to share these…
I’ve never been a big butterfly person, but these metallic butterflies made from calligraphic script are really lovely. They’re one of the new patterns from Mini Moderns, which just launched a new collection called “The Buddha of Suburbia.” This pattern, Camberwell Beauty, was inspired by the butterfly of the same name. Mini Moderns loved that…
Yesterday we were sitting around the office (our new office rugs came!), and Kate said to me, “Grace, I have a submission I think you’re going to love.” The next words that came out of her mouth pretty much sealed the deal: “There’s a bunny jumping on a trampoline!” That was all I needed to…
I’ve got pets on the brain right now, so these new collars and leashes from See Scout Sleep are calling my name. Each piece is made from 100% hemp webbing, and the patterns are nylon ribbons that are woven in Tennessee. As much as I love these new geometric patterns, I think I love the…
Part of me will always miss putting band pins all over my jackets and book bag. When you’re younger, it seems vital to your identity to link those favorite bands/people/things to you in a physical way. Thankfully, Brooklyn is full of people who still feel that way, so I could probably get away with writing…
I first discovered Dennis Smith’s work in 2010 when he emailed me a photograph of a giant horse head mirror. I’m pretty sure I emailed Amy (our resident equestrian enthusiast at D*S) right away to tell her that she was going to love this submission. Dennis had just launched his Etsy shop, and I loved…
Sometimes a new product comes along that’s so cool, I have a hard time finding the right words to say so, other than “Wow.” This new modular shelf from BeaMalevich is called Box 1-7 and was created by Finnish designer Pekka Kuivamäki. In essence, Box 1-7 is a shelf that hangs from a single nail…
