This year’s ICFF was a textile-lover’s paradise. There were thick wool blankets in intensely colorful patterns, soft cushions that looked like they’d been splattered with beautiful paint and so many rugs that I had to save some for a second post coming up soon. I’m an equal-opportunity textile lover, so I tried to include a…
Ashley G is one of my favorite artists and people, period. I’ve been following her since her early Etsy success back in 2007 (the bearded men!) and was thrilled to get to know her better when I was living in Portland a few years ago. She is as delightful, smart and creative as her work…
As much as I love gift wrap, it’s nice to find a way to use earth-friendly wrapping whenever possible. You can always reuse old paper or magazines, but I love finding a way to wrap with a material you can easily use over and over. Fabric is my favorite material to work with, and Furoshiki…
Since we’re focusing on nature and the outdoors this month, it only seemed right to start off the week with a little ode to spring birds. A few weeks ago I started to notice the sound of birds chirping (over the noise of bus wheels screeching and my neighbors yelling at each other from across…
One of the things I love most about events in the office is getting to meet talented members of the creative community face-to-face. Each time we host a craft class, Biz Ladies lunch or welcome art & design students, we get the chance to meet incredibly talented people and up-and-coming artists. At last week’s Egg…
Over the past few months, I’ve developed what could be considered a major obsession with all things Japan. For some reason I was always distracted by artwork from other countries, but this year it hit me in a big way: I want to travel to Japan and see both the cities and countryside. I’ve been…
Harper and the team at Proud Mary can do no wrong in my book. Every time I see an email in my inbox from her, I instantly know that I have something I’ll be excited to post the next day. Harper just introduced a gorgeous new collection that includes beautiful bags from Peru, baskets from Niger…
I’m a total napkin weirdo these days. A few years ago, in the early days of Kickstarter, I helped fund a project that Diva from Linea Carta was doing to finance the production of her new line. The reward was a set of beautiful linen napkins/tea towels that I have been using every day since. I…
For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to re-commit myself to a healthier eating plan. In addition to cutting out carbs and processed foods, I’m cutting coffee and switching back to peppermint tea. I sorely miss my morning coffee, so I’ve been trying to create a new morning routine that will distract me from…
We’ve been working on a few spring-themed entertaining projects for D*S, and I’ve got placemats on the brain. After brainstorming a million ways to make custom DIY versions, I keep finding myself researching cute pre-made options online. During my search I came across these cute new placemats at Leif that have a soft watercolor feel….
Some people are born with an innate sense of color and pattern. I’m not one of those people. But thank goodness designer Malene B is. She has been wowing me (and the rest of the design industry) with her bold carpet designs for years, and at this past year’s ICFF, I had to take a…
Amy and I have been obsessing about woven wall hangings for a while now. She’s been bookmarking great vintage options on Etsy, and I’ve been slowly stalking all my favorite contemporary designers. I picked up a great wall hanging by Nightwood during their One Kings Lane sale, but I’ve been eying a few more to…
After a few weeks of miserable cold, Brooklyn seems to have taken a turn for the warmer this week! The spring-like weather is totally out of place right now, but I’m going to enjoy it while I can. It’s always nice to skip that second pair of socks. In honor of those springy temperatures, I…
Speaking of beautiful Japanese fabric, I’ve been dying to write about this incredible new line of scarves from Portland, Oregon, called Kiriko. I met designer Katsu Tanaka (who also owns Portland’s incredible Compound Gallery) at last month’s Portland Bazaar, and all of us working the event were instantly smitten with his line. Along with creative…
For about a year now, I’ve been slowly stalking remnants of Japanese ikat fabric on Etsy. I have a grand plan to create a quilted duvet cover for my bed using them, but it’s going to take much longer than I thought. Not only because I’ve yet to learn how to quilt, but also because…
I can never (ever ever ever) get enough beautiful textiles in my life. I have this theory that when I’m an old lady, I’ll be one of those women who has a crazy asymmetrical white bob and wears statement jewelry over textured kaftans. At least I hope that will happen. I want to grow into…
On cold days like this, I’m glad I developed a rug obsession a few years ago. Despite a long history of despising carpets and only wanting to walk on bare wooden floors, I embraced area rugs a few years ago, and my feet are thankful for the warm cushion on days like today. I’m always…
As part of my clean start resolution for 2013, I’m trying to stop buying pillows. Something about their (usually) lower price point and ability to add the perfect amount of color and pattern to a space makes them irresistible to me. These pillows from Little Attic in Brooklyn are new additions to my wishlist. Made…
Some things get drilled into you at an early age: a love of animals, a respect for elders and, in my case, an extreme reverence for piping. Growing up, it seemed like everything around me got piping or some sort of border. Couches, jackets, pillows, you name it and the southern women in my life…
Sometimes I’m able to see a product and calmly assess what I like about it and why it makes me happy. Other times I see something, lose all control and scream “LOOOK!” while I whip my laptop at Amy to make her check it out. These colorful Kisshions fell into the second category, and I’m…
