May 2013: COLOR from designsponge on 8tracks Radio. This week marked the beginning of May and we could not be more excited about it. Trees are beginning to bloom on the street and jackets are no longer a requirement—it seems that spring is finally here! In addition to the delightful warmer weather, though, we’re also…
This week I’m thrilled to end with a post that celebrates spring weather, flowers and one of our favorite D*S alumnae, Amy Merrick. Since her days of writing Living In posts and creating Made with Love projects, Amy has gone one to become one of the most sought-after florists and stylists in the area. We’re…
I am a total sucker for cute stamps. I own more than I know what to do with, but one day when I need to send a ton of hand-written letters in the mail, I’ll be set. I’m always bookmarking favorites here and there and today I have a ton of new stamps to add…
Today is the last day of our Family & Pets theme (though we’ll always include those ideas in our regular posts), and it felt right to honor that topic with a special family DIY project. I love it when small-scale crafts get blown up into larger-than-life proportions, so this project from D*S reader and crafter…
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…
Every Thursday our team takes a break from the office and works from home. Amy and Max spend time working with their pets and loved ones while I split my Thursdays between the radio station and working on the couch next to my cat. But this week we had a fun change of schedule. Early…
It looks like we’re going to have a snow day after all this week, so we’re all bundling up tight and staying indoors to prepare. In addition to prepping next week’s content (we’re so excited to focus on some St. Patrick’s Day themes!) we’re gathering all sorts of supplies (speckled dove eggs, dyes, paint pens…
I still can’t believe March is here, but we’re excited and ready to celebrate a new month with about a billion fun themes to play with on the site. Because this month contains one of our favorite holidays, St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to dedicate this month’s D*S playlist to great Irish and Celtic music….
Image above: Illustrated cover by Julia Rothman, with central motif taken from Shanna Murray’s decal project in the book. Book design by ALSO, Photograph by Max Tielman Today of all days, the Internet went out in my apartment. So I’m writing from a coffee shop with butterflies in my stomach and the book right next to…
There are some aspects of running a website that I’ve been slow to adopt. But as part of my commitment to doing things differently this year, I’m working hard to get up to speed and add features and resources to D*S in a way that feels right for us (I never want to add things…
We’ve had so much fun throwing ourselves with reckless abandon into the fun and craziness of Valentine’s Day. Everything has been pink, red, heart-covered and oozing the sort of happiness that only comes from taking the time to treasure the people and things that mean the most to you. And while the mood of the…
Today may be the first day of February, but it’s still part of the last week of January, so I wanted to end this week with a little gift from the D*S team: custom organizing labels! I asked four of my favorite illustrators, Lisa Congdon, Yelena Bryksenkova, Caitlin Keegan and Ashley G to create custom labels that…
As the week comes to a close, I find myself thinking more and more about family. We have an entire month coming up in our D*S schedule that we’re dedicating to family (more on that later), so I’ve been busy seeking out people, projects and products that involve some family tradition or inspiration. I’m saving…
January 2013: Clean Start Mix from designsponge on 8tracks Radio. This year we’re starting a new tradition at Design*Sponge: a playlist to match our monthly theme. I’ve always looked for ways to infuse music into the site because it’s a huge part of my life. I spend most of my downtime listening to music and singing…
For this week’s weekly wrap up, we’re sharing a little preview of the big New Year’s party we threw earlier this week. The theme was glitzy, girly and tons of fun, and one of our favorite parts of the evening was Max’s easy iPad photo booth. Everyone loves a photo booth (especially after some sparkling…
Today I’m back in Oregon for the second annual (yay!) Portland Bazaar, along with my buddies Greg Hennes and Matt Pierce and about 50 of Portland’s best makers. I’ve been looking forward to this event all year, but I’ve been looking forward to making a new team announcement today, too. I can be like a stubborn…
Image above from this D*S Holiday DIY Tomorrow is officially December so it seemed like the perfect time to kick off the holidays with a makeover contest! I always love seeing how people transform their homes for the winter holidays, so we thought we’d celebrate that switching over of styles with a makeover contest to…
Few natural landscapes are as romantic and breathtaking as the English countryside. England’s sweeping fields, winding rivers and sunsets are the inspiration for the latest collection from Chocolate Creative. By applying countryside imagery to cushions, hooks and knobs, Chocolate Creative has brought a bit of natural romance to everyday home items. I’m partial to those…
Whenever I speak to woodworkers about their first project, it’s usually a chair or a table. There’s something about creating that first simple piece that seems to have an almost meditative effect on the maker. I always think about that when I see beautiful pieces, like these designs by Michael Robbins. Michael is a native…
I was so excited to get back from Los Angeles last week and check out West Elm’s newest shop, West Elm Market, a collection of home essentials that include everything from trash cans and soap to kitchenware and home electronics. I’ve gotten more and more “basics” focused in my personal life in the past few…
