Maisonnée is a newly launched design studio based in France. Focusing on whimsical household objects, Maisonnée has designed a great opening collection that includes bunny-themed pieces (like the mirror above) as well as some clean, contemporary designs like the candleholder and mirrored wall decals below. My favorite pieces are the simple vases (also below); they’re filled with tiny spheres that glow in the dark, turning what seems like a vase into an impromptu night light. Click here to check out Maisonnée’s full collection and place an order online. Thanks, Audrey! xo, grace
I’m keeping the love-fest going this morning (this kitten high is gonna last a few days, I think) with some sweet new Valentine’s Day cards from Amy Marcella. Amy is selling a set of five Valentine’s Day cards ($16) at her Etsy shop, and they’d be a fun way to send notes to a group of friends or co-workers. Each one has a fun, handmade feel that would be as pretty to frame as it would be to send. Click here to check out (and shop) Amy’s full selection online. xo, grace
*Speaking of sweet notes, I wanted to take a moment to wish AC a very happy birthday. If you have a second to send him a little “Happy Bday!”, he’s on Twitter right here….
You know what rules about today? Just about everything. Mostly because yesterday we found a home for our adorable rescue kitty! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect couple to give her a new forever home. Tuesday and Peter are talented (and adorable) illustrators in Brooklyn who will be around during the day to give her lots of love and attention. While looking around their sites, I came across a link to illustrator Brittany Burton. Brittany’s floral drawings are right up my flower-obsessed alley right now, and I couldn’t resist starting the day with them. These pieces have the same exuberant feel that I’ve been walking around with for the past 24 hours. You can’t beat beautiful artwork and people who give animals a second chance. Thanks, Tuesday and Peter. xo, grace
Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from Mariah Danielsen, an award-winning graphic designer and marketer who discovered she could build a business around what she loves: weddings, stationery and DIY projects. She is the owner of Oh, What Love and the co-creator of The Create+Connect Project, a program that helps creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit. Today Mariah shares some key steps to making the leap into the career of your dreams. Thanks, Mariah, for this inspiring and helpful post! — Stephanie
Back in 2009, I wrote the Paris City Guide with help from some of the Paris designers I featured in our regional round-up. I don’t think I knew at the time that I’d be moving to Paris later that fall, where I’ve been for 2.5 years now. While I’ve done a lot on my own blog, Prêt à Voyager, to create helpful guides to the city I call home, my D*S guide was my first, and it’s still a valuable resource that I send the never-ending stream of visitors that come through Paris. While this is a tried-and-true guide to the city, it was time for an update. The good news is that lots of great design shops have come to the city, so it was easy to update. Bon voyage et à bientôt! — Anne
Last night I found myself in tears as I stood over a tiny kitten we rescued, trying to decide if we should put her down, according to the veterinarian’s advice. I listened to my heart and to my gut and took her straight back home where I emptied our spare bedroom and made her a temporary home while I got to work finding her a new forever home. I know I don’t typically post things like this, but whether you’re a new or long-time D*S reader, I think most people know that I’m a serious animal-lover. And when it comes to cats in particular, my love and devotion knows no bounds. So today I am putting my heart and soul out here with a humble and heartfelt plea for your help.
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:
3 month old female cat
FIV+ (negative for all other diseases) Please read here for info on FIV
Needs a loving forever home (she’d be perfect for someone with no pets or calm, docile FIV- cats)
I will drive her anywhere in the NYC tri-state area to her new home
I will pay all her doctor’s bills up front and for her to be spayed
I need to find a home for her ASAP as I’m leaving tomorrow for the Alt Design Summit in SLC
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]
