Design*Sponge

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artwork by Grace Bonney 24

patterns from above


Few things are as beautiful as the earth from above. Although I favored aisle seats on our 30-plus book-tour flights (faster for making connections), I typically prefer a window seat, so I can watch the landscapes below. These beautiful photos were taken by Brent Yaggi & Sarah Hicks from a Cessna 172. Based in Denver, Sarah and Brent have spent the last three years traveling across North America capturing these beautiful images. Whether they’re celebrating ground, water or sky, Brent and Sarah have found the beauty in every part of the earth. You can pick up an 18″ x 18″ print of their photographs right here for $100. Thanks to Anne for the tip! xo, grace


artwork by Grace Bonney 11

kent ambler’s dog series


If animal loving were a competitive sport, I’d be a first-degree black belt. Most of my free time is spent spoiling my cats rotten, so when I see a submission that includes animals of any kind, I’m instantly intrigued. Artist Kent Ambler created this dog-themed installation at Art and Light Gallery in South Carolina using found wood. Each dog and dog house is cut and painted by hand and placed throughout the gallery to create one heck of an adorable installation. While I may be more of a cat person, I’m pretty sure this will be fun for anyone out there who loves animals. Click here to read more about the exhibition. Thanks, Teresa! xo, grace


artwork by Grace Bonney 15

weekly wrap up + rebekka seale house portraits


This time of year, few things comfort me more than being safe and warm indoors with loved ones (pets included, of course). Having a place of your own that you truly love and feel comfortable in is something worth celebrating. A fun way to celebrate the places we call home is to document the actual space you live in. Whether you choose to photograph your home or put your feelings about it into writing, having a physical reminder of that home or apartment can be really special. One of my favorite ways to document or remember home is through illustration. Sometimes an artist, or just the nature of drawing itself, can capture the feeling and spirit of a space better than a photograph.

 


While I love highly representative drawings, I’m really enjoying these more playful illustrations from artist Rebekka Seale. Rebekka creates these custom house portraits using watercolor and gouache, and each one emphasizes the details that make the house special. I feel like mine would primarily be about a lot of cat heads in windows, but no matter what makes your house feel like a home, this idea would be a wonderful gift, housewarming present or just a nice way to celebrate your home and the family within it. You can check out and order custom house portraits from Rebekka on her Etsy shop right here. Each 8 x 10 portrait is $100 and includes custom lettering, up to two pet silhouettes (yay!) and a CD with a high-res file for printing (Rebekka even includes step-by-step instructions for using the file to create affordable notecards online). You can read more about her process here and here. Thanks to Rebekka’s friend Sarah for the tip!

I’m shutting down my laptop for the day and heading out to find some black paint for our office floor. On Monday, Amy and I will tackle the gross gray portion of the office floors that desperately need a new look. Stay tuned for (paint-covered) process shots next week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm. xo, grace

Below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

interviews by Grace Bonney 33

portlandia season 2: q&a with carrie brownstein


It’s hard to know where to start a post that involves someone you’ve admired for longer than you can really remember. I was first introduced to Carrie Brownstein’s music at an all-girl’s summer camp in West Virginia, and I’m pretty sure that mixtape is still kicking around my parent’s house back in Virginia. Being able to hear bands like Sleater-Kinney (and other favorites of that era like Bikini Kill and L7) at that age was something that seemed almost necessary, like a lifeline to a world that made more sense and felt more relatable than everything else in my hometown.


Since Sleater-Kinney’s hiatus, Brownstein has written for NPR, started writing a book about her life and music, volunteered with the Oregon Humane Society, acted in independent films and created yet another amazing band, Wild Flag. Her relentless pursuit of creative outlets is endlessly inspiring to me, and I’m so honored to share an interview with her today on D*S.

Earlier this week I got to ask her some questions about one of her current projects, IFC’s Portlandia. Ever since the words “Put a Bird on It” were uttered, the entire design community has been talking about (if not instant fans of) the show. I’ve anxiously awaited Season 2, and today the wait is over. The first episode of the new season airs on IFC tonight, so if you haven’t seen the show before, be sure to tune in and get ready to laugh. Also be ready to recognize yourself in at least a few sketches. What I love so much about Portlandia is that the show both mocks (in a friendly way) and celebrates these artistic and cultural sub-groups that we’re all a part of. Whether you’re a slow-food devotee or find yourself drawn to turn-of-the-century design, it’s pretty hard not to see a quirk of your own onscreen (and laugh at yourself).

For this interview we focused on the design of the show and talking about Carrie’s (and Fred’s) personal style. Bonus point? Carrie likes gray paint. As if I needed another reason to think she’s the greatest. Thanks again to IFC and to Carrie for taking the time to talk. xo, grace

*All photos courtesy of IFC unless otherwise noted

The full interview and photos from Season 2 of Portlandia continue after the jump . . .

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flowers by Mary Kathryn Paynter 58

wild love: gram parsons & emmylou harris


Image by Julie Cope

[Editor's note: I'm thrilled to introduce both a new column and contributor to Design*Sponge. I met florist Mary Kathryn Paynter of Loretta Flower in Austin and instantly fell in love with her floral designs. So I was delighted to hear her fantastic idea for a new column called Wild Love dedicated to inspiring couples throughout history. With each post, Mary Kathryn will interpret the couple's style through flowers and share an arrangement that you'll learn to make at home. Welcome to the team, Mary Kathryn! xo, grace]

One of the greatest love stories in music, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris’ relationship was over before it began, but it produced a time-tested body of work. Merging the early 1970s sounds of rock and psychedelia with classic folk and country, Parsons and Harris helped bring about the “cosmic cowboy” sound and gave it a tenderness that was reflective of their electric chemistry.

Parsons made a name for himself when he joined well-known folk band the Byrds and infused their 1968 album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, with the sounds of early country greats like the Louvin Brothers and George Jones. Shortly after being kicked out for his hard-partying lifestyle, he joined the Rolling Stones in the south of France, contributing to their 1972 album, Exile on Main Street, widely regarded as the band’s best. He gave Harris her first big break, discovering her singing in a dive bar in Washington, D.C., and soon she was a part of his band, Gram Parsons & the Fallen Angels, singing harmonies on his two solo albums and accompanying him on tour.


Images above, left to right: Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons in his famous “Nudie Suit”

Parsons was married and Harris was a respectable southern girl, but the energy between them was undeniable. After recording his second solo album, Grievous Angel, Parsons filed for divorce and went to Joshua Tree National Park, where he died suddenly and unexpectedly. Harris told an interviewer, “A couple of weeks before, I’d finally accepted the fact that I was in love with him. But, you know, why even tell him? I was going to see him in a few weeks. I had all the time in the world . . . I was savouring (sic) the moment. I didn’t want to say it to him over the phone. I wanted to say it to him in person. But I never got the chance.” Since then, Emmylou Harris has written multiple songs in tribute to Parsons and continued to play his songs throughout her career. Harris has gone on to great success as one of the most influential female artists of our time, but her work is tinged with the sadness of losing a great love too soon.

In tribute to Gram & Emmylou, I created a bouquet that is a little cosmic and a little bit country. After the jump, I’ll teach you how to make it and tell you a little more about this talented couple. — Mary Kathryn

*If you have suggestions for couples you’d like to see in the column, please leave your favorites in the comment section below.*

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entertaining by Kristina Gill 31

in the kitchen with: matkonation’s perfect schnitzel


Despite plenty of traveling to Germany and Austria, I never really appreciated schnitzel until I read The Accidental Foodie by Neale Whitaker and came across Bill Granger’s recipe for chicken schnitzel. The first time I went to Sydney, I of course went to Bill’s and ordered it right off the menu, so I could see how his recipe really should be done. Instant love. And then I thought, “Hey, I live in Italy. Cotoletta alla Milanese is (veal) schnitzel!” But upon reflection, I realized that it’s quite straight-laced — no herbs or anything mixed in. I was a fan nonetheless. Fast-forward to a couple weeks ago when Deanna, the stylist half of the team from the Israeli food blog Matkonation, said she had the quintessential Israeli dish for our readers, the Perfect Schnitzel. “Israeli? Sounds more like Mitteleuropa, but I’m curious.” She promised I would not be disappointed, and she was so right. Let us know where you stand on the schnitzel topic: Are you a purist, referring only to veal as schnitzel? Or does any meat prepared this way count as schnitzel to you? You know where I stand! — Kristina

About Deanna and Danya: Danya Weiner, who was born in Los Angeles and moved to Israel at the age of two, has been working in the field of photography for over a decade. Specializing in food, Danya’s work has been featured in Israel’s top culinary magazines, advertisements and cookbooks. A mother of two young boys, she somehow finds the time to also teach photography at a local college. Deanna Linder moved to Israel from Los Angeles to pursue a love interest and a budding career in the field of terrorism research. Eight years later, she lives on a farm with that love interest of hers (and a little one) and works as food stylist and cookbook editor and couldn’t be happier. Together, they are Matkonation, a bilingual (Hebrew and English) food blog, which is fueled by their love for aesthetics and passion for food.

The full recipe continues after the jump . . .

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