It occurred to me earlier this week that I will need business cards for Mint while I’m at NSS and ICFF (obviously) and although I loved the old ones I wanted something new. So yesterday I dip-dyed a bunch of cut Lettra paper in watered down gold acrylic ink, and tonight I’ll gocco the text (gray) on top. A little last minute, but kinda fun, right? Above, experiments before I started and below, cards in progress.
In a couple days, I’m going to be on a flight to New York City for the National Stationery Show and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair! I can’t wait. This morning, an email from Studio Dunn was in my inbox with a preview of their new furniture collection debuting at ICFF. Isn’t it gorgeous? Studio Dunn was one of my favorites from my 2010 trip and I look forward to seeing these beauties in person soon!
—Ellie
We all need a little space to unwind, browse our favorite blogs, and pin the night away. But let’s face it, not all of us have an extra room in our house to devote to an “office” — in fact, most people barely have space for a desk. Thankfully, a home office doesn’t actually require a ton of space. Some of the best I have ever seen were built into coat closets, or filled a small nook that was otherwise rather useless.
One of my favorite small offices belongs to graphic designer, Alaina Kaczmarski, of Live Creating Yourself. The space is visibly narrow, but by drawing the eye up to the corner of the room, the space feels much larger than it is. Don’t be afraid of clustering frames, but take a cue from Alaina, and have them create movement in the space, versus on a grid. Play with scale in a room like this, and try fun storage ideas. Whether it’s a stacking bookcase, or a desk with deep drawers, there is always somewhere to keep all that “stuff.”
+ array bookcase from cb2
+ parsons desk with drawers from west elm
+ live what you love print by heartfishpress
+ vinnie office chair via overstock.com
+ chalkboard paint by rust-oleum
+ kenroy ceramic lamp on amazon.com
After seeing John James Audubon’s lithographs at the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia, twenty-nine year old Genevieve Jones and a friend were inspired to illustrate the nests and eggs that were not included in Audubon’s The Birds of America. Although her family was reluctant to support such a large endeavor, Genevieve was distraught over a broken engagement, and her family saw the project as a necessary distraction. But shortly after beginning Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, Genevieve died suddenly of typhoid fever. In her memory, Genevieve’s mother, brother and father spent seven years finishing the book—her mother painstakingly drew the lithographs on stone and hand-colored fifty copies of each illustration, her brother collected the eggs and nests, and her father spent his life savings on the project. Only ninety copies of the book were made. Joy Kiser has made the Jones’ work available today with America’s Other Audubon, a beautiful, over-sized book with all sixty-eight of the original lithographs, photos, field notes, and a key to the eggs and birds.
Thanks to Princeton Architectural Press for the review copy.
—Ellie
Alison, from This Homemade Life, is a woman after my own heart. She makes everything from scratch, even butter. But what I love most about her is the way she brings her boys into the kitchen. They’re usually standing next to her, rolling out the dough or picking fresh veggies from the garden. And sometimes cute little boy hands sneak their way into the pictures. When I grow up and become a momma, I want to be like Alison.
—Melissa
What is your best memory in the kitchen?
Last summer we planted one of our largest gardens to date. Walking out the back door, picking our own food and preparing it for a meal was a very fulfilling experience. My boys became more adventurous in trying new flavors simply because we had grown them in our backyard. We made so many memorable meals together.
Whats the best thing about your kitchen?
I love two things about our kitchen; the large blackboard where we write our calendar for the week and the harvest table my dad built for us. Our household pretty much revolves around those two things.
What is your favorite meal to prepare?
I’d have to say grilled pizza, not very fancy I know, but my boys always jump in to help and I love that kind of time together, preparing a meal and talking about our day. Along with a big bowl of salad greens from our garden it’s just about a perfect meal.
What does your dream kitchen look like?
It would have large windows bringing in lots of natural light and plenty of room to gather family and friends around the table.
What 3 guests would you like to have around your dinner table?
Penny De Los Santos, Annie Griffins Belt and Michael Pollan
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