My favorite three blogs for February reading!

Roger Allen is a super talented designer with a super inspiring blog. Roger says, “Constantly enamored by the small shiny objects that usually remain unnoticed in life, I´m a creative thinker, a tinkerer, and a genuinely nice guy. I like to make things, solve problems creatively, and lend a helping hand. I believe design should be both socially and environmentally responsible. I believe it should be honest in its purpose, source, and concept, and that it is the little details that can make something standout from the pack.”

I really don’t know a lot about ii-ne-kore, except that it’s a new-to-me find, its writer (Bree Claffey) is based in Australia, and I see all kinds of things there that I don’t see anywhere else. Sold. Bree says, “I embrace modern Japan, and cannot obviously relate to {the} deep yearning for the way of the old. But that tension, and the interface between tradition and modern is one of the most fascinating things about Japan and its culture, for me.”

I stumbled on Pugly Pixel just last night when I was looking for some good freebies. Katrina had just the thing, and although a few of her free clipart links were broken (but most can be purchased here), I found plenty of fun stuff to keep me busy. My favorite is the vintage fabric tape and the velvet bows and ribbons.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: maddison graphic via roger allen, aurélien arbet and jérémie egry via il-ne-kore, and fabric tape clipart by pugly pixel

Favorite Three took an unintentional break the past couple months, but it’s back! Without further ado…

Angela Hardison is a graphic designer with a knack for finding amazing vintage goods, and she has a beautifully decorated home. Her flawless taste makes this blog a #1 winner in my book! Always a treat, without fail.

The City Sage is Anne Sage, one of the talented women behind Rue Magazine. Anne has an incredible sense of personal style, and I happen to know she’s a very fun and sweet lady, too. Her blog is full of rich interiors and eclectic finds.

Erin Jang’s blog, The Indigo Bunting, is a little sneak peek into Erin’s super creative life — she used to be a graphic designer for Esquire and now works for Martha Stewart Living, and her projects never fail to impress.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images:  glasses via angela hardison / anne in hayden-harnett on the city sage / erin jang’s 2011 calendar

Since my “favorite three” posts act as a blogroll, I’m remiss to have left out some of my top all-time favorites, which you probably read or at least know of! This month’s favorites are blogs that I consider “biggies,” the ones I always stay pretty caught up on, even when things get crazy busy.

Design Work Life is my go-to blog when I’m in a design rut. There’s always something super inspiring, and it always makes me say, “oh yeah, this is why I’m a designer!” If I’m burnt out on current projects or frustrated that I can’t put my finger on the right design solution, Design Work Life is my very first stop.

Lena Corwin is one of those people who can take the totally mundane and make it look fantastic. And who doesn’t need more people like that in their life? An extremely talented designer, Lena is always finding something beautiful (in it’s simplicity) to share.

Design for Mankind is always a fun place to visit. Erin Loechner does a superb job of curating her posts, and often makes me laugh out loud with her commentary. Lately I’m enjoying her house renovation project. From afar… whoa, guys.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: insound 10 for 10 poster via design work life / pillow by lena corwin / sculpture made of old skateboards by haroshi via design for mankind

It’s time again for this month’s favorite three blogs!

Green Kitchen Stories has quickly become my favorite food blog. Every recipe they post I want to try, and the pictures are gorgeous. If you haven’t added them to favorite reads, you need to!

Abby’s photo blog is an old favorite, but one I never tire of. She takes amazing photographs (more on her cameras/process here) and makes me want to see everyday objects so beautifully, too!

Besides Madame Hervé’s great posts on design and interiors, she’s renovating her own home and sharing pictures along the way. So impressive!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: White Gazpacho by Green Kitchen Stories, a photo from Abby’s “trash pile” (!), Bouroullec for Axor sink via Madame Hervé

Ack, where do the days go?! Here it is the middle of June, and I’m just now realizing the month has changed and it’s time for this month’s favorite three. Better late than never, yes?

Secret Pocket is a new-to-me find. Blogger Kenzie and I share a love for thrift store finds, and she’s always making something wonderful, like this quick baby quilt.

Mariah blogs from Cape Town, South Africa (what a place to be this month!) and her new blog is full of treasures.

I was a little surprised to look through my list of past blog favorites and not find Danni’s. Danni Hong is a graphic designer, jewelry maker, and bride-to-be. I met Danni at Alt this year and found her to be as sweet as you’d expect.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: handmade magnets by secret pocket on etsy, deer invitations by alex and kouri via size too small, balloon photo by dorthe alstrup via oh, hello friend

It’s time again for this month’s favorite three!

First up is The Post Family, a design collaborative and blog that Margot Harrington introduced me to a while back. (And they are featured in the latest issue of HOW!). The Post Family began in 2007 in Chicago with seven guys who shared a love for art and design, and wanted a studio where they could collaborate and get inspired outside of their 9-5 jobs. Today, a few of them are self-employed and work in the studio full time, and they host monthly gallery shows which are usually accompanied by live music. Their design blog is a reflection of their great taste and creativity.

I just found Forever is Today via See Saw (another big favorite!), and it took me all of 5 seconds to decide that it was a blog I want to follow. Editor Hilda Grahnat, 23, is studying graphic design in Sweden, and her blog is full of beautiful photos she’s taken of thrift store finds, everyday life, and her beautiful apartment. It’s one of those blogs that you want to spend all day sorting through, back to her very first post in fall 2008. Hilda just opened the Forever is Today shop, so be sure to check it out.

When I first discovered the world of blogs, Creative Comforts was one of the first ones I started reading on a regular basis. I’m sure you’re a fan, too—Ez’s talent for finding beautiful objects, grouping her finds, and placing them in well-designed layouts has brought her a large, dedicated following. I appreciate all the extra effort Ez takes in making each post something special!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen as “this month’s favorite three” usually get a banner in the favorite three sidebar section, but this month I thought I’d try something new… blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three will have a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: kelsey dugan via the post family, forever is today, and a peek of shannon rankin’s work via creature comforts.

Aviary Studio was an obvious choice this time around. I recently discovered this tumblr blog, and every single post is gorgeous. Love. A lot.

Karen Barbé is an enormously talented textile designer from Chile, who happens to have a great blog where she shares her work and other projects.

French Paper is one of my favorite papers to use for design projects, and they have a great blog where they feature (guess what) well-designed projects printed on French Paper. Always good stuff.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can see past blog favorites in the archives. And, in case you forget which blogs are being featured, scroll down the right-hand sidebar and you’ll see their banners displayed for the whole month.

images: graham robinson via aviary studio, karen barbé, jerry yoon for subtle glances via french paper sample room

“March’s” doesn’t sound so good, but this month’s favorite three design blogs are very good! Two are old favorites, and maybe you read them, too? If not you’re in for a treat.

Freshly Blended is a blog I usually read from an RSS feed, and I was pleasantly surprised to visit the site today and see a whole new look. (Eesh I need to read more carefully). Isn’t that header fun? Nicole also keeps a beautiful shop.

Next up is Frolic. I know you know Frolic, right? One of my all-time favorites. I had a blast meeting Chelsea at Alt and hope we will meet again someday!

I just found The Strange Attractor recently, and love it all. Nice to throw some totally non-girly stuff into your week too, right? Or maybe it’s just me. I sure do read a lot of girly blogs it seems…

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can see past blog favorites in the archives. And, in case you forget which blogs are being featured, scroll down the right-hand sidebar and you’ll see their banners displayed for the whole month.

{images: lisa congdon featured on freshly blended, elisabeth bentz featured on frolic, & alfalfa featured on the strange attractor}

In case you’re new here, this is the deal with “favorite threes”: instead of a traditional blog roll (which would be miles long at this point!) I feature three of my favorite blog reads each month. Sometimes they are new finds, and others are old favorites. I hope you’ll add them to your reader, too!

Afternoon Delight is a blog written by Kate Arends, a graphic designer working in Minneapolis. Among other things, she likes avocados, distance running, sock monkeys, hip-hop, estate sales, and scotch. But she’s also really good at finding cool stuff, and I’ve been especially impressed with her recent wedding design work. {update: kate’s decided to change her blog name to Wit + Delight, but the links are the same!}

Eco-stylista is an eco-conscious design & lifestyle blog updated 3-4 times daily. Like Afternoon Delight, the photos are small, but that makes scanning through to find your favorites a lot easier. (Click on images for the large versions).

Share Some Candy is a gallery-like blog (one image & no text per post) started by Reuben Miller and Yael Miller with a killer set of curators. The posts on here are a great mix of things you’ve never seen before, favorites that have been making the blog rounds already, and occasional updates from everybody’s “old favorite” designers and artists. I find something to bookmark each time I visit.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can see past blog favorites in the archives. And, in case you forget which blogs are being featured, scroll down the right-hand sidebar and you’ll see their banners displayed for the whole month. Thanks for being awesome, you three!

photo credits: 1. elle decoration uk found via, 2. Gary Harvey found via, 3. if you could on flickr found via

January’s Favorite Three is all about new-to-me blog finds! Without further ado…

I think I added Hello Sandwich to my reader last month, and I love the eclectic, always unique posts I find there. Editor Ebony Bizys is an artist and graphic designer living in Sydney. According to her profile, she loves “Tokyo, bento boxes, pantone 107.3 and metallic hologram foil, polka dots and plaid, Holbein gouache and fluro pencils and I have a huge crush on Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugito.” You can read an interview with Ebony here.

January’s next favorite, all the mountains, was added to my reader all of, say, an hour ago. So how is it already a favorite? Clean layout, amazing finds, and one hell of an artist named Amy Borrell for an editor. More please! I could spend hours here. Thanks for this find goes to Margot.

Kiss my spatula is another brand-spanking-new favorite. Since last night. Editor Giao sent me an email to say “hi” and when I followed the link in her signature I was completely floored by her talent behind the camera and in the kitchen. Where do all these amazing chefs with killer photography skills come from? And can one of you move in next door? If you’re not convinced you should follow a food blog, maybe this will be the clincher: Giao pairs all her recipes with music selections, because as she says, “music pairings are as important as fresh ingredients & good company.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can see past blog favorites in the archives. And, in case you forget which blogs are being featured, scroll down the right-hand sidebar and you’ll see their banners displayed for the whole month. Thanks for being awesome, you three!

photo credits: 1.mina perhonen via hello sandwich, 2. the golden smith via all the mountains, 3. kiss my spatula