Etsy faves

In honor of that holiday marketing invention, Cyber Monday, here are my picks from just a few of my favorite sellers. Buy handmade this season!


From top: Metallic linen pouches by Marketa, Crochet and felt cuff by kjoo. Below: Say it loud and proud with this HANDMADE pillow by
Going Home to Roost; Keep it cute with this cozy Squirrellicious iphone sleeve.

Lovely Present

What a nice surprise to find this awesome postal-inspired collage in my mailbox on Saturday - big thanks to Valerie in New Jersey!

I recently participated in an art exchange through some friends, which entails simply making a piece of art and mailing it to the appropriate person on the participant list. I sent the collage below (which also became a notecard set over in the etsy shop) to a certain Adrienne in Chi-town.

New collage cards!

New collage cards added to the etsy shop! See more over here.

Wild-scapes

Maybe I've spent a bit too much time at the computer this week and not enough time outside. These trippy, paint-by-numbers-gone-wild landscapes by under-the-radar American painter Charles Burchfield are feeling just right to me this morning!

Hoot

Sweet but not saccharine, these animal-meets-object illustrated cards by Screech Owl Design, a Brooklyn-based artist duo, are making me smile this morning. Especially the almost-trompe l'oeil arctic fox and snowy owl pair, below. Enjoy!

Wooden Bones

Brooklyn-based illustrator Fanny B is so immensely talented, her work so quirkily charming, that it just blows me away. I came across her work when I discovered Backyard Bill's blog a while back, and was initially taken in with these dreamy collages featuring autoharp-toting gals (and Dolly!).

But I highly, highly suggest you float on over to her blog, Wooden Bones, to check out many other delights, such as a painting series chronicling the fashion adventures of a certain sock monkey named Lemon Winterbottom. Yes, that's right.

Hello? Retro-Cuteness Calling!

I randomly came across Lab Partner's etsy shop recently and am now completely enamored with their work. A pet-loving design/illustration duo based in San Francisco, they have collaborated with Hello Lucky! letterpress studio and Monocle magazine, among others. I originally fell for their excellent San Francisco print, but I couldn't resist posting these retro charmers, from a limited edition series for a Hunt & Gather show in Australia. There are so many tasty tidbits over on their site, including a couldn't-be-cuter pair of animal pen pals, so be sure to have a look!

doorways to another world

Today's inspirations fill me with wanderlust. I can just imagine coming across one of these doors after a long journey and being invited in to an exotic courtyard for a cup of mint tea. They just don't make 'em like they used to!

From the seemingly-defunct site Doorways Around The World.

Country Roads, Take Me (Away From) Home

Thought I would share a few images from our anniversary weekend trip to the North Fork of Long Island, home to about 40 wonderful wineries of varying sizes. We stayed in the seaside town of Greenport, New York, at the minimally chic Greenporter Hotel. We then rented bikes, packed up a baguette-and-cheese picnic, and wine-tasted our way through the nearby towns of Southold and Peconic, where we visited the charming Lenz Winery, whose tasting room is housed in an lofty old potato barn, and the aptly-named Tasting Room, which carries several local vineyards in one place. Our favorite spot was the tiny, family-run Old Field Vineyards, pictured here at top and second from top, at right, where you can sip on the well-crafted Cabernet Francs and Merlots in a cutely-refurbished former chicken coop.

For anyone who lives in the city, loves wine, and is looking for a quick, easy getaway we couldn't recommend it more!

Monday Fun

Fantastical paper sculptures by Dutch artist Ferry Staverman. Currently on view at the Museum of Arts and Design's "Slash: Paper Under the Knife" exhibit.

happy anniversary, my love

One year ago Sunday, we tied the knot on tropical sands, surrounded by family and friends, complete with a rainbow in the background and a killer post-ceremony sunset... It's been an amazing year. I love you!


Photos courtesy of life magical, aka Minwin, who has been truly blessed with talent.

Random Happy Things

Citron yellow classic telephone from Sweet Bella


Felted soap from anthropologie


Retro-chic Tony Duquette 1951 Paris Snowflake Screen


This amazing 1790s copper tub, seen over on Apartment Therapy

Happy Birthday to *me*!

My awesome husband served me banana and chocolate chip pancakes in bed this morning, and tonight he's taking me on a "movie date" to see Where the Wild Things Are - it's gonna be a good day!

Warm N' Tasty

I am currently having some frustrations with the comments section of blogspot (why can't I post a comment on my own blog, for heaven's sake??) but I have no doubt that the yummy, healthy, greens-filled soup I'm having for lunch will soothe my cranky spirit.

As the colder weather starts to settle in here, this will become a bit of a staple along with my other favorite soup recipes that I haven't used since last February - like black bean, cauliflower, lentil, yum yum! I love having that big, warm pot simmering on the stove.


This one can easily be a vegetarian soup; I used some spicy sausage in mine but it can be omitted.

Kale and White Bean Soup
------------------------
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 or 5 carrots, chopped
1 bunch kale or swiss chard, washed and chopped, thick stems removed
1 can diced tomato
2 cans white beans
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic

optional:
3 spicy sausage links
1/2 container baby portabello mushrooms, chopped

Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of your favorite soup pot (any large pot will do) over medium heat, once it gets nice and warm add the sausage, if using, casings removed, breaking the meat up as it begins to brown. Then add your onions and carrots and let that hang out for a bit, 5 minutes or so... Go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine or put your feet up for a minute. Follow with garlic and mushrooms (if using) until everybody gets soft and friendly, another 3-5 minutes. Then add the beans and tomatoes. Start adding your greens, but you may have to add it in batches, let it reduce a bit and then add more. Follow with your broth, bring it to a simmer, and let it simmer (not boil) for a good 20 minutes or longer on low heat. You can add a little water if it needs more liquid.

This makes a pretty big batch of soup. You can freeze some in individual containers, then bring it to the office and torture your coworkers with the savory scent of your homemade dee-light. I like to have mine with garlic toast. Tasty!

Monday Inspiration

If you've seen the recently-published compendium Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design, then you're familiar with Helsinki-born, Barcelona-based illustrator Pietari Posti, whose work adorns the cover, shown at the end of this post. His pieces remind me of the 1950's era of illustration that I love so much but with a mod, less-innocent twist. I'm particularly fond of his "GIANTS" series, above, a personal project depicting oversize animals in minimal, brightly-colored cityscapes. I'm also digging the slightly moodier Olivia series (below).

Have a happy Monday!




Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design