New Weaves

cb2 has some seriously snazzy rugs, and at amazing prices too.
Usually "art rugs" (not sure that's a real term but that's what
I call 'em) tend to be really expensive so I was pleased to see this
collection. Now if I only had a big beautiful space to decorate!

Around Town

Fun art and design snapped around Brooklyn and Soho:
Fab Marimekko umbrella in the window of Goldy + Mac, one of my favorite neighborhood shopping destinations; A mural by Little Annie; Beautiful, modern prints in the window of Sigerson Morrison; Vintage Fonda del Sol menu by Alexander Girard at Bright Lyons

Our yoga calling cards are featured on Papercrave today -
you can view the full post right here. It's a beautiful Monday
here in NYC and this is a great way to kick off the week!

Recent Work

In addition to the stationery line, I've been lucky to have some really fun design projects come my way lately. One of my summer goals has been to update my design website - helloashleyaustin.com - and I'm finally thisclose to getting it done! Here's a sneak peek at some of the identity projects I'll be adding to the site: Truth Art Beauty, fresh, organic, custom-blended skincare; Arghand, a natural beauty company (with amazingly gorgeous handmade soaps) based out of Kandahar, Afghanistan supporting local artisans; and LunaStar, a mom-made line of kid-friendly, all-natural mineral makeup (see the company's current site here: Luna Organics).

Ugmonk

More typography inspiration, this time from Ugmonk. In addition to
these beautiful hand-silk-screened prints, they have some killer t-shirts.

Sign Watching

Well-designed, thought-provoking signage for the Ace Hotel, by the Original Mfg. Co.

Summer, Slow Down

New York City summers are just so jammed-packed with fun things
to do that it's inevitable you're going to miss something. Case in point:
the Knoll Textile exhibit at Bard Graduate Center, gone and done.
I had every intention of visiting this, but somehow July sneakily slipped
by, like a black cat on a moonless night. Luckily, some of the highlights
are online, at the link above.

P.S. If you haven't seen the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met yet,
stop whatever you're doing right now and get over there. It closes this
weekend and is simply not to be missed!

Industrial Chic

I'm not a stamp collector by any stretch of the imagination,
although I do have a few of the Gee's Bend quilt stamps tucked
in a drawer somewhere that I refused to use - and I'm planning
to do the same with this collection, Pioneers of American
Industrial Design. These guys are perfect for the promotional
mailing I'm sending out this week, and I ordered an extra sheet
or two for keeping.

The future of stamp design seems uncertain, as we hear more
news about post office closings seemingly on a daily basis. These
little gems are perfectly minimal and modern in design, and
showcase some deceptively simple, iconic everday objects. The
Henry Dreyfuss phone might be my favorite (a design that was
once ubiquitous and is now more likely to be spotted in a period
piece, a la Mad Men), but the super space age pencil sharper
is a close second.

Happy mailing!

Summer Romance

Pretty textures and patterns to kick off the week. Bohemian tiles tunic by Emerson Made (loving everything in the E.M. India Collection...), sweet-yet-glam gold doily heart bag by A.S.I.S., Montmartre pillow by Rosie's Armoire

DeKalb Market Faves

Here's an overview of a few of my fave vendors from the DeKalb Market. Be sure to check them out on upcoming weekends. (And we'll be there soon too, stay tuned for dates!)

Top: Beautiful pillows by the talented Nasozi of Origins Stuyle Interiors (I picked up one of the Candy Stripe pillows shown here, along with one other vibrant pattern)

Above and below: stunning and luxuriously soft patterned baby quilts, and super cute tunics, from muny.

Bottom: Gorgeous hand-dyed silk scarves by Katrin Reifeiss (she also had several beautiful dresses and other items)

One Hot Weekend

With record-breaking high temps here in NYC, it may not have been the best weekend for being out-and-about - even so, we had a blast at the DeKalb Market on Saturday! Check out the scene below:

Love the multi-colored stripes welcoming visitors to the market:

















Shipping containers as mini-shops: genius!














Mmm, sweets - great hand-painted type on this sign.




















Shady tables were a must.



















A seriously delicious lunch from Sour Puss Pickles:

















Cooking up beats:















Fine Day Press will be selling at the market soon, so stay tuned for details! Tomorrow I'll post some of our favorite vendors.

All Things Popsicle

Today I'm in the mood for popsicles! Those of you on the west coast have managed to avoid the "heat bubble", but the rest of us are roasting. It's the kind of weather that makes people talk about frying an egg on the sidewalk. I'm not looking forward to the 10-block walk to the post office - the only thing gearing me up to brave the heat is the idea of picking up a cold popsicle to accompany me on the perilous journey.

I found this homemade popsicle recipe over on the super-cute Armelle blog.

More popsicle goodness: how great is people's pops, below? Their unique all-natural frozen flavors can be found at Brooklyn Flea and many other outposts in NYC.

Lastly, our own little popsicle notecard set: stay inside by the A/C and write your friend a note!

Happy Weekend.