just wanted to take a quick second to ask for advice from everyone out there. for those of you in the northeast, do you have any suggestions for good hotels, b&b’s, cabins, anything in the northeast near mountains or lakes? ac and i are celebrating our three year anniversary and have been trying to find something anywhere in new york but seem to be out of luck. just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions…we’ve tried mohonk and the lake placid lodge (something like this is perfect) but no luck on the fireplace or cabin. just thought i’d check with the northeast travelers among us…thanks!

every once in a while you stumble upon something really spectacular and wonder how you haven’t heard of it before. last week i got an email from carly at coe & waito and was so floored to see their stunning collection of modern (affordable!) ceramics. instantly taken with their work (and the affordable price range) i had to find out more so i asked the lovely ladies of coe & waito a bit more about the studio and how they got started…

after meeting in the id program at the ontario college of art and design, alissa coe and carly waito discovered a mutual desire to make what they called “real things”. they began exploring the processes of mold making and slip casting which lead to a collaborative thesis project bridging ceramics and industrial design. after graduation they found a small studio space in downtown toronto and the rest is now history. the coe & waito collection now includes functional tabletop items like cups and vases, as well as decorative pieces like the tiny birds and beautiful pinecones (with new pieces constantly being continually). noting the unique emotional attachments that people form with objects, alissa and carly may great attention to the details of their work. their production process is intuitive and careful, with simple forms and clean surfaces. glaze application is minimal, with most of the surface detail happening in the form of texture or enamel transfers which are designed, silk-screened, and applied by hand, by alissa and carly. currently their goods range from around $20-$100 (canadian) and are available right here and here. however, coe & waito also take custom orders and are open to exciting new ideas and exhibitions. you can find more information on coe & waito right here and see a slideshow of additional items right here. enjoy! [thanks so much alissa and carly!]

so many adorable things come from japan, but it always bums me out that it’s nearly impossible to order them through their websites. print + pattern featured these gorgeous postcards from mocchi mocchi and i was instantly hooked. the combination of the colorful drawings and the wonderful texture of each postcard is just stunning. while some of these patterns are sold out, it turns out you can email mocchi mocchi and ask about having postcards mailed over here. several readers have emailed to say they had cards sent over, but to keep in mind that shipping can cost as much as the cards themselves. but i know that to some card lovers that may not be an issue so i figured i’d share them anyway. so, click here for more info. enjoy! [via print+pattern]

designspotter always has fun euro links to fill my void now that husmusen is closed (sniff sniff). i’m loving these little mirrored wall decals and the lovely laser cut lamp. both pieces were produced by german company taschide and are available right here (email for rates and intl shipping charges). enjoy! [via poppytalk via designspotter]

maria’s gorgeous butterfly cards just came in the mail this week- printed in metallics or a lovely purple/blue combo, these cards are just what the doctor ordered after a rainy weekend spent stuck inside at the beach. if you need a unique gift idea or just a way to make the card-lover in your life smile, check out maria’s card of the month society- you get a new pack every month and they always seem to come just when i need a little pick me up. [thanks, mav!]

[ps: stay tuned- in september you’ll be hearing a lot more from mav here at d*s…]

i was chatting with frida (of the late husmusen) about hanna werning yesterday and she mentioned some of these designs that i hadn’t seen much about yet. everyone went nutty over the colorful werning posters but i’m loving the darker, richer side of werning’s work. full of bold pattern and luxe accents, her latest collections of wallpaper (not posters but the real thing) and textiles go perfectly with the changing fall colors and switch from hot summer days to cool fall afternoons. the burgundy, black and red patterns would look beautiful with gold accents or some baroque detailing (if you haven’t already had enough of baroque yet). or if you want to play down the richness pair them with a nice clean mid-century piece for something more minimal and scaninavian. you can click here (under news) to see more of hanna’s latest work. thanks so much to frida for the tip! also, frida passed along this site that tracks scandinavian design- great find. [we’re off for the last summer beach weekend- see you monday!]

so cute. enough said. dog lamp from back4 uk via pan-dan. available right here for appx $57.