we just got home yesterday and i’m catching up on emails- d*s won’t kick back in until tuesday but i thought some of us might need good reading on new year’s day. nothing like recovering from a fun night out by relaxing and reading up on a fun new design blog. bloesem is a new dutch design blog run by irene hoff. i’m always on the lookout for a blog to fill the niche that frida left and i’m hopeful that irene hoof’s bloesem might be it. so click here to check out bloesem. happy new year- see you on tuesday! [thanks, irene!]

the holidays are here and i just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday and best wishes for a wonderful new year. it’s been such a wonderful year here at d*s and i wanted to thank everyone for reading and their continued support. it’s truly been an honor to work with and talk to you all.

i’m closing up shop today and will be posting my next biz box post later next week. now that i’m home i’m going to try to step away from the computer and spend more time with my family. i hope you all enjoy the time off with your family and friends.

i’ll return on january 2 rested and ready to go…i hope you’ll all join me for the launch of the new january d*s shop and the debut of my favorite d*s project to date. i’m so excited and i hope you’ll all enjoy it. so again, happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new year. i’ll see you next tuesday. xo, d*s

as something of a wallpaper fanatic, i’ve followed the recent resurgence in wall decor with great interest. from wall decals to wallpaper i’ve kept an eager eye on emerging designers in this field, anxious to see how people would reinterpret such a classic medium. cavern home was one of the first companies i took note of and followed as they launched their debut line at the 2006 icff. founded by a pair of childhood friends, carly margolis and ophir tanz, cavern home entered the market with a beautiful line of designs inspired by nature. cavern’s collection often includes animal imagery and traditional techniques like flocking- all done with a modern twist. the result is a series of clean, modern papers that combine bold pattern with subtle color and metallics. thankfully carly and ophir were able to take some time out from their busy schedule to answer some of my questions and give some fascinating insight into the world of wallpaper and starting a new business. you can [click here] to hear the full podcast and hear about how the pair met (hint: it involved the beastie boys), why they’re called cavern home and what they’re working on for 2007. [thanks to carly and ophir for taking the time to record with me]

in addition, speaking with carly and ophir inspired a new bizbox post which will go live tomorrow. stay tuned for a link and new post on entrepreneurship in the creative community (along with some tips culled from this interview).

happy holidays everyone- today i’m headed south on a train to va beach to see my family. i’ll be posting a new podcast later this afternoon (around 3 or 4) but i’ll be editing the sound on the train so it won’t go live until i’m home with an internet connection. i’ll have a few more posts for friday (including a new bizbox post) and then i’ll be taking next week off to be with family and friends. when i return i’ll be announcing a brand new project that i’ve been dying to share with everyone and that i hope will be a positive way to ring in the new year. in addition i’ll be launching a new january d*s shop, the much-delayed letterpress guide and the international design project. my sincere apologies for the delay- november and december were nutty months and i’m just now getting back on my feet. so, i’ll see everyone later this afternoon with a brand new podcast. [beautiful pottery above and below by artist diana fayt]

not a home product, i know…but i love them. bird jewelry from EliandRa at etsy…

new from les louisettes- wall, glass and floor decals just in time for new year’s decorating (i always de-clutter and redecorate over the holidays). i absolutely love the way the decals look on the floor. available at sprout home in chicago (they aren’t online right now but just give them a ring, tara and her staff are extremely nice and will mail them to you (just call 312.226.5950) toot sweet).

many thanks to scott at the sartorialist for the shout out in french vogue. merci beaucoup, scott.