to say that this contest was a battle to the end well, just wouldn’t be accurate. from the second our ugliest pillow finalists went live there was a clear winner from start to finish. almost 5,000 of you voted and today we have our winners. so congrats to the following entrants who will receive new thomas paul pillows (above), courtesy of pillows and throws, to replace their seriously hideous pillows. thanks to everyone who voted!
first place goes to lauren’s lace terror- who swept the contest with ease. she had a commanding lead on her opponents and kept her edge throughout the week. congrats to lauren who will receive 2 new thomas paul pillows to replace her sad, sad lace pillow.
second place goes to kelli’s kissing ducks. i think we all felt a little sorry for this pillow and it’s creepy kissing ducks so we can be at east now knowing that kelli will have a new pillow to replace her duck disaster.
third place goes to kristen’s scary stag. i’m not sure if it was the weird fraying fringe on the pillow or the woodsy stag itself, but this was your vote for third place and now kristen can replace her sad stag with a new thomas paul pillow. congrats!
i can’t get enough of basak’s work at small square design. she makes the sweetest, simplest designs that have just the right amount of decoration to be interesting and tasteful. i’m loving this new series of gift tags (with illustrations by rae dunn) and place cards she’s designed- everything is under $20 and perfect for the holidays. click here to check out her full collection and shop online.
if one calendar wasn’t enough for the morning, here is another lovely calendar from nora whynot press. created by friends in brisbane australia, nora whynot press decided to print 100 of their first calendar to sell at their etsy shop. you can click here for more information or to pick up a calendar ($45).
Often running out the door with a full day of projects and appointments and just enough time for a quick coffee along the way . . .
Of course, being pressed for time must not stop you from being put together. When there’s no time for a full blow-dry and style, or even a quick, classic chignon, a pretty high ponytail tied with velvet ribbon or paired with vintage flowers and delicate lace will ensure you’re stepping out with polish and elegance in any weather . . .
{images: Elle Sweden December 2004; Editorial: Aftonstjärna; Photographer: Jimmy Backius; Model: Caroline Winberg}
maria at port2port has released a beautiful new letterpressed calendar for 2009. this is her third- and final- letterpress calendar and this time around it combines original photographs and vintage illustrations for each month. each calendar measures 6 and a quarter inches square and is printed in 13 colors. only 300 calendars will be printed (at $45 each) so be sure to get yours before they’re gone. click here for more info and to shop.
today i am thrilled and so proud to debut the first episode of design by the book- a collaboration between design*sponge and the new york public library. for the past few months i’ve been working with a fantastic team at the library to create a series that would highlight the amazing local design talent in nyc as well as the incredible creative resources the new york public library has to offer.
together we invited five brooklyn-based artists to come to the library, become inspired by its collections and have us film their entire creative process from the beginning to the final finished product, whatever that may be. in this episode we’re introducing the project and our designers: rebecca kutys of moontree press, john pomp of john pomp glass, julia rothman, mike perry and lorena barrezueta.
this has been an absolute joy to film so far and i can’t wait to see what the artists find in the library and end up creating throughout this process. please stay tuned for the next episode (date TBA) where we’ll follow the artists as they rummage through the library to find resources that inspire them. we’ll also meet with isaac mizrahi in the next episode and talk with him about inspiration and the creative process! thank you to all of the artists who are generously donating their time for this project and thank you to james murdock, amy azzarito, and jessica pigza at the nypl for making this series the highlight of my year. (and thanks to the clear tigers for the awesome music!)
[click here to check out the video on itunesU. click here to check it out on the nypl's site and here to check it out on youtube]
in 2006, emmy-nominated [former] broadcast journalist and television producer, candice waldron opened jumelle (french for “twin”) on williamsburg’s bustling bedford avenue. the shop showcases emerging and establised american and international designers. today rather than through fashion, she shows off her style in a great sneak peek. candice has found herself living in fort greene brooklyn, an area known as “brownstone brooklyn,” for almost nine years, describing the area, as seeped in history, and was once the location for stops along the underground railroad. click here for more, full-sized images. [thanks, candice!] -anne
[Above: I collect Mexican serapes and use them in a variety of ways, this one as a coverlet.The charcoal drawing by Issac is flanked by my collection of necklaces and crystals.]
Our bedroom. The bamboo nightstand was once my grandmother’s, so it is very dear to me. A mussel shell, claw and crystal necklace by Brooklyn designer Caitlin Mociun is hung above the bed. Our llama and deer collection also occupies the room.
I love sitting on the floor and have a collection of floor pillows - my favorites are from friends Anna and Tim Harrington of Deadly Squire. The bookshelves (in the distance) are made from left over materials from a shop project - the wood is snow fence wood from Wyoming.
Found sea fans from Mexico decorate the (non-working) fireplace.
My boyfriend and I live in a floor-thruapartment. This alcove is one of my favorite areas of our apartment- the bay windows afford much natural light and it’s a great place to work. I like gazing out at the trees, at our neighbors gardens and the simplicity and openness of this space.
jenny sauer’s line three sheets 2 the wind is clean and simple, just like her home. today she opens up her apartment located 5 minutes from downtown cincinnati to us. i’m loving the softness of linen and the pops of red that pop up in her designs. thanks so much, jenny! click here to see more of her work, and stay tuned for a second wonderful sneak peek at 12pm! -anne
[Above: The tree stump was "rescued" by my fiancé and I from a local park. We lovingly call it Log. The couch was inherited from my parents house. A true 1970's gem! I loved the shape (but not the fabric) so I sewed up a cover using the heavy weight linen from my line. The trunk was pulled out of the trash a few years back when I lived in Columbus. But... not everything I own is old. The Nama Rococo print was a gift from my fiancé last year and the Flor carpet tiles were bought to decorate the floor of my booth at a trade show. The lamp is from Room and Board and the two linen pillows are from my line.]
This medicine chest was found at a flea market near Columbus, Indiana. It has housed my cd collection for years now.
The working fireplace is the main focus in the living room. The mantle is really beautiful all by itself so I usually only have a few photos on top. The folding chair was bought on Martha’s Vineyard the summer I graduated college. It marked the beginning of my (not so secret) chair fetish.
I have a heavy weight linen throw (from my line) on my bed. It hides cat hair perfectly! I made my faux case study bed using two pieces of plywood and stainless steal legs bought from hairpinlegs.com. The side table was bought at the store, MiCA, in Cincinnati.
The chair on the left was found on Ebay. It needed a lot of love when it arrived so I spent some time cleaning it up. The dresser is from Ikea. The screen print hanging on the wall was bought at the Renegade Craft Fair last summer in Chicago. The chair [on the right] was bought in Lexington, Kentucky. I have an Ikea faux fur on it to keep the cats from scratching it to bits.
My studio space is in my apartment. This room holds one of my printing tables and a ton of metal shelving for fabric, frames, and screen printing supplies.
