F2-design // Happy Halloween

I've liked this poster by my former professor & friend, Dirk Fowler of F2-design, for awhile now & thought it would be perfect to share on this all hallows eve. That, and I've been in a particularly folk-y/haunting mood after listening the First Aid Kit on repeat for 24 hours now. Could their cover of the Fleet Foxes song "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" be any better? I think not.

bar stool madness!

I was at my local Salvation Army – again. (Have I mentioned my love of thrift stores? It is a passion of mine, really. I had rituals when it came to thrift store shopping in Lubbock.) I found these beautiful West Elm bar stools. I got the set for $100, they are in perfect condition, so comfortable & look great in the apartment!

It took me 2 trips to bring them home on the bus (& apparently you aren't supposed to take furniture on the bus?!) but it was worth it! A guy on the street was shocked when I came out of the Salvation Army carrying one of the chairs. He apparently has the same ones at home and said he paid a pretty penny for them...all for his cat to tear one of them up! Then, he congratulated me on my find.

I've tried to find what they retail for online, I found a similar set for $450. I must say, I'm basking in my chair glory right now!

o, Fall!

this is for some boys I know that have a crush on Thoreau...

Halloween is tomorrow, I have no idea what I'm going to do! This is somewhat unlike me, I normally jump at any reason to be festive for any event!

the 19th Amendment

I've been trying to think of away to present this for awhile now but have come up somewhat uninspired. So I will just remind you that voting day is November 4th...that is next Tuesday. Find your voting location here.

Please educate yourself & go vote. Let's not forget that women's suffrage did not even exist in the United States until less than 90 years ago! If for no other reason than we haven't always had the right & many people in the world are still fighting for their right – go vote!





Oh, and kudos to Annie who had to drive almost 2.5 hours round-trip just to register in Utah!

photos of some really radical women via the Library of Congress: American Memory.

3 Months a Brooklynite

I've lived in Brooklyn for exactly 3 months today & visited the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend with J & his parents. The weather on Sunday was 59 degrees & lovely, much better for bridge-climbing than the rain on Saturday.

We also ventured to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, ate lots of yummy food, walked down to Valentino Pier in Red Hook to see the Statue of Liberty through the foggy drizzle. Some how the only photos I took of the weekend were on the bridge. (I'll try to do better next time!)

Blog Crush

This is sort of unlike me, I don't usually blog about other blogs...usually. But today whilst catching up on some blog reading and vegging-out after a busy but very fun weekend with J's parents (more on that later) I found Naomi & Josh's blog via A Cup of Jo. I may have a bit of a crush on them.

photos by Naomi & Josh via their blog.

Secret's out!

Friends, believe it or not, but I have a day job (sometimes it's more of a crack-of-dawn job).

Thanks to the Baked Blog, the secret's out – I've gone back to my roots where tasty, homemade treats & espresso collide. Stop by & say howdy sometime!

photo by Renato Poliafito of Baked...on his trusty iPhone!

Worth the wait!

You may remember this post with the brief lament at the end about my constant search for a scalloped-edge cookie cutter. My search is finally over! J & I stopped in one of my favorite neighborhood consignment stores Saturday evening and this little beauty was just sitting there waiting for me! An antique for $2, I could not be happier! Now, I'm off to find the perfect recipe to try it out on.

Does anyone have any pumpkin or spice cookie recipes that they want to share? please!

Closet "Studios''

Of course I dream of having a studio space to call my own. Where I don't have to put the sewing machine away to pull out the laptop, or go find the cutting mat and lay it on the floor because I have my printer on the table...you get the idea. However, I think this city-dweller could be satisfied with one of these fun & functional closet spaces found on sfgirlbybay by pinkshirtsandcarwrecks.


now...to convince J that his oxford shirts need to find a new home...

Royal-blue Velour – get rowdy!

We got some new curtains this weekend...& I am just so very pleased! They are a little out-there, I know. But our white-on-white apartment needed some color desperately. Besides, these hold a triple threat by keeping out light, the NY cold & NOISE! We live down the street from a hospital so there are sirens all day & all night.

That's J's "wall of sound" in between the windows. The lamp was a gift & the framed Broken Social Scene poster is by Sasha Barr. The frame was a thrift store find.

Hopefully more apartment updates coming soon...

Marian Bantjes // Design Ignites Change

Misty sent this recent splurge of hers over to me today.
Marian Bantjes, silver foil on copper paper, yes please.

Plus, the posters benefit AED’s Speak for the Child project which provides assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Kenya.

poster by Marian Bantjes, photos via her site & AED.

I hate that I love this...

I know. Not typical for me. ever. I'm not a celebrity-stalker kind of girl. I swear. But I can't help but love these (now famous) photos of Angelina Jolie shot by Brad Pitt. wow.


There's something about their multi-cultural family that really hits a chord with me. I know Whitney is with me when I say I would love to adopt (many) children from all over the world some day...(if only I could secure a salary that would make that possible!)

photos by Brad Pitt via W magazine.

The Daily Heller

Do you read this:

It's pretty great. Steven Heller covers a wide range of topics (design based, of course).

*thanks Abbey for keeping me in the know!

Update on Melanie

To update you on Melanie's progress... (she is preparing to run the Nike Women’s Marathon this Sunday in my Grandmother's honor...if you missed that post)

She has raised $4,605.92 of the $5,000 goal and the race is one week away. You can make a donation to Melanie for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society here.

Great job, Melanie! Good Luck in San Fran this weekend!

*photo of my Grandmother, Pauline (Kuntz) Decker (1921-2008)

Salt & Pepper Birdies

Another Jonathan Adler object of desire – Bird salt & pepper shakers. (They also have some awesome fish and other animals.)

*I first saw these sweet little guys at a local boutique in Brooklyn. Sweet Charity donates a portion of their profits to Best Friends, a sanctuary in Utah & Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen NY...so if I get the leather portfolio do you think if I purchase the birdie shakers from the pro-animal, altruistic boutique down the street we can call it even for my furry friends??

Portfolios... & a soapbox

Long have I searched for a good looking portfolio case that is:

1. logically portable
2. professional + stylish
3. well made + well designed
4. decently priced

Let's face it, if you are a designer/artist in the market for a new portfolio odds are you are looking for a new job – which also means you are or are about to be unemployed (read: broke). Maybe it's just me, but I find chain office supply stores to be good for things like staples and a ream of recycled copy paper...not the place to go for a design portfolio. Art supply stores (at least the ones I'm familiar with) are notorious for carrying HUGE, cumbersome portfolios and a small selection of black leather portfolios that have shoddy stitching and scuffed covers & with a price tag that makes me think it should have been hand-sewn in Italy.

Today while wandering home contemplating day planners (more on that later) I stopped in my local Barnes & Noble to browse the journal section. And this, friends, is what I found. Jonathan Adler designed a snazzy, professional looking, portable, very affordable, portfolio for B&N. (giddy, I am.) Only downside for this veggie-girl is the leather...but we can't always have our cake & eat it too. *note: this photo does not do justice to the real thing.

A supplemental note on portfolios: I also found these (wood grain // aluminum) awhile back from Veer. They are fun & functional (& non-leather) but a little more of a splurge item.

*top image via Barnes & Nobel, bottom images via Veer.

last minute details...

Some brides may (or may not yet) know that no matter how much planning you do ahead of time things some how slip off the radar & at the last minute, someone will get your back. BUT, that's why you have bridesmaids!
I was finishing Nicole & Josh's programs last week and asked if she ever ended up finding a guest book...she hadn't. While I would never claim to be a guest book extraordinare, I think it came out alright & the designer side of me was so pleased that I got to use some of the mountains of pretty paper I have laying around + match the book to the programs + play with some ribbon binding! Some of the other "maids" came to the rescue as well with the hand-crafted pens (pictured), a hand-sewn garter with a little something blue (sorry, no pics of it!) & it was a family affair putting together some georgous fall-inspired center peices!

The wedding was beautiful & came together perfectly. Even if the dress had to be re-fitted (again, last minute), they gave the groom the wrong tux, & the Unity Candle was lit...um...backwards for the ceremony...but, this couple is truly strong, they just laughed and rolled with the punches!

*Don't you love the orange calla lillies for a fall wedding! They looked amazing with the black ribbons and dresses!

please excuse the blurry photos on the guest book...I had to photograph it at the reception (with questionable lighting & after a glass of wine...) but the writing on the inside is the same Robert Frost poem from here.

playing catch up!

Feeling a bit under the weather today and trying to catch up on life! My week long absence was nice but not as relaxing as I would have liked. I will have a real post soon but right now my brain is just spinning & I can't decide where to go next!

A Toast!

I'm off to visit the homeland for a few days and will return on monday. The weekend will be filled with reunions, love, laughter & joy!


Nicole & Josh, I wish you all the best, may your beautiful family be blessed in ways you never imagined! I love you & can't wait to see you!