Concrete Bath.

I pretty much love concrete everywhere in a house. I'm not fully sure I can articulate why, but I like how much texture it has while still being smooth (does that make any sense ?). I like it's slight variations in gray, and I love that you can pour it into any form you want. There is a watercolor like fluidity to this very massive heavy material. Maybe you can't have a full concrete bath, but here are some great touches. Shave kit, toilet brush, soap dish (no longer available).Have a great weekend :).

Some of the best advice I've ever read ...

... That I happened upon this summer. It resonated so so strongly with the entire struggle of my past year, and years prior. You forget that not every great is born painting picassos or writing Joyce. You forget, when it's you sucking at something, that most of the beauty comes from that struggle and that most greats poured a lot of sweat, crumpled a lot of hard work into the trash, and got up every morning knowing they could do more. That they could be better.

Recent Addictions

I know this post isn't riveting for a Monday morning, but my life has me holed up on my sixth floor studio in "down city"(why not downtown ?!) Providence. Whoa is me -- just have to persevere a bit longer and I can at least come up for air. The last week or two has me spending an inordinate amount of time at the RISD Store + our local branch of Utrecht. Two things I can not get enough of, no matter how little I need them, are Moleskine notebooks, and Micron pens. I know neither is new to the scene, but it's just amazing how once you pop you can't stop. Moleskines come in all sorts of sizes and beautiful colors, and somehow the company has gotten the basic notebook dead on. I can't imagine them being better. Same goes for micron pens -- I love how I write with them, I like drawing with them, and best of all -- they remind me of my grandmother -- because she always uses them. Okay... Back to work.

Katrina Furniture Project

This weekend I am going to a friend's wedding on the coast here. In her honor, I thought I'd share this incredible company talked about in my studio yesterday -- The Katrina Furniture Project. This group uses the endless sea of debris that covered New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to make furniture such as the church pew above. Not only do they teach locals to make it, but their proceeds go to the disaster relief. I love the look of this pew, and even more I love the simple yet ingenius concept and practicality behind it.

Hope you all have a wonderful fall weekend ;).

Pendleton

I've been in love with Pendleton ever since I first discovered them through their collaboration with Opening Ceremony. They're prints you're familiar with your whole life, but maybe never know the name.

But ever since drooling over a big wool circle skirt in a turquoise Native American print a few years back I've been in love.

As the rain teems outside my open window, Im daydreaming of cuddling up in one of their beautiful blankets (and I would have loved one of these at the beach this past weekend!) ...

Graphics

I love the graphics for this Opening Ceremony sample sale I received on email a few weeks back. The sale is long over, but I wanted to share this design work with you. Such clever use of so many tastes, smells, and visuals that make up how we visualize summer. Can't you taste those pickles + see the red ketchup holder you would squirt that 90% out of ? I hope your weekend looks something like this. I know mine will not ;).

Rise + Shine + Give God Your Glory ! Glory !

Guys. I start school next week. How crazy is that ? When I moved out of my last apartment in January I made a bold statement and threw out my alarm clock. Not because I didn't need an alarm this winter, but because it was so ugly I had to take a stand. Basta ! I said. And threw it in the trash. And now, for the last five months I've been setting my phone alarm. And now, for the last five months I have despised my wake up call. I liked waking up to NPR or 106.7 Lite FM thank you very much. Prior to that I enjoyed a nice Bugle and "a wakey wakey Camp Matoaka ! Eggs + Bakey !" over the loud speaker at summer camp, and a nice back rub from my mama at home. The buzzing or "antelope" as they misleadingly call it on my blackberry, I could do without. But alas, we're back to the age old problem :: Pretty radio or ipod alarms are, excuse my french, effing expensive. I love this one above from Horne, but at $199 ? I just can't (and that's on the cheaper end of nice radio alarms I've spied). Antelope it is for now... The search continues. Happy weekend ! x

Madewell

I can't get enough of their store styling or their clothing lately.

Speaking of Bicycles ...

I don't post many weddings because there are so many places to look at them already. I couldn't help myself with this one though, after seeing it on Cup of Jo. I'm immersed in a world of weddings with friends right now, and for an event that you can spend so much money on and get so caught up in details (and don't get me wrong, I often encourage this spending, and detail obsessing) this couple proved a mantra I often repeat :: If you have good taste you don't need money.

This Greenpoint couple didn't have the money to spend, so after a park ceremony, they led their guests, on bicycles, to the bar where they had their first date. The Bride had jean shorts under her dress (how very Brooklyn of her), and they had whoopie pies, cake, and drinks at the bar. The photos are gorgeous. The taste level is as good as any million dollar wedding I've ever seen. And of course, most importantly, they + their guests look like their having the time of their lives -- something no $ amount is ever going to buy.

Hope everyone had an fantastic long kick off to Summer.

[from Perfect Bound Blog via Joanna Goddard]

Me on Two Wheels ??

I have never, ever, pictured myself on a bike. I'm not coordinated, I'm not graceful, I'm likely to fall in the street for no particular reason. But in Providence Ill be living just far away enough from class, and parking is just hard enough that I've started daydreaming about bikes...

Extraordinary Paths Series - Albert Pereta from Share the Path on Vimeo.

And if you've never been inspired by the bicycle + your daily commute this video will help you get there right ? And while I've never loved the idea of myself cruising along, I love nothing more than seeing women in the city dressed head to toe for the day (New York style of course, not middle management), on a bike. It reminds me of living in Italy + sweet 80 year old Nonnas in fur coats and heels cruising down the street all months of the year.

I mean, The Sartorialist has a whole section on his blog dedicated to bikes. Clearly I'm not alone in this. I certainly wouldn't mind looking like her--I'm just scared we would need to insert a chin scrape and a ripped pant leg in my pictures... Anyway, I of course was sensible and started looking on Craigslist. And my sister said, "look on Craigslist !" And I said, "Duh, I am !" And the my internet search wandered because the only bike I can see myself on in my mind looks like these ::

[This friend is from a classic -- Schwinn]

[this beaut is from Bowery Lane Bicycles]

And I think we all know I have no business buying either one. So where does that leave a design obsessed girl that can't help but care what everything looks like ?? It's hard being me. And I think it leaves me bikeless for now. The search continues...

Castle + Things

I love prints/artwork that uses text, especially inspirational + sweet. It has started to feel overdone, and often the wording doesn't feel special. I was happy to find Castle with these wonderful embroidery + print pieces. Coming off a wedding weekend these words felt particularly wonderful.

Bardessono Airplant Wall.

Over my Napa Valley Easter we stopped in the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville to see their Green design. The hotel / spa is awesome. It seems as though no detail was left out. My favorite of these details was this Air Plant wall. How cool does this look ? It was in a hallway connecting the front desk area to the pool. Such a great original + stand out piece.

Coral + Tusk

How much do you love these Pillows by New York City (and RISD Grad :) textile designer Stephanie Housely for her line Coral + Tusk ? I'm pretty much obsessed with all of her design, the name, and her logo.

Beer Boat.

I wanted to share this adorable beer boat I spotted on SMP from a Maine wedding because I think it is a fantastic idea for any party. I of course, love all things nautical, but I think you'll all agree that this is pretty darn cute. It's perfect shot for a Friday, and to say it looks like (I have a little bit of space to change my mind), I'll be headed to Providence, Rhode Island this summer (really soon !). Maybe I can find sailing lessons there ? I've missed it since I stopped at age 15.

I Want.

Its a beauty. A rehearsal dinner dress for upcoming wedding season perhaps ? I have the perfect shoes :). Trying to figure out how to justify the price. Leave it to Marc.

Beautiful Table

By Hundred Layer Cake at the Hitched event. I love the air plants, the perfectly balanced clutter, and the beautiful neutrals with pops of turquoise + green.

I Heart Details Week :: Interiors

You might not think of your home as a product, but I do. I view homes as not just one product but possibly two or three. We're always representing or selling ourselves on some level, right ? The way we dress, the things we display, the editing we do when speaking to one person or another. Whether we're trying to prove something, or if we end up showing that something is of non-importance to us, a message comes through. Then there is a the level of, if we're home owners, our house is a commodity that at some point we'll most likely choose to sell to someone else : a product. And lastly many people employ designers (to help them with my first reason), and with this, the house becomes a representation of the designer or architect and the product they have to offer.

Like with products on shelves, my favorite parts of houses aren't the huge sectionals or grandiose living rooms, its tiny well thought out details. I think this is why I've come to love shades of white so much -- simple lines and textures speak so much louder when there aren't deep or bright colors competing for attention. Above is an example :: My shower :). The bathrooms in this apartment have no patterns, no break in the walls (chair rails or breaks in tiles), and the floor is simple poured concrete. This floor to ceiling tiny square (walls + shower) of a muted green recycled glass allows details to speak. This repetition allows the imperfect grouting and ever so slight color variation in the glass to move and dance along the walls in a way that would never be visible or beautiful in a busier room. I love this "imperfect" detail. The other detail allowed to shine is the two simple shapes being the only present. The contrast of the circle fixtures is so profound and clean cut against all of it's neighboring squares. Fixtures I might otherwise not love, create a beautiful presence on this wall.

I Heart Details Week :: WF + The Andi Score.

Cat's out of the bag that I have an unhealthy (pun intended :) obsession with Whole Foods. I give them a lot of credit on a lot of levels. I've heard it said that their market is finite and they're nearing their expansion limit. I disagree. I think they're morphing themselves into a lower priced market (365) in an age when eating whole and nutritious and local is a national trend, and that this will keep them growing for years to come.

Anyway, I digress. As with everything else this week, one of the levels I admire is Whole Foods' attention to detail. A few years ago I first noticed the Andi Score (not sure how long it's actually been around). The Andi Score which is short for "Aggregate Nutrition Density Index" is described on their site and in their stores as being "...created to help consumers quickly and accurately identify foods with the highest nutritional values. No need to memorize the best source of this or that vitamin. ANDI takes the most important nutrients into consideration including: Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E and even phytochemicals that are potent antioxidants vital for optimal health.And the best news is that you don’t need to count calories or obsess over fat. The ANDI formula is very simple: ANDI = Nutrients divided by Calories. So the highest scoring foods have the fewest calories and virtually no fat. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1 to 1000. Kale and collards receive the top score of 1000 while cola lands at the bottom of the scale with a 1."

I LOVE checking out the Andi score of all the yummy produce stocking their shelves. It's not only informative for me and my choices, but it makes me feel like Whole Foods cares about my choices. I love it so much, that when a friend and I first discovered it we used to text each other high Andi scores that surprised us.

I was reminded of this attention to detail as I walked by the bulk bins at the Whole Foods on Bowery the other day. Sitting out for the taking were these little (well designed) booklets full of all sorts of information on beans, rices, flours ... Things that I can buy at a desired weight but might not know how to treat. Or maybe I just want to know about them, and there is that info too. I might never know what Amaranth Flour is, but this booklet lets me know that their is no gluten in it (great for me !) and that it is "A strong, spicy, nutty-flavored flour. Best used as an accent flour to waffles, pancakes, cookies or muffins." Intriguing. Thanks Whole Foods, for your attention to detail + sharing your knowledge.

And P.S. they have a great recipes section on their site as well.

I Heart Details Week :: Lulu

Lulu Lemon is a company that made their name on details. I knew from the first pair of yoga pants I bought of theirs about 6 years ago (in Greenwich, Connecticut when they had no east coast retail stores and were privately owned), that they were going places. The pants were reversible, so they made the label a perfect tear out. Every piece I've bought of theirs has had a little insight like this that screams, whoever designed these was missing that perfect detail one morning when they went out for a run, when they stretched out into their first downward dog of the day, when they were cold on their way to the gym. They think of thumb holes in long sleeves, elastic just where you need it, and their logo understated but everywhere.

And then along came these pants. They had the perfect zipper in the back for keys and money. Sort of a given in workout clothing these days. A few months after purchasing them however, I was playing with the waist band and realized there was an opening at the seam, creating the perfect little basket for my ipod. On both sides. Details don't get much better than that....

I Heart Details Week :: Glaceau.

I heart the detail of the new complementary colors Vitamin Water Zero has chosen for their labels. I literally bought this drink because of it. The particular blue is so perfect with the particular orange I had to have it, even if the orange is soon to be in my belly. Same thing goes for their new Strawberry flavor with the awesome turquoise label. This being a beverage I weened myself off of many months ago...a few good colors, and bam, I'm buying again. If that's not good marketing, I dont know what is.

As a side note there are NO pictures online of these latest flavors. That is a detail Vitamin Water might want to work a little harder at.