No matter how interested or involved in social media I am, I'm ever the print journalist, constantly taking down notes by hand -- and realizing that my handwriting has really gone downhill since college as I'm out of practice writing by hand at that length. While spiral-bound notebooks are the most convenient, they're not always the most attractive.
This adorable strawberry notebook from MoMA is perfect for to-do lists, ideas, and notes taken during an interview. The juicy exterior is made of vegan leather and the stem-styled page marker is made of suede. There's also a honey dew version. image via moma store Xx a
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I'm not sure why this week has felt so long, but I'm glad it's Friday! I've decided to publish the Under $50 Friday posts once a month, instead of weekly, and see how that goes, though I will always try to have a balance between inexpensive items and splurges/investment pieces in my everyday posts. I don't put a lot of stock in horoscopes, but I do like zodiac imagery. Thomas Paul's iteration: traditional zodiac motifs on dishwasher-safe melamine coasters, shown here alphabetically ($48, Home Remedy). I'm a Sag, all the way, in case you were wondering. As hard as I try, I'm more of a piler than a filer, so I need to make sure my papers are well-organized within those towering stacks. Large (2-inch) glasses-frame-shaped Specs paper clips ($7 for 10, Umbra) will get the job done in a noticeable, funny way. My cramped 1950s kitchen was able to fit very few of the things from our old house. Anything from medium-sized small appliances to all the decorative items are still packed away. But we have two empty walls (literally, no cabinets or anything) next to which my grandparents used to have their kitchen table. We have a table there for extra counter space, but eat in the dining room. As they're some of the only walls in the house not wood-paneled, I'd love to hang art like Australian artist Belinda Marshall's Possibility print ($44, Leif) to bring some life into the room. This is supposed to represent a calm meditative space. My kitchen and I both could benefit from that! I just felt like sharing my favorite clear lip balm, which is Mor Cosmetics' Lip Macaron in passion flower ($10, beauty.com). I wear it all the time, especially now that the weather is getting chilly. It's light (not sticky), I love the fruity scent, and the little tin feels more special than a regular stick of balm. This quirky plastic Kipik hedgehog toothpick holder made me smile; it can either perch on the edge of a bowl or be used freestanding. The little guy comes with 22 picks ($25, MoMA Store).
This seemed like a very long week to me (though I'm thrilled to report the baby slept through the night again, so I'm not as tired as yesterday). On Sunday we'll be attending the local Parade of Homes, which is like a showhouse tour to promote area builders. Local interior designers, stagers, and sometimes the builders themselves decorate the houses, so I'll be looking for new ideas and inspiration. I'm looking forward to it, as I do every year, but more so this year because there is finally (finally!) going to be a contemporary style model, as in one that is not Colonial or Craftsman. I'm hoping to see enough good design to be able to write about it for Monday. But first, some under $50 fun! Nothing spooky for Friday the 13th. I'll wait for Halloween, my favorite holiday of all. How pretty are these delicate wood bottle stoppers ($22 each) from Leif? 80s kids and mix tape lovers, this cookie cutter ($16) from Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store has you covered. Now you just have to decide what angsty name to frost on each cookie. A bright set of letterpress coasters by Thimblepress ($8 for set of 5; green pattern not pictured) from Brika. The set is usually $10, but is currently discounted because it just launched on the site. Adorable paperclip holder ($14.75) from Maxiga. I love how it looks like he's in tall grass! They also have a deer, polar bear, and swan. (paperclips not included) Balloons and so-cute clowns and circus folk adorn this kids' pillow ($42.80 with cushion filler) from Zara Home. Missed last week's under $50 picks? Click each image for details.
Better late than never. I've been busy this week on deadline, and then we went out to dinner with my father-in-law, who has been in town for a few days. We haven't seen him in a year and he just finally got to meet the baby, who turned 10 months today. When I bought my desk--the ubiquitous white lacquer Parsons desk from West Elm--it wasn't quite as, well, ubiquitous, as it is today. I still adore it, but sometimes I wish I had something off-beat, a little different from everyone else. The nice thing about the Parsons is that it's a great blank canvas; there are so many ways it can be styled. I am still trying to decide if I want to do brights or neutrals. Above, from The Everygirl, is a lovely neutral approach. I could easily go in this direction, and not simply because I also have the Sapien bookcase that is to the left of the desk. Maybe someday I'll go with a different style. I also love the idea of a big table as a desk. I think I would pair the Thalia with a few modern elements to keep it from feeling too serious. Love the ornate legs and support strut, it definitely catches the eye. The Durham has a more industrial look, with a mix of wood and aged steel. I have a Mac, but if you were someone who had a tower for your computer, it would fit nicely on one of the lower shelves so it could be kept off the floor and out of the way. The cool slim silhouette of the Cant is warmed by the walnut and grey finish. This would be great for someone with a small space, or who works on a laptop so they can utilize the upper shelf for storage and decorative objects. My monitor would obscure the whole thing. Grange's traditional, feminine Ermitage has been a favorite of mine for a few years. The piece is available in 20 paint colors and 3 distress levels. I'm not really into distressing personally, so I would choose the least distressed finish, called classique. All of their colors are great, but I always find myself drawn to the purples, so I'd pick prune for the desk. Although, this fall, Grange is debuting seven new color finishes, so I could change my mind. Super-talented and super down-to-earth designer Celerie Kemble designed a collection for Henredon, which includes this desk, the One Forty Five. This desk is so luxe, made of Philippine mahogany with a creme leather inlay on the main surface and two pull-out shelves. The cabriole legs add to the effect; it's a really beautiful piece. You can see the leather better in the image with Celerie. Also, that black and white mirror behind the desk is amazing! interior image via The Everygirl
desk images via Century Furniture, Ballard Designs, Blu Dot, Grange, Henredon Xx a Post-its are so functional it's generally hard to imagine them any other way. (My husband and his former co-workers would beg to differ: when my husband returned from vacation once, he found every surface of his office covered in sticky notes. This was, of course, after they had filled someone else's office so full of blown-up balloons, the guy could barely get in.) Luckily, others are more creative. In 2011, Brazilian footwear company Melissa and agency Casa Darwin paired up with Post-it maker 3M for a project that took 5 months to complete. Amazing designs made entirely of Post-Its adorned the outdoor exhibit space, Galeria Melissa, at their flagship in São Paulo. 350,000 Post-its were used, and unexpectedly, visitors left love messages on more than 30,000 of the notes. New York-based designer Jon Newman recently completed a year-long challenge to himself to create a new project each week, called Daydreams & Nightschemes. Project #38, above, uses Post-its to illustrate his love of typography as a design element. His challenge was to create a font using the notes only, though he used a portable fan to help create the letters' shapes. It takes a minute to really see the letters, some are easier than others to make out, but it's pretty genius. His other projects are equally impressive. Post-it's website also has an online tool for creating wall art of your own, if you're so inclined to try your virtual hand at it. images via couleurblind, laughing squid, melissa, daydreams & nightschemes
*I'm also a ridiculously big fan of Home Alone... Xx a Now that I work out of my house full-time, and most of the house is chock full of kids' goodies, I have to be very conscious of my workspace and try to stay as organized as possible. My space is part of the living room and there are shelves, but they're not yet dedicated solely to my work. I purchased a couple new magazine files (Nate Berkus for Target, not available online) but, it never seems like I have enough, between the magazines I keep for my portfolio and the ones I read for work/pleasure. Unfortunately, there are never as many of one style as I need at the store when I'm shopping, so my mag file boxes are a bit mismatched. I've liked these from Office Depot for a while now, I've been really feeling the little polka dots lately, especially in black & white, which I know is big right now (when isn't it?). I happen to have a memo mousepad from Galison, not this design though. I started with two and I've somehow made them last for a long time, even though I do rely on their convenience quite often. If you need to jot something down quickly, like a phone number or a time and place, it's right there. When you run out of sheets, a soft foam mousepad remains. If I didn't write on my mousepad, I would upgrade to a beautiful handmade leather mousepad from Susan at Freshly Picked. Poppin's desktop set is great for separating notes, research, and business receipts. The accessory tray could hold the recorder I use for in-person interviews and my washi tape. I just bought a white board calendar with a magnetic surface, but it only came with two magnets. I really like the colors and detailing on these hand-painted butterfly magnets from Ballard Designs. Ballard often has great magnets and pushpins, so even though they're not really an office store, they're always a great place to check for accessories like that. Because it sometimes feels like all the cardboard storage boxes are the same, I like these tromp l'oeil containers carried by ModCloth. They fold flat when they're not in use, and of course, hide papers, product samples, and, sure, even toys when they are in use. interior image via gold and gray
images via office depot, galison, freshly picked/Heather Mildenstein, poppin, ballard designs, modcloth Xx a |
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