Woven

Found these beautiful woven newspaper canvases from Jerry L. Hanson.

cardenas sun

Natural Fibers

I've been experimenting (with some help from Lee and our friend Daniel) with newspaper 'yarn'. I got the idea from Greetje van Tiem when she was featured on Greenupgrader. 

We've made some yarn and then crocheted it with thin, copper wire. I made a lampshade out of our first batch. I'm a little obsessed...

It throws a fantastic shadow and the variations in print color really stick out.

I've been looking for furniture and lighting made from non-traditional materials. I ran across these chairs and lights from Yonoh of Spain made with rope. 

Norge Beauty

Clean, rosy skin and vibrant colors from Oleana of Norway. The intention on their 'our philosophy' page is one of the best I've ever seen. It does make a difference to found your work on shared values and let people know what you're about.

Oleana philosophy:

Colorwash

>Marimekko has been a favorite of mine since childhood. My sister Lexi and I had the BoBoo print in our bedrooms and I still have the BoBoo linen napkins from my 6th birthday. It never goes out of style.

I spent some time today looking at their new spring catalog. It got me in the mood to do some reorganizing and redecorating. They have so many colorful and energetic fabrics. The catalog is exquisitely styled. It all looks so happy!

Here are a few pieces from their new spring fabrics collection

Kippis by Maija Louekari

Taikamylly by Sanna Annukka

Ihmemaa by Sanna Annukka

a remastered Karmiini oilcloth by Maija Isola and Kristina Isola 

Scents from Far West Texas: Marfa Brand Soap

My smart, beautiful and creative friend, Ginger has a line of great smelling (and feeling) natural soaps. If you're not able to make it to Marfa, they will soon be available at Spartan in Austin. 

One of the best parts of the line is the finishing. The logo and packaging -  a simple wrapping of gauze with a rubber stamped logo. It feels perfectly analog and communicates a handmade quality, rich in love and creativity.

Bring on the Night

I love these dream flyers from GoodforAll. I can't wait to try these out with some friends.


I think it's so nice when something's created with the intention of bringing people together and the sole purpose of a beautiful experience.

Maybe they are Squares

You may have seen this piece before. In 1974, young and brave Joshua Levitan, made his way into John Lennon's hotel room with a tape recorder and asked some insightful questions. Amazing moxy for a 14-year-old. First-rate illustration & animation

A happy for trim pocketbooks

I have been a very big fan of virginia johnson ever since she started her line. her illustrations are pretty much a direct portal to sunshine and summer flirtation.

On her retail site, she has a very nice sale going on now. This scarf is a cool $45.

I'd love to ride around in the sun in this crazy print dress.
(i may or may not be desperate for some rays...)

One, two buckle my shoe

Designer Tove Adman och Hans Edblad created exactly what I need in the hallway. We have a tight space and this is the perfect cure for a spot to sit for taking off/putting on shoes.



Available in shiny or with the reindeer (!) cover. Via Scandinavian Design Center.

Vogelhaus

Designed for wall mount, to hang or perch atop a stick, Pling Collection has a practical and colorful birdhouse that's just right for ushering in the Spring.

Headgear Style

Wow. These spectacular helmets from Les Ateliers Ruby make me miss my scootie! Designed by Parisian Jerome Coste who saw the need for stylish and effective head protection after suffering six head injuries himself. 

These helmets meet all the requirements for motorcycle crash helmets and are designed with ultra-luxurious materials and style. The detailing, colors, motifs, high-quality finishing and unexpected touches make this a top choice for head protection. 

bon voyage detail inside helmet

What's more, Coste and his team collaborate with artists and stores to promote and diversify their line's offerings and market. These blue ones are available at Colette. 

Bring on the Feelin Good

Feeling Good, Nina Simone
by mrfnk

Nina Simone to typography. Via Black*Eiffel.

Sense and Sophistication: (*hopefully) coming to an airline near you

I think a great way to combat the distasteful tasks of modern air travel would be to up the design and sophistication quotient on the entire in-flight experience. I remember collecting soaps and playing cards from my early flights as a wee traveller. Where did all of those charming bits of airline loot & booty run off to?

I found these exquisite El Al Israel Airlines playing cards on grain edit. Created by Israeli artist and designer Jean David.

Look at the interesting face card designs; the joker is a riot and the deck design itself is so amazing.

Postal Love

Real mail is a treasure. It absolutely makes my day when I get a letter. I am such a sucker for beautiful paper, pretty stamps and the postal stickers for airmail. I found these airmail papers today and got inspired.

Vintage Kitty Hawk airmail stationery.

I adore these flirty cards from Field and Sea on etsy.

Airmail stationery and stickers from Donovan Beeson also on etsy.

French Organic Body

I found these while shopping for hand cream (I'm so dry here from the radiator heating!). I think that the packaging is fantastic and the art on the bottles is simple and on-point. A nice treat to welcome in the sunny weather; smell fantastic and feel good with these scrumptious products from Patyka. 

On a project with the Hotel San José we put together a lovely room service bento box with select food goodies and spa items. I think a room service box with all kinds of yummy body products is a delightful departure from overpriced m&m's and mini liquor bottles. 

Heavenly

It's so sunny here in Heidelberg today. Spring is so close, I can taste it. I went for a long hike yesterday in the rain and could start to smell the first buds of trees and flowers sprouting out. 

I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but it smells heavenly.

Hanky Panky: Everyday Elegance

A handmade linen handkerchief certainly provides a bright spot of sophistication in your day. Fog Linen (site in English and Japanese) has amazing products and a finely curated website. They sell a wide-range of products. In addition to these grand hankies, I think that the ropes & twine category is sensational.

I could live in these pants.

I'm convinced that our recession/depression is a fine solution to cure us of our addiction to low-quality, disposable goods. I'm happy to see designers, retailers and consumers support functional, well-crafted wares. Handkerchief vs. Kleenex....no contest.

Library of Taste

In Paris a friend shared la cocotte: librairie du goût with me. It is an amazing store and they have a comprehensive and whimsical website. Their concept is all about food, culinary design, the culture of eating, and education. 

Workshop

Pimp my Cupcake. 

Does it get any better than that?

Farm Love in the Heart of the City

Found this great site today - Pistils Nursery: Country Life in the City.

"We started Pistils to create a unique gathering place for people who are as passionate about plants and urban homesteading as we are … a place for discovery, conversation, and above all, sharing."

They have a great list of workshops and a very nice shop. Portland people lead the way once again. Seems like a very community-oriented business and a fun model of how to incorporate learning, sustainability and retail into your operation. 

Newfangled Furniture

SchubLaden in Berlin takes old drawers and creates new settings for them. The combinations are smart and look great. They mix textures, sizes, ages, materials in all of their pieces. They pair parts of disparate provenance in an organized, standardized fashion. The furniture is functional but not stuffy.

Farm Love

I recently returned from a two week farm stay in Grafschaft Bentheim (northwestern Germany). It was arranged by Stefan Westhuis of the Landwirtschaftskammer in Bad Bentheim (Agricultural Extension Service). I was hosted by local family that raises pigs, steers and dairy cows. During my stay I learned about the regional farming practices and visited a number of area farms. I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the farmers, my host family included. The farming industry in this area is primarily family-run and farms are small to medium-sized operations. The majority of these family farms sell their products to larger operations (dairies, groceries, etc.). 

One of the most interesting parts of my stay was learning about agricultural certification and education. Germany has a multi-track education system (which has its ups and downs). Vocational education is one track of study. This vocational track consists of extensive practical and experiential training and education that farmers in Germany are required to complete. You cannot call yourself a farmer without this training - seriously.

It was interesting for me to take a couple of steps back from the current US-food security debate and see how important it is to insure stable food production by supporting agricultural education.

When my host family asked me how one becomes a farmer in the States, I had vague, insufficient answers...., really guesses more than answers. Handed-down education? Earn a degree in agricultural management? FFA? 4-H?

Even more interesting was the thought that these young farmers emerge from their education debt-free....zero student loans. That is a step in the right direction.* 
Farm Links:
Bunte Bentheimer Pigs: Delicious Pork Products
Ekenhorst Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, Cheese

(*from article to appear later this spring in GOOD)