cool warmth

inspiration from the british gift guide, Not On A High Street.

i love these beautiful hand-cut Flowerland Scarves by Tait and Style. they are so unique and delicate.


awww. love is in the chilly air. these Lover's Gloves by Twisted Twee are super-cute.

Etsy lab party

the ETSY lab party was rad and very successful. it was super fun, packed, and great to see so many artists & designers in this amazing space. the loft is so beautiful with the old wood panel walls, the high ceilings, huge windows with a view of manhattan. it's just an amazing space right here in Brooklyn. the party was fun, i met a lot of great people and saw a bunch of friends.
people were blown away by the incredible resources available. look at this megatron-war-of-the-worlds-screen-printer. it's amazing.



this is Bre Pettis from MAKE zine. a rad, polite guy, Bre is a seattle-based artist who makes things.

the lovely folks at MAKE also put out CRAFT. my buddy, neighbor, director, & weekly speed-uno teammate, Dave Shuff from Professor Bright Films was kind enough to get me a subscription for the year. i am cised. it's an incredible publication for people part of this incredible craft movement. CRAFT has projects with very easy instructions, detailing what you will need, exactly how much it will cost to make, and a detailed guide to help you along. craft and make celebrate and high-light indie designers and artists, and like Etsy, give us a forum to get our voice out there.


this is Nora from BURDA, this awesome new company for do-it-yourself style.

burda is like a virtual sewing circle, where you can find, download and make their beautiful patterns. i love this mustard coat. it looks as if it was made for my boots, so i'm going to download this and make it. thank you, BURDA!
here's Alison Lewis, the producer of SWITCH which sprung out from her personal exploration with electronics and design. check out her show and up-coming books for projects that make a neato combo of crafts and technology.

it's all in how you serve it

enjoy your next cup of coffee with a delicious german chocolate cake cupcake from cheeks bakery.
cheeks is an adorable little bakery around the corner from our place in williamsburg, brooklyn.
with valentine's day right around the corner, get a batch of mouth-watering sweets from cheeks, and serve them on one of these platters...




use the platter as a centerpiece, and put antique valentine's, linens, and cards around for decoration. you can even sprinkle some rose petals around for a garnish and fresh scent.
then have some organic milk or tea in this pretty pitcher and you're all set for a nice tasty treat for valentine's day.
use these adorable tea cups & dessert platesfrom anthropologie.

dwell

dwell is really great sight for style & inspiration. their shop has some really beautiful linens, duvets & pieces.







dwell also has really adorable designs for babies & kids. it's nice to see that you can make a baby's room be age-appropriate, yet have some style, color and class.

best film of the year

no doubt.

cutest thing ever

neighbors coasters from robotcandy. love his stuff.

cocktail hour

spotlight on: allie & doug's Cocktails at Le Chateau Lamude


interview with allie maddox on the cocktail party that took place at her boyfriend's, doug lamude.

*chat with allie*

what was the menu?
menu: bacon wrapped scallops with lemon and pepper, olive tapenade & pita bread, gruyere (aged 1 year), smoked gouda, brie cheeses, an assortment of gourmet crackers, Doug's homemade bruschetta, and of course, vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting & little heart sprinkles.
drinks: dirty martinis, bourbon, fine wines


what was the decor, or extra decorations if any?
just a super clean house is a must, and antique silver platters & flowers of course. we played pop culture trivial pursuit as well. that was super nerdfun.

what was your prior planning?
I started planning a week in advance, searched the web for delicious appetizers and finger foods. I came across this cute website with a section called "Cocktail Parties 101", that was very helpful. start cleaning way in advance. chill and have a drink before the guests arrive. I also invited one of my best girlfriends to come over an hour early to help me. was surprisingly EASY and no stress.



*allie's special touch:I did send out enderby thank you cards. that was cute.
(above:enderby card)


*nest was super-impressed by: the bacon-wrapped scallops, nice touch. the apron was all allie. maddox had it custom-designed for the shin-dig, to express her affinity for the delicious treat & to match the menu. even martha would be proud.



nice work, allie. looks like you had a really fun, relaxing time with no stress. rad.

for your cocktail hour add some class to your pad with this estella carafe

*add a unique touch by using vintage coasters or use a unique etsy find like these cute squirrel coasters from robotcandy's shop.


and this lines ice bucket. both carafe & ice bucket from crate & barrel.

outside in

i finding new ways to bring the outdoors inside your home. whether it's found objects in nature you collect and use as art or decor, or this wallpaper that creates the look of a forest in your interior living space. a great resource for this is Fabrics & Papers. i love the faux wood finish. that is really cool. i know people hate the old wood panels in 60's-70's style basements, but i think they are pretty rad. i love the old school retro wood paneling mixed modern black and white furniture. add some unique antique pieces, and bold print pillows or drapes and you have a really eclectic room. or add a retro bar area and it's an homage to the suburbia basement cocktail hour.

their forest prints are lovely, and create a serene escape for a bedroom.

or the darker forest print would make a living room relaxing and interesting, and your brighter, bolder-colored art or photography would really stand out against the black.

the warm magenta and the warm chocolate brown of the paisley print are really inspiring and would be motivating in a studio or work space.

this blue print is really pretty. nice rich blue, with a subtle gold print could work anywhere. with the dark color and feminine lines, it would be really warm in a bedroom or living room.

to the lab!

the etsy lab is as rad as i could have imagined. a huge loft space, with a lovely, open sewing station stocked with machines that are as smooth as butter. a screen printing machine, a letter press on the way, a video editing area, with a screening space being put together. an amazing utopia for artists, designers and artists. i love it. i've been swamped with orders (no complaints) and haven't been back this week yet, but will kick it at the party there tonight. come join me, it's gonna be super fun. meet some of the great people behind the magic that is ETSY!