Maybe I'm longing for the winter we're not really having here in California, but I'd like nothing better than to wrap myself up in one of these yummy Boucle Alpaca Throws, $205 each from San Francisco design firm Publique Living. The company fuses simple, restrained design and high-quality, often sustainable materials to create quietly elegant accessories for the home.
More goodies from Publique's e-shop:
Boucle Alpaca Pillows, $135 each
Barley Wool Blankets, $195 each
Paper Votive Cuffs, $15 for four
Tree Cups and Saucers, $18 per set
Grafik180: City Art limited-edition prints inspired by the distinctive architecture of cities around the world, $200 each unframed or $390 framed
WoodArt: Rocks made from hand-cut and -stitched wood veneer, $420 each
See more Publique Living designs right here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Cool Stuff: Publique Living
Etsy Find of the Day: Peacock Envy
Tons of awesome vintage from Etsy seller Peacock Envy. Above: Orange and Red Mini Creamers, $16
Clockwise from top left: Norwegian Saga Norsk Tureen, $31; Mushroom Pencil Holder, $9; Wooden Apple Dish, $14
Clockwise: Pair of Brass Deer, $24; Red Shoe Form, $16; Six Blue Floral Trays, $27; Red Play Register, $24
Clockwise: Figgjo Flint Flower Teacup and Saucer, $21; Swedish Leaf Dish Set, $21; Pair of Pedestal Flower Cups, $17; Owl Cutting Board, $27; Patchwork Mugs, $24 for four; Vera Napkins, $22
Check out all of the items in Peacock Envy's Etsy shop right here.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Deal of the Day: 15% Off Place Settings at Heath Ceramics
How drool-worthy are these new place settings from Heath Ceramics? I'll take service for twelve ...
To celebrate the launch of this new dinnerware collection, Heath is offering 15 percent off the regular price ($78 to $164 per set) until the end of February. Simply type in SETS at checkout to take advantage of the discount.
And if you're in the Bay Area, stop by the Heath Factory Store in Sausalito this weekend (Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 8) for tours, open studios, giveaways, and 10 percent off everything.
Etsy Finds of the Day: Feeling Foxy
Mark my words, you guys: Foxes are the new owls.
I'm seeing the vulpine vixens all over Etsy (and elsewhere) these days -- and, since my beloved pooch looks not unlike a fox herself, I'm especially partial to them. (Still, I hope they don't reach the same level of saturation we've seen with birds, deer, and the aforementioned owls, thus dooming them to cliché and then passé status.)
Here, a collection of my favorite foxy finds. Top: Fox Print, $25 from e.soule
Fox in Trees Canvas, $110, and Red Foxen, $78, from Abigail Brown
Masquerade Print, $20 from Ashley G
The Duke of Ny Print, $35 from Matte Stephens
Fox Chubbikin, $18 each from Erin Ellis
Skinny Dipping, $20 from Kristiana Parn
Sydney in Blue Flowers Napkins, $20 for two from Cakehouse
Red Fox Print, $15 from Berkley Illustration
Foxy Wisdom Print, $20 from Zetta
Fox Print, $25 from Andrew Neyer
Moxy Print $17 from Amber Alexander
Mr Fox Moleskine, $12 from Melody Seal
Cake With Mr. Fox Print, $13 from Emma Klingbeil
Fox Amigurimi, $72 from Penguin & Fish
Mr. Fox, Esquire Print, $17 from Marmee Craft
Fox Valentine's Day Card, $3 from Amy Blackwell
Pink Fox Doll, $13 from Run Amok
Quietly Print, $30 from Groundwork
There are literally thousands more examples, but I gotta stop now ...
So what do you think -- are foxes the new Etsy animals du jour? And if so, is it just an offshoot of the whole "woodland creatures" thing? If not, what species gets your vote for the next big trend? (I know, I know. It's a question of earth-shattering importance.)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mark Your Calendar: Your Weekend of Art, Shopping, and Valentine's Day Preparations
Bay Area locals: Get your arting pants on and don your best shopping shoes for a weekend of fun art- and design-related happenings.
Friday night, February 6, is, of course, the Oakland Art Murmur. Among the highlights this month:
Emily Wick (whose popular State Mottos prints were featured here recently) and her boyfriend, artist Brian Brooks, are opening a new gallery in the Temescal District called Smokey's Tangle (named after the couple's imaginary cat). Stop by Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. for the grand-opening reception and show featuring work from Wick, Brooks, and others. Smokey's Tangle is located at 4709 Telegraph Ave.
Lena Reynoso brings her Forty Four Presidents portraits to Blankspace Gallery. The show explores "the visual impact of our corpus of Presidents ... and the presentation and representation of our Nation’s past and our future." Blankspace is located at 6608 San Pablo Ave.
Creative Growth Gallery, which supports artists with disabilities, hosts a group show from longtime program artists Kerri Damianakes, John Martin, Ron Veasey, and George Wilson. Creative Growth is located at 355 24th St.
Fort Gallery, which has taken over the cavernous space recently vacated by Esteban Sabar, will hold an opening reception from 6 to 10 p.m. for Future Winter, a group show from Christopher Murdoch, Emily Goldstein, Miko Isla, and others. Fort is located at 480 23rd St.
Front Gallery hosts a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. for the group show Aftersight, featuring artitsts Francesca Pera, Rocky Angel, and Carolyn Haydu. Aftersight "examines the effect of extraordinary personal events and how they ... are never fully put aside but but always linger just under the surface of our everyday lives." Front Gallery is located at 35 Grand Ave.
At Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio, mother-and-daughter artists Rosa De Anda and Lila Maes De Anda unveil their joint show, The Challenge. The cross-generational collaboration features Ollin, "large-scale wings reborn from recycled lath discarded from San Francisco Victorian homes," and Shattered Not Broken, "small-scale hearts made from recycled glass found in dark alleys and bus shelters, on the side of church steeples, and under worn-out stools in bars. The selected pieces are about the spiritual journey and individual responsibility in healing one's heart." FiveTen Studio is located at 831 Broadway.
If you're across the Bay on Saturday, February 7, check out GetLocalSF's We Heart the Mission Midwinter Stroll from noon until night. Hip shops such as BellJar (where everything will be 10 percent off), the Curiosity Shoppe (also offering 10 percent off almost everything), Candystore, Paxton Gate, and Rare Device (which will be offering 20 percent off) will host special sales and other in-store events during the Stroll. Find a map of participating merchants here.
One special event not to miss in the Mission Saturday afternoon: Lea Redmond's World's Smallest Postal Service. Redmond will set up her lilliputian mobile office at the Curiosity Shoppe from 2 to 5 p.m. and turn out the sweetest, smallest Valentine's love letters imaginable for $8 apiece. (Not in the area? Never fear -- you can order a tiny letter or card online.)
Also on hand at the Shoppe will be PodPost's Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan, who will have an array of Valentine's Day and mail-friendly goodies for sale. The Curiosity Shoppe is located at 855 Valencia St.
Have fun out there, kids.
Cool Stuff: Wall Mounted Pet Bed
Introducing: Akemi Tanaka's Curve Wall Mounted Pet Bed.
It holds up to 45 pounds (meaning it works for small dogs, too), comes in a variety of wood finishes and fabric options, and is $199 at Supermarket.
Seriously, I don't know how our cats have survived without this.
And speaking of pets, have you all seen this video? Apologies if it's old news, but I just discovered it yesterday and think it's absolutely amazing. I mean, really -- who needs kids when you can train your dog to do this?
