~ SAVE THE DATE! ~

the gift on grand
december 16 from 11-8pm
at 33 grand street
williamsburg

i always try to buy as many holiday presents as i can from independent designers, and this shopping event will be a great place to do it! i’ll be there (debuting some new designs!), along with a long list of fabulous designers. more details here.




i was worried when i moved from manhattan to brooklyn, that i would feel removed from what seemed like the center of the art/design/fashion world. but now, as a very proud brooklynite, i often feel like i’m a part of an even more exciting design epicenter. brooklyn is home to many of the best stores in new york city, some of them BETTER than anything in manhattan. erie basin, a new store in red hook, is one of those extra-special stores. i read about the new opening on design*sponge, and while driving to fairway for thanksgiving shopping, i spotted it and pulled over to run in. the store is really amazingly beautiful, and i wanted everything. for those of you who can’t make it out to brooklyn, here’s a visual tour!


thanks readymade magazine, for asking me to share a homemade holiday gift project in their december issue. that’s my printed handkerchief project above. the hanky is made with a freezer paper stencil and fabric ink. thanks to sarah neuburger for introducing me to using freezer paper for stenciling, back in april, on her blog! i’ve found so many uses for it ever since. there are thirteen projects in total, by designers: lotta jansdotter, jenny hart, 31 corn lane, & the curiosity shoppe… to name a few!



the new york times’s special travel magazine came with last weekend’s paper, and it had some really great features. one was a shopping guide to chicago’s wicker park. i’ve only been to chicago once, about eight years ago, but if i go back i will definitely check out the wicker park area. shops included: jade (top left) & paper doll (top right). i also really enjoyed the story on the philadelphia art scene (which made me think of designers erin and emily). i loved the photo of alex da corte and his big stuffed sculptural pieces. lastly, there was a great story on munich’s famous porcelain manufacturer porzellan manufaktur nymphenburg (that was redundant!), which has been making traditional ceramics since 1747, but also manufactures less traditional works of art by designers like hella jongerious and ted muehling.