Happy Weekend

1-Design Crush

2-Design Crush

3-Design Crush

4-Design Crush

5-Design Crush

6-Design Crush

7-Design Crush

8-Design Crush

9-Design Crush

10-Design Crush

01/ The Real Apple Store celebrates a 1,000 year old borough market.
02/ Lady Gaga’s lead keyboardist developed a circular piano!
03/ And enormous raised-earth horse sculpture in Wales.
04/ London is shaming irresponsible dog owners by spray painting their poop pink.
05/ The feral cat population of Disneyland.
06/ One mom documents 63 things she found in her baby’s mouth over seven months.
07/ Genius design – this pregnancy book grows in size with the expectant mother.
08/ This frozen pond is creating beautiful concentric circles!
09/ Looking forward to next spring’s Kurt Cobain documentary – Montage of Heck.
10/ New life goal: to be one of these wrestling grandmas one day.

This week on Design Crush:
Win $300 from Minted to spend on holiday cards or some new art!
Baby, it’s cold outside! Stay warm with ramen 10 ways.
The bittersweet paintings of Akiko Kobayakawa.
The incredible Nespresso Vertuoline and seasonal coffee recipes for entertaining.
Repaired + reimagined: my Dad’s coat rack gets a much needed modern update.
Twelve more calendars for your 2015.
I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Revealing how my dining room is take shape.

Design Crush elsewhere:
Five ways to add color to your space for winter.
Some designer insights from me over on Terry’s Blinds.

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2015 Calendars: Part 4

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2015 Letterpress Calendar by 1 Canoe 2 // TYPE 2015 Letterpress Calendar by iSkelter // 2015 Retro Fruit + Vegetable Calendar by Loopz Art // New York Architecture 2015 Calendar by Hello Small World

 

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Twelve Tables 2015 Calendar by Little Low // 2015 BEER/FOOD Calendar by redcruiser // 2015 Cat Desk Calendar by Gingiber // 2015 Sand Wall Calendar by Rationale Design

 

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2015 Calendar Poster Print by Yumalum // FolkFlora Wall Calendar 2015 by Durido // City Illustrations Calendar 2015 by Tessa Galloway // 2015 Calendar by Shanna Murray

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3

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Ramen 10 Ways

I’m a soup fiend when cold weather comes to town, and I’m always looking for the next one to try (these are my favorite two!). This winter I’m planning on doing a little experimentation with ramen and I’ve bookmarked these ten recipes as my starting point. Have you ever made it other than straight out of the package? Me neither.

 

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Click on each image to go to the recipe.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.

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Win It: $300 from Minted

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I’m a big fan of Minted, their goods, and what they’re doing for independent artists. I have several pieces of the art they sell in my home, and this is the second year I’ve turned to them for my holiday cards. Minted offers a fantastic collection of both photo and non-photo cards (my preference), and after narrowing them all down to four designs I settled on this one by Phrosene Ras. I love the bright and happy palette and the ability to customize the sentiment.

 

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This year I took the time to input all of my addresses on the website so that Minted could print them right on the envelopes. While I’m normally all for hand-addressing my holiday cards this year is extremely busy, so I took the plunge and don’t have one regret. They look so good!

 

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Minted also offers the option of a decorative element next to the address that coordinates with your card’s design. I really felt like this additional touch helped make up the difference (in my mind) for not writing things out on my own.

 

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Minted will also add your return address on the envelope flap for free. The end result was clean, modern, and just my style.

 

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I’m happy to team up with Minted to give a lucky reader $300 to spend on holiday cards, art, or whatever else might be calling your name! (They also have some lovely gift tags and wrapping paper.) Take advantage of their addressing service or wow your holiday card list with a design that features their new gold foil. Best of luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Happy Weekend

1-Design Crush

2-Design Crush

3-Design Crush

4-Design Crush

5-Design Crush

6-Design Crush

7-Design Crush

8-Design Crush

9-Design Crush

10-Design Crush

01/ April Dauscha‘s explorations of lacework and her body are beautiful.
02/ This water-filled chair contains all of the tears cried in a human lifetime.
03/ Exactly how you think famous artists would rearrange Thanksgiving meals.
04/ Tower Bridge in London now features a class floor on its high-level walkways.
05/ Ai WeiWei transforms Alcatraz bathrooms into massive flower installations.
06/ Fifteen photos that will convince you Iceland belongs on another planet.
07/ Iconic Portland statues get the festive yarn bombing treatment.
08/ If only all nail salons could look as good as Missy Lui does.
09/ Would you stay in this KLM airplane Airbnb apartment? (I would.)
10/ Zhenya Aerohockey documents the corners he finds in life through photography.

This week on Design Crush:
Drop what you’re doing and go enter to win a handwoven rug just like the one in my living room!
Here are 12 advent calendars to get you prepped for December 1st.
Checking in on the colorful abstract work of Jeremy Rabus.
Take a peek at part 1 of our holiday card roundups.
Leaf Beast reimagines nature’s drying fall leaves.
Dinosaur Designs’ Atelier collection is so happy and bright!
Carolina Mizrahi‘s underwater photography series is not for those with a fear of H2O.
Twelve more calendars for your 2015!

Design Crush elsewhere:
Talking about colorful clawfoot tubs – are you for or against them?
Graphic black + white rugs are some of my favorite floor coverings.

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2015 Calendars: Part 3

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Imaginary Travels 2015 Calendar by Kirsten Sims // 2015 Calendar by SNUG.TOYBLOCKS // 2015 Calendar by Leah Duncan // Standing 2015 Desk Calendar by Ditto Ditto

 

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Jaunty Animals 2015 Calendar by Hello Small World // The National Parks 2015 Calendar by Sarah Vaughan // MMXV Gold Foil 2015 Calendar by Chelsey Dyer // Frankie Calendar 2015 by Frankie Press

 

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Kukkuu 2015 Wall Calendar by Marimekko // Mark’s 2015 Notebook Calendar by Omoi Zakka Shop // 2015 Calendar by Jeanetta Gonzales // Modern Calligraphy 2015 Calendar by Bloom Letterpress

Part 1 // Part 2

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The Living Room + a Lamps.com Giveaway

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I posted a sneak peek of the kitchen last week, but this time it’s the real deal. I’m finally beginning to share how my new (old, built in 1900) house is shaping up. I think I’ve said before that I bought this home knowing that it was a flip, and fully expecting all of the weirdness/issues that normally accompany such a project. We’ve already done some updating to a few things – roof repairs, a plumbing issue, bringing outlets up to code, etc – and there are of course still things that need done and yet others I want to do aesthetically. But I’m really starting to feel like this house is much more me than the last one in Oklahoma City. There’s character, there’s charm, there’s quirks. I plan on being here for years to come and I’m so happy to share a bit of the journey with you.

 

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The living room is directly to the left of the foyer area. One of the main attributes that had me laying down my money for this place was all of the lovely light – 31 windows! – and openness. My last home had 11 windows and it was a big problem area for me.

 

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The fireplace isn’t functioning, but I’m hoping to change that once I talk to a professional about what the deal is. I really love the stonework. You can’t tell from this photo, but it’s not all flush and they stick out randomly for some fantastic texture. The interior is black which works really well for featuring other pieces (aside from that MIA fire). My old home had a gallery wall in the living room and it feels really nice to be able to break up my collection a little more here.

 

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Before I made the move from Oklahoma back to my home state of Pennsylvania, I sold and donated several things that were no longer my style or not what I saw working in this space. My photographer, Quelcy Kogel, asked me while we were shooting whether minimalism came naturally to me and I had to admit the answer was no. However, I’m loving this more pared down lifestyle that I’ve aspired to for years and am attempting to make it my mindset going forward.

 

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I keep going back and forth on whether or not to remove the shutters on the windows flanking the fireplace, but settled for ripping out the old greying lace curtains that came with the house before the movers even had a chance to arrive. I have an unspoken rule that there will always be fresh flowers in this room because they add such life.

 

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Another old house quirk – the floors are most definitely not even remotely close to being level, as my bookshelves can attest. While I still find it charming and funny I’d eventually like to invest in some sort of built-in for my library collection that would be slightly more sturdy and, well, level.

 

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This is my view every evening as I settle down with the pups and attempt to unwind. There’s a beautiful fir tree just outside the window there and I can’t wait to see it covered with snow.

 

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So are you all ready for a giveaway? I thought so. Lamps.com is giving away the 5 x 8′ Tasman Shag Handwoven Rug that I have in my living room. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this thing. We didn’t have any floor coverings for several weeks when I first moved in, and the moment this beauty arrived and was laid down both I and the dogs lost our minds. It feels so soft underfoot and Bebe and Piper love sprawling out for a good nap in front of the couch. And if you spy another rug you love on Lamps.com (yes, way more than lamps!), know that every one comes with a free rug pad. Essential for not slipping and giving your piece a good base.

 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

To Enter:
1. Simply follow @designcrush and @lampsdotcom on Instagram! Then leave a little comment saying you did so along with your Instagram handle.
2. We’ll choose a random winner next Monday.
3. Good luck!

Reeve Mid-Century Coffee Table c/o West Elm // Gold Wire and Wood Accent Table // Stoneware Cylinder Vase (similar) // Basque Steel Brushed Nickel Arc Floor Lamp (similar) // Heywood Triple Natural Wood Bench // Samantha Armchair // Darrin Sofa // Still Not Scared by Kristi Kohut c/o Minted // Tasman Shag Handwoven Rug // Frontier Flatweave Handwoven Rug c/o Lamps.com // 14″ Globe Pendant c/o West Elm // A Helpful Reminder by Annie Clark c/o Minted // Sometimes I Wish Beginnings Were Ends c/o Jaime Derringer // You’re the Best and the Mostest c/o Read Between the Lines // Ellen by Tuesday Mourning // small painting on mantel by Pippin & Pearl // bar cart no long available

Photos: Quelcy Kogel

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Happy Weekend

1-Design Crush

2-Design Crush

3-Design Crush

4-Design Crush

5-Design Crush

6-Design Crush

7-Design Crush

8-Design Crush

9-Design Crush

10-Design Crush

01/ Flowers and People, Cannot Be Controlled but Live Together burst into bloom as you approach.
02/ Microscopic photos of vinyl record grooves are completely fascinating.
03/ This crazy colorful street installation in Limerick City, Ireland is No. 27 – A Nod to Ed Ruscha.
04/ The nineteen windmills of Kinderdijk serve a big purpose.
05/ Cats + Humans + Contemporary Dance = Dancing with Cats.
06/ Madison Square Park is getting a gorgeous gold foliage-inspired canopy, Fata Morgana.
07/ 3D printing is helping to create tangible, touchable memories for the visually impaired.
08/ Love Sriracha? Then you definitely need the keychain-ready Sriracha2Go!
09/ Driftwood Dinosaurs aren’t exactly fossils, but they are realistic recreations.
10/ Create your own DIY geometric paper animal sculptures with the help of Paperwolf.

This week on Design Crush:
Enter to win $100 to spend at Lulu & Georgia, and get a sneak peek at part of my kitchen!
Put these 12 November DIYs on your must-make list asap.
The prettiest handmade porcelain pieces from Self Press.
Crushing on the hand-painted pillows from the makers at bunglo.
Lovely papier mache pieces from Rachel Ibarra.
You’re invited to Thanksgiving! (At least in my imagination.)
Tips on making dessert count and my go-t0 recipe for Dense Bittersweet Chocolate Cake.
2015 Calendars: Part 2 is up!
For the love of cats – how do you treat your pets extra special during the holidays?

Design Crush elsewhere:
Ways to make a small bath feel spacious.

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2015 Calendars: Part 2

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2015 Ferme Calendar by Ferme a Papier // 2015 Minimalist Wall Calendar by ReStyle Graphic // 2015 Hand-Lettered Wall Calendar by Stationery Bakery // Flower Laser Cut Desk Calendar by Avie Designs

 

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2015 Colors Wall Calendar by Dozi // Woodland Creatures 2015 Calendar by Carol Farrell // 2015 Fortune Cookie Calendar by Messy Bed Studio // 2015 Buildings of New York Calendar by mmmMAR

 

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2015 Prisms Calendar by Julia Kostreva // 2015 Calendar by Kristina Krogh // Pickles 2015 Calendar by Darling Clementine // Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar 2015 Calendar

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