April 3, 2018

4 Totes You’ll Use All Spring + Summer Long

Culinary Totes from Àplat
These smartly designed bags are meant to carry casserole dishes and serving bowls, in other words perfect for picnics and potlucks. They also design a great selection of totes meant to carry bread, bottles of wine, and your garden’s bounty.

 

Waxed Canvas Market Tote from Newton Supply Co.
If you’re a farmer’s market aficionado, this tote is for you. Waxed canvas is such a fantastic material because it’s not only durable but water resistant as well. Carry this along on your Saturday jaunts to carry everything from fresh stems to bottles of milk.

 

Terrazzo Tote Bag from Ferm Living
No doubt by now you’ve caught on to the terrazzo trend that’s sweeping the decor sector, and this sizable tote carries it over into fashion. The 100% organic cotton bag is a good one to carry along on vacation or tuck into your purse for unexpected purchases.

 

Picnic Tote Blanket from Gessato
This tote pulls double-duty as a fully functioning bag and picnic blanket! Carry along your lunchtime spread or laptop, then spread it open to reveal a spacious blanket with a soft layer cushioning and water-repellent layer for the grass or beach.

Posted In bags, round up, series, style, wear it
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April 3, 2018

Aleksey Kondratyev / Ice Fishers

 

Aleksey Kondratyev‘s document-style photographs in Ice Fishers shines a light on what can be a brutal career. These Kazakh fishermen find shelter from temperatures as low as minus forty degrees in small tents of reused plastic packaging.

I was interested in examining the aesthetic forms of these improvised protective coverings and the way in which they function as inadvertent sculptures. I chose to focus on the materials and their surfaces as signifiers of underlying global influence and the improvisation that occurs from economic necessity.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In create, photography
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April 2, 2018

Lisa Nilsson / Tissue Series

 

Lisa Nilsson‘s Tissue Series is crafted entirely from mulberry paper and the gilded edges of old books, each anatomical cross-section quilled to detailed perfection. Check out the detail in the last image below to get a better idea of what goes into even a small section of work. (Seems satisfying, doesn’t it?)

They are constructed by a technique of rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper called quilling or paper filigree. Quilling was first practiced by Renaissance nuns and monks who are said to have made artistic use of the gilded edges of worn out bibles, and later by 18th century ladies who made artistic use of lots of free time. I find quilling exquisitely satisfying for rendering the densely squished and lovely internal landscape of the human body in cross section.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In create, paper
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March 31, 2018

March Favorites

1/ Birthday Box: Twenty Birthday Cards
This box of twenty birthday cards created by five different artists has saved my butt not once, but twice this month alone. Every single one is gorgeous and printed on thick paper stock, so it won’t look like you forgot to pick up a card.

2/ Case Study Table Top Diamond with Wood Stand
I adore Case Study’s ceramics and own about five of their planters. This one is the perfect size for a kitchen table or countertop.

3/ Petit Collage 5pc Mealtime Set (Dinosaurs)
Petit Collage offers the best modern designed children’s toys and decor, and it’s al sustainably made. I picked up a few things for two of my cousins’ birthdays this month, including this mealtime set. Get 15% off your purchase with code DESIGNCRUSH.

4/ Kristen Ess The One Signature Shampoo and Conditioner
I took some travel sizes of these along when I had to travel last month and really fell in love with the way they made my hair feel. The scent is more powerful than most hair products I’ve tried, but I don’t dislike it and feel like it helps cover any second day hair smell.

5/ MyChelle Lip Hints
These conditioning lip balms have been valuable players in keeping my dry winter lips moisturized. The light tints are a nice added bonus.

6/ Sqwishful Pop Up Sponges
These guys are 100% renewable plant-based, 100% biodegradable, and compressed to reduce their carbon footprint. And they come in a fun shape.

7/ Striped Knit Crop Jumpsuit
Wish you could wear your pajamas all day? Get this jumpsuit. Not only does it make you look super pulled together, but I guarantee lots of compliments will follow. (Note: I’m 5’2″ and it fits to my ankles, not cropped.)

Posted In accessories, beauty bag, cards, create, favorites, house and home, kids, kitchen, living, paper goods, series, style, wear it
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March 30, 2018

Sarah Greaves

 

A vibrant installation of ancient Armenian images, embroidered wooden scupltures, zoomorphic creatures, and soundscapes. A collection that uses embroidery to vandalize everyday objects with emotive, political, and thoughtful text. A pseudo kitchen where fridges, doors, food, and sinks become the canvases for hidden thoughts. Sarah Greaves elevates everything she touches to the next level of thought and emotion.

 

 

 

 

Posted In create, installation, textiles
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March 29, 2018

Too Legit to Quilt

 

Aside from having a brilliant tongue-in-cheek shop name, Dre McLeod of Too Legit to Quilt creates some super badass custom patches and textiles. You can opt for a patch on its own or even buy a jacket. She uses mostly repurposed fabrics, and the garments are always purchased secondhand which I definitely applaud.

 

 

 

 

Posted In create, style, textiles, wear it
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March 29, 2018

Wardrobe Snacks

 

Photographer Kelsey McClellan and prop stylist Michelle Maguire first met back in 2013 while working on a recipe book. Their collaborative series, Wardrobe Snacks, evolved out of observing how people eat when they are away from tables.

Michelle’s stepdad who rests his sandwich on his thigh (hell with a plate!) in between bites while he blasts an action movie on his TV; a commuter cramped up on a crowded bus retrieving an item from a bag or pocket; a lunch-breaker on a park bench eating from her lap. They’re informal — perhaps even a bit awkward — spaces as far as eating is concerned, yet the diner always appears to be comfortable and perfectly satisfied with his chosen snack, almost zen-like.

Shop Wardrobe Snacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In collaboration/project, create, photography
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March 28, 2018

Carrot Cake 15 Ways

To me carrot cake is irrevocably tied to spring as the perfect transitional sweet – am I alone here? It’s like the hope of warm weather that’s to come all tied up with a bow and (in most cases) a layer of cream cheese icing. The classic flavors involved can be incorporated into more than just cake too, delicious dishes like scones, oatmeal, and a gin fizz to name a few. Check out all fifteen takes on carrot cake below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In food, living, recipes, round up, series
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