January always has me aching to get super organized. – to go through everything in the house, pare down, and streamline. But one task I’m always horrible at is keeping up with is my stack of magazines, so I figure the least I can do is keep them in order in a rack in my living room or office. I have this one that’s currently out of stock, but I pulled together a bunch of other options that I love just as much.
Philadelphia-based artist Lydia Ricci literally turns trash into treasure. Each of her miniature sculptures is created from bits and pieces of scraps she collects and is based on a distinct memory. I like imagining the patience and dexterity that must go into each little creation!
This organic, conceptual chessboard is a real stunner. XYZ Integrated Architecture and Manoshka Kipiani joined talents to create a beautiful piece of pottery – Chess Vase – designed as an abstract take on the classic, using live florals in place of rooks and pawns.
These incredible paint and torn paper creations by Andrea Myers have me straight up mesmerized. They also have me thinking I really, really wish I’d thought of that! So I guess what I’m really saying is that I’m completely inspired, which is what most art aspires to do at the end of the day. (A+++)
Sometime last January I started something that I should have tackled years before: a legitimate skincare routine. As a teen I used the old standbys containing plenty of benzoyl peroxide, and in my 20s I relied on face wash and Oil of Olay. Hardly a regiment that was prepping my face for the years to come or protecting it against the elements encountered on a daily basis. But with the uncertainties looming in 2017 (R.I.P.) I needed to feel control over something, and that something turned out to be my face. According this article in the New Yorker I wasn’t alone either, scores of you turned to skincare as a coping mechanism. My biggest takeaways? That just because your skin may feel oily you still need to moisturize and that serums are worth their weight in gold. Nearly twelve months in and I’m feeling much better about my complexion and continue to search out products to add to my routine. What are your go-tos?
You know that person who is super creative and can make just about anything? That’s Gavin Coyle, a studio workshop based in East London dedicated to preserving the skills of traditional craftsmanship in new ways. They’re an incredibly innovative group with a less is more ethos who create as little waste during production as possible. Check out their shop or request a bespoke piece all your own.
I doubt there’s a more fitting start to the new year than Honor Freeman‘s porcelain bars of used soap and sponges. Fresh starts, wiping the slate clean, and many other sentimentalities ring true as each of us hammers out just what it is we’d like to accomplish in the twelve months to come.
Noticing and quietly commemorating the smaller moments that are a constant rhythm of the everyday continues to be a preoccupation in my work. I seek to make visible the relationship between us and the objects we use, the gestures, mundane activities and humble objects, like small markers silently measuring the hours and marking the days. Thoughts of preserving, measuring and marking time’s passing occupy the work during the making. There is a correlation between actions and gestures used when engaging with objects and those used during the process of making that informs the work. Using the mimetic qualities of clay via the process of slipcasting, the work playfully interacts with ideas of liquid made solid due to the processes of making that are fundamental when working with clay. The porcelain casts become echoes of the original (object), the liquid slip becoming solid and forming a memory of a past form, the essence of an object. Small moments caught and made solid as if frozen in time – liquid made solid.
I know I said I wouldn’t be back until after the new year, but I couldn’t let it slip by without sharing this recipe! My mom makes a big pot of black-eyed peas and a piping hot pan of cornbread every New Year’s Day. Superstition has it that eating a bowl will bring you luck in the coming year, and I’m not one to mess with that kind of science! This dish is one she has stored in the recipe box of her mind and has never been shared before, so this is *kind of* a big deal. It’s also very versatile. Add more beans, leave out the sauerkraut, cut back on the meat? All totally doable. We like to place a piece of cornbread in the bottom of a bowl and cover it with the beans before digging in. Here’s to a fantastic 2018!
New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas • 1 bag dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in a large pot of cold water
• 1 large sweet yellow onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 large ham hocks
• 1 ring of Polish Kielbasa or Polish Sausage, sliced into 1-inch quartered pieces
• 1 ham steak, fried and cut into small 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 oz sauerkraut, drained
• red pepper to taste
Drain peas and rinse well, removing any bad ones. Combine black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, ham hocks, Kielbasa, and ham steak in a very large stock pot, then fill with water to cover. Set on low heat, stirring occasionally. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Cook until black-eyed peas are tender and ham hocks are cooked through and falling apart. Remove ham hocks from pot and remove meat from bones, then add meat back to the pea mixture. Discard scraps and add sauerkraut and red pepper to taste. Cook for additional 15 minutes. Total cook time varies, but is usually in the three to four hour range.
The Best Cornbread • 1 C butter, softened
• 2 – 8 oz cans corn, drained
• 2 – 8 oz cans creamed corn
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 – 8.5 oz boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients until blended (do not beat with mixer). Pour into a greased and floured 9” x 13” cake pan. Bake one hour or until the top is lightly browned. Enjoy!
With the exception of one post next week, I’m closing up shop until January! Wishing you all a fantastic end of the year, no matter what holiday(s) you’re celebrating or not celebrating. I hope you’re surrounded by warmth and comfort and love and know that it means the world that you allow Design Crush to be the tiniest part of your life.
