February 2018 - Design Crush

February 28, 2018

February 2018 Favorites

1/ Bomber Jacket
I’ve been on a bit of a shopping hiatus for clothing since early last summer, but this past weekend I picked up a few pieces for spring. One was this olive green bomber jacket that’s a great weight for those in between days when the weather can’t make up its mind.

2/ Dove Derma Care Scalp Dryness & Itch Relief Conditioner
My scalp has been do dry and itchy this winter that when I came across this conditioner I knew I had to try it. It’s incredibly soothing to massage into your scalp during showers and rinses out without any residue. I’ve definitely noticed an improvement since I started using it last month.

3/ Hand Poured Soy Wax Candles Kit
I’m a big fan of the three kits I’ve tried from The Crafter’s Box, but I’m really enjoying the results of this candle kit. This week I’ve been burning the bergamot-rosemary one I created a few months ago and the depth of fragrance is completely wonderful.

4/ Metallic Arm Retro Sunglasses
My addiction to sunglasses runs deep, but I couldn’t pass up this pair for an upcoming trip to the desert. They’re a little glam and a little boho all at the same time… and pink.

5/ Method Experiential Body Wash in Energy Boost
For the past few years I’ve used Method’s body washes off and on and always been especially impressed with their fragrances. This citrus/ginger/sea buckthorn combo is a great jolt to my senses and washes off really cleanly.

6/ Mint & Argan Lip Balm
If you love seriously minty lip balm like me, then you’ll love this one from Grove Collaborative. It’s the type that leaves your lips tingling while being super hydrating and full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids for healthy lips.

7/ Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
The backs of your hands show age nearly as much as your face, so for years I’ve made a habit of moisturizing right before bed. I rotate between a few different brands, but always end up coming back to this classic during the winter months.

8/ Essential Oils Set
My mom gave me this set of essential oils for Christmas last year and I’ve been using them in my diffuser daily. The eight scents include lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemongrass, orange, peppermint, frankincense, and rosemary.

9/ Pink + Gold Round Brass Enamel Tray
Another gift from my mom, this brass enamel tray is a great size to place on top of my living room side table or load up with candles on the coffee table. Come warmer weather it’ll be a great tray to use while entertaining, too.

Posted In favorites, series

February 28, 2018

Smoke

Photographer Ken Hermann and art director Gem Fletcher teamed up to create Smoke, explosions of color set against desolate industrial landscapes. The one constant is the stepladder at the center of each photo. There’s also something special about nature herself acting as a third contributor, deciding which way the wind would blow and distribute all that colorful magic.

Posted In create, photography, street

February 27, 2018

Meatballs 15 Ways

When it comes to comfort food – which is just what I’ve been craving lately – meatballs are highly underrated. They’re easy to pull together for a meal, so versatile, and can be jam packed with vibrant flavors. If you’re still a doubter just have a look at the 15 recipes below!

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

February 27, 2018

Chuchu

Most would say millinery is a dying art form, but not Chuchu. The Hong Kong-born, New York-based creator makes most of her headpieces from paper! Her work has strutted down runways, been spread across the pages of high fashion magazines, and attended the chicest parties. (I think I’d have to display mine prominently after wearing!)

Posted In accessories, create, paper, style, wear it

February 26, 2018

Herstory of Feminism Poster

Marie de Beaucourt created this Herstory of Feminism Poster that was inspired by Victorian book design. It features a rose tree timeline of the year women gained suffrage in different countries, important legislative victories in Europe and in the U.S., as well as milestones of key feminist figures around the world.

As a fervent feminist, I wanted to create a beautiful piece of art that would synthesise key dates and facts and introduce some of the women that have shaped the movement or that embody feminist values. It took a while to determine the information I wanted to include and how to present it (a Jezebel journalist and women’s rights activist kindly proofread it for me) and countless hours of drawing and painting. I obviously didn’t aim for exhaustivity, but tried to include information about all waves and as many nationalities and ethnicities as possible. I hope it will make people want to learn more about feminism and its historic activists and thinkers.

Posted In create, illustration, painting, paper goods, prints

February 26, 2018

Sophie MacNeill

Embroidery may as well be called slow expressionism. Vancouver-raised stitcher Sophie MacNeill (aka Slow Stitch Sophie) is very much influenced by what’s around her, examining themes of ecology and connection. The thread and fabric she uses is often hand-dyed with natural materials from her surroundings. Such a meaningful, intentional process, along with Sophie’s day job as a landscape architect, makes for some powerfully beautiful environmental advocacy.

Posted In create, textiles

February 23, 2018

Tiny Letterpress Collection

If you follow Design Crush on Instagram then you know how much I love a good quotes (check out the #365quotes2018 tag for this year’s daily project), and I’ve had an eye on Grapheme‘s Tiny Letterpress Collection for awhile now. I first came across it when several stationers I follow started sharing the pieces they’d purchased. The collection of limited edition letterpress printed quotes are handset in 6-pt type and paired with a corresponding vintage postage stamp, each one measuring 3 7/8″ x 3 7/8″.

Posted In create, paper goods, prints

February 23, 2018

Thirza Schaap / Plastic Ocean

Thirza Schaap‘s Plastic Ocean project brings to light the overabundance of pollution and plastic littering out beaches through sculptures of found objects. The response is meant to be beautiful yet eye-opening in contrast, as Schaap hopes to draw attention and help reduce the use of plastic.

As a child, I would walk over beaches and through fields and forests to collect beautiful shells, shimmering stones, feathers and funnily shaped branches. Much later, after I had moved from Holland to South Africa, I found myself doing the same thing. Only to discover, that I started filling my pockets with trash instead of treasure. In making artistic sculptures out of the objects I find, I try to evoke an emotional response from my audience by creating a contradiction. A clash between initial aesthetic attraction and after a second look repulsion and the realisation of the tragedy trash causes. Our beaches are covered in plastic confetti and there really is nothing to celebrate.

Shop Thirza Schaap’s Plastic Ocean here

Posted In collaboration/project, create, photography

February 22, 2018

Lindsey Bull

Sometimes an artist and their work come along and you really can’t find the words for how it makes you feel, and that’s okay. Lindsey Bull‘s paintings make me feel caught off guard and the eyes of her figures seem to look right through me. Some days that’s enough of an experience though, isn’t it?