I was so busy with end of term last week I didn’t even have a second to buy a bouquet. So this week, I had double the fun. More shots in better light in the morning. All Year of Flowers bouquets here.
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I just saw these mysterious “347″ pasta bowls over at P.O.S.H (on sale for $6) — they were a custom order at the now defunct Buffalo China Company. I want to know what 347 is! A fun secret society of Buffalo housewives? Makes me want to design some custom secret plates.
For more fun china, see the work of the Non Fiction Design Collective – based in Columbus Ohio, they make a wonderful hybrid new/old aesthetic china that is very cool and reminds me of delftware tiles.
Here at Design Scouting, when we’re not thinking about design chances are we’re thinking about food, so today we interupt our regular design-casting for a culinary segment.
I’d heard major New-York-Foodie-Hype about Artichoke Basille pizza (328 E. 14th St., nr. First Ave) and being a staunch Grimaldi’s fan from my days of living literally across the street, I was intrigued. So, last night I bundled up (it was freezing here in the city) and went to 14th street and 1st avenue to scout it out. I’d heard horror stories about the line on the weekends, and figured if it was really bad I’d bail. But I only had to stand in line for about 15 minutes. I picked up a slice of their signature artichoke and spinach (which has been getting all the Chow.com raves) and a square Sicilian slice ($2.50 to $3.50). It is pretty awesome pizza — unpretentious, greasy, delicious, layered and profoundly satisfying. I liked the Sicilian the best (salty and almost fried) and Tim like the artichoke and spinach (creamy and unique favors). Neither approach the alchemy of the thin crust wonder that is a Grimaldi’s pepperoni pizza, but, if you’re walking by, and the line is short, jump in. It’s worth it.
Note: there is no place to sit, it’s really a take out place.
(Photo via nymag.com)
How perfect are these chocolate bees from Burdicks? We sent them to Mom for Mother’s Day and they were a big hit.
I’m a bit behind in my blogland reading, and slowly catching up, so I’m just now seeing this entry way over at Design*Sponge (from April!). It’s a DIY project too which is very cool. I’d like to do this in bright hunter green, maybe only on one wall so it isn’t overwhelming. I love the yellow accents here too. and the oval mirror. So stylish.
It’s finally spring in the Nova/Wright household. The containers are in (and some of the plants from last year actually survived the winter and are blooming again, already!). Winter must truly be over.
See all the container gardens here.
I’m reaching the bitter end of the term. One more deadline this Friday and then I’m wrapping up for the summer! We’re taking a week off before diving into summer work and I’m trying to figure out a relatively easy-to-get-to getaway weekend within driving distance (so… NY, CT, MA, VT, NH). The bonus: Last Christmas Tim’s parents gave us three free nights at the bed and breakfast of our choice through bedandbreakfast.com, which offers some 6,000 bed and breakfasts as part of its network.
New Yorkers: What are your favorite get-aways? Any suggestions upstate?
The place I really need recommendations for is Flordia — I’d love to go someplace relatively untouristy and beachy — the Keys? I’ve never been, so have no idea what parts are more authentic than others. Your suggestions are much appreciated!
Right now I’m considering:
Squam Lake Inn, Holderness NH (Our wedding party stayed here (we were married in Holderness).
Veranda Inn, Nantucket MA (Looks cleanly designed and nice — I hate the chintz-grandma factor of b&bs)
A Little Inn on Plesant Bay, Orleans MA (We were lucky enough to go last summer with Tim’s family and it was just perfect. Doesn’t the Cape and beach sound nice?)
Adams Inn, Washington, DC (we have friends who we’d love to see in DC and I could go museum crazy)
Of course, NH will be on the cool side at the end of May, but Orleans could be nice. Side note: Is anyone else sort of drowning in random (but nice to have gift cards)? I’m in gift card overload (from our wedding, which was two years ago) and have made it my summer resolution to use them all up since I had a scary moment where I thought I’d lost what amounts to almost $2,000 of wedding gift related credit at a variety of stores by misplacing the whole stack. This will not do.
One of the funny things about living in NYC long enough is that you start living very compactly and truly appreciate anything that lets you get more storage out of your space. This post from Apartment Therapy LA made me envious — A secret laundry compartment, love it!
A friend sent me a link to the NYTimes Style section article on streampunk, whose “definition is loose enough to accommodate a stew of influences, including the streamlined retro-futurism of Flash Gordon and Japanese animation with its goggle-wearing hackers, the postapocalyptic scavenger style of “Mad Max,” and vaudeville, burlesque and the structured gentility of the Victorian age”
It really reminds me of Moulin Rouge – which I watched at a drive in movie theater in Vermont one summer so long ago and loved the infectious energy of it in the mountain air.
My favorite quote: ‘If steampunk has a mission, it is, in part, to restore a sense of wonder to a technology-jaded world. “Today satellite photos make the planet seem so small,” Mr. Brown lamented. “Where is the adventure it that?” In contrast, steampunk, with its airships, test tubes and time machines, is, he said, “sort of a dream , the way we used to daydream. It’s like part of your childhood’s just bursting forward again.”‘
Genius. More here.
I’ll be the girl with the vintage aviator goggles and burlesque striped tights.
I’m kidding.
Sort of.
Today I’m presenting on the collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo, a 17th century collector who commissioned over 7,000 paintings of natural history (mushrooms (one shown above), citrus fruit, flowers) and the ancient world (roman ruins, antiquities).
I’ve sort of been obsessed with this image from the Style Files. It just looks clean, comfortable, airy, happy and while not totally my style, I’m thinking of what works here and how to infuse my home with this. I think its mixing the cool (as in cold) modern lines with the warm wooden (not modern) table and all the color, both inside and out. Also, I’m lusting for outdoor space, and this looks to have plenty.
I’m back in the library (I’ve decided I’m a really a citizen of the libraries of New York City), but we had a nice weekend, watching Lars and the Real Girl, cooking tasty mac and cheese with wild mushrooms and TRUFFLE oil (so fancy!) and catching up with an old, dear friend in town from Germany.
NB: Lars and the Real Girl made me cry, and I actually don’t remember a movie ever making me cry before. It’s good, better than the storyline makes you think it will be.
I never grow tired of browsing vintage sellers on Etsy — it appeals to my flea market lovin’, design scouting soul — its almost like I get to visit thrift stores and flea markets all over the country and world via the eyes of Etsy sellers everywhere and the prices are (usually) pretty good. This wooden plaque from seller EstateSale is cheap ($5) and would be a great addition to someone’s photo/gallery wall. I love the seagulls in the front (sort of The Birds like). Now, I know that those related to me by blood (Mom) and those that are married to me (Tim) will decry this as totally tacky. And they are probably right. But it has a funky fresh aesthetic that appeals to me, in the right context — like next to photos from Florida (which this somehow reminds me of) or a great vintage paint by numbers. I’d hang this and a gallery full of fun framed finds in a laundry room or entry hall. In fact, I’d love to see an entry hall tiled floor to ceiling with framed photos and paintings.
Here is this week’s bouquet — lilacs and peonies are my two favorite flowers. See the rest of the bouquets here.
I’m clearly longing for a green, light filled get away… Happy Thursday.
via Garden Rooms, via Purple Area
