Archive for 2007
- 12.30.07New Year’s Goals
- 12.21.07Closing Up Shop {Back on January 2nd}
- 12.21.07Baby + Kids Shops Online {part two}
- 12.21.07Boston Locals: Wanna Set Up Shop in Newburyport?
- 12.21.07Jennifer DeLonge Fresh Vintage
- 12.21.07Equivoque {photography}
- 12.21.07Made By Girl {paper goods}
- 12.20.07Baby + Kids Shops Online {part one}
Hello everyone! I’m quickly peeking in to give you a bit of homework while I’m away. :) With this being the last weekend of the year, and January 1st swiftly approaching, it’s time to talk about your goals for 2008. Will you share them here with me?
When you write something in a public place for all to see you’re much more likely to commit to doing it. So if you’d like to use this space as your bulletin board, please do. Comment with a long or short list. I’ll do the same. And there are perks attached because I’ll send a few of you a little something in the mail just for taking the time to comment, a little “I Care” package that just may encourage you to keep your goals in view for ’08.
So if you’d like, and only if you’d like, feel free to leave a comment and when I return on January 2nd, I’ll let you know who will receive little gifties from me. :)
See you soon!
(image from holly becker for decor8)
Hello friends! I’m closing up shop for a bit to enjoy time with my friends and family, so I’ll be away from the blog until Wednesday, January 2, 2008 when decor8 officially turns 2 years old.
Thank you for your encouragement, friendship, and support this year, you have all touched my life by your visits, comments, and emails. I can’t wait to meet you back here in 2008!
xo, Holly
p.s. – While I’m away, please visit some of my favorite blogs and websites on the decor8 links page.
12/24 Update: I couldn’t stay away… Here is a snapshot of my current flickr favorites, I know I show you these from time to time but I think the current collection is just lovely. Click here to see where each of these beauties originate.
(photo by holly becker)
Here’s the second part of our baby + kids shop round-up. This time, I’ve included additional resources like some of my favorite bloggers and some Canadian shops thanks to a helpful reader up north.
Craftsbury Kids offers a lovely selection of items that are made by hand. It’s a great stop on the web for products that are unique and delightful.
Carina Schott is the lady behind Nonchalant Mom, an online shop that carries fun finds for kids to pad their nest or to dress them in darling threads. I lurk here often, the products she carries from Japan, Sweden, and beyond are stunning. Names like Kragh Rosenberg (she even carries Rosenberg clothing for adults, I want this dress), John Robshaw, Jobs Boden, etc. The shop also has a blog authored by Carina, and a line of clothing she designs. Is this not the coolest site for parents?
Cute-Ture is another fabulous kids store, I especially like all their Franck & Fischer things and their fabric banners. Everyone loves fabric banners!
Romp stocks everything from decole mushrooms to pink rocking chairs, and just so happens to be one of the first stores in the U.S. to carry the wallpaper menagerie from Dutch designer Inke Heiland. The wallpaper tree will always be a favorite of mine and is beautiful in person.
It’s hard to resist bedding from Boodalee. Their city collection is perfect for little boys. Spunky Sprout is on fire, they’ve been featured all over lately and for good reason, their selection is hard to beat stocking items you can’t find just anywhere else like the P?kolino Clothes Tree. And have you seen the Eva foam chair & table set? It’s comfortable, safe, lightweight, durable, strong and washable – in other words, totally kid friendly. Mirror Mirror recently expanded their shop to include a kid’s section, one that they plan to grow out in the new year. And they have Miffy! Isn’t this ceramic wall hook the best?
Reader Lisa Zuraw from Sweet Beets wrote in this morning after seeing my first round up with several shop tips for those based in Canada. Thanks, Lisa! Enfant Terrible is one she suggested, along with a few more listed below. Enfant Terrible carries the cutest Tamar Mogendorff bird cage and bird house I’ve ever seen. And Donna Wilson dolls, aw these are darling. And like Romp, they stock the Inke wallpaper decals for those of you interested up in Canada in this product. More finds from Lisa: InquisitiveKid, Baby Oh My (Natural and Eco products), Modern Baby Barn, Modern Kid and Style Kid. Great finds, Lisa! And how can I write about kids without mentioning Mahar Drygoods? This shop is beautiful, every parent needs to dive into this online treasure chest filled with handmade goods from all over the world. And the site is gorgeous, too. These figure skates for baby and the Lisa Congdon bibs are my faves. Lisa is such a great lady, her talent runneth over.
Here are some additional links to keep you busy. I’ll update this post to include new ones if you don’t see your favorite kid’s shop here. Just send me an email or comment below with the link.
Design Public (baby + kids)
2Modern (kids + baby)
Sparkability
Pottery Barn Kids
Modern Tots
Modern Seed
Mini Jake Kids
Modern Mini
Modern Nursery
Yoya
Elsewares (kids)
Land of Nod
Genius Jones
Shabby Chic (baby)
Blogs: Daysitter, Mod*Mom, Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh, Coochicoos, Boston Mamas, and Design Mom.
Update: Just launched: A new blog on the block called Bloesem Kids. Congrats Irene!
Did I miss your favorite? Let me know by commenting below please. :)
Related: Baby + Kids Shops Online: Part One.
(images above provide by stores linked in this post.)
This one is for the locals (or soon to be) that I decided to post on decor8 because I hope it will be a good fit for someone looking to gain exposure and to experience shop ownership without jumping in on their own. Kim Gobbi from The Studio, a loyal reader that I’ve been in touch with for months now, has decided to sublet some studio space upstairs in her shop located in downtown Newburyport, MA located on the coast just north of Boston.
Located on State Street, this shop gets a lot of foot traffic – especially in the summer. Kim is looking for either an artist or crafty types, ideally someone who lives locally. Storage space is included. The rent will be $500 a month starting in April, if you’d like to move in and get settled earlier then the rent is only $300 for Feb. and March. The lease would be a tenant at will, so no long term commitment is involved. For full details, please contact Kim directly at 978.463.3077 or via email kimgobbi AT jonesysjewels.com.
P.S. If you’re a shop owner and looking to announce similar opportunities in your store (no matter where you are based), please email me and I’ll consider posting it here on decor8.
(images from kim gobbi)
While researching kid’s stores for my round-ups, I discovered that Jennifer DeLonge, children’s furniture designer and rock star wife to Blink-182′s Tom DeLonge, has a new section on her website where she offers restored vintage finds under the name Fresh Vintage.
Since so many of you like Marimekko, I had to point you over to these super cute vintage Marimekko Kivet dot lampshades measuring 16″H x 10″D for $200/pair. They’re the cat’s meow. She also has a set of white wicker lamps that are just over 32″ high and at $299 for the set, they’re also decent on your wallet. Great site to bookmark for times when you’re looking for something new (to you) for su casa.
(images from jennifer delonge)
Sometimes the best school is the old school, especially in the case of the Polaroid. Though I won’t be handing in my digital camera anytime soon, there’s still something about the raw untouched-by-Photoshop appeal, their often faded colors and that sweet little off-centered square format that keeps me coming back for more. Or perhaps it’s the feeling of nostalgia since it was the first camera I got my hands on as a child and much to my mother’s display I’d burn through all of the film in the back seat of our car long before we arrived at our vacation spot.
To some, the Polaroid is dated technology that’s fun to play around with but nothing more. For others it’s about producing images that evoke an emotion and over time creates an audience and a way to earn a living. A network and Unix systems administrator by day and a photographer and poet by night, Elinor Scott-Sutter of Equivoque has a body of work that is revealing, sensitive, and absolutely stunning. I can’t take my eyes off of these images above, the lighting is absolute perfection and the faded tones give them such a vintage flavor. I know someone who needs to quit her day job… Elinor… :) What an eye, I look forward to watching her shop updates to see what she’ll do next.
(images from equivoque)
Jennifer Ramos not only authors a lovely blog, but she’s the designer behind Made By Girl, a brand new stationery collection specializing in sassy styles using 100% recycled card stock – and by the looks of things, this girl gives eco a little edge.
Ramos’ designs reveal her fun, playful side and she spices things up a bit with a little sarcasm or sexy thrown in for good measure. When I asked Ramos about Made By Girl and the eco lifestyle, she was refreshingly honest about it which made me really respect her as a designer, “I’ve changed my lifestyle in many ways… Even though I’m not 100% green, I am making changes in my everyday life to help out.” She simply wants to produce products that raise awareness without sacrificing style, and using recycled papers helps her to do this in good conscience. She knows she’s not an absolute treehugger, but she is trying to work closer to that goal day by day. And I think that’s pretty neat because if more young designers gave a little more consideration to the environment, even if it’s recycling the trash in the office or riding a bike more often, that’s a big impact towards a greater good.
When it comes to going green, many take the cold turkey route and just jump in head first setting up composting bins in the kitchen and purchasing only organically grown clothing. For the rest of us, this approach doesn’t work and so some don’t bother to think eco at all. This all or nothing approach has to change and it’s designers like Ramos that help put out the signal that it’s okay to simply do what you can, to at least do something. Make an effort in some area of your life.
For 2008, I vow to sort my garbage, I already installed 3 trash bins below the cabinet so that I can accomplish this. Do you have any earth friendly goals for the new year? What about now? Certainly during this season there’s a lot of paper around us, try to reuse some of the boxes, gift bags, etc. for another time or incorporate these things into your crafting projects.
Made By Girl is also on Etsy, and in May 2008, she’ll be at the National Stationery Show where I hope to meet up with her and see her things in person.
Thank you Jennifer for your email, for raising awareness, and for the introduction to Made By Girl paper products, we wish you much success!
(images from jennifer ramos)
For the kid in us all, adults and children alike will enjoy the sweet stores featured in this round up today. This is only part one since there are so many fantastic stores to list. Since so many of you contact me for suggestions on where to locate the best children’s furniture and bedding, I wanted to pull this together to help point you in the right direction. All the links appearing in part one and part two can be found on the new decor8 links page that I pulled together with the help of Lorissa over at Dynamic Vantage in the UK. They are blog template meisters in case you’re interested…
With that being said, here are some of my personal favorite shops that I highly recommend visiting online. From furniture to soft toys, I think you’ll adore these lovely stores and remember, whether you have a child in your life or not, we all have a child within and sometimes you can find things for adult decor in kid’s stores, so be sure to keep an open mind and have fun shopping around!
New to the world of online retailing, we have Grow Modern. I think the pj pocket pillows by Modern Twist are a fantastic creation, you can hide your pajamas inside of it. Clever. With the launch of a new website, Dwell Studios is looking better than ever and designing some of the hottest products for baby + kids on the market today. Their bedding is gorgeous. Le Souk in the Netherlands has a thoughtful collection of things for the children of parents that want to introduce their little ones to a more modern ethnic style. I cannot imagine any little girl not feeling like a princess in these leather slippers!
BabyGeared is well, geared towards babies and their selection will make you want to spend cash you don’t even have, like on this crazy gadget called Nabaztag. They have a great collection of art, too.
Giggle is one of those sites you could stay on for hours, the selection is so extensive you could easily make this store your one stop shop. I especially like this quilt by Denise Schmidt and the CUB furniture collection by designer David Netto. Mimmo focuses on modern design for kids and offers a nice selection of furniture amongst other things, but what I think makes them stand out is how easy it is to navigate their site and that all the furniture works together so well it takes the pain out of trying to match things. Modern Child is so clean and contemporary you’ll wonder if it’s really for kids but surprise! And if you have a minimalist space, you can still maintain it after having kids because we have stores like Modern Child to help. I don’t know about you, but this hat has to be the perfect present to give to a new mom. Oh it’s so sweet.
Kid O is such a great site, you have to bookmark this one. They are dedicated to “inspiring your child with the right materials”. One thing I appreciate is how much thought they put into their selection because as they say, “As children get older it is important to try to match their toys to their level of development so that they are challenged but not frustrated.”
Part two will follow tomorrow, Friday December 21st. :)
(images used above are linked in this post)
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