if I had a million dollars

I would buy...{the food edition: local holiday-inspired treats}

Peppermints from BrooklynHardCandy.

Whimsy & Spice's Earl Grey Hot Chocolate Mix.

Eggnog salt water taffy from Salty Road.

Cacao Prieto's hazelnut, almond & cacao spread.

And a package of gingerbread mustache cookies, from Butter + Love.

hurricane sandy disaster relief

I wanted to interrupt my regular posting to say that this Brooklyn girl is safe and sound after the devastation that Hurricane Sandy wrecked upon the city last night. Of course, not all New Yorkers or East Coasters can say the same, and there's going to be a lot of clean-up in the days ahead. So, if you're like me and are looking for ways to help those who weren't as lucky this time around, please consider donating to a disaster relief organization such as the Red Cross. It only takes a minute, and every little bit helps. Thanks, and stay safe.

if I had a million dollars

I would buy...{the food edition: favorite local sweets}

Rose & black pepper thumbprints from Whimsy & Spice.

Liddabit Sweets' honeycomb candy.

Some mini cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakery.

Zesty orange fennel lollypops from mihow.

And some Mast Brothers Chocolate.

Blog About It

All of a sudden, it feels like every single one of my favorite bloggers are expecting babies. If they all lived in the same town, I'd say that maybe it's something in the water, but since we're talking about all types of people from all over the world, it's probably more like there's something in the megabytes or some other such nonsense, or maybe it's just the fact that most of said bloggers are all in their late 20s/early 30s, which is prime baby-having time. Not that I mind, because one of the great things about this is that many of these bloggers also start separate baby-related blogs. And that means a whole lot of adorableness. I may not have babies of my own, but that's never stopped me from looking at anything art, craft or design related, even if it is geared towards the little ones. So basically, this post is my unabashed admission to being a total sucker for tiny clothing, cute toys and other such baby paraphernalia, and both Unruly Little Things and Wee Textile totally satisfy that oddly girly side of me.

I've been a big fan of Alyson Brown's blog, Unruly Things, for years. In fact, with its mix of design, lifestyle, fashion, and other great finds, it was one of my very first regular blog reads. So when Alyson announced that she was going to have a baby boy, and that she was starting Unruly Little Things as a spin-off, to not only share great finds, but the whole baby experience in general, I couldn't not follow along.

 Steven Alan Kids.

 Alyson at 37 weeks.

Koukko teething rings.

Luckily, Alyson's fantastic taste and eye for style extends to the little ones, and her blog is just chock-full of everything and anything baby-related, including photographs of her increasingly expanding belly. And let me tell you, this is one photogenic girl, even at her current 38 weeks along.

And then there's Lena Corwin, who not only keeps her own wonderful blog, but just so happens to be a bit of a DIY and design hero of mine (and fellow Brooklyner!), with her fantastic book projects, awesome journal/magazine and some pretty rocking products. Naturally, when she found out she was having a baby, she not only started a baby-related blog, but decided that it would be a baby-related blog with a focus, and settled on textiles.

 Trula Kids.

Baby Eli was born back in December, but Wee Textile continues to feature lovely observations and inspiration from Lena's daily life with a newborn, with special attention paid to the many textiles, patterns and fabrics in their lives. It's a very sweet blog, and with so many of the items featured having been handmade, handed down or thrifted, it's a great source of inspiration as well.

Blog About It

This week's Blog About It has a distinct New York City theme. The blogs Scouting New York and The Makers Project are both just so interesting that they make me appreciate living here all the more.

As a New York City resident, while I like to think that I have a pretty good handle on this town, my knowledge of both the interesting and historical is nothing compared to Nick Carr's, of Scouting New York. As a location scout for films, Nick has been all over the city, and has a knack for finding some truly incredible sites.

As Nick explains of his fascinating blog:

My name is Nick Carr, and for the past four years, I’ve worked as a New York City movie location scout. I’ve been pretty much everywhere, from the highest rooftops to the deepest subway tunnels, from abandoned ruins to zillion-dollar luxury penthouse apartments.

What always amazes me about New York is how much there is to see if you take the time to look. Every street has a hidden gem or two, and yet they go largely ignored by thousands of passersby daily who simply don’t have the time to pay attention.

As it happens, my entire job consists of paying attention, and I’ve started this blog to keep a record of what I see.

-SCOUT

Click on the above photos to read the full Scouting New York posts. All images copyright © 2011 Scouting NY - All Rights Reserved.

For all of the nearly 6 years I've lived in New York City, I've been lucky enough to call the borough of Brooklyn home. Jennifer Causey is also a resident and lover of Brooklyn, and her wonderful photo project, The Makers Project, is her way of showing the many talented people who also live and work in Brooklyn.

While this project is still fairly new, with her keen eye for detail, Jennifer has managed to capture some fantastic Brooklyn-based makers at work, including such diverse artists, designers and entrepreneurs as printmaker Lena Corwin, designer Shabad, food stylists The Jewels of New York, and candy makers Liddabit Sweets. As Jennifer explains:

I am lucky to live in Brooklyn, New York. It’s a place full of energy and creative spirit; located close enough to the lights and frenetic energy of Manhattan to have a big city feel, yet far away enough to give a sense of space and small town community. In this hectic, industrialized modern world, I am constantly seeking handmade and artisan-produced products. I love discovering people who embrace a more tactile way of living, so I decided to start photographing them. When my project began, I knew I was photographing people who make things, but I soon realized I was also photographing people who make things happen. As the project evolves, so does the adventure and pleasure of documenting the people behind the products: to learn what inspires them, what keeps them going, and their thoughts on the city where they live and work.

Click on the images above to view the full series. Courtesy of The Makers Project and Jennifer Causey.

seven wonders

Happy spring everyone! I know that I'm generally not one to talk about anything as specific as shops in my neighborhood, but sometimes, you have to break your own rules, especially when it's for someone as awesome as your own sister. 

 

 

Have I ever told you all that my sister, Melissa Blumberg, has an amazing eye for fashion? Well, she's now putting this talent to very good use with Seven Wonders Vintage, a new store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It's only about a week old, but Seven Wonders is such a perfect addition to the neighborhood that it looks like it could have been in its location at 606 Manhattan Avenue, selling awesome vintage items, for far longer. Much of Melissa's inventory is from estate sales, and while it's primarily clothing, there's also a great mix of shoes, jewelry and accessories as well. Seriously, folks, if you're ever in Greenpoint, it's totally worth a visit. Store hours are 1-8 on weekdays, 12-8 on weekends.

Colleen & Eric

Today's post looks at secret compartments and books, 2 of my very favorite things in the world, by an amazing Brooklyn design duo Colleen & Eric. As I mentioned yesterday, we were out of town this past weekend, so while we managed to run through the Affordable Art Fair on Friday night, we had to miss Bklyn Designs entirely. Luckily, Grace, over at Design*Sponge, did a few great posts about it (you can see them all here, here, here, and here), which is where I came across Colleen & Eric and their awesome furniture. First up, secret compartments:

The Northstar Table is my new favorite piece of furniture. The inlaid brass top represents stars in the night sky. But this is not just a beautiful design, because this table hides a secret: pressing down on Polaris causes a secret drawer to pop open. Oh Northstar Table, I've got to get you in to my life.

Second, we have the books:

For someone like me who is always looking for more shelf space for my books, I love the design of Hold on Tight. The over-sized wing-nut in this bookshelf is adjustable, meaning that no matter how few or many books you have on it, you'll always have a bookend to keep everything in place.

brooklyn brownstone: the brooklyn home company

I'm sending some Brooklyn brownstone love out to all of you today. I saw this sneak peek of the fabulous Brooklyn home of Fitzhugh Karol, a woodworker and sculptor, and Lyndsay Caleo, a jewelry designer and goldsmith, (both of The Brooklyn Home Company), over at Design*Sponge last week, and I am now very much smitten. I love the large expanses of white walls, floors and furniture (and that great sculpture above the fireplace!), combined with all the lovely wooden accents that are interspersed throughout. Of course, when you're a woodworker, you can do awesome stuff like make most of the pieces of furniture in your home, including crafting your dining table from a fallen beech tree and hand-carving your four-poster bed. There are a lot of little details in this incredible space that I love, but I think that my favorites would have to be the many, many built-in bookcases (the more the better is what I always say), the library ladder that leads to one of the "guest rooms," the knife-holder built into the kitchen's island, tons of natural light, and that amazing barn door that leads to the bathroom.