Sudeley Castle Garde Flowers Garden Love
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When 7-year-old Gianna Palacios wouldn’t partake in the ritual of saying what she was thankful for prior to her family’s...
During the Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand, lanterns are launched into the night sky in the belief that grief and misfortune...
PRIDE OF PLACE
We’ve always loved art and items that are about a specific place—where you’re from, where you live, where you love to visit—such as maps and place names. MoMA has just curated their Destination: NYC colllection, and it’s pretty cool (things made in NYC, not just things that say New York). Lots of great stuff here, but we’re betting everyone in the rest of the country is pretty sick of everything always being about NY and how cool Brooklyn thinks it is. So come to Bespoke to have whatever place you call home celebrated! BTW, we found some fantastic new letterpress maps based on old city maps at the National Stationery Show yesterday—you’re going to love them! (There’s a lot of stuff based on states—all 50 of them—out there right now too.)
Bronx magnet. NYC Graffiti Lucite Bangle from Alexis Bittar
A beautiful and important post by Grace Bonney on DesignSponge about the importance of reaching out to friends who are experiencing a death, serious illness, divorce or other difficult situation in their families. Good suggestions both in the post and in the comments, which led me to this excellent post from The Podge Files on “What to say when you don’t know what to say.” Whether it’s a handwritten note (not a “like” on Facebook!), a meal, or helpful gesture or small gift, it means so much to know your friends are there to support you.
Photo by Jen Huang
Wow, the art of the love letter is still alive … . Take inspiration from this smitten, talented fellow at Terrain.
I can reveal this because my dad doesn’t read Tumblr: For his birthday, I’m having a wooden puzzle custom-made by Liberty Puzzles from this beautiful photo he took in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this past year. My folks have really gotten into wooden puzzles, but you can also have regular cardboard jigsaw puzzles made of your pix (or say, your kids’ artwork) by sites like Shutterfly for much less money (about $20; the custom wooden puzzles are $115-$145).
I can’t help it. I see something that would be SO perfect for my lit-major niece, my gourmet cook husband, my fantastic sister, my entire writers’ group … I have to buy it for them. Even if I have already bought them several gifts already. If it’s someone close to me, I might pick up gifts for them all year long as I find them, and then not remember come Christmas just how much I’ve accumulated (got that trait from my Nana) or remember where they are at all. Better is to give someone a gift when I find it, “just because”—and anyway, aren’t those unexpected gifts the best ones of all? I love finding the “perfect” gift for someone—and even if it’s not, well, it gave me a lot of pleasure! When those boxes arrive, if it’s as if I’ve gotten a gift myself.
PHOTO BY CHRIS EVERARD VIA A GIFT-WRAPPED LIFE.
When friends are going through a tough time, I often make them some variation of this CD/playlist. You can access it on itunes here (and feel free to use my cover art, above!):
Better Things by Dar Williams
Breathe (2AM) by Anna Nalick
Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson
Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
Sydney (I’ll Come Running) by Brett Dennen
Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson
Sweet Inspiration by The Derek Trucks Band
In the Sun by Michael Stipe and Coldplay
I Don’t Ever Give Up by Patty Griffin
I Release You by Niki Haris
Another Day by Jamie Lidell
There’s Hope by India.Arie
Instant Karma by U2
Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine
How about you, what are your favorite pick-me-up songs, or ways to help a friend going through a really tough time?
Grove can take a photograph, image or text of your choice and laser-engrave it on a leather cover for your Moleskine notebook. A great gift for anyone who still loves to take notes via paper and pen, like me! The custom covers are $79. via Shelterific
Love these baby photos Ceci of Ceci Style had taken of her son, Mason, really showing off their city. A great alternative to the standard studio portraits—show something about where you live!
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