SJV on Instagram

If you've noticed my absence on the blog the past couple of weeks, I just needed a breather. I'll get back to it next week. In the meantime, I've also been posting on Instagram if you'd like to follow along. You can find me here...

SJV on Instagram

Seems like I've been posting more on Instagram than the blog lately. It's just so easy! You can follow me here...

Gunta Stölzl

Ever since we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater home last year, I've been focused on searching out interesting testiles to fill our home. Seeing all the textile's in Lauren's Apartment Therapy tour last week reignited my search.  Along the way I discovered the work of Gunta Stölzl.  Gunta was the only woman among the masters at the Bauhaus, one of the 20th century's most important schools of art, design and architecture.  She was a textile artist who played a fundamental part of the school's weaving workshop.  Now her work can be seen in museums such as the Albert and Victoria Museum and MOMA in New York City.  Obviously her original pieces are far out of my reach, but I love the colors and patterns in her work and for my own decorating purposes, will keep my eye out for similar designs that are inspired by her work. 

Paper Moon

photo by Tom b.

Thursday night Tom and I headed to Hinesite Vintage for champagne, finger foods and some vintage shopping.   Three of my favorite things at the same time!  I had a chance to play dress-up in this gorgeous 1930s silk kimono and have my photo taken with a paper moon.  I also came home with a pretty red kimono in an Asian cherry blossom print.  More on that later...

Wren x Minnetonka

I'm never quite sure if I want to buy a pair of Minnetonkas or not.  They seem so comfortable and easy to wear, but for one reason or another, I've never pulled the trigger on buying a pair.  Now that they've teamed up with Wren for a special collection, I may have to take another look. 

Very Cheesy

Last week Tom was away on a photography assignment in Madison, Wisconsin for a couple of days.  Before he left, I jokingly told him to bring home some cheese!  Well, little did I know he would take that seriously and return with a bag full of artisan cheeses that he picked out from Fromagination.  We waited to unwrap and devour each one until we had some perfect weather last night for a backyard picnic.  Along with a bottle of wine and a bowl full of fresh strawberries we had Cave Aged Bandaged Cheddar, Foenegreek Gouda and Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar.  They were all amazing, but I think the Cave Aged  Cheddar was our favorite.  I don't know if either of us will end up back in Madison any time soon, but if we do, a trip to Fromagination is definitely on our list of places to visit.

Heirloom Vintage

Hollister and Porter Hovey, the ladies behind Hovey Designs, have put together a book that "lays out the family influences, experiences and stories behind the homes of our own immediate and extended family."  I always love peeking into other people's spaces, especially when those spaces are filled with antiques and collectibles passed down from generation to generation.  If the family photos from the accompanying Tumblr are any indication, I'm going to have to get my hands on a copy! 

Mad Men Season 6

Are you ready?  It's almost time for a new season of Mad Men.  The two hour premiere is April 7th.  Isn't it strange to see how much the style has already changed as we move into the late 60s?  A few thing to note:  Megan's hair is kind of crazy, Betty is skinny again, Ginsberg and Stan are still around (check out the beard on Stan) and so is Peggy, although she seems to be on her own.  Can't wait!

The Chick and The Duck

Over the weekend Tom and I experienced a bit of cute overload.  We were visiting friends who just happen to be transferring a dozen chicks and four adorable ducklings to their new enclosures.  They were outgrowing their old accommodations and the spring-like day we were having was the perfect opportunity for the little ones to explore their new homes.  Baby chicks are awfully cute, but man, I've gotta give it up for the baby ducks in the cuteness department.  I wanted to take them all home with me.  Of course, that would not have gone over well with the cats.  For helping with the transfer, we got the honor of naming two of the ducklings.  The little yellow one with the pink bill is named... Pink!  So of course the other one (on the far left) is Floyd. 

Folk Fibers

I've always been fascinated by the art of quilt making.  Not the big machine, mass produced ones, but the hand stitched, one-of-a-kind variety.  I have a few family quilts that have been passed down and they count among my very favorite possessions.  Perhaps that's why I'm so very taken by the quilts created by Folk Fibers.  I have much admiration for the work and talent that went into creating these hand-dyed beauties.  

The Work of Lisa Kokin

I'm forever finding shoe boxes full of old photos at flea markets and wondering what to do with them.  I love flipping through them one by one, wondering who they are, what kind of life they led and why that small remembrance of them ended up for sale to strangers at a flea market instead of treasured by their own future generations.  But since I'm never quite sure what to do with them, I always end up leaving them behind.  

Lisa Kokin has successfully answered my question as to what should be done with these old images.  They should be stitched together to form a maze of anonymous faces, each connected by thin threads and staring back at you from their web.  Of course!  Why didn't I think of that?   If you're a fan of these, you should also check out what Kokin does with old books. 

The Makers

Have you checked out the site for The Makers?  It's a photography project by Jennifer Causey featuring a glimpse into the creative works spaces of people that excel in all sorts of hands-on work.  There's a florist, jewelry makers, ceramists, a tailor, a baker, a mixologist, a perfumer... the list goes on and on.  I love seeing not only their work, but the space that inspires them on a daily basis.  I just made over my office with a fresh coat of paint, shelves on the wall and a few other decorative touches.  It makes all the difference in the world! 

Drop Caps

If there is a Santa, I'm hoping he'll bring me this set of Penguin Drop Cap Classics.  Each cover (A-Z) was designed by Jessica Hische. She's a hand-lettering genius and you've probably seen her work whether you realize it or not.  You may have seen her wedding invitation, or her Daily Drop Cap website, or the opening credits for Moonrise Kingdom.  Wouldn't it be beautiful to have all 26 rainbow hue spines lined up on a bookshelf?   

The Perfect Vintage

photos by Jacob Pritchard

I completely adore this lookbook styled by Siri of Ringo Have A Banana for Bows & Bandits Vintage.  I think it's a perfect combination of vintage meets modern and really displays the way to mix vintage into your wardrobe without looking like you're wearing a costume.  A little vintage goes a long way!

Civic Classics

The other day I think I got stuck in some kind of time warp.  At one point I walked into the kitchen to start making dinner and realized it was only 5:00.  Way too early for that!  So we decided to waste a little of our time by going to Barnes & Noble to peruse the books; me in the fiction and biography sections, Tom in the design and photography sections.  Along the way we stumbled upon Penguin's Civic Classics collection.  It may have been the graphic black and white letterpress-style covers that first caught my eye, but once I opened the cover of one, I wanted to read them all.

I know reading about the government sounds pretty dry and boring but these relatively small books seem like just the right size to bite off with out becoming overwhelmed. We ended up with American Political Speeches and even though Tom was going to read it first, I've already flipped the book open and read a couple;  one by Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long and the other by Theodore Roosevelt. 

Alex Katz

I remember reading a while back that the paintings of Alex Katz were a big influence on the spring collection from Steven Alan.  I wasn't familiar with the painter so I set about trying to find out a bit about him.  What I discovered are these cheerfully colored painting depicting scenes from what looks like a pretty great summer vacation (despite the melancholy look on the subjects faces).  I sort of want to tell everyone, "Cheer up!  It's summertime!" 

I can definitely see the influence on the colors of the Steven Alan collection although the brighter colored pieces aren't my favorites.  I tend to like the muted colors better.  But looking at these paintings does make me want to take a summer vacation that includes laying on the beach with friends and rowing in a canoe and wearing pretty much everything from the Steven Alan Collection. 

1928 DIY

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions for this year, but if I had, one would probably have been to make more things by hand.  More DIY!  I got a little head start at the end of last year by making some Christmas decorations for our tree;  yarn-ball ones and salt dough ornaments like these.  It was pretty satisfying to create something from scratch for the first time in quite a while, even though the salt dough ornaments were a bit of a fail.  I learned from my mistakes and they'll be better next time! 

Tom sent me the images from this Le Page's Craft Creations in the Modern Manner as a bit of inspiration for my DIY cravings.  Of course, I don't think he wants me to start covering everything in the house with pretty, patterned paper.  Here's a bit about Le Page's from the Daily Heller:

The Russia Cement Co., manufacturers of LePage's Glue in Gloucester, Mass., was known for publishing craft books. "Over a million women have bought LePage's Craft Books, which have shown them how to make useful, practical, attractive gifts with the help of LePage's Glue -- the money-saving, handy mender." Craft Creations helped the housewife transform the commonplace into the extraordinary. "You will find in making these articles that your handiest tool is your old mending friend LePage's Glue."  In those days products were not just brands, they were "friends."

Shown here are ways of antiquing, applying aluminum leaf, and other decoupage details to foot stools, cupboards, desk sets, book shelves, mirror frames, clothes hampers, boudoir boxes, kitchen spice shelves, serving trays and card tables. There is even a bench affixed with a map of New York City.  LePage's was essential to the modern home, even though the packaging was very nineteenth century. 

"More than one woman has written, 'I do not know how I could keep house without LePage's.'"

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

Here's yet another blog post that I have thanks to a link sent to me by Tom.  What can I say, the boy knows me.  This one concerns the novel The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston.  It's actually an illustrated book, or graphic novel of sorts, presented as a scrapbook.  The novel concerns a 1920s college girl who moves to Greenwich Village to pursue a career as writer.  I'd love to get my hands on a copy.  I imagine it would inspire me to start my very own scrapbook. 

House Industries for Hermes

I often tease Tom for being a “type-nerd”.  It’s not unusual to hear things like, “I can’t believe they used (insert font here) on that billboard” or “The kerning on that poster is ridiculous" on a daily basis.  Actually, it's rubbed off on me a bit and now I find myself noticing things like that more and more.  So I wasn't surprised when he sent me a link to the House Industries designed windows for Hermes Tokyo.  It's the perfect combination of font-meets-fashion. 

Every year he takes his design students on a field trip to House Industries since their headquarters are located in not-too-far-away Delaware.  If you're a designer and haven't checked out their fonts then drop what you're doing and check them out right now.  It's enough to turn me into a bit of a type-nerd myself.  

Willard Suitcases

This is one of the more amazing things I've stumbled across lately (via Foxtail + Fern).  What you see here is a collection of suitcases that were discovered in 1995 at The Willard Psychiatric Center.  They had been stored away in the attic of the pathology lab for decades like time capsules for their former owners.  They are now in the hands of the New York State Museum and are being carefully archived and preserved.  Read more here.