After a weekend of dog-sitting this glorious pug, I realized that our fuzzy friends rarely get much love on this blog … And it’s high time to change that! I spent much of my life as a cat lady, but have recently discovered a deep love of large, drooling, slightly simple-minded dogs. There’s something so wholly satisfying about a good game of tug followed by a cozy nap. While I’m not quite settled down enough just yet for my own pooch friend, I do take the time every week to volunteer at a local animal shelter here in Philadelphia called Operation Ava to get my dog fix. (If you live in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend checking out this shelter!) I like to think of it as practice for when I am ready to make the commitment!
Some of the most darling pet accessories are the ones that personify the animal. I adore a dapper dog, particularly when clad in a bow tie! Silly Buddy has a great selection of bow tie-adorned collars and matchings leashes in a variety of prints and fabrics. Hello, springtime stripes!
And when it’s time for a bit of rough-housing, nothing is better than this rope toy from Domestic Beast. It pulls double duty by also holding a piece of elk antler, perfect for maintaining your dog’s pearly whites and keeping your shoes safe.
Don’t worry, though, I am still a cat lady at heart! A bit more delicate in nature, I think this darling knitted mouse toy from Mungo & Maud is purr-fect for any feline. I know my Georgette would have a field day chasing it all around my apartment!
Lastly, if your cat is like mine and loves to hide, this printed cat tipi from Free People is the stylish alternative to shoeboxes strewn across the floor.
{top image via Free People}
Last week I was dreaming of a Southern California getaway, and so Friday I hopped in the car and headed out of town. I didn’t make it quite as far as The Saguaro—and also didn’t get to enjoy any balmy weather (it was 30° both mornings!)—but I did hit some great Los Angeles spots. If you’re planning to visit LA, I’d recommend making time for OK Store.
There are two locations, the first store near the Beverly Center, and a newer location in the Silver Lake neighborhood. My favorite items were kitchen goods, but that’s what I always gravitate toward. The mix of objects, selected by proprietor Larry Schaffer, was a combination of beautiful and functional. I was tempted by the timeless Dansk peppermill as well as the quirky collection of bottle openers, but the thing I kept coming back to was the Yanagi colander and bowl set which seems like the perfect vessel for freshly washed summer fruit. And if kitchen goods aren’t your favorite category, there are also great office tools and supplies, a pretty collection of jewelry, well-designed kids toys, and much more.
by kate on December 19, 2011
Ah, Disney World. Considering how long it’s been since I last experienced it, I remember the thrill of Splash Mountain with surprisingly vivid clarity. These animated gifs, or “cinemagraphs“—as Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, the artists behind their creation, like to call them—capture some of Disney World’s magic, but more importantly they create a whole new magic unto themselves. I’ve clocked hours on these already, watching with delight as Jamie and Kevin’s subtle, elegant photographs come to life, just for a second, over and over, forever. It’s breathtaking, honestly. If this is a new art form, and I think it definitely is, then consider me hooked. Do yourself a favor and check out the collection of cinemagraphs on Jamie’s site, From Me to You. I guarantee you will love them!
{All images by Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg, found via From Me To You}
by kate on October 28, 2011
I am often struck with the desire to hold onto toys and objects from my youth (I’ve even started buying some of them back), but sadly we can’t keep everything. Over time, we have to whittle it down to the most meaningful objects, the ones that we absolutely can’t bear to part with. The Memento Works understands the beauty in our silly, tattered, beloved stuff, and they offer you the chance to have a gorgeous large scale photograph of your treasures to hang on the wall.
They begin printing at 16×20, which I think is so great. They simply wouldn’t carry the same power on a smaller scale, and there’s so much fun detail to catch your eye as you walk past. Looking towards the holiday season, I can see what a thoughtful, beautiful gifts these prints would be for someone. If any of my loved ones find a favorite trinket missing, you know what I’m giving you this year :) Happy weekend everyone!
{Found via SwissMiss}
by kate on April 11, 2011
For anyone who enjoyed creating personalities and interrelationships for their toys as a child, the miniature dramas encapsulated in these photographs by UK designer and illustrator Aled Lewis should please you to no end. The dialogue is short yet wickedly funny, and the images themselves have a simple graphic charm. You can pick up prints from his Toy Stories series at inPRNT. If any of you are inspired to create a miniature “toy story” of your own, please do send it to us! We’d love to see it and share it.
