This weekend, the Anthology crew gathered in Yountville, California, for a team meeting and to kick off the new year together. We had a wonderful time relaxing and exploring Yountville. One of the highlights was Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, which was so delicious it warranted not one, but two trips during our short stay.
Despite stopping in twice and my best efforts, I wasn’t able to try everything Bouchon had to offer. But what I did have was so mouthwateringly good that I decided acquiring the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook was a must. While I wait for it to arrive, I’m planning to try out the well circulated recipe for the namesake confection, the Bouchon. These tiny, dense chocolate cakes dusted with powdered sugar are studded with dark chocolate. They sound like an ideal dessert to have on hand for a Monday night. I think I’ll master those before moving on to the more advanced croissants and macarons.
{Images via Bouchon Bakery}
Like many people, I found myself on a few flights over the holidays. Leaving the midwest after a blanket of snow came down, the landscape below looked peaceful and serene—and completely transformed from the brown patchwork we’d seen flying in. It reminded me of these images from the USGS EROS Center, taken by various satellites. While the colors aren’t quite true to how we’d perceive them due to the different wavelengths captured, the textures and details are stunning. Rivers, streams, farm fields, glaciers, and mountaintops take on an other-worldy character.
I’m not planning any dramatic flights in the near future, but scanning through the galleries is like a mini-getaway. I found myself searching out more information about the locations of the images and imagining grand trips and adventures. If you’re looking for a little escape this Friday, visit the EROS Center Gallery where these images and dozens more are available to the public.
{Images via USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center}
Toward the end of January, Issue No. 10 will be hitting newsstands and mailboxes. While reviewing the galleys before the issue went to print, I got a chance to relive the trip to Philadelphia that inspired the travel story for the issue. Meg, Anh-Minh, and I spent several days visiting many of the terrific restaurants, shops, and sites in historic Philadelphia. It was in a particularly great shop called Art in the Age that I was first introduced to the work of Peg and Awl, a Philadelphia-based company run by a husband-and-wife team. They focus on taking discarded, neglected materials and transforming them into beautiful, useful objects. (In addition to carrying many of their hand-crafted products, the back corner of Art in the Age was occupied by the best looking chicken coop, created by the duo!)
Since our Philadelphia trip, I’ve spotted Peg and Awl goods at a few other shops and always find myself pining for them. There are three I have my eye on particularly. First, the Desk Caddy Organizer, which is made from reclaimed pine floor joists from old Philadelphia houses. It comes in a variety of sizes, but the Epic version, pictured above, is enough to make me drool. I also love the Chalkboard Pad, which I’d use for a daily to-do list, and the Stacking Sinker Pine Boxes, to catch and organize the continuous stream of papers, tools, receipts, and mail that have a way of accumulating on desks.
{Images from Peg and Awl}
I love a good art wall—one that features pieces acquired over the course of years, that really tells you something about the collectors/homeowners. (I’ve been working on a wall in my own bedroom for over four years now!) Last week, while in Savannah, Georgia, I popped into the shop at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD); whenever I’m in town, it’s a must-visit. During this recent trip there, I found myself spending a good amount of time examining the art wall.
There were a few things that I especially liked about SCAD’s installation—such as the one piece framed in red as a nice contrast to the mostly gray and white color scheme. And the art wasn’t just mounted on the wall in a traditional manner; chairs and side tables hung on the wall displayed works ranging from paintings and photography to pottery and textiles. This is also a great idea for those of us with a chair addiction. We can put some of our finds to use in a new way!
It’s time to close the book on another year. As proud as I am of the four issues we produced this past year, I’m really excited about the content that we’ve got lined up (and are still lining up) for 2013. For example, the image above is from a Northern California home that will be featured in Issue No. 10/The Americana Issue, which we hope to release around the middle of January.
Today is actually the last day to purchase a subscription that starts with Issue No. 10. So if you’ve been putting off that order, now’s the time to do it! And you’ll be all set to receive Anthology in your mailbox for 2013 (that’s four issues of the magazine, released once per quarter). Also on tap for the coming year are issues focused on food and drink; artists and art collectors; and the fashion-minded.
Before we sign off for 2012, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed in some way to Anthology over the past year—and that includes the amazing freelancers and staffers we work with; the buyers, subscribers, and retailers of the magazine; and all of the behind-the-scenes folks that make publishing this independent quarterly possible. Here’s to a new year filled with plenty more great ideas and inspiration!
{ Photograph by Alec Hemer }
