there's a pineapple in my wig, and other thoughts on paper.

A new favorite: Lauren Nassef's sketch-a-day.

I (heart) Heartworks

The following is a collection of embroidered objects created by men and women from South Africa. These pieces were created as the result of one woman's attempt to showcase art made in Africa. Margaret Woermann began with an idea to open a gallery, Hearworks, to sell furniture and art that she found while traveling through Africa. After visiting an art fair, and finding the local African art table to be dismally empty, she opted to ditch her original plan and instead bring together women who were unable to earn a living wage but had beautiful skills as embroiderers. Heartworks has now become a buzzing "factory" of local South African artists who gather together in the gallery to create and sew. The embroidery circles first started by Margaret in her gallery shop now supply to buyers as well-known as Gap. But the original goal remains, says Margaret: "to use my shops to give enthusiastic and dedicated, but marginalised people an opportunity to earn a living." Congrats, Margaret!


a local artist displaying her work




Margaret Woermann




Margaret and the Heartworks artists have begun to expand the gallery. Embroidered works now include various textile backgrounds like leather (here) and cotton (below).

mug shots

this is a project combining two things i love: spring florals and tea cups. like girl scout cookie ice cream or chocolate-covered espresso beans, combining two things of like awesomeness often yields impressive results. it's striking how the color/type of flower changes the look of the cup that's holding it. even the glass drinking mugs and tomato cans take on a new glean with such prettiness inside! now, to sift through my own cabinet and find tea cups worth potting. happy gardening! and happy tea cup partying!


clear water glass


high tea


italian tomatos


tea on long island


flower soup

"we live by stories and we shop for stories"

threepotatofour is something of an online thrift store. this husband/wife team has translated their love for collectibles into a business by taking local found objects and putting them up for sale on their website.

in their own words, "we started the shop because of our love of collections. We're collectors, and to us, all products and belongings tell a story. Sometimes that story is about where the object came from, how it was made or who made it. Other times, it's a story about us and how the object reflects who we are, to ourselves and to others. We live by stories and we shop for stories."

i like to think about the people who may have owned these objects before threepotatofour got ahold of them. i also like to think about who may have them next!

found objects currently in store at threepotatofour:

pearly whites

with spring in the air, its hard to resist the trend towards color. especially the purples and yellows. but i'm still caught by these frsoted ivory ceramics which feel like a nice reprieve from all that glitters in the springtime. these pieces are from rose and radish, a florist-gone-designer who has taken her life's passions and combined them into what must be an overwhelmingly beautiful store selling both plants and pieces of interior art. i'm anxious to check out the local thrift shops to see if there are any white ceramics in store. that way, i might have a few of these pearly whites for my own.








if only this were my tea cup...

walls have ears

a bit of something to hang above that recycled furniture (all posters thanks to Lucas and Hayley, the great designers behind keep calm):

knack for recycling

lately I've been kicking around the idea of trying to restore an old piece of furniture. our local thrift shop is filled with tables, couches, chairs, and lamps just waiting for a new home. with a bit of paint and sandpaper, I can't help but think these homeless objects would make a perfect addition to one of the corners in my apartment. "knack" is a studio that has mastered the art of furniture restoration. if i do end up embarking on a project like this, i can only aspire to achieve something as beautiful as their re-creations are. i really can't get enough of those killer burlap-sack seat cushions (second photo)!! though i'm hoping they're more comfy than that sounds.