Addicted: Brook Farm General Store

I officially have a problem. I've developed a predilection for late night internet shopping (11PM on a weeknight counts as "late" post 30). It begins every night after bf goes to sleep. My body knows it's going to be in for a world of hurt in the morning if I don't get myself to bed right this instant, and yet somehow I cannot resist the housewares (vintage milk bottles! ceramics! neon spatulas! reclaimed wood everything!), that call my name. I have turned into my PARENTS. That this compulsion is written into my DNA makes it that much harder to overcome, and I fear that, like them, I will one day find myself sitting in a home bursting at the beams with mismatched odds and ends while I plot yet another room makeover.

Brook Farm General Store is not making the situation any better.  Someone please tell me I don't need this enamel pasta pot . . .

this set of triangular colored pencils in beechwood storage box . . .

that butter melter . . .

or these iron nail hooks.

Images: www.brookfarmgeneralstore.com

Home Finds: Schoolhouse Electric

Lovely black and white finds from Portland-based Schoolhouse Electric and Supply Co.:

Blackline stoneware pitchers, $58 each

Handblown glass shade, $69

Hand carved stone soap dishes, $14

Blackline stoneware tray, $36

Fantasy Friday: Theresienthal Tumblers for the Table

I try to avoid browsing the home goodies at Table Art, lest I empty my pockets, but I've been stalking this pretty rainbow of tumblers by German firm Theresienthal hoping they just might go on sale someday.  At $270 a glass, mouth-blown crystal rimmed in handpainted gold certainly doesn't come cheap.

Glasgow Tumblers, available in ruby, amethyst, aqua, tangerine, green, and emerald. I'd love a cupboardful.

via table art

Holiday Gift Guide: Nesting Edition

I've been browsing Terrain all week, adding, deleting, then re-adding lovely home finds to my shopping cart. They've got such great things at the moment it's hard to decide what to gift (and what to keep for oneself). Since I don't actually celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, my list is usually limited to bf, a few friends and colleagues. Here are some nifty little gifts and stocking stuffers to encourage nesting this winter. 


Bellocq's Majorelle Mint Tea sounds (and looks) heavenly. Considering cheating on my Mariage Frères Casablanca to try it.

A stovetop popcorn popper. Apparently microwave popcorn releases harmful chemicals when cooked, so for those movie nights in with the ones you love, consider this is a gift that keeps on giving. At $35 it's not terribly expensive, either.

Breakfast together is better with a sampler of Vermont maple syrups. Set of four, $28.

Who wouldn't want the scent of apples and cinnamon wafting through their home? Spicy Apple Tea Lights, $12 for a set of 6.

Images: shopterrain.com

Home Sweet Home

I'm making a list (and checking it twice): lovely home things I must have.

This little piggy saved $$$: I've been eyeing Ladies and Gentlemen's adorable chalkboard piggy banks for a while now and, cute as they are, haven't been able to get myself to pay $85 bones for one.  Each style (choose between black and terracotta) comes with chalk so you can write yourself a motivational message.

via Ladies and Gentlemen

Clean Sweep: love this beautiful little table brush set from Mjölk. Designed by Lovisa Wattman for Iris Hantverk, a company that employs visually impaired people to create handcrafted brushes. $38.

via Mjölk

Be still, my heart. This A. Heirloom cutting board in the shape of my dear Californ-I-A is sold out for the holidays, but you can request to be notified when if/when it's back. Other states available as well. $40.

via A Cup of Jo

A Wednesday in Wisconsin: Laurel Leaf Farm's Vintage Menagerie

Is anyone else having a crazy week (/month)? If, like me, you find yourself in major need of a distraction, these vintage treasures from Laurel Leaf Farm are just the thing to whisk you away from your worries. The family-run, Wisconsin-based antiques business has the most delightful wares, from old coffee grinders to obsolete farming tools. Hand-plucked from the remains of someone else's long forgotten past, these lovely, vibrant finds are ready for a new life.  Be forewarned, though -- they tend to get snatched up rather quickly, so act fast.

Vintage Wood Tennis Rackets, set of four, $60 @ Laurel Leaf Farm.

60s vintage yellow enamel teakettle, $20 @ Laurel Leaf Farm.

Vintage enamel collander, $34

1944 Leica Camera/Photography Manual, $45.

Photos: www.laurelleaffarm.com

Kitchen Obsession: Ice Milk Aprons

This past weekend, bf helped me cook a meal that, shockingly, didn't suck (if you only knew my cooking history . . .). I credit him for keeping an eye on things and ensuring that our ricotta gnocchi in sage butter made it safely to the table. I'm excited to embark on more cooking adventures as sous chef to his science geek. Here are a some delightful aprons to help me along on the journey:

Aprons! Although I've purchased some in the past, sadly, they've gone unworn and now I'm kind of over them. I've been encountering Ice Milk aprons everywhere these days. They're so darn pretty you won't mind if company comes over before you're done cooking.

From top to bottom, Rollings of Cinnamon, Frosty Tin Marshmallows, and Morning Bun Moments, $85 each. The first and lattermost are on pre or backorder, but if you need one now, Frosty Tin Marshmallows is yours for the taking.

Photos: www.icemilkaprons.com

Dear West Elm: We Are No Longer In a Fight (Because I Need to Borrow Your Lovely Kitchen Tools)

Despite my squabbles with them last winter, I must admit that West Elm has gotten way more interesting lately. I usually rifle halfheartedly through their catalogue and promptly toss it, but the last few have had me folding over the page corners far more often than I remember doing in the past. They seem to have warmer, earthier offerings these days while still retaining a modern sensibility, and some of the pieces are even downright charming (an adjective usually lavished on Anthro).

I'm still useless in the kitchen, but now with prettier tools! My latest finds:

Set of stackable stoneware Sea Measuring Cups, $19.

Adorable organically shaped Acacia Slabs, $24-34.

A modern take on a growler, $19. I have no occasion to use it (or place to put it), but someday?

Photos: www.westelm.com

Winter Survival Guide: Tea Tools

I'm done with this snow business. DONE. New York has frozen over, and tea is the only thing keeping me from shaking my fist skyward in anger.

Some emergency tools to have on hand:


Om Teapot, $58 @ OK Store.

Steep some Mariage Frères Casablanca tea -- its refreshing blend of mint and bergamot will whisk you away to a warm, faraway land.

This mug cozy is cute as a button. $7.50 @ Etsy.

Photos:
1) www.okstore.la
2) www.markethallfoods.com
3) www.etsy.com/people/MyCraftPlace

The Modern Tea Party: Finding Cheska's Charming Tea Sets

These unique, ultramodern tea sets from Taiwan-based Finding Cheska look like they could've been plucked straight from the set of Mon Oncle. Their designs combine streamlined silhouettes with delightful dashes of whimsy, somehow managing to imbue stark white porcelain with character. My three favorite collections, and their descriptions:

Ambula - "The Ambula tea/coffee set appears to be having a party: the cups are strutting about and the milk and sugar containers are on the move. Everything seems to have come alive and it looks like they're all having a good time. Ambula captures a remarkable moment when plain, everyday ceramic objects acquire a life of their own."

Birdie - "At first glance the Birdie tea/coffee set looks like a family of stylized birds gathering for a chat."

DripDrip - "The DripDrip tea set has a lightly textured, undulating surface and subtle oval curves. This set was inspired by the delicate shape of water droplets as they fall through the air, assuming a variety of shapes along their free-fall journey."

Alas, it appears they're currently only sold in Asia (at Bluestone in Taipei) and Europe (at Merci in Paris), but I've made an inquiry about stateside vendors and will report back.

Photos: www.findingcheska.com

Deal Alert: Charming Tchotchkes from Gretel Home

Gretel Home is one of my favorite places to browse housewares, so I was thrilled to see it featured on this week’s Daily Candy deals. The promo offers readers 25% off site-wide, providing the perfect opportunity to stock up on their delightful offerings for home. The only trouble is knowing when to stop -- one could easily go overboard while perusing its incredible, finely crafted wares. I’ll have to sort out what I do/don’t need from the following:

A candy-colored cakestand made from a vintage candlestick. Iacoli and McAllister Large Red Mini Pedestal, $120.

Is there anything more deliciously decadent than a gilded cake trowel? Linea Ice Oro by Mepra Cake Trowel, $46.

This bold, black-and white striped bowl makes for a beautiful centerpiece. I want this on my (nonexistent) coffee table, stacked atop a pile of art and design tomes. Kahler Omaggio Black and White Bowl, $98. 

These sophisticated cup-and-saucer sets are gorgeous in their simplicity. DMK Louis 1789 Cup and Saucer, $25 per.

I can just picture these darling cake lace coasters made of rubber!) strewn about my apartment. Jansen and Co. White Cake Lace Coasters, $19 for a set of four.

I’m not sure what these adorable, rubber banded canisters are for, but I know that I want them. Kahler Cammeo Jar 2, $74 . Other sizes available.

Discount applied when you enter code CANDY at checkout.

Photos: www.gretelhome.com

Bring This to the Picnic: Jack and Lulu's Stripey Straws

After what felt like a particularly brutal winter, a 50+ degree day like today feels positively balmy. I might be getting ahead of myself, but I cannot wait to start picnicking in the parks! In addition to the soaking up the sunshine my Vitamin D-deprived body so dearly craves, I'm looking forward to using these adorable striped straws I got at Anthropologie. Not only are they absolutely darling, but they're also biodegradable, compostable, and free of chlorine.

Made by Chicago-based, husband-and-wife stationery outfit Jack and Lulu, each set of 20 retails for $10 at Anthro stores, but you can also buy them on the Jack and Lulu website, where they cost $6 per pack.

 

Bring on the root beer floats and lemonades.

Photos:
1) www.thehaystackneedleonline.com
2) www.jackandlulu.com

Kitchen Obsession: atelierBB's Wobbly Plates

I'll be moving at month's end and my new roomie already has a cupboard full of dishes, to which I'll have to add my own. Plates are the last thing I need in my life (or cupboards) right now, so of course, I had to stumble across atelierBB's gorgeous collection of handcrafted tabletop accoutrements. The signature Wobbly Plate, so named for its uneven surface, is available in an eye-pleasing panoply of rich colors and beautiful textures. Thank God they're priced out of my range, so I can avoid having to show up on my new doorstep with a crateful, bearing a look of shame.

Chapati Dinner Plates, set of four, $94 on Etsy. You can choose your own hues.

PiriPiri Magic Duo, set of two Chapati Dinner Plates, $48 @ Etsy.

Azul Platter Mantou XL Bowl, $50 @ Etsy.

Light Orange Damper Coupe Charger, $54 @ Etsy.

Yellow Turnip Delight Bowls, set of six, $127.50 @ Etsy.

To view more of Brooklyn-based sculptor Brigitte Bouquet's incredible work (including her jewelry designs), check out her website. 

Photos: atelierBB

Kitchen Obsession: Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup

Bf gifted me with a bottle of Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup as one of my holiday presents, and I am now a complete and total junkie. Though it has many uses, he first had me try it as a homemade ginger ale by mixing it with a glass of seltzer.  I really don't like the taste of ginger in foods, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I took my first sip, hoping I wouldn't betray myself with a wince -- he was so adorably excited about it and I didn't want to disappoint. 

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about, because it was one of the most refreshing beverages I'd ever tasted in my life. It imparted a cool, clean aftertaste and provided an instant perking up, which I sorely needed. I was exhausted after spending a cold, sleepless night sans heat in the apartment, and after just a few sips of the stuff I suddenly felt awake, alert, and ready for the evening's festivities. I drank it as a tea the next day by mixing it with hot water, and I swear it cleared up my sinuses. I've since been referring to it as "magic syrup" and consider adding to it to just about everything I consume in liquid form. The only thing keeping me from trying is the thought of it running out. When I gushed about it to my grandmother, she asked me to bring it back to DC with me so that she might try it and I actually hesitated. You know something's got you hopelessly hooked when you won't even share it with your sweet old gran.

The potion is made and sold by Brooklyn-based siblings Tyler and Kari Morris, who also happen to be friends of a friend (thanks, Colleen!), and was so popular at the Greenpoint food market that it completely sold out in just a few hours. It's currently sold only through Marlow and Daughters in Williamsburg for $10 a bottle.

A visit to the Morris Kitchen website reveals the syrup's many culinary uses, with recipes for mouth-watering dishes that sound tantalizing even to the ginger-averse: lemon ginger baked chicken, tamari ginger glazed salmon, gingered pear crisp, and ginger shortbread cookies. Kari also mentions that they're working on a boiled apple cider syrup, which, I'm convinced, I will hoard even more selfishly.

I'm a sucker for great packaging, and theirs is lovely.

Photo: www.morriskitchennyc.com

Jonathan Adler

Jonathan Adler seems to follow me wherever I go. I lived a block away from the Fillmore St. outpost in SF, and the West Village location is but a stone's throw from my apartment here in New York. Though I've yet to purchase anything there, its proximity to my home allows for frequent pop-ins and aimless browsing, and I always find something to admire. Beyond the gorgeously glazed porcelain, impossibly glossy lacquers, and eye-pleasing saturated tones, there's a wicked sense of humor at play. Some favorites from the web store:

The adorable elephant ornament featured in Apartment Therapy LA's ornament roundup lured me to the JA website and led me to several other treasures. $24. Dove, penguin, poodle, and whale also available.

Love this naughty mini pill canister, $28. Also available: Prozac, Quaaludes, Uppers, and Downers, in assorted colors.

A brightly glazed Ojai mug, $15.

Stripes cup and saucer, $18.

Acapulco and Ipanema needlepoint pillows, $98 each.

Photo credit: www.jonathanadler.com