kinda genius: ben & jerry pint locker. it’s about time!
We breathed a collective sigh of relief when we read this post today over at Design Taxi – a lock has a finally been created to keep hungry roomies out of our beloved pints of ice cream. True, we could have used this year ago when we were sharing apartments with friends who went on occasional, heartbreak-induced binges. But perhaps it’s not to late, as we now have life partners that are known to sit down and devour a pint of Cherry Garcia in a single setting. Will it be a relationship saver or the source of unnecessary arguments. Time will tell! Called an Euphori-Lock, it was developed by a B&J fan and will be available soon.
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meet judy kaufmann: our etsy artist of the month
As soon as we saw Judy Kaufmann’s vibrant Houses & Birds, we knew we had to feature her as one of Etsy artists of the month. Barcelona-based Illustrator makes gorgeous, repetitive patterns of animals, famous people, houses, cars, trees — all the things that fill our heads, everyday. Sweet and funny, they are sure to make your day. Some of our favorites include her portrait of Woody Allen and her whimsical world map. Click here to visit her Prints & Prints shop on Etsy. Her prices start at only $25 a print. Wouldn’t one be a great birthday present for your bff? We think so.
We asked Judy to share a few insights into her work and life. See her answers below!
How would you describe your work?
Repetitive, tumultuous, colorful and spontaneous.
When did you start making your prints?
In 2000, I was working at an advertising agency, and I had lot of moments of boredom. I began drawing a lot and I think that’s where my first prints came out.
How does your home/city/town inspire your work?
Barcelona is a very inspiring city. I love the fact that you’ve the sea and the mountains very close. The city is full of art history and there is great love for design.
What kinds of artwork would we find on the walls of your house?
As my boyfriend is a sculptor, he has introduced me to all his favorite artists. On our walls you can find engravings from Armand (a french artist), Riera i Aragó (a Catalan Artist) and also some sculptures from my boyfriend, Marc Sparfel.
What is your decorating style?
Marc and I are drawn to classic wood and craft-style objects, which we’ve been lucky enough to find on the street. It helps that Marc knows how to apply his skills to fixing up and treating every piece we find. We love the mix of a Nordic functional furniture and a recovered wood furniture from the sixties. We also adore our small collections of miniature cars.
To learn more about Judy Kaufmann, visit her Etsy shop.
obsessive hostess reveals favorite guest soaps
I am one of those fanatical people who insist on having a beautiful (or at least, as beautiful as I can get it) guest bathroom. The guest room itself may be cluttered with office supplies and there may be a stack of out-of-season clothes in the corner, but by goodness, I’ll make sure your towels are color-coordinated and you have all the lotions, potions and bubble bath you need to make your stay a good one.
At the top of the “guest room musts” list for me is a great hand soap for the guest bath. It has to look pretty on the counter (without being overly girly), and have the absolute perfect scent. Not too strong, not too feminine…as Baby Bear would say, just right. So, when I recently tapped out my supply of guest soaps, I thought it the perfect time to do a little testing. After an exhaustive search, I came up with a few favorites that will perk up any powder room.
Compagnie de Provence is nearly always my top choice. They take the cake when it comes to clean, simple packaging that’s still beautiful, and their scents are fantastic. I’m currently obsessed with Pamplemousse (grapefruit), which is perfectly cool and crisp, and Figue (fig) though it smells more of pine than fig, if you ask me, making it a great men’s option. Splurge on the glass bottle instead of the plastic, and you can easily refill it once empty.
Much as I adore CDP, they’re not the budget option. For something a bit more budget friendly, I love Caldrea’s Ginger Pomelo hand wash – the fragrance is a little on the strong side, but it’s so lovely, I don’t quite mind. Mistral also makes a fantastic fragrance called Milk (it smells almost like a baby product, and would be a dream for sensitive skin). All of Mistral’s options are antibacterial as well, which is a nice touch.
Now I just have to see about replacing those guest towels.
still missing domino? a little fix via one kings lane
The void created in our lives when Domino magazine folded is still there. The special issue that is on newsstands now, Domino Quick Fixes, has some of the sensibility of the original magazine, but is missing the warmth. It just leaves us wanting more. The folks over at One Kings Lane are trying to help, and have put together a week of sales inspired by the spreads in the special issue, piecing together product offerings that make recreating the looks easy. Like that ornate mirror? Here’s five more. Thinking of a whimsical wallpaper? How ’bout one of these? Like all things at OKL, this is sale is a limited time and ends on Friday. We recommend clicking around even if only for future inspiration. It’s like a decorating 101 lesson! See this link to view all the Domino-inspired sales.
kinda genius: universal wrapping paper
Confession time: I’m terrible at wrapping presents. I always have the best intentions. I walk by Paper Source’s windows and think, “Ohhh, that’s what I want to be!” I want to be one of those people with a gift wrapping station complete with a dozen different colors of washi tape and tinsel bows. I want to present my wedding shower gift and have everyone coo over the homemade tissue paper violets perched beside the bow. But, let’s cut the crap, I never am. I don’t have the time, money, or energy to make paper turkeys to decorate Thanksgiving cards. I always end up wrapping birthday presents in leftover Christmas paper. My cringe-worthy, rock bottom moment came when I presented a baby shower gift in a slightly used Halloween trick-or-treat bag.
There is hope for me yet! A light on the end of the horizon has appeared in Wordless Design’s universal wrapping paper. The paper allows you to choose your own celebration by circling the appropriate sentiment. Not only is the paper universally usable (cutting down on having to stock rolls and rolls of specific birthday, mother’s day, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Festivus, etc. paper), but it’s also sharp, clean, and minimalistically appealing. Five sheets of this rad wrapping is about 15€.
