Happy Holidays! See you next year!

Hi everybody! Hope everyone has a festive holiday! I will see you in the new year (already 2009???) I leave with this beautiful and simple printable artwork by Blue Tricycle. Perfect design for the blustery cold we are dealing with... you can check out the rest of the great products in her shop here. 

Happy Holidays! I am off to drink some hot apple cider...

xoxo

The Lacquered Peacock 

Product Spotlight: Little Brown Pen Calender

Oh so cute! In honor of the end of the year posting, I thought a good selection might be this adorable 2009 printable calender. For just $5 you can get the pdf files of this cute calender and print and assemble it yourself to save a little coin! Featuring perfect simple brown graphics running the gamut from a doe to a sailboat this calender is perfect for anybody! You can peruse the rest of the Little Brown Pen shop here.

Ochre

I love the look of Ochre. Starting out as a London based line of contemporary products for the home, Ochre recently branched out opening a retail location in New York City. Mixing in their own collection with a variety of complimentary pieces from other lines, Ochre not only chooses elegant and unique pieces, but they also make an effort to sell product lines that are made under fair trade and green principles. Take a look at their well designed website or if you are in the NYC area make a stop at their brick and mortar local @ 432 Broome 10013. 

I immediately fell in love with this delicate collection of pink porcelain bowls. I love the soft, muted colors against the glazed porcelain- they look so delicate and soft. 

Amazing hand blown colored glass pots by Michael Ruh. I love the colors and they are perfect for condiments or olives...

Pretty and graphic silk lavender pouches. Perfect for enlivening a room or small space with a fresh clean scent. 

Product Spotlight: Minnie Headband

Good Monday afternoon! Hope everyone is looking forward to this abbreviated work week for some well needed rest and relaxation. My sister is arriving from the west coast today, so tomorrow will be my last day of posting until the New Year. For today and tomorrow, look forward to some great product and store postings to check out! 

In the meantime, I am so loving this adorable Minnie Headband by Yokoo. The design is cute and it has two buttons on the back to adjust for the perfect fit. Made from wool and acrylic blend and she can make it in any color you want! I think this will definitely be one of my after the holidays purchases. Check out the rest of her beautiful products at her etsy shop here. 

Verde Paperie

Oh on this dreary, rainy afternoon (well at least the Christmas tree lights up the room) Verde Paperie is the perfect bit of color to brighten up the day! If you are on the look out for any type of beautiful paper product, make sure to check out their website.  Verde Paperie not only carries chic stationary lines, but they also make an effort to carry products that are easy on the environment, everything from recycled and virgin paper to acid and chlorine free paper and soy based inks. Great products and great environmentally conscious company! Click here for the Olive Recipe cards by Pink Bathtub featured above. 

I love this cheerful card design by Tall Cow. Reminds me of the Hawaiian vacation I am on in my mind! The image is screen printed on recycled paper and comes in a recycled kraft envelope. 

I used to be addicted to planners, this one is making me want one again! Weekly planner from Little Otsu- pretty design and printed with vegetable based inks on 100% recycled paper. 

For those of you on the look out for gift wrap for your last minute holiday gift, be sure to pick up a few sheet of this funny wrap by Fish Lips Designs. The antlers on the dog are too cute!   100 % recycled paper with soy based inks, it is also processed chlorine free and manufactured using wind power!  

A&G Merch

Check out Brooklyn based brick and mortar store A&G Merch for all types of cool items for the home. Featuring styles that range from organic and natural paper products, to furniture with a more pop edge, A&G Merch has the bases covered. They have a great section on their website featuring easy gift ideas catagorized by price which is always convenient. Take a look at their site here, FYI it looks like they are still updating the site so some of the sections don't appear to be compete yet, but still lots of great stuff to peruse! You can also stop by their retail store if you are in the area @ 111 North 6th Street. Click here for the elegant Botanical Chandelier featured above. 

Loving this vintage looking Crown Hook Set. Perfect for hanging things in the entry right when you get home... 

One of my favorites when it comes to travel books, if you haven't checked out the NFT books' for the metro cities in your area, make sure you do. Here is the guide to Brooklyn. Great read and includes walking tours and insider secrets...

Adorable and bright- I love this cute side chair and ottoman- perfect for a sunny, light filled corner for reading the morning paper! 

White Trash

If your looking to update your place with some fabulous mid century modern furnishings be sure to check out NYC'S White Trash. With an ever evolving inventory of great finds, White Trash has everything from lighting and furniture to accessories and your stray perfect art piece to fill that empty corner in your home. With reasonable prices and unique finds, you never know what treasure will be had. Check them out online or if you are near the East Village in New York stop by the store @ 304 East 5th Street. Click here for the Cigar Pendent Lamp featured above. 

Loving this 50's sofa. With beautiful, simple lines this piece is timeless and will never go out of style. This one will last even longer as its been reupholstered in a subtly patterned raw silk.   

Wow! This mirror is amazing. I can definitely imagine this making a wonderful entry statement in a small foyer. I love the bronze finish. Great price too! 

Beautiful Grossfield House dresser. I love this finish and the lines are perfection. 

Art Effect

Art Effect is a Chicago based boutique that carries everything you need to finish your holiday shopping list in one fell swoop. With categories covering clothing, jewelry, home products and more you can find that perfect, unique item that you have been endlessly searching for! Along with well known, established brands, Art Effect also has a selection of talented up and comers. Check out their site or if you are in Chicago visit them at 934 West Armitage. Click here for the cool Wine Glass Illusion Tumblers featured above. 

I love this adorable owl pitcher (good price too!) 9" tall glazed porcelain with a handle on the back. Would look great as kitchen decor, or for use in the backyard for a summer gathering brimming with limeade...

I love these! Check out these Pylones Nonna Graters. Whimsical figures double as usable art, featuring a stainless steel skirt grater. Perfect for the humorous chef in your life! 

These would be a good gift for my fiancee. Usually cufflinks are so dull...I love the blue print design on these and blue is a nice color too! Designed by Constantin Boym. 

Product Spotlight: Chilewich Roller Shade

I have always been a big fan of Chilewich with their innovative textiles, weavings and the way they use products that don't necessarily go together to create something beautiful and unique. Recently they launched a collaboration with the The Shade Store of a line of window treatments including roller shades and panel systems. The majority of panel systems that I have seen have been made of somewhat flimsy material that I always imagined would not hold up to the rigors of a window treatment. The use of the Chilewich textiles is genius due to the heavy quality and rigidity of the material. You can check out the collection here. I particularly love the Roller Shades, they come in a variety of designs, from lattice to bamboo- but my personal favorite is the wood grain featured above. Simple and elegant. 

Grounded

Grounded is a great brick and mortar store located in Encinitas, CA. With a mission to feature items that blend modern, clean design with an influence in nature, Grounded carries numerous quality brands that reflect their similar design aesthetic. Along with their retail store, Grounded is also a licensed landscape architectural design service, so while you are decorating your indoors they can help you take care of your outdoors as well! Click here for the fabulous Verner Patton bowls featured above designed with his premier 60's textile design. 

Fantastic gift idea! I love this Eva Solo Self Watering Pot. Perfect for your friend or family member that is always traveling and their poor plants suffer the fate of dehydration. Features a set of self watering wicks that draw the water from the glass base into the soil. 

We have featured these ventless fireplaces before, but I really like the shape of this Blomus Fireplace. Perfect for compact living! 

On this freezing, windy day (its 8 degrees with the windchill!) I am about to make a big pot of tea for the rest of the afternoon. This pot would be perfect- nice to look at and does its job! 

 

Jack Spade

Its that time of year when everyone is searching for the perfect gift for that special someone. For me its always hardest to find cool items for the men in my life... A great online store for finding something for your man is Jack Spade. Inspired by utility and function, Jack Spade products are equally as cool to look at as they are to use. They have a certain humor and lightness to them, but are not overly designed to the point of being precious. From briefcases and messenger bags to wallets and key chains, Jack Spade's items can be really used and still maintain their look.  Click here for hand knit jellyfish key chain featured above. 

My fiancee would definitely go for this slick anchor embossed wallet. I love the deep mahogany textured leather against the cool rock-a-billy esq.  interior. Perfect! 

Great for a weekend getaway, check out the reversible superhero coal bag. Made from tough cloth canvas, this bag can withstand a lot of use and look great doing it! Love the mask and boots drawings...

Excessively stylish gym bag! I love the navy color and the look. Outfitted with an exterior pocket for those wet stinky clothes after a tough work out. 

Terra Furnishings

Take a look at Terra Furnishings if you are in the market for eco-friendly decor for your home. Inspired by being environmentally conscious, Terra makes an effort to sell products that are hand made from sustainable materials and made in way that has a low impact on the environment. They have a great selection of goods ranging from furniture and home accessories to jewelry and beautiful glass pieces. Click here for the pretty Bowling Pin Vase featured above. 

I love the wood grain on this Center Twist Stool. The shape is so beautiful and organic. Perfect for use as a little, movable end table or for extra seating when guests are over!

One of my favorites on their site is this Timber Block Table. Made from reclaimed Monkey Pod wood, this stool cum planter (featuring a hollow interior can be easily reversed and used with your favorite foliage)  has an amazing textual quality to it. 

Check out this amazing colander. Definitely, not your typical kitchen utensil- this amazing piece is not only beautiful but functional as well. Made from 100% natural materials and coated with a lead free glaze.   

I'm Back...

Hi all, sorry for the long overdue posting. After a hectic Thanksgiving "holiday", we are finally moved and settled into our new place. I will be back to my normal posting schedule from now on, so look forward to new product and store postings starting today. 

Be sure to check out my online store Branch Handmade, today is the last day of our Black Friday/Cyber Monday Holiday sale, you check out the goods here.

Brenda Rose

Good Friday morning! Check out this visual eye candy from the very talented artist Brenda Rose. Based in Portland, Brenda combines found objects, vintage illustrations and other trinkets to create original and thought provoking pieces of art. I love her multi dimensional approach with the different layers that she uses to create depth. It really makes you sit and stare at the pieces, seeing new things each time you look- personally this is my favorite thing about art, and Brenda does it well. Click here for the matador, my favorite piece, featured above. 

I love this man with pipe. Created with a vinyl decal pasted to a piece of plexi glass fixed 1/4" off the wood background. I really like the color combo here with the black, white, red and vitage graph paper.

Check out this one, mom and boy. This piece would make for a great gift for a mom... The old map gives it the feel of a traveler. 

Product Spotlight: Nixie Desk Clock

Being the punctuality freak that I am it is no surprise that I have a rather extensive clock and watch collection.  The thing is that not only do I always want to know the time, but I really adore clocks and the various ways that designers come up with ways to be creative with something that can be so mundane, like the time. BDDW has been a favorite furniture company of mine for a long time- based out of Brooklyn they have a knack for creating absolutely stunning pieces of furniture out of domestic hardwoods. That being said combine one of my favorite furniture designers with a clock and you hit a home run! Check out the beautiful Nixie Clock Collection , I was immediately drawn to the Silvered Bronze Desk Clock featured above. I love the simplicity of the lines and the heavy feel with the quiet digital numbers. So beautiful!  

Lena Corwin

Many of you may know of Lena Corwin's work, most notably her beautiful textile designs and whimsical illustrations. Her work has a very carefree feel to it, which is what I think I enjoy best about it. She has a great little online shop with a selection of pieces from her line available. There you will find sweet melamine plates, comfortable throw pillow and other various textiles. Definitely worth a gander, you just might find that perfect gift you are searching for! 

Loving this cute Travel melamine plate. The adorable illustrations bring back memories of my own cross country sojourns. Good gift idea for a travel crazy friend or family member! 

Fun men's tie made from a light vintage fabric. 

I think this is my favorite pillow available from Lena's collection. I love the yellow and blue colors and the layering of images. You can peruse all the items featured here.  

  

Product Spotlight: Wool Throw Blankets/Toast

As winter is fast approaching, there is nothing more essential than a great, cozy throw blanket to wrap yourself in, throw across the sofa or curl up with in bed. I am always on the look out for a new, warm throw blanket and usually my favorites are mens-wear inspired patterns, cashmere, wool or plaid. A great source for a selection of comfy blankets is Toast, and the name says it all... wrap your self in one of these and you will be very toasty! Click here for the amazing herringbone, cashmere throw from Scotland featured above. 

I love this beautiful Welsh Tapestry Bedcover. Not exactly a throw blanket, but I am sure it will do the trick! Made of undyed British wool, this cover was woven on a loom in the few surviving Welsh woolen mills. A vintage copy.

Nothing beats a classic plaid check cashmere throw. Love this color combo!   

Cog and Pearl

Cog and Pearl is one of my favorite places to stop and check out in Brooklyn. They have an amazing and constantly changing array of goods from independent artists, running the gamut from home products, jewelry and apparel. With a warm and inviting feel, Cog and Pearl makes you want to stay and browse! If you aren't lucky enough to pop by their brick and mortar spot, check out their online site- a great place to find unique items for that person who has everything! Located in Brooklyn @ 190 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY. Click here for the amazing watercolor painted playing card set featured above. 

Being a lover of all things cozy, warm knit blankets, fluffy cable sweaters,  I was immediately drawn to the unique texture of the Knitwear Tumbler. Created by ceramist Alyssa Ettinger the unglazed exterior of these beautiful vessels look as soft and textural as any favorite knit sweater. 

How adorable are these fun chicken feet salt and pepper shaker set? Created by Perch! out of porcelain, these shakers are the perfect bit of humor for any table setting. 

I am officially in love with this Pheasant Necklace. Elegant and sophisticated, this necklace evokes a bygone era featuring an antique reverse painted glass cabochon decorated with a beautiful pheasant design.