The love of a scarf...

as seen through the magical eyes of LEIGH & LUCA

LEIGH & LUCA

extreme sledding: the Snow Shredder

I love this extreme toy for those who are serious about winter silliness. Props to that. 

extreme sled with a front light for night sledding. love

link to Snow Shredder

 

The Sartorialist speaks

One of my favorite blogs has a lovely video commentary in the NYTimes this morning from its creator.

VIDEO

Spying door knob

A glass door knob that shows what's inside the room

DESIGNTIDE TOKYO, architect Hideyuki Nakayama, and in collaboration with Japanese company, UNION.

fond memories from recently being home

1. More yoga than normal.

Warrior two. One of my latest favorites. 

2. Snowflake rolls from D'Amici's Bakery in Lynn

3. Early evening walk in Lynn Woods with our two dogs off leash. 

craving lately...

A new bike for next time it's warm
Bike LINK

beach chair to bring to Rockaway and Ft. Tilden from Gallant & Jones

Beach Chair LINK

Grey mongolian lamb pillow for Brooklyn bedroom

Mongolian Lamb hair pillow LINK

Pendleton Circle of Life blanket

Pendleton blanket LINK

Tony Duquette book

Tony Duquette book LINK

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 Obama on Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays to everyone. May this year be filled with positive attitudes, hope, and laughter!

sun burst

have a great weekend!

last weekend's stroll in Central Park

"extremely great value" - Spiewak

There is a very rare breed of fashion item that i would term those of "extremely great value". Often an indicator of this special category results in both high end and low end retailers uniting to celebrate this find.

Value to me, means -

1.  it is quality (well made)
2.  a reasonable price (like no second guessing affordability)
3.  a reasonably sustainable usage. (wear it for more than one season cycle)
4. great style. of course.

These items usually are those that, upon their initial creation, were not in fact considered fashionable at all. Some reasons being -

1. Sometimes it was designed by an outsider, or pioneer created it through their own volition, while not seeking fame.
2. Sometimes the item was created more functionally for a world outside of fashion and then the fashion world found it. This priority of function often explains the high quality of the item (This is what happened with Spiewak.)
3. Sometimes the american fashion world discovers something that another culture created and takes for granted and thus makes well and keeps affordable. (This explains rice paper lamp shades from Pearl River for example)

Anyway, so I present to you, Spiewak.

Yes, their coats are both sold at Urban Outfitters and Barneys.

Their history as you can read shows that the coats were originally made for dockworkers in Williamsburg, and ever since, the brand has been worn by soldiers in both world wars and is responsible for law enforcement uniforms.

clip from the "Uniform" section of their website. The brand has two versions of their own logo. One for Uniform and one for Fashion. 

In the Autumn of 1904, Isaac Spiewak opened a business in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, producing handmade sheepskin vests that he sold on the streets of New York. His customers were the dockworkers on New York’s booming waterfront.

Over a century after its founding, I. Spiewak & Sons has grown into one of the premier names in uniform workwear. The authentic industrial line has been trusted by the soldiers of WWI and WWII and is currently worn with pride by thousands of police, fire and ems agencies around the globe. The authenticity and integrity of its designs has also earned Spiewak iconic status as a classic streetwear brand—considered by many to be America’s best kept secret—with a growing loyal following at cutting-edge boutiques and retailers across America and around the globe.

Coming from a tradition of innovation, our spring collection highlights the values that keep Spiewak on the cutting edge – at 106 years young.

Hamlin Coat - $179

McElroy Parka - $195

Throeau Coat - $245

Wellmore Coat - $180

WEBSITE

funky recreation

I liked this playground design in Brooklyn Heights by the Governor's Island Ferry. The wood tower houses the slide and the orange thing is some sort of web climbing structure.

shimmery window display

at Miu Miu on 57th Street.

Fall in New England

Here are pics from a sunny afternoon in my hometown of Marblehead, MA.

Halloween!

Brilliant inventions from marthastewart.com. Inspires creativity. 

wicked witch cupcakes

"bat wings" chicken wings with soy sauce and black food coloring

"ladies fingers"

spider cupcakes

"mashed boo ta toes"

sheet metal decor

In Brooklyn especially, tin ceilings are absolutely everywhere. I get it. Drama and vintage appeal for little labor and little money. A quick fix for a restauranteur wanting to tap into the vintage, cool category. This style is distinctly American and was extremely popular in the 1890s. The tin is very durable which is why they still remain in these newly discovered old spaces that people are converting into stylish restaurants and stores.  Sheet metal is cheap and can be hammered and pressed into really interesting patterns and shapes. Here are a few products that caught my eye.

tin ceiling pattern chart from North Georgia Metals and Stone

hand hammered tin boxes from Indonesia - at Serena & Lily

Mexican mirror from website Southwest and Beyond

zulu baskets

My Senegalese landlord, Salif, gave me a small zulu basket a few years back. I love it. It is made from recycled plastic prayer mats and straw.

The baskets are traditionally made by women in South Africa and the tradition of weaving is passed down through the generations from grandmother to granddaughter. The pattens are amazing. There are also some more modern interpretation these days. I've posted some below. To me, the original African versions are far and away the best in color and pattern.

it's amazing how if you want a warm wooded vibe you can draw from items from a variety of cultures and sources and it really works. makes it more individualized too. based on styles that you are personally drawn to. they are sooo beautiful and also very affordable. adds great color, pattern and texture to the interior. 


They are so beautiful and affordable too:
http://www.basketsfromafrica.com/items/zulu-ilala-palm-baskets/list.htm?1=1

from Patriot Imports

from Gems of Africa

from Magellan Traders

Modern interpretations...

made by zulu women -  at Unica Home

neoprene basket - at Michele Varian

bowl from straw and plastic - at Scholten & Baijings