Yes, I redesigned! It’s been more than a year since the last D16 makeover, which much longer than I like to leave things alone. I’m a bad client, though—I kind of want everything to stay the same at the same as I want it to change. Kind of like how I feel about my house, my clothes, my food…

I’m sure there are going to be some bugs (I’m way less fastidious about cross-browser happiness when it comes to my own stuff than I am with other people’s sites), so if you happen to discover anything weird, please do let me know what operating system and browser/version you’re using so I can address the problem! Oh, and there’s a new FAQ page. The link page is taking a nap right now, but it’ll be back soon enough.

On to more important things…

IT’S THE BLANKET!!! IN MY HOUSE AND ON MY BED!!! YAYYYYYY!!!!!

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while then you know I am completely obsessed with Pia Wallén’s Crux blanket. I dream about it. I refer to it for proportional guidance when painting medicine cabinets and cord cozies. Basically, I talk about the Crux blanket incessantly to anyone who will listen.

About six months ago, I found out that the original wool version of the Crux blanket is no longer being produced—once the current stock is gone, it’s gone. Despite the fact that the wool blanket is prohibitively expensive (the price being the sole reason I haven’t upholstered my entire house with them), I did get a little mopey…until I learned that it had been replaced by a far more affordable (but still spendy, let’s be real here) cotton flannel version.

Blah, blah, blah, months of waiting and pondering and bribing of toothy Chihuahuas…and then I thought the blanket sure would be a nice birthday present from Evan (he agreed)…followed by more months of me agonizing over committing to the actual purchase. A couple of weeks ago, though, I finally went ahead and ordered my very own Crux blanket from the superfabulous Juli and John at Mjölk in Toronto. Their service could not have been faster or kinder, and they even tweeted a photo of my blanket being packed for shipping!

And yes, I do realize I’m talking about a blanket here. Humor me, OK? It’s just sooooo soft and thick and luxe and perfect…and it’s reversible, so it’s really like two blankets in one. And did I mention it’s soft? As much as I would have loved to have put it on the living room sofa and made it available for snuggling at all times, I am all too aware of Fritz’s reputation when it comes to blankets, so the bedroom it is. Totally fine with me.

!!!!BLANKET!!!! !!!!BLOG!!!!

I swore I wouldn’t do it, but I did it—Door Sixteen is now on Facebook. I’ve had a personal Facebook account for years, but I really only use it to stay in touch with my family and a few friends. I am a huge (probably too huge) fan of Twitter, and, if you follow me there, you already know I’m quite prolific throughout the day! I love to reply to discuss and share, and it’s all good fun. I know not everyone is a Twitter-lover, though, so I thought I’d set up a little Facebook page for those of you who prefer that environment.

My Tweets will feed through automatically to Facebook (not all of my Tweet-replies, though—that would make everyone insane!), so now you’ll be able to find out fascinating news about my life as it breaks! For example, previously the information that “my hands feel like paper” would only have been available to those following me on Twitter, but now Facebook users will be kept abreast of these developments as they happen as well! (I’m really selling this well, aren’t I?)

The other nice thing is that my Instagram photos will also appear automagically on Facebook. Neat!

And for those of you who prefer to stay away from Twitter and Facebook altogether, well…you’ll just have to remain in the dark about the condition of my cuticles and photos of the coffees I’ve consumed. Hee!

Did you know that Ice Cube studied architectural drafting before getting into rap? Yeah, me neither, but apparently he did, and now he’d like to tell you why he loves Los Angeles…and why he loves Charles and Ray Eames.

I like this a lot. I enjoy when my interests fold in on each other in unexpected ways.

Update: I missed this yesterday, but the New York Times also has an interview with Ice Cube about making this video. Best quote: “You don’t want to live in nothing I draw. I got a certificate. For a year. In ’88. I don’t think I picked up a T-square since.” (Thanks, Catherine!)

Speaking of which, have you seen Eames: The Architect and the Painter yet? Evan and I went to see it at the IFC Center a couple of weeks ago, and we really enjoyed it. The movie (narrated by James Franco, yay!) more about their lives, motivations and work processes than it is an exhaustive look at their output, and that’s what makes it so interesting. If you have the chance to see it in the theater, GO. It’s a fun hour and twenty minutes.

If you can’t see the movie in the theater, you can catch it on December 19th at 10:00pm on the PBS series “American Masters,” and after that on PBS on demand.

This is my new affirmation banner from Secret Holiday. I haven’t found the right place to hang it yet, but it’s already making me feel good in its temporary spot. It’s pretty great, yeah? I’m not usually one for inspirational posters (I always think of the “Hang in There!” kitten), but I think this banner is exactly what I need in my life.

The word OK is hugely comforting for me. About a year ago, I wrote a post about body image and self-acceptance called “I’m OK”, and I come back to it all the time when I’m feeling down on myself. There’s a reason it wasn’t called “I’m perfect” or even “I’m fine.” The word OK implies something else—it takes into account a certain amount of shortcoming, I think, and makes it alright. OK.

I had dinner with Jenna the other night, and we talked about the practice of looking at the worst case scenario as a means to bring peace of mind. That might sound counterintuitive, but think about it—if you let yourself look at the worst possible outcome when faced with either a situation that seems beyond your control or with making a decision that feels impossible, where does that outcome actually leave you? Are you still putting one foot in front of the other? Are you still sleeping in a bed at night? Of course horribly tragic things can happen at any time, but for the most part, you’ll probably be alright—and more than likely, you won’t even have to face that worst case scenario. Accept the shortcomings, accept the negatives, and be glad that everything is pretty OK.

OK? OK!

As part of my ongoing effort to make the city apartment feel more home-like, I decided to hang a couple of framed printed in the kitchen. I’ve been holding on to these prints with the intention of framing/hanging them for about 15 years (!!) now, and it feels great to see them out of a storage tube and onto the wall.

Both prints were silkscreened by Robin Hendrickson, who I met while we were in the Art+Design program at Purchase College. Robin was immensely talented, and I do wonder what he’s up to now. (Hey Robin, if you Googled yourself and wound up here, get in touch!) The Lost Highway poster (black ink on yellow plasticized paper) was done for a special screening of the movie in the campus theater, and the “Hockey Fight” print was a personal project he did to document a multi-face type family that he’d hand-drawn. We have an alternate version of this poster in what is now the guest bedroom at our house (yikes, old photo!).

There’s a tendency to think small when it comes to hanging framed stuff on kitchen and bathroom walls, but I love putting big posters in smaller spaces. The room immediate feels cozier, happier, and all-around more comfortable. I don’t worry about heat or moisture, either. I probably wouldn’t put anything valuable right next to the stove or the shower, but I’ve never had a problem with anything getting damaged.

Oh, and speaking of the apartment kitchen, remember that giant hole in the ceiling? Well, it took FORTY-EIGHT DAYS (as well as countless phone calls, certified letters and threats of legal action), but it’s finally fixed. What a huge relief. Not being able to cook (and you know, having a giant hole overhead constantly shedding dirt and concrete) was pretty stressful.

Let this post also stand as a reminded to order your 2012 Stendig calendar! It’s already November, and it’ll be a new year before you know it. And remember, the pages make great wrapping paper when the month is over.

I am truly at a loss for words right now. They will come, though, and when they do, I will leave them in the comments below.

I invite you to share your thoughts on how Steve Jobs has impacted all of our lives, and to talk about what he and his work meant to you personally. I know I’ll find it cathartic (and inspiring!) to read in the days to come, and I’m sure others will, too.

Font foundry House Industries just announced a joint project with Herman Miller: 80 Eames wire-base (LTR) tables that include A thru Z, numbers and ornaments from the Eames Century Modern font collection. Don’t get all excited, though, because the 80 tables are only going to be sold in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Bummer!! Before I read that part of the announcement (okay, and the part where there are only 80 tables), I was all set to finally cough up the cash to buy one of these cute little guys.

Maybe one of the lucky buyers will send me the crate their table comes in.

Photos by Carlos Alejandro for House Industries

We’ve already done camera vs camera and trash can vs trash can, so how about we do jewel-encrusted skull vs jewel-encrusted skull?

In 2007, Damien Hirst (who, I should note, is one of my favorite living artists—for better or for worse, “I know what I like when I see it”…blah blah blah, and yes, I am aware of the many reasons available to dislike Hirst and his work) spent £14 million (~$22 million) creating For the Love of God, a sculpture consisting of “a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, including a pear-shaped pink diamond located in the forehead”. It’s an utterly ridiculous and despicable work of art on just about every level imaginable, but I can’t help kind of loving it. And we don’t even know if it’s been sold! Assuming it hasn’t, though, the price tag on it most likely somewhere around £50 million.

Gracious. Well, as Hirst himself puts it, “the markup on paint and canvas is a hell of a lot more than on this diamond piece.” Fair enough, Damien. Fair enough!

I don’t often condone knockoffs, but I’m going to make an exception this time—assuming, of course, that you don’t have £50 million lying around waiting to be spent. (And if you do, please email me before you do anything. I’d be happy to send you a list of suggested ways to spend that money that do not involve buying a diamond-encrusted skull. Be sure to put “Help me spend £50 million” in the subject line!)

Enter the low-cost alternative: For a mere £50 (yes, 1/1,000,000th of the original price!), IARTISTLONDON will sell you their IHIRST kit so you can make your very own Damien Hirst-inspired crystal-encrusted skull! You get a life-sized plastic skull, 8,601 crystals, glue, a paintbrush, silver paint, and instructions. I personally can’t think of a better way to spend every evening for the next year than gluing tiny crystals onto a plastic skull, can you?

Your friends will never know the difference!!

I’ve been under the weather for the past couple of days and I didn’t really have the mental energy to do real work, so I used the opportunity to freshen up my portfolio site a bit. I have very little patience for or interest in designing stuff for myself, so I’ve been putting this off for ages.

I think I might actually get around to having some real business cards printed up, too. Can you believe I’ve never* had business cards? I’m forever scrawling my name and URL on the backs of receipts and cocktail napkins. Part of me feels like being able to say, “Here, take my card” will be a true certification of grown-up-ness, and that freaks me out a little. Okay, a lot. The only thing left after business cards are nude pantyhose, and I’m definitely not going down that road.

*That’s a lie. Last year I printed a sheet of 12 cards in a fit of panic before an “industry” party I went to. Then, as I was frantically trimming them down, I sliced off a huge hunk of my left thumb with an X-Acto knife. I then proceeded to bleed all over the cards. It was all very Cheese Monkeys.

Between the categories page I designed for sfgirlbybay and the multitude of round icons I’ve made in the last couple of days on Twitter, I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about how to make a circle with an image in it. Because it’s such a huge part of my daily working life, I tend to assume that everyone (a) owns Photoshop, and (b) knows how to use Photoshop, so it doesn’t occur to me that things that seem so simple (making circles, putting type on photos, etc.) to me might not be as obvious to everybody else. This is super-easy, though. I promise.

Okay, first things first: I don’t know how to use any image editing programs other than Photoshop. I’ve been using Photoshop for 17 years (that doesn’t seem possible, but I double-checked with a calculator to be sure…EEK!), and I’ve never had any reason to use anything else. I’m sure it’s possible to accomplish these results with other programs, but I can’t tell you how. I’m sure there are tutorials out there, though!

Second things second: These instructions assume you are creating a graphic element for use on the web. This is not how I would create a similar element for print. Designing and creating documents for print is a whole ‘nother ball of wax!

Now that that’s all out of the way, let’s get started…

STEP ONE: Open your photo. For this demo, I’m using an Instagram photo of Rick Moranis as Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster of Gozer in Ghostbusters.

If your photo is really huge, now would be a good time to knock down the pixel width to a manageable size (Image > Image Size). Remember, when you view something at 100% in Photoshop, that’s the same size the image will appear when it’s on the web at screen resolution.

STEP TWO: Choose the Elliptical Marquee Tool from the toolbar.

See the area I highlighted in yellow above? Make sure that Feather is set to 0px, Anti-Alias is checked, and Style is set to normal.

Click and drag the marquee tool to select the area you want to make into a circle. Hold down the shift key to keep your circle perfectly round. If you need to move your selection around as you drag, hold down the space bar at the same time. (You’ll get the hang of it, trust me!)

STEP THREE: With the selection still active, crop your image (Image > Crop) to remove any extraneous areas.

Double-click on the Background in your layers palette to turn your image into a free-floating layer. A dialogue box will pop up—just hit OK—you don’t need to change any of the settings.

STEP FOUR: With the selection still active, click the “Add vector mask” button at the bottom of your layers palette (highlighted above in yellow). WOAH! Magical! Circle!

STEP FIVE: You’re pretty much done now, but for extra bonus points, you can now save your circle with its transparent background intact. That way, if you use your circle somewhere with a colored background (like on Twitter!), there won’t be a white square around it.

Go to File > Save for Web & Devices and choose PNG-24 (highlighted above) from the pull-down menu. Make sure the Transparency box is checked. Click Save, name your file, and you’re done!

I came across these photo prints by Aled Lewis (his other illustration and design work is amazing, too!) a few days ago, and I can’t stop thinking about them. I love tiny animal figurines, and I extra-love making them have conversations with each other (no, really). I extra-extra-love that Lewis took it one step further and make these great little scenes with dialogue and everything. They have a Museum of Natural History diorama-like feel to them that I really dig.

Aled Lewis on inPRNT

I mean, you can really hear them, right? I feel sad for Rhinoceros, hanging his head in shame for evolving into a lesser beast than Triceratops. It’s not his fault! And poor Wooly Mammoth, he just wants to grow his hair out and hang with the cool kids. Moms just don’t get it.

Lately I’ve been trying to make the city apartment feel a little more like a home than just a place to crash. When we first rented it last year, my goal was to keep it as spare and minimal as possible—but who am kidding? I like stuff. I like furniture and lamps and art and books and pillows and candles. The entire apartment is only about 450 square feet (including the kitchen, bathroom, and entry area), so it’s really not too hard to make it feel “cozy”—homey is another story, though. I think when you don’t have your favorite stuff with you, the place you’re living in can start to feel a little like it actually belongs to someone else, or that it’s temporary. Either way, it’s unsettling.

Okay, so this is minor, but look! We FINALLY screwed the top down on the fauxdenza. It only took us five months! (Well, it took about five months to think about it, and then 30 seconds to actually do it.)

Speaking of FAUXDENZAS, I have to point out that the official Google “fauxdenza count” is up to a whopping 13,700 hits. To recap, “fauxdenza” made its debut in November 2010. By the following March, we were up to 323 mentions. Less than a year after its inception, “fauxdenza” has become part of everyday language in households across America. Are you listening, Oxford English Dictionary?!

Okay, I promise to dial down the nerd now. But first, here’s an updated FAUXDENZA Google screencap.

See? I’ve been hanging stuff on the walls! For a long time the fabulous bear print by Sarah Edmonds of Banquet was the only thing up there, but I’ve since added three more pieces. The mountain poster is by Elisabeth Dunker (I wish I had a better picture of it in situ, but the glare from the window was fighting me!), the Pee-wee print is by Dan Zettwoch, and I’ve already written about the Superpowers poster from Pop Chart Lab.

A couple of other new things came to live with us, too—both of them from the 2009 IKEA PS collection. The cute little KARLJOHAN side table was designed by Christian Halleröd, and the crazy SVARVA lamp is the from the super-awesome Swedish design collective FRONT. This is probably the only scenario in which I’ll actually be able to afford anything designed by FRONT. I love when designers I love (hello, Hella Jongurius!) do pieces for IKEA.

Ever the bargain-hunter, though, I waited to buy these two pieces until the price dropped to almost 50% of the original cost. It looks like IKEA is phasing out much of the 2009 PS collection now, so if there’s something you’ve been wanting, get on it now.

Here’s a closer view of Dan Zettwoch’s amazing Pee-wee bike print. You’d need to see this thing in person to appreciate the fantastic attention to detail! Dan has some really cool photos of the process of creating it on his blog—check it out. It’s silkscreened in really rich inks (plus silver!) on thick, creamy paper, and it looks SO good on the wall. Dan screened an edition of 30 of these prints, and I think he still has some left, so definitely get in touch with him if you love Pee-wee as much as I do!

(Thanks so much to Matt Roeser for tipping me off to Dan Zettwoch’s work back when I put up this post about my love for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure!)

How cute are these pillows?! The moment Elisabeth Dunker (whose work graces many rooms in my house!) sent out an email announcing their addition to the Fine Little Day shop, I added them to my ever-growing list of pillows I love and desire.

Now that Fritz has stopped chewing on stuff (okay, mostly—every now and then he still enjoys a good tassel), I feel like it might be okay to buy a few nice pillows. I love pillows. I want a pillow on every chair, tons of them on the sofa, a bed covered with them—I basically want to live in a giant pillow. I could always get this, I guess:

Christiane Högner’s Cushionized Sofa is the stuff dreams are made of—literally. Can you even imagine tossing your body down on that thing at the end of a long day? It would be like tumbling into a marshmallow fantasy land of sleepytime goodness.

I want everything Donna Wilson has ever made, really, but her recent Nos Da Collection is my most favorite of all. The “licorice” cushion is so, so beautiful. I’ve been fantasizing about it for long time now, but just recently saw it in person for the first time—and now I covet it even more. And how can you not love the Blah Blah cushion?! Perfect for resting your head on while pretending to be engaged in a draggy phone conversation.

OMG, THIS PILLOW. This is one of those things I swear was made just for me. It’s cotton, it’s velvety, it’s got multi-level textures, it’s earthy-yet-graphic, there’s yellow involved, and…TRIANGLES. I love a good triangle. The Turbine pillow from CB2 is awesome, and I may or may not have already ordered one in a fit of glee.

Speaking of triangles…yeah, I saved the best for last. It’s the holy grail of pillows—one made from Alexander Girard’s Checker Split fabric. Circa50 makes pillows from a variety of Girard fabrics, but Checker Split will always be my favorite-favorite. This pattern inspired the one on the sometimes-rug in my living room (I say “sometimes” because the dogs seem to have decided that every rug is a giant wee-wee pad, so actually it’s more like “no time-rug”…sigh), and I just love it so much. I’ve held off investing in a Girard pillow for a long time, though, because I just know that the second I turn my back, Fritz is going to chew off one of the corners.

Indeed, sometimes the dogs win. Maybe I need to have a private pillow sanctuary behind a dog gate. Oh, come on…who am I kidding?

Exactly, Fritz. Exactly.

Earlier this morning, while I was searching the 13-year-old depths of my backup drive, I came across my blog header from 2002. It was collage-y and grunge-y and vintage-y and all of the other -ies that that I was into at that time, and I was immediately reminded of someone who had a huge influence on my work—artist, designer and typographer Eduardo Recife.

I love Eduardo’s use of found elements, pieced textures and patterns, hand-drawn letterforms and traditionally-set typography. There’s a roughness to his work that’s countered so perfectly by often romantic or Victorian imagery, and that contrast is so appealing to me. It’s a look that retailers like Anthropologie and Alternative Apparel have channeled with great success over the years, but never with quite the same level of artistry as Eduardo.

You could spend a year trying to emulate his work (and believe me, I’ve tried!) and never do what he does as well as he does. I’ve taken influence from Eduardo and put it into my graphic design work, the interior of my home, my personal style—everything. He just understands the balances between old/new and hard/soft so well.

Clockwise: “Dream”, “Chords”, “Love”, and “Give to Get” Giclée prints by Eduardo Recife

I was happy to discover after not having visiting Eduardo’s personal work website, Misprinted Type, for quite some time that he now has giclée prints of his work available for purchase through inPRNT. I haven’t decided which ones I want to buy yet, but I will definitely be bringing a couple into my home very soon!

One of my favorite things about Eduardo’s approach to creating is his willingness to share resources and materials with others. If you check out the “goodies” and “fonts” section of Misprinted Type, you’ll see he makes a huge number of hand-drawn typefaces, brushes, and vector elements available—many of them for free.

Make sure you also take time to look at his recent commercial work, too—the colors are so incredibly fresh and delicious-looking, and his style still looks as current and unmatchable in its coolness as ever.

“E o amor?” giclée print by Eduardo Recife

I love my job a whole lot. Designing stuff is what I do for a living, but it’s also what I do because I love to do it. Lately I’ve had the opportunity to do my job alongside a few friends who also love what they do, which makes work extra-fun.

Earlier today, I flicked the switch on the redesign of sfgirlbybay that I’ve been working on for the past couple of months. Victoria is not only one of my favorite bloggers, but she’s also one of my favorite people. Having the opportunity to work on her blog was a dream come true! Making the project even sweeter was getting to design a site around the new logo artist Shanna Murray created for Victoria. I hope you’ll stop over and take a look if you haven’t already. I think what we came up with just suits Victoria’s style and personality so well.

This was a very, very special project for me. I’m just so happy Victoria trusted her amazing blog in my hands!

I’ve known Nubby Twiglet for years, and during that time I’ve watched her grow into an incredible designer with a style that’s unmistakably her own. Nubby has a clear vision when it comes to fashion and photography as well, and as soon as I found out I’d be designing the cover for Rev Jen’s new book, Elf Girl (previously titled Elf Like Me), I knew she was the person to go to for the right cover shot. I’m pretty sure the first question I asked her was, “Hey, do you have any elf shoes?”

Nubby was a perfect collaborator—she took my art direction perfectly, and understood exactly what I needed. Her shots and styling were so perfect that I was able to come up with 10 cover concepts in a single afternoon! Very satisfying. The final cover is on the left (the book is out in October), and you can see some of the unused designs in the right.

This poster marked the second time I’ve worked with musician Roger O’Donnell. The first was about six years ago on a CD jacket, and it was really quite nice to do it again. I’ve known Roger since I was just starting out as a designer in my early 20s, so to know that he respects my work well enough to ask me to create something for him—this time a poster announcing a performance of his work—is a truly great feeling.

Last year, Roger musically recreated the David Hockney painting Bigger Trees Near Warter Or/Ou Peinture Sur Le Motif Pour Le Nouvel Age Post-Photographique, and in July of this year, the piece was performed by an orchestra of young musicians at the Guildhall School of Music. You can read about the entire process as well as watch video diaries and download demos here.

Thank you, friends. It’s been a pleasure.

I just bought this taxonomic superpowers poster from Brooklyn-based Pop Chart Lab (“…founded in August 2010 by a book editor and a graphic designer who joined forces for one reason: to bring order to a swirling chaos, that is, to render the world as charts”) for Evan. Isn’t it awesome? I had no idea it’s even super-possible to have prehensile hair.

We already have Pop Chart Lab’s Grand Taxonomy of Rap Names poster in our hallway, and I gave my nephew the Evolution of Video Game Controllers poster (which coincidentally uses the same font as my blog header) for Christmas. Yeah, I was the cool aunt for a minute or two, believe me.

These are posters for nerds. Design-loving nerds. Like me. I’m a fan.

It’s hard to appreciate how awesome this stuff is at small sizes, so hop over to Pop Chart Lab to check out some enlargements. The level of detail in the taxonomy charts in particular is pretty amazing.

Pictured above, clockwise from top left:
+ Bill Solo t-shirt (the only thing better than Bill Murray is…Bill Murray)
+ The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools poster
+ Periodic Table of Heavy Metals poster
+ A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music poster

Okay, let me get one thing out of the way right off the bat: There is absolutely no way for me to write this post without feeling like a jerk. I’ve slotted it into the “greed” category, and that’s exactly where it belongs. I try to keep the I WANT THIS STUFF, DON’T YOU WANT IT TOO posts to a minimum around here (not because I don’t want stuff, but because I find it exhausting and depressing to focus more on what one wants than on what one already has), but I’m human. And sometimes I’m greedy, especially when it comes to beautiful, functional objects. So.

The last time I bought a camera was three years ago (cripes, I was a lot thinner then…), and I got a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. I always say that I only take photos because I have to rather than as a form of artistic expression (everyone can take photos, but not everyone is a photographer!), and I have no patience for DSLRs and lenses and bodies and parts and math and numbers and thinking. I just want to take a picture and have it look alright and not have to schlep around a bunch of stuff. The Lumix has served me well, but I’ve been feeling like it might be time for an upgrade. I mean, I take a lot of photos of my dogs.

My first thought was that I should move to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. Everybody and their brother knows that the Lumix line is really just repackaged and rebranded Leica cameras sold at way lower prices (as well as with slightly different firmware and a shorter warranty period), right? If I can get a really nice new point & shoot for $399 (or less!), why in the world would I willingly pay DOUBLE that amount for what is essentially the same camera, the Leica D-Lux 5? Because it “LOOKS nicer”?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Well yeah, maybe. Or maybe not. Because maybe good design matters to me. Maybe it matters to me more than it should, but maybe good design also is the reason I have a job. So maybe it’s actually important what stuff looks like.

At some point during our never-ending downstairs bathroom renovation, we decided to buy a $289 trash can (woah, the comments on that post from Robbie are hilarious—where do these people come from?!). Actually, it was $249 then, but you get the point. The trash can for our bathroom cost more than the wall tile. And the sink. And the faucet. Combined. It was in irrational purchase, to be sure, but do we regret it? NO WAY. Look at that thing! I hate the phrase “it’s a work of art”, but believe me, I’m tempted to say that about the trash can. Wait, no, what I mean is: It’s a work of design. GOOD design. Good design and quality manufacturing. I appreciate that trash can every time I throw away a Kleenex (generic, of course—everyone knows Target tissues have the nicest boxes).

Consider the less expensive, more sane option, this Simple Human model. It looks okay. It’s totally fine. I have a Simple Human trash can in my kitchen, and I have no complaints. I’m sure this smaller model works quite well for its intended purpose, and at $26, probably already costs more than the average person would spend on a bathroom trash can. But do I love the design? Nope. And I’d be lying if I said Evan and I don’t have a teensy bit of regret for not buying a Vipp trash can for the kitchen, too. (Remember what I said about this post making me feel like a greedy jerk? Yeah.)

So it comes down to this: Leicas are the Vipp trash cans of cameras. And I want the D-Lux 5. Because not only will it take nice pictures, but it will look awesome hanging around my neck. I will feel happy every time I hold it and admire its neat, straight lines and its perfectly placed red dot. That’s all worth something to me.

(Now I just need to convince myself that it’s okay to even buy a new camera, period. That’s the hard part!)

I’ve blogged about Atlanta-based artist Jen Ray before (her “Siempre” print was on my wish list back in 2009, and more recently her “Toro” print made an appearance on the It List post I wrote for sfgirlbybay), but after opening my mailbox to the tiny treasures pictured above earlier today, I decided I really need to post about her more recent work.

So…the mug. It is completely awesome, yes? I sort of want to buy one for everyone I know. This one is mine, though, and I promise to do my best to live as Honey Badger does and just keep eating poisonous cobras even though it’s disgusting and they make me pass out. Or something like that. Jen has a whole series of Honey Badger mugs, and you should get one or five.

In case you’re not one of the 9,711,564 (and counting) people who have viewed this video and therefore have absolutely no idea what the phrase and illustration on the mug refer to, here you go. You’re welcome.

Product photos by Jen Ray // All pieces available in Jen’s Etsy shop, Corduroy

Next up, the clay animals! Oh my gosh, SO cute. I chose the Action Mole with Mint Mittens (I love moles), but there are plenty of others, too. This little guy is my spirit animal, and he’s already made a home for himself on my work table. I love having him there! The best thing about Jen’s work is that it’s friendly. Her illustration style, penmanship and renderings of animals are so open and warm, and everything she makes immediately feels like it could come and live with you and be a good friend.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I want to buy everything in her shop!

Product photos by Jen Ray // All pieces available in Jen’s Etsy shop, Corduroy

Imagine my excitement this morning when I learned that Orla Kiely—she of perfect textiles, perfect bags, perfect wallpaper, perfect pattern, perfect everything—is opening a store in New York City! Yes, it’s true, this September Orla’s first US store (2300 square feet!) will open at 5 Mercer Street in SoHo.

I’m actually not someone who gets terribly excited about big-name clothing or accessory designers, but Orla Kiely is an exception. I love just about everything she designs, and every season I’m excited to see her new collections (there’s a lot more to her work than the classic stem print!). To be able to see everything in person will be such a treat—after all, I don’t buy everything I admire from afar, but sometimes it’s nice just to touch coveted items with my greedy little paws.

Some of the Orla Kiely magic in my life: The wallpaper in my vestibule, this bag, another bag (yes, Evan bought it for me after I wrote that post!), and this bag too…oh, and that vase, and all of the other little things I’ve amassed but never documented. I really will need to contain myself when the store opens. But hey! Now Evan knows where he can go whenever a gift-giving occasion arises!

You can read more about Orla Kiely’s soon-to-be New York City store in Vogue UK and on the New York Times blog.

Edited to include the short film by Mercedes Helnwein that was shown at the Orla Kiely welcoming party at the Ace Hotel on Tuesday night…

And I can’t resist throwing in a few photos of Orla at home here, too. Since, you know, it’s perfect and all.

Top row: Photos from Grazia Living; Bottom row: Photos from LivingEtc (left) and Mail Online (right)

(Huge thanks to @GennersB for the tip!!)

I seem to have been pegged as living in an “all black and white” home (which I think is kind of funny, considering how much bright color there is all over the place in my house—I love color!), but there’s a really special place in my heart for hot pink. It just looks so good alongside wood and creamy whites and grays! The hot pink pillows in my living room always make me happy, and in my upstairs hallway, my eye always goes right to that hot pink Cure poster.

I try not to make gender-based associations with colors, and honestly, I really don’t see hot pink as being particularly feminine. Evan has a hot pink tie (wish I had a photo; he looks great in it), and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t feel especially girlie when he wears it, you know? Colors are don’t know if we’re boys or girls…they’re here to make ALL of us happy.

So yes, anyway, here’s my hot pink wish list!

1. Yes, that’s a hot pink Thonet chair. You know, there’s really nothing a Thonet chair can’t do. They look good with traditional furniture, they look good with modern furniture, and they look good in screaming-bright hot pink. ABC Home is taking orders now for delivery this month. [Via Jaime at Design Milk, who's putting them in her new house.]

2. 7.5 lbs of wrench. If you have $475 lying around that you want to spend on a hot pink, giant decorative wrench, I highly recommend that you head over to Iacoli & McAllister and give them your money immediately. It comes in a “laser etched custom pine crate”, and maybe (maybe!) it’ll be hand-delivered by the guy in the photo. [EDIT: The awesome pink wrench model has been identified as photographer Frank Correa. Thanks, Bree!]

3. Adjustable wood & stonewear vase. I first spotted this super-awesome vase from ¿adónde? on Lisa Congdon’s “It List” at SFGirlbyBay, and I’m totally smitten with it. I love how configurable it is, and also that it kind of looks like a giant crayon. Want.

Do you have a hot pink wish list?