props to vous lotus bleu

we just shipped some of our pretty pots across our great nation to a fabulously wonderful home store in san francisco called Lotus Bleu which is the brainchild of designer Jeannie Fraise. i have never been, but i was totally drooling over the amazing textiles and rugs that seem to run amok in the store's interior. i also gather from my conversations with jeannie,( and my seeing her home in design sponge's sneak peak )that she is an inspired interior designer, who is happy to share her expertise with clients. lucky ducks!
i can't get enough of these pillows that richly adorn every surface.
i'll take ten s'il vous plait.

crush: mickey drexler

mickey drexler has been my business girl crush for many years. he is the reason why the gap got cool. period. and now that he has turned j crew into the house of coolness that it is these days, i will forever be under his spell. he is a merchant prince, and there really aren't that many of them around. i love mickey for oh so many reasons, but a big one is that he cares so deeply and passionately about the brands he works for, and he is always striving to do better, and learn more. he spends a lot of time with his customers, asking them what they do and don't like about the offerings, but he also spends time asking his employees what they think would be good to add.
it seems that one of his latest passions is adding existing brands to the j crew lineup that he feels are a good fit with the company's philosophy and aesthetic. this seems to be working for j crew and the companys they are co branding with as well..like red wing boots( above), fenton fallon jewelry (below), timex, and sea bags to name a few.
the new yorker recently ran a delicious story about mickey that described him taking the team to maine so that they could get the feel and vibe of the quoddy moccasin company. he knows that you need to live it if you want to understand it. and these days, i think this is what it takes to get customers excited about your offerings. (angela adams sea bag below)
i know mickey will be inspiring us all for a long time to come, and will continue to teach all us merchants how it is done. i heart you mickey! (quoddy mocc below)
classic timex

sharing: the man repeller

have you heard about the man repeller Leandra Medine? she has a hilarious blog that i have just discovered where she discusses all things fashion that will most certainly keep the men far away..from her in particular! she claims she has not had a relationship in years, and i suppose the theory is that it's her obsession with clogs, harem pants, and shoulder pads. she recently posted the most delicious pix of the new meat fashions being styled by gaga etc..
and then shows us her version. i love this girl! treat yourself to some good silly fun and check her out!

i have to celebrate you baby..i have to praise you like i should

one of my favorite people on the planet is the super talented artist judith bigham, and tonight she is doing a reading from her book "Decorating, Death & Desire" in Portland Oregon where she lives with her 3 daughters, raina, lulu and idabelle. the book is her very personal journey during the year following her husband Jake's tragic and untimely death in 2008 when he drowned while windsurfing in a hurricane.
her work in the book and in her paintings is beautiful, funny, real, shocking, and always gut wrenching because it is so wildly exposed. somehow judith is not afraid to show everyone what this experience really feels like, and to hear her read from her book promises to be a major event.
if you happen to be in the portland area tonight..you might want to head over to cargo to hear her, and to see some of the pieces from the book.
the bus stop/shrine above was created by judith during the Hay festival this past summer.

design inspiration: suzanis

we have all seen so many of the beautiful suzani textiles in the market over the past couple of years and see it as a trend that just doesn't want to quit. this season i tried my hand at this very modern and playful graphic, seeing it as a wonderful compliment to the other more geometric patterns in my collection. as these bowls have been emerging from the kiln over the past couple of days, i thought i would share how they made their way into our world.
initially, we look at lots of inspirational imagery, and then start to sketch out concepts for our shapes. we draw and redraw on paper before we attempt to use color on one of our pieces. and then we paint a first version onto a plate. more than likely the first attempt will not pass muster, and so we will go through many versions of a pattern before we come to a final look for the collection.

See Design

during the gift show this year i was fortunate to make the aquaintance of donna gorman of SEE Design in New Canaan. not only is she a lovely person, but she also makes these wonderfully designed totes, caftans and sarongs in the greatest brights! the other day my things arrived, and i was so excited to take them out to the field this weekend for soccer.
i mean..whats better than a bag that holds everything..coat, boots, water bottle, snacks..you name it..the mommy bag has it all!
i love a good sarong!

monogram madness

we have been seeing a lot of these monogram caviar trays roll out of the studio in the last two weeks, and so i thought i would take a pause and share these two beauties with y'all. aren't they just to die?