aviary in austin

our last day in Austin was last Sunday - Easter. we didn't have high hopes that shops would be open, but took a shot and called Aviary to see. one of the shop's owners, Marco, answered and said no the shop wasn't open but that he'd open it up for us whenever we wanted to swing by.

and so we did and had a blast checking out all of the gorgeous goods, including cards and prints by Umlauted, an Austin based print shop. these are some of my favorites:




i also loved the jewelry by Sampagita and the fun kids products by Offi and the moderngoods china (see below for a pic)...

even more than the goods, though, we loved the company! marco made us espresso and sat us down at the bar in his store for a good long chat about his career as a photographer and shop owner and what its like to run a small business. like kathryn at homegirls, marco seemed just so happy to be doing what he's doing. really inspiring.

thank you marco for everything! you rock.

home girls

in austin, we made a special trip to visit home girls and boy was it worth it.



welcoming us with a great big smile: kathryn blanchard, one half of the mom-daughter team behind this fascinating store full of beautifully refurbished and recycled furniture.

i was really taken with this chair (only $65!) that kathryn is in the process of re-upholstering in what sounded like a fabulous fabric:




kathryn told us all about their reasons for starting the store; "wanting to do something fun and something happy" i believe she said. and happy and fun abounds at this jewelbox of a place.

kathryn and sarah, i am calling you when i get a house!

awesome austin

last weekend, my friend ashley and i hit the town of austin texas hard. we had a great time and, we both feel, did the town proud - going to tons of live shows, tasting every mexican morsel we could get our hands (mouths?) on and, of course, visiting the super super shops. it was, in short, my kind of travel destination heaven. sigh.

one of the best things about this place is that cool stuff is around every corner. for instance, this:




upon turning a corner on the ut campus, we came across this sculpture called "Penetrable" by Jesus Rafael Soto. you could walk through it, were invited to do so by the signs... and it felt so funny - like you were moving through thicker air or kelp or seaweed. as ashley said (i think!), it kind of makes you think more about the space you inhabit.



it also looks so freaking cool.

stay tuned - tomorrow i will post about 2 of our favorite shops in austin and their fabulous and friendly shopkeepers...

rose and radish sale

rose and radish is having a great big in store sale this weekend! discounts get better throughout the weekend (45% off on sunday)... if you are in sf, check it out!

Image courtesy of Rose and Radish

landscapes

over the past weekend, i came across a couple of landscapes that made me pause.

one literal: the work of huettl landscape architecture

loved their olive grove at the sf garden show. so peaceful. here's a shot of some of their other work:



fascinated by contrasts as always, i like how they juxtapose tough concrete with the hazy greens of olive trees and grasses and water sounds (take my word on it on that last point)

Image courtesy of Huettl Landscape

should i ever have the opportunity for them to create a mediterranean garden for me in the hazy future, i'll take it.

a second landscape - that of a nama rococo print spied in rose and radish.



i left it in the shop but thought better and ordered it (the last one i was told!). but watch her wallpaper and other prints. this was a splurge but it was sort of a special celebratory weekend so it was (i am going to tell myself this) in order.

Image courtesy of Rose and Radish and Nama Rococo

modern economy

i just was reminded that the next modern economy sale will be taking place on april 12 in sf.

looking at the participating designers list, i can see there will be lots for people buying gifts for babies!

genius and hilarity

genius:

for anyone who loves open flames but worries just a teensy bit that someone exuberant will kick em over, these candles from vessel.






hilarity: photoshop diasters via a cup of jo

i realize these might be so super hilarious to me b/c i work in marketing and get paid to really try not to do stuff like this. really.

twice as nice

paris and great graphics = 2 of my favorite things ever.

i just got a nice dose of both over at design*sponge where grace showcased some of the graphics from Saul Bass's children's book Henri's Walk to Paris. here are some of my fave images and you can see the rest here. enjoy!