Starbucks Birthday Cake Pops

Yes, we bribe at our house. It's a hard habit to break. But it works and when you are a working parent (or any parent)- you'll use any trick in the book! For as long as I can remember (which isn't that long), when I must make a trip to Starbucks, my little followers get something too. A bribe, maybe? Sharing in the oh-so-necessary afternoon latte jolt of sugar and caffeine- perhaps. For a while, the "bribe" was the Horizon Vanilla or Chocolate milks until we discovered these little beauties- cake pops! Genius! They are not too large, not too messy, and just the perfect little bribe to get a child to wait in line at Starbucks. My kids gave them 5 stars and just kept saying how yummy they were. I'm not too keen on the espresso bean for a 5 or 7 year old so I recommend removing that dangerous garnish but the other too are perfect! My 5 year old had the pink and my 7 year old had the nutty, marshmallow one and they were in heaven! Thanks Starbucks! And I just read that Starbucks is giving 1 million to Japan relief! Pretty awesome.

Gerry Gersten- an old friend, a great artist

Recently, I came across this terrific photo of Gerry Gersten and my grandfather. Gerry, a much acclaimed illustrator, known for his incredibly detailed and funny caricatures, was also one of my grandfather's closest friends. They shared the same wry humor, persistent criticism and amazing taste for great art, illustration, typeface and the like. Gerry, born in 1927, grew up in the Bronx. His Polish Jewish immigrant parents was skeptical of his desire to pursue art and instead wanted him to be an accountant. But, his talent, was just too great. He attended the Cooper Union Art School and the Cooper School of Design. Later he became known as a skilled caricaturist. Isn't the Woody Allen caricature (above) amazing? His work has been seen in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Harpers, Rolling Stone, Esquire, MAD Magazine and Playboy. He also designed many album covers which I was lucky to find on the web, shown here. Aren't they great?

He was a member of the Society of Illustrators, along with my grandfather and I have fond memories of having lunch with them at the "Society" during the years that I lived in the city and worked at Saks. Just being in a an artistic place, in the presence of great artists was so enjoyable for me. But to be able to be a part of their hysterical, dry repartee was unmatchable. I so miss those lunches. The picture of them perfectly represents their personalities. They just never took themselves too seriously. They were quite a pair!

Designer Spotlight- Beehive Kitchenware

Part of what I love about my job is working with really, really talented and nice people. In fact, I try very hard to avoid working with the mean ones - why bother? Jim Dowd and Sandra Bonazoli of Beehive Kitchenware could not be more talented or more nice. They are just all around great people and I love working with them. We carry their simple and beautiful pewter baby feeding sets but plan to add more items for your home quite soon. I love that their product is lovingly handmade in the USA and are so well-priced. You'll love giving them as gifts because they really are great pieces that can be used and enjoyed for years to come. Here is their story and some great pictures of them and their process.

The story of Beehive Kitchenware Co. began in a tiny studio in the pantry of Jim and Sandra’s house in 1998. Jim had been making large sculptures, and working fabricating architectural metalwork for customers like Bill Gates of Microsoft, while Sandra was showing one-of-a kind jewelry in galleries. Eventually they became more interested in making objects for people’s homes to enjoy in their daily lives, instead of just appreciate in galleries. They wanted to be craftspeople, instead of artists that made art about craft.

They were inspired by the kitchenware they found in old homes and flea markets, and asked “Why are all the useful objects made today so plain, when they could be decorative too?” So they made their own kitchenware that was as beautiful as it was functional.

Now Beehive Kitchenware occupies a 3000 square foot factory space and produces many, many objects every year.Jim and Sandra are inspired by the folk art of many cultures, flora and fauna, beautiful cakes, and quirky old tools. They both hold Masters in Fine Art degrees, and their collaborative work has been shown at the American Craft Museum in New York City, and featured in numerous publications including Handmade By Design. They live in a little Rhode Island town in a little Rhode Island cottage that they have spent way too much time and money fixing up.

Calypso LOVE!

Calypso St. Barth has always been one of my favorite stores and their lookbook for spring is amazing, I want everything! And I really want summer! These are some of favorites . . . find it all here.

New Amanda Sterett earrings!

We just got in some beautiful new earrings from Amanda Sterett, perfect for spring or for that "oh-so-needed" night out! To read more about this lovely designer, click here. Amanda is known for her signature wire wrapping. You can see that technique here in these pieces- we just love that look. She uses semi-precious and precious stones and gold-filled or sterling silver wire. Her look transcends age and coordinates so well with just about any wardrobe. The Annie is smaller than it appears, it's approximately 7/8" in length and the color combination of the turquoise and the orange citrine is divine. The Ashley is just so darn cool in clear quartz- the stone is about 1/2" wide and the length is 7/8" also. The Nicki, with the faceted pyrite stones is ultra chic and only 1 1/4" long. It makes a statement that is not overpowering. We also love the simplicity and signature look of the hand wrapped Elle earring in gold and silver. We think it's an earring you'll go back to again and again. They are only 1 1/4" in length and quite sophisticated. Amanda's jewelry is all beautifully handmade in Dallas, Texas and the prices range from $78-$140 which is amazing for the quality of the workmanship. We hope you love these new pieces as much as we do!

Why Should Kids Have All The Fun? My Painting Class.

Julie Murphy and Dre Towey






Tonight I attend my second "adult" painting class, taught by my very talented friend, Julie Murphy of Jack and Lulu at a really cool place here in South Norwalk, CT, called Jam Sono. It's an art and music studio started by the singer / songwriter / illustrator Dre Towey along with the design and music talents of Chris Tinnesz, Abbie Smith and many awesome visiting musicians. The studio opened up at the end of last summer and is situated along the water in an urban part of a Norwalk that has a SOHO kind of vibe. The studio is large and spacious with great cement floors, loads of murals, color, sculpture, paint, art and just pure, childlike happiness. Dre was able score a beautifully maintained VW bus on Ebay to represent her perfectly retro logo design.

The class, like most of Jam's classes are relaxing and easy going. Julie leads the class but encourages diving into your painting and seeing where you end up. Typically the end result is quite different than your initial plan. I studied art in high school and a little bit in college. I have not inherited the artistic talents of my Grandfather, Grandmother, Dad, Mother or Brother sadly but I do appreciate it. It is quite difficult for me to slow down and do something like this but I'm so glad I did, it is relaxing and inspiring! Just being present amount great people in a fun, artistic and lively environment is really all I need. Check out Jam if you live in the area. They have a great assortment of art and music classes for ages 3 and up and Chris Tinnesz teaches an art illustration and fashion design class for kids 9-12.


Dre painting


Julie and Chris Tinnesz





And you've got to see Dre's video, directed by Julie's very talented husband, Tom Murphy.

Storage!

photo from Lovell Designs

Just like I can spend hours looking at real estate websites, I can also spend hours thinking about how to organize my house! It must be a girl thing. I did read once that real estate websites are like porn for women. So true and really odd at the same time. Anyway, the start of a new year is always about purging (suggestion on where to send stuff can be found here) and reorganizing, right? So, I put together some of my favorite types of bins or things to put things in. I'm slightly obsessed. Go with color, print and pattern- there are so many options to keep it cheerful or go vintage and rustic. I love both.



1. "Venti" oval tub from the Macbeth Collection, $75
2. Serena and Lily desk caddy, $42
3. Lovell designs bin in blue dot
4. Serena and Lily Senegalese storage baskets, $68-$290


1. RP designs wood utility tray, $29.99
2. Ballard Designs double wire wall pocket, $49
3. Primitive wood tool tote, $65
4. Wire basket, Peddler's Design
5. Hovis English bread tin, $25
6. Serena and Lily rolling storage crates, $88-$118
7. RP Designs wood utility tray, $29.99