I don’t think I can say enough good things about The Crosby Street Hotel. Everywhere you turn there is something lovely to rest your eyes on and each and every surface feels considered. The mix is eclectic, luxe and oh so cozy ~ every bit “the living thing” that owners Tim and Kit Kemp set out for it to be and not at all a “stuffy institution.”
When I was lucky enough to stay there in May I tried to spend lots of time in the common areas of the hotel, as they were so special and inviting. The console pictured above sits in the corridor by the elevators. I never did ask what it was made of, maybe shell? But my goodness was it a lovely object to admire as I waited to be escorted to my spectacular room.
The Crosby is situated smack dab in the middle of SOHO, and so most anything you want is at your feet. The illustrious Balthazar Bakery is just around the corner. I would wake up bright and early to grab a coffee and read the paper or check email in the courtyard of the hotel ~ and usually had the place to myself.
That’s the Honesty Bar in the Drawing Room pictured above. As most of my meals on this trip were eaten in restaurants, being able to help myself and my guests to a nightcap was quite a novelty.
The wall coverings throughout are stunning. I have so many photos of surfaces and little details, it’ll take hours to edit them all. But it will be worth the effort, as there is so much to learn from each element. I mean they managed to seamlessly integrate the exit signs and fire safety equipment, elevating them to intentionally placed design elements. Which reminds me that I forgot to snap pics of the gym. It was perfect, of course.
Oh, and I cannot forget to mention how gracious and helpful the staff was! I cannot wait to return to this special place.
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I am not much of a beer drinker and it is too bad as there is a lot of fancy beer that passes though my house. Tyler has been diligently researching small production American beers and Belgian ales for years now ~ tireless work that may never be done. What I have learned along the way is that there are some great graphics happening on these beer labels. This hometown favorite always delivers, and of course there are classics like this one and this one. READ MORE
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It is July 1st and that means its time to flip the page of your 2010 Calendar and revel in the red, white and blue of our Barber Shop stripe. I am a patriot through and through, so make no mistake this is a nod to Old Glory and all that she represents.
We introduced this design to the Snow & Graham line in 2006 on our gone-but-not-forgotten #1621 Barber Shop wrapping paper. While this pattern is a departure from my signature Snow & Graham florals, it may be my favorite wapping paper we have ever made. It laid so beautifully on a package and paired nicely with many of the other designs in our line. Just look at how lovely the stripes look when paired with the florals up above.
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Ridley is now 5 years old. His birthday was last month and we went all out with a every-kid-in-his-class party. It was a hoot, and vaguely resembled a frat party by the time sugar packed cupcakes hit their systems. The energy was boundless.
I completely forgot the “your presence is your present” line I usually include on our party invitations, and so there were gifts, endless gifts. It was Christmas in May for Ridley and he was over the moon. Among the favorites was a box of tricks from Ridley’s House of Novelties. The novelty of the name is an obvious boon and the retro packaging appealed to me, of course. But Ridley really loves the tricks, and we love watching him try his hand at being calculating and sneaky. It is not done with much success, but the belly laughs abound. READ MORE
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The first Friday of every June is National Donut Day. I heard Dunkin Donuts is giving away free goodies with a beverage purchase. Good to know, but I am happy to pay top dollar for my fried rings of pillowy dough topped with chocolate from Dinkel’s Bakery. Bliss. I may have two, it’s a holiday after all.
Upcoming Holidays:
July 20th – National Ice Cream Day
July 29 – National Lasagna Day
August 5 – National Mustard Day
September 3 – National Welsh Rarebit Day
September 26 – National Pancake Day
December 12 – National Ambrosia Day
December 23 – National Pfeffernuesse Day
There’s really something for everyone. READ MORE
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A childhood friend of mine would tell you that it is only natural that I ended up drawing flowers for a living. When we were young there wasn’t a surface that would hold ball point ink that I did not cover with tiny loops of daisy chains, tight clusters of daises or expansive landscapes of lacy lines. Three ring binders, ratty old jeans, the white band around the soles of my Chuck Taylors -everything embellished with a rhythmically rendered field of daisies. I, of course, had forgotten that until she pointed it out. But I do remember how pleasing it felt to make loop after loop of the simple form.
I can only imagine how pleasing it would be to find yourself in a seemingly endless field of the charming buds. That is my Grandmother Maxine pictured above who actually did. I have admired this photo for as long as I can remember, picturing myself in her position, holding on to as many daisies as my arms could hold. Her soft smile only hints at just how much effort this bounty requires. Old photos are always so alluring, but none so engaging as those that include people we were lucky to know. When paired with a story that you have heard a thousand times - their memories become ours. I really love that.
Well, summer is nearly here, and what better flower to carry us into the free-wheeling, schools-out, backyard-fun of this carefree season. Our 2010 Calendars feature the Daisy design this month and I encourage you to embrace their simple form as a reminder of simpler times and simple pleasures.
What is your simple pleasure?
Share your favorite - the simpler the better – in a comment below and enter for a chance to win a bundle of Daisy cards from our new GRATITUDES collection. Winner will be chosen on Friday, June 4th. READ MORE
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It is always a treat to find one of my patterns when I am least expecting it. Yesterday I came across our #1660 Garden Roses wrapping paper tucked in a great post by Amy Azzarito about the history of kitchen gardens. Quite timely for me, as Tyler and I have been toiling over planter boxes for an herb garden on the porch off our kitchen. We have also been in heavy debate about which pattern to cover a wall in our family room with – we are taking the plunge and having wall paper made -I don’t think that T will go for a 10 x 12 foot wall of Garden Roses, but wouldn’t that be ever so lovely?? READ MORE
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On Friday I went around to every calendar hanging in the studio and turned them to reveal the bright and brilliant Golden Cherry Blossom. All of our 2010 Calendar formats feature this cheerful bloom for the month of May. The bold yellow stands out like a school bus or backhoe, like caution tape or a road sign; WARNING: Spring is here! You might miss it if you blink!
A fickle and finicky Chicago spring is all I have even known. Will we have seven weeks of spring? Seven days? Seven minutes? So when it comes to choosing an image for the month that usually means spring in my fair city – I go for something rejuvinating and fresh, so that no matter the weather (we have had snow in May) I can glance to my calendar for eternal Spring.
I drew this image almost 9 years ago and it keeps making its way back into the line, taking on different color stories like a clever chameleon. The cherry blossom is equally flexible in the symbolism it holds across different cultures. Generally it is the ethereal beauty of these fleeting blossoms that hint at the fragile nature of life that makes them a compelling and powerful image. And so perfect in acknowledging weddings, babies, anniversaries and the countless other celebrations that come and go too quickly, but are long remembered.
Pictured above are blossoms from a Cornelian Cherry Tree – which is not a cherry tree at all and in fact a dogwood – but I was excited to find it none the less. Some how it made our Golden Cherry Blossom a bit more legit.
MAY GIVEAWAY
As I mentioned a few weeks ago – May is a BIG BIG birthday month in my family and at Snow & Graham – kicked off just yesterday with Erin’s and right up until the 28th with Cecily’s. In between there are at least a dozen more — -as my brother says “May is an expensive month.” Maybe you know a few people born in May? If you do, is there one that deserves something extra special? Leave a comment below and one winner will be chosen, next Monday, May 10th. We will send the winner a Golden Cherry Blossom noteBLOCK, and their favorite May birthday one, too!
UPDATE: Congratulations to Julie J. and her Mother-In-Law, Lynn!
images from cold climate gardening, garden blog, accornbuds yarn READ MORE
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Whenever there is a change in season I get a cooking bug – especially in the spring when we dust off our Weber and dream of endless summer nights in the yard. Tyler whipped up these herby grilled chicken kabobs last weekend and I think we have our go-to dish for summer 20TEN, compliments of Jamie Oliver’s new iPhone app, 20 Minute Meals.
I’ve been crushing on the naked chef since I first saw him on Food Network standing in his colorful kitchen next to his Smeg fridge. These days Jamie seems to be everywhere you look and that is fine by me. His endearing approach to food and the generous use of his celebrity are a true inspiration.
Lucky me I married my biggest crush – who rarely uses a recipe or needs, but did so this time as he is the resident grill master. That left me to chop up this crunchy salad and crack open the wine. It took us w a y longer than the promised 20 minutes to work through the steps, but the zucchini ribbons were genius! I don’t think we will ever grill squash any other way, not only pretty but the you get a perfectly cooked product. READ MORE
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