Friday, December 28, 2007

a loss on a day of giving

christmas has always been my favorite holiday. unfortunately, for this year, a shadow has been cast over the season.

my grandfather passed away on christmas eve.

my husband and i picked up my grandparents for the festivities. as usual, they were bickering in the car on the way over -- a favorite pastime for this couple, married an amazing 63 years. i made a point of saying to them that no matter how much they argue, we all knew how much they loved each other.

our whole family was together at my mother's house that night, having a great time. grandpa ate tons of food, which was somewhat unlike him, from the moment he walked in the door until dessert was over. he had two glasses of wine and his espresso. he laughed a lot and enjoyed everyone's company, especially his grandchildren. he lived for us, and out of the 7 grandkids he had, 5 of us were there that night, plus my husband, his newest grandchild.

at almost 1 a.m., he said he was tired and he wanted to go home. so we began to walk my grandparents out to the car, so that dave and i could take him home. he had his walker, and was waiting for us to walk around the car to the other side to get him in. while we were walking over, he collapsed suddenly, though in very slow motion. he didn't even hit his head on the ground. we all rushed over to him, and saw that he was having trouble focusing. we were trying to get him to focus, and we brought blankets outside to keep him warm. we called the ambulance, which came right away. though the paramedics did their best, i think we knew as soon as we saw his eyes.

my grandfather was one of the most important people in my life. he was everything a grandpa should be -- giving, loving, comforting, and fun. he was oddly emotional, crying at the drop of a hat whenever he was touched by his family, and let us know often how much he loved all of us. he taught me a lot about how i should treat my family, being the first to call any of us out if we didn't keep in touch enough or didn't act politely at a family dinner. and he was a stubborn mule that didn't take care of himself enough at times, and eating cookies by the pound even though it wasn't good for him. he truly enjoyed his 87 years on this earth.

as sad as i am now -- heartbroken being a better term -- i can only tell you how proud i am that this man was in my life. and i know that the holidays from here on out can't be in mourning, but in celebration of his life. he loved his family and enjoyed us so much, he wouldn't want to be the cause of sadness.

i put together the collages of photos of him to use at the wake, and so i wanted to add a few to this post. this way everyone that reads this can see this man as i will always remember him -- full of life and loving his days with us.

make sure you tell the people you love how much you cherish them. and say it often. i know that my grandfather knew this that night, and he left this earth having spent his last moments with the food and family he loved so much. i can only be grateful for that.

EDIT: i say in the caption to the photos below that one of them is at my christening. so sorry, i should have said communion.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

WE'RE HOMEOWNERS!!


i just returned from our apartment closing. we have keys and everything! we're homeowners!!!

i'm so happy.

we will be moving for the next few days, so i'll be away for a little while. enjoy the rest of the week!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

art on tv

i feel as though television and cinema sometimes forget the beauty of the hand-created work. everything these days are digitally output and CG frames. but every once in a while you get a nice surprise.

as some know, i'm a HUGE "dexter" fan. tonight, season 2's finale, was absolutely insane!!! (no spoilers, i promise.) well, during the early part of the episode, i got some extra eye candy besides michael c. hall in his cute little killing outfit... lila's newest creation was this amazing painting of dexter -- intense and angry, and incredibly beautiful.


i'd love to know who actually painted this piece. if anyone finds out, let me in on the secret!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Tagged again!

Well, I guess it's going around again! This time I'm on time... The Bridal Wishlist tagged me yesterday. So, in the spirit of good blogging... Here we go:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes:

1. I'm afraid of dolls. I think it's Poltergeist's fault.
2. I struggled with which I wanted to be more: an artist or an actress. I think I made the right choice.
3. I've always yo-yo'd with my weight.
4. I'm slightly obsessed with home design/repair shows. It's a sickness.
5. I just started getting daily migraines over a year ago, and now I can't have red wine or chocolate. My two favorite things!!!
6. I'm also slightly obsessed with anything involving serial killers (read: Dexter, Silence of the Lambs). It kind of spooks my husband. LOL
7. A beautiful painting can bring tears to my eyes. Then again, almost anything can. =D
Bonus: I LOVE the holidays. I'm a Christmas-a-holic.

Ok, I've tagged the following people:
1. Rachel at Black Eiffel.
2. Parsiri at Parsiri Blog.
3. Candis at Paper Shop Ink.
4. Vane at Brooklyn Bride.
5. Jennifer at Hostess with the Mostess.
6. Chelsea at {frolic!}.
7. Jeff at bLog-oMotives.

Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 7, 2007

making progress!

well, as the countdown to our move continues, we've needed to make some fast decisions concerning our apartment decor. mainly, our rugs. since we need to cover 75-80% of the new apartment with rugs, we decided to get them as quickly as possible -- so that we don't disturb those below us.

so, we've made some great decisions on the fly! with the help of my amazing interior designer/best friend, loren fox-dunne, and some serious blog searching for good ideas (thanks designsponge and absolutely beautiful things!), i've found some great stuff. and they're not budget-breaking either.

we've decided on the nimes ticking rug from dash & albert for the living room... we think it will go great with our couch and the master plan for recovered fun chairs...


i bought a jute and chenille rug the other day at lowe's for the bedroom, but then changed my mind and was going to bring it back. but i've realized it will probably work great for our dining/foyer area. it's neutral but brings in some color (with the chenille), and can deal with high-traffic. sorry, no pics yet, but i promise to get them soon...

i've always wanted a shag rug! and dave actually loved the idea -- much to my surprise... so we decided to get a flokati for the bedroom, from overstock.com.

and so, now we have more direction for the rest of the space. i think i'll bring in some green or orange in the living room, as a nice accent to the yellow/blue/white color scheme. and our bedroom is starting to become funky but sexy at the same time -- and i really think we need a sexy bedroom.

yay for decorating!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

aaarrggghhh....

so sorry i haven't been around this week. life is INSANE!!! i have to pack and move, i have to hit some major deadlines, and now i've had my main computer crash! suddenly, last night... fun!

anyway, in the spirit of denial, i've been doing some shopping for the apartment. we need to get certain things for it -- area rugs, a tv, etc. -- right away, and i don't want to be missing this stuff.

my main concern right now is area rugs. we need to cover 75-80% of the apartment with rugs. i think i've figured out a few of them, but not the one for my office. i don't want to overspend -- in fact, i'd rather underspend. but i want something fun and funky. also fairly disposable if necessary...

so far, i've found the below rugs from urban outfitters that i really like -- definitely fun and the right price point. but the color schemes available in a 5x7 rug -- the size i need -- are not exactly perfect.


sooo.... anyone have any other ideas on where to look for something similar? if you do, please comment below or email me! i need the help.

thanks!

Friday, November 30, 2007

great article on etsy

a virtual friend of mine posted the link to this article from the globe and mail on etsy. i think it's pretty damn great!

go etsy! and buy handmade for the holidays!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

brooklyn for the holidays

yay for buying local and handmade!

icky in brooklyn is compiling a list of brooklyn artisans, craftspeople, and designers with items that would make great holiday gifts. NicEvents and DearNic are both spotlighted on this list, as well as the hot santa card on etsy.

so remember -- buy brooklyn and handmade this holiday. =)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

great feedback!

i've received nothing but great feedback on my holiday cards. i'm so glad everyone likes them!! if you're interested in them, make sure to hit my DearNic store on etsy.

also, don't miss the post about the cards on the bridal wishlist. thanks!

Monday, November 26, 2007

moving towards the light

happy after-thanksgiving!! i hope everyone had a lovely holiday.

so, in addition to thinking about the furniture for the new apartment, and what we'll need to move with, i realized this weekend that i also need to consider the lighting. i've always wanted great ceiling lights -- whether they be chandeliers or pendant lights -- and now we have the opportunity to put them in! so exciting!

so i've spent some time over the weekend finding affordable but beautiful lighting. also, designsponge has posted a chandelier guide today, so that helps as well. check it out when you can.

onto the light!






i saw tay lighting at the 2007 ICFF. their lamps were just so beautiful! they're all hand-painted, which just adds to their beauty. i would love to get one of these for the office or the living room.



our living room is large, and flows directly into the foyer, which will be used as a dining room. because of this open plan, there's a good chance that we'd have to use two of the same type of ceiling lights. since i would imagine that 2 chandeliers would be a little much (ha!), i was thinking that pendant lights with something a little extra would work well. i had seen zia priven at the first brooklyn designs show about 4 or 5 years ago, and i fell in love with their lighting. the shades are all simple and lovely, but then they usually have something special at the base to make it a little more interesting. i especially enjoy the 2 crystal endpieces on the lamps above.








i do want to find room for a chandelier somewhere in the apartment. so, either in the bedroom or the office space, i absolutely need one. of course, we do not have an unlimited budget, i have to do some serious hunting for affordable but pretty ones. these above are from a few different sites, and all are at the $400 mark or under.




finally, there's the kitchen lighting. we want to do some work in the kitchen sometime after we move in, but then we should be able to work on the lighting. ikea has some great hanging solutions for this, like these two pendant lights above. woo-hoo for inexpensive lighting!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

It's here!

my DearNic etsy shop is open! so far I'm getting great feedback. so go ahead and buy some cards -- your friends will laugh, i guarantee it. and who doesn't want a laugh during the holiday season?

thank you to Parsiri Blog and Toast and Tables for posting about the store today!

and, a special thanks to my good friend at arche•blogger for listing my new shop in her post about holiday cards. she's also listed some other great designers in the article -- so check it out if you want to do some holiday browsing! you won't be disappointed.

ok, now I'm off to do some other work for a wonderful client. ciao belle!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

opening day is approaching...

hey all. just a nice reminder that my DearNic etsy shop is going up tomorrow, with my holiday wares in it! paper shop ink did a little story on it today, along with some photos i sent over yesterday.

i hope you guys will visit my little store. =D

Monday, November 19, 2007

how to furnish?

as many of you know, we are getting ready to move... but we don't really know how we want to decorate. we both have a fairly eclectic sense of design, enjoying a lot of different styles and wanting them ALL in our home at the same time. =) we want a home that's comfortable (read: not so formal that you feel you can't sit/touch/relax), while at the same time extremely tasteful. bright and homey at the same time. we also like buying things on our travels, and so we need an atmosphere that will also allow for our pieces.

phew -- that's a lot of requirements!

so, this past saturday, we started our search for the perfect (for-now) couch. something that we could base the rest of our design and color scheme around. we were lucky enough to find said couch in home court furniture, in our very own neighborhood of cobble hill, brooklyn.




we did buy it in yellow! yay!!

so, now that we have a yellow couch with clean lines that would work with any style of furniture, it's off to color scheme... i think i might take the opportunity here to go with a couple of vintage chairs and have them recovered in blue and white material. stripes and a strong print would be great. maybe something like these (images courtesy of absolutely beautiful things):

{frolic}ing in the cold

happy monday all!

this morning i'm honored to say that chelsea of {frolic}, another favorite blog, has pinpointed a NicEvents custom invite to feature on her site. it's jaime and anthony's invitation suite -- one i particularly enjoyed because it's based on florentine stationery, and i lived in florence for 4 months. jaime and anthony were wonderful clients to work with, and are 2 of the kindest people i have ever met. so, combine that with our mutual love of italia, and you have the perfect working relationship.

thanks chelsea!
(and thanks jaime and anthony)

Friday, November 16, 2007

Nic on Etsy

exciting news -- when i launch the holiday line next week, i will be selling it on etsy. even better news, i've come up with a new name for my stationery-for-sale -- DearNic.

so, on wednesday the 21st, check out dearnic.etsy.com.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

hot santa

this is just one more card i'm working on for this holiday season. hope you like it!

these cards should be ready and on sale in about a week. yay!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

naughty or nice?

which do you prefer to be? most people know me as nice, but i definitely have a naughty side. sarcastic, silly, and loud. =)

the cards i'm working on for this holiday season are evidence of my naughty side. not the pretty, sweet card from last year, these are worlds apart.

there's a sneak peek below (still working on them, still need to do one more). let me know what you think! and if you want to order them this season, i have no problems taking early orders.

Monday, November 12, 2007

is it christmas yet?

i love christmas. it's always been my favorite time of year. hell, all the winter holidays make me happy. maybe that's because i was born on little christmas -- january 6. maybe it's because i am, by nature, a happy person who likes to see other people happy. or maybe it's just because there are so many pretty and glittery things around me at that time of year! new york at christmas -- you just can't beat it.

as i work on my holiday cards, which i hope to get done in time for purchase, and a holiday card for a new client, i feel it fast approaching. and it makes my tummy all warm and fuzzy.

so, i ask you, is it christmas yet? i guess this is the answer.

paper, shop, nic

one of my most read blogs, paper shop ink, today featured NicEvents. thanks candis!

take a look at her lovely blog, and my great review. i have some fabulous company on there. =)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

pretty plates

since we're moving soon -- hopefully! -- i have been very involved in looking at home design and furniture. but the one thing that i KNOW i need is a new set of everyday plates. my set, used for a mere 2 years now, is completely chipped and cracked. they're too easy to break, and it's very frustrating!

so, because of this, any plates we get from now on need to be very strong and virtually unbreakable. at first i thought of fiestaware, but they're just a bit boring for us. so i went to corelle. since they've been running fun ads lately with their new designs, these dishes might be just the ticket.

check out a few of the styles below. predictably, i'm partial to the red paisley print. =)



Tuesday, November 6, 2007

more blog love!

thanks to Parsiri|Blog, for the write-up about NicEvents! again, I'm honored by the kind words and lovely comments on my work. it's been quite a good week so far for my little company, and blogs like parsiri's are to thank. =)


Monday, November 5, 2007

Oh Happy Day!

one of the loveliest bridal blogs out there -- oh happy blog!, run by event designer danielle gregory -- has posted about NicEvents. i'm quite honored by her description of my work. danielle, if you're reading this, thanks for the kind words. i really appreciate it!

updated site

hey everyone! just wanted to let you know that i've updated my website. all new photos, easier to look through. while i am busy working on my site redesign, i thought this would help my current viewers have a better idea of what i've been up to.



Wednesday, October 31, 2007

NicEvents is Published!

i'm so excited about this!

HOW magazine did a story entitled "Start Smart", about how to start your own design business, in their december 2007 issue (on sale now). not only was i quoted in the article, but there was a side feature included in the article on me and my business, entitled "Building Block".



this is the first time that me and my business has been recognized in print. it's so exciting to have such a lovely article published in such a prestigious and interesting magazine.

thanks to the editors at HOW. you ladies made my year.

=)

Happy Halloween!!

Yay! I love Halloween. I miss the days of dressing up and going trick-or-treating... I'm a sucker for a costume!

Last year, Dave and I went around the neighborhood with our candy for the kids, since we never get any trick-or-treaters on our block. Boy, are we lucky that we look harmless -- as I was handing out the candy, all I could think was that we probably looked like weirdos walking around with it!

Hope all of you have a very festive Halloween. =)

Thursday, October 18, 2007

support the funny ladies!

ok, so i know this is mostly a blog about my design and other design, i have to promote some funny ladies. The Apple Sisters is a great production, changing every month. this friday's show promises to be better than ever, so i suggest that you attend, if you're in the nyc area.




*** the show stars one of my very good and long-time friends, kimmy gatewood (all the way on the left). she is fabulously funny and one of the coolest ladies i know. i'm so proud of the work she's doing! ***

if you're interested, the info is as follows:

The Apple Sisters Candy, Cora, and Seedy w/ special guest Seth Herzog give you a spooktacular Halloween special, this Friday! This Friday October 19th and every Friday at the PIT 7pm - $10 154 West 29th Street btwn 6-7 Aves

www.myspace.com/theapplesisters

have fun!

Monday, October 15, 2007

sour puss

dave and i are getting ready to finalize our first home purchase -- an apartment in the kensington neighborhood here in brooklyn. exciting!! so, of course, i'm more obsessed with home decorating and home renovation shows than ever.

one show, however, that drives me nuts is "secrets that sell" on hgtv. it stars a mother/daughter team that go through homes that aren't selling, and tell them what they need to do in staging their home for a sale. there are many shows out there like this now, and i get how important staging is. but this mother/daughter team is off their respective rockers! according to them, you can only have boring beige/taupe paint on the walls, you need to get rid of any personal items like family photos, and any "clutter" -- and i'm just talking necessary objects on a countertop -- must go. also, children's rooms are inevitably "bad", and they always recommend they are changed to blah spare bedrooms. i've seen a gorgeous apartment owned by a tasteful woman in chicago changed from a unique space filled with antique furniture and beautiful wallpaper to your standard blah space... honestly, if i were buying that apartment, i would have preferred the original version.

note to these ladies: while i understand that neon green on a wall won't work for a sale, people out there do have taste -- and that may not include beige. not everyone buying would be bothered by non-neutral spaces. on the other hand, they may be put off -- because you can't see what beautiful work can be done in that home.

and leave the kids' rooms alone!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Far away from home...

due to my headache issues, dave and i decided that it would be a good idea to get away from our apartment for a while, to see if it was environmental. so, i moved in with my parents in staten island for a few weeks, to test it out. so far, my headaches are still here, but my creative sanity is not!! i miss my wonderful brooklyn neighborhood, and there's just not enough stimulation back here.

but, hopefully soon we'll have an answer to these problems...

in the meantime, i'm still working, and still looking for my creative outlets. so i've decided to meet dave back in bk tomorrow evening to go to the art under the bridge festival in DUMBO. i'm sure i'll get plenty of creative stimulation there! can't wait. =)

so kids, keep the work coming my way... i need something to keep me busy other than headaches!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Man! I've been tagged...

I know I'm a little late in responding, but on June 30th, Whitney and John at Brown Sugar Design tagged me! Apparently, I'm supposed to list 8 facts about myself, and then tag 8 other bloggers... I think I have to fulfill the latter requirement later on...

1. I've always wanted to be an artist. In fact, I found a worksheet that I did when I was in the first grade. It was one of those fill-in-the-blank worksheets that you do in school, and then draw a picture... Well, mine said: "When I grow up, I want to be a(an) artist." I keep that worksheet with me to remind me of what I do all this for.

2. I trained as an illustrator, and am self-taught as a designer.

3. I've been painting in oils since I was 10. =) The smell of oil paint gets me high.

4. My favorite place in the world (besides New York City) is Florence, Italy. I studied there for 4 months in college, met my husband there -- who was studying with me -- and have been back twice since. Dave has actually banned me from going back for a while because I'm so addicted, I would choose Italy over almost every other place in the world... even though I'm in love with traveling.

5. I can't sit on a beach for more than a day. I get bored. So if we go on a vacation, it has to be somewhere interesting and invigorating to the senses. Traveling has to inspire me.

6. I love making things that are different. I think this goes back to the fact that I've always been different. I never wanted to dress like everyone, follow trends, be in the popular click. I think I was always on my own, making my own waves -- and so that's what my stationery is. Well researched, beautiful, cultured, fashionable, timeless, different, and never what you'll see anywhere else.

7. I'm terrible at constructing my own 3-dimensional things. I may get the artsy part, but I've never had that crafty part! LOL... So I recruit my industrial design husband when I need to construct.

8. I think if I had the money to spend, I would never be able to stop myself from buying beautiful things for myself and my loved ones. I've always loved beautifully constructed clothes, furniture, and art. Sigh...

Ok, I'll come back and tag people later...

Sorry so long!

Hey kids! Sorry to have been gone so long. It's been a busy while... My clients have certainly been keeping me on my toes, as have my friends -- so much love being united this year! Dave and I have been attending so many weddings and wedding-related events, it would make your head spin! But all good things, all good things.

Just a heads-up -- I will be updating the current site, but I am also working on a permanent redesign of the website, which will hopefully be up sooner than later. I will also be posting some of my more interesting projects up on the blog in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks everyone! Enjoy the day!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Late on my congrats...

So sorry! But I'm late on congratulating my couples! It's all the fault of my headaches, I swear.

Without further adieu, here are my newest married couples!

Jen and Josh, who had such a fun wedding style, got married in D.C. on Saturday, June 23rd. I'm so happy for these two -- they were a lot of fun to work with and had such a fresh and new approach to their asthetic. Click on the photo to read more about it.




Vanessa and Eric were also married on Saturday the 23rd, but in Newport, RI. Not only did I design all their pieces, but I also attended the wedding as a guest of honor -- my hubby Dave was in the bridal party! Their location was beautiful, as was the bride. All went perfectly and without a hitch. It was a lovely day.


And after their wedding, we were off and headed back immediately to NY, where Carrie and Ken were getting married. They were hitched in the Hudson Valley on Sunday, June 24th. Again, not only did I design the wedding from top to bottom, but I was also a guest of honor. This time, I was in the bridal party! Yep, it was a crazy weekend. But worth it. The wedding was beautiful, and it was a magical day for our friends.


Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Congratulations!

Congrats to two of my most favorite clients -- Jacquie and Jason Hembrey!! I'm so excited for them. They were just married this past Saturday, the 16th of June. Though I could not make it to their wonderful affair because I was attending another wedding (congrats Thane!), I'm sure it was fabulous -- just as they are. As people and as a couple, these two definitely celebrate life as you should. They were wonderful clients and I feel as though I have made fantastic new friends.

Sick in the Head...

My grandma used to say that all the time... that someone was "sick in the head"... Well, I am actually sick in the head. I have these awful migraines, as anyone who is close to me knows. They are cluster headaches, actually, but I have not gotten them to go away in 9 months. Isn't that crazy! I'm on a lot of medication to keep them away, but every few months my body gets used to it and I need a new dosage or a new perscription. So, that's my story right now. Makes hitting my deadlines a little difficult! But I do it anyway, cause I love what I do... And that keeps me going...

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Stationery Show

I know I'm a little late with my post about the National Stationery Show, but I came down with a version of the plague this week, and I've been pretty sick. Therefore, this bit of information had to wait... But since I'm feeling a bit more human today, I figured I'd get it in.

The show was really good. I brought my camera and meant to take pictures, but it was soooo crowded and I really didn't get to do it. Plus, some of the stationers were a little guarded about their work, and understandably so.

Honestly, it was an eye-opener. I used the show as a good lesson on current trends, what's going on with my industry faves, how to hang a show in case that lurks in my future, and basically how/how not to act at a show. Basically, my favorite designers -- Good on Paper, Luella press, etc. -- were all super sweet and kind to whomever came into their areas, but there were quite a few RUDE, MEAN booth dwellers that only wanted to talk to retailers. You just wanted to SMACK them.

I was walking the show with a friend of mine. We met a particularly rude woman who called out to us and ushered us over to her COMPLETELY EMPTY BOOTH (because her work sucked) and asked if she could show us her line. Me, being the ever-kind person, said "Sure!", even though the ever-smarter friend of mine wanted to keep walking. As soon as I went over, the woman said, "Are you looking for stationery to sell in a store?" (or something along that line). I said, "No." She said, "Well then, I need to spend my time on more important people. Thank you."

I was aghast! Aghast I tell you! And that wasn't the only time I got that treatment. My friend got treated better because she somehow received a "retailer" badge instead of an "artist" badge like mine -- so she got more of the swag and nice conversation, while I was ignored. I understand that people at the show need to work the retailers, but honestly, everyone there is a possible buyer. You don't want to insult your buyers. I've never seen that before. The ICFF is not like that -- the designers are much kinder to other designers, regardless of whether or not they have potential to pick up their furniture. They know it's a possible buyer, press, blogger, etc., and it's a much friendlier show in that way.

The bad vibe aside from some of the booths, the rest were great, and the art from the good ones was VERY GOOD. Trends this year are silhouettes, printing on wood, and styled journals. Metallics are coming back. Lots of printing with words too... some with curse words! Some just with clever, subtle phrases.

If I'm not ready to show by next year, I'll definitely attend again. It's worth going to get a sense of what's going on, meet the people that you want to meet -- to put a kind name with a kind face -- and I'll have my kicking shoes on for those rude booth dwellers!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Design Week Begins

So Dave and I attended ICFF yesterday. We had a great time this year. It was so much fun! And the work was really incredible this time. I have to say -- much better than last year. The work was much more innovative, enjoyable, and detail-oriented. We had a few friends showing, so I just wanted to give them their due first: James Murphy of James Murphy Design, who does the most beautiful, handmade wood craftsman pieces; and Eneri Abillar, currently with Vapor Studio, who was showing some interesting outdoor teak furniture yesterday.

We weren't there as long as we would have liked to be unfortunately, so, though I took photos as promised, I didn't necessarily get to jot down the names of all the designers. You'll have to excuse me for that! But I think you'll find that the work is incredible and inspiring. I do have some of their cards and will fish through my bag of goodies over the course of the week to caption the images, so I'll update the blog over the week. In the meantime, I'll just pop them on here as I can.


Celery does some really great baby and kids furniture. And you put it all together with this nifty little wooden mallot that they give you. Dave and I absolutely fell in love with them.

Then there was Tay Lighting. I thought they they were just printed glass or acrylic pieces, but it turns out that they are hand-painted and handmade! Gorgeous. A great reminder yet again of why I love the Brits.
Some great, fun drawings at the Furniture New York booth.

Dave thinking deep thoughts in a Wegner chair....

A beautiful bowl by Blutenschalen.
And some nameless (sorry!) but beautiful artwork... sigh...