Dahlhaus by Heather Dahl

I love the new "Circle" feature on Etsy because the people I follow have great taste and find wonderful things. Jen from Zooguu recently favorited Heather Dahl's shop, Dahlhaus. Dahl's hand-thrown and glazed pottery was an instant favorite for me, too:

Modern Stripe Bottle Vase

Turquoise Stem Teapot

Tall Vase with Stem and Blooms

Ah, to have a thousand kitchens to outfit.

Jamie Shelman

Jamie Shelman's drawings of cats doing and wearing and worrying about funny things always make me smile. Some of my favorites:

Rainbow Toe Socks Cat

Nutella Cat

Burrito Disguise

Symptoms May Include

Many more are to be found in Jamie's Etsy shop, The Dancing Cat.

Big Stripe Plaid

As much as I might wish to dispense with blankets and other necessary winter items, it's still freezing here in Boston. At least the things I wrap up in can be colorful (even if the landscape isn't), like this organic cotton crocheted blanket from designer Anne-Claire Petit:



It's available from the Dutch shop BijzonderMOOI. Yes, please!

Jaq Chartier

My friend Laurie (you may know her as LaLaLaurie and one of our kitty Maddie's foster mamas at the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee) tipped me off to the work of her friend, Jaq Chartier. She thought it would be right up my alley, and she was right:











From her representing gallery's website:

Jaq Chartier's paintings explore scientific methods through experimentation with paint and process. All of her works are "tests" to discover something about materials and what they do. Inspired in part by images of DNA gel electrophoresis, Chartier investigates the migration of various stains through layers of paint and acrylic gels.

I'm always interested in work that is a document of an experimental and methodical process (training as an art historian tends to clue you into these insights about your own tastes). In our business, Tony and I end up doing a lot of tests and samples with a huge variety of materials to achieve certain results with color and texture, so Jaq's work aligns with our professional interest, too.

See more of Jaq's work at her site, and thanks Laurie!

Kaleidoscope Circles Bedding

I know it's technically for kids...





but this kaleidoscope circles quilt from Land of Nod would be pretty rad summer bedding for a color fanatic, no?

James Plumb

Hannah Plumb and James Russel, aka James Plumb, are the duo behind this cheeky classical bust and lampshade mashup:


Someone had too much to drink last night.

Unfold

Check out these "Unfold" pendant lights made of colorful silicone rubber from Swedish design studio Form Us with Love:











Tony is tall--darn tall--and sometimes ends up hitting his head on lights, door frames and occasionally, ceilings. I put these on my wish list as a great solution for lighting over our kitchen table, so if he stood up at the wrong angle, it wouldn't hurt him a bit!

The Unfold lights are on the Finnish Design Shop store, which is well worth exploring and bookmarking. You can see more of Form Us with Love's work on their site.

How to Get More Donuts in Your Diet

We live a mere block from a Dunkin Donuts franchise. One. Short. Block. Most of the time I can control myself, but every now and again--and I must stress the now and again and not the every--I give in to the siren call and get a chocolate frosted for me and foist a Boston creme upon Tony.

These chocolate frosted donut-themed accessories wouldn't help me resist the ever-present temptation, but there would be something gluttonously hilarious about the wearing and use of each one.

For the serious (and fancy) donut aficionado:
Large Chocolate Donut necklace

For those looking for a more demure donut necklace:
Chocolate Glazed Donut Necklace by sugarpoptreats

A whimsical, double-take item for your bathroom sink:
Have a Donut Glycerin Soap by KcSoapsNmore (it's SCENTED, y'all)

For toting your...health food...:
Double Chocolate Donut Tote by avrilloreti

But let's be reasonable. One can't live on donuts alone--nutritionists advise including a wide variety of foods in the diet, hence:

The Potato Chip Necklace

And no, I will never grow up.

Art Mind

Mitsy, a Belgium-based artist, has the cutest ceramics and cards in her Etsy shop, Art Mind. These two items in particular would make a great pick me up for a friend who needs one:

Ceramic dachshund brooch in a rainbow of colors:

Greeting cards with cute, colorful felt plush shapes:

Wouldn't you be happy to get one of these in the mail?

Pop a Color Pillow

These crocheted couch and floor pillows by lacasadecotó on Etsy are spot on. It just goes to show that in the right color and shape, crochet can be totally modern.

Traffic Jam

This Traffic Jam coat rack designed by Serbian Vukašin Vukobratović is completely charming:



Imagine a guest in your home being greeted by a whimsical object that invites them to hang up their coat and directs to the restroom all in one moment.

Click on over Design Boom for more versions.

Happy V-Day!

Heart Factory by PearsonMarson

ABCD ETC

I love typography themed stuff at least as much as the next design nerd, but when the online marketplace is awash with prints and bags and shirts all featuring something similar (say, an alphabet), it can make the eye tired, no? File under P for Put a Bird on It. But that's why I love this ABCD ETC. tote from the Brooklyn-based Truly Loved:



ABCD...eh, you get the idea. And the other side is striped, taking a handy tote an extra wardrobe mile.

Converse ♥ Marimekko

Get 'em while they're hot: the Marimekko edition Converse sneakers are now on sale at the Converse site!

I'm not a shoe person, but I've been wearing Converse forever and it's no secret that I'm a big fan of bold Finnish prints. I ordered a pair of these hi-tops...to start. They're my favorite pattern on offer and I love the hot pink inside!





I know I'm going to wear these out. If you plan on getting some, I'd love to know which pattern and style you choose!

Josef Frank

Much like Marimekko's offerings, there's little designer Josef Frank has touched that I wouldn't gladly include in my life. This post is a reminder to myself to save up for some fabric and send them to my curtain maker (Tony).

I love all Frank's patterns, but there's just something about his circa 1940s "Windows":

Windows textile from Svenskt Tenn

Bathroom photo from Sköna Hem

Round Windows Tray from Svenskt Tenn

Windows used as a room divider in Domino Magazine

It just looks like spring.

A Monday Morning Color Pick Me Up

From a series of photographs called Celebrating the RGB Colorspace by Amsterdam-based artist Katja Mater.

Aaron Bouvier

I checked out Aaron Bouvier's design portfolio when he followed us on Twitter (holla back atcha, Aaron!) and quickly succumbed to this tote bag he designed for James Taylor's Summer '08 tour:








Awesome! I wish it was summer and I was outside swinging this tote to the tune of Carolina on My Mind.

Carrie Strine

I was visiting the Herman Miller Lifework blog to check out Amy Feezor's recent posts and saw one of Carrie Strine's beautiful, understated, handmade quilts featured. Strine also has these super cheerful quilted coasters and pot holders on offer in her Big Cartel shop:












Just in case you don't have enough color in your kitchen yet. And really, who has enough?

PS Amy also writes her own blog called M-Dashing when she's not working at Real Simple. Go check it out!)