the haystack needle

camera bag

Dear Gift Fairy,

This is the camera bag that I'd like for toting my camera around the city, when I'm taking photos for the blog. It's just right. No need to gift wrap, but rush delivery would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Jen

what's in store (+ great price): the conran shop

It's true, I love all the handmade work bursting out of the Etsy seams, but I also appreciate mixing in some modern elements to a space. One favorite shop for unique modern finds: the Conran Shop. My first apartment in New York was a few blocks away from the Conran Shop, the only U.S. outpost of a contemporary home company founded by Terence Conran. I rarely stopped in back then, because I assumed there wasn't a thing I could afford. But what I've come to appreciate most about the Conran Shop are the unique modern accessories (especially in the office and kid areas) that seem to get overlooked amongst all those pretty chairs and light fixtures. So this addition to the what's in store series is focused on what's affordable at the Conran Shop if you can't handle a $1000 chair in this ugly economy. There's a plenty!

There aren't many sources for great hook racks — organizing stores like the Container Store carry the same utilitarian ones season after season and Anthropologie stocks a variety of hooks, yet they all have a girly vintage style. That's why I was fawning over these wood + lacquer hook racks (above.) They're functional and pair a gorgeous natural wood with glossy lacquer hooks. Very industrial chic — fantastic for an entryway.

If you stop by the Conran Shop, be prepared to be inspired by color. I love this 8-piece set of melamine nesting bowls in a rainbow of color. And the Conran Shop always has a large selection of lanterns for outdoor entertaining. These wire bottle hurricanes would dress up a deck — or add cool candlelight to a wedding.

 

I can't get enough of the Daily Aesthetics collection: platters and bowls shaped after take-out containers, ring-pull salt + pepper shakers, and milk carton pitchers all crafted in porcelain. Most of the pieces come in shiny platinum now — though I'm partial to the simple white.

 

The Conran Shop has a fantastic selection of office supplies. Check out these cans of office supplies — the packaging is so fun. And the hedgehog paperclip holder has been a longtime favorite of mine. Who doesn't love a magnetic hedgehog?

These new pressed vinyl placemats (+ runner) are a more affordable line by Chilewich. And have you heard of Columbian clay? The Conran Shop sells a super affordable line of skillets, pots, and platters made of Columbian clay. A little history on the line: archaeologists say the potter is the oldest in the Americas and the clay is polished with river rocks before going in the kiln. What I love most: each clay dish goes from oven to table, so there's less to clean.

Looking for a special gift for a kid in your life? From quirky softies to wooden toys, the Conran Shop has all the toys you won't find at the big box toy stores.

 

Two years ago, I attended the amazing Paris show, Maison et Objet. One of many objets I drooled over: these graphic notebooks. So it was so fun to find them here at the Conran Shop. There's something fitting about having a notebook you love be the depot for your ideas.

{If you see something here that's not online, you can contact the New York store to order.}

+ special thanks to Marisa!

q + a: christiane lemieux of dwellstudio

I'm thrilled to share a special Q + A today with DwellStudio's founder, Christiane Lemieux. Before Dwell jump-started a trend in modern crib bedding and became a fixture in Target, the 10-year company created its name for stylish modern textiles in the bedroom. With DwellStudio's new Abstractions line (above), you see a fresh take on pattern for bedding. So I talked to Christiane to find out the inspiration for the collection:

How do you land on the concept for a DwellStudio collection?
It is pretty spontaneous. Something will be in the air – signs from various places and we will draw on them. The concept usually comes together organically.
{a photo of Christiane's inspiration bits for the Abstractions line}

Did you tap a different source of inspiration to develop this new line?
No, it really came to me on a trip to Paris.  Everything I was seeing was fluid, handmade, and looked very fresh. From the windows at Yves St Laurent to an art show at the Musee D’Orsay – people were sort of over computer artwork.

Is fashion a big influence on your home designs for DwellStudio?
Fashion is a very big influence. The textures and prints in fashion lend themselves very well to home.  Fashion takes big color risks that we can apply to our designs. It’s exciting. 

Do you feel that people are as willing to take risks in decorating as they are in fashion?
Yes, but mostly in accessories. You can add a forward pillow or napkins to your mix and update easily.

What's your advice to people who feel "stuck" when it comes to decorating a space?
Mix it up. There are no rules. Your personality will make for the best space.

Do you have a personal favorite DwellStudio collection or piece?
Each thing in the collection tells a story for me.  I am attached to all of them, but from our newest collection, I am loving the Collage duvet set. It really updated my bedroom.

Check out Dwell's Abstractions line here. A special thanks to Christiane for taking time to share her inspiration!

wood fan

I know we're still stuck in winter, but here's looking to warm days and welcome breezes. I was so excited when I saw this newbie. Hello, wood fan! Finally, a modern fan that blows wind without bringing down the style of your room. I am a bit obsessed with this fan's maker, a Swiss company called Swizz-Style. I met them at the last Housewares show, and we now own + love a couple of their products (remember, the stylish humidifier?).  And since every plastic fan we've owned has broken after 6 weeks, I'm thinking it's a smart idea to invest in this industrial fan. Otto the fan, I'd like to take you home. And I'm convinced that there's nothing designed with wood that I won't crush. 

p.s. This post kicks off a string of posts today with a common theme: the modern side of home. If you've popped by my site before, you know I'm drawn to boho, vintage finds. Perhaps it's the Gemini in me, because I also appreciate many modern accents too. Stay tuned for a fun Q + A with Dwell's founder and a sneak peek inside a favorite modern shop!

7 little extras for weddings + parties

{1} music box: This mini wind-up music box was given to me as a treat before our wedding. This one plays Here Comes the Bride, but you'll find music boxes with other songs on Spoon Sisters. I kept this sweet old-fashioned toy in my makeup box and wound it a few times while I was getting ready — got me even more excited for the day.

{2} Mexican gum: My new favorite brunch spot, Bonita, tosses a few packs of this colorful chicklet gum on your table with the check. I love the colors of the little packets of gum. If you're hosting a party or wedding with a little Mexican flavor, these would make a fun treat that's affordable to buy in bulk (and can match your color palette!)

{3} lists: These list papers would be a cute way to start a party game (I've done many a game at showers with lists.)

{4} chocolate keys:  What a sweet homemade favor for a house party.

{5} polaroid camera = timeless party fun with friends
{photograph by fille_de_photo}

{6} Sturdy, handmade journal for party planning: keep a wedding log of supplies you're on the hunt for and inspiration bits, create a party log of favorite dishes + drinks from your dinner parties, or leave a notebook out for guests to jot messages as a memento from the night.

{7} wishes in the form of sweet favors {photograph by red felt flower}

 

kitchen tools: what's in your fave five?

My mom likes to tease me about my love of kitchen gadgets. I'm guilty of having a drawer full of kitchen tools (and I enjoy my avocado scoop, thank you very much), but there are a few tools I truly use every week. What's in my fave five:

{1} lemon squeezer: Redbook's amazing food editor, Babs, tipped me off to this tool a few years ago. It truly gets every last drop of juice out of lemons.
Jen's note: I owned the lime squeezer first and tried to double-duty for lemons, but lemons didn't really fit (of course!). You could do the reverse — use this lemon juicer as a multi-purpose juicer for lemons + limes since it's large enough to squeeze both citrus.

{2} garlic press: No matter how many Food Network shows I watch, I'll never be someone who cracks open garlic with a knife blade. I prefer the garlic press — and love the way pressed garlic brings out the flavor. My pick is the Rosle garlic press — it's mongo-big (can fit a few garlic cloves at once), smoothly pushes the garlic through (skin and all), and it's super easy to clean.

{3} vegetable peeler: With all the fancy peelers out there, I'm loyal to this oldie, a Y-shaped vegetable peeler by SwissPro that I've had for years. It's easy to use and the carbon steel blade seems to only get sharper with time. It's the best.

{4} Stainless measuring cups by OXO are my go-to measuring cups. My pet peeve with most measuring cups (especially all-stainless versions) is seeing the measurement label. It's easy to spot the colorful labels on OXO's rubber handles.

{5} Technically it's not a "tool" but I heart my cork cutting board (made of scraps of wine corks!). Cork is sustainable, repels moisture, doesn't dull your knives (like plastic), and I find this board is easier to clean than butcher block. Plus it's light and has a handy hole to hang it up.

family story

Abby of Abby Try Again has the most touching story on her blog today. Take a minute to read it — she shares a family story about her Aunt Diana (Diana's house is where she's shot many of her recent amazing photos.) Inspired by Abby, here's a family story of mine, because it's true that everyone has a special story.

My father has a story with a couple circular threads. My dad, Mohamad Jafarzadeh, was born in a small village of Iran, called Davan, in 1928 — his house had no running water or electricity growing up. He was dealt a hard set of cards as both of his parents died before he was a teenager. He had dreams of becoming a journalist, but he changed course partly due to the government's harsh censorship of newspapers. Feeling that he couldn't work under that repression, he started medical school instead to become a doctor. It was during that time that his elder brother was killed by an amenity they didn't have as kids: he was electrocuted by a loose wire. My father then raised his brother's five daughters while he put himself through medical school. He later immigrated to the U.S. where he practiced as a doctor. He met my mother, a nurse, working in a hospital in New Jersey. His youngest child (me) knew what she wanted to be as a teenager: a journalist. And so I fulfilled a dream of mine and, in a way, a long-extinguished dream of his. Even more so now as a blogger, than when I was a magazine editor, I'm reminded of how I take for granted that I can freely write on whatever I want. I can't imagine it being any other way.

And just like that, Abby's sweet post has inspired a 2009 resolution for me: I resolve to sit down and chat with my dad (via phone, as he's in L.A.) every week to find out more family stories. It's something I've been wanting to do for some time as he comes from a country I've never visited, speaks a language I can't understand, and has a history so foreign to me. Someday when I have a family, I want to be able to pass down his stories. If you have ever embarked on playing historian with your family stories, please share any tips or ideas. I'm still at a loss of how to compile all the stories in a concrete, artful way — I don't want all the stories and words bottled up on my hard drive either. Please drop me a line if you have any ideas!

{top photograph by abby powell}
{iran village panaroma by ulrich1000 — I also need a scanner so I can get our family photos online!}