Field Trip: Terrain at Styer's

It's always a good feeling when you can finally put a face to a name. That's how it felt when I visited Terrain with my mom and Rachel for my birthday this past weekend. Because there's only one store (located in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) I have only ever shopped with them online. I can say now that the experience is a whole lot better in person.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway we knew the two-hour drive (plus traffic) had been well worth the trip. Pumpkins, flowers, and a plethora of seasonal plants awaited us, and that was just the parking lot.

The shop itself consists of sprawling adjoined rooms, with each nook devoted to a different category: canning, terrarium, kitchen, bath, tabletop. The use of skylights and natural materials made it hard to tell where the outdoor ended and the indoor began. We looked at each other with wide eyes and broad smiles each feeling the same inspiration overload, which is never a bad thing if you have the time to enjoy it.

Field Trip: Lotta Jansdotter's Studio

Today I had the opportunity to visit Lotta Jansdotter's studio in Brooklyn. It was an exciting experience for me since it was her books, patterns and playful illustrations that inspired me to pick up sewing again. I enjoyed seeing her on-going projects and even got a sneak peek of her new line of fabrics that will be released in November. Can't wait!

After chatting with her I found out that she doesn't yet have a line of dishware, so who knows, perhaps we'll have a chance to collaborate in the future...

Neighborly Love

When I saw that Madewell was coming to 19th and 5th, I literally let out a squeal of delight and started skipping down the street. An unexpected and embarrassing reaction to my love for the store that is a cross between Anthropologie and JCrew.  On opening day, I was one of their first 'customers'. Not that I bought anything, but rather ogled the product, the beautiful displays, and the inventive way they transformed the vacant space where Nine West used to be.

Field Trip: Infinite Variety

Silka and I skipped out of work early on Tuesday to see the "Infinite Variety" exhibit at the Park Avenue Armory. Six hundred fifty red & white quilts from one woman's collection hovered overhead in spiraling formations, seemingly weightless. The sight literally took our breath away. It was impossible to absorb the overwhelming amount of texture and detail, leaving us feeling slightly unsatisfied, yet incredibly inspired.

Field Trip: Pins & Needles

Kari had noticed Pins & Needles from the bus one day and wondered why she had never noticed it before--turns out that's because they're new to the neighborhood. This charming shop on the Upper East Side offers sewing classes, a unique assortment of fabrics, embroidery threads, ribbons, notions... you name it. Purl is still my favorite go-to spot for materials, but this little shop is a great alternative when I find myself uptown.

Field Trip: Tender Buttons

Tender Buttons, an upper east side institution, is an emporium devoted to vintage buttons. Rows of cardboard boxes line the walls containing buttons, each one carefully organized by color, motif, and material.

Field Trip: Fishs Eddy Vintage Collection

One of my favorite things about working at Fishs Eddy is having the opportunity to visit the vintage collection which is housed at the store's distribution center in Jersey City -- and most likely one day, the Smithsonian.

Each time I go out there I discover that everything's been rearranged and the collection has grown up and out. The soot-covered pieces are beautiful individually, while the rambling stacks and piles tell a story of shut-down china factories, hotels, restaurants... and the passion to preserve every last piece.

Field Trip: Renegade Craft Fair

Despite the tornado forecast, I ventured out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn yesterday for the annual Renegade Craft Fair. The fair represents a community of young & edgy crafters selling items in a full spectrum of mediums: fabric, jewelry, ceramics, stationery... I walked around with a smile on my face, completely overcome with inspiration and admiration.

At the DeLong Ceramics booth I met Denise DeLong who makes decorative relief tiles and modern functional home accessories. I was really drawn to the ceramic boat cleats that double as coat hooks. I love how she took nautical hardware often overlooked and reinvented them into objects that command attention. I purchased one of the larger aqua hooks and am excited to find the perfect place to hang it.

The highlight of my day was meeting the artist behind Morris + Essex, Eliza Jane Curtis. She creates nature inspired cards using a variety of hand-printing techniques. I admitted that I had been following her online for sometime, fascinated with her journey from Maine to Brooklyn to Buenos Aires (and apparently now back to Maine), where she set up a printmaking studio- what a dream!

Tiny Treasures

Whenever I'm in Montclair I make a point to stop by Parcel, an extraordinary stationery shop that sells vintage paper supplies, game pieces, ribbon, party favors, and nostalgic odds and ends. I'm not able to get there very often (which may be a good thing), but when I do I take the time to scour every corner, shelf and basket in search of unique gift wrap adornments. There always seems to be an unintended harmonious palette and theme running through the items that I compile.

Les Toiles du Soleil

I have been working on 19th Street for almost 3 years now and can't believe it took me almost that much time to discover Les Toiles du Soliel. The shop's saturated provençal colors lured me in and the over-sized bolts of striped cotton canvas held me captive. Feeling overwhelmed with potential projects, I scrawled some ideas in my notebook intending to return when I had an concrete project in mind.

As the holidays started to approach this year, I was searching for a gift idea for my mom and a reason to return to Les Toiles. Knowing that she needed a tote for her knitting projects, I decided this would make the perfect gift-- both practical and a reminder of our family vacations in the south of France.