Local illustrator Sarah Neuburger’s latest print, titled “Atlanta’s Creative Class,” pays tribute to 50 women who write, photograph, stamp, style, and otherwise boost the arts and crafts scene in our fair Southern city. Yours truly is portrayed in the bottom row, third from the left. I’m honored to share this 12×16-inch stage with some of my closest friends, like Shannon Mulkey from the Indie Craft Experience, as well as talented ladies I’ve been admiring from afar for years. Read more about the project below!
Category Archives: Inspiring Products
charlotte smith’s modern cup collaboration
06.05.15
Modern Atlanta is collaborating with three local artisans on limited-edition products as part of its annual Design Is Human celebration. One chosen maker, emerging ceramist Charlotte Smith, has married delicate porcelain and sturdy steel in a sculptural two-piece cup. After the jump, I’ll tell you about her step-by-step process and the DIY family tradition that fertilized her craft.
pops of pastels in my bedroom makeover
11.17.14
As often happens with dramatic overhauls, my bedroom reboot started with one piece. Over the summer I had the succulent poster I co-designed with Leah Duncan framed to hang over my bedside table. Problem was, the color palette wasn’t jiving with anything else in the room. We were overdue for new bedding and accessories anyway, so I did a revamp using black, white, gray, and pops of yellow and turquoise.
Below is my side of the bed. We already had the Heywood-Wakefield furniture and vintage ceramic lamp. I’d been wanting a tray so I can set down my earrings, ponytail holder, etc. before I hit the pillow. I styled it with a mini blush planter by Sea & Asters and brought over a Kostick bronze star sculpture from the living room. Geometric patterns to contrast with the botanical art were a must, so I chose a Pendleton wool lumbar pillow from Robin Cottage. The gray braided duvet cover and shams are from West Elm, and the yellow Sketch Grid pillowcases are Room Essentials from Target.
Below is Andrea’s turf. The two bedsides used to be mirror images, so I wanted to play with asymmetry by giving him an art cluster and a different lamp. The bird print is his own photograph, hung with gold gem magnets by Lynn Lunger (aka Una Odd). The Minerals print at top right is by Happy Red Fish, and The Last Summer is a painting reproduction by Kiki and Polly. The hanging planter is by ceramist Cathy Terepocki.
see my revised vanity, an amazing navajo rug, and other photos after the jump
4 mobile shops to stalk
08.20.14
In the age of the online store, I appreciate the entrepreneurs who are keeping retail retro. Their mobile shops–converted trailers stocked with clothing, jewelry, home decor, and gifts–roll from town to town, finding customers where we live. I shopped two in Atlanta and one in LA this year and was wowed by the smart use of space, the stylish merchandising, the character evoked by the camper itself. Here I highlight four roving retailers and ask them to share stories and tips from their adventures.
Unless otherwise noted, photos are by the shop owners.
small room collective
Husband and wife team Lauren and Travis may be cross-country roamers, but their mission is to make connections. They think of Small Room Collective as a gathering place where perfect strangers can feel at ease and at home. In June, outside Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur, GA, this stranger felt comfortable and excited among the handmade art prints, stationery, soap, and jewelry on board. I bought a cast brass Fitzgerald Forbes bangle that reminds me of midcentury Brutalist work. I found out the couple lives in their Airstream, making their clean design all the more impressive since it fulfills both their personal and professional needs.
Me: What’s your favorite part about owning a mobile shop?
Lauren: I like the unexpected element of it, and being able to connect with new people and places. . . . We have to go outside, we have to explore, we have to make new friends, otherwise we’d go nuts!
Me: What’s your best story from the road?
Lauren: We had less than 36 hours to get to Louisville [from Denver]. Just so happens, we would be chasing a string of tornadoes, torrential rain and storms, speckled with some high winds. We were going 45 mph at this point in thick fog and not getting anywhere fast. It was getting dark outside, so we decided to stop at a Walmart for the night in Colby, Kansas. The winds became so loud that we were more praying for our lives than sleeping, and we just decided at 4 a.m. that we’d try to keep going. The rains were fierce, and the trailer was swaying in the wind like a giant aluminum whale behind us. George was trembling and curled up in his storm position in the back. We noticed something amiss with our rooftop carrier and realized the wind had shoved it at a 45-degree angle. Nice. We struggle to get it straight again, the wind slamming the car doors open. After two episodes of this rooftop carrier situation along the stretch of the flat Kansas plains, a good dose of snail pacing, and some disgruntled mumbling, we made it through the worst of the storm. We eventually made it to Louisville, and actually made the event on time.
Me: What’s your advice for someone who’s thinking about building a mobile shop?
Lauren: Really understand the inner workings of the trailer itself, and make sure it’s sturdy and safe for a small stampede of wild buffalo to pass through.
After the jump, see the stories of Coast to Coast Vintage, Very Hush Hush, and Popsicle Shop.
shop like a happy camper
08.13.14
I’m what you call “indoorsy.” But I married an outdoorsy guy who likes to camp and hike. In my husband’s version of camping, we’d surrender electronic gadgets, make long treks to waterfalls, and cook over a fire. On my ideal trip, we’d stay in a midcentury tepee with a parking space and wifi, shake cocktails at the picnic table, and upload snapshots to social media. He wants to go on a “real” camping trip this fall, maybe in the misty redwoods of Oregon, so I’m preparing in my way. I researched all the essentials for a rustic outing, like, you know, gourmet bug-repelling soap and a vintage pocket knife necklace. Enjoy the inspiration, fellow campers!
Above products: campfire rubber stamp by Creatiate // vintage thermos from Modluv // bug repellant soap by Beekman 1802, available from Oakleaf & Acorn // vintage camp stools from Little Cows // campfire-scented candle by PF Candle Co., available from Summer Camp
Above products: abalone pocket knife necklace by Astronette // wool mountain pillows by Three Bad Seeds // Pendleton wool eyeglass cases by Appetite // leather blanket carrier by Texturable Decor
Above products: vintage sheer western shirt from Shop Exile // vintage picnic bag from Ruff by Margo // vintage enamel bird mugs from Finnish Treasures
