September Recipes

Not a great start to my month. Big Cookie Fail!

Will work for vacay.

You know what boys and girls? I'm tired! This designer/housekeeper/chef/gardener/sewer (is that right?) /reader/writer/eat is in dire need of a vacay!

Here are some unusual yet intriguing hotel destinations where I'd love to find myself.

Igloo Hotel: Finland*

Tubohotel (Drainage Tube Hotel): Mexico City*

Camp Sagamore (Former Vanderbilt Chateau): Upstate New York*

Maho Bay Camps EcoTents: St. Johns, U.S. Virgin Islands

One I visited over a decade ago! Would love a return trip—best Holiday break ever!

*I stumbled upon these retreats on Dudecraft and in Martha Stewart Living

Put a Hat on It!

Ever since Kate and Williams wedding and the fabulous hat sightings, there's been an increasing fascination with the art above the fold. As a salute to the motherland, I decided to have an Afternoon Tea Party.

So on a semi-rainy Saturday, we gathered in our finest finery, raised our pinkies and drank a glass in honor of Kate, William and all those other royal Brits.

It was an afternoon full of cucumbers, crumpets and fewer F-bombs than I'm typically comfortable with.

The winner of the Pierpont: The Award for Best Hat (beating out even Pierpont himself), was Miss Meredith (right), whose handmade creation added an additional 20 inches to her height.

Thanks to all the ladies who joined me in this great hat experiment. Cheers to finding our muchness!

Burger of the Week #24

It's a reader burger sighting!

This tasty beast was spotted at Old Navy. With Halloween just around the corner it's obviously time to get your beef on!
Thanks Bethany!

Return to Wonderland

Those of you who know me, know i'm having a hard time getting on board with ArtPrize this year.

After much over-analyzation I've come to some conclusions; in order to share them with you, I must go back in time.

2009: The First Year of ArtPrize

Obviously when ArtPrize arrived the first year, the city had zero expectations, and spent the first half confused, albeit in a wonderful way. It was like being a child seeing snow for the first time, or Alice stepping into Wonderland. Faces lit up with amazement on every corner.

From toilet races, airplanes filling the sky, men dressed in ballons, and the big red ball popping up all over, everything was suddenly larger than life. They city was buzzing with color, creativity and an overwhelming vibe of imagination. We were Dorothy, and we had woken up in technicolor.

2010: Expectations Rise

Needlesstosay, having gone through this once before and falling in love with the place our city had become, ArtPrize expectations had risen.

But it was obvious what was going on. It was a circus of novelty and spectacle, and a war of scale. Size ruled all. And the crowd was pushier. No more joyful bewilderment, fewer random acts of art—it was a (pushy) race to be seen and to see it all.

2011: Fast Forward to Today

After ArtPrize failed to take me to new heights in 2010, I had a much harder time getting pumped up for a third go around. I was worried the third time around wasn't going to be the charm, but rather that it would cheapen the city.

I don't think it's done that. I think ArtPrize is still a valid social experiment. They've made slight changes to promote equally opportunity, listing Top 25 by neighborhood. And like the previous years, there are plenty of technically strong pieces, you just have to look past the showbiz to find them.

Recycled or repurposed materials seem to be a prominent theme, which isn't shocking. Also not shocking (unfortunately) I'm noticing a lot of contrived art—pieces where the viewer interacts to become part of the art. Because who's not going to vote for themselves or their child? But what I really do enjoy is the art that fits in its environment, that feels natural in its surroundings.

I simply haven't blown away. I haven't had the feeling that I'm that little kid walking into a candy store for the first time. My eyes haven't been widened.

Disclaimer

I would like to state, that while in the past 2 years I haven't agreed completely with the Top 25/Top 10, I have been pleased with the ultimate winner. It seems that when the public is given unlimited votes they spread them with little consideration, but when left with one vote with which to declare their love, they use them more wisely.

Also, I know that ArtPrize is meant solely as a way to promote conversation about art. And clearly it is successful at that. I mean, for two weeks it's all this city (I) talks about. This event has been nothing but positive for Grand Rapids. My comments here are purely observations on the metamorphosis of what I've seen personally.

All that said, curiousity remains and I will remain an active participant in Grand Rapids' event of the year.

Here are some photos (and a plea) from this years ArtPrize:

Vote for me! This piece is showing at "The Spot" on Pearl in the Federal Square Building. I do not know this artist personally, but I do know that this piece, which measures 26 feet long and is done in all pen and ink, is spectacular. Unfortunately due to the location it isn't getting the foot traffic that the art in the GRAM does and therefore is up for a seriously fight for votes. Be sure to see this piece before Wednesday and get your votes in. It's crazy good!

Burger of the Week #23

This is a piece from ArtPrize 2010: All American Meal by Beth Jacobson. Artprize 2011 opened last night.

Eat your way through football season.

It was a beautiful day for football!

And any good football fan knows the importance of a good tailgate.

Martha doesn't really strike me as a football fan. But I'm sure she would approve of a tailgate party accessorized with these goodies!

Find great table accessories on Retro Outlet, handy party plates from KegWorks and awesome football snacks all found on Pinterest!

Burger of the Week #22

There's some of us OCD folks who arrange our closets by color, our dvds alphabetically and our music chronologically. Inspired by this awesome Pinterest find, I think from here forward I shall arrange my books by flavor.

A Blog in Print

It was last Tuesday when Design*Sponge at Home was finally released. And after a patient week of waiting, my copy has arrived!

It's a beautiful book full of great photography and fun DIY ideas, all from the host of one of my favorite home design blogs.

Thank you Miss Amanda for the thoughtful birthday gift!

Small Dose of American Beauty

Martha's done it again.*

The 8 page segment Going Bandannas by Rory Evans and Ditte Isager in the July issue of Martha Stewart Living was so beautifully shot and written, that it inspired me to use a classic American bandanna for the cushion on my new entry-seating.

I acquired this interesting throne last summer and was finally able to finish stripping and painting it. With minimal rearranging it now resides by my front door.

(click to enlarge image)

When I saw the bandanna feature within the pages of my favorite mag, I knew immediately what my throne needed. What amazed me was how large an actual bandanna is—this pillow is made entirely of one bandana, and finished is probably about 10" square.

I couldn't find the precise article on line but here is a link to some other bandanna crafts ala Martha.

*Inspired me that is.

Branding a Brand

I've often seen barcode tattoos and as my mind did it's daily wander at work, I began to wonder about QR tattoos. Has anyone done it? I assumed so…

Well thanks to Google, I found out that not only has it been done, but that Marco here took it one step further and actually incorporated the tattoo into an animation.

This is more than I could have hoped for, and I applaud the dedication and creativity here!

Burger of the Week #21

Very reminiscent of Burger of the Week #1, it's a delicious looking clutch from Fred Flare.

Still hungry? Check out some of their other bags inspired by food including hot dogs, bacon, cookies and the classic PB&J.

Surprise Elements

We had planned a beautiful Saturday—with blueberries and friends and antiquing. As we pulled up to Century Antiques, I noticed a new shop next door Elements: Bohemian Artifacts.Curious Acquisitions.

What a find it was!

This is a treasure trove. Entering is like slipping into a lovely, Parisian inspired dream. The shop opened about a month ago, and while still a work in progress, it is well on its way to being a shopping destination. The owner is delightful, and the location and space are perfectly suited to its needs.

The grand opening celebration is planned for 11.11.11. Workshops and classes are also in the works for the future. But don't wait till November, I recommend you head down there much sooner!

441 Century Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 — across from Founders past the Ballet!

Get your Stripe on

In the midst of the mason jar trend (also known as the DIY Vintage Modern Era), a new way to cook has taken form. (I'm totally on board with this—especially if it means I get delicious mini cheesecakes from friendly friends – see image right.)

It's layered foods—particularly of the rainbow variety.

Where do the jars come into play... ... they make the stripes visible! But really, this is a fun trend with any clear container.

It works on Jello, Granola, Salads, Cake, Slushies, even Weddings! Look!—Martha's doing it too!*

Get out your food coloring and get your stripe on!

*There's a beautiful feature in August 2011's Martha of a frozen jello chiffon inspired from the vintage Joys of Jello pamphlets