Posted by Bluelines

Ideal for city-dwellers and garden neophytes, here's some easy and out-of-the-box (er pot) ideas from our favorite gardener.

Guest Blogger: Margaret Roach

What’s going to fill those pansy and viola pots once the weather heats up and they go by? For season-long color in containers, true annuals (like petunias or coleus) aren’t the only answer.

What I’m using for “annuals” in some tough low-light areas of my garden made their way to my pots from points as diverse as the shrub department of the local garden center; from my vegetable garden beds -- and even from my favorite mail-order houseplant nursery. The best part: All either were recycled from prior garden use…or will be recycled into another spot indoors or out when I’m done admiring them.

These baby fancy-leaf begonias just arrived from Logee’s Nursery in Connecticut, and are perfect for pots for a location in filtered light -- like under a tree. How many annuals for shade offer this kind of nonstop color? Come October, they’ll move inside with me as permanent members of the family (and summer outside again next year).

Begonia ‘Little Brother Montgomery’(below)

and ‘Marmaduke’ (above) are two of my favorites for their leaf color and texture among Logee’s many choices.

To add some structure to my grouping of pots in a semi-shaded spot with the begonias, I bought this little-leaf evergreen holly or inkberry, Ilex glabra. It is hardy in my zone, and I have a spot in the garden for it…but not till after summertime service. I’ve also potted up some small trees trees, like Japanese maples (below), with pansies and creeping perennials at their “feet.”

I always keep a few choice hostas ready to do duty as pot plants, carrying them over from year to year in the vegetable garden when it’s empty all winter, then lifting the big clumps out and popping them into shade pots. You can also buy some hostas for this use -- or one of many other perennials. It’s easy, showy, and the hostas don’t seem to mind being put on display. A favorite for this purpose: the classic vase-shaped blue ‘Krossa Regal (above)’. Variegated hostas are especially ornamental, too (like Hosta fluctuans ‘Sagae,’ below).

I plug in extra bits of golden moneywort, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ that have outgrown their place in the garden, or snippets of the gold Sedum called ‘Angelina’ (detail, above) to cascade over the rim. Little-leaf ivy (perhaps snatched from a hanging houseplant?) would be great, too. The salvaged snippets of Lysimachia don’t look like much now, but wait: Soon the top pot, about 30 inches wide, will be spilling over. And I didn’t buy a thing.

Heucheras, another perennial, make great potted subjects, and I love using the newer Euphorbias, like ‘Helena’s Blush’ and ‘Efanthia.’ Both would be showy all season at the base of taller things like my maple trees. Use your imagination: Curley parsley would make a similarly great edger below a taller plant, and the whole herb department is filled with good choices…and you can cut off bits for supper, too. Like I said, recycling at its best.

Pottery Sources:
Great mossy, old-looking terra cotta from Campo di Fiori; lead and stone lookalikes of wonderful quality from Campania. In both cases, these are wholesalers; use their dealer locator to find the seller near you.

Posted by Scott

Recently, I have become a fan of Nydam Press on Etsy, especially these Eagle Mirror Linoleum Block Prints.

A framed series of these on one wall would be spectacular. I love how there’s a hint of fancy ornateness to the frame mixed with the craftiness of the linoleum print to bring it back done to earth. That’s my kind of art!

Want more? Check out these other charming prints.

Rocking Chair Print

Italian Greyhound Print

Whale Block Print Card

Note from Bluelines: If you are thinking that our blogger is lazily surfing Etsy all day, not so. In addition to bringing us a constant stream of charming (not to mention affordable) finds, he is a talented stylist who recently launched his own site. Here he is hard at work on a shoot (far from an Internet connection).

Posted by Kerstin

I was in Virginia this past weekend, and a few exits away from the Southern Kitchen (raved about by many food writers as a superb roadside destination).

Although it’s dangerously close to bathing-suit season, I decided this was too tempting to pass up.

Located in the small town of New Market, Virginia, the large vintage sign outside says it all. No trendy food fads have tainted the down-home menu.

House specialties include peanut soup and the friend chicken platter (served with choice of two sides, ranging from the smart (house salad) to the sinful (buttered corn, fried potatoes).

I chose stewed tomatoes, forgetting that most true southern cooks put a half cup of sugar into any vegetable dish. Thankfully, it turned out to be a nice balance to the savory chicken.

I don’t know how they did it, but the fried chicken was the crispiest and most flavorful I have tasted, yet it had no greasy side effect. Note: only one napkin was needed.

And the meat inside, well, let’s just say it was juicy and tender enough to leave the plate clean. (You did see the plate above, right?) About the only unauthentic things? Our charming waitress (from New Jersey) and some of the taxidermy on the walls.

Although the atmosphere and service was no worse the wear because of it.

Posted by Katie

Soon the warm, breezy days of spring will give way to the hot, humid days of summer. Unless you are opting for a Mia Farrow cut, you will need something to keep your locks from going limp.

One solution? a ponytail or bun with some glamour.  I give my elastic hair bands an upgrade with a simple and inexpensive accent: buttons. The ones below were found at Lou Lou Buttons in New York City, but there are other sources such as Tender Buttons, M&J Trimming, or Great Buttons.

They're a cinch to make with the right materials. You will need elastic hair bands, available at any drugstore, jump rings in brass, silver or gold, and a pair of needle-nose pliers. Your fingers or tweezers will do in a pinch.

Simply bend open the jump ring with pliers and attach hair elastic and button (remember the jump ring will need to be big enough to fit around both).

Then, close it up and you're ready. Since there were no hair models around the office, fellow blogger Kerstin and myself opted to show you a few of my favorite creations.

 

Posted by Lisa & Rena

We are texture junkies. Rena is a terror to museum guards, as she is always stretching her fingers longingly toward the art.

There's a word for this: haptic. It means “of or relating to the sense of touch.” Recently, we’ve been enjoying three books, all mysterious white volumes that are each haptic experiences, both in form and content.

Sheila Hicks uses a very tactile medium -- weaving -- and explores it using nontraditional materials and rhythms, creating lovely design. Her book "Weaving as Metaphor" is a large, soft brick and wonderful to hold; Dutch designer Irma Boom won a "most beautiful book in the world" award for the design.

Kenya Hara, who is, among other things, the art director of MUJI, comes from the other direction, imbuing the clean cold world of design with texture and emotion. The book "Designing Design" has many examples of inventive and minimalist projects that explore haptics, and it also goes into detail about the MUJI no-design philosophy.

Finally, Giuliana Michelotti works with mostly sterling silver and rough, uncut precious stones to make jewelry that seems to be shaped by nature itself, as seen in her book "Inform."

Posted by Bluelines

Here's another blogger on what she'll be giving Mom this weekend. Again, please share your gift ideas with us.

Posted by Kerstin

My mom has a thing for elephants. You can find them tucked in all over the living room shelves and assorted other places in the house. For Mother's Day, I thought it was high time she have an elephant she could take with her on the go.

They have the cutest enamel jewelry at J. Crew this season. I recently spotted this elephant necklace so that now she doesn't have to look further than her neck to see a familiar friend.

Posted by Bluelines

Don't worry, no wire hangers in this post.

We simply asked our bloggers to share what they will be giving their mothers come Sunday. And for any moms out there: no peeking!

Check back tomorrow for another gift. And please, share any ideas you have.

Posted by Rebecca "For Mothers Day, I want to get my mom tickets to the new show "Boeing Boeing." My mom loves Broadway -- she's taken me to shows since I was little. This one just got a great review in the New York Times, and I love how stylized the sets are."

Posted by Lena

I just had a chance to catch up with Andrea Wyner, who photographed our wedding in August 2005. We bumped into each other on the subway, and realized that we're now neighbors, since Andrea splits her time between San Francisco and New York City.

Andrea so beautifully captured the feeling and atmosphere of our wedding. I feel fortunate to have had her there to document it all. Our wedding was also photographed by the fabulous Thayer Allison Gowdy for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, so we’re really lucky to have an abundance of great images from the day.

I took a peek at Andrea’s lovely portfolio, during our ride on the subway together. Here are some of my favorites (the last group of four is from our wedding).

 

Posted by Regan

Why is the coffee served in offices so bad? If not weak and watery, it manages to be overly strong yet characterless. And who knows if that giant urn ever gets a good cleaning?

It's time to banish bad coffee for good. Do you have a hot water source and two hands? That's all you need (plus a few pieces of low-tech equipment) to brew a truly sublime cup right from your cube.

The Coffee
Good coffee is made with good beans. Try out different brands of small-batch "micro-roasters" until you find your perfect blend -- or better yet, enlist different officemates to bring in a pound of coffee whenever supply runs low. A few of our favorites are Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Gimme! Coffee, and Blue Bottle Coffee Co.

We grind our own beans here at the office, which requires a nifty (albeit pricey) burr grinder (whirly-style coffee mills heat the beans too much) but if you buy in small batches, it's fine to have your beans ground for you at the time of purchase.

Brewing
If you plan to enjoy your coffee solo, there are a few great options for brewing single-cup servings. The classic coffee-filter cone makes perfect drip-style coffee with no machine (these things are great for camping, too!).

Or try this cool single-serving French press and mug combo.

If coffee time turns into a social situation, take a collection and invest in a nice French press for the office. This version from Bodum brews eight cups and is made with insulating double-walled glass, which keeps your java piping hot for much longer than a traditional model. (Just be sure that you're not the one stuck cleaning it every day!)

Alternately, this ceramic coffee dripper by Beehouse is ultra stylish and fits over most teapots or on top of one of their own cool carafes. And if you just can't live without a dollop of foamy milk, a manual milk frother is key.

Posted by Rebecca

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house -- a sanctuary. Where else could allow Calgon to take you away?

Recently, I’ve started freshening up our bathroom. I started with new towels (from the Martha Stewart line at Kmart), which are amazingly plush -- not to mention cheap at $9.99 for the bath size. I’ve also bought new soap.

I love this French soap holder that Apartment Therapy sells for $40 as much for its beauty as its function.

   

And just last week I found these great wooden vases at Jamali Garden Supplies that I use for both magazines and toilet paper. They cost $25 and fit perfectly together.

These small changes are great. And although they don’t quite equal the rooms below, I can keep dreaming...

Posted by Lisa & Rena

Portland artist Betsy Walton is having a show at our store in San Francisco this month and we couldn’t be more excited. We sat down with her to ask her about art and life.

L+R: Your work is so beautiful and distinct. Tell us a little bit about your painting style and how it came to be.

BW: My work has evolved gradually. I started out with observational drawing and painting. Working in a straight realist style was satisfying on some levels, but I wanted to carve out a new path. So I began to combine drawing and painting techniques with imagery and stories that appealed to me on a deeper level. I also took up printmaking and it informed the way I think about creating an image. The lasting impact is seen in my use of layering, flat shapes, textures, and repetition.

The style I'm using now is made up of a few things fused together. I love to draw. This is my initial passion. My second love is color. This is followed by pattern and then nature. The next element is the human element -- the figure, the manmade objects. I also have an enduring interest in patterns and decorative elements, so that crops up a lot. This has been a theme in my work for several years. I just really enjoy working with these facets, and all the formal aspects of the work.

L+R: More recently, you've started creating narratives.

BW: Yes, over the past couple of years, I’ve been merging the patterns with figures and landscapes so that I can create narratives. I've always been a person with diverse interests, and I'm attempting to bring all of them into the paintings. This is mostly an intuitive process, and I am gradually shaping the narratives and experimenting with their particulars. How resolved are the stories? How specific is the mood?  How much mystery should I leave in the work? Balancing the light and dark elements is another area I am working with. I'm interested in the tension between the two forces, both visually and metaphorically.

L+R: How would you describe your approach to the work?

BW: My approach is to make a lot of paintings and drawings, because this will eventually result in the clarification of ideas and visual styles. I usually work through a series of visual fragments that pop up in my imagination during the beginning of the painting process. The other part of the process is the editing, shaping, and finishing. This is the tricky stage; it’s easy to go too far or not far enough.

The most compelling thing for me right now is the process of developing narratives. I feel like I am still at the beginning of this practice. I want to be able to continue to use my intuitive, spontaneous approach while presenting images that can provide an authentic meaningful experience for the viewer.

L+R: Your paintings have an "otherworldly" quality to them. Where does this come from?

BW: I think it comes from a need to create something that feels fresh. I like new places with surprises.

L+R: Describe a really good day.

BW: Sunshine, 77 degrees, iced tea, freshly-mowed grass, and reading a book outside.

L+R: To what extent do your paintings match your personality or spirit?

BW: I think the work is shaped by my interests and experiences, but it is a different entity. It’s fiction informed by my life.

L+R: Name a few of your favorite things.

BW: My friends and family, swimming, BBQ, and beauty. I'm excited for warmer weather.

Betsy’s show “Sacred Spring” opens tonight (April 30) from 7-9 at Rare Device, located at 1845 Market Street in San Francisco. All of her work is available for sale online at raredevice.net.

Posted by Kerstin

I've been looking for the perfect shade to paint my bedroom. However, the fluorescent lighting and middle-school gymnasium floor at the hardware store are making it somewhat dull.

I am so happy I found colourlovers.com, a site to navigate, discuss, and discover new color. Think of it as a blog and trend report rolled into one. While the site attracts designers, ad professionals, and architects, anyone can use it as a resource or inspiration point.

Browsing the thousands of user-submitted color, palette, and pattern galleries, I came across a subdued combination called “Sunny Day with You” that mixed colors like eggplant and yellow that would be lovely accents to my gray living/dining room.

"Sunny Day With You"

While my main objective was to pin down the palest shade of pink or khaki for my bedroom -- I got lost for way too long (company hours) here.

I predict you will, too.

I loved this name, "Salty"

Another perfect palette

Inspired by a kimono

Posted by Elizabeth

I have a love-hate relationship with owning a bicycle in New York City.

On one hand, I love the idea of hopping on a bike and riding all over the city until I don’t feel like it anymore. I also love the thought of not having to rent one every time the feeling grabs me.

On the other hand, I hate that I have nowhere to store a bike -- except in my apartment. So if it’s something I’m going to look at every day (and, of course use), I have to love it through and through.

I‘ve found two that I adore and can’t decide on which one.

The first is Trek’s Soho 3.0

The second is Jorg&Olif’s Scout

What do you think?

Posted by Bluelines

With much of the East Coast and Northwest in a rainy rut this week, it’s a perfect time to be holed up inside and baking.

And what’s better than licking that wooden spoon? Winning something for all your time and batter tasting (aka effort).

Enter the Martha's Favorite Cookie contest and you can score a signed copy of the New York Times bestselling book “Martha Stewart’s Cookies.”

The sweet prize

Here are some scrumptious baked wonders already in the running.

From slightly scary

to positively starry and many more.

Posted by Kerstin

So, I'm ready to fulfill a dream I’ve had for a while: learn to play guitar.

My first step is to picking out an instrument.

A musician friend told me the shape of an electric model might be ideal to learn on since its neck is narrower and therefore, easier to practice the basics.

Enter the Bambusa, a electric guitar crafted from bamboo, which not only sports a clean, beautiful look, but is eco-friendly as bamboo is one of the most renewable natural resources around.

The guitar’s price tag, available from First Act, makes my wallet feel good as well. It retails for $399.

I will keep you updated on the search. And please, anyone with ideas, feel free to send them to me.

Oops! Sorry for our not-quite-ready-to-go-live post this morning.

We promise to bring this fun DIY project when its good and ready.

Bluelines

Posted by Katie

Soon the breezy, bright days of spring will give way to the hot, humid dog days of summer. And unless you are opting for a Mia Farrow cut, you will need some hair bands to keep the locks from going limp.

I gave my elastic hair bands an upgrade with a simple and inexpensive accent: buttons. The ones below were found at TK where there is a dizzying array of materials and sizes to choose from.

Then, I simply TK and slipped them on the band and tightened the closure.

Since there were no hair models around the office, fellow blogger Kerstin (that's her with the blonde messy bun -- no hairstylists on site either) and myself opted to model a few of my favorites.

Posted by Shane

Last summer, my boyfriend, Addys, and I moved into a garden apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone. We had never imagined cohabitating this kind of space -- but having the garden to ourselves just outside the kitchen has been both inspiring and a quiet retreat on weekend afternoons.

So as soon as the weather turned warm last week, we rushed to the garden shops and nurseries to buy an assortment of plants to fill the pots we had been collecting over the past year. (We have a yard, as well, but have just fertilized and planted grass seed.)

Below is a collection of shade and part-shade plants, which includes Fittonia “Juanita,” ferns “Maiden Hair” and “Lemon Button,” Neophythytis “Holly,” and Leea “Purple Desire,” to name a few.

Most of these pots are shades of gray and black with the exception of some vintage terracotta, which have decayed beautifully. I bought them at various shops including grdn -- a superb garden shop in Brooklyn. Suzanne, the owner, has good suggestions for timid gardeners like us.

Here is a garden still life Addys and I composed of marble slabs we found while digging up the dirt in the yard. We gathered them and simply leaned them against the side wall of the patio. The branch? It’s a piece of drift wood I found.

Along one side of the patio is a patch of dirt perfect for a flower border. We're trying to avoid a “grandma garden,” so we stuck to only two flowers: Origami Red and White Columbine and Bleeding Hearts. To be honest, it is looking a little scrawny, but we are hoping it will fill out in a month or so. Hence the close-up shot.

Stay tuned for a midsummer update.

Posted by Lisa & Rena

Every few weeks, we set out through our fine city of San Francisco to discover what’s happening in the world of art, crafts, and design.

This past week we found a goldmine at the Luggage Store Gallery, where we encountered "Feral" – a collaboration between artists Swoon and Monica Canilao. Using wood, paper, paint, and found materials, the artists created (and literally built) a extraordinary environment populated by both realistic and imagined characters, including strange animals, skeletal mermaids, she-wolves, spinsters, dreamers, and savages.

What struck us as much as the cast was the other-worldliness of the environment they shaped as well as the remarkable attention to detail and craftsmanship.

While viewing the installation, which takes up the entire gallery, the spectator is able to wander through shacks and pathways that lead to hundreds of small corners filled with the artists’ colorful and often haunting groupings.

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The installation is up at the Luggage Store only through Saturday, April 26, so if you happen to live nearby, we recommend dropping in.

In the meantime, we also suggest "This is Home" published in Spain and chock-full of images of Monica’s work.

Sneak peak: Join us next week for an interview with the prolific Betsy Walton whose work will be hanging in Rare Device in San Francisco from May 1 through June 1.

Photos by Faythe Levine.

Posted by Scott

The recent string of warm-weather days has not swayed me from finding more great finds on etsy.

By now, you all know what a sucker I am for handmade goods. I really enjoy the handmade feel to these unique items.

Case in point: The gold vessel below

The pot is waterproof and made from a very stiff paper-mache. Then it is painted, gold leafed, and polyurethaned.

This artist also carries a gray container set and gold-rimmed dish. These sophisticated simple designs make for great accents or collection pieces to sprinkle around your home.

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