style snapshot: Style Me Warm

Contributor post by Jessica B. of Indie Handmade and Bloomerie.

I'm fortunate to live in a place where we get four definite seasons. I always look forward to the changes each one brings -- even when it gets much colder and we're forced to spend more time indoors. Staying warm is a top priority!

Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite finds that will keep your stylishly warm this winter. We have to start out with a coat, just like the wool blend "Violet" coat from Soia & kyo. Modern styling without fussy detail always means a win for me!

Luckily for us ladies, tights don't have to be a distant memory from our childhood. We can easily pull on a pair of Argyle Sweater Tights from Urban Outfitters and keep warm when wearing dresses and skirts. Pair those up with the Børn Promise boots and you'll have a leg up on serious style! (Pun entirely intended.)

A scarf and gloves are absolute essentials! I really love these Ski Lodge mittens and scarf from Madewell. Again, simple and unfussy.

And when all that isn't enough to keep you warm, or you simply prefer the comforts of your own home, snuggle up with this Matteo Ticking Stripe quilt and a cup of peppermint hot chocolate.

May you all keep warm this coming winter!

sycamore street press: New Collaboration With Tiny Prints!

Hello! It's Eva, and I'm dropping by to say that Stephanie, Kristin, Amy and I have been designing away for our new collaboration with Tiny Prints! Our holiday card designs are above, and we have more everyday cards up on their site as well. To see them all, click here, or just search for "Sycamore Street Press" on the Tiny Prints website.

Tiny Prints collaborates with some of our favorite designers (Oh Joy!, Dwell Studios, Night Owl Papergoods, Jill Bliss, etc...), and they make well-designed paper goods available to a broad audience at an affordable price. So -- we were thrilled when they asked if we'd be interested in designing for them!  We hope to add baby announcements, wedding invitations, and more to our greeting cards that are already on their site.

(But don't worry, we are also hard at work conjuring up new material for SSP's own 2011 letterpress line. )

Five Favorite Spoonflower Fabrics ///// Indie Handmade & Bloomerie

2011 Birdies Fabric Calendar by Cynthia Frenette

Hi everyone! I'm Jessica from indie handmade and Bloomerie. I'll be blogging for Eva today and tomorrow so you'll get a double-dose -- and hopefully that will be a good thing!

Since I'm a big fabric fanatic and love sewing, I wanted to share five of my favorite indie fabric designs from Spoonflower, which is a wonderful service that allows you to upload your own artwork to create original fabric designs.

Newspaper Boats in Aqua by Heather Ross

Summer Sweets by Heather Dutton

A Walk in the Woods by Auki


Umbrellas by Natalie Jost

I could spend countless hours browsing around Spoonflower. I hope you click on over and take a peek for yourself. I always love supporting indie artists and businesses!

our little life: Thankful for Ingrid

The past 12 days have been a roller coaster to say the least. On the one hand, my heart feels like it's about to burst with love and happiness. Ingrid is the sweetest thing, and I can't describe what it feels like to hold her and look into her bright, curious eyes. On the other hand, the combination of sleepless nights, hormones, a sore body, and the steep learning curve of becoming a parent have been really tough.

It's funny how entirely mine and Kirk's lives have changed. For instance, we've never been happier to see poop than when Ingrid had been constipated and miserable for over 24 hours... we've never been more distraught and then relieved over a number on a scale than when we thought Ingrid had lost a scary amount of weight and might possibly have a heart condition, only to learn 2 hours later that the stupid scale was just broken... We've also never been so in love with a tiny human. And we both know that from now on, Thanksgiving will always remind us of our little girl, and how grateful we are to have her in our lives.

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving and gratitude for my lovely readers, I decided to give away 4 sets of posters, rather than just two. The winners are Emma, Dana, Arteriole, and Hannah G. Please write me at eva(at)sycamorestreetpress(dot)com to claim your prize!

And thank you so much to Stefanie and Mariana of Assembled Blog, as well as Jamie Tallerico for their wonderful guest posts this week!

Five Favorites ///// Jamie Tallerico

Hello. It's Jamie Tallerico. I just wanted to share 5 things that I have been diggin on lately. Two of the things have been inspiring me for the last couple of years actually. They never cease to amaze me. So here they are!



1. I love the pattern and colors in this Hepsi Kilim Rug by Loom....Loom

2. Maris Turner Art. Maris is a friend and colleague. Great,great,great artist. Check him out here.... AVTO

3. The wife and I need some new furniture. I've been really into the stuff over at Nightwood. Love this linen chair.... NightwoodNYC

4. Trico Field. I first got introduced to their kids clothes a few years ago while designing at Abercrombie. Leave it to the Japanese to make awesome. They do vintage better than vintage. It used to only be kids clothes. But now they have adult sizes. The unfortunate part is finding it outside of Japan, NYC and LA. But check them out here.... Trico Field

5. The House Industries Alexander Girard release. Girard was a master of fun of fun imagery! Huge inspiration.... Alexander Girard/House Industries

looking lovely: Finds For Black Friday

one sydney road

contributor post by stefanie and mariana of assembled blog

skipping the big stores this year and plan on attacking my christmas list online (and maybe making a few things) These three stores are new to me. i am loving the clean photography and variation of goods.

one sydney road recently opened and you can read the story of the owner piper's journey from leaving her regular job and opening her own shop over on make under my life.

billet (first spotted on simple song)

the next two stores are japanese and the sites are a bit hard to read but totally worth the effort.

i am in love with the simple accessories and christmas decorations from billet. the textiles and kitchen tools from mar would make beautiful gifts. (hint hint)

mar (first spotted on all the mountains)

thanks to sycamore street press for having mariana and i this week! we had a ton of fun putting these posts together...i hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and have a wonderful holiday season!

our little life: Thankful

matt pensworth

contributor post by stefanie and mariana of assembled blog

i think it is safe to say that we are all thankful for so so so many things.  thankful for family and friends.  thankful for things we take for granted.  thankful for things in the past and things yet to come.  i hope everyone has a thankful day, i know i will, i have a lot to be thankful for.

looking lovely: Jolby

contributor post by stefanie and mariana of assembled blog

jolby is by far one of my favorite art directing/illustrating duos. they met in school in san diego and found themselves in different cities (josh-chicago, colby-portland (oregon). they collaborated long distance for a while until josh moved to portland. their illustrations never fail to tell great stories and make you smile...even sometimes touch your heart and make you shed a tear. oh and they are also super nice guys!

their latest project is super awesome...they are self publishing a children's book in collaboration with rachel roellke. it tells the story of a king who is obsessed with the number 5 who wakes one day to find he has a sixth finger. the sneak peeks are amazing so far...head over to their kickstarter page if you wish and help them reach their goal!

from home is where you make it series

from portland with love screen printed cards

from sea legs (a collaboration with ashley forrette)

they answered a few questions in the spirit of thanksgiving for me!

q- what is your favorite side at thanksgiving dinner?

Josh - that's a hard question. I would have to say mash potatoes.

Colby - I am a mashed potato feind! Super fluffy and lots of butter.

q- i have to ask, what tops your thankful for lists?

Josh - My wife, family and friends. I wouldn't be who I am and where i am without them. 

Colby- My loving fiancé, awesome friends, and a beautiful city to nurse my creativity.

q- what other professions would you enjoy if you weren't illustrating and designing?

Josh - a chef 

Colby - A brewer or a barista

looking lovely: Pretty Baby Things

contributor post by stefanie and mariana of assembled blog

in honor of little ingrid we thought we would collect some pretty things for babies. i love the trend of natural simple toys, clothes, and decor that is popping up all over the baby product world...they are pleasing to the eyes which is great for the parents. it's never to early to start teaching them about great design right? lucky for ingrid her parents are pretty cool and have great taste!

catapiller pull toy-love loans and linen, wooden painted circles-studio fludd via seesaw designs, crib-smallable, dressing dolls wall decals-mae via twig and thistle, mocassins-sweet william, felt sheep-smallable, paris dress-der kleine salon

Five Favorites ///// Assembled

hello new friends!  allow us to introduce ourselves, we are stefanie and mariana from the blog assembled.  we started this blog as a way to keep in touch (since we haven't lived in the same state for many years) and a way to stay motivated (showcasing the projects we do and the thing we see that inspire us, whether that is fashion/photography/design/etc).  we are both very excited about our time here; congrats to the new family!  

 it's a bit of an understatement to say that stefanie and i have a lot in common.  gift shopping for each other is always easy, we buy things that we would want for ourselves (so the hard part is actually parting with the gift).  don't get us wrong, we have our differences, and we love that too!  but here are 5 things that we both consider absolute favorites...

1.  erica weiner jewelry...we covet pretty much everything she makes.  she's our go-to girl for when we need to give a gift to ourselves, to each other and to other lucky individuals.  stef and i have multiple pairs of the same earrings, similar to this first pair...(here are some other pieces we love!)

clockwise from top left atlas stud,terrarium necklace,vintage bracelet 4-pack,filigree ring

all images from erica weiner site

2.  seychelles shoes...who doesn't love their shoes?  while they do have HIGH high heels, we like that they have cute flats, and cute lower heels.  we are some of the most uncoordinated people you will ever meet...seriously.

all photo are taken from their site

3.  jenny lewis... she's so cute and talented and she makes us want to wear dresses, lots and lots of dresses.  back in the day, stefanie and i lived together and we listened to a lot of jenny lewis/rilo kiley and talked all about how we would wear dresses everyday, ahh memories!  

4.  cupcakes...everyone needs a treat sometimes.  cupcakes always do the trick, always.  and mini cupcakes...swoon! 

kumquat cupcakery

p.s. that first cupcake, yeah, it's bacon maple, what!?!

5.  cardigans...this favorite probably sums both of us up the best.  we never ever leave home without one.    true story.  i'm even coordinating a cardigan with my wedding dress (trust me, it will be awesome).

left to right- gap,modcloth,madewell,modcloth

sorry for the very long post!  we are just too excited!  enjoy!

our little life: Welcome to the World!

I've fallen in love all over again...
This time with a tiny little girl named Ingrid May Jorgensen.

She was born on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 3:14 in the afternoon.
The stats: 8 pounds 9 ounces, 20 inches, and a full head of dark blond hair.

Thanks to everyone for your love and well wishes!

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p.s. Thank you so much to Claire from my favourite dress and Sarah from it's like she's on a secret mission for their lovely posts this week! And don't worry -- I'll figure out the giveaway winner and announce it soon.

at the table: Old and New Favorite Cookbooks

Contributor post by Sarah of it's like she's on a secret mission.

My husband and I have a total of 5 bookshelves lining the wall of our small one bedroom Brooklyn apartment, all of which are filled to the brim with novels, art books, nonfiction, travel guides, anthologies, and other miscellaneous printed matter. While most of my books come from the library these days, I can never resist purchasing cookbooks, and love having a large assortment on hand. Some of them are filled with tried and true recipes that get used constantly, while others are only opened on occasion, but I love knowing that whether I'm baking a cake, making jam, cooking dinner for the two of us, or throwing a dinner party, I have plenty of different places I can find all of this information and more. And not only are cookbooks great for the recipes contained within, but many of them are lovely looking on their own, with well-designed covers and good-enough-to-eat food photography. That's why today, I thought it would be fun to share some of my cookbook love with all of you, starting with my personal favorite general cookbooks.

Above, from left to right: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins The World in Your Kitchen: Vegetarian Recipes from Africa, Asia and Latin America by Troth Wells, The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics, and The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics.

All of these contain a great assortment of recipes, inspiration, great culinary advice, and some wonderful images.

But we can't forget about all of the fantastic looking cookbooks that came out during 2010. While I don't own any of these myself (yet!), I wouldn't mind adding any of the above titles to my collection.

From left to right: Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, from the incredible bakery by the same name, The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century, Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions by Elizabeth Andoh, Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff, and The New Brooklyn Cookbook.

Hungry yet? Me too.

That's it for me, friends, but I wanted to extend a huge thank you again to Eva for letting me guest post, and to all of you readers for stopping by.

Five Favorite Online Shops ///// Sarah

From left to right: Brush "Duck", Anzfer Farms Fragment Light, Yellow Owl Woodland Notepad Set, Desu Design 1 Line Spice Rack, Helen Beard Apricot Belly Chickadee Cup.

Hello, Sycamore Street Press! My name is Sarah, and while you can usually find me writing about all things art, craft and design-related over at it's like she's on a secret mission, for these next two days, I am absolutely thrilled to guest blog for Eva while she and Kirk welcome Ingrid into their family.

I love that there are so many sites these days that sell high-quality, handmade goods. While Etsy is definitely one of the places that I spend a lot of time both buying and browsing from, sometimes, I'm more interested in looking through a very well-thought-out collection of items than searching through every example out there. So today, I thought that it would be fun to share 5 of my favorite online art, craft and design shops. These are places that I keep returning to not only because they're great places to find gifts, but also as sources of inspiration.

1. Neëst

Neëst only opened in March of this year, but it has already become one of my favorite places to browse. Although based out of France, Neëst's aesthetic is actually more in tune with the new style of Japanese design, which itself is heavily influenced by Scandinavian design. So, what, exactly does this mean for the types of things you can find at Neëst? Pretty much all good stuff. They carry beautiful products for everyday life, characterized by a simplicity of form and a predilection for natural materials, as well as traditional handmade craftsmanship. 

2. Magpie & Rye

For a very small selection of well-curated accessories, Magpie & Rye is always a wonderful source of inspiration.  Most of the designers featured gravitate towards raw materials and natural designs, making for a collection of objects that all look as beautiful together as they do individually. If you're looking for hand-turned vessels, bird wings and jewelry made from a variety of minerals and stones, then Magpie & Rye is the place for you.

3. ReForm School

The quirky layout of ReForm School's site may take you back to your school days, but the art, craft and design featured in this shop is anything but elementary. You'll find a wide selection of items at ReForm School that emphasize sustainable methods of production, from art and design objects to clothing, accessories, kids items, and vintage-inspired finds. In addition to ReForm School's standard fare, I also love that they have a rotating "student of the month" feature, showcasing new and limited edition goods from an ever-changing list of artists.  

4. HORNE

HORNE's range of items is a little wider than that of the above shops, but their commitment to showcasing an interesting group of talented artists and designers from around the world is certainly apparent. One of my favorite places to browse for tabletop items, especially modern flatware and dinnerware, HORNE sells a wonderful collection of designs for the home.

5. Ashes & Milk

More of an online gallery space than a traditional shop, Ashes & Milk was founded on the principle that a lot can be created from very little. Meant as a boutique of texture, organic materials and nuances of white, brown and gray, all of the objects at Ashes & Milk are original works made by hand. Ashes & Milk is one of my favorite places to visit to discover new artists and craftsmen working in a variety of materials.

There you go, friends, 5 of my favorite online art, craft and design shops. Of course, this is only 5 out of the many amazing boutiques, galleries and other wonderful spaces out there, but I hope you find as much inspiration (and maybe a gift idea or two!) from these as I do. Tomorrow, you can find me as usual at it's like she's on a secret mission, as well as right back here, for a post about something completely different. I'll see you then!

looking lovely: Sweatpants Alphabet By Michéle Brummer-Everett

Hello everyone! It's me (Eva). My lovely friend Michéle (and Sycamore Club artist) designed this alphabet for the Design*Sponge Alphabet Contest and she's one of the finalists! I love how the sweat stains form each letter. So funny and clever -- just like her! If you love her design as much as I do, please hurry over to D*S and vote for her. Thanks!
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In case you are wondering, we are still waiting upon Ingrid's arrival. She was due 8 days ago, so apparently this little lady is in no rush. :) I have an appointment this afternoon where they'll be doing an ultrasound, a non-stress test, making sure she has enough fluid to move around in, etc... I'll keep you updated!

Five Favourite Winter Woolens ///// Claire

hi, i'm claire, i love to take photos and make little things with my sewing machine.
i can still recall with such detail the first time i met eva. you could not actually ask for a better moment : standing with my two best friends outside an old hall in what seemed to be a surburban neighbourhood in antwerp, belgium, the summer of 2000, with the make up and dismemberment plan playing inside. i knew immediately i would know this beautiful girl for a many years to come, and i cannot wait to meet this little newcomer :)

with this cool change we've had in vancouver lately, i wanted to share my favourite winter woolens :


a neckwarmer by the lovely julia of minecreations, thoughtfully gifted after i cut all my hair off last winter. it is so incredibly soft (i am wearing this as i type right now).


my giant meaford cowl by yarn over movement. endless amounts of cosy.


keeping my hands warm on my bike as the weather turns cooler; i always think i was so very lucky in this trade i did with erica from erica knits. along with these gorgeous mittens, nathan and i both got wooly touqes to keep our heads toasty all winter long.


it was love at first sight with this pip-squeak chapeau inspired neck warmer that elly made. i knew i wanted one, but i also knew my knitting skills weren't up to it, so i roped my talented friend bethany into making me one with the baby alpaca i picked up on sale at my local yarn store. she's a gem, and it is so lovely.


my everyday scarf & made by me! i may not be a great knitter, but what i can do really well is knit scarves. i find it so relaxing, that whole back and forth, on and on. i made one of these merino wool scarves as a christmas gift for nathan a few years back and ended up wearing it so often that i had to make one for myself. we love them so much we don't even care when we match.

(so much thanks to nathan for taking the photos)

sycamore street press: Baby Tallerico Announcement

Hi guys! This is Eva. Our friend Jamie Tallerico sent me this photo of the announcement he designed for his baby boy. (Kirk printed it here at Sycamore Street Press.) I love how it turned out. Classic, but bold and eye-catching. And he did a great job of styling and photographing it, didn't he? That's something I need to work on... I have a stack of custom letterpress work begging to be documented.

As for Ingrid... well, she hasn't decided to arrive yet. She must be enjoying her time on the inside, because she is almost a week late. Needless to say, I've been pretty exhausted hauling around this giant belly, and we're anxious to meet her. But it has been nice to have some more time to get settled into our new place, which is a very slow, laborious process (much like pregnancy, I suppose!)  We still have floors to be laid, shelves to be hung, paint to be touched up, boxes to be unpacked, etc....

And finally, thanks to Brittany for a fantastic week of blogging! If you haven't already taken a look at her blog, I suggest you do. It's full of Danish loveliness.

Stay tuned for next week... I've got more fabulous guest bloggers lined up, and you can be sure we'll be announcing the birth of our little one!

looking lovely: Danish Christmas Babushka Dolls

Contributor post by Brittany Watson Jepsen from The House That Lars Built.

Oh, no! It's my fifth and final post. Thank you Sycamore Street for letting me share some Danish delights with you. There's so much more where this comes from. You'll just have to come on over and see for yourself.

Now, for my last words of wisdom...let me tell you the best shopping secret in Copenhagen: the dollar store, Tiger. Tiger bears no resemblance to Dollar Tree. It's more similar to Target in that they have fabulously designed products. Everything from brooms to scarves. Though not everything is actually priced a dollar (or kroner to be precise), it tickles me to see low prices in such an expensive country. And right now the place is plastered with Christmas. I just saw a set of babushka dolls at Tiger yesterday for 30kr, (or $5.50, a bargain here), which means that the babushka trend has finally hit the cheap stores. Wahoo! Anywhoo, I also spotted some not so cheap, yet totally Danish-fied Babushka vases (top right and bottom left) at a ceramics downtown called Stilleben. They come in all shapes and sizes. Finally on the bottom right, a ceramics designer at the famed Guldagergaard has designed the minimalist babushkas, as only the Danish can do.

There you go. Now, what are you doing for Christmas decor this year? Pop on over to Lars to see what's going down in Denmark. Hej hej!

style snapshot: Color vs. Uniform in Copenhagen

Contributor post by Brittany Watson Jepsen from The House That Lars Built

Hej again from Copenhagen. I was told it's 85 degrees in California right now while I was sitting in my living room in four blankets and 3 sweatshirts. Yes, winter has arrived in the North. It's times like these when I think about how I have yet to master the art of winter dressing. Danes have it down pat. But, then again, they have it down pat all year long. I've noticed two general fashion trends. One is colorful and  the other is what I call the Copenhagen Uniform. The wearer of the Copenhagen Uniform mixes second hand and brand new layers of black, a bun on top of the head, an oversized coat and a neck engulfing scarf. The appeal of the Copenhagen Uniform is an immediate cool factor. For one accustomed to mucho color I found myself initially bored with the look, but now embrace the art of layering. The ultimate ideal would be a combination of both. 

We're nearing the end of the Copenhagen tour. Stay tuned for one more round tomorrow!

all pictures from Copenhagen Street Style

on the road: A Quirky Copenhagen Gem

Contributor post by Brittany Watson Jepsen from The House That Lars Built

I was going on little run this morning (well, walk/run...whatever) and came across this beauty. Yes, I run with my camera, you just never know what you're gonna find. My little neighborhood is recognized as an architect's playground because of recent construction of buildings such as Jean Nouvel's Danish Radio concert hall, the awesome Tietgen dormitories and other city housing. That's what makes quirky a-roofers like this all the more precious.

looking lovely: Retro Wallpaper in Copenhagen

Contributor post by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built

Hello! I'm back to divulge some more Copenhagen secrets...As I continue getting to know this city I find myself stumbling upon fantastic shops. The other day I was out to find fabric stores and suddenly walked into a treasure mine, aka vintage wallpaper and gift shop, called Retro Villa. It was as if the heavens had opened up and the choruses of angels  were singing. Retro Villa opened up about a month ago by Mette Helene Rasmussen, and MFA student at the Royal Academy of Art, who regularly scours Danish and UK flea markets for wallpaper, patchwork quilts and children's furniture. I am a sucker for quirky, colorful wallpaper so I spent far too much time admiring every detail.

I talked with the employee about the potential purposes of wallpaper. She encourages customers to create little projects in addition to traditional uses like walls. My mind was going a hundred miles an hour thinking of all the things I wanted to make. I loved how they papered each wall in a different pattern as well as little benches and chairs.

What would YOU do with wallpaper? 

Stay tuned for more tomorrow. 

Pictures taken by me and from the Danish magazine BoligLiv