Taking lumbar pillows to the extreme is a new trend that I just love. Combining this sleek modern look with Bohemian fabrics make for true style. I found this beautiful one at The Citizenry. The Baya Lumbar Pillow is inspired by the Zapotec tribes of the Oaxaca region, and, they say, the pillow is handwoven…
Caryn Cramer’s Easy Luxury
Never underestimate the life-changing qualities of the right throw pillow. I am only sort of kidding. A well-placed toss of the right pillow can bring a whole new energy to a room, especially if you layer them up a bit. Caryn Cramer seems to understand this and has made her magical collection of handmade pillows…
Objects d’Art Moderne from Swaziland
African art has inspired artists in the West for a hundred years. Picasso was probably the most famous appropriator of the shapes, colors, and spirit of art from the Dark Continent. Despite the long tradition that was his creative impetus, what he created was strikingly modern and yet timeless. The same can be said of…
Globe In Will Save Your Holiday
Everyone wants to give something original and that lasts – but what? Skip the mall (no, really, skip it, there is nothing there) and think small but global. Based on that very idea, the ingenious and resourceful Globe In team will send your worthy friends a monthly Artisan Box full of unique items created by…
Quirky Hand-Printed Textiles
Nell and Mary is a Portland, Oregon-based design studio that focuses on textiles with original, hand-made graphics. They took a rather old-fashioned product list (tea towels, totes, aprons, pillows) and gave them a very quirky, Bohemian feel. I like the Nell and Mary blog, too, which has beautiful photos, recipes, and sophisticated DIY crafts. I…
Swiss Treats with an American Soul
I am not particularly fond of sweets, but the simply elegant packaging and rustic appeal of Suss Sweets caught my eye at the MetroCookingDC Show. (I heard they were also at the Fancy Food Show last summer.) The Suss story is inspiring. Owner Tammy Fahey moved from Iowa to Boston to pursue a career in…
Cultured Threads
One of the best little outdoor markets in DC is on Saturdays on the corner of P and 15th Streets NW. It is not really a flea market – although there are plenty of vendors selling antiques and vintage items – as much as an eclectic art market. You can also find bonsai trees, locally…
Discover Your World with a Coffee Passport
I love love love this idea. The Indie Coffee Passport allows you to travel and explore the ecosystem of artsy, independent coffee shops in DC. There are 17 indie coffee shops participating, and for $20 you can try them all. Peregrine’s at Union Market is worth every penny. Contrary to what New Yorkers might say,…
Salt of the Earth
Nancy Bruns and Lewis Payne caught my attention at the DC Home Show a few weeks ago. This remarkable brother-sister team has combined a sophisticated love of food with a 200-year old family tradition and reopened their family’s historic salt mine in Malden, West Virginia. Guided by a sustainable philosophy and a commitment to the…
The Best Tree Ever
When we moved to Washington, DC, four years ago, Jeff and I left behind a big, beautiful farmhouse we called Barn Swallow Hill. It had well over 200 years of New England charm, and it was the epicenter of many of our holidays. Thanksgiving was our biggest event – with an open-house breakfast for neighbors…
The Foreign Office 