Category: <span>Etc</span>

Published April 26, 2010 by

We Picked a Wedding Venue!

vt-wedding-venue-tentIt’s official. We are having our winter wedding at the Mountaintop Inn! We looked at number of fancy and fabulous places around Vermont but this Chittenden resort just said Mike and Anne. Set on 350 acres of forest overlooking a massive reservoir, this venue feeds our love for the Green Mountains and all the activities they have to offer: snowshoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, lounging by the fireplace, and stargazing from the hot tub.

To us, Vermont is prettiest under a blanket of snow so when it came to choosing our ceremony spot, the mountain-facing patio was the only choice. This outdoor location may sound crazy for a wedding in early March (especially to my Southern Californian family members) but it’s that little bit of insanity mixed with extreme beauty that will make this wedding memorable and uniquely ours.

vt-wedding-venue-cermonyThe Ceremony
This photo was one of the few examples the Mountaintop Inn had of an outdoor winter ceremony (go figure), but seeing these huge smiles set against snow-covered mountains was the only example we needed.

vt-wedding-venue-tent-interiorThe Reception
I’d take a tent over a ballroom any day. Never doubling as a conference room or a tradeshow floor, tents only go up on special occasions. And this one is particularly lovely with its draped-fabric ceilings, arched windows, parquet floors, and winter-ready heat system.

vt-wedding-venue-cabinThe Accommodations
For weddings over 100 people, the entire property automatically closes to the public and becomes reserved for our family and friends.  Guests can choose to stay in one of the quaint rooms at the inn or for something a bit more secluded, they can rent one of the chalet homes. These houses sleep anywhere from 4-18 people so it’s conducive to a couples retreat or a slumber party with old friends.

Next on the wedding to-do list: pick a photographer.

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Vermont wedding

Published April 21, 2010 by

Promising Student Designs

design-schools-umbra-adSo flattered…this week I was apart of the judges panel for the Sixth Annual Umbra/Pratt Design Competition. To enter, these New York design students had to create products in the spirit of the modern home accessories firm that are innovative, useful, and feasible for production. To see the top three designs, you’ll have to wait for the unveiling at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair but to give you a sense of the talent that was in the running, here are my picks for runners-up.

design-school- flat-pack stoolsFlat Pack Stools by Alexis Liu (1st Year Graduate Student)
Efficient shipping is an obvious selling point for these stools but trompe l’oeil foot rungs make these a whimsical option for extra seating.

design-school-zapZap Bookshelf by Jesse Trentadue (1st Year Graduate Student)
Shaped like a lightening bolt, this decorative shelf will make any book collection look super-hero cool. (It would be so adorable in a little boy’s room.)
design-school easy organizerEasy Wall Organizer by Yoon Jung Heo (Senior Undergraduate student)
I’ve always wanted the Vitra Utensilo Wall Organizer but it’s pricey and, frankly, too large for my needs. This student’s design has similar qualities but I love its slim shape and pared-down compartments.

design-schools--Ray tea cup and saucerRay Tea Cup and Saucer by Suzanne Chang (Senior Undergraduate Student)
Solving the little annoyances in life, this saucer was designed in prevention of soggy crumpets! The raised spoke pattern keeps your cookie out of any Earl Grey puddles and brings modern texture to the typically smooth dish.

If you could send one of these designs to the winner’s circle, which would it be?

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designers events

Published February 2, 2010 by

The Daily Coffee Grind

Antique-Coffee-grinderMike has always had a thing for antique coffee grinders. The crank mechanics, the wooden body, silver finish—something about them is really charming. I spotted this one in an Antwerp flea market (when I was in Belgium for the Interieur Biennale) and had to get it for him. I gifted it with a bag of beans, as a joke, but since we’ve been out of pre-ground coffee for the past few days, we’ve resorted to using it as our daily grinder.  It just made me laugh this morning to see him in a kitchen full of 21st century gadgets to be using a 1930s hand-crank to make coffee.

I’m sure we’ll re-stock our ground coffee supply this weekend but I’m hoping to make the antique hand-grind a weekend ritual.

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antiques kitchen goods

Published January 17, 2010 by

Design Firm Matches Donations for Haiti

haitian artists relief fundThe visionary artisanal company Stray Dog Designs decided in 2005 to make the daring move of investing in an art and design workshop in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Most American companies at the time shied away from doing production work on the underdeveloped island because of the lack of services and the poverty. Not Stray Dog. Its philosophy has always been to create sustainable jobs wherever they are needed most, and Haiti–a country full of talented but unsupported artists–was the perfect place to start a shop.

Help-for-Haiti_Jacmel

When the company arrived at Port-au-Prince five years ago, the situation was bleak. As one of the founders, Bill Pritchard, describes it, gun battles between the local gangs would happen outside the workshop on an almost daily basis. But as more artists came on board and the few foreign companies gained recognition in the local community, the street fighting in the area started to subside. “In the past couple of years, there were many more businesses investing in Haiti,” says Pritchard. “The mood was starting to change . . . and that’s why its so sad.”   Since the earthquake struck, on January 12, Prichard fears the Stray Dog workshop, the employees, and Haiti itself may never fully recover.

Helpf-for-haiti-workshop

Pritchard and his wife and business partner, Jane Gray (left), have heard only from a few workers but their reports are worth sharing. One employee e-mailed simply, “I’m alive.” Another staffer, who lives in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, said his village has yet to see any aid. And the couple who oversees the day-to-day business at the workshop says that at the moment more than 700 people are camping in the yard of their one-acre home. The original shop is awaiting inspection, which may not take place for months or longer, and the desire to carry on is pervasive. Not only do these artisans need money, they are desperate for stability, an avenue for expression, and a distraction from their desolate surroundings.

To help their 100-plus artisans in Haiti, the Stray Dog Designs Haitian Worker Relief Fund has been established with this intention:

The money we collect will be used to directly help our workers and friends of Stray Dog Designs in Haiti to rebuild their lives, whatever that means: donating blankets or clothing, acquiring medical assistance, rebuilding homes, or maybe help relocating to another area. Whatever the need, we wish to continue to help the very people we went to help in the first place.

Stray Dog will match fifty cents on every dollar raised up to $10,000. To show your support, please consider making a donation via PayPal or check. Click here for the PayPal account or send a check directly to: Stray Dog Designs at 611 E. 11th St., Chattanooga, TN 37403. Please make the check out to “Stray Dog Designs Haitian Worker Relief Fund.” help-for-haiti-Stray-Dog-Products

A sampling of the papier-mâché furniture and accessories made by the Stray Dog artisans in Haiti.

To see more of their work or learn more about the company, please visit straydogdesigns.com

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non-profits