Officially Launched!

b.wise papers has officially been launched! It feels great to actually tell people about it now - for a long time I felt like I was keeping this big secret. Anyway, in case I haven't told you my secret, b.wise papers is a line of eco-friendly custom photo cards and announcements, as well as archival prints and personalized return address labels. My goal was to create an online boutique for photo cards - the convenience of internet ordering with a designer's personal attention to each order. And so, cheers to b.wise papers!

Monsters in my Room!

Monster prints by Matte Stephens! I think the boys would love to have one of these hanging on their bedroom wall. Maybe after we move?? I also really like the sneaky fox...the colors are awesome!

First Batch of Holga Pictures

Just a little sampling of the first roll of film from the Holga. I love the vintage look of these pictures! If you don't know what a Holga is, click here. We should be getting a couple more rolls back soon. Off to the beach for the weekend!

Also Perfect for the Boys' Room!

I think I could have redecorated the boys' room about 20 times in the past 2 years we have lived here. There are so many amazing textiles out there that I want to get my hands on. The last time I posted about this, it was an Anthropologie set that had caught my eye. This latest one is from Boodalee [they have an awesome website, too]. I guess the good thing about moving around so much is that I have a pretty consistent excuse to "spruce things up!"

Italian Cotton Ribbon

I just received my package of gorgeous Italian cotton ribbon from Carta, Inc...it's so delicious and I can't wait to start packaging with it!

Holga

For Father's Day, I got Reggie a Holga. They are so fun + I love the old school look of them. Here's a description from Wikipedia:

The Holga is an inexpensive, medium format 120 film toy camera, made in China, appreciated for its low-fidelity aesthetic.

The Holga's cheap construction and simple meniscus lens often yields pictures that display vignetting, blur, light leaks, and other distortions. The camera's quality problems have become a virtue among some photographers, with Holga photos winning awards and competitions in art and news photography.

We have already taken about 5 rolls of film, so I will let you know how the pictures turn out!

The Fogg

I went to the Fogg Museum this morning. It's a lovely place...the inside is modeled after a palazzo in Montepulciano, Italy. I am always drawn to the artist's studies...I like seeing the way they used their brushes + there is something mysterious about unfinished paintings. Here are two of my favs from today [1 - John Singer Sargent; 2 - Paul Cezanne] ...

Both of these were part of a private collection bequeathed to the museum. As I was walking through the collection's 5-6 rooms, I found it amazing that all that art was housed in one home!

One of the Best...

movies I have seen in a long time.

Lars and the Real Girl. I was very skeptical when Reggie brought this home from Blockbuster...even a little irritated that this was the movie he had picked out without consulting me first. But, man...I love, love it. I can't wait to see it again. And for those who know me, you know that this is saying a lot. I'm not one to buy movies and watch them over and over like, say, my mom and my sister. I think, seen it, would be bored a second time around. But this one. This one is different. The acting is amazing, characters brilliant. I'm not going to say much more, but if you are looking for laughing and crying all rolled up in one this is your movie. Sweet Lars.

A Perfect Mother's Day Card

Reggie got me an awesome mother's day card this year...I love how he knows what I appreciate and that is what he buys. I can also totally see the little bears with him in the card shop being drawn to this print, and that makes it even more wonderful. They were so excited when they gave it to me. The card is by Beaumonde and they bought it at Bob Slate in H Square.

Beantown Design

I went to a meeting this week of other designers in the Boston area. Two local ladies shared their stories of starting out in the design world - Michele from Bob's Your Uncle and Doreen from Plank. They had such different experiences and it was so helpful to hear how they managed things. Bob's Your Uncle has such amazing paper products - from cards with witty and clever sayings on them to the coolest disposable photo place mats. They are opening a store here in Boston that I am excited to see!
And Plank has these incredible yoga mats and accessories. The imagery on the mats was so cool that I wanted to start doing yoga just so I could buy one. I even found myself thinking "Hmmm, wonder if I could use one for a nap mat for the boys?" Crazy, I know.

Not Your Average Building Blocks

I just found these blocks online + I have been drooling over them. I love them. They are made by Not Neutral and are the kind of thing I want to buy just to touch and look at. The blocks have two puzzles, letters and numbers on them. AND they are on sale at modern seed. It would be the perfect gift for both child and parent!

My [mini] Car Obsession

Spend a day with me and my boys and you will know if a Mini Cooper is even remotely nearby. My 2-yr-old even pointed one out to his teachers in the parking lot of his school. I have loved these cars from the moment they hit the streets in the US. Dreamed about how we could finance one with a graduate student stipend. And even now I try to figure out the logistics of fitting a stroller in the "trunk." Is it possible to fit two carseats, a stroller and a diaper bag? Alas, probably not...and it would probably be so unpleasant that it would take away the fun of the car anyway.

Lately, though, my affections have been shifting. It's the new Fiat 500 I'm after now. It has red leather interior! I've always secretly wanted a Fiat...the old models with the sardine can-like top. I've also always secretly wanted a country house in the South of France where I would drive said Fiat, but that's a whole other post.



Maybe it's the part of me that still wants to hop in the car with just my keys + license and just drive...no snacks to pack, carseats to load, or strollers to worry about. Since they won't hit the states until 2010, I've got some time to figure out how I can justify it...gas mileage? never having to worry about being tagged for carpool? I'm sure I can think of something...

Perfect for the Boys' Room

I just got the new Anthropologie Home Catalog in the mail today, and I am obsessing over this safari quilt...I love the colors, the patterns, the animals, everything. I love the contrasting bedskirt. I love that it can be for girls AND boys. So much boy stuff is centered around sports and dark plaids that I'm constantly looking for bright, but not girlie things for younger boys. And this is perfect. It's a good thing we are moving in a couple months and I am refusing to buy anything - I don't need anything else to have to pack-up! But if it's still around this fall...

Backpacks

One of my client friends emailed me about preschoolers backpacks, so I thought I'd pass along what I found in case anyone else out there was also looking for one. My favorite right now is from Dante Beatrix - I've got my sights on the penguin one for one of the boys. I saw it in the Babystyle store last fall, and it is a great size for preschool - holds the old lunch box and probably a sweater, as well as the other little odds and ends that somehow make their way in there. The bunny one is pretty darn cute, too...

Bla Bla Kids has some fun knit ones (I love their knit animals, too), and Allerhand makes some larger ones (probably for 4 yrs+) that are a little more sophisticated.