Ah, Moomah. The dream shop/cafe in my mind that actually exists and where else but in New York. Have you visited? Please say yes and please tell me more! From what I read on their site, Moomah is a creative arts cafe where parents and children can eat, create (with do-it-yourself tables) and shop. They even have classes for kids and for adults too. I had heard about this creative and cozy space awhile back as it traveled around blogland but was reminded of it again as I was reading Anita Kaushal’s blog because she likes Moomah, too. Here are some views of their retail space. When I’m in New York this summer I’m definitely hitting this place even if for a few moments just to see my dream in the flesh.
What an amazing retail space, it’s creative and packed with visual eye candy in addition to the good things there to eat and drink. Talk about sensory overload… Heaven.
(images: moomah and kim cornelison)
I was thrilled when author Kari Chapin asked me to be a contributor in her book, The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line and now that it’s sitting here before me on my desk I’m even more honored to have been asked! Thank you Kari! This informative book, which is the decor8 book of the week, is packed with advice from many contributors who have made a successful business from the ground floor up which makes the book so exciting because everyone included grew their business based on passion, determination, talent and in an organic way — which is usually how the most successful businesses are developed — over time.
Included in this book, in addition to my own contributions on pages 125-127 (I wrote about how a business can attract attention from their favorite blogs) , you can find words of wisdom from Ashley Goldberg, Elizabeth MacCrellish, Emily Martin (who also did most of the illustrations found throughout the book), Jenny Ryan, Jennifer Judd-McGee, Leah Kramer, Liz Smith, Mati Rose McDonough, Matt Stinchcomb (VP of Community at Etsy), Megan Reardon and Yvonne Eijkenduijn. Kari helps readers who are looking to launch their crafting business in many areas from how to determine cost of goods to market competition, the pros and cons of wholesale versus retail sales, tips on styling and propping crafts for photographs, technical explanations of how the most popular online marketplaces work, how to approach bloggers to get your work featured (the section where I stepped in with my own ideas), how to approach shopkeepers and build strong relationships, record keeping, showing your work at craft fairs and more – 218 pages of current concrete advice from Kari and her 30 contributors.
I highly suggest picking this book up if any of these topics interest you — there is so much to learn inside of The Handmade Marketplace that you’ll enjoy, it’s one of my favorite new small business/crafty guides because it’s the best $10 you’ll ever spend on your business (and it’s a tax write off!).
Kari did a beautiful job organizing a myriad of topics from so many voices and making it an easy to follow small business book that is not in the least bit boring (most business books can be a real snooze-a-thon) or overly techincal (yawn) – it’s smart, fresh and easy to digest and most of all, gives small business owners the tips and tools that they need to either get started or to keep going strong and forward with their business. Yay, indie crafters!
Psst: I’m an Amazon affiliate so the links to Amazon are part of my affiliate program.
(images: holly becker for decor8)
Whenever an email arrives from Pale & Interesting to introduce something new I feel this sense of excitement wash over me as I really adore their online shop and look books. I have about 10 favorite photographers in the world and one is definitely Polly Wreford who shot all of the photographs that you see on the Pale & Interesting site. She is so talented, I love how sharp and crisp her photographs are but also that they don’t feel lonely or cold — which is a challenge when you are shooting rooms with a mostly white/neutral palette!
There is a difference, to me, in interiors photography these days that stands out quickly whenever I pick up an interiors magazine or book — perhaps you can spot it too… the welcoming and the not-so welcoming imagery of homes. For instance, in Polly’s work it feels like the homeowner is off to the side cooking or chatting around the dining room table as Polly works her magic in another room to create a beautiful composed photograph. But in some portfolios I see, it feels like no one lives in the home at all — that the photographer is there all alone creating a beautiful photograph but there is something missing… a feeling of warmth and comfort, a feeling that people actually live and dream and work and play in that space once the photographer wraps up the shoot and leaves.
And though many photographers shoot styled work in hired spaces used solely for location shoots and not inhabited at all, I think the skill of the photography in such surroundings is to make them feel like people do live there. Does this make sense to you? Do you know what I mean?
Okay, back to the regularly scheduled program — Pale & Interesting. They just rolled out their 2010 look book which is a bit like a magazine online that you can click through to get some decorating tips and to explore ideas on how to use specific products that they carry in your own home. I noticed in several of the photos above that many glass bottles were reused in different ways and as a result, they take on a whole new look. For instance, the bottles with the butterfly are the same as the bottles with the flowers and those shot with the glass cloches which is a great example of how some simple glass bottles can be a great investment as there are many different uses and ideas for arranging them in your home. One week they can be on your fireplace mantle, the next on your dining table, and quite possibly the next week they could be arranged on your entryway table in the hallway. So many options without running out to buy new things constantly – look for ones that are versatile and nothing is more versatile than transparent glass as they are subtle and understated, changing color and pattern according to what you place on, in, around or beneath them. Beautiful!
(images: polly wreford)
Hungry for some budget interiors inspiration today? Well, here you go! IKEA Family has a website called LIVE that launched awhile ago and it is such a fun place to play peeping Tom and to view some nice spaces from around the world in their home stories section. I’ve been watching it grow and waiting until more content was added before writing about it, but now I think there is enough on the site that you will really like visiting it for decorating inspiration. There are so many fun homes there, particularly the compact Berlin apartment by a very cute couple here and as shown briefly below. I think their style is so sweet, I really like how their kitchen looks like a cafe — I don’t think I’d ever have to leave the house!
And the adorable designer Nina van de Goor is on the site too. Here is the full story but some glimpses are below…
And some more views of various homes featured on the LIVE site include…
And to break up all that white… this charming entry!
About IKEA Live: “Our new website LIVE is the place to go for tips, ideas and inspiration for your home. A place where you meet others around the world sharing the same interest.”
Aren’t all of these rooms great!? Which ones do you like the most? Any preference?
(images: IKEA)
I just received the most beautiful floral design book called Flowers Chic & Cheap by Carlos Mota who is the Elle Decor editor at large. There are so few “good” floral arranging books and magazines on the market in the US — my friends and I always comment that such a huge hole exists in the bookstores when it comes to floral design books that are modern, fresh and well… not kitschy or packed to the gills with silk flowers. Flowers Chic & Cheap is a beautiful book and it came at the perfect time as I just picked up bunches of ranunculus, freesia and bi-colored carnations today at the flower shop after being so inspired yesterday by my visit to the Herrenhauser Garten. I’ll take some photos of this beautiful book later this week and share a proper review of it then but for now I’ll leave you with some floral inspiration with photos that I took yesterday at the garden.
All of these colors and patterns really make me feel energized and inspired – and I hope my snapshots inspire you as well. Please note I do not use a digital SLR camera and I have little clue what I’m really doing with camera settings but I think these photos came out nice considering all of that — and so perhaps if you feel up to it maybe you can find a park or garden in your local area, bring your camera and find some memorable shots for yourself too. Nature always has such a perfectly composed palette, doesn’t it? Flower gardens never clash and patterns always look so fresh and lovely together no matter what the scale or shape. And nothing goes out of style – imagine that! There is so much for us all to learn from the examples provided in the natural world around us. And another big thing to consider with flowers is the broad range of color. Of course, I always lean towards the pinks (you know me!), yellows and violet tones but there are also oranges, reds… the colors are endless so the bottom line is really this: don’t be afraid of color!
Next week I’ll give you a full review of Flowers: Chic & Cheap!
(images: holly becker for decor8)
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