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Nym?lle Art Faience H?yrup

Nym?lle Art Faience H?yrup – say that in one breathe! I just love little scenes of European villages, so when Gosia sent me her shop updates recently, I had to buy this Nym?lle Art Faience H?yrup cup and saucer. I knew nothing about the origin of this set…


Then Sia told me that she recently purchased the same set after hearing about it over on Leslie’s beautiful blog. Suddenly, thanks to fellow bloggers, I’ve learned so much more about my new little cup and saucer from Gosia.

Tip: If you love this pattern, a simple search for “H?yrup” on ebay will yield TONS of beautiful vintage Danish ceramics, so have fun looking for some H?yrup of your own. It’s all so lovely, great patterns, totally sweet for tea and cookies on a rainy afternoon like today. I just won a buy it now auction over at eBay and now have a second set to accompany the one I paid $24 for at Gosia’s wonderful shop. This time, I won the set for $9, so I’m thrilled and have hopes that I can perhaps complete my collection (I’m hoping to have 4-6 of each) with the help of eBay. It’s so pretty!

{update: I just completed my set of 4 on ebay, I found some buy it now auctions, so I purchased 3 sets for $20! There are more buy it now auctions on these, so scoop them up quickly!}

(images from gosia)

Posted in etsy, vintage on September 11, 2007

Albertine Press

Albertine Press is Boston-based and proud of it, some of their stationery pays homage to the city they love with cards flaunting local landmarks, and I think that’s just great – go Boston! I hope area gift stores pick up these letterpress lovelies because it’s the perfect alternative to a postcard, especially when you have more to say than Wish You Were Here.


Albertine Press has a website and an etsy shop, in case you’d like some of these great cards for yourself. My heart did little flip flops when I saw the swan boats, so I know I’ll be buying some of them for myself and my relatives, who recently came up from the south to visit us. We took them to the public garden, America’s first public park, and they loved it. I think these would be a nice way to send them our greetings from time to time while reminding them of their vacation here.


Great work, Albertine!

(images from albertine press)

Posted in shopping, stationery, travel on September 11, 2007

Boston: South End Open Studios September 15-16

If you find yourself in lovely Boston this weekend, you absolutely must head over to the South End Open Studios and the South End Open Market. Both are held in the SoWa (South of Washington Street) district, a neighborhood that has been home to artists? studios for over 50 years, most in loft spaces inside of old factory buildings. Lots to see.


At the South End Open Studios, in their 21st year by the way, there are so many artists to visit that it can be a bit overwhelming, but you have a few days to enjoy touring the many studios since the hours are from 11-6pm on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 & 16. Textile artists, ceramicists, painters, furniture designers, jewelery designers, photographers, and beyond.

Since everything is all together in one district, it’s very easy to navigate on foot (although they do provide a shuttle service if you’d prefer to hop on/hop off). If you’re driving in, there are two free parking lots on Malden and Thayer Streets, off of Harrison Ave. That’s where we usually park. You can also take the T (Orange Line to Back Bay station), exit the Clarendon Street side crossing over Columbus where you’ll spot a shuttle bus on the corner, running every 15-20 minutes.

Tip: Once you’re in the South End, grab a map! It’s the best way to ensure that you don’t miss a trick. The map is part of a compact orange booklet listing all of the artists involved, where you can find them, and what they do (wearable art, mixed media, ceramics, etc). There’s an information booth at 551 Tremont (Boston Center for the Arts), 540 Harrison Ave. (at the Open Market), and 535 Albany Street where they can be found free of charge. And don’t miss some of the stores in the South End, especially Devi and Lekker, two of my Boston faves.

Have fun locals!

{update: “The South End Open Market runs in conjunction with the Open Studios, this year we have over 120 artists outside for both Saturday and Sunday! This is our biggest weekend of the season at the Market, expecting 10,000 plus customers.” – Chris Masci, Market Director, NE Open Markets LLC.}

(image from se open studios)

Posted in events + markets, shopping, travel on September 11, 2007

Claudine Hellmuth on Martha Stewart!

Don’t forget to tune in to the Martha Stewart show tomorrow, Wednesday September 12, to watch Claudine Hellmuth teach Ms. Martha a thing or two about mixed media collage art. I’m so excited that she got on the show and can’t wait to watch one of my favorite artists in action. YES! I can only imagine what national exposure will do to her career.

Yeah, Claudine! A huge congratulations to you.

(image from holly becker for decor8)

Posted in Arts + Crafts on September 11, 2007

EQ3: Super Affordable Furniture

Affordable and stylish? Can this be real? I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about EQ3 sooner. I first found out about them 6 months ago while at Jordan’s in Reading, MA. They have an entire section devoted to EQ3 and I was blown away by the styles and prices of this very posh looking collection of furniture. All the sofas are priced around $800 and some of their coffee tables are under $150. Beds with headboards only $350. They also carry bedding, accessories, and lighting.

The Matrioshka dolls for $15 are extremely cute for those of you who collect nesting dolls.

And the best part, none of it looked cheap or throw away. The sofas were comfy and I like all the color choices and clean European lines with lots of lacquered pieces and chrome. I walked away from EQ3 thinking that the line was exclusive to Jordan’s furniture, but a reader recently told me that they have a website, and it was there that I noticed they have stores popping up all over America, in fact they’ve just opened two in Phoenix, AZ and Norfolk, VA. Other locations can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Grand Rapids, Richmond, Charlotte and are also available in over 300 in-store galleries across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

I love this floor lamp in white, called the Sprocket – and it’s only $45! Yes, really.
Very Anglepoise on a budget.

All of their bedding is priced around $85.

In the MA/NH area, you can find them at Jordan’s Furniture. Anyone have experience with EQ3? I’d love to hear from you! Please comment below.

(images from eq3)

Posted in bedroom, furniture, lighting, textiles on September 11, 2007
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