[uhp-steyt fan-see] - adjective

1. not exorbitant or extravagent by city standards, however in a rural setting (like upstate new york) it is in fact, quite fancy.

2. a wonderful blog dedicated to art, design and other things that are indeed upstate fancy.

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Jun
29
crafts
SAY GOODBYE to green and black chalkboards

You should never be afraid of color! This new paint from Hudson Paints is sure to add a punch of color, that you can write on. Think about how much more fun math problems would be if they were on a hot pink “blackboard.” The possibilities are endless for this colorful chalkboard paint. Available in 30 different colors, and also available in custom colors if you are looking for something specific. At $25 a quart this would be perfect for that entrance wall to be able to keep up to date on the happenings of your entire clan. I definitely have an idea for this paint using some of my lasercuts, that i will be sharing with you soon!

chalkboard

Jun
26
illustration
POPSICLE WALLPAPER download

It’s hot here in New york. And rainy. And humid! So why not cool off with a popsicle. Illustrated by yours truly, these frozen treats will hopefully cool you and your computer down for a while. Download for  1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1600 x 1024, or the giant 1920 x 1200.

pops

Jun
25
Uncategorized
HANNAFORD MARKET illustrations

There is this pretty great supermarket chain in Maine called Hannaford. We became regular shoppers there while vacationing in Bar Harbor last week. The quality of food was great, even though they didn’t have any strawberries, and their wine selection was unbelievable, the thing that I liked the most was their signage. All of their signage has these amazing cute illustrations on it. They even appear on their reusable shopping bags. I really love the style and whimsy with these little drawing, however I can not for the life of me find out who the illustrator is. If anyone knows who did the illustrations for Hannaford’s signage and promotional materials in 2009 please let me know.

hannaford

Jun
24
food
THE BEST LUNCH EVER with jordan pond popovers

Since I’m still reliving my Maine vacation I have to share with you the best lunch of my life. Truly. The restaurant at Jordan pond, in Acadia National Park, is not only serene and picturesque, but the food is amazing! The waitstaff were the nicest people ever, college students from all over the country, and the popovers were to die for. If you have never had a popover, I hadn’t, they are big fluffy hollow pastries, best eaten with jam and butter. Just to give you an idea of how amazing everything was there, we ate there 3 times. We even bought a popover pan so we can make some at home. Just in case you want to try some for yourself, the Jordan pond recipe is below!

• Four eggs
• Two cups whole milk ( you can use 2% if you want)
• Two cups flour
• One-half teaspoon salt
• One-sixth teaspoon baking soda

They recommend making the batter a day ahead of time, refrigerating it, and then letting it return to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 450. Break eggs into mixing bowl and whip; add milk and blend. Add remaining ingredients and mix until almost smooth — do not overbeat. Fill greased popover pans, muffin tins or custard cups 3/4 full. Bake for 14 minutes at 450, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 15 minutes more. (DO NOT OPEN OVEN UNTIL BAKING IS COMPLETE!) They’ll be crispy brown on the outside and moist on the inside at this point; remove them from the pans and serve with butter and strawberry preserves. (Jordan Pond House uses Stonewall brand — I looked in the gift shop.)

popovers

Jun
23
housewares
BROWNS FOSTER HOME and their upcycled birdhouses

While shopping in Bar Harbor last week I hit up my favorite store, Window Panes. If you are going to bar harbor and like small stores with kitchen gadgets and unique housewares, this place can not be missed. One thing that really caught my eye was a wooden birdhouse with an old skeleton key as a perch. They had a few other birdhouses on display and each was a little different and made of upcycled materials. The owner of the store informed me they were made by a group of men with unique challenges that were part of the Browns Foster Home. Recycled Reflections – the birdhouse project was started in 1997 as a creative outlet and a way to reflect on some walks in the Maine woods. It was how all creative endeavors should start, for fun! Each house is created from upcycled materials, old keys, golf clubs, drawer pulls, and each roof is thatched with pine cone shingles. Today it has blossomed into something bigger than ever expected. Thousands of birdhouses have been made and sold. It has nothing to do with the money, It’s about the love of creating something new, something maybe we all need to remember sometimes.

birdhouses

Jun
22
Accessories
BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY from maine

I’m back! After a wonderful relaxing vacation on Mount Desert Island on the Maine coast, I am back in Brooklyn and back to upstatefancy. I did a little bit of shopping while I was in Bar Harbor and came acorss this cute little shop called island artisans, that features only handmade items by maine artists. I had my eye on a lovely Jade ring for a few days (just like the earrings below but in a ring), and when I finally tried it on it fit perfectly and looked amazing on my stubby fingers. The artist behind this miraculous piece of jewelry is Jen Burrall. Based in Portland Maine, Jen’s work is simple and stunning. If you like big stones without the “bling” her designs are perfect for you, a blast of color without the sparkle to blind you. I really can’t say enough about her work, check it out yourself. 

burrell

Jun
12
housewares
CUSTOM SCULPTURES of your favorite pet

SO I’m headed to maine for a nice vacation tomorrow with einstein the corgi and my boyfriend. We wanted to go somewhere peaceful and somewhere we could take the dog so we are headed to beautiful Bar Harbor. For those of you who love your pets as much as I do… check out these adorable custom sculptures of your favorite pet from Three Red Trees. See you all soon!

dogs_custom1

Jun
10
books
THE CLOUDS ABOVE is the cutest book ever

Call it a comic, call it a picture book, call it it a graphic novel, call it whatever you want. The clouds above by Jordan Crane is adorable. I picked it up yesterday with some other new books from my midtown comics shopping extravaganza, and I have to say that I am not disappointed in the least. I try not to go there with books in mind. I just browse around till something jumps off the shelf at me, and the fact that they have members rewards (for every $100 you spend they give you your next $20 off) it’s hard to to buy a few too many books on occasion. But this book is by far my favorite of the year! It’s a super-cute story of a boy and his cat and his adventure in the clouds. I really don’t want to ruin it for anyone so thats all I’m saying. If you a real book collector I recommend getting the signed number edition here. And just in case you like kids comics as much as I have grown to love them check out this awesome blog I stumbled upon today Kid’s Comics, maybe there is something else that is just dying to be added to your library. 

the_clouds_above

Jun
09
art
NEW HOMEGOODS up in the shop

After a long weekend at Renegade Brooklyn I am finally able to offer some of the new products I have been working on for the peppersprouts line . There are some custom printed pillows, some bright fantastic trivets, and some adorable woodland mirrors. Hope you like them as much as I liked making them!

deer

Jun
08
paper goods
ANIMAL PRINTS that remind me of being a kid

So renegade went well this past weekend. I got to meet some really cool people, an aside from some major sunburn, I had a really fun time. All weekend long out of the corner of my eye I had to endure seeing the cuteness that is Argyle Whale. Their adorable Gocco prints just sat there across the walkway taunting me every time I turned my head a little to the left. So yesterday evening before I started packing up my booth, the cuteness became too much and my willpower caved in. I purchased their nomnomnom print ( which is chewed by their pet bunnies) and the wooly bear caterpillar print as well. So i suggest you check them out and maybe you’ll find something super cute to hang on your wall, or even send to that friend that lives cross country that you miss so much. 

argylewhale

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