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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These handmade hats from Brooklyn designers Rocks and Salt are so great. Of course they are functional, and fashionable, but they are also super unique. Because they are handmade they are all just a little different, and that’s what makes them special. I can almost guarantee when you walk out of art star with your brand new summer hat, someone on South Street is going to stop you and ask you where you got that awesome hat. Scouts honor.
This coming weekend (May 15 + 16) is the annual Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia, PA. I’ve been looking forward to selling the Peppersprouts line there for the last few months. My favorite part of doing out of town shows is all the new artists I get to meet and of course the lovely people who put on these events. So this week on the blog I thought I would share some of my favorites that will also be at Art Star this weekend.
First up is the adorable bubbledog. They have a wide range of cute products, from belts, to cards, to adorable totebags. It is going to be hard to keep my money in my apron when passing by their booth. Will you be attending this amazing festival?
I love this instalation by designer Oki Sato (studio nendo). These beautiful ceramic pieces focus on the story of growing furniture. It’s something I have never thought to deeply about, but all furniture pieces evolve from previous works. As the designer states… “A stool grows a backrest, and becomes a chair. When an armrest sprouts from it, it is an armchair. The stool grows sideways, and becomes a bench, or lengthwise and becomes a lounge chair, or even a bed.” I love the simplicity of these building blocks of craftsmanship.
You may remember last year when I posted about these amazing designer wood toys called Pecanpals. I got myself one of the all wood versions of Jac-Jac before they sold out.
Well they are back again in a whole new colorway. Check out the new Monochrome Pecanpals from the amazing designers over at noferin. You can pick up a new friend over at My Plastic Heart between now and May 31st to be entered to win some other awesome stuff from Noferin. If I were you I would act fast because these little guys will sell out fast!
I have a huge sweet tooth. It is sort of my downfall actually. Behold these amazing cupcake decoration kits from the Layer Cake Shop. My personal favorite is the woodland kit, but I think this Hula kit is perfect for your upcoming summer shindig! Just looking at these little kits is making want to bake some cupcakes right now and it’s not even lunchtime yet.
How cute are these upcycled bird houses. Made by atomic birdhouses, these modern dwellings are created from repurposed wine boxes and cigar boxes. Not only do I love the look of them, I also love that they are one of a kind. I’m thinking theses would make a great fathers day gift for you early shoppers.
The season is upon us for days at the beach and outdoor meals. Of course al fresco dinning isn’t complete without a great dessert. This sorbet is perfect for those warm evenings when you really want something to cool you off. This does take a few hours to make so I recommend making it first thing in the morning or the day before.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cup(s) water
1 cup(s) sugar
3/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup(s) light corn syrup
1 oz semisweet chocolate
1 Tbsp instant espresso, powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup(s) fat-free half-and-half
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring the water, sugar, cocoa, corn syrup, chocolate, espresso, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the half-and-half. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (NOTE: DO NOT USE NONSTICK PAN). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until partially frozen, about 2 hours.
2. Working in batches, spoon the sorbet into a food processor or blender. Process 1 minute. Pour back into the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour.
3. Repeat Step 2. Freeze until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
