One More Day

October 1st couldn't come soon enough. Tomorrow marks the 2011 Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts fair in Washington, DC. Featured there will be nearly 200 booths of venders with their handmade goods and crafts. I can't wait to see all the creativity. It's not often that big craft fairs come to the area (I'm totally jealous of Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland) so I feel obligated to take advantage and be involved when the opportunity arises.

Visit the Crafty Bastards Blog to find a map of venders, event guide, times and locations. The Washington City Paper website is also a great resource to find out about Arts events in the DC Metro Area; not just crafts, but music, movies, theaters, galleries and more!

Lemon Cookies

It's nearly October and as much as I'm craving all things pumpkin spice and chai, this weather as of late proves the environment is just not ready for autumn. While I impatiently wait for crisper weather I'm sticking to baking with flavors that can transition into any season. These lemon cookies are the simplest recipe you will ever come across.



Ingredients//
1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
Half tub of Cool Whip
1 egg
Confectioners sugar

Directions //
Combine the cake mix, cool whip and egg in a large bowl. Mix will appear dough-like but dry, it's okay. Roll the mix into 1 inch balls and roll in confectioners sugar to coat. Place on ungreased baking sheet for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Roman & Williams

Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer form the noteable design duo Roman and Williams. The husband and wife interiors team are based in New York and are best known for projects such as the Standard Hotel and the Ace Hotel. Their work is unlike any I've encountered. They have this amazing ability to mix new and old and a designed space appears lived in and collected as opposed to an unfamiliar kind of brand new.




I love industrialism found in the home and I so appreciate how they can incorporate it into their designs and make it seem so comfortable and livable. Stephen Alesch explains how their desire is to create a "slightly dreamlike moment" to the audience, which is totally apparent when flipping through their portfolio.


Roman & Williams from The Scout on Vimeo

"Textures are interesting articulation because they're not just sight-based. For an architect, artist, designers, I think one of the limitations about these trades... crafts... is they're typically completely focused on sight and it's a very limited way to see things. It's one of the sort of tragedies of art is that it's entirely visual. Architecture and interiors has the benefit of being something that's tactile-- sitting in and sleeping in and interacting with."
-Stephen Alesch


SOURCES // 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Wallpaper Projects

I love equally, wallpaper and a good DIY. Where the two meet, there is endless opportunity. I've only recently discovered Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith's DIY book,Wallpaper Projects: More than 50 Craft and Design Ideas for Your Home, From Accents to Art. The book features a chapter all on wallpaper basics, from installation, taking down, and all the supplies needed. The rest of the book has step-by-step instructions for crafts and designs that can be made using wallpaper. The book is colorful; full of amazing patterns. As a bonus, the inside of the hardcover sleeve is an original Lena Corwin wallpaper pattern that can be used for your first project-- it's too beautiful for me to cut up.

I flipped through the whole book in a rushed 5 minutes after reviewing it in the mail, and am overwhelmed by all the projects I'm going to try. Most of the featured tutorials can be completed very simply, while making any ordinary space seem more custom at a low cost. Additionally, tools needed would most likely be found in the home already.

Wallpaper is so advanced these days and there are so many to choose from. This book allows you to experiment with your favorite designs beyond merely slabbing a huge sheet on an entire wall! This book isn't exactly innovative, but it's a good one to collect, and keep on the shelf for reference and inspiration.


Wallpaper Projects is available on Derek and Lauren's online blog & store, The Curiosity Shoppe

Paper & Olives

I actually don't even like olives. But I do love food. And interiors. And photography, textiles, architecture, and all things handmade. I hope this blog finds you inspired, maybe even encouraged to try something new or to think in a different way. I am here and posting what I know and what I love.