Life

Sweet Cupcakes.

Last week we had our latest Boston Bloggers event at the Sweet bakery. Sweet had a handful of bloggers over for a whole night of cupcake tasting. So, yes, in case you were wondering, it was awesome. We heard from Sweet’s lovely founder and learned all about how the bakery got started, and how it’s evolved over the years. And then we dug-in and taste-tested lots of their classic flavors (like, oh boy, some of the most delicious carrot cake and cream cheese frosting I’ve ever had!), and a few of their new and seasonal flavors — like Guinness butter-cream for St Patty’s day (yum). I think one of the biggest surprises was tasting their gluten-free cupcakes, I had no idea I was eating a gluten-free cupcake until someone told me — they were some of my favorites from the whole event! Thanks to Sweet for hosting us, and letting me fulfill my fantasy of an all-you-can-eat cupcake feast!

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Caught My Eye.

Big update here people, it’s my birthday tomorrow! The nice thing about having your birthday right after Christmas, is you don’t feel guilty lusting over cute new products after the holiday rush — it’s totally allowed. So I’m sharing an updated ‘caught my eye’ list today with a few things I have on my radar. On the top of the list? Some new bedding — I have been scoping out Biscuit bedding for a possible bedroom refresh! And a cute water bottle to help me keep those new years resolutions… and the Mast Brothers chocolate cookbook for when I inevitably break them, right?

Wishlist Birthday

Tufted bench, Biscuit bedding sham, Anchor doormat, Chocolate cookbook, Heart water bottle, Gold dipped spoons, Belvoir cordials

Winter Wellies.

I’ve never been much of a winter boots girl — despite almost 10 years living in Boston. I’ve always opted for rain boots during New England winters because of the slushy mess I tend to trudge through during my commute. Recently, I got sent a pair of adorable Joules rain boots to take for a test run and I absolutely love the patterns they come in – stripes, florals, even a darling fox print (plus the mid-height boots are perfect for those who are vertically challenged like me!). The cheery floral pattern I chose makes having to weather a gray day just a little more tolerable. I’m eyeing a pair of the striped rain booties next!

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Wellies c/o Joules USA, all opinions are my own.

Life

Interview with Claudia of Fig. 2 Design.

When I saw previews of the Fig. 2 Design greeting card line from the National Stationery Show I knew that I had to chat with designer and owner Claudia about her collection.  With the launch of her online store this week, Claudia is stopping by DomestiKatedLife to answer a few hard-hitting questions about what inspires her and how she manages to celebrate events big and small.

So Claudia, how did you start Fig. 2 Design?

Claudia: Fig. 2 started out of coincidence. After I left my full time job as a graphic designer at a local studio, I had planned on continuing with corporate and small business graphic design projects. But I had done a number of custom wedding projects and thought it would be fun to do more, so I sent a local bridal boutique a post card with the hopes they would refer me to brides. Little did I know that after meeting with them I would walk out with a request to design an entire wedding invitation collection. I was so flattered and excited!

What inspired this line?

Claudia:  The Fresh Collection wedding line is inspired by my imagination. I love to look at magazines and blogs that feature weddings, but I try not to look at any that feature a lot of paper products because I want to stay true to my aesthetic and not get too side tracked by what others are doing. So if I see that someone had a wedding on a farm and it was a small and cozy affair, I pretend I’ve been hired for that project and I design what I would have shown the bride and groom.

The Neon Card greeting card collection was inspired by a handbag I bought 2 years ago in London. I loved that it was a bright orange but didn’t realize it was neon until I used it for the first time. I got a ton of compliments on it and the next spring I saw another bag that had a touch of neon and fell in love with that one so I knew I had to use it on stationery. My style is fun and festive, but I also LOVE type and calligraphy so I came up with 3 series of cards. First is the Festive Fluorescents that incorporates confetti, pennants, and swirls. For the pattern series, I was inspired by one of my husband’s dress shirts. I love pattern but it has to be bold. That said, fluorescents aren’t for everyone, so I thought pairing the classic patterns with just a tough of neon and some fun phrases would suit anyone. For the final series, the calligraphy set, I collaborated with Michele of Meant to Be Calligraphy. We’d worked on a few things together and I knew our styles would work well together.

Your products are so festive; do you have any tips for how to throw a fabulous celebration?

Claudia: My best tip for a fabulous celebration is to be yourself! If you’re not comfortable, it will show. Concentrate on what you do best. Whether it’s making fun cocktails, killer flower arrangements, or amazing food. And definitely wear something fun and festive! Even if you have a simple dress, wear some fun accessories! I love big flower pins from Emersonmade, any of the cute sparkly goodies from Ban.do, or chunky necklaces from J.Crew or Anthropologie. And of course, fabulous shoes.

There are so many adorable cards in your new line, do you have a favorite?

Claudia: A favorite? Maybe the neon confetti! I love confetti! What’s more fun than colorful sprinkles? There’s nothing wrong with celebrating something every day. It doesn’t have to be someone’s birthday, it could be as simple as enjoying a mani-pedi with my best friend.

Thanks so much for stopping by Claudia! You can check out these cards and more of her collection in Claudia’s newly launched shop: Fig. 2 Design Studio

Entertaining

Summer Essentials with Mae of Here In This House

I’m very excited to have some fabulous guest bloggers this week sharing summer essentials for their favorite travel destinations. Next up is Mae, one half of the blogging duo from Here In This House and she’s sharing her San Francisco essentials (I’ve always wanted to go, she’s convinced me a trip here is a must!); Welcome Mae!

It was three years ago this month that I moved from San Francisco to the suburbs of New York City. Despite growing up on the east coast, I have found that something about those ten years in the Bay Area has made me a California Girl. So as I get re-acclimated to life on the east coast (including easy access to bagels and having four seasons a year), I sometimes find myself dreaming of the old California days. On my imaginary journey on this (almost) summer day, these are some of my essentials…

WEARING LAYERS. First, you’ve probably already heard the quote “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” This observation on the local weather is pretty much on the nose. With fickle fog and quickly changing weather, San Francisco living demands layers of clothing to easily adapt to any weather condition. 

[Okay, you won’t need gloves but don’t discount the value of a lightweight scarf! Image by TheSartorialist via Pinterest]

GETTING OUTDOORS. San Francisco is blessed to have a diversity of environments within an easy driving distance. So it’s no wonder that being outdoors is a huge part of the culture. (One thing you can be sure of in summer is that you won’t be getting much, if any, significant rain to spoil the fun!) Some of my favorite memories of being in nature are hiking amidst the historical redwoods of MuirWoods or enjoying July 4th fireworks (in the freezing cold!) at ChrissyField. But my absolute favorite has to be TildenPark in Berkeley. Tilden offers not only the usual buffet of hiking trails, but also a petting zoo, carousel and miniature steam train ride for the little ones. In the summer, it can be a great place for spotting (but not picking!) wildflowers and having a picnic lunch.

[View of Mt. Diablo from Tilden Park. Image by newbirth on Flickr]

 There were a few things that I wished I had done before leaving, including one of the popular bike/ferry circuits. One option is to rent bikes and take the ferry over to AngelIsland for the day. Another option was to bike over the Golden Gate Bridge and then head to one of the many waterfront restaurants for drinks and/or dinner, like the ever popular Sam’s.

[Image by StudioPhototrope via Flickr]

 EATING GOOD FOOD.  Since I have a deep appreciation for all things food, it should come as no surprise that many of my fond memories revolve around great restaurants and meals in the area. With such incredible access to produce all year-round, eating local and eating fresh becomes second nature. To name all my favorite places would take pages, so here are three that are closest to my heart. Just before we moved, I was able to spend long, leisurely breakfasts (usually the hearty porridge) on the patio at Boulette’sLarder in the glorious morning sun watching the tourists pass. The staff in this small cafe was always so friendly and warm.  Breakfast at Boulettes was almost always followed taking in the hard-core gourmet eye candy in the FerryBuilding.

[L to R: The exterior sign. The restaurant’s namesake. The breakfast porridge.]

I would make any excuse to head over to the Cafe at ChezPanisse for Alice Waters’ famed cuisine (more casual and easier to get into than the fixed-seating dining room downstairs). And any errand, big or small, that brought me to that neighborhood (known locally as the GourmetGhetto) would require a stop at the CheeseBoardCollective. And while I’d shop for their cheese – because you must if you’re there — the draw for me was really their baked goods. Chocolatethings, zampanos and one of the Tuesday specials, Berkeleybuns, were not to be missed!

[Working the open kitchen at Chez Panisse Cafe. Image by MatthewHine via Flickr

 But the food I miss most of all is far more humble than these outlets of national renown. In a little town called Kensington, there is a little place called Inn Kensington. This was our Sunday staple: a place we could walk to, that we knew inside and out and where the owners knew our faces. In addition to the requisite eggs and other breakfast staples, they had amazing housemade whole-wheat toast, biscuits and hash browns. I loved that it seemed to only ever be filled by our neighbors. I’m not surprised to see that this hyperlocal institution is still there, even as businesses around them on the tiny Main St. have turned over. I dream, most of all, of one day getting back there. (I sure hope the biscuits are as good as I remember!)

[Downtown Kensington. It’s ain’t big but it’s got heart! Image via MichaelGreenslade

Many thanks to Kate for giving me the opportunity to share my version of the Bay Area with you! It was such a pleasure to be able to revisit my essential spots from the area.  But, as with any list, there are sure to be places that I’ve missed. What are your favorite haunts? Do tell!


Four eyes.

I recently went to the eye doctor and found out that my prescription changed; I got new contacts but passed on the glasses since I rarely wear them. Then when I got home I realized that I rarely wear them because I can’t see out of them and they don’t look that great.

I want some smart new glasses and have heard great things about Warby Parker… but I’m even more impressed after checking out their website, here is why they are awesome: You can upload a photo of yourself and “try-on” the frames online (I did this and it worked really well). Also, all of their glasses cost $95.00, whoa deal! And they will send you  5 pairs of glasses  to try on at home… for free!

It seems almost too good to be true… but I might try it out anyway because their glasses are freaking cute! Have you or anyone you know ever bought glasses from them? Do tell!

PS: Enter my New Year’s Resolution Giveaway, Click Here.

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Goodbye Dear Domino.

When I called a friend to share the horrific news that our favorite magazine Domino was going under, she initially thought I was calling to tell her someone had died because I was so upset.

The New York Times article  said that “while its circulation was strong and growing, advertising numbers, much more important, demanded it die…”

It seems like almost every blog post that came through my feed last week had people mourning the loss and reminiscing about favorite issues.  Many posts from European readers noted that magazine subscriptions in the US are relatively inexpensive, since most of the revenue is generated from ad sales.  I will say this, I would gladly pay a higher newsstand price if it kept my favorite shelter publications in circulation.

Several bloggers are convening at We Love Domino to post about the best of the magazine and it’s serving as a reminder of why we all loved it so much! Here are few of my favorites from the past few years:

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