Monday, November 8, 2010

Curiosities: Metroship Houseboat

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book came in the mail the other day, and the first order of business was to skip all the clothing and look for those notoriously expensive pipe dream gifts. Enter the Metroship Houseboat. Now, boats have held a certain charm for me since I saw the movie Houseboat starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. The Metroship Houseboat...well, it sort of (get ready for the pun) blew the other one out of the water. For $250,000 you get a sleek, modern vessel, replete with hardwood floors, double paned glass windows, a W hotel bed, and a gourmet kitchen. It's not huge (48' x 12', with 7' ceilings), but it's a cozy getaway for two. Just don't forget to bring the credit card or bricks of gold.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Found Objects: Kabuki Color


Imagine if you could package the art and intrigue of Kabuki theatre in
a mini bento box. Francois Nars, make-up maven and founder of Nars Cosmetics, has tried to do just that with the creation of his limited
edition "bento box." Captivated by Kabuki make-up, Nars brought home 
a small pot of Kabuki lip color from Japan as inspiration for a new
product that's been years in the making. There are run-of-the-mill lipsticks, and then there's this: two glorious, brightly colored lipsticks poured by hand into small cups that rest in a little black box (special lip brush included). Ideal for the lover of theatre, make-up, or anything beautiful, really.

Note: The race is to the swift.  Only 1,000 sets will be sold in the United States, available beginning November 1.



Thursday, October 21, 2010

Beautiful Bargains: Pincushions

I've been meaning to pick up sewing for years now About twice a year, I do some serious hunting and gathering in several fabric and bead districts. To be surrounded by all that fabric and all those notions just makes me want to pick up a needle, thread it, and...know what to do beyond that! Anyway, if I ever do get around to it, these would be a must-have accessory for me: Hable Construction pincushions. At the very affordable price of $10, you can have a cute and stylish sewing accessory for your table.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Bookmarked: The New Ikea Cookbook

Carl Kleiner does such a quirky job of photographing these ingredients that it makes baking seem way less intimidating than putting together an Ikea dresser!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Of Note: Girl Of All Work at the Emmys
(well, sort of)!

One of the cool things about my job is that you never really know what's going to come up. This year, we had the opportunity to contribute to the 2010 Emmy awards swag bag. A random mix of 700 page flags were shipped off and slipped into celebrity goody bags. It was rough work, as we here at the studio had to stick them individually onto special little placards for the event. It was work that took us into the night (luckily we had Top Chef in the background to lift our spirits)! We spent the next day basically goofing off and working in slow motion. A necessary break from all the craziness. Congrats to all the nominees and winners this year!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Eatables: Sweet Leaf Tea

Where have I been all this time? Ironically, now that the summer days are waning, I've finally discovered a bottled iced tea that I love: Sweet Leaf Iced Teas. Well, more specifically, their Sweet Tea. I haven't had the chance to sample the other available flavors. But in a mad dash to get refreshments for a game night with friends, I snatched a bottle off the shelves in Bristol Farms (don't worry, I paid!). While others dipped into the bottled root beers and sodas that night (I guess tea isn't a big thing at night), I had the whole bottle of Sweet Tea to myself and was pleasantly shocked. Mellow sweetness with just enough flavor to capture the essence of summer in a bottle. It must be the organic cane sugar that they use.  And, of course, there's a caricature of a smiley grandma on the label to give it some serious tea cred.  For those with a more adventurous, grown-up palette, their website offers recipes for mixers.


Sunday, August 1, 2010

Found Objects: Modern Sheds

Whoa. Sheds have never looked so cool. I'd be perfectly happy living in one one these! Made with green and sustainable materials, these prefab sheds start at $3800+. Available at Studio Shed.


Winner Announced!

Thanks everyone for submitted those great suggestions! The winner is Vikki Gutierrez! Vikki, just contact us at info@girlofallwork.com, and we'll start the process of getting your goodies to you right away. Another give-away is in the works (maybe in time for the holiday season, so for those of you who didn't win this time, there's another chance to win). Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Spotlight: Our 1st Product Giveaway!

It's not unusual when I get suggestions on how to expand the Girl Of All Work line, and I love it! It's fun sitting on a plane, waiting at the doctor's office, catching up with friends and hearing the familiar refrain: "Oh my gosh! Can you make __________? The ones I use at work are so ugly."So, I'm opening it up to everyone out there. Tell me what you want to see! Just post a comment and give me your opinion. A winner will be chosen at random to receive $50 worth of Girl Of All Work stationery, to be delivered in August. Just in time for back-to-school. Uh...friends and family are unfortunately excluded, but I suppose you know where to find me for GOAW goodies anyway! Good luck everyone.


Thursday, June 24, 2010

Bookmarked: Beautiful Book Covers

FaceOut Books has a nice little interview with book designer Ben Wiseman on how he created the covers for these beautiful book covers. My personal favorite is Three Sisters. The color palette on that is both modern and referential. You can read the interview here.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Eatables: Takashimaya Tea Box

So yesterday was the last day of the stationery show, and I've definitely felt like a girl of all work these past couple of days! It was great seeing old friends and meeting new people, and we got fantastic response to our new products (these will be up on our site in about a month). After taking down the booth and packing all our stuff, we were exhausted! The only remedy was a trip down to Takashimaya, the upscale japanese department store that, unfortunately, is closing its doors for good in June. My sister treated me to afternoon tea there,where we sampled their sweet bento boxes and their sampling of sandwiches. It was perfect for perking us up and celebrating the end of a great showing here at New York!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Curiosities: Portland General Store Smelling Salts

What a fun (and useful) little find. I love the vintage look of the bottle, recalling the days when elegant (and swooning) women's eyelids fluttered open after inhaling these types of salts. These days, I can see this bottle being invaluable during stifling airplane trips and long car rides. It's also a fun little accessory to have on your vanity table. At $5 each, the price is right, too!


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Eatables: Clinton St. Baking Company





Without fail, there's only one place where I must dine whenever I'm in New York, and that is Clinton St. Baking Company. It's not the most fancy place, but it's homey and when it's a weekend...look out! A crush of people jammed in the doorways and spilling out into the sidewalk. The draw? Their blueberry pancakes. They're definitely wait-worthy. I think my record was 1 1/2 hours. We (my mom and sis) even went down the street to get us a little snack to tide us over while we waited. I love the fresh blueberries they use and the pecan butter syrup. Yum! New York here I come :)




Friday, April 30, 2010

Spotlight: The National Stationery Show

Whew! It's been a grueling couple of weeks. I've been developing some serious arm muscles gearing up for the National Stationery Show. In case some of you guys don't know exactly what it is, think of it as a fashion show for stationery. A throng of buyers, manufacturers, vendors, and even press converge at the Javits Center in NYC, and before you know it, you'll see fall season's stationery at your local paper store.
Girl Of All Work will definitely be unveiling new products there, and they'll be up on our website once we catch our breath from the show. Sign up for our mailing list to get an early bird heads up. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Found Objects: Awesome Stamps

I was excited to find out that the United States Post Office was offering a series of stamps based on the work of Abstract Expressionists. Amazing to me, since it took a while for these artists to be accepted by the public, and now you can add them (Rothko, de Kooning, Pollock, and more) to a corner of your envelope!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Beautiful Bargains: Typography Glasses

How fun are these typography glasses? At just $2.95 per glass, they'd make a wonderful addition to your summer table settings. Available here.

Monday, March 15, 2010

In Memoriam: Wren Jones

This past weekend we attended a service for my cousin's baby boy, Wren Jones. He was survived by his loving parents and their abiding love for him. We'll miss him.


(Artwork by Charley Harper: House Wren with Clothesline)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Spotlight: Beauty in Motion

I admit it. I'm a bit of Olympics junkie. Sitting in front of the television while sketching out my fall collection has been a bit of an evening ritual these past couple of weeks. And, of course, I always pay attention to the team uniforms. I was so distracted by team Netherlands' beautiful bobsled and speed skating uniforms, that it didn't matter to me who had won both their events that evening. To me, they just looked like winners. Great colors, clean, streamlined graphics. Timeless appeal. Hand them a gold medal!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Curiosities: Perfumed Bubbles

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately for Girl Of All Work, and while skimming through an inflight magazine, I came across this fun curiosity: perfumed bubbles by acclaimed Parisian perfumer, Francis Kurkdijan. Kurkdijan is known for his "fragrance installation" at Versailles— a display of light, sound, and fragrance. Now, you can experience a bit of his magic with Les Bulles d'Agathe, pocket-sized vials of perfume/bubble solution. Released by his fragrance house (Maison Francis Kurkdijan) and sold at Neiman Marcus, these amazing creations come in three scents: pear, cold mint, and cut herbs.  Available here for $18.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Found Objects: Cyberoptix Tie Lab

There's nothing like a guy in a tie. I'm not talking about those stuffy, business meeting ties that populate boardrooms and cubicles, either. It's been a bit of a challenge finding the right tie for my guy these past couple of years. Luckily, I stumbled across Cyberoptix Tie Lab. Each tie, silkscreened to order, is a hip but understated statement. You can also get these in different widths: regular, narrow, and skinny. 



Friday, January 22, 2010

Found Objects: Vintage Phones

Who wouldn't love using one of these to spice up a drab home office or add a bit of quirk to their living room? I especially love the orange and the olive. Available here (for a pretty penny).


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Spotlight: Frank Macchia

Last night my significant other and I spent a fantastic evening at Studio City listening to Frank Macchia and an incredible array of top-notch, Los Angeles musicians playing highlights from his newly released CD Folk Songs for Jazzers. Familiar folk songs like "Oh, Susanna" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" were re-visioned and given such new life and complexity that I was completely awestruck by the results. It was just such a treat to listen and watch the musicians play with such masterful enthusiasm, and I was blown away by guest vocalist Ellis Hall, who generously gifted everyone in that audience with a superb performance. What a wonderful way to end a Monday...




Thursday, January 7, 2010

Found Objects: Designer Babies

Being a new mom these days means you have a whole lot of options when it comes to baby ware. Diaper bags, bibs, even baby bottles have gotten a modern facelift. Check out Karim Rashid's "Iiamo Go" bottle which heats up milk to body temperature using special cartridges. Oioi's diaper bag features clean lines and gender-neutral colors so your better half won't shirk his pack mule duties from time to time. And while this Egg Bib and Burp set isn't exactly revolutionary in terms of form, its playful yet sophisticated palette lets everyone know how discerning your baby's tastes really are when s/he spits up that pea puree.