Found Objects: Heath Ceramics

Beautiful ceramics, glassware, and tiles by Heath Ceramics, one of the few remaining mid-century American potteries in existence today. Their team of 40 craftsmen produce these amazing pieces on their premises in Sausalito, California. I love the contrast between the warmth of the materials and the clean lines and forms. Their price points don't make them completely unattainable, especially if you think of them as functional art pieces.

Prêt-à-Porter: Avian Beauty

An odd and interesting sighting at Bloomingdales the other day: a woman in a print ad whose eyes looked ready to take flight. They were delicately delineated in bright, colorful featherlike lashes, which were so whimsically birdlike that they drew me in. I spent the next twenty minutes at the Shu Uemura makeup station, looking at the advertised "Tokyo Lash Bar." Sitting in little plastic cases were carefully crafted normal-looking false lashes next to lashes that could never in anyone's imagination be considered anything less than psychedelic costuming for the eyes! Neon colors in feathery sweeps and round layered swoops lay at rest in their boxes, waiting to come to life, i suppose, as soon as a bold wearer comes ready to experiment (and plunk down the money--prices range from under $20 to near $80). I wouldn't normally have the nerve to go near them, but since Halloween is nearly here, perhaps the brown feather lashes.

Curiosities: Name My Tune

So, you're sitting in traffic and a fragment of a melody pops into your head. You don't remember what the song is, but you know, it goes like this: Dah. Dum. Dum. Dah! You call your friends singing that little phrase. You get nothing, except maybe aggravation and a suggestion to focus on your driving. That's where Name My Tune comes in handy!  You can jump on this website, record your little diddy and send it out to the masses for tune recognition (using something as simple as your built in mic). You'll get emailed suggestions of tunes and artists. An invaluable resource to cure that it's-at-the-tip-of-my-tongue syndrome.

Bookmarked: Thumbwar by John Hersey

I have a soft spot for thumb wars. My significant other and I played it endlessly in the beginning of our relationship (I wanted to win. He—I found out later—just wanted to hold my hand :) This great handmade book by John Hersey is a fun tribute to this ancient form of "warfare." Go to his Etsty store and get a brief education on how thumb wrestling came to be (e.g. brought to the West by Marco Polo and used to determine who was going to sleep with the most popular concubine?!) Letter-pressed and bound with either laser cut plywood or chipboard. 100 editions total.

(via book-by-its-cover.com)

Found Objects: More Than Skin Deep

If you've never heard of Liz Earle "Naturally Active Skincare" products, here's a quick introduction: It's a British skin care line focused on using high-quality, natural ingredients and dedicated to preserving the environment. Nowadays, with so many companies ostensibly devoting themselves to "greener" practices, this sort of promise is becoming a little trite. But with an in-house ethnobotanist and a carefully thought-out plan to reduce environmental impact, the people behind Liz Earle really try hard to make good on their promise while delivering the best product for your money. And I have to say, it's a really excellent product. Two winters ago, the "Superskin Concentrate," loaded with a lavish combination of plant oils, saved my skin from a dry and crackly fate. Just smelling the wonderful lavender essential oil in it (sourced from atop Mount Ventoux, France--yes, the Mount Ventoux that's a pain for Tour de France riders to summit) is soothing. Try the "Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser," a "Natural Health Beauty Awards" winner for three years running. Questions about specific skin benefits of the ingredients used? Check out the helpful "A-Z" glossary of natural ingredients on the company website.

Featured Retailer: Papelaria Interview

When I first started Girl Of All Work, I'd dreamed of having our products go international. Now you can find our products in Chile! We were so excited when we met Antonia Risopatron, proprietress of Papelaria, a franchise of two beautiful, upscale stationery stores in Chile—one in Santiago, and the other in Parque Arauco. I was struck by the black modern storefront and just the lovely array of colors and textures carefully composed in both stores. We were honored to be in the midst of such great company! Antonia was kind enough to answer a few questions we had for her from starting her own business to what was on her bookshelf.

Girl Of All Work: What inspired you to open your store? How did you come up with the name?
Antonia : It was a long dream for me. I've always loved papers. Paper products are a delight for me. That's why I finally decided to open a store. My friends also encouraged me to do this. In Chile, there is no other stationery store, out of Papelaria. The name is similar to the word "papelaría," which means papery in Spanish, but it sounds different and is easier to remember.

G: When did you open your doors?
A: We opened our first store exactly 2 years ago, in August 2007

G: What are you reading right now?
A: I am reading a book about the life of Michel Angelo Buonarroti and The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.

G:Where have you travelled recently?
A: To New York last May. I really enjoy the city, it's full of life.

G: If you weren't doing this, what do you think you'd be doing?
A: Really, I am so happy with Papelaria, that I haven't thought of anything else to do!

Found Objects: Penguin Books Tea Towels

How fun are these?! Now you can turn your kitchen into a library of sorts. Too bad they don't have excerpts from the books on the other side; it would make drying dishes a bit more entertaining. Available here.

(photos via todryfor.com)