camels?

[30 oz. camel teapot, $14.99]


[embroidered camel on canvas, $30.00]

so, i wouldn't go so far as to call it a trend. but i felt like i was seeing camels at every turn on the web and at the gift fair last february. thought i'd share some of the fun camel finds i had tagged over the last few months. they are interesting creatures. for example, i never realized that they do not store water in their humps. they can withstand extreme temps on both ends and live to be 80 years old. but all of the science aside, their shapes make for an intriguing silhoutette that marries well with design. enjoy! k&m


[hand silkscreened notecards, $14.50]


[ceramic camel, $54.00]


[camel bookends]


[camel planter]


[organic cotton plush toy, $16.00]


[uvall, by sean mccarthy. ink and graphite on paper. contact fredericks & freiser gallery for price]


[camel pillow from laura davis, shop scad]


[camel sconce, $39.95]


[12" square tray, $200.00. john derian]

etsy love...

i've been meaning to showcase this particular etsy artist for quite a while now. the problem is, my etsy love folder is so fat that i'd have to post one a day for the next three months to clear it. anyway...

karen hilton is a london designer making some of the most "wow" pillows i've seen in a long time. the designs are interesting, the colors pop, the quality is superb and the price is right. why not add a little humor to a room? people take design so seriously. so, enjoy the pillows, enjoy the weekend and we'll be back on monday with a whole week's worth of interesting tidbits.

*shameless plug*: we're in the heart of wedding season and i just thought i'd mention that openhouse has some great wedding gifts in stock right now. why would anyone want a salad spinner when they could have a karin eriksson bowl or a j.mendicino vase or some small serving dishes from lorena barrezueta? and mother's day too! get her something unique for once. a set of napkins from flowie or a great beach bag from virginia johnson :o) happy shoppping! k&m

nancy blum today in richmond

nancy blum will talk this afternoon at the FAB Gallery at 1000 west broad street from 4-6pm. i've long been a fan of her work. nancy makes drawings, sculpture and installations that explore pattern and the architecture of nature. if you can't make it to the talk, check her work out online at www.nancyblum.com. she divides her time between new york and richmond, so the opportunity to catch her again is certain. enjoy! k&m

it aint' easy being green...

hey folks, happy earth day! it's a fine day in virginia as the old adage remains true: april showers...

i don't think there's a tv program or a website that isn't talking about earth day this year. it's just about the trendiest thing going right now. we're loving it here at openhouse. we do our part to protect the environment and waste as little possible. we take all packing peanuts from shipments to the shipping store, break down or re-use the cardboard boxes, strive to purchase ceramics and textiles made with non-toxic materials and using environmentally friendly production practices. we bank online to save paper and when we do need to print something out, we use recycled copy paper. it's not much and it takes little effort on our part, so why not? to tell you the truth, once you adapt green practices to your life, it becomes second nature. what's so hard about throwing trash in the trash bag, recycling in the recycling bin and food waste in the compost pile? maybe it takes me 10 seconds longer than dropping it all in one place? i think i have 10 seconds to spare.

we don't mean to get preachy! just want everyone to take today to think a little more about the choices they make. here's some food for thought:

paper:

if every household in the United States replaced one roll of virgin-fiber paper towels with 100 percent recycled paper towels, we could save 1.4 million trees. if every household in the United States replaced just one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees. with those numbers in mind, using virgin fiber for single use items seems simply outrageous.

every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil

americans use 50 million tons of paper annually -- consuming more than 850 million trees

plastic/diapers:

a plastic milk jug takes 1 million years to decompose

recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator

an average child will use between 8,000 -10,000 disposable diapers ($2,000 worth) before being potty trained. each year, parents and babysitters dispose of about 18 billion of these items. in the united states alone these single-use items consume nearly 100,000 tons of plastic and 800,000 tons of tree pulp. we will pay an average of $350 million annually to deal with their disposal and, to top it off, these diapers will still be in the landfill 300 years from now. americans throw away 570 diapers per second. that’s 49 million diapers per day. (www.cleanair.org)



an alternative to cloth diapers is a new one that just became available in the usa: nature babycare diapers. check them out. they are just like huggies, but made without petroleum-based plastic and they biodegrade!

NEARLY EVERY PIECE OF PLASTIC EVER MADE STILL EXISTS TODAY!

fashion:

seek out reclaimed pieces: when it comes to fashion, adding a previously worn piece of clothing to your wardrobe is probably the most eco-aware step you can take. hit your local vintage or used-clothing store or find designers who use reclaimed fabrics in their collections.

denim is the staple of almost every wardrobe across the globe. make your jeans-wearing experience even more rewarding by tapping into the growing collection of organic cotton jeans available today. organic jeans range from simple button-fly, straight-leg styles to skinny and even flared- the choice is yours. (www.msnbc.msn.com)

shopping:

and lastly, shop locally! buy local produce from nearby farmers or from stores that promote local farm groups, buy from local artists and designers or shops who don't need to ship their goods to you. every little bit helps.

if you feel overwhlemed, just start with one thing. think twice about buying a 24 pack of bottled water or if you must, be sure to recycle them. take a moment to think about your choices and you could make a huge impact!! happy earth day! k&m

bada-bing? you bet!

[photo courtesy of prettynpync]

standing ovation for the richmond craft mafia. they managed to pull off a top-notch event yesterday down at plant zero. the 2008 spring bada-bing was everything they said it would be.

if you weren't able to make it down, i think you really missed out on one of those great moments. it might have been wet and gray outside, but inside it was bright and cheery and lively. the vendors were wonderfully varied and the quality of product on display showed the level to which craft has risen. there was so much to see i was actually a little overwhlemed. so much so that i missed a couple of booths i wanted to see! but it was a good overwhelmed. it made me so proud to be a richmonder and even prouder to be a part of the greater craft/design community.

literally everything there was great, but we did have a few favorites that we wanted to share:

april scott


booogie babee




shannon by hand

bycary


skullknockers


erin taylor designs


pink kiss pottery


crystal j

modern june


like i said, it's just a handfull. we didn't even get to all the great jewelry. but you can see how much talent is out there. the good news is, if you missed the show yesterday, you can buy from these designers online. hopefully, in the near future, many of them will also be available at openhouse. so get out there and support local artists and designers as well as local businesses!!

enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

etsy love...

the weekend is almost here and i just had to post one more thing before we bid farewell until next week. i just came across this great etsy artist, gypsy and twink, and i couldn't wait to pass it on. each piece is cut out of wood, painted and carefully collaged. great for a nursery or kids room or even a grown up space ;o)

enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

spring bada-bing, be there!!

i can't believe i waited until the last minute to let everyone know about sunday's craft show. my apologies!! but, its not too late to make plans for this sunday down at plant zero. the richmond craft mafia is hosting the 2008 spring bada-bing: the BOSS of all craft shows. it's the largest indie show of it's kind in va and they will be showcasing local designers as well as artists from across the country.

plant zero is located on the southside at 0 E. 4th street, richmond, va 23224. come down between 11-4 and check out their wares. we'll be there, scouting for new talent for the shop.

oh, and no matter where you are this weekend, most cities are having their earth day celebrations on saturday. google earth day + your city to find out more information and get involved. i know the weather here will be beautiful, so there's no excuse not to just make it a manchester weekend. earth day celebrations will be held there on saturday afternoon.

looking forward to seeing everyone out and about. happy shopping! k&m

susan benarick

everyone can always use a little art in their life. i found susan benarick somewhere on the web. on a blog i'm sure. and as soon as i remember the source i'll credit it...

in the meantime i wanted to share some of her installations and sculptures. with earth day approaching i thought her work was appropriate. susan explores mankind's adaptability and how environments affect our being. the elements used in her work are reminiscent of objects found in nature as they are bent, forced, loved nurtured and discarded.

i think her sculptures and installations are soothing and serene while at the same time somewhat distraught. you can check out more of her work on her website.

spring into action

hoping everyone enjoyed a relaxing weekend.

the Shops at 5807 are hosting, along with momentum resources, a great fundraiser this thursday night to benefit the children's hospital of richmond. it's a cause near and dear to our hearts at openhouse and we would love to see people come out to support it.

The night will kick off at 5pm with a workshop hosted by the ladies at momentum resources titled: Detours & Onramps - a workshop for Moms in the workforce or looking to return to work. the cost for the workshop is $20.

then at 6pm the doors open for a wine reception, hors d'oeurves and SHOPPING! the cost for the shopping is $25 ($40 for both the workshop and reception), with ticket sales benefitting the hospital. over 25 of the shops will feature new items brought in especially for the night. openhouse will be featuring the spring collection of j. mendicino with a portion of proceeds from the sale of her ceramic vases to benefit children's as well.



so grab some girlfriends, get a sitter and come out and do some spring shopping and support a great organization in this city.

fun in the sun

it's a beautiful day here in central virginia and i just had to share these super cute patio umbrellas from warp weft and co. that i found via decor8.

what a great way to spruce up the back deck this summer. i'm not sure where or how they sell them, but you can be sure we'll be looking into whether or not they sell wholesale. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m