etsy discovery

while wandering through etsy today, I came across this bowl. It comes from a shop called the untrained eye. they sell all sorts of adorable kids tableware, as well as jewelry and a few other things. everything is hand-made and unique, so no two pieces look the same. i love this bowl in particular because of the elephant and the beautiful teal color that is so perfect for summer. 

happy shopping! becca

farmers markets are not just for farmers

being sustainable is becoming a huge trend all across the us, including here in richmond. people are learning to grow their own food and planting gardens (both privately and as a community) that will provide food to help sustain them. some of my favorite things to grow are herbs (especially basil, yum!). and if you're like me, sometimes you get confused which pot has which herb, particuarly when you have just planted the seeds. so to curb the confusion, consider our ceramic herb markers by famed ceramicist Rae Dunn. they are so adorable and add charm to any pot. we also have super cute wood grain herb planters also by Rae Dunn, that are perfect for planting your herbs in. 

also, as i'm sure you've seen and heard, farmers markets are not just for farmers or hippies anymore. these wonderful places are appealing to anyone who is looking for fresh food at relatively low prices. people bring their home grown produce and other goodies usually once a week and sell to people who come for all over just for some good, fresh food. there are so many in richmond this year, and you can find a different one for pretty much every day of the week. you can check out where they all are and when they are open here. last weekend, katie visited the South of the James Market and snapped these awesome photos you see here :)
so if you're interested in farmers markets, you should definitely check them out around town. you should also check out our John Robshaw totes, that are perfect for taking to the market (show up in eco-friendly style), and our vases, by Karin Eriksson and Rae Dunn, that are prefect for putting fresh market flowers in. 

i hope you start your summer off right with some freshness from your garden or a farmers market :)


happy shopping! becca

currently coveting...

this stunning set of clay houses, featuring my most favorite place in the world, Cinque Terre!!

One-week summer sale!

summer officially starts this week with the summer solstice! i know many people celebrate the start of summer in different ways, but here at openhouse, we are celebrating with a one-week summer solstice sale! the sale starts today and ends on sunday, june 26th. we are discounting some summer items like Robshaw totes to carry all your stuff for your summer adventures, scarves to add some flair, and frames to hold your summer memories. also included are the adorable Thomas Paul sunglasses cases (i'm kind of obsessed with them), Halsea make-up bags, and the super cute jewelry. All of these can be found online or in-store. i know you are going to love anything you purchase, but you better hurry because this sale will go by fast!

happy shopping! becca

father's day

there are only 3.5 days until father's day, and if you're like me, you are a last minute shopper and you haven't gotten your dad, grandpa, or that special father figure in your life a present yet (or even thought about what to get him). but don't fear- openhouse is here to save the day! we have some great products that are perfect for your favorite guy this father's day. :)

 to help your guy smell and feel awesome, we have some great products that will do just that. Our products from portland general store are all natural, gentle, and come in a couple of great smelling scents- tabac & whiskey, that will make your man smell like an real old fashioned man. we have a few products: aftershave splash with sea minerals, a face bomb that may not look all that appealing but is an awesome facial scrub, wet shave jelly for men that will give him a close and comfortable shave, and old-fashioned wet shave soap. to go along with these products (especially the wet shave soap & jelly), we have a super badger shaving brush, which is hand made in England, and will give that man a great lather to shave with. now, with all the awesome PGS products, where is your dad going to put them? in designer john robshaw's block printed dopp kit, of course!

if personal grooming is not your dad's top priority, we have a couple other great ideas for gifts for dad. we have wonderful whiskey stones that are perfect for keeping your dad's drink cold and refreshing without diluting or altering its flavor. to go along with the stones, we have beautiful glass carafes. each hand-blown, clear glass vessel features a wooden sphere stopper.

check these all out on our online shop or in our store and have a happy father's day!

happy shopping! becca 

last chance!

there is only one week of school left for most schools in the Richmond area, which means there is less than a week left for you to buy your favorite teacher something special (or buy yourself a nice reward for completing a long school year)! we have some lovely gifts here at openhouse that are sure to be hits with those who do so much and work so hard to make the world a better, more educated place. :)

in addition to the light and refreshing soaps and candles, we have fabric frames to share your favorite memories of this past school year and porcelain bug vases to hold some pretty summer flowers that your favorite teacher deserves (hint hint ;) ). and don't forget those essential summer things to help those teachers to relax– a sunglasses case to protect those cool shades, a gerri wine bag perfect for toting a bottle of wine to a cookout, and a reusable lunch bag for a lunch on an exciting adventure.

check all of these out and more, but you'd better  hurry, because the school year is ending soon!

happy shopping! becca

introducing...

Untitled (Bondi Baths, Sydney, Australia) 2007
by Carlo Van de Roer

Becca Neidle, the newest member of the openhouse family! Becca is a local richmonder, home for the summer from Ithaca College, and loaded with tons of new ideas, experience and mucho superior writing skills than little ole me!

fresh off a D.C. internship with the Alliance for Climate Protection (a la Al Gore), Becca is ready to switch gears and spend the next couple of months keeping you up to date on new arrivals, gift ideas, notes from around the blog world, etsy finds, sales and special giveaways.

we're really excited to have her on board...and thankful she chose us over lazy days by the pool... 

we hope that all of you out there in the world wide web enjoy hearing and seeing a little more from openhouse this summer!!

happy shopping! k&m&b ;o)