i wanted to wrap up this week with some beautiful new wallpaper designs from designer lisa bengtsson. she created these patterns for a company called ‘your wallpaper‘ and i’m loving the rich color palettes she used. those rose colors seem like such a nice splash of warmth on a wet winter day. click here to check out more of lisa’s designs and see images full sized. until monday, i’m signing off to get ready for ac’s big rock band birthday party at our house. so i’ll see you monday (live from jury duty!)- have a great weekend!

• must-read posts of the week: weeder’s digest (sarah’s new garden column), design by the book finale party!, regional roundup: paris, part 3, domino magazine closes
• new sneak peeks: charise harper, yaling of flowie style, bryan wark
• new diy projects: kate’s fabric boxes
• new before & afters: jaclyn’s company, angela’s kitchen, brian’s dresser, seating love
• new recipe: sharon spain’s pickle recipe
• new city guides: zurich, switzerland and savannah, ga
• interiors: dalva e dito restaurant
• ny gift fair: jonathan adler, dfc design, eastern accent, austin press, working class studio lighting
• valentine’s day: two trick pony v-day cards, hello handmade v-day postcards,
• misc: jill malek yoga mats, michelle ramin paintings, selina rose felt panels, 10 meter forest (wood veneer lighting installation), anti-theft lunchbags, chez sucre chez pillows and monogrammed towels, rebecca niederlander paper installation

textile designer sharon spain’s organic designs are hand printed and made of natural materials. so it didn’t surprise us that she submitted a homemade dill pickle recipe! i, like sharon, haven’t always been a pickle fan, but there must be something about the palate that changes with time. now i looove them. and before you think “well, who cares about a recipe for pickles??,” consider this pickle only part of your spread: sharon suggests enjoying them with crusty bread and cheese. matt and i, obliged, and we threw a little mustard up in it, and it was lunch for us! we promise if you offer these to your friends, they’ll be talking about your pickles to everyone. [photos: by matt armendariz, part of the series we shot for the in the kitchen with column at his wonderful studio in the LBC in mid december. thanks matt!] -kristina

about sharon: sharon spain is a bay area designer whose work includes hand-screened silk and hemp linen pillows, handbags, t-shirts, and a line of gift cards. her products are sold nationally, and are inspired by modernism, and forms and color from nature. in her other life as a writer and editor she has contributed to the recent publications Asian/American/Modern Art: Shifting Currents , 1900-1970 and Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 .



CLICK HERE for the full recipe and more photos.

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next week i have to report to the brooklyn courthouse for jury duty so i’ve been looking for something to take my mind off the hours i’ll be spending in that room. i’m happy to be doing my civic duty, although i’m a little antsy about the idea of being stuck in one place for that long (at least i can post from the courthouse thanks to their wireless). but looking at these beautiful paper installations by rebecca niederlander completely sets my mind at ease. they look like delicate floating clouds that just happen to have landed on a window. there’s such an ethereal quality to them one can hardly help but to stare and wonder about how beautiful they would look in person. rebecca’s friend cristi sent me a link to her site and i haven’t stopped clicking through it since. if you’d like to read more about rebecca’s work (and see more gorgeous images, like the last image below from 2003) just click here. [thanks, cristi!]

i almost forgot that valentine’s day is coming up soon so i’m glad i’ve been getting reminders in the form of valentine’s day card submissions. there are so many beautiful ones out right now, but this morning i’m digging these orange cards (printed on 100% post consumer waste paper) from two trick pony. i’m not a big red or pink person so i like the option to try something different. want to pick up a few for loved ones in your life? click here to shop (these cards are $4.50 each) and browse the rest of their collection.

kimberly at chez sucre chez just released a lovely line of hand-embroidered pillows. along with her gorgeous monogrammed towels (i’m mildly obsessed with monograms right now) they’re the perfect excuse for a little friday morning window (or real) shopping. click here to check out the collection…

i know these may be high on the “ick” factor at first glance but i think they’re such a funny piece of design. these reusable anti-theft lunchbags from ‘think of the’ are designed to make your sandwiches and snacks look moldy, hence deterring co-workers or roommates from taking a bite. a little icky? yes. hysterical? totally. click here for more info. (5% of all purchases will be donated to ‘freedom from hunger’)

[ps: this is unrelated, but i just read/viewed maira kalman's beautiful painting series for the ny times about the inauguration. it's a beautiful illustrated look at her trip to dc and her experiences there. definitely worth a look]

After much consideration, I think my favorite name for this column is Weeders Digest. So lets go with it…Thanks for all your suggestions. Each comment is like a little gift, and I’m so excited to read them as they come in. You all have been so kind to voice your support and enthusiasm! I am so grateful.

I wanted to say something today about winter, since it clear it’s never ending.

Although I can tough out the winter as much as the next Finn, seasonal doldrums effect the best of us, and I fall victim every year. This is about the time when it starts; I’ll catch myself casually scanning through Cormac McCarthy novels, or googleing things like “nuclear winter” or “root canal.” Last night I watched a dozen live Janet Jackson videos to see if there exists one in which she’s not lip-synching. No luck - and my depression deepens. Eric may try to cheer me up; “Want to eat combos for dinner and listen to Rumours on repeat?” Sigh. This is serious.

In the world of flowers and plants January is can be a dead zone. The wholesale market is half-empty. Vendors stand around discussing traffic on the Long Island Expressway, or the latest narc stake-out on 28th street. I buy a handful of stems and hail a cab. On the way home I see a new tag near Chambers Street; someone has scrawled in big yellow cursive “ROD STEWART LOVES THE HAMPTONS.” Times are tough I think.

I look at the roots that have grown out of an old jar of curly willow branches by my bedside. They provide a subtle reminder of natures latent winter progress. Then I find a clover growing out of an old empty pot. It’s almost insulting.

Later at home I brainstorm what to have for lunch. I settle on ice cream. Then I proceed to watch 5 old episodes of Gossip Girl*, move all my plants to the tub**, turn on the shower, and get in with them. My bathroom has become an asylum for all things left living this winter. This is nice I think. Did I have a meeting today?

Later, at dinner we discuss grey flowers. Aaron thinks they should breed more grey flowers. He’s a hybrid enthusiast.

Aaron: I think you should consider genetic modification more seriously - like if you hired someone to grow you a square flower.

Me: What would be the advantage of a square flower?

Eric: Designers would love it, you could put them together like pixels…

Aaron: Plus, you’d be the first florist in the United States to have square flowers. I think it would be worth it just for the notoriety. Of course you’d have to trademark it, or someone would steal your idea.

I get up to clean the dishes.

Today I opened an old book in our work room and found flowers Eric must have pressed last summer. They are papery specimens, worthy of cataloging. I pin them to the wall. His foresight to do such a thing makes me feel proud.

In our business, one of the saving graces of January is the start of budding season. Branches that are brought inside to force the blossoms open early. After ages of nothing but evergreens and magnolia leaves, Quince blossoms start to appear just before Chinese New Year. White, pink and red. Next thing you know the market floods with forsythia, magnolia blossoms, spiraea and dogwood. Most flowering branches are beautiful, long lasting (often they will leaf out after the blossoms die) and dramatic. Hammer the stems to split the ends - they’ll be able to drink more water - and place them in a sunny window. Change the water once a week or so.

For me, its the best time of year for flowers. So much promise amidst all the antifreeze and sniffles. Lets clean the house and bring something small and green indoors! Lets plan a bigger, better rooftop garden! One where we don’t have to risk our lives carrying buckets of water up a iron wrung latter! I have to remember to take it one step at a time. First, I’ll remove all the dead flowers from my apartment. Clean all the vases, and bring in something new.

* If you didn’t know, flowers play a big part in the show. Blair Waldorf always has fresh flowers in her foyer. They tend to match her outfits. Also, Lilly, Serena’s mother is always having a wedding, or planning a benefit and has to deal with the florist. She says things like “Too funerary” or “I asked for Cymbidiums not Hyacinths!” I don’t need to tell you that this is valuable research material for me.

** This is actually a really excellent remedy for your plants in the winter time. Almost all plants can take a good soaking this time of year, even succulents. For our sensitive plants, we leave them in the bathroom for the winter months - the moisture does them wonders.