NYIGF 2011

I spent most of yesterday running around the New York International Gift Fair. Sort of like the Superbowl for design enthusiasts, the NYIGF brings together wholesalers, small companies, artists and design students with retailers from around the country/ world. Amongst, the miles and miles of booths at the Javits Center and Piers, I found some fantastic home accessories. Here are a few of my favs...

These glasses from New Arcadia Studio have a bold, retro feel to them.

 I already love Thomas Paul and these new sunglass holders were adorable.

 Love this preppy monogrammed table from Lamshop

Graphic black and white signs from Spicher and Company

Bold, colorful blankets made from recycled cotton fibers from In 2 Green

I see these letters all over the place now, but still love them!

 Who wouldn't love a wall of colorful Pantone mugs?

 I loved the wallpaper in the Two's Company booth, made from patchwork fabric.

More of my favs will be coming to iVillage, stay tuned...

POLAROID FUN

Amazingly, I got out of the snow in NYC this weekend and made it out to Steamboat Springs, CO for a little skiing before the season's over. I hate slushing through the snow in NYC, but it's definitely welcome when it's on the slopes.

Before I left, I spotted these fantastic polaroids from Grant Hamilton. These fresh, bold prints are encased in plexi, so they're thick enough to stand on their own.

If you have an extra $700 handy, you can get the limited edition oversized prints.

For everyone (including myself), there smaller are more affordable sets for your desk or bookshelf.

I'd love to have an entire collection of these in a grid on a my living room wall.  Check out more of his polaroids here.

HOLY SNOW, BATMAN!

Holy snow everywhere in NYC! Yesterday, there was a teaser storm in the morning, followed by a huge storm last night. Plows were trying to keep up (go Bloomberg go!), but there was just too much.

As a kid, I loved huge snow storms because it meant long snow days outside, followed by movies and hot chocolate. As an adult, I still love the snow, these days it usually include an adult beverage, good music and a wonderful home cooked meal (and the occasional W. Village snowball fight!)

What is your favorite snow day activity?

BE BOLD, BABY

As you know, I am a sucker for big, bold, typography prints. When I find one that includes all of this, it sends me into a must-have spin. I stumbled across the fantastic work of Claudia Varosio yesterday and I was in heaven. She reworks classic movie posters in a fun, graphic way. I would love to have a series of these for my living room wall.

(All images courtesy of Claudia Varosio)

Check out more of her work here.

TAKING IT OFFLINE

 (How cute is this restaurant?!)

I love when my cyber world collides with my real one. It started Sat morning, with a delightful brunch at Peel's in NYC with the lovely ladies behind Navy Bean and The Prippy Handbook. If you haven't checked out their blogs, it's a must! An added bonus are the pics of their adorable Frenchies: Navy and Scrapple. After brunch, my friend and I headed over to The Wedding Party at the Palace to start collecting inspiration for her Feb 2012 event.

I'm still new to the blogging world and get more than a little excited when I get to meet someone I follow online, in person. Mr. Trent Bailey was on the receiving end of this as I practically shrieked when I recognized his photos and then got to meet him at the event. (Hope he doesn't remember this!!) His wedding photography is so fresh and beautiful. Also, he and his wife create the most adorable stop motion videos. Check out some more of his fantastic work here.

 (Images courtesy of Trent Bailey Photography)

Also at the event were the ladies behind the adorable letterpress company, Mr. Boddington's Studio. Their letterpress cards are so fun and creative.

(Images courtesy of Mr. Boddington's Studio)

My friend introduced me to Cheree Berry Paper while we were there. Their invites, save the dates and announcements were fantastic. Wow!

(Image courtesy of Cheree Berry Paper)

Anyone else attend this event this past weekend?

COLOR ME HAPPY

Brrrrrrrr.....! That's what it feels like in my apartment right now. This weekend with temperatures in NYC dipping into the single digits and with friends staying at my apartment, I realized that I need some more blankets to ward off the cold. I'm in love with this coverlet from Urban Outfitters. The reversible colors and seed stitching are fantastic. This would be a perfect/ warm addition to my bed.

Check out the other color options here.

A POST IT

At the end of the week, my desk usually looks something like this...

The super creative folks over at ReThink Canada have put together 101 Resolutions for 2011. Check out the original version here. Oh yes, all the post its, receipts, mixed tapes and objects are clickable!! A totally fun (and fantastic!) way to spend a Friday afternoon. 

Happy weekend everyone!