Balue/Co.

when?

You guys. I dropped the proverbial ball. With nearly a week behind us and no new content from these parts of the woods, I've been feeling pretty guilty. Pretty lame. I found myself thinking of what I would say when I did come back, to apologize for the lack of, well, anything.

'I'm swamped with the shop launch,' 'I've been housesitting all week and been in between houses,' 'My day job is super exhausting this week and when I get home the last thing I want to do is turn on my laptop and stare at yet another computer screen.' While these statements are all true, they don't really matter. What matters is that I didn't keep up with my self-imposed quota. My drive for productivity here and in all aspects of my life (Hello, Type A personality characteristics! Nice to see you again!) left me feeling inadequate, which led me to that annoying and destructive spiral of comparison. And well, comparison is the thief of joy, remember?

Just when I was ready to call it a wash and just pick up the ball next week (and oh what a week it looks like it will be! In a good way!), I read this little piece of genius from Megan Gilger. For that, thank you Megan.

See you guys next week, and let's all enjoy some real life time this weekend.

words of the wise 02.

Finding business/creativity inspiration from some great minds over in the Women's Wear Daily On Paper project.

"People have what they need. We want to be inspired."

Have a damn perfect weekend.

a saturday

Last Saturday was a pretty great one. A slow breakfast with a good friend at The 5 Spot, a little exploration in Ballard (brr! It was freezing out!) by way of Drygoods Design and Lucca, where I found amazing balsam fir incense from Maine (That. Packaging.).

I hardly ever nap, but it seemed fitting that afternoon, so nap I did. A little too long, actually. Woke up with some jewelry ideas floating around my head and drafted out a couple ring prototypes in the waning afternoon light. A trip back out into chilly Ballard brought forth some hot, cheesy pizza at Ballard Pizza Co.

And all was right.

freeform favorites

Doing a quick run-through of Pinterest in a stream of consciousness kind of way can yield some interesting results: ten minutes of falling down several different rabbit holes and I came out with a few definite patterns. Namely, neutrals in both home and clothes, accented by a couple pops of green (which I didn't even think I liked all that much, on the whole), and well-designed, almost utilitarian products in beauty and the office. I'll admit I'm a sucker for a simply designed product. Aesop, I'm looking at you.

Malachite mirror | Mahogany sunburst mirror | A neutral face (and a great coat) | Aesop Exfoliant Paste | Celine bag | Jerome Dreyfuss bag | Little note pad | Drape collar jacket | A gorgeous room

words of the wise 01.

A little reminder that even some of the brightest talents on this earth can get a little unsure now and then.

It's only natural, eh.

Have a lovely, relaxing weekend.

[image via]

block shop

Seeing these scarves for the first time, I could do nothing but stop and stare. Block Shop, an Indian textile company run by two American sisters Lily and Hopie Stockman, is so on point it's ridiculous. They just launched this past November and are already getting major attention on the blog rounds – and rightfully so. Lily's a fine arts MFA student and had previously lived in Joshua Tree, which shaped a minimalistic, geometric symmetry to her designs that are brought to life by the incredible talent of the Chippa family led by the fifth-generation master printer Vijendra Chhipa in Bagru, India.

At once boldly modern yet inherently classic, Block Shop's scarves are each handprinted using only natural non-toxic vegetable dyes – richly colored with ingredients such as turmeric and pomegranate skins – and their waste water is recycled to the nearby fields to aid the local agriculture. The flower in the center of their logo is from a hand carved block that has been in the Chippa family for over 100 years.

I love what Lily said on her captivating blog (her stories of India are breathtaking) about the first time she draped a scarf of her creation over her shoulders:

"The word 'scarf' does little justice; each textile is an art object, a one-of-a-kind textile so elegant and sumptuous and yet incredibly durable and versatile. Just like the kinda women we envision wearing these bad boys. Draping one around my neck feels like assuming a lion's mantle."

People creating companies like Block Shop inspire me endlessly. I can't wait until their stock is replenished in February so I can order one of these works of art. I have a feeling I just might never take it off.

[All images via Block Shop]