my goodies

Just thought I'd end the week on a delicious note ...... these are just a taste of the goodness I received {from my sis, and sis in law} during the holidays ......... i truly love them so.

I have been painting my little heart out this week, so guess what that means ........ next week will be full of before and afters! Are ya ready? are ya hootin'? {I've been hootin' all week}

Have a fantastic super bowl weekend my friends, and I'll see you bright and early monday morning! Go cardinals! xoxo

pardon our dust.....

just a little note to say bear with me as Knack gets a little face lift :) ....... in the process my froth and friends section is temporarily not here, but never fear my dears .... all is well and everything should be spiffy by Monday {or before}........ xoxo

let them eat cake

I have made a total of 25 new cake plates this month, and there are some beauties ...... I so enjoy the treasure hunt of finding beautiful plates just waiting to be given a purpose, and creating these timeless functional pieces.

All of these are for sale now in the shop, so leave me a comment or shoot me an email when you see one, or two, or three you can't live without!! xo

charise harper

Sometimes when I read all the design blogs and look at magazines, I come across rooms where I like a certain piece in the room or certain accents, but it is rare for me to see a whole room let alone a whole house that I can look at and immediately love everything about it. This house has got the stuff in my book .... style, fun, and function. A perfect mix of all favorite things that you can tell are loved by the inhabitants .

My favorite thing is the yellow chairs with the stenciled words ...... TASTY!

{photos via D *s /author illustrator charise harper's home }

jessica rust

I was so happy to get an email from a sweet college friend this week {whom I haven't seen in years}.... she said she thought of me when she saw these! I love the bird on a wire theme and of course the color scheme is marvelous . Love that gray. very fun.

Thanks miss rachel for sharing! xo

danielle thompson

here is another one of my very talented friends from the year of color blog { are you sure you don't want to join?} ....I can't even tell you the eye candy that thrills my little eyes when I'm there. Kari has done a fantastic job of putting together a bang up list of features and artists!

Today I was visiting and Danielle Thompson had her photographs featured ......... I about came out of my seat! The color and styling are PERFECTION! I only wish I could get miss Danielle here from AT to do a shoot with my furniture!! {fingers crossed!} xo

how cool is tomas kral?

I saw these in my trusty new copy of ready made mag and was instantly wowed!! tomas takes common household bottles and turns them into handsome pieces of decorative glass using traditional cutting, engraving and guilding techniques.

Love {of course} the repurposing of common objects into something spectacular.

psssst ... I'm over here

I just wanted to say a special THANK YOU to Kristin over at discover interior design for my special interview that is part of her {inspiring} weekly blog series. I was introduced to Kristin's lovely blog over Christmas and have been a follower ever since! Pop on over to read a little bit more about what makes me tick, but most importantly to discover a great design blog you'll want to visit again and again!! xo

pam garrison

I have another bit of fabulousness for your monday morning!! As I was visiting one of my favorite blogs.... crooked shmooked .....I came across this fantastic garland which then led me to the wonderful world (and blog) of pam garrison!! I'm hooked and will be putting her in my {froth} section to visit whenever I please .... which will be LOTS!!

time to do it all over again ........

I hope you are wide awake this monday morning and revved up for another week !! If you aren't, drink in the brightness and greatness of this wonderful green chair and think happy thoughts!!

before and after

well, here is the latest!! I did this piece specifically for a delightful client of mine .... lets just call her m&m { you crazy girl } ........ and really enjoyed the boundaries, but yet the freedom to still create a true piece of original knackage!!

It has been a great week here at knack, and I hope it has been the same for all of you my friends!! Y'all have an AWESOME weekend now ya hear!!

** I want to send a special thank you to grace from design sponge for the feature on D*s yesterday!! You are the best! xo

wallpaper envy

this wallpaper makes my design heart go pitter patter, and the collection of owls along with the perfect little chair ...... I {heart} this photo so very much!


Photo via AT

perfect love......

I have been working on my new pieces for the february show at knack , and I came up with this little twist on tradition! I love { no pun intended} the meaning of these words, and the perfect example of how to love those around us ......


*a special thanks to jan from poppytalk for featuring these on her lovely blog yesterday ...... what a sweet surprise! xo

a year of color and julie collings

I wanted to tell you all about a blog that I'm a member of called a year of color ...... it is hosted by kari (aka artsy mama) and has truly already been a huge source of fun and inspiration for me !! All year long there will be guest designer interviews and oodles and oodles of inspiring photos and tutorials on making fantastic treasures ....... including these sweet, and soft felt bon bon rings by guest designer julie collins ....... check out the packaging these babies come in!! I totally want to eat them, they are done so well!!

p.s. if you become a member there is a how to for these felted beauties!! xo

guest blogger : grace kang .....shopping!

erica weiner
i absolutely adore all the jewelry pieces from local designer erica weiner. a self taught crafter, erica made her first piece of jewelry in her small apartment in east village in 2005 and the rest is history. by incorporating natural objects with vintage-inspired pieces, erica produces affordable jewelry that doesn’t look cheap. from france and hammer necklace to handcuff lariat necklace to bird cage earrings, her pieces speak for themselves. it’s the perfect gift for any vintage lover and fashionista. find your special erica weiner piece at Pink Olive in 439 east 9th street between 1st and avenue a.

ciaran tully
i was fortunate to meet photographer ciaran tully at a craft market this past holiday looking for a unique gift for my boyfriend. i was instantly drawn to his work. having spent so much time in east village (both personally and professionally) i was truly taken with this “I love you” piece titled “east village, NYC” originally from dublin, ciaran tully moved to NYC in 1990 and has made a name for himself in lower manhattan. over the last 18 years, ciaran has come to appreciate and understand the love and soul of NYC and you can see that in his work. his versatile and creative work is quite contagious ~ you will want to decorate your entire pad with his work. ciran tully’s photography will be exhibited and sold exclusively at Pink Olive in east village this spring. looking for the perfect valentines gift for your partner? look no further...



atsuyo et akiko
i have never seen anything get such a positive reaction in both of my east village and brooklyn stores as these tee-shirts from brooklyn designers atsuyo et akiko. designers atsuyo yang and akiko mukae bring a fresh approach to fashion design and we are excited to have them as part of our assortment. atsuyo and akiko both share an affinity for screen-printing and look to add illustration to ordinary everyday items that tell a story. from je taime brooklyn/new york onesies to kid and adult tees to tote bags, you can dress your entire family with je taime. it’s our #1 gift item for newborn babies or for someone who is just proud to live (or hoping to live) in brooklyn or new york. if you have some connection to france, even better! we {heart} atsuyo et akiko!

Thank you so much grace for your beautiful post, and for all the delicious info!! xoxo

guest blogger : grace kang

new york city – friend or foe?
as the saying goes, you can either sink or swim in new york. i chose to swim and was fortunate to come across so many interesting places and people over the years. when i first met barb blair from knack studios, i had just opened my east village store in 2007 and was so encouraged to hear her story. a year and half later, she and her husband pleasantly surprised me at my east village store and was pleased to reconnect with her again. i was thrilled to hear that barb had launched her own studio last year created a blog with such a great following showcasing her work and her inspirations. she is extremely talented!! so you can imagine my excitement when she asked me to be a guest blogger in the new year. i was extremely flattered and jumped for the opportunity! (thanks miss barb!)

my story is quite simple actually ~ i have always dreamed about opening my own boutique ever since I was little. i was always fascinated with everything from fashion to stationery and truly enjoyed finding and giving unique gifts . so after 10 years working in the retail industry as buyer for barney’s, bloomies and saks, i finally made my dream into reality and opened my first boutique called Pink Olive in east village section of manhattan in may 2007. my second boutique soon followed in march 2008 in park slope section of brooklyn. i have been so inspired by so many amazing women who have walked into Pink Olive to tell me their story that i am encouraged to write a book sometime this year called “how to open a store in 30 days: making your dream into reality.” here’s to having hope in the new year and for dreams coming true.

until then, enjoy this post about some of my favorite food spots in NYC (yes, I’m a foodie too :) and few of my favorite local designers!




supper restaurant
supper continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in east village. the atmosphere is so charming with exposed brick wall, low lighting and florentine wood ceiling~ it’s the perfect place to come with friends or on a date (this was my 2nd date spot with my boyfriend michael and it was truly special :). but most importantly, the food and wine selection at supper will seriously take you away to italy without breaking the bank. from fresh roasted beet salad to pappadelle wild mushrooms to risotto amarone, your mouth will be watering just looking at the menu. hungry anyone? enjoy. supper is located 156 east 2nd street between avenue a and b in east village.





dok suni
are you in the mood for some good, traditional korean food without going to K- town? head over to one of my “other” favorite restaurant in east village called dok suni. having dined at dok suni for almost 10 years, i go there every time I get home-sick for some good korean food. even my mom gave it a thumbs up and she’s a tough critic! dok suni offers a combination of good, traditional korean food and westernized dishes that makes any newbie an instant follower. from kalbi (ribs) to kimchi chigae (kimchi stew) to bulgogi (marinated beef) there’s something for everyone! don’t forget about all those small side dishes that come with every meal! dok suni is located 119 1st avenue between 7th st and st. marks place.



taim
i must admit that i was never a huge falafel fan. i would have it once in awhile but it wasn't something that i craved, well until now. my boyfriend michael and I LOVE to watch the food network and one day we were drawn to the segment on bobby flay’s throw down show with chef einat admon from taim. this bright and cheerful west village falafel shop was even chosen as new york’s best falafel by new york magazine. as einat states on the show “once you have my falafel, you’ll never eat another falafel again.” not only are her falafels naturally crisp, nutty with a nice mix of spices but it also comes in three different flavors: roasted pepper, another infused with harissa for the spicy food lover; and the third tinged with cilantro, parsley, and mint. savor each bite ladies (and gents) and stuff them in a whole-wheat pita with tahini-dappled hummus, tabbouleh, Israeli salad and a healthy dose of their hot sauce. you will be in falafel heaven! taim is located on 222 waverly place, near perry street in west village.

Stay tuned for part two this afternoon......grace fills us in on some local designers!

more color .....

isn't the color in this photo just amazing!! I'm getting ready to work on a room design for a client and this red blue and brown combo is killing me!! This particular photo is of a nursery , which just happens to be what I'll be working on............ I want that wallpaper!!

Have an awesome weekend friends!

picture via apartment therapy

inspirational color

Oh my .... the color in this sweet apartment in paris france makes me feel inspired to create a collection. Love the combination of soft yellows, turquoise, orange , pink ..... and of course the painted furniture pieces are just perfection!

creative storage

I absolutely love this idea of wooden crates set up in a stair case fashion with splatterings of artwork and goodies , to form the most interesting storage collage!

picture via apartment therapy

domino goodness

I really like these particular photos because of their simplicity ....... I love the "casualness" of the bench with the artful arrangement of photos and meaningful objects .......the fantastic wallpaper design made casual with the chalkboard backsplash ..... lovely ....

orla at target

... I was visiting one of my favorite blogs today ... door sixteen ... and she had these fabulous pictures and the even more fabulous announcement that orla kiely is coming to a Target near you in February!! I can't believe my eyes ...... I'm going to be in line for one of everything!! :)