Plover Organic

BIGGEST Sale EVER

2012-01-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Blue Foulard throw pillow is NEW!

Flowers & Twigs Blue bolster pillow is also brand new!

And I do mean EVER. Plover is on One Kings Lane today with a MASSIVE sale—the first time we've put our bedding on sale at these prices. Quantities are very, very low, so if you've been coveting anything from the line, now is the time to buy!

We're also unveiling our brand-new line of throw pillows on the OKL sale, so check them out. We'll have them up on our site next week. These throw pillows are a steal—100% organic cotton twill with a removable insert., and only $29/each during the sale!

Also featured: Virginia Johnson's amazing textiles (which I can never get enough of) and the understated chic of Cristina Dos Santos' linens. Happy shopping!

Simple Song

2012-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to and loving this song for many months. (Even my 2-year-old knows all the words by now!) Anyway, it's a super exciting day now that everyone can hear it. I hope you enjoy!

Right Now! One Kings Lane

2012-01-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Unframed Pierre Kittler gouache, 1968

If you read this blog post in the next 3 days and 9 hours, go to One Kings Lane immediately (!) to check out their sale on Docantic, Inc. vintage goache pattern prototypes. You could spend hours browsing the sale and looking at all the patterns close-up (if you're anything like me). Or, if you act quickly, you could actually purchase some. (I confess I just spent way too much money, but it was too tempting!) But if nothing else, go for the inspiration.

Unframed Raisin gouache, 1930

Unframed Marcel Christians gouache, 1955

Unframed Georges Welker gouache, 1955

Unframed gouache, 1920

Best of Recycled Ornaments

2011-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for Christmas ornaments, and every year I add to our collection with some vintage ones, some my kids have crafted, and handmade ones I'm lucky enough to find in Portland. The selection here of handmade and recycled options is amazing. But what's exciting to me is that this year, the range has expanded online and anyone can get their hands on beautiful, special and sustainable holiday decor. I hunted around online and put together a list of some of my favorites. If nothing else, let this be some DIY inspiration...

Pointy Paper Star made of recycled magazines, at Worleys Etsy shop, $13.20

This Pine Cone Garland from Worleys is not an ornament, but I love it so much I had to include it here! $7.80

Recycled glass bottle ornament by Dean Wolf, $32

Shotgun Santas at Etsy, $4 (thanks, Great Green Goods)

Finally, something to do with champagne corks! Chunky Snowman Ornament, on Etsy, $4.75

Recycled Tin Tree from Crate&Barrel, $3.16

Having a Pendleton Moment

2011-12-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

Harding Cardigan at Anthropologie

This Pendleton carry-along blanket is available at Shopbop

The crazy holiday shopping season has begun for me. (A little earlier than usual, which I'm proud to say as a proven procrastinator.) But so far I haven't seen much out there that I want for myself, except for this cozy piece of eye candy from Pendleton's Portland Collection. This I could live in all winter. My husband probably wouldn't be so into that, but that's no reason not to get it!

Not to sound like a mouthpiece for Pendleton (it's so hard not to be a huge fan!), but I am also getting a bunch of the carry-along picnic blankets as gifts. Who wouldn't be happy with one of these? They're practical and chic, and at $88, very reasonable. A fell in love with them when I saw one on the floor of Leann's car in Philadelphia (thanks, Leann!)...which is just where they belong.

Green Friday!!

2011-11-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

If you've been eyeing some new bedding (or anything else) from Plover Organic, now is the time to buy—we've got a 40% off sale on *everything* until the 11-28-11. Just enter the code THANKS11 at checkout.

(Update: Some customers have had trouble placing orders online. In that case, feel free to either call us at 866-540-8377 or email us at info@ploverorganic.com with your order.)

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

An un-Photoshopped picture of a real ghost. Thanks, Patrick!

Apologies!

2011-10-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

My apologies for going so long without posting! It's been a busy time for Plover...lots of travel (including a stop in Philly and a visit to the Anthropologie offices! Which, for the record, could not be cooler). Now that I'm back home, finally going through my mail, I have to post about the new Urban Outfitters catalog. Grunge is back, I realize, but I'd forgotten how tied to the Pacific Northwest the Grunge aesthetic is/was. People here never stopped wearing Dr. Martens, or plaid, or windbreakers, so it's nice to see that now Portlanders have found themselves back in style, again. Witness: my two favorite pages from the new UO Fall catalog. (For the record—I've never seen a North Face jacket paired with a bustier in PDX, but I'm down!)

Such an awesome look

Making me seriously considering finally buying a pair of Doc Martens....

Must-Read: Triclosan

2011-08-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

The only hand sanitizer you should be using

Sprout is one of our fabulous retail stores in San Francisco, and their blog post this week is an important one, all about the chemical Triclosan and why you should beware. Found in everything from dish soap to hand soap to hand sanitizers to cutting boards (!), Triclosan is just about everywhere, touting "antibacterial" powers. Like BPA, it's a controversial substance that has an overwhelming presence in the U.S. market, but is being slowly banned in the EU. (Countries like Norway, Great Britain and Denmark have taken steps in the past 10 years to remove Triclosan from their communities. Isn't is amazing how far the U.S. is always behind...?)

Read Sprout's full article and interview with CleanWell founder and chief scientist Dr. Larry Weiss here. Not to sound like an ad, but just remember: CleanWell, made from natural thyme oil, is truly the only hand sanitizer anyone should be using.

Sustainable Rock

2011-08-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Pickathon's official dishware, by Bamboo Studio

The fact that Pickathon exists and is so successful is one of the many reasons Portland is such an amazing place to live... What is Pickathon, you ask? It's an "indie roots" outdoor music festival that just went down this past weekend on Pendarvis Farm, about 20 minutes from downtown Portland. If it's not the most eco-friendly festival happening, it's up there. This year it became the first large outdoor music festival to eliminate single-use dishes and utensils. Bamboo Studio provided the official, stylish Pickathon dishware, which I am proud to be able to say I used! (Would have been prouder if I'd remembered to pack my own dishes, but alas...)

In the end, however, it's all about the music. And there was tons of amazing music at Pickathon, including my favorites, Fruit Bats. (You MUST see their new music video below!! You will laugh hard, I promise.) Eric's wife Annie Beedy took the best photos, as usual. Click the link for a real feel...

To Do: Unexpected Color Combinations

2011-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Plover Organic on the cover!

I was at the grocery store this morning when I spotted Plover Organic on the cover of Better Homes and Garden's Do It Yourself Fall 2011 edition. But what really blew me away was how the stylist had mixed patterns to amazing effect. (Even I have never considered mixing Pink Roses, Red Roses, Red Dots and Teal Squares!) It looks so gorgeous. I also LOVE the Thomas Paul blue zigzag pillow and Hable Construction's yellow throw pillow mixed in there. Genius!

A closer look inside...

And again...love the Herringbone fabric on the dog's pillow, from Joel Dewberry

Organic Conscious Mom

2011-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Michelle Savin for yesterday's Tumbr post! If you have a few minutes, check out her recent Nate Berkus show appearance. Her recipe for a eco home cleaner is alone worth the watch...

Pantone Postcards!

2011-06-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

Like many people, I am mildly obsessed with Pantone. So when I saw these Pantone color postcards for sale at Urban Outfitters (via the awesome Portland Monthly At Home blog), I had to buy them immediately. Whether I'll use them as actual postcards or just for color inspiration remains to be seen.

Wild Goose Farm: Gourmet Sustainability

2011-06-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Eating at the table set in the barn, where all the cooking was also done

Yesterday was one of the more special dining experiences I've had in a long time, in Portland or elsewhere. (I apologize in advance that I didn't take better photos...too busy having fun!) To celebrate the upcoming wedding of our dear friends Annie & Eric, we all splurged on a dinner party at Wild Goose Farm out on Sauvie Island. Run by the lovely and talented interior designer Jessica Helgerson, and her equally talented husband, the architect Yianni Doulis, the farm sits on 5 acres and is just a 30-minute drive from the city. All the food served is grown on-site or sourced nearby—including meat and cheese. It's rustic and delicious, but of course the real star is the setting. How many times in your life will you have a gourmet meal on a farm? With baby turkeys? I can't recommend it highly enough. And I cannot wait to have my husband build a wood-burning oven in the backyard!

The scene of our pre-cheese course stroll

Yianni shows the kids the wood-burning oven. (Yes, Emm is wearing a tie!)

Don't You Want to Sleep Here?

2011-05-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

Plover's Vine print on crib and Twin bed. So pretty!

Heather at Brookline Street Design is a great customer of ours, and when she started snatching up a bunch of stuff more than a year ago, we had no idea what she was up to. But this week we found out: designing an amazing, gorgeous, serene space for her two girls. The results are incredible.

My favorite Plover touch in the room: she turned our Aqua Dots Fabric By the Yard into room-darkening curtains. Wish I had thought of that! Enjoy the pics. Thanks, Heather!

Heather's answer for finishing touches? "Lots of Etsy purchases," she says.

DIY Recycling

2011-04-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Skittles Eco Kite is available on TerraCycle's web store

Like many of you (I hope!), we subscribe to the EcoFabulous weekly newsletter. Founder Zem Joaquin puts together a list of green products and initiatives that are always worth knowing about. This week she made a video suggesting a recycling bin in the bathroom. Seems obvious, but I'd never thought of it, and it would certainly make my life easier.

Even better, she introduced us to a program called TerraCycle, which allows you to set up a recycling program for the previously "un-recyclable" in your own neighborhood. You simply sign up on their website, pick the waste you want to collect (plastic bottle caps, perhaps?) and put out a collection box in your area. When your bin is full, you can download a FREE shipping label on their website, and ship the waste off to be recycled. This is an amazing program for areas that don't have exhaustive recycling programs curbside. I encourage everyone to at least check out TerraCycle's website—you can also buy recycled products on their site—and pass it on to all your friends.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day Sale!!

2011-04-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Earth Day tomorrow, Plover Organic is offering 35% off all items online! Enter the code EARTH11 at checkout to receive the discount. Sale ends Monday, May 2, so shop soon!

Plover time on Today

2011-04-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks to Sheila's mom for letting us know that the Plover Organic charm pack sachets were on the Today show this Tuesday. Wow! Martha Stewart featured them as a craft idea using herbs. (You can watch the condensed clip above; the full clip is below.) And actually, the charm packs have been so popular for us, we're considering manufacturing the sachets ourself in the near future. Keep you posted!!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Spectral Fields @ The Pony Club

2011-04-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

One of the collaborations by Jennifer Parks and Marty Crandall, up now at the Ponyclub

If you're in Portland, go see the "Spectral Fields" art show at the Ponyclub while you can...only one more week left! It's an eerie, evocative collaboration between artist Jennifer Parks and Marty Crandall. He took some amazing photos with his iPhone (!), she did some amazing illustrations, and then they combined efforts by illustrating select photos. Snatch them up while they're still available!

P.S. Check out this footage of Marty's new band Sad Baby Wolf, playing at the art show's opening in March. I was there and can confirm it was very, very pretty stuff. Can't wait to hear more...!

Plover Flagship Store!

2011-03-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Our shelves are made of wood we "reclaimed" from our backyard

Big, big news from the land of Plover Organic: we've opened our very first retail store, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle!

Exact address: 5306 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle WA 98107. (We share a space with the fabulous Cugini Cafe, so don't be confused!)

If you're in Seattle, come by and see us. We've got loads of sample sale goodies, misprints and other deals that aren't available on the website. Fun!

Our "soft opening" was last week, but we'll have an official grand opening party later this summer when we bring in a slew of brand-new merchandise. (Can't say just yet what it will be, but suffice it to say there will be something for everyone.)

It was truly a family affair in getting the story ready and open, and it's hard to believe we did it. Special thanks to Alison, the new addition to our team, for her merchandising expertise and these awesome pics she snapped of the store.

Thank you, Martha Stewart!

2011-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

There's Plover, top right side!

Very many thanks to Martha Stewart Living magazine and Crafts Editor Blake Ramsey for featuring Plover's new Charm Packs in their April 2011 issue. They sewed the 5" squares together and made scented sachets from them! I'd never have thought to do that, but now I'll have to make them and fill with lavender buds. Lovely. Our Charm Packs are for sale here if you want to follow suite.

April 2011

America, 1939-1943

2011-03-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

The cuteness—kids sleeping at a square dance in OK. Photo by Russell Lee

School children in New Mexico singing, 1940. Photo by Russell Lee

This was not at all what I'd planned to blog about, but I was browsing the Hermitage site (you must check out Hermitage if you're ever in the market for amazing, artful wallpaper) and saw a link to gorgeously restored photos taken during the American Depression. I know, I know—they're from last summer, not new—but people are still commenting on them, and I swear, the comments are just as great as the photos. Read them! And I must agree with the folks at Hermitage that the colorful prints and patterns the folks in the photos are wearing are alone worth a look. It was the Depression, and yet there's something about those prints that feels more joyful than what we all wear today.

Chopping cotton in Georgia. Photo by Jack Delano

Quilting with Plover Organic!

2011-02-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

Plover's organic cotton Fat Quarters!

Very exciting news: Plover Organic has launched a quilting line! We've got 100% organic cotton Charm Packs and Fat Quarters available now for sale on our website. Quilting fans alerted us years ago to the dearth of organic fabrics available for crafting and quilting, so we've been wanting to do this for some time. Now, in true eco fashion, we've finally repackaged our remnants into craft-ready bundles. (Looking for scraps of different sizes? Email us and we'll try to help!) Happy quilting!

Plover's Charm Pack

Erdem Inspiration

2011-02-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

From Erdem's S/S 2011 collection

I am so in love with Erdem's Spring/Summer 2011 collection right now. Just got a sales email from Barneys, of course, to make me drool. These scarves! (I wanted to show them here, but you have to go to the Barney's site to see the detail and really appreciate the prints.) Is anyone doing color and print better than him right now? I don't think so. It was so hard just to go through the lookbook and pick which looks to show here!

These shorts!

Sweet dress

Thanks, Daily Candy!

2011-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our Pinwheel/Blue Dots collection

Thanks to Daily Candy for being #1 on today's 25 Reasons to Go Back to Bed! They featured our Blue Dots sheets, which, now that I think of it, are kind of a perfect gift to give for Valentine's Day, no? Organic, soft, encouraging lounging around in bed...? Just a thought.

Latest From Liberty

2011-01-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

"Willow's Garden C," by Sally Haysom

Thanks to True Up for reminding us that Liberty of London's new collection is up online for sale here. The designs are a collaboration between the Liberty Design Studio and children's illustrators. Some of it is a bit twee (which should be expected, I suppose), but there's some very cool stuff here. Some of my favorites are already sold out!

The colors in this are amazing; "David Joe A," by Jane Ray

"Helena's Party D," by Lauren Child

Portlandia Premiere!

2011-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Put A Bird On It! A still from "Portlandia," premiering tonight on IFC

So exciting—tonight is the premiere of "Portlandia," the new sketch comedy series by the brilliant Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. Although we don't have cable (it airs on IFC), we were lucky enough to see the advance screening last weekend in Portland, and can confirm that it's completely hilarious. It might hit a little too close to home for some Portlanders, but it's all done in good fun, and there's a lot to see the humor in. (I'll admit I do know the names of most of the big local farms around here—though not the names of the individual chickens!—and I actually own both pieces of luggage in the photo above, although mine don't have birds on them! See? Very close to home.) Will people start making fun of Portland now? Hmmm...I hope not. Portland is definitely radical in a lot of ways, but I feel like people here are really trying to live in a responsible, thoughtful, kind way, and it's an amazing city to live in because of that. It's its own quirky little city-state, for better or for worse. But mostly for the better!

Portland Recycling Challenge

2011-01-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Love the laminated color copies inside each lid—very helpful, especially for guests. (Photo from LivingEtc)

This weekend, as I was reading one of Portland's awesome community papers, the SE Examiner, I was inspired by the families who completed the "One-Can-a-Month Recycling Challenge" program. These families switched from weekly to monthly (!) garbage service. Only 15 households participated, but in 6 months, they managed to keep a total of 7,836 gallons of trash out of the landfill. The average waste reduction per family was 76%. Amazing!

A confession: since the economy crashed and our local Master Recycler programs disappeared (Master Recyclers allowed you to recycle almost anything, from plastic hangers to lawn chairs, for free, once every couple of months), I'd stopped collecting non-curbside-recyclable plastics in crazy, messy, overflowing bins on my porch. But now my commitment has been renewed! I've set up two new bins on my porch, one for plastic bags (and bubble wrap and clean shrink wrap) and another for clamshell containers, plastic lids and caps, CDs and jewel cases. Turns out you can drop the bags by any Far West Fibers location—and there are a bunch—and drop them off for free. For a complete list of what can be recycled in Portland and the surrounding areas, click here.

I also have to add that most of these plastics can also be recycled locally at New Seasons stores. (A list of what New Seasons accepts is here.) This is a pretty fantastic service (among others) that New Seasons provides. If you're like me and there 4 times a week anyway to shop, recycling really doesn't get any easier. (Full disclosure: Plover is a very proud table top vendor at New Seasons now!)

So there's my recycling pep talk for the new year. I'm in the process of trying to sign my own family up for the "One-Can-a-Month" program, and when I do, I'll keep you posted.

33.3 Art Show

2011-01-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

Four-year-old Emmalene Lechtenberg's take on Yo Gabba Gabba's Music is Awesome

Such a great idea: 33.3 Art Show is "thirty-three and a third artists" reimagining album covert art. How many times have you wanted to do just that? (One of my favorite album covers, which I would not alter in any way, is Eddy Grant's Killer on the Rampage.) I'm not sure I agree with all of the artists' choices, but I love that bands like Tattle Tale, June of 44 and Bikini Kill are among those being reimagined. (Via Boing Boing.)

An album cover classic: Eddy Grant's Killer on the Rampage

Tammy Duncan's version of Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Yum

2010-12-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

"Marrow" from Butter

One of my favorite eco-friendly gifts this season: Butter nail polish. Based out of London, their motto is "3 Free," which is to say, their polishes are free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP (Phthales). And the colors are exquisite, the best I've seen from any eco brand. My favorite right now: the Vena Cava designed "Marrow."

Gift Idea: Alyssa Ettinger

2010-12-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

Alyssa Ettinger Ball Mason Lantern, $39 each

I do love shopping, but the pressure of holiday shopping always makes it an enormous chore. That said, one good thing to come out of this season's shopping is my discovery of Alyssa Ettinger's pottery. Based out of Brooklyn, her pottery is the result of a 9/11 career change. I am especially in love with these ceramic Mason Jar Lanterns. I see them hanging in an old apple tree on a summer's night. Sigh....for summer and for the pottery.

Sure Seal replica lanterns

Annual 50% Off Table Top Sale!

2010-12-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

Plover's Cartouche table top collection

Our annual 50% off table top sale launched yesterday!! Just go the to "Table Top" section of the store to find our half-off prices, which will be in effect until Dec. 24, 2010 only. Needless to say, napkins, tea towels, table cloths, etc. are perfect for gifts. Or for dressing your own holiday table!

Thread Counts

2010-12-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sheila, who forwarded me this segment about thread count on the CBS Early Show. (You can also access it here.) By now, we've all heard about the marketing ploy that is "high thread count"; even Consumer Reports says that a 200 thread count is just fine, and anything over 400 only comes with a higher price tag, not greater quality. Far more important than the thread count of course is the quality of the cotton. But according to this segment, new studies indicate that sheets with a lower thread count actually are better for your skin. They let your skin breathe, and, as an added bonus, they are lighter to wash and dry, which saves on energy consumption.

In case anyone is curious, here are links to two other articles on thread count that are enlightening: from TLC's How Stuff Works and from Linenplace. And of course, The New Yorker's ditty on the lady who sued Bed, Bath & Beyond for selling her 800 thread count sheets that were scratchy.

San Francisco Sample Sale!!

2010-12-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Plover's first collection

For all our friends in San Franscisco—Plover is participating in this year's 3rd Street Holiday Sale! We've got napkins, table cloths, tea towels, euro shams, pillowcases, crib bedding and more for sale at prices I shouldn't even list here. Just go! Sheila will be there doing sales, and if there's something you really really want that's not at the sale, maybe you can convince her to do a deal. ;)

Another sale exclusive: Plover Organic charm packs! We'll have this up for sale on our site in the Spring, but you can purchase them at the sale before anyone else for $9.50.

Here's the sale details: Saturday December 4th, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. One day only.

Happy shopping!

Vintage Towels

2010-11-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sheila and I have been on a vintage towel kick lately. Maybe it's a reminder of childhood, of life before neutrals (at least in my household), but there's something about old Fieldcrest and Martex towels that we just love. Finding matching sets can be a challenge, but if you like to mix and match, Etsy (or your local thrift shop) is the place to shop. Here are some of our favorite designs of late...

This train towel is actually for sale here

Love this crazy color combo

Pillow Lust

2010-11-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Cavern Collection floor pillow

Floor pillows are the best. As much as I don't like the way they have to be sloppily stacked against the wall when not in use, they are amazingly handy for kids and adults alike. I've always used our euros as floor pillows, and now I can't imagine what I did without them. Sat on the cold, hard floor, I guess. Anyway, I saw this pillow by Cavern Collection on Design For Mankind today, and I'm in love. It's 48" square, made of linen, and hand fringed. And the X-pattern is genius. Also: check out their beach towel collaboration with Assembly NYC! I want to hang that on my wall...

100% cotton cobra towel

Pretty Birdie

2010-11-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

So sexy. And I love the mustard.

Thanks to Annie for turning me on to her friend Stephanie's eco-fashion Etsy shop, Pretty Birdie. She's got some amazing designs in there, made of hemp, organic cotton, scrap wood and recycled leather. These are two of my faves...

Hemp stretch with recycled wooden belt—so cute!

Wallpapering

2010-10-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

"Galxia" wallpaper by Tres Tintas, available at Walnut Wallpaper

It's "Wallpaper Week" at Apartment Therapy, and there is an excellent post today on the history of wallpaper. I am personally obsessed with wallpaper, although I have none in my own home. (Which is to say, I have none on my walls...I do have vintage rolls I've collected over the years stashed away. I'm saving them until I find just the 100% perfect spot for them, which may or may not ever happen!) Sheila has purchased many a vintage wallpaper book on eBay, and even has some framed swatches hanging in her home, which is a very thrifty and cool way to get art on your walls, I think. I just wanted to mention L.A.'s Walnut Wallpapers in this post. I've never been to their retail store, but perusing their site is one of my guilty pleasures. They've got a vast variety of papers, and they've got them organized by color (genius) online.

I love the drama of dark wallpaper above a blue wainscot. ("Grove Garden" wallpaper by Osbourne & Little, at Walnut Wallpaper

Oh, Inverted...Ballet

2010-10-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Photo by David Allen for the New York Times

The Smuin Ballet in San Francisco turned 8 songs from "Oh, Inverted World" into a ballet. It premiered last week, and we just heard through the grapevine that it's really good. There's a review in the New York Times here.

Big News: New Sheet Sets Are Here!

2010-10-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Tesserae sheet set by Plover Organic, exclusively at Anthropologie

It's very, very exciting to finally be able to share some new sheet sets with everyone!! Plover Organic has two new patterns, available *exclusively* online and through the Anthropologie catalog. The first is the Tesserae sheet set, which we based off an old foulard pattern. ("Foulards" were lightweight silk cloths that were often made into handkerchiefs in the 19th century, but the term also refers to small repeated patterns often seen in handkerchiefs, men's neckties, and more.) The second is our Falling Leaves sheet sets, which you can purchase in either gold or blue. I am so in love with these!

Falling Leaves sheets, in Gold

Fawn + Forest

2010-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

We are so excited—one of our favorite online shops for kiddos, Fawn + Forest, now has our entire new collection, in baby and twin bedding, online. See it all here. And we're a Forest Find for the month, too (thanks, guys)! They offer free shipping and no sales tax...one of the many reasons I love shopping through them. Enjoy!

Exciting!

2010-09-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Refinery29

Check out exclusive pics of Jane Mayle's collaboration with Sigerson Morrison over on Refinery 29. Something amazing to look forward to! Makes me wish I lived back in New York again...well, kind of.

DIY Halloween Costumes

2010-09-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Ohdeedoh

Has anyone been following Ohdeedoh's Homecrafted Halloween series? So clever. What I appreciate almost more than all the ideas they throw out (is it just me, or does a straight-forward store-bought costume defeat the fun of Halloween?), is the fact that they start throwing them out early, giving procrastinators such as myself plenty of time to pick something and then actually execute it. So far this baby owl is my favorite. It looks tricky, but they give detailed how-to info, so I just might give it a try. (By the way, don't you love that the parent is holding down the child's arms in the photo...story of every Halloween costume, right?)

Genius

2010-09-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just saw Kim Eichler-Messmer's Skyscape quilts on Apartment Therapy today, and I am in love! The colors are so inspiring. Forget the bed—I want to hang them on my wall to get the full effect. You can purchase these on her Etsy site for $300...so worth it. And visit her website to see her Narrative works. Oh, how I wish I knew how to quilt!

Please Don't Let Summer Be Over

2010-09-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you, dear Annie Beedy, for capturing "splits down the slide."

Dillweed's Revenge

2010-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

If you're in Portland in the coming month, stop by Nationale on Burnside to see new illustrations by Carson Ellis, on display until Oct. 3rd. Carson of course is well known for her artwork for The Decembrists, among other things. These new illustrations are amazing—they're for the book "Dillweed's Revenge," a dark tale written by Florence Parry Heide (author of the Treehorn books) that was originally supposed to have been illustrated by Edward Gorey (!). The ending is, um, grim, so I'm not sure when I'll show the book to my daughters, but I can't wait to own it nevertheless...

Oh No: Trader Joe's

2010-09-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by Anda La Lucha

I must shop at Trader Joe's at least once a week, and of course the biggest reason for that is their unbelievable (at least on some items) prices. I've never been a big fan of their produce—I hate that it comes packaged in plastic containers, which seems beyond wasteful when dealing with produce, and the freshness is often questionable (too many times I've come home with a container of berries to find mold already thriving).

But I had no idea that their prices were at the expense of farmworkers' rights. Of course I should have; everything cheap these days seems to come with a much higher price than anyone knows. Read the full article on Grist. It's an eye-opener. And a good incentive to shop at Whole Foods instead of TJ's this weekend.

Wish I Had Thought of This

2010-09-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

What to do with all the paint chips you've collected over the years? Sally Kuchar turned hers into dining room art. Love it. (And the neon green sneaks.)

(Via Design Milk.)

Japan, Pt. 3: Best Packaging

2010-08-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I read about Mister Hollywood in the July issue of Vogue, on the plane ride over. (Normally I don't have the luxury to read magazines.) They mentioned organic cotton t-shirts packaged in "drawers" with metal handles. I had to see them, and there they are.

This was a hard-won picture, after about an hour of trying to find the store in high heat and humidity. Finally a young Japanese guy led us to it, tucked away off the main road, with a big truck blocking the entrance. It's not easy to find, but if you're in the market for high-end men's design, I can't imagine a better place to shop. I mean, just look at the marquee.

And the foyer...love the chandelier, and the scary clown.

Japan, Pt. 2

2010-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

My husband and I spent our only full day in Tokyo just wandering the city. One of our favorite finds was a little "organic" shop called I-Uki-Kaha-Ngurengure. The shop itself was gorgeous, with a little garden out front and two stories of all sorts of eco finds, from Japanese honey, to Stewart + Brown clothes, to Japanese handmade shoes from Space Craft, to Japanese hand-woven silks. Confession: this is where I spent my whole shopping travel budget. It was so worth it.

Japanese pottery

Fair Trade baskets

Silk cocoon and silk thread used to make...

These gorgeous scarves and wraps. They felt as light as air...

Japan, Pt. 1

2010-08-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Excuse our overextended vacation! We took a much-needed little summer break, and one of the places I was lucky enough to find myself was Japan, tagging along with my husband for the Fuji Rock festival.

We had only 1 1/2 days to explore Tokyo itself (it was my first time), but we pounded the pavement, and found some amazing stuff. This will be the first of a few Japan installments.

These were the tents at the festival—neatly lined up. Unlike camping I've seen anywhere else. And they were all the most beautiful colors, much like...

These taxicabs. Yes, I took a picture of taxicabs. But look at the colors! I would paint my walls these colors. They also had a mint-green cab and a deep navy (unbelievable), which I wasn't fast enough to capture on film.

More tomorrow....

Strawberries, Still...

2010-07-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

I found the most amazing baked strawberry pie recipe almost a month ago, and I've been meaning to post it, but as time wore on and strawberry season seemed to be ending, I figured I had blown it. But then I went berry-picking just yesterday, and though we mostly picked blueberries, raspberries and marion berries—resulting in a slightly stressful all-night canning session with my husband—we did get some delicious, amazing strawberries as well.

Which has inspired me at last to post the Baked Strawberry Pie recipe! It's such a great way to use up strawberries, besides the usual jams and shortcake desserts. But here's the trick to your berries not ending up a pile of mush in the pie (the biggest complaint about strawberry pie): once you mix the cornstarch and salt with the strawberries, place the berries in a sieve or colander for at least 30 minutes. I left mine sitting there for 45 minutes, tapped out the excess juice, and then placed them in the pie crust. The result was a still-juicy, not watery or mushy, strawberry pie. (I also mixed in some nectarines and a handful of blackberries I had sitting around the kitchen, and they were a great addition.) So there it is—enjoy the rest of the season!

I have learned to love the lattice top...especially if I'm throwing together a pie and don't have much fruit on hand!

Bhalo

2010-07-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Such an easy, lovely summer dress, but it's sold out!

Just read about Bhalo on Refinery 29, and had to share some of their summer staples. Nevermind how cool the fashion is, their cotton is hand-loomed and the line is hand-embroidered by rural Bangladesh women, providing them with valuable employment and all that follows, like education and childcare.

I love the colors in their Canary/Violet Layer Top.

Get it now before it sells out too!

Doodlers Do It Best

2010-07-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

I have major Heath Ceramic envy. If money was no object—and I didn't have two little ones who break on average about 3 bowls a week—I would be their best customer. But alas...we are simply breaking our way through the dishes from Crate & Barrel we got as a wedding gift. My husband couldn't be happier...all along, he's asked me, "Why can't we just get a bunch of plain white dishes from Goodwill?" I'd started to come around, but this cinched the deal: DIY ceramic decorating. This doodling on A Merry Mishap (via Re-Nest) is cooler than anything I've seen. Can't wait to get started...

Eco on the Beach

2010-07-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on Oahu back in December. The sea turtle was swimming only about a foot away from us. Magical.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's just gotten summery. Finally! After a rainy and overcast weekend, we have some 90-degree weather coming up. I actually had to go to my favorite local store, New Seasons, to buy sunscreen today. It was a good feeling. But it's also inspired me to post the Environmental Working Group's 2010 Sunscreen Guide, since there's still so much confusion about which sunscreens we should be buying. (And according to the list, only 8% of the 500 rated are actually recommended!) I know it sounds boring, but the list is a fascinating read...just scroll to the end of the list to see the brands that flunk in more ways than one: many expensive brand-name cosmetic sunscreens, Neutrogena, Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, Banana Boat, drugstore generics. Even if you don't care about how residues from sunscreens effect the environment (good-bye, coral reefs!), you'll care about how they effect you and your family.

For a great summary of sunscreens and their effect on you and the environment, click this link to the GOOD.Is website.

Happy summer!

Vintage Mayle

2010-06-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Susan at Odessa sent out an email this week that she was selling some vintage Mayle pieces in mint condition. So exciting! (Jane Mayle of course closed her eponymous line—to the horror of all of her fans—in 2008, saying the fashion system had gotten "out of control.") When I stopped in, I was so, so happy to see a certain floral geometric top from the Spring 2006 line, which I have always regretted not buying! There is just something about this print—the teal and gold with the flesh color, paired with the triangles on a black background—that I can't get enough of. It's vintage looking and ultra-modern at the same time, and I can't stop looking at it.

Time For A Glass of (Natural) Wine

2010-06-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Wonderful, wonderful wine...

This was not a good week to finally watch Chris Smith's film Collapse. (Click on the trailer below if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Say what you will...the film is interesting, and it definitely rattled me. Coupled with the oil spill still raging in the Gulf, my anxiety level is higher than I'd like. Which brings me to...wine. Frivolous? Yes, but then, that's the point.

The Times ran a story Wednesday about the Natural Wine movement, but the far more interesting read was on Grist. I always knew there had to be a reason I didn't like "2-Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's...now, thanks to writer Tom Philpott, I know why. Here's to buying wine from small, independent (and even better—organic, sustainably-produced or biodynamic) producers, where you can actually taste all the weird and wonderful flavors of the wine.

Hurry: One King's Lane sale!

2010-06-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Selected Plover tabletop is 50% off for 3 days only on One King's Lane

Big news: Starting today, for 3 days only, selected Plover tabletop is half-off at One King's Lane. (Full disclosure: basically everything but place mats and table runners are on sale!) We love shopping on OKL (the deals on there are always incredible—and it's stuff you actually want), so we couldn't resist the opportunity to get Plover up there, just in time for summer picnic season. Go soon, though...some pieces are already sold out!

Genius: Anthropologie M&M Tool

2010-06-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

How many times have you wished you could take bedding (and furniture, and curtains, and rugs...the list goes on) home to try out before you commit to buying them? You must visit Anthropologie's new Mix-And-Match Bedding tool online. It's pretty exciting—you can actually select which sheets you want and see how the toppers would looked paired. Yes, Plover's exclusive sheets for Anthropologie are up there, but I promise would be blogging about this even if they weren't. It's too handy.

The Thorns print in these colors is exclusive to Anthropologie

Outtakes

2010-06-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Blue Flock sheets with Teal Confetti cases and quilt...heavenly, no?

I met Sheila in Seattle this week for a quick photo shoot with the very talented and very patient Curt Doughty. (Thanks again, Curt!) When we started Plover, the idea was to create amazing prints in organics...at the time, all that was out there in organic cotton was neutrals. (Which is still kind of true, although less and less so every year.) But one thing we've learned over time is that there is a place for a clean white bed (just check out this post from Marais USA), or at least a simpler bed. (Sorry, plain white beds still remind me too much of hotels! Also, with two kids: stains.) So we were inspired to show Plover's linens in a new light. After all, the reverse side of all our bold prints is a more quiet one. We wanted to give those prints the spotlight for once. Here's some outtakes...real photos to come soon!

Blue Dots bed with bolder accents: a Pinwheel throw pillow and Blue Geometric standard pillow

Had to post this pic because I was in love with Sheila's yellow headband (borrowed from her daughter)...

There was something about this Pink Flock and Pink Waves bed...I just wanted to jump in.

Edun Excitement

2010-06-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Just read on Refinery 29 that Edun will be relaunching its website soon with super cool colored tees from the Kenya Kids project. (How cute is the zebra tank? I can't wait...) The t-shirt designs were done by Kenyan school children, and 100% of the proceeds go back to the school. So wonderful. Edun is a brand that has inspired us from the beginning, and their "Grow to Sew" initiative, which would make apparel a sustainable industry in Africa, raises the bar. (And—not to get too hopeful, but—might work to change how people approach "business" altogether.)

Yet Another Reason to Buy Organic...

2010-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading on CNN about the "Dirty Dozen"—the twelve fruits and vegetables that you definitely want to buy organic, because their conventionally-grown counterparts are ridden with pesticides. (And these pesticides cannot be washed off. The pesticide tests in the report were actually conducted after the USDA had power-washed the produce. Scary, right?) Non-organic celery, for instance, had traces of 67 pesticides on it! Click the link above to read the full list of produce (strawberries, peaches and bell peppers are among them) to avoid; there's also a handy list of fruit and veggies that are OK to buy conventionally grown (like corn, avocado and sweet potatoes).

This is definitely something to forward to family/friends who still think the organic movement is a racket! I did the same thing when the studies came out showing that organic ketchup had three times as much cancer-fighting lycopene as conventional.

Spring Quilt Market Lust

2010-05-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Kokka's version of granny squares is printed on double gauze. So cool! (Via True Up.)

How I wish I were in Minnesota right now for the Spring Quilt Market! I have been following True Up's coverage with religious devotion. The prints that stood out to me most were all Japanese, but I'm just a sucker for the sweet vintage-inspired stuff...

Love the simplicity of these roses, also by Kokka

Forest, by Hokkoh, another Japanese manufacturer

Vintage/feedsack reproductions from Yuwa / Kei

Tea Cosy!

2010-05-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was telling my husband that we were entertaining the idea of doing Plover tea cozies the other day, and he is convinced that they are going to be the next big thing. (There's even a Seattle band called Tea Cozies. Of course!) Then I saw Tas-Ka fabrics on Cup of Jo, and when I visited their site, I found a treasure trove of amazing things for sale from the Holland-based store—including tea cozies!

Tea cozies in every color...makes me want to switch from coffee!

Love this print by Sanne van Winden

Melamine tray by Donna Wilson

Origami bird shade? Might have to get it for my daughter's room...

Blue + Brown

2010-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Vintage umbrella in genius print

One of my favorite things to do in Portland is to hit the thrift stores. Portland has, hands-down, the best thrift stores I've ever been to. (Feel free to debate, but I truly believe that.) You can always find something incredible...or, at the very least, incredible inspiration. Today my inspiration was vintage prints in blues and browns. I'd forgotten how much I love that color combination, and I saw it everywhere! (Including on the amazing umbrella above...why don't they make umbrellas that look like that anymore?) I had to come home and mix up some blues and browns in Plover bedding. But now what I really want is to create a brand *new* Plover print in blue and brown. Hmmm....

Sweet vintage hankies...

This vintage scarf would be brilliant as a duvet cover, no?

Mixing "Brown Leaves" euro shams with a "Teal Squares/Teal Confetti" bed

This is kind of crazy—"Brown Leaves" mixed with our new "Pinwheel" print duvet, "Teal Confetti" throw pillow and "Blue Geometric" pillowcase—but something about it is working for me today...

Streaking through Spring

2010-05-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's wool and rain boots one day, bare arms, sandals and ice cream trucks seemingly on every corner the next - in other words, typical springtime weather in New York City. During a run of particularly wet, clammy, and otherwise dispiriting weather, my children and I, inspired by an article in the New York Times, decided to streak - for a 100 straight days. And I'm not talking about 70s style streaking.

We are reading 10 minutes a day, from a 'chapter' book, as a family, for 100 days in a row, better known in my house as the '100-day streak.' No excuses, no ifs, ands or buts. I have called my son at a weekend sleepover and read over the phone; my children have lounged in the bath while doing our streak reading; we have read at 7am before school, and we have 'streaked' at 11pm before going to bed way too late. Subway streak reading turns into impromptu groups of whoever is around us listening (and always commenting on our book choice!).

Streak reading gone awry!

We are finishing our third book tonight. Next up, our list includes Lad (in my opinion the greatest dog story of all time), Charlotte's Web or Wind in the Willows.

What would be on your reading list and where would your favorite place be to streak?

Plover Organic + Broken Bells!

2010-05-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Can you ever have enough tote bags? Of course you can, but why can I never find mine when I'm running out the door to the grocery store? Well, here's another must-have tote: the Broken Bells tote by Plover Organic! Broken Bells (aka Dangermouse and James Mercer) kicked off their first U.S. tour last night in San Diego, and our totes are along for the ride. They are limited-edition and only available on this tour...just FYI. Best thing about this tote? It's foldable, with a snap button, but there's also a very cool surprise screen-printed inside. Just saying.

Magical Birthday

2010-05-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

My daughter turned 3 this weekend, and it was one of those beautiful early summer days in the Northwest, so we had the party in the backyard. I try to be as green as possible when entertaining—especially with kids, who don't mind drinking juice out of old baby food jars and feel special using cloth napkins. And summer birthdays are so easy—just turn the kids loose in the yard, and they're thrilled. My dear friend Annie Beedy took the photos, so I just took it easy.

Buying this fabric banner on Etsy was one of the smartest things I have done. (Although, yes, it's sad that I did not have time to make it myself!) And this year's (very loose) sea creatures theme was easily achieved by hanging bath toys from the apple tree

Paper straws (so cute!) and baby food jars to drink from for the kiddies...

My daughter and I baked the cupcakes in the morning, making sea creatures out of marzipan (so much like play dough, I had no idea!) with India Tree vegetable-based food coloring...

Here are 3 little partygoers in a big bird's nest...yes, a bird's nest. My husband has been building it slowly for the past few months, from the ground up. He even put a floor in so the kids can stand up in it. Amazing, right? I don't know how he thinks these things up, but we love it. The kids pretended to be birds all afternoon. So much cooler than a plastic swing set!

Vintage Lilly

2010-05-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do when summer is near is to shop for girls' dresses. I scored when I found this vintage Lilly Pultizer dress for my niece. So sweet! I love the bright colors and bold shapes—pure summer.

The New Collection Is Here!

2010-05-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

We are very, very excited here in the Pacific Northwest...the sun is shining, it's getting warm, and Plover Organic's new collection is here! We are going crazy over how beautiful all the prints came out. It's one thing to design the prints, quite another to finally see the finished product on your bed. It's the best part of the job, by far. But even better: we can finally show the new collection to everyone!

The Thorns/Gold Circles collection:

Pink Roses/Pink Waves:

Pinwheel/Blue Dots:

The Flock collection (this is available in Black, Pink and Blue):