Alas, it was time for a new pair of summer heels.

I can't wait to wear them to the Bastille Day fête at Alder & Co.

[1-2. c. lynn]

I finally made it over to Una in Portland.

After sweeping through the dress rack, I couldn't help but catch my eye wandering upward to the pottery on the shelf overhead. Sitting in rows and styled according to shape and color, the vintage vessels chanted my name. I will fully admit to being seduced and can prove it with my new pretty pairing of pots, which now find their home on my coffee table.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who can't resist.

[1-2. c. lynn]

I love these bicycle accessories from Adeline Adeline in New York, especially that cute Kate Spade bag that the shop partnered with the fashion label to create.

And below, the two perfect accessories for any Portlander from Walnut Studio on Etsy.

[1-3. Adeline Adeline, 4. Walnut Studio]

A cute spring/summer look from Totokaelo.

[1. Totokaelo]

I'm head over heels in love with my new socks from Alder & Co. by Antipast.

It felt so sweet to march around in them heralding spring with my clogs and fluffy, pink Muji scarf.

[1-2. R. Westby, Alder & Co.]

Lately I've had my eye on some beautiful antique dough bowls from the early 1900s.

[1. the primitive home, 2. vintage bits and pieces, 3. swoon antiques]

Y took me a beautiful ceramics shop called Higashiya where they also produce the most luxurious mochi and sweets. I loved the whole design of the space and found the packaging to be incredible.

[1-4. Higashiya]

A friend of a friend, the wonderful Y agreed to show me around today to visit some of her favorite places to shop. We had a wonderful time darting in and out of the most beautiful housewares shops in Roppongi.

[1. grapejuice girl]

Sure, there's an Opening Ceremony in nyc, where all of the American designers will be much cheaper, but you cannot imagine the creative prop styling, Japanese fashions, and killer outfits that these shopgirls wear to work, just inside.

[1-2. c. lynn]

I found the most amazing little things at Tokyu Hands, a mega-store filled with six floors of everything you could ever want to fill your new Japanese apartment or to take home as souvenirs for friends. The selection is overwhelming and there are so many well-priced gems all over the place.

First, I found these little stainless-steel pitchers that are filled with cream and served with coffee. They are adorable and really remind me of the cafe at Tas Yard.

Second, these hilarious doggy squeak toys in the shape of a gyoza and baozi (steamed bun) with faces on them! Is that a mustache on the steamed bun? I'm not completely sure, but it's amazingly cute. Oh, and I love that the gyoza has a yaki (grilled) brown bottom.



[1. atk1983; 2-3. c. lynn]

One of my favorite stores in Japan is Journal Standard. I love their clothing (think Isabel Marant, linen scarves, slub cotton tops, Swedish clogs), their furniture, and now their burgers! At first it was the avocado burger that drew me in, but then I realized, wait a second—this is a Journal Standard burger place? No way!



My burger was more like a slider—compact with locally sourced beef, fresh avocado, pickle relish, wasabi mustard, crisp lettuce—served with some piping hot crispy fries.

They had outdoor seating as well. Perhaps you'd like a nice lap blanket?



This summer the brand will be opening a pancake cafe. Just another reason to come back to Tokyo!

[1-4. c. lynn]

One of the things that I hope to pick up in Tokyo is a set of chopstick rests. I adore this brass version by one of Japan's oldest ironworks Futagami in collaboration with designer Masanori Oji.

[1-4. Analoque Life]

I loved the patterned porcelain at one of the shops near our serviced apartment in Shanghai. They offered really modern, interesting patterns including a burnout lace pattern, a faux dip-dye, a collections of thin lines, as well as coral motifs. I really adore that small pitcher in the center of the photograph.

[1. c. lynn]

Find the perfect gift for your foodie friends, whether they sift and bake or sizzle and fry. I've pulled together an assortment of wonderful kitchen tools for the cook who has most of the basics. However, if you're shopping for some top quality kitchen essentials, check out the ever-changing inventory at modern artefacts for living—a new amazon.com store filled with my recommendations for cookbooks as well as the tried and true workhorses in my kitchen. I hope that some of these picks will inspire you to whip up something delicious!

1. Metrokane wine rack- Excellent for storing bottles of white wine in the fridge.
2. Royal VKB squeeze bottle- Perfect for shaking up a delicious new dressing or adding a professional touch to plating, allowing you to squeeze a few drops of parsley oil into a bowl of soup or plating a sauce around an entree.
3. Kuhn Rikon can opener- I never knew that a can opener could be this useful. It safely cuts into the side of the lid so that the top of the can never dips into the food product. It also creates a resealable lid for leftovers.
4. Alessi chili crusher- To chop a chili pepper without contaminating your hands with hot chili oils.
5. Alessi 1 by 1- Great for organizing your mis en place.
6. Yanagi bowl and strainer set- I love this set for use as a sifter and bowl set or as a strainer.
7. A beautiful stainless-steel spice rack- Beauty and function with clean lines.

8. Pastry board- Makes rolling out a round of pie crust a snap.
 9. De Buyer pancake/crepe pan- Great for making delicious pancakes with crispy edges, fluffy crepes or a crispy fish fillet.
10. Paella pan- For use on a grill or a stovetop. Be sure to order one that is small enough for the number of people that will be served on a consistent basis.
11. Wooden tongs- A beautiful serving pair.
12. Cruet- It's great to have a bottle of olive oil handy by the stove, and in such an attractive vessel, you will be happy to keep it out on your counter.
13 & 14. Pink Himalayan sea salt and black Hawaiian sea salt- Amp up your plating with a sprinkle of these pretty (and tasty) sea salts.
15. Weck jars- Work well for storage as well as canning.
16. Alessi Mami baking pan- A good-looking roasting pan for a wide range of culinary jobs.
17. Silicone ice cube tray- For freezing large cubes of stock, tomato sauce, pesto, etc.

 

Like last year, I will be pulling together a few gifts guides for the wonderful people in your life including the aspiring chef and the ever-accommodating host(ess). 

I hope that you'll enjoy them!

[1. the late Domino magazine] 

Check out this sculptural coat rack made from American black walnut by Portland designer William Ullman. It's an interesting shape and would make a huge impact in a pared down entryway. Find it at Canoe.


[1-2. Canoe]

While I was visiting my parents on the east coast, I was hoping to take a short day trip over to Terrain at Styer's. I had been hearing so much about this garden center's many workshops and landscape design services, that I was eager to check it out in person. A two-and-a-half hour drive later, my mom and I got the chance to look around. 

The grounds are pretty extensive providing a real showcase for the aspiring gardener—with rows and rows of dirty little bulbs and stacks of tools and pots all around—as well as the gourmand, with jars of compote, pickles, jams, and wooden utensils collected in pitchers. In the shop, the greenhouse-like feel of Terrain is a fun departure from their Anthropologie sister brand. It's a much more luxurious, conceptual space with a skincare department, a terrarium workshop, a holiday trimming wonderland, and a fantastic cafe serving up salads, soups, hot dishes, and pie.

I was taken with the enormous selection of bulbs and took home some narcissus to force during the winter, along with Seven Fires, bars of Saipua for Terrain soap (for gift add-ons), and a few holiday cards.



(The cafe starts each meal with the sweetest little boule baked in a clay flower pot accompanied by sweet butter and flaked pink sea salt. Yum!)

[1-6. c. lynn]

Fall is here—short days, chilly nights, and lots of warm thoughts of home. This fall it would be really wonderful to have:

Chic, waterproof rain boots for Portland's rainy season

 

Soft blanket throws for our couch

One pot wonders in a cheery holiday green

a beautiful cross-body leather bag

[1. kworth30]