sea glass floats

Originally used in Japanese fishing boats, the floats were woven together intertwined in a netting that would cast out aside the water and allow fish to become caught in the looped netting below and the fish would be pulled into the boats. They were the original buoy before reeds and plastic would eventually replace them. The plus side to the glass was that it is a naturally occurring substance made from sand and heat, and left no pollutants. Though being that they were easily replaced, negatively, the buoys would eventually crack after baking in the hot sun, or in the cool water, and would fill with sea water and sink, or would become loose and float off on their own. The most prized of the globes are of the Asahi glass company, that produced glass of high quality and of varying colors including the very rare ruby glass. Replicas can be found today produced many companies usually during their summer lines, like that of; Shibui and Fine Art America.  

mt hood

Mt. Hood located in northern Oregon overlooks the pacific northwest and has a wonderful distant view of Portland. The range has a rich history of native american tribes, like that of the Multnomah tribe that called this region home. It was also mapped by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and referred to The Dalles before it was renamed. The mountain feature is due to a potentially active volcano that has been considered dormant. Older lava flows and glacier movement have created river and lake features that carve out pristine mountain terrain. The mountain is host to climbing, skiing, hiking, and boating almost year round, that gives the landmark a distinctive quality. Lodging and camping is able to be found year round and is known for its vistas and scenery. 

aquavit

Try a new flavor this season. Aquavit, is a Dutch liquor that has been around since the middle ages. The beverage became popular in the the Nordic region of the world due to its ability to pair extremely well with fish and beer. The spirit is notably aged in oak barrels for 1 month to 4 months which gives it a signature carmel color, but you can make this at home for yourself in shorter amount of time! The drink is flavored with dill, fennel and caraway which makes it sweet, licorice flavored and slightly dilly. This is not your normal alcoholic staple since it is more brewed due to norwegian customs than anything. When a deal is struck the beverage is taken as a shot in congratulations.  I recommend mixing it with soda, champaign and a lemon to add a more complex twist to your meal. If you want to be a traditionalist you should drink beer (try a lager, with a slight maltiness, this will enhance the flavors of the drink) and shoot the beverage while it is served out of shot glasses afterward - nordic tradition.

Aquavit 

ingredients:

3 TB corriander

2 TB fennel

2 TB dill

1 TB caraway

1 liter vodka

6 whole peppercorns

2 cloves

directions:

1. combine ingredients into an air tight jar. 

2. cover and let stand for 2 - 3 weeks (longer it stands the less you will taste the dill and the more you will taste the fennel). 

3. shake jar carefully every few days, care to muddle the ingredients by turning the jar over one or twice. 

4. strain with cheesecloth and decant into 4, 8 oz. glass bottles. 

5. you can keep for up to a year. 

succulent designs

Every home should have some sort of life other than just the family that lives there. Other than the vibrancy of paint, pillows, or throws bring in an assortment of plants. Succulent Designs on Etsy provide great inspiration as well as pre-made assemblages that give some color and texture. They also offer cuttings and plants that ship for relatively low prices. They sell a wide range of wreathes, center pieces and terrariums that come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

maureen chatfield

Maureen Chatfield is an artist in upstate New York and has been painting for many years. She has several collections that she has been working on. Her series cover the colors of spring and bring the warm hues of those months into the home. The paintings are huge scenic windows that allow for her abstract visions to come to life. Her painterly work keeps to a formal palette of greens, blues and taupes. Check her out at Maureen Chatfield.

rac

Sometimes we need some background music to our busy lives. Enter: RAC, also known as the Remix Artist Collective. The collective was established in 2007 by Andre Allen Anjos with partners Andrew Maury Karl Kling. They have the mentality of redoing a song under a different structure, and not necessarily relying on the traditional club beats. They have remixed several numbers of songs all stemming from any number of genres. They tend to stay true to the original and attempt to put more emotion into the song than that which was before. 

globes

Timeless and beautiful, the globe is a wonderful symbol of travel and adventure. The globe was an invention of the Greek's and used to map the celestial sky. Later discovery of the world being a physical globe lead to a boom in cartography and global mapping. In the 1950's the globe became one of the most necessary pieces of equipment in the classroom. During that time more globes were produced then every before and since then, they have became a vintage staple of the classroom. Today, they have become a symbol of a time past and schoolhouse retro. To pick some up, try Etsy. 

j. crew

Holiday maybe over and the winter is just coming in, though that does not stop retailers from pushing early spring lines into their stores. j.Crew's new releases are full of mustards, forrest greens and deep navies. These colors are usually reserved for the fall season, though this years early back to earth color ways and blending with the natural season brings out the terra firma color pallet. Check out some of their new seasons releases on their site j.Crew.

south africa

Taking a departure from Americana, the rustic camp sometimes looks elsewhere to pull inspiration, since a camp can be many things to many people. South Africa is one such place. Located in the southern most portion of Africa and considered one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, South Africa was originally colonized by the Dutch to have a refreshment station built in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The country started becoming a haven for weary merchants from the East India trade route. As the Dutch moved further into the land they encroached on the Xhosa and Zulu tribes land. This created turmoil and many wars erupted. Soon the Dutch were not able to stabilize the area, and the French moved in, causing further turmoil and war. The British eventually fought and took over the area and attempted to defeat the slave trade routes in 1807 and mildly stabilized the region. By the 1910 the country was unionized under segregation and maintained to be a country divided until 1990's. Post-aparteid South Africa was when creativity and design began to flourish.  The country began to see ideas of east meets west blend more smoothly and design began to blossom the ideas of english and african design. Modern artists tend to keep to minimalism with tastes of outdoorsy rustic due to the beauty of the countries physical landscape. Some designers, artists and organizations to follow are: John Kramer, Haldane Martin, and Ronel Jordaan. 

disgrace

There is something about reading a book especially about a personal journey that makes one want to go on one himself. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee is a novel set in South Africa primarily in Cape Town and a small farming village in the Eastern Cape. David the protagonist in the novel is professor of poetry and is a chair in Communications at the university he teaches at. He becomes involved with a young student which leads him on a journey to escape his desires and prompts visit to his daughter in the Cape. He becomes one with the land, and learns about humility and hardship. Soon he must face some of his inner demons and cast away his regard for some of his literary antiheroes. The novel is dark and poignant, though is a quick read. It is a great jumping point for some who would like to atone to their lack in picking up the New Year's resolutions that they may have already dropped. 

black

Black symbolizes the absence of color, where in reality it is the absorption of color, tone and hue. Oddly enough, nothing can breathe emotion like that of the color black, it is powerful to the eye, it makes an impact. Black is the oldest used color in the world. It originates in cave paintings found in  France that predates history, the markings were originally made from charred remains of coal or thatch. The colors original name is synonymous with ink, burning, or to have been extinguished. In design it makes a bold statement when paired with woods, white subway tile or grays. The color can be soothing and harmonious and allow for a feeling of calm and tranquility. When playing with this color utilize several ideas: paint your space with Benjamin Moore's universal black, Try a more modern mix, Design Within Reach's Barcelona Bench, accessorize yourself with Archival's Roll Top Bag.