See you soon!

If the idea of putting together a floral arrangement makes you nervous, why not start a bit smaller?

These beautiful glass bud vases from Two’s Company turn the task of creating an eye-catching floral centerpiece into an absolute dream. You can never be too understated with a bud vase, and that’s what we love! And because these ones are glass, shells or rocks in the bottom of the vase can make a BIG statement. We really like the idea of putting singular stems, or even wheat grass in these bud vases to add color and texture to a solid colored tabletop.

And is always the case, marthastewart.com has some really lovely inspiration pictures to get you thinking about the possibilities! Stay tuned this weekend, and we’ll have more on bud vases & how to incorporate them into your home!

A few months ago, a friend of mine presented me with a beautiful mortar & pestle… You can do tons of amazing things with these handy little things, but my definite favorite has to be making guacamole! There’s something so pleasing about mashing up avocados in the big stone bowl…

So here’s my (mostly improvised) recipe for delicious guacamole.

INGREDIENTS

4 avocados
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime
sea salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Pit & scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl or mortar & pestle. If you’re looking for the best way to pit your avocados, check out this great lifehacker tutorial with accompanying video.

2. With a potato masher, fork, your fingers, or pestle, mash the avocados up – adding some sea salt & pepper. I’ve seen many recipes use cayenne pepper, cumin, or other spices as well. Now would be the time to add them, if you’d like them.

3. Dice the tomatoes and onions, mince the garlic & finely chop the cilantro. Fold them into the avocados, adding the lime juice & more salt & pepper to taste.

Proportions are all subject to personal taste. I reaaalllly love garlic & cilantro, so my guacamole is always heavy on them. But, as I always say, choose your own adventure! Guacamole is such a fun & easy food to make & is always a big hit with dinner guests…

Happy avocado mashing!

Michelle

]]> http://brooklynski.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/summer-guacamole-recipe/feed/ 0 brooklynski IMG_1476 http://brooklynski.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/fathers-day-gift-roundup/ http://brooklynski.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/fathers-day-gift-roundup/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:33:26 +0000 brooklynski http://brooklynski.wordpress.com/?p=368 ]]> Father’s Day is THIS SUNDAY! Which means you only have a few days left to shop for the special father in your life. Whether it’s your husband, dad, or grandfather, men can go a little under-appreciated with the gift giving sometimes. That’s why we’ve put together a great roundup of all of our favorite Father’s Day gift ideas.

From funky glass belt buckles to totally hip screenprinted ties, we have your books, accessories, and cards to make this Father’s Day really special.

So browse the gallery by clicking on the pictures, or jump to after the cut for more details about each gift idea!

Scarlett Glass Cufflinks, $40

These Scarlett Glass cufflinks are the perfect conversation starter for the cool but professional dad. Quirky, brightly colored, and decorated with animal silhouettes, they make a really stylish Father’s Day gift.

Scarlett Glass Belt Buckles, $75

Cufflinks too tame for your dad? Need something a little more bold? Why not try Scarlett Glass’ belt buckles in gray, pink, or blue? We especially love the horse motif one…

Blank Entity Recycled Wallets, $20

We’ve talked about these Blank Entity wallets before, but we think they’d make the perfect gift for the eco-conscious father. Made from recycled shopping bags, they’re both clever and functional. Even better, each one is totally unique.

The Fair School Screenprinted Ties, $40

Why not step outside of the run-of-the-mill Father’s Day tie gift, with one of these Fair School Screenprinted ones? Choose from a Brooklyn water tower, ferocious bear, or one of the various monster designs.

Band ID (logo) Book, $40

The Band ID logo book is the perfect gift for a dad who’s into music, or even one who is into art & design. A comprehensive catalog of awesome band logos, the book is filled with over a thousand logos & information on the artists.

New York Dolls: Photos by Bob Gruen, $24.95

Who doesn’t love Bob Gruen’s photos ofThe Dolls? One of the foremost rock photographers of the 1960′s & 70′s, Gruen’s unique eye captures The NewYork Dolls at their most rock ‘n’ roll.

Stencil 101 Book, $24.95

Definitely a gift for the crafty dad, this Stencil 101 book teaches you how to use pre-made stencils or even make your own! An arty, gorgeously illustrated book – it’s something the whole family can get into!

(Photo courtesy of flickr user gareth e owen)

(Photo courtesy of flickr user TheGiantVermin)

(Photo courtesy of flickr user zazman design)

Nothing says summer entertaining like paper lanterns & glass votives! Whether you’re grilling, having cocktails, or just enjoying an evening outdoors, good lighting can really set the right mood. That’s why we’ve stocked up on these ULTIMATE outdoor summer accessories in bright, fun colors…

Small Paper Lantern, $15

Large Paper Lantern, $12

Paper lanterns are a really inexpensive way to add a charm and elegance to any space. Use outdoor for parties, or inside to add a splash of color to any room in the house. We especially like the idea of replacing ceiling light fixtures with these gorgeous alternatives.

blue votive, $5

pink votive, $5

green votive, $5

Votives in bright colors can be hung on fences, grouped together on tabletops, or used as dinner centerpieces. We like the combination of pinks, greens & blues for summer, but you can mix & match with our great selection.

Today is the prefect day for a BBQ, so stop by the shop & see the rest of our hot summer accessories!

Last Wednesday we had a blast hosting our very first High Design On A Dime event, with the wonderful & talented Cy & Corby of Vive Designhaus. We spent days transforming the shop into the backdrop for our punk-twinged tea party & invited all our friends & customers to learn about D.I.Y. dinner party essentials. Ryan Eggensberger created our gorgeous window display with recycled materials, and our dear friend Rachel from The Blue Stove even supplied tasty scones for all our guests!

We’ll get Cy to re-cap some of her points for us later in the week, but check out these beautiful photos & start getting inspired to have your own garden tea party! Click for descriptions & details.

Cy’s Favorite Cupcakes…

Our landlord Paul serenades us!

Basia, Cy & Corby

Cy sets the scene with a recycled tablecloth…

Paper flower tutorial…

The table is set!

Cy & Corby congratulate each other on a job well done!

Thanks, again, to all who came & made the night a huge success! We’ll have the tea party display up for the next month, so please come by & see it!

It seems like every time we turn around, the brilliant and talented minds behind O Plus D – that stands for Offensive + Delightful – come up with something so fun & exciting, we can’t wait to put them out on our shelves! This time, it’s a series of notebooks with amazing graphics, and… well… truly offensive & delightful sayings.

Better yet? You get over 100 lined pages, for just $9.00. We’ll have these babies out for the weekend & we expect you all to come in & fill your day with snark.

School is winding down, the sun is becoming more frequent, and we even saw some bathing-suits peaking out from underneath sundresses today. Maybe it’s only May 13th, but we’re PSYCHED to have two new fresh summery items to share with everyone today.

(M. Carter Summer Tote, $25)

M. Carter’s summer tote reminds us of just about every great thing about summer in New York: Ray Bans, cocktails, the beach, & of course the city itself! We could say something about “going wild” for this tote, but we’ll just recommend that you fill it with flip-flops, sunscreen & a nice cool beverage. Fire Island, anyone?

(Diana Summer Hat, $56)

Second, we have this brilliantly sunny hat from the ever-prolific Diana. She’s responsible for a lot of the knitted hats you saw over the winter, as well as some of the gemstone rings. Now she’s wowing us all with these amazing hand-crocheted summer hats. They also come in black, green, pink, white, and straw… For our fairer ladies out there, it’s the perfect summer accessory.

Stop in today to see these great new gift ideas!

P.S. Mother’s day weekend was a total blast! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the store & did your shopping with us!

We’re open till 6 today, but if you’re stumped for a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, why not try the elegant & thoughtful gift of flowers??Ladies, and especially moms, can’t deny a beautiful bouquet with a loving note attached…. Here are a few videos &  links to help you put together the PERFECT bouquet!

The Design*Sponge Weeder’s Digest column this week is all about flower arranging! Check out this amazing instructional video.

Last month Remco Van Vliet and his brother Cas Trap were on the Martha Stewart Show demonstrating how they put together a handhelf bouquet. This article on the Martha Stewart website sums it up pretty beautifully!

Also, a special shout out to Hip Hostess who wrote a great review of our  O+D (Offensive & Delightful) greeting cards & has some really yummy Mother’s Day themed recipes up. Please check it out, and happy gift giving!!

So today we’re going to feature gifts that you can buy on our website & have shipped to wherever mom may be. It takes all the hassle out gift-giving, and we’ll even wrap it up with a nice brown ribbon! So without further ado, here are five gift ideas to start your Mother’s Day wheels a-turnin.

For The Tea-Drinking Mom…

Teaposy Daydream Teapot, $30

Teaposy Blooming Tea, $20

For The Artsy Mom…

AS Battle Graphite Drawing Object, $60

For The Mom Who Likes Something Sweet…

Archipelago Pomegranate Citrus Candle, $35

For The Mom Who Misses You…

Brooklynski Eagle T-Shirt, $20