Monthly Archives: December 2009

fourth degree friday: temi does DC

Posted on December 11, 2009 | 8 Comments

temi kujore

Hometown: DC
Current City: Chicago, 4 years, DC this week though!
Occupation: Photographer

Four Words to Describe DC
Home of mambo sauce.

Four Spots in DC to Check For
I’ve been away for a minute so I have to name the classics.

clockwise
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe: from breakfast to late night; good food, good drinks, good people watching
Tryst: for the best chai on the planet, always ask for extra animal crackers
Cafe Nema: good food, strong drinks, great vibe
St Paradise Cafeteria aka the church: best soul food in the city

Four DC Citizens We Should Know About

clockwise
The Bernos Crew: unique t-shirts
Loide Jorge: jazz vocalist
Wale Aristoz: photographer extraordinaire
Backyard Band: DC go-go (Ed Note: Slim Charles!)

Four DC Plans for the Weekend
Short weekend, since I’m headed back to Chicago. Maine Avenue Fish Market for some seafood, check out the new spots on H Street, sneaker shopping and a stop by Nandos.

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vintage magazine: the chicagoan

Posted on December 10, 2009 | Leave a comment

I can’t spell. Every time I have written Chicagoian on this very blog, my husband has gone behind me and edited it to the proper Chicagoan. I swore up and down that I had the correct spelling and that he was in the wrong, so I googled. And found The Chicagoan Magazine, a short-lived counterpart to the still-trucking-along New Yorker.

Pretty much forgotten after its eleven year run, historian Neil Harris recently wrote an award-winning book about the magazine. From the press release: “Urbane in aspiration and first published just sixteen months after the 1925 appearance of the New Yorker, it sought passionately to redeem the Windy City’s unhappy reputation for organized crime, political mayhem, and industrial squalor by demonstrating the presence of style and sophistication in the Midwest.”

Harris’ book is perfect for the Chicagoan or urbanophile in your life this Christmas.

Oh, and… Chicago has nothing to prove to New York. Thanks.

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Posted in urbanisms

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midwestern urban farming in the cold, cold winter

Posted on December 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

The last time we visited God’s Hill City Farm, it was the last warm day of fall and the plants in the backyard were resplendent in their glory and ready to harvest. Would you believe that they are still picking fresh greens every day, now, in the first week of severe winter weather?

With a new hot house and lots of TLC, God’s Hill City Farm will be able to keep up their growing throughout the season. If you have questions or want to learn more about urban farming, email godsil.james@gmail.com.

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Posted in urbanisms

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tweak 99

Posted on December 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Who’d a thunk you’d get great design ideas from Extra TV? Paul Abdul (looking rather sober, may I add) took viewers to her cousins new shop, Tweak 99, in Los Angeles on Sunday night’s episode. Billed as a $99 and under store combining value with smart design, Tweak 99 is right on time for the holidays. I love love love the hanging pots, who wants to buy them for me?

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e-cards from the moma

Posted on December 8, 2009 | 2 Comments

One of my girlfriends has come down with the swine. Since I am terrified of both germs and getting the slightest bit sick, I’m unable to go near her. Sorry, Shar. You get an e-card.

Much better than Hallmark’s singing birds or the crazy pop-ups you get with other e-card sites, MOMA’s selections range from sculpture to paintings to photography to architecture and design. Keep it in mind the next time someone you know gets the swine.

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Posted in fine art

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repurposed vintage drawers

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 3 Comments

I happily stumbled upon this beautiful piece from German store schubLaden over at Furfin. The shop gets its name from the German word for drawer and they deal solely in repurposing old drawers, featuring items for every room in the house made out of the vintage beauties.

These would both be a fun project for Ikea Hacker with an old Expedit, don’t you think?

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Posted in inspiration

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vintage vignette

Posted on December 5, 2009 | Leave a comment

Prop stylist Lauren Adel Klich creates a warm, welcoming bedroom with vintage suitcases for nightstands, the perfect light green chair and a romantic white bedcover.

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Posted in inspiration

fourth degree friday: miami

Posted on December 4, 2009 | 1 Comment

malik benjamin, miami

Hometown: Do-or-Die Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, New York
Current City: Miami, 8 years
Occupation: Design Professor

Four Words to Describe Miami
A little too good… or a little too bad.

Four Spots in Miami to Check For

clockwise
DJ Spam and the Spam Allstars at Hoy Como Ayer, Jazid or wherever they are playing: truly Miami. MP3′s don’t do them justice.
Transit Lounge: feels like your favorite home bar no matter what city you are from
Purdy Lounge: should be called party lounge
Nikki Beach: Where the divas at?

Four Miamians We Should Know About

clockwise
Edwidge Danticat
Bannavis Andrew Sribyatta of PIEStudio
DJ Spam and the Spam Allstars
Angela Garcia of Lovely Daze Desserts

Four Miami Plans for the Weekend
Design at Art Basel 2009 (pictured), art at Design Miami, jazz at MOCA and football at Lucky Strike.

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print society

Posted on December 3, 2009 | Leave a comment

Print Society, a brand new website for buying prints, just launched. The new marketplace seems to be working out the kinks and is slow to load but worth it once you get there. Print Society lets you browse prints by price, artist and popularity. The first page of the browse by price section features lovely art available from $4-15. Pair your favorite with a thrifted frame for a thoughtful and affordable holiday gift. Artists and galleries can add their prints to the site as well.

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Posted in fine art

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artist amanda williams

Posted on December 2, 2009 | 3 Comments
amanda williams

blue is the smoke of war, white the bones of man by amanda williams

I’ve linked to Amanda William’s AW Gallery before, back when I featured her friend Lekan Jeyifous’ home on this site. One of my favorite paintings in Lek’s apartment was done by Amanda and has traveled from house to house with Lek. It’s a treat to show you my new favorite painting by the talented Ms Williams.

The painting pictured is called “Blue Is the Smoke of War, White the Bones of Man,” which Amanda tells me is the title of a little known abstract expressionist painting by Romare Bearden. I fell in love last month after seeing it at Three Peas Art Lounge in the South Loop.

Amanda writes:
“Everyone loves his collages, but I wanted to see how his spatial sensibility might have translated to his painted works. I decided to take a very brief foray into “copying the masters”… the exercise was supposed to be tongue in cheek in that its a bit hard to mimic abstraction. But I did it. Mine of course looks not one bit like his. He used splatters which I realized I hate. I like drips. Drips and washes. Not attacking, but confrontational nonetheless…”

I love it.

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Posted in fine art, inspiration

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