all things girls can tell

bbc travel: passyunk ave.

over the holiday, several of the shop's passyunk avenue neighbors were featured in a BBC article on how great the avenue has become and its importance as a corridor full of independent businesses in philadelphia. you might recognize some of the diagrammy wares featured in the slide show photos from green aisle grocery. xo!

special project: coasters for knack!

lovely lady barb at knack studios has been making pure magic lately, bringing new life to great pieces of furniture. when she asked about having some custom coasters made as a thank you gift for her lovely customers, i agreed to the project without hesitation.

here is a super post she wrote at her own blog on the results, with some photos (how did i forget to take photos! gah!). take a peek, and also skip on her site to see some of the really beautiful projects she's taken on lately. amazing.

process: shipping boxes + other monotonous details

lately i've ben very fortunate + have been able to participate in some really big, fantastic opportunities. sometimes, i forget when i'm signing on to really neat things that are bigger that i've ever done before that the details take time. like assembling 300+ shipping boxes in an afternoon by myself. it's for processes like this that i love to find a good, long documentary + let my mind wander while i work. recently, i watched the fantastic ken burns' prohibition series on PBS. it delved into not only the bits we all tend to think of when we recall that era, but also the series of events leading up to it, which was completely fascinating.

book report: ruhlman's twenty

photo by matthew kayahara

i used to think it was odd that erik pretty much only reads cook books. well, cook books + culinary magazines. aside from a few prized cookbooks i've accumulated over the years (amazing gals nigella + julia), i never paid much mind to cookbooks. that's changed a bit now, since there is always at least one on the coffee table, and i'll read just about anything you put in front of me.

the most recent cookbook to grace the coffee table is ruhlman's twenty - twenty methods + basics of cooking knowledge, with accompanying recipes for each one (erik got the ratio book a few months ago, and swears by it - i admit, it's a slightly dry but incredibly fascinating read). when flipping through twenty the other night, i couldn't help but notice how the first chapter - mise en place - was not only the most logical, sensible way to begin cooking, but really the only way to begin any sort of project. ruhlman advocated not only setting out the things you need for your recipe, but clearing the work surface of everything else. it was so sensible. before i successfully set out to get anything done, i need to clear my work table and get everything i need set out. when i don't observe this habit? the project never goes as smoothly, if it gets finished at all.

so i thought i'd share this little revelation with you - there's so much that we, makers, share with other artisans, and this chapter just got me thinking about what i do a little differently. it's fun to learn something about what you do from people who do something so different, but so similar.

oh, blog!

admittedly, i've been having a bit of a hard time blogging lately. i won't sit here and go on about how busy i am or detail what i've been choosing to work on instead of posting (i've been posting those types of updates as "news" at girlscantell.com). it's not for lack of ideas or things to say i'm not posting here. i just can't help but wonder what real purpose this virtual space serves these days.

when i began posting, i was enthused about beginning my full time creative business, and posted fairly often here because i wanted dialogue about a lot of stuff i wasn't seeing discussed in our community. i wanted to answer the questions i hadn't found answers to and figured out myself as i went along. it seemed like the right thing to do.

long live the magazine

with the sad news of the abrupt end of readymade magazine breaking last week, i got to thinking about which other magazines we like to read and would also miss dearly if they suddenly stopped appearing every so often.

now, more than ever, it's become more than apparent that if you love something, you should support it as best you can. here is a rundown of some of our favorite reads - good old stand-bys and new favorites alike.

10. martha stewart living - i inherited a few issues to this gem from the girls who used to rent the old girls can tell studio space, and fell so in love with the party decoration ideas that i immediately signed myself up for another year.

9. self - my go-to airport read, i usually love their choices of strong, interesting women for the cover + their dedication to promoting healthy habits.

8. vogue - the very definition of a fashion magazine, this is my favorite thing to read when i want to just totally zone out for a bit - so it's also another airport go-to for me.

7. saveur - i have to admit - the super food related picks are inspired by my boyfriend, erik. he reads cookbooks like they're going out of style, so in between finding new tomes of cuisine to completely immerse himself in, he holds himself over with cooking magazines, of course. i like the travel features in saveur, highlighting great restaurants in cities around the world.

6. bon appetit - even before i had the great honor of towels of my own design appearing as an editor's pick in this magazine, i've used bon appetit as a go-to for awesome seasonal recipes.

5. food + wine - a classic of the food magazines, of course.

4. print magazine - i don't often look to other work for inspiration in my own, but when i need a little something to work out of a design slump, this is where i turn. their design annuals, highlighting the best of the best in design across the country.

3. real simple - while i don't turn to design inspiration for my work often, i'm constantly looking for ideas for my home + studio for organization. this is the best of the best for practical ideas, especially for small spaces.

2. lucky peach - this is a brand new quarterly, from david chang of momofuko fame. the guy's clearly got lots to say, and, even in the first issue, he's gathered a great collection of other opinionated people to share, as well.

1. grid - hands down, my very favorite magazine. what's not to love about a magazine with the tagline "toward a sustainable philadelphia"? i find this magazine so useful, relevant + full of hope, i snatch up a copy as soon as i see them appear each month. which brings me to another thing i love about it - it's free. despite having such quality content - interesting information, events, great articles + recipes - it's available at bars, coffee shops +  boutiques all over the city. i can only assume it's ad-supported + realized that not charging for content is a more sustainable business model. a magazine that's thoroughly modern + sustainable is a good, good thing.

so what are you reading these days? what am i missing?

a word on knock offs

I've been hesitant to post on this topic for a few reasons today (not the least of which being that I'm supposed to be packing up the studio to move into the new work|shop today), but I've been mulling + mulling... Here goes...

If you'd prefer to have a random towel that you traced artwork that isn't yours onto with (what's more or less) a sharpie in your kitchen, so be it.

Professionally handmade work isn't for everyone. If you don't want to buy a towel that I hand printed through Anthropologie's website or through my own website (where I've been selling these towels myself for years), I probably can't stop you from making a cheapie version for your own use.

However, you should know the hours upon hours that I've put into sourcing the very best floursack towels (100% floursack cotton, in what I've deemed the best size ever, milled in the US, that gets softer with wear) and that I've honed my style of illustration for years as my little tiny business has grown (I don't have an MFA, rather a degree in Architecture, but that's a whole other story). I've printed thousands of towels over the past few years for a living (hereby making me a professional). Most importantly, I've worked so very hard over many, many long hours to build my little business and perfect my products.

But if you'd prefer your traced-on sharpie version, knock yourself out.

I stand by my work. And I support my peers - other independent artists - whenever and however I can. I buy less, but sleep easier at night, knowing that how I spend my money is aligned with what I believe.

Those who know me (virtually or, gasp!, in person) know I've been doing this for some time, and that I'm a real person (brutally honest at times, and with a weakness for locally crafted beer). I work really hard and I'm generally pretty nice. While I've been more than fortunate in enjoying some unbelievable successes lately (seriously, pinch me!), I certainly won't be wallpapering my bathroom in benjamins anytime soon. So if you'd rather make your own cheap knock off than support someone who has inspired you in even a tiny way, and if that gives you satisfaction, so be it.

pinteresting?

okay! who wants to explain the obsession with pinterest to me?

i've finally reached a tipping point where i'm not sure i can take on any more websites. is that horrible? as i admitted on twitter the other day, i have little or no interest in creating, maintaining or (quite frankly, reading) things on tumblr. if i'm not the kind of person who finds what's already out there particularly inspiring, is there any hope i'll find pinterest particularly useful or interesting?

more than anything, i'm trying to weigh the importance of websites like this - if i don't keep up with every site of note that pops up, will i fall hopelessly behind? or if i get sucked in to every fun thing like this that comes along, will i lose focus + have a harder time producing work?  it's hard to find the balance when there are so many things to see + do that get everyone so very excited.

so... should i delve into pinterest?

mastering the art

one of the best treats of our recent spring break was getting time to read. i'm always a sucker for a good biography, and given how much erik + i loved our recent outing to bistrot la minette a few weeks ago, i selected julia child's my life in france for the trip.

which, of course, inspired me to immediately purchase the epic mastering the art of french cooking upon our return. while i have no grand disillusions of becoming the next julie + julia, i am hoping to find the time to make some deliciousness for dinner ( + dessert!) soon.

country living love

i'm beyond excited that in the february 2010 issue of country living magazine, you'll find my towels featured! they're in great company, with some other really fantastic tea towels. you can find the towels in the shop right here!