modern thrifter

[ PLANTED ] I’ve been sporadically working on clearing...

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:53:32 -0700

[ PLANTED ]

I’ve been sporadically working on clearing rocks out of our borrowed garden space for the past month. It’s been slow-going because I tend to get light-headed working in the heat, so to avoid passing out in my neighbor’s yard, I’ve had to limit my rock picking sessions to about 30 minute increments. The rock was piled more than 12” in most of the space, but with the help of Patrick and the kids, I finally moved the last of it yesterday.

We mixed in some compost and leveled the ground. A friend of mine has a small garden and had a bunch of leftover organic seeds, so she gave them to me to use. It made choosing what I was going to plant pretty easy! She gave me small bags of carrot, beet, bean, and lettuce seeds. In addition to that I picked up a couple of tomato starts and bought a few for her.

It ended up getting a lot warmer than I expected yesterday, and my sweet neighbor came out with a big pitcher of lemony ice water and some cups for us. I’m so thrilled about this little space, not only for the potential to grow our food, but also as a chance to build community with our neighbors. It’s like our own little p-patch.

[ Seppo Mallat & An Everlasting Meal ] As a kid, I used to...

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:43:00 -0700

[ Seppo Mallat & An Everlasting Meal ]

As a kid, I used to spend afternoons in my grandma’s kitchen learning how to make pies and bread, and how to cook and can chokecherry jelly. As an adult, I don’t love cooking everyday. There are evenings where it feels like just another chore and the meal is met with “do I really have to eat that?” looks on the kids’ faces.

More often than not, though, I find a simple pleasure in food—both preparing and eating it. It’s even more enjoyable when I use tools for which I have a fondness, like my vintage Le Creuset sauce pan, my thrifted rolling pin, identical to the one my mom has used since my childhood, and now, my newly thrifted Seppo Mallat Finel sauté pan.

I have always hoped to find Kobenstyle cookware at the thrift store, but have struck out thus far. I hadn’t ever seen the Finel cookware designed by Seppo Mallat until I snagged this pan off the shelf at Goodwill. Now, I am head over heels for the design. I like the modern straight sides of the designs in contrast to the more traditional shape of Kobenstyle.

While my new pan makes me smile every time I use it, the book I’m currently reading, An Everlasting Meal, has me inspired and excited to cook up something new. Author Tamar Adler writes eloquently about the endless possibilities of the simplest foods. I found myself chuckling as she describes the elation of peeling a boiled egg in one swoop, and my mouth watering, craving a slice of garlicky toast at midnight when I’m reading in bed.

I have the book for another week from the library before I sadly have to return it. I think I will have to put this on my wish list, as I think it is an excellent resource to own.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1: How to boil water

“There is a prevailing theory that we need to know much more than we do in order to feed ourselves well. It isn’t true. Most of us already have water, a pot to put it in, and a way to light a fire. This gives us boiling water, in which we can do more good cooking than we seem to realize.

Our culture frowns on cooking in water. A pot and water are both simple and homely. It is hard to improve on the technology of the pot, or of the boil, leaving, when it comes to this particular technique, nothing for the cookbook and cookware industries to sell.

The pot was invented 10,000 years ago, and a simmering one has been a symbol of a well-tended hearth every since. I don’t mean to suggest that now that you have been reminded of the age and goodness of a pot of water, you start boiling everything in your kitchen, but that instead of trying to figure out what to do about dinner, you put a big pot of water on the stove, light the burner under it, and then, as soon as it’s on its way to getting hot, start looking for things to put in it. Once you do, you will have dropped yourself, in a single gesture, directly into the middle of cooking a meal, jostled by your faith and will a few steps closer to dinner…”

[ HEARTACHE ] Sometimes a great find comes down to a matter of...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:32:41 -0700

[ HEARTACHE ]

Sometimes a great find comes down to a matter of minutes. This morning I missed out on this set of six vintage scandi spindle chairs by about five minutes. Making it even more painful, I saw that they were priced at $5.99 each. I begged the Goodwill employee to let me take a picture of them before he hauled them to the loading dock.

Like a rebound after a breakup, I desperately wandered around the store looking for something to buy. Thankfully, I came to my senses and left empty-handed.

Sometimes the thrifting hobby is brutal.

[ QUICK SLIPCOVER ] It was never my intention to keep a bean bag...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:25:30 -0700

[ QUICK SLIPCOVER ]

It was never my intention to keep a bean bag in the living room, but after ditching the coffee table, we were temporarily keeping one of the Sumo footstools near the couch. You know, just for a couple of days, then it would join the pile downstairs somewhere. It turns out, it’s perfect for the living room—super comfortable for lounging, an extra seat when we have guests, and perfect tea party size for dolls and stuffed animals.

The problem was the fabric. The original cover is durable navy blue nylon, and I just kept thinking “rolled up sleeping bag.” I had previously seen these amazing wool stools, so I thought maybe I could create a slipcover in a fabric that would be a little more appropriate in the room.

Wool is great, but more than I wanted to spend at the time, so I opted for a gray chambray (it looks bluer in the photos than it really is). I wanted the chambray to be a little stiffer to hold the shape better, so I used fusible interfacing for more structure.

I’m also the type of seamstress (can I really even call myself that?) that avoids zippers at all cost, so I figured I could make a sort of drawstring bag shape that would be long enough to cinch up underneath.

The whole project took less than an hour. I didn’t use a pattern, and in the end, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Since I’m kind of the wing-it type, I can’t say that my directions will be great, but if you want to try to make something like this for yourself, here’s the basic steps:

1. After measuring the circumference and height of the footstool, cut two pieces of fabric—a circle for the top and a rectangle for the side. Make sure to add enough extra height to the side piece to wrap underneath the footstool.

2. Fold up the bottom edge on the longest side of the rectangle and sew, leaving an opening large enough for your drawstring to slide easily.

3. Sew the short ends of the rectangle together making sure to stop before the drawstring section.

4. pin and sew the circle piece of fabric to the side piece.

5. Attach a large safety pin to one end of your drawstring and guide it through the opening.

That’s pretty much it. Sorry for really vague and terrible directions. Maybe just keep a stitch-ripper nearby. That’s how I usually figure out my sewing projects.

Of couse, most people don’t have a pile of bean bags in their house to recover, so here are much better instructions for creating a bean bag pouf from scratch.

[ SMALL SPACE GARDENING ] Vegetable gardens are pretty much...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:15:51 -0700

[ SMALL SPACE GARDENING ]

Vegetable gardens are pretty much impossible here in Shady Acres (aka: our yard). I tried to do some container gardening on our deck the first summer we lived here and I managed to grow one sad tomato which was promptly eaten by a squirrel just as it ripened.

I had accepted my defeat, and instead purchased summer vegetables at the farmer’s market. Then, last week a kind neighbor graciously offered to share a section of her yard that she is clearing for garden space. It is currently covered with a thick layer of river rock, so, for the next month, the kids and I will be hauling loads of rocks, one wheelbarrow at a time, out of the soon-to-be garden.

We won’t be taking a very big patch, maybe only around 6’ x 5’. I am a gardening novice, and I’m all ears for any advice for small space gardening! My kids have suggested cabbage and roses, neither of which will be happening. What are easy vegetables to grow that won’t take much room? So far I’m thinking some swiss chard and lettuce, carrots, and a tomato plant or two.

[ SURPRISE MARIMEKKO ] Recently, I learned that Katy, over...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:52:00 -0800

[ SURPRISE MARIMEKKO ]

Recently, I learned that Katy, over at The Non-Consumer Advocate, and I share a passion for Marimekko, the iconic Finnish design company. Here is our twitter exchange that lead to a special surprise for me (for those of you who aren’t twitter users, read it from the bottom up):

You might want to stop what you are doing right now and head over to The Non-Consumer Advocate to read her post about what happened next. Katy’s a great writer, and her side of the story is much more entertaining than mine.

Back now? A few days later, a package arrived with these thrifted Marimekko sheets, already soaked and washed by Katy, a generous gift for my daughter’s room. They are a perfect match for the things we already have in her room.

You can see how her room has progressed over the past two years here, here, and here.

[ DESIGN DUAL ] It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:28:10 -0800

[ DESIGN DUAL ]

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I rarely buy brand new things around here. In fact, with the exception of a few items, most of my home is a menagerie of second-hand beauties that I’ve slowly pieced together over the years. So when Hilary at Pulp Design asked me to participate in a design challenge where I would choose items for a bedside table, I gladly accepted. Putting together fictional rooms with items that I would never otherwise purchase is something I’ve practiced since I was a little girl with a pair of scissors and the Sears catalog.

These are a few things that I would gladly put in my bedroom if I had an extra couple thousand dollars lying around. You can see the rest of my picks, as well as the very different choices that Amy of Parker Etc. put together, over on the Hello Splendor blog.

[ RUG REVEAL ] It’s been about a month since my new living...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:45:16 -0800

[ RUG REVEAL ]

It’s been about a month since my new living room rug came, and I’ve owed you guys some pictures! It took me a day or two to warm up to it, but now I’m really pleased with how it looks. The 8x10 size fits the space so much better than our previous 5x7 rug. I initially wanted a gray rug, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how fond I am of the tan. It goes nicely with the chair and couch.

The rug was on clearance at Urban Outfitters for $99, and I used Christmas gift money for all but the sales tax. The quality is pretty average, so time will tell how well it holds up. I opted for this rug pad from Ikea, and it’s a little softer underfoot than the typical mesh rug pads that we’ve used in the past. It also seems to stick better to the back of the rug, which I love! I get so frustrated with those mesh ones getting bunched up around the edges.

I get a wider angle with my iPhone so here’s a terrible, grainy picture to give you a better view of the whole room (I know, we are in desperate need of art for that wall):

We had planned to find a smaller coffee table to replace the current one, but after moving it out of the room to put the carpet down, I liked the room so much better with the extra space. The kids agree—they love having more room to play.

[ BEAN BAG BARGAIN ] If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, chances...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:21:00 -0800

[ BEAN BAG BARGAIN ]

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, chances are you had a bean bag chair somewhere in your house. Mine was a yellow vinyl one—the kind that stuck to your skin in the summer and left your hair standing on end with static in the winter. As an adult, bean bags have seemed nothing more than dorm furniture to me, that is, until I discovered the Fatboy bean bag a few years ago at a friend’s house.

These bean bags are huge, modern, and so comfortable it’s a feat to stay awake while lounging in one. They also come with a hefty price tag, ranging from $175-$250. We’ve been keeping an eye out for used ones on Craigslist, but they are few and far between. When they do show up, they sell fast, so we’ve never had any success. Then, last week, I found an ad for someone selling Fatboy and Sumo bags (the bean bags are almost identical) at a great price. There was a catch: he would only sell the bags as a lot—nineteen bean bags and six bean bag stools.

Odds were that we would be able to re-sell the bags that we didn’t want to keep and make some—if not all—of our money back, but not wanting to front the entire amount, we found a friend who was willing to go 50/50 with us.

We carpooled in her minivan, naively thinking we could fit most of them in the back once the seats were folded down. After much squishing and shoving, we managed to cram in six.

Several loads later, 16 of the 19 bags were piled in my family room. Imagine the reaction of my kids when they came home from school to such a sight. Hours and hours were spent climbing, tunneling, and jumping on the biggest pile of bean bags I’ve ever seen. When stacked in one mound, the kids had to duck their heads to avoid hitting the ceiling.

The next day we divided the bean bags, gave them a good scrubbing, and sorted out which ones we intended to keep. I had planned to list them via twitter and Facebook, and eventually on Craigslist, but before I had the chance to even upload descriptions and photos, they were spoken all for. I love that my Instagram feed has been filled with the happy faces of my friends’ kids as they enjoy their new bean bags. I’m certain now, I could’ve sold a hundred of these, and I wish I had at least a few more to go around.

[ MYSTERY PLANT ] It’s been a few months since I brought...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:09:00 -0800

[ MYSTERY PLANT ]

It’s been a few months since I brought home a snake plant, and I haven’t killed it yet. Even though they are supposedly idiot-proof, I still had doubts about my gardening skills. It seems to be thriving, giving me newfound confidence, which is probably more self-deception than reality. Nevertheless, when a friend offered me a clipping from one of her beautiful house plants, I gladly accepted.

She couldn’t recall the name of the plant, and my google searches are leading no where. Does anyone recognize it? The leaves are about 3 to 4 inches in length, with beautiful reddish burgundy veins. The backsides of the leaves are all that same reddish color, too.

I’m hoping that whatever it is, it’s a fast grower. I can’t wait to plant it in this teak plant stand that my aunt picked up in Denmark in the 60s. I just need to find a ceramic planter that fits it first.

Just in case this little guy doesn’t make it, which with my past record is entirely likely, I’d love to hear suggestions of other house plants that are tolerant of neglect and minimal light.

Udate: You guys are fast! Thanks to a few folks on twitter and Facebook, I was able to find out that it’s a “prayer plant” and after reading the growing specifications, it seems to be well suited for our house.

[ IT’S HERE ] Okay, this is a terrible photo. But I...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:58:40 -0800

[ IT’S HERE ]

Okay, this is a terrible photo. But I couldn’t wait for a sunny day to take pictures so I could share the news that my new living room rug came yesterday. Thank you to those of you who responded on Facebook with advice as to which rug I should order. I ended up buying an 8’x10’ rug from Urban Outfitters that was on clearance for $99.

It’s not the rug of my dreams, and most likely it will someday move into a bedroom. But for the time being, I think it will work great.

[ LIVING ROOM UPDATES ] Ever since we saw the first few...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:31:49 -0800

[ LIVING ROOM UPDATES ]

Ever since we saw the first few “fauxdenzas” pop up in the blogosphere (specifically the ones on The Brick House, and Door Sixteen), we’ve been plotting one of our own. Hosting guests for Christmas seemed like good motivation to make a few improvements to the living room.

We bought three 30” x 24” Applad/Akurum cabinets from ikea, and picked up some thick birch plywood from a Kerf warehouse sale for under $20. We were really hoping to get some of their walnut plywood, but there weren’t any pieces long enough for the top. For the price, I’m happy to settle for the birch, though if we ever stumble across a long plank of the walnut, we’ll probably make a swap.

The storage capacity of these cabinets is fantastic. We currently have the kid’s board games, some books, toys, and our record player stored away inside. I’m still figuring out what to put on the top, but here is my quick attempt to pull something together with the stuff I already had.

The vintage Anri Form tray was a Christmas gift from my father-in-law. I think it needs a few taller things inside, but for now, it’s a happy new home for my miniature wood dishes that had been residing on top of my refrigerator. I also added these hand-cut crystal candle holders that I’ve been storing in the cupboard.

We still need to patch up the back wall where the wood panels previously were, and hang some art. Oh, and I still hate the rug that’s in this space. Since everything that I like is around the $2000–$3000 price range, I’m thinking of ordering this super cheap one from Urban Outfitters until I either win the lottery, or some company starts selling huge beautiful rugs for under a grand.

[ HAUL OUT THE HOLLY ] I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:03:28 -0800

[ HAUL OUT THE HOLLY ]

I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting all week to pull out all the Christmas decorations. We always cut our own real tree, and typically we get it Thanksgiving weekend. Since there is an extra week between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, we decided to hold off until this weekend to avoid a dead tree by the big day. Tomorrow is the day, and we’re all pretty excited around here to deck the halls.

I thrifted this sweet little santa this morning for a whopping 30¢. He was made in East Germany, or “Germany East” as it says on the bottom, and the condition is amazing. He’ll be a welcome addition to our decorations.

[ RETREAT ] As a very visual thinker, I’ve learned over...

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:07:37 -0700

[ RETREAT ]

As a very visual thinker, I’ve learned over the years—and especially since having kids—that I function far better if I have one area in my house that I can count on to be clean. No matter how loud, messy, and wild the rest of the house gets during the day, having my little spot keeps me from totally freaking out.

Those of you with kids in school are probably familiar with the hurricane that rips through the house each morning, and making my bed has long been the first chore in the morning clean-up ritual. Even though I keep my bedroom really tidy (ahem…don’t look in the closets), I still felt like I needed a better place to retreat.

We had a chair and a nightstand sitting on the wall opposite of our bed, but I had been looking for a small desk for nearly a year. A few weeks ago I saw a craigslist ad for a $10 vintage desk, and even though it’s not my ideal piece of furniture, I couldn’t argue with the price. It is about 2” too wide for the space between the doors to our bathroom and closet, but it’s solid wood, so I’m going to have Patrick cut it down to fit.

I wish I could say it was teak or rosewood, or something sexy like that, unfortunately I think it’s a homemade project, crafted from much cheaper wood. But, I’ll say it again: $10. And it functions just like I need it to. Plus, it’s amazing what a few pretty accessories can add!

I picked up the brass Tensor desk lamp over a year ago at a garage sale for $3, and I’m so happy that it finally has a place. You might have seen the planter on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. I picked it up at the thrift store run by the local senior center for $1.

I’m not much for houseplants, mostly because we get no sunlight and they always die, but I’ve heard these snake plants (aka mother-in-law tongue plants) are easy to grow. The kids obviously need a pet because when I brought it home they were arguing over who would get to dust its leaves and who would water it.

We’re still planning to paint this wall black and do something different with the flooring. I get excited thinking about how that’s going to look, but right now we’re in the middle of some minor kitchen projects, so it will have to wait.

[ SCRAP FABRIC PILLOWS ] I have a lot of odds and ends fabric...

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 22:37:23 -0700

[ SCRAP FABRIC PILLOWS ]

I have a lot of odds and ends fabric scraps stashed away, so when the sudden urge to swap out my pillow covers hit, I was prepared. I always use the envelope method for sewing pillow covers because it’s quick and pretty much fool-proof. This time I added a little more patchwork to the front to make them a little fancier, but the total sewing time for both pillows was still under an hour.

Patrick bought me a wool blanket from MacAusland Woolen Mill as a birthday gift back in June. I’ve been trying to score a Hudson Bay blanket from thrifts or estate sale for years, but I haven’t had any luck, so I’m thrilled to finally have this one instead. I wanted to add a little more color, so I made a new pillow cover for the bedroom, too.

Now, time to switch gears from sewing pillows to Halloween costumes!

[ WAY WASHINGTON ] We have an embarrassingly large stack of...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:23:00 -0700

[ WAY WASHINGTON ]

We have an embarrassingly large stack of prints and posters sitting in our art shelves that have been waiting for frames, but this Way Washington print by Aaron Draplin has been at the top of the pile. We’ve been fans of Draplin’s work for a while, and Patrick picked up this print at a lecture he gave in Seattle last year.

The frame and glass were thrifted for $14, then Patrick cut a custom matt with our new matt-cutter. The frame was kind of a pinkish gold color, but a few coats of Rustoleum took care of that.

I think this wall needs a little more art, so I’ll have to go through the pile and figure out which piece will be next. We also picked up some vintage maps at a book sale over the weekend for 5¢ each, and I’m trying to decide if/how I want to display them, too.

Here’s one more look at the wall, and a little sneak peek of the black trim and curtains (that are hanging funny because they still need to be hemmed).

You can buy your own Way Washington print here. Have another state you love? Choose from Ohio, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, South Carolina, Vermont, Kentucky, Utah, and even Canada.

[ SUMMER WORK ] Apparently, I’ve been on a bit of a blog...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:07:00 -0700

[ SUMMER WORK ]

Apparently, I’ve been on a bit of a blog break. It’s been somewhat unintentional, but I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that I’ve been working on while taking my break.

I’ve gotten back into illustrating over the summer, and after many years of very sporadic drawing, it’s taken me a bit to find my style again. The little girl and puppy above is one of my favorites that I’ve done so far.

Patrick and I are also taking part in the Cosmic Sans show put together by Constellation Co. on September 6th. We’ll be auctioning off our prints (along with designs from 24 other designers) to benefit Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. and 826 Seattle, a nonprofit writing and tutoring organization for kids.

Here is my letter G (as in Gordo, the space monkey launched from Cape Canaveral in 1958):

And Patrick’s letter A (Apollo):

We’ve also been hard at work on a few logo and branding projects. My favorite is our hand-lettered logo for Ice Cream Social in Tacoma (the company website is still in the works):

Besides designing and illustrating, we were finally able to sand and paint the window trim in the living room. We also hung curtains, but I still need to hem them, so no pictures for now. Soon, though, soon—or maybe not until the kids start school again and my house isn’t covered in legos from sun up to sun down.

[ ART ROOM PROGRESS] Improvements have been slow lately on the...

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:28:44 -0700

[ ART ROOM PROGRESS]

Improvements have been slow lately on the house, but on the upside, we’ve been having a lot of fun. We just returned from two weeks in Montana that we’re packed full of family, sun, camping, and swimming pools.

Now that we’re back, I’ve been starting to hear a lot of “I’m bored” complaints from the kids, since they don’t have all of their cousins to play with. Good thing we’ve made a little progress on our art room. Once they get started on a project, they are easily enraptured for long stretches of time.

We still have lots to do in this room, but here’s what we’ve come up with so far:

Art Table - We’ve been hanging on to this old table since my first apartment because it folds up so small, but it’s solid wood, and really heavy. It has a bad paint job from my early 20s, so I don’t really care if it gets marked up with sharpies and paint. The thrifted chairs were previously used in the dining room before we replaced them with these.

With all of the windows, this spot gets pretty good natural light, and eventually I’d like to hang a roll of seamless backdrop material from the ceiling like this, so I can pul it down when I need to do product photography for our graphic design portfolio.

Map Shelves - These are a new exciting find that we picked them up from the UW Surplus store for $15. I’ve been wanting flat files for such a long time, but they are really expensive. Even though these don’t have drawers like I originally wanted, they are incredibly deep, and the height of them stacked (we bought two units) makes a perfect counter height for a standing work space.

Work Bench - I’ve been meaning to share this for a long time, and eventually I’ll get some better photos. We bought this at an estate sale last winter. It has two built in vice grips, a shelf, drawers, and a cabinet. Since we don’t have a garage, and our carport isn’t big enough for a work space, this sturdy but compact work bench has already been put to good use.

We also still have these shelves with my sewing cabinet, though they need a bit of reorganizing. And I’ve been using some vintage suitcases to store all of my fabric.

There is still plenty to finish in the room—ripping out the carpet, adding some shelving and bins to hold all of the various art supplies, and installing some better task lighting. For now, though, the room is serving the exact purpose we had in mind—space to be creative and messy.

[ EDISON ] If you’ve never heard of Edison, Washington,...

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:06:00 -0700

[ EDISON ]

If you’ve never heard of Edison, Washington, you shouldn’t be surprised. This small town in the Skagit Valley has a mere 133 residents, according to the 2010 census. But even with such a small population, Edison has a lot to offer.

We drove up for the afternoon to celebrate our anniversary, after hearing so many good things about the cafes that line the one main road through town. Our first stop was Farm to Market Bakery for lunch, and we were not disappointed. I won’t ramble on about the food—there are plenty of online reviews—but it was worth the drive.

We had heard a lot about the gourmet fare in Edison, but we were surprised that no one had mentioned the three or four galleries and artist studios in town, too. There was a really great printmaking exhibit at Smith & Vallee and while walking through, I turned a corner and stood face-to-face with this:

For those of you who haven’t met my husband in person, let me just say, the stranger in the print must be Patrick’s doppelgänger. I wonder if the other patrons in the gallery at the same time as us noticed it.

The day before we visited Edison there was a community-wide garage sale (I’m still a little bummed about missing it), so there were a few leftover sales happening while we were there. One of the best discoveries was a tent sale outside of Smith & Vallee that was filled with surplus wood slabs. I was desperately trying to think of a project that would justify a big chunk of black walnut, but I’m sure it would have sat in some sad corner of the house waiting indefinitely for me to do something with it.

At the same sale, Patrick found a nice mat-cutter—something he’s been wanting for years —for $10. Now we have absolutely no excuse for the lack of art on our walls.

We browsed the other shops in town which were filled with handmade art and crafts—not at all the kind you’d expect in a small farm town, but more along the lines of what you’d find in Ballard. Then, on our way to Tweets for pastries and coffee, we spotted a “free” pile, stacked in front of a little shop. We scooped up a few spools of nice yarn and a small wool cabbie hat for Alden. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to bring home a few goodies from an already delightful experience.

[ ARE WE THERE YET ] I found this Rand McNally travel activity...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:53:01 -0700

[ ARE WE THERE YET ]

I found this Rand McNally travel activity book a few weeks ago while doing a quick scan of the kid’s book section at Goodwill. I pulled it off the shelf assuming it would be mostly used, torn, or at the very least, scribbled upon. To my delight, it is in near perfect condition. The middle even has an entire section of perforated stamp/stickers with beautiful one-color illustrations that have never been torn.

The book was designed in 1971 by Bradford/Cout Design, which at one time was based in Illinois. There is virtually no information regarding this company, and as best as I can gather, they folded up shop in the early 2000s. This is the only other thing that I have been able to find online that was designed by them.

Here is one of many game pages in the book:

The secondary illustrations were done by Dorothy Milikan & Terry Rose, and while I prefer the more graphic illustrations done by Bradford/Cout, I think they managed to integrate the two styles quite well, as you can see in this diagram:

Of all the pages in the book (this being just a small selection), this spread is my favorite:

I love how good design is so timeless. I plan to keep this high on the shelf in order to keep excited little hands off of those stamps and games, but I do plan to make some color copies to use in the car for our next long road trip.