My New BFF: Lonny!

I am giggling like a schoolgirl.

I just met Lonny, and I am smitten! (Thank you, Kelly - of the wonderful High Street Market - and Betsy, talented designer at "Manor Drive Sweatshop", for the introduction! X)

So, who is Lonny, you ask? Not who, lovelies; Lonny is a what. A jewel in the form of an online design magazine, conceived of and edited by Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline.

After a solid two hours of clicking through its 'pages',
here is a top-line summary of Issue #1:

Firstly: it's online - but I can print the pages I love (which means I'll be buying a lot more ink cartridges).

Secondly: the premiere issue includes Kate Townsend-Simpson, Eddie Ross, Ron Marvin, Carolina Irving, Grace Bonney, Laurent Girard and Leonora Mahle, and Deborah Needleman. Um... hello!

Thirdly: it's 195 pages! And the click-throughs! Oh, the click-throughs. To nearly every item and on every advert. (Yes, adverts - from online-only shops as well as traditional bricks-and-mortar outlets.)

Finally: it's thoughtfully produced and edited. And though it will require me to prop my laptop on the treadmill handles, I can manage. For now. Until it's released on Kindle (hint, hint).

As someone who has been lamenting the (un)timely passing of her favorite magazines - Blueprint, Domino, House&Garden, Southern Accents, to name a few, the business acumen and industry instincts behind Lonny just might have the moxie and savvy to recreate (and lead) the mag market in the 21st Century. And it's pretty!

So don't wait! Click through up there or here to the lovely Lonny - the fresh-faced, gorgeously-produced, web-based love note to design.

LYLAS, Lonny!


Today's conundrum: Why can't I choose exactly which 712 channels I want on my cable package? Isn't the technology available for that yet?

Future conundrum: Is it true that the more we try to be individuals, the more alike we become?

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!

The Courtship of Eddie's Etsy Shop

I am no longer a 'virtual lab' virgin.

Although I didn't quite master the 'throwing hearts' or 'sending bumblebees' portion of the lab, no points were taken off. Further, I found out that a course in mastering these lab-works is offered, so I 'enrolled' for next time. (I think it has something to do with setting your icon to 'heart' or 'star' or 'bee', positioning your pointer hand over your avatar, and dragging the cursor to the object of your affection/amusement.)

Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar, partners and co-founders of Eddie Ross, Inc, were our gracious hosts for the virtual lab last night. Funny, engaging, and offering terrific Etsy finds, they enlightened us and responded to our comments and queries for nearly an hour.

The topic: entertaining. We were treated to a parade of brass bamboo trays, silver-plate shakers, glass stirrers, and linens and glass in all colors, shapes, sizes, and uses. Mostly with monograms. (My weakness!) Eddie's best find was, of course, presented early in the lab. It was the one I wanted to buy immediately - and the one that he had already snapped-up for himself, the rogue! The rooster-embroidered linen cocktail napkins were lovely. Pale blue with white scalloped edges. And the roosters were intricate, with layers of brown, gold, and red feathers and coal-black eyes. That they came with matching embroidered wine coasters was the buttercream and caramel drizzle on the cake.

Is your appetite whetted? Visit etsy - that's 'Betsy-without-the-B' - for more information on virtual labs and to shop EddieRoss. (Hi, Betsy!)

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!