Found it!: Gaea Olive Oil

Four years ago, my brother David and I took a trip to Greece.  It was a first for both of us in many ways--neither of us had been to the country before, and on top of that, we'd never traveled together alone, just the two of us. It was memorable and fun and wacky (don't get me started on the hotel in Santorini that booked us in the honeymoon suite) and full of two of my favorite things: new wines and new foods.

One of my best finds was Gaea P.D.O. Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's a rich, peppery, award-winning oil that I seriously could have just bathed in. I brought a bottle home, happily consumed every drop, and even kept empty the bottle (it sits in a cabinet above my fridge--I just can't let it go). Seeing as though I live in New York City, I thought I could probably find it again in some specialty food shop somewhere, even if I had to dig. Not the case. I even called Whole Foods at one point to see if they could order it for me...to no avail.

I figured my search was probably over, until a few days ago. Hallelujah!  Amazon has started selling it by the case. My life might now just be deliciously complete.

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Loving: Maps, maps, maps

I don't know what it is--their graph-y nature, their visual organization, their simplicity--but I could stare at maps for hours (really--run into me on a subway platform, and you may just find me staring at the MTA map...even though I've been riding the subway for nine years now!). I have two framed in my little home (one of Brooklyn, seen below, and an antique map I found of London at a flea market in London under the Waterloo bridge) and am always looking for more.

Brooklyn poster, $37, orkposters.com

Paris Beach Tote, $35, mapetote.com

The Journey Journal, $12, Cracked Designs

Massimo Vignelli's 1972 NYC subway map, $30, transitmuseumstore.com

Map mail set, $12, lovelydesign.com

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Almost the Real Thing: Eames-chair Art

My favorite piece of furniture is an Eames molded plywood coffee table—a little reward I bought myself after a freelance gig. It sits in my small studio in the small space that I’ve carved out as my “living room.” It holds stacks of unread magazines, hard-back books, and mismatched coasters. It also, more often than not, acts as my dining table.

To reward it for its efforts, I’d love to buy it its accompanying Eames molded plywood lounge chair. But alas…studio apartments aren’t known for being spacious. Therefore, I’m thinking of hanging a little art collection of the chairs nearby, just to keep the table company. Here’s a glimpse of what I’m considering, thanks to etsy.com.

Eames Chair on on pine wood by thebeeskneesdesigns

Plywood Eames Chair linocut by PerlaAnne

Red Plywood Chair Notes by annacote

Home Sweet Home print by JennSki

Modern Eames Chair print by papelouette

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Good for Me: Mast Brothers Chocolate

I think chocolate is good for your heart.  And I don’t mean that based on some fancy medical research. I just mean when your heart needs a little love (like mine does right now), chocolate can do it for you every time—especially if it’s wrapped in good-lookin’ packages like these from Mast Brothers Chocolate, which I am seeing everywhere these days. Sigh: the heavy paper stock…the color…the nod to weird 70s and 80s wallpapers…the chocolatey-ness.  Makes me smile.  And hungry.

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