Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 408

Love Paris? You'll Adore Little Brown Pen

My friends run a shop called Little Brown Pen where they sell fine art photography and illustrative works. Husband and wife Nichole and Evan Robertson live in New Jersey but also spend a considerable amount of time each year in Paris. Both capture the city in their own unique way -- Nichole takes lovely photos and Evan illustrates "his" Paris. Here is some of their latest work below...

I love their impressions of Paris and find them so subtle yet charming. I especially like Evan's ...

Come Cook with Us

In our October 2010 issue of the magazine, we featured a month worth of dinners: Your Four-Week Dinner Plan. During the month of October, our editors will be cooking and blogging all 20 recipes.

Each day, you'll hear from someone on our staff will be sharing their photos and thoughts on the recipe they prepared. And we would love for you to join in along with us! You can share your experiences cooking the meals in the comments on Simply Stated, or share your tips and photos about the...

''97 Orchard'': The Baldizzi Family

Hi, everyone:

In the final chapter of 97 Orchard, we meet the Baldizzi family. Adolfo and Rosaria Baldizzi are part of a wave of immigrants that enter the country illegally to avoid the quota laws of the 1920s. The Baldizzis, the most modern of the families covered in the book, live on Orchard Street during the Depression and like many families at that time have little money to spare for anything but necessities—like food. Pantry staples such as bread, pasta, and beans are supplemented by...

Shop My Fashion Week Snapshots: SFK and Mikuti

I've received quite a few emails about some of the photos I took during NY Fashion Week--asking whether the items were available for purchase (if you didn't get to see the pictures, HERE they are)...

And I'm happy to report that a few of them are! Check it out...

SKF Custom Camera Strap

Give your camera the Chanel-treatment with one of these fun customized chain straps. It may not be a quilted Chanel 2.5 bag...but it's a nice alternative--and only $30! It makes wearing your camera a full-on...

Shop My Fashion Week Snapshots: SKF and Mikuti

I've received quite a few emails about some of the photos I took during NY Fashion Week--asking whether the items were available for purchase (if you didn't get to see the pictures, HERE they are)...

And I'm happy to report that a few of them are! Check it out...

SKF Custom Camera Strap

Give your camera the Chanel-treatment with one of these fun customized chain straps. It may not be a quilted Chanel 2.5 bag...but it's a nice alternative--and only $30! It makes wearing your camera a full-on...

How to Make a Gift Card Gift More Personal

In my research for a recent story on the pros and cons of prepaid debit cards, I stumbled across Shelley Hunter, a mom of three who created the website GiftCardGirlfriend.com. I occasionally give gift cards (although I'm not a huge fan). I feel a little funny about the impersonal nature of the whole thing. So I enjoyed Hunter's site, which is full of ways to make the simple gift of plastic a whole lot more fun.

 

Giving a gift card "feels lacking, because there's nothing to open, there's no...

Pet Names: From Fido and Fluffy to Molly and Chloe

My cousin called the other day with big news--she and her husband had chosen a name for their soon-to-be-born baby girl! Let's hope the name matches the baby's personality.  As we all know, you can do your homework, research
Take the example of my close friend. She had an understated name picked out for her baby daughter, but when said da...

Home Goods Makes Moms Happy with "Mom Caves"

I've gushed a lot in the past about my love for, and mild obsession with Home Goods, but if you haven't visited one of their stores, you're seriously missing out. The same feeling of pure excitement and glee that kids feel when they enter a candy store is the same euphoria that I feel every time I walk into Home Goods. I can go on and on, but I'll refocus.

The genius think tank behind the goods have developed yet another way to draw in design lovers like myself with their latest project, Mom ...

What Are You Reading?

Hello, Bookies:

It's a quick turn-around on October's book poll: Closing time is 11:59 p.m. ET this Monday. So cast your vote in our new easy-format poll, embedded for your convenience just below. Here are your choices, again:

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

The smart and moving winner of the 2010 Newbury Medal involves a 12-year-old Manhattanite, mysterious anonymous notes, shifting friendships, and a wink at the classic A Wrinkle in Time.

A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane...

Are Fish Tanks Outdated?

Just when I thought dogs and cats clearly dominated the domestic arena, I received some info on "designer" fish tanks. I started to wonder, do people still keep fish as pets? I can't remember the last time I saw a fish tank in someone's home.

The aquatic decor does seem to add a nice serene effect to rooms overtaken by modern furniture and attention stealing electronics, but does faux coral and brightly colored rocks take away from sleek and modern? I'm sure that many families with...