life | cause for design

cause for design | japan was founded by david + ashley yousling to raise money for the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in japan with 100% of all proceeds going to the japanese red cross society.

designers of all types are encouraged to submit work created in response to the recent crisis, which is then made available for $1-15 in the online shop. you can download a wallpaper for your favorite piece of technology, wear it proudly on a t-shirt or display it as a poster. i was honored to be asked to submit my butterfly collage photo to be included in the mix.

if you're an artist, designer, photographer, etc. you can submit your work, or download something wonderful for yourself, or both. i like this design from jim lepage & this origami from joseph wu.

xo, cindy

stuff | perfect together

a little more red, ok it's orangish red, to wrap up the week. scott took the day off yesterday and picked up the tulips (his idea) and the kate spade tote to benefit the japanese red cross society (my idea) while he was in the city. turns out, they're a perfect combo. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps does the stapler on the right look like a dog?

pics | cool stuff

fuji instax

i don't have much to say today, so i leave you with a couple of cool things i found in williamsburg, brooklyn, recently. the red truck and a sculpture on the east river that reminds me of the statue of liberty's crown. enjoy the day!

xo, cindy

craft | japan love

one week after the earthquake/tsunami and japan is still in dire straits. like so many, it's on my mind and i wanted to make something, so i used japanese washi tape, paper and my favorite punch to make butterflies. they are meant to represent the metamorphosis japan is going through and i've read butterflies are symbolic for many reasons, including the ability to bounce back from setbacks and longevity. i hope that will start soon.

when i bought the tape months ago, it reminded me of swedish design. now, it reminds me of the red cross. have a nice weekend.

xo, cindy

ps the new video by gia coppola for orla kiely features a great song from the band rooney and i also love the song holdin' on.

holiday | green day

happy st. patrick's day! i love green so today is all about green, plus some fun socks from a sweet friend. and, i love this song from the irish-american punk band the dropkick murphys. erin go bragh!

xo, cindy

ps some of my fuji instax photos of the orchid show are over on the new york botanical garden blog. not sure about being called cindy quaint when it comes to my photos, but i do feel lucky and i'm not even irish.

art | maira kalman

we've been on an museum kick lately and visited the jewish museum saturday to see the maira kalman exhibit where we encountered a couple of surprises. first, it was the sabbath so the museum was free - great. then, while reading this sign next to a spot where a broom should have been -

when the broom is not on the wall
the artist is sweeping
across the street on fifth avenue

she walked right up and hung the broom back in its place! so cool. she was really nice and scott says i did a macaulay culkin from home alone, which is kind of sad on my part. unfortunately, photos are not allowed in the museum and too bad because her special vignettes are wonderful. maira uses gouache for her paintings, so i took some out when i got home and proceeded to wreck this journal in a new way.

xo, cindy

life | all things japanese

although i've never been there, the devastating earthquake & tsunami in japan made me think about how much i feel a connection to that country. they seem to like things just so and i like that, too. watching the videos seems unreal. carefully tended farm land destroyed in the blink of an eye, entire trains missing and a death toll that is rising. now, they have to try and avert a nuclear disaster.

people often think our last name is japanese (or native american). our favorite restaurant is japanese. our car is japanese. my hairstylist is japanese and doesn't speak much english so we look a photos and nod, a lot. and, japanese books are the only ones i own in a language i can't read. we're definitely thinking about all things japanese these days and saying a few prayers. shiawasena shūmatsu (happy weekend).

xo, cindy

garden | orchid show deux

hello, hello! this year the theme for the orchid show at the new york botanical garden is broadway and they really do put on a big show. the last photo is of a plant available in the shop. isn't it pretty and remind you of the prom? i didn't get that one. i got the miniature variety because good things do come in small packages and i thought it would look cool even without its microscopic flowers.

xo, cindy

ps thanks for the words of encouragement in the last post. you're the best!

garden | orchid show

hello, hello! well, i didn't 'officially' win the new york botanical garden photography contest, but i did win when it comes having the most wonderful & supportive friends. once my photo got into the final round, the comment tally started all over again and i didn't want to ask for more comments. the winners have terrific captures and the second photo is interesting as it's a jade plant in bloom.

we went to the garden this weekend to see the orchid show and it was beautiful. this photo was taken with my fujifilm instax mini 25 and i'll have more later in the week.

xo, cindy

ps you can get a first listen of the new album from the dodos on npr and some other good ones, too.

home | wash & iron

hello, hello! this week i've spent a lot of time washing, ironing and polishing some of the things that might go into in my vintage shop, which is taking forever. such a slow poke. elizabeth's shop featuring her beautiful handmade baby clothes is progressing very nicely and you can see a preview here.

and, have you seen this cute ballerina video posted by chelsea? i just absolutely adore that little girl and the teacher's voice - i know it's so tricky. she never gives up and we shouldn't either. enjoy your weekend, all!

xo, cindy

art | more art in the city

museum of modern art bookshop &


frank stella. i can't help it, i love the precision in his work. although it drives my eyes crazy, he creates so much movement with color & relatively simple pattern.


picasso's guitar collages were absolutely wonderful. i'm not good at creating collages, so i really appreciate his. the way he combined paint, grit, wallpaper, metal and newspapers was interesting and these works are almost 100 years old - timeless. photos were not allowed nor were there any post cards, but there was a book.


the exhibit pictures by women, a history of modern photography was fabulous. i learned about so many important women photographers, including this series by lorna simpson and saw my first sally mann photo in person. i don't think i really appreciated her beautiful work and painstaking process until now.

although it's nice to see art in person, it's not always possible. but, thanks to the internet, just about all of these exhibits and/or artists can be viewed online to some extent from the peace and quiet of your own home. and, just to update my last post, thanks to all of your wonderful comments, i got first place in the new york botanical garden sense of place category for week six bringing me one step closer to winning a spot in the photography class. so, thank you very much, once again!

xo, cindy

help | photography contest

hello, hello! the new york botanical garden is having a photography contest featuring photos taken in its caribbean garden and the grand prize is a spot in one of their classes.

i haven't been able to keep the dates straight, so i forgot to mention it before and there are only a couple days left. the person with the most positive comments in one of two categories (macro & sense of place) wins each week. so, if you have a chance and want to, please go here and leave a comment for my photo. thanks all!

xo, cindy

3/2/11 UPDATE: thanks to all of your wonderful comments, i got first place in the sense of place category for week 6 bringing me one step closer to winning a spot in the class! thank you so much! xo, c