9.30.2011

Blogger's Favorites -- Emily and Jen from dullDiamond

image via dullDiamond

I'm just going to go ahead and get straight to the point on this one friends...

I have a (pretty massive) girl crush on Emily and Jen from dullDiamond.

I got a note a while back from them introducing me to their artful, wholly unique bracelets and necklaces and was pretty much immediately smitten with their aesthetic sensibility. Their blog, which chronicles their creative process and snippets of their lives in Minneapolis (one of my favorite cities), is one of daily reads. Truth be told, as I'm scrolling through their posts, I'm hoping to absorb some of their sort of irreverent coolness through osmosis... So I'm especially excited to get a deeper peek into their world this week.

Without further ado, herewith Emily and Jen's list. Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!



HANDMADE SHOES // we recently visited the studio of ina grau (you need to see this! it's a preview of the line they'll be launching later this fall) but even before that we were crazy for both the idea and practice of shoe making. Jen had a pair made for her 3 years ago- a man traced her foot on leather, went into a new york city basement, and emerged with a pair of shoes a few days later. amazing. we can't wait to own a pair from both ina grau and beatrice velenzuela- we're seriously saving our pennies- too bad we're not the same size, but I don't think either of us could share anyway. (photos from: Beatrice Valenzuela and Ina Grau)




COLORED TAPE \\ emily is a big letter writer. she'll send a thank you note for little things and big, but regardless of the content, the exterior is always fancied up with a colorful tape job. a little bit of color on everything forever is just the right thing for every occasion. its how we wrap up our dullDiamond orders and its how we decorate for birthdays. its kind of the all encompassing adornment tool.



MINNEAPOLIS \\ this is were we live, not by chance but by choice. it's a relatively small place but it seems to have everything we need. a little bit of spring, summer, fall, and winter, ok, it's a little heavy on the winter, but there's a whole lot of sun in every season. a great city for raising kids- actually, no child lives more than 6 blocks from a park (that was the mandate!), lakes and rivers, the best restaurants and cafes, co-ops and community gardens for everyone. the people are bright. the city is beautiful. we can afford our modest lives in style. life is good. come visit. (photo via: flickr)



A GOOD MESS // how else do you say it? we're savoring the messes of everyday (because at this point raising littles (emily has a 2 and 4 yr old and jen has a 2 yr old = all boys), its sort of a must). the best part is to look at a mess and to understand the project that was behind the mess or the project that's in store, the visual connections and the human behind it.



DETAILS \\ we're a little obsessed with details. we feel that way about the jewelry we make, the way we cook, arrange our homes, choose our clothes, and manage all the little things in our days. joy is in the little things and knowing when to let the rest go. its the hidden neon thread used to stitch a shirt. its the bead we use to finish off one of our pieces. a little treat. every inch considered and purposeful, but the very opposite of fussy.



PLANTS IN EVERY CORNER // i'm sure it has something to do with the long winters here, or maybe it's just because a plant makes a whole room seem alive, but we're obsessed with having them everywhere (especially in the shower). Emily has a killer collection of succulents and jen's new house (she just moved in a month ago) has a bathroom filled with skylights which needs to become a jungle pronto: pretty sure about that. MORE PLANT HOARDING!




OBJECTS/WEARS MADE FROM NATURAL FIBERS \\ cotton, wool, leather, or linen- that's kinda it for us. we're a bit picky when it comes to the way a natural fibers feel, wear, and look. jen has slowly been unknowingly converting everyone close to her- first her husband who came to her dripping in polyester and now emily. really, try it out, there is no going back. which is a bummer when you find an amazing bizarre patterned sweater and then feel it and ugh, its acrylic. (speaking of amazing patterns- we're crazy for Annie Larson's knit goodness, we've been in this studio touched that yarn and can tell you- it feels as good as it looks) (photos from: ALL KnitWear and from dullDiamond)



HAND DYING EVERYTHING // our boys are always sporting some colorful something- and most of it came to us looking pretty run of the mill. it's just the right way to get more colors onto boys who need to wear far more than just navy. jen's son had an all out fit the other day when the "PINK SHIRT" was not clean and available. luckily he found an acceptable alternative once he dug into his drawer. phew.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I feel pretty lucky to count Emily as a friend in real life! and yes, I'm always hoping to absorb some of her irreverent coolness by osmosis as well ;) Great list ladies...

Anonymous said...

what a fab list. I was just in Minneapolis and it was a great city, I agree.

Anonymous said...

I am so hooked on Emily and Jen's jewelry, blog, pinterest...you name it. Awesome list. And Minneapolis is the home of so many wonderful & creative people I know--glad to see it get recognition!

Anonymous said...

really love this feature of yours, this is a wonderful collection of favorites. :)

la la Lovely said...

Love it all. Especially "a good mess."
I'm working on embracing the mess + seeing the beauty in it.

Megan Taylor said...

This is such a cozy list! Perfect for fall...
xoxo

melissa loves said...

Love it! Love these gal's shop and loved hearing more about what makes their love list! So curious about the hand-dyeing and wish I could figure out how to get started on that! Thanks for sharing this and love what they said about embracing the artful mess. :)
xo
Melis