Home // Closet // Tool: DANIEL SCOGGINS (COUSIN DAN)

Daniel Scoggins is a very sexy musical performance artist/best friend known as "Cousin Dan". He has spent the past two years paving his way in the music scene, playing shows around the country and making ladies swoon. Dan has an unquenchable thirst for life, and he likes to spend his time shooting for the stars. (You might remember his name from this previous post/gif)



Home //
Music and art are very important aspects of my life and I feel like my home should be an environment set up to inspire and foster that creativity. On the right you are looking at my vintage Concert Hall record player, set in front of my disco-black guy-holy virgin Mary of Guadalupe fireplace shrine. On the left is a shot of my basement studio and the heads of some ex-concubines that didn't know how to make a good meatloaf.



Closet //
I got this shotgun for my 12th birthday. Growing up my Dad used to take me hunting where we shared some pretty quality father-son bonding time. It taught me a about life, death, and survival. Though now I just keep it around like a can of whoop ass that I'm ready to open up on some burglars. I think I'm going to convert it into a sawed off shotgun so I can be tough like that beautiful bastard Arnold Schwarzenegger in T-2 Judgment Day. (my Dad loves Arnold)



Tool //
This is my 1974 Gibson Midnight Special. I love how worn in this guitar is, my mind wanders thinking about where its been and who has played it. This guitar really inspires me to strive for greatness, it's almost like I have an obligation to be awesome and contribute to its story.



facebook page // tumblr // twitter


photos by jason travis

Home // Closet // Tool: SARAH GREENBERG

Sarah Greenberg is the Oakland, California designer and metalsmith behind the nature inspired jewelry collection Sarah Swell. She lives in a 1920's Spanish style bungalow with her soon to be husband, Scott, who is a boat captain on the San Francisco Bay. They hope to someday find the time to restore their little casita to its former glory. When not working long, hard hours in the studio, Sarah enjoys hiking with her dog, good food and more good food.



Home // Mantle
I love the combination of my watery blue walls with the black tile and white wood of the fireplace, it reminds me of New England where I grew up. I use it as a place to showcase all of my favorite things like my sculptural faux wood grain mirror, bull horns and an ever rotating array of artwork.



Closet // Summer Hat
I'm a hat person and I have ammased quite a collection. This straw hat crafted in Columbia is my most recent find from an antique store in Vermont.



Tool // Hammers
I also collect hammers and other vintage tools. I do actually use them for making jewelry, but I'm also just a girl that likes her heavy, antique tools.

shop // blog // twitter


photos by sarah

Home // Closet // Tool: RACHEL BALL

Rachel Ball is a blogger and shop owner from Seattle and has great taste. Her blog, Elephantine, focuses on the things she likes to collect + share, especially fashion, accessories, housewares, and photography. She opened her jewelry shop in late 2009 as a hobby, and with a lot of hard work and a little luck, it eventually became her full-time job. In early 2012, Rachel opened a kitchen shop as a side project. She spends her free time photographing everyday life and writing short stories, and she always ends the day with dessert.



Home // Kitchen
Whether it's trying out a new recipe, making one that I know by heart, or hunting through the fridge for a late-night snack, the kitchen is one of my favorite places to be.



Closet // Scarf from Paris
One of the only souvenirs I brought back from my trip to Paris last year was this light, lovely scarf. I already own far too many scarves, but I couldn't resist one more.



Tool // Canon A-1
Ever since I started getting into film photography, this has been my favorite camera. It's a real pleasure to shoot with it.

blog // jewelry shop // kitchen shop // twitter


photos by rachel

Home // Closet // Tool: JAMES ABERCROMBIE

James Abercrombie is a designer and illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia who draws inspiration from packaging, record jackets, architecture, and home furnishings of yesteryear. He lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia with his wife Karla (see her Home//Closet//Tool here) and daughter Olive in a cozy mid-century ranch.



Home // Family Antiques
This is a corner of my living room that houses two antiques that are very dear to me: a set of brass seagulls from my Maw-Maw's house and a mother of pearl shell lamp from my Grandma Betty's house. The seagulls used to fly on the rock fireplace above my Paw-Paw's favorite chair where he'd sit and tell me about the golden days of the record industry (he was president of distribution for ABC records). The lamp used to be in the sunroom of my Grandma's house. She used to travel the world and buy antiques from all over. This was handmade in Singapore, if I recall correctly. I used to sit under it and play with my dad's old toys that she'd kept in the attic.



Closet // Tie Rack
My favorite tie rack! Karla bought it for me a few years ago. It spins and holds the best of my tie collection. I gravitate toward ties that look like '60s and '70s bathroom wallpaper that you can't wait to paint over or rip out.



Tool // Briefcase
I recently had to replace an old American Express bag that my friend Troy gave me. It was basically disintegrating, and I was really bummed out about it. So I found this awesome Samsonite briefcase from the '70s. I love the idea of a briefcase, it's very masculine in a way: coming home and setting the briefcase down by your favorite chair and smoking a pipe, et cetera. But I could never go completely masculine, which is why I love the great psychedelic flowers inside. I have a few ties that have similar hidden fabric underneath. I'm just now realizing that's another example of something overtly masculine with a hidden feminine side. You could probably say the same applies to me, but just don't say it to my face. I'd beat you up and then cry about it later.



portfolio


photos by jason travis

Home // Closet // Tool: AMY TREMPER

Amy Tremper is the incredibly talented designer and maker of Stitch & Hammer. Inspired from a family lineage of seamstresses, she hand crafts quality goods from a combination of new, organic, natural and upcycled materials.



Home //
Growing up, my Mother always had an altar of sorts dedicated to family pictures, found objects, artifacts collected along the way and other various items. I began creating my own not too long ago. It’s like a scrapbook only better. Instead of hiding your most cherished things inside the pages of a bound book that only collects dust on the shelf, you leave them on display as a delightful reminder.



Closet //
The watch was given to my great-grandmother as a gift by my great-grandfather. Because they were not engaged at the time, she was not allowed to receive it. It would have been taboo back in the late 20s to accept a gift of that quality when not betrothed. When the two were finally engaged she was able to wear it. Her initials are engraved on the back plate of the watch. My grandmother gave it to me as a gift and have cherished it ever since.



Tool //
Work Trays, I can't live without them! I use them for everything, separating hardware during heavy production days and tools. I'm always on the lookout for new ones. The silver tray was a great find, practically a steal at the Alameda flea and the white ceramic plates are from a local ceramicist.

shop // blog // twitter


photos by amy

Home // Closet // Tool: SHOKO WANGER

Shoko Wanger is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. She authors her own personal blog, Sho & Tell, and writes a weekly column for the Equals Record, called Looking Forward. Shoko is also a regular contributor to Rue Magazine. In her spare time, you're likely to find her reading on her stoop, clipping recipes from food blogs, browsing flea markets, and exploring the city.



Home // Desk
I work from home most of the week, so I spend lots of time here at my desk, which is located in a sunny corner of my bedroom. I try to keep my workspace as neat as possible, but I do like to have items that I find inspiring on display. The framed poster is of Pete Townshend, one of my all-time favorites. The print in front of that is by Evan Robertson. It has a great quote by Jack Kerouac on it: I accept lostness forever. Among the other items is a photograph of a cliff diver taken by my brother; a watercolor done by my friend, Natalie; and an old painting by my dad.



Closet // Japanese Ring
I bought this ring (along with a matching one in pearly white) in Tokyo years ago. I like my accessories - hats, scarves, headbands, jewelry - to pop. The larger and louder, the better. This piece is no exception. It's a great conversation starter.



Tool // Polaroid Camera
I received this Polaroid camera as a high school graduation gift, and I've carried it with me everywhere ever since. I took hundreds upon hundreds of Polaroids in college; by senior year, I had enough to wallpaper a significant portion of my bedroom. Now that the price of the film has gone up, I don't use the camera as much - but I still love to take it out on special occasions.

blog // twitter

Home // Closet // Tool: REBECCA BEACH

Rebecca Beach is the lovely lady behind A Daily Something. She lives just outside of NYC and works as a freelance prop stylist and event planner (and also a nanny!). Rebecca loves thrifting, collecting treasures, sharing her finds with other people, making crafty things, and being inspired by other creatives.



Home // Vignette
This is a little vignette from my bedroom. I think it says a lot about my decorating style - lots of vintage: the cigar box, record sleeve, two mirrors, my mom's high school acrylic painting; a touch of modern: Design*Sponge at Home, and two smooth hour glasses; and a shout out to nature: fresh flowers. Every time I walk into my room and see my dresser, I smile. I think it's important for our bedrooms to reflect our style and be a place for relaxation and inspiration.



Closet // Lace Top & Geo Earrings
A few favorite pieces of mine. A (new to me) vintage lace top. I want to wear this every single day. My minty green geo earrings from A Merry Mishap. And my handmade applewood necklace.




Tool // Props
As a prop stylist and event planner, I'd be lost without my props. This is a little peek at some of my favorite small details. Where would I be without my glassware, coffee pots, and photo backdrops?

blog // twitter // facebook // portfolio

Home // Closet // Tool: ANNA ELDER

Anna Elder is the creator and author of the blog And Everything Nice, a lifestyle and design blog featuring all kinds of lovely things. From weddings, art and design to fitness inspiration and delicious recipes. Quite literally, everything nice. In college she studied graphic design and art history. Anna lives in Edmond, Oklahoma with her husband and two dogs, but still dreams of her days in California, and has high hopes for moving to Denver, CO one of these days. Hopefully sooner rather than later. You can also find Anna participating in design challenges and selling designs on Minted.



Home // The Garden
If someone had told the 21 year old Anna that she'd love gardening some day I would have laughed. Hard. And in their face. Every house my husband and I have lived in has ended up having a garden to love. I have to admit that my husband Matt cared a little bit more about gardening than I did, but it didn't take long for me to get into it. Since I'm not a licensed florist who can go to the flower market each week and pick out lovely blooms I decided I would just plant the flowers I wanted, and the ones that would grow here in Oklahoma. I've got hydrangeas, lilies, peonies, and dahlias right now. For me, a beautiful garden and fresh cut flowers says home.



Closet // Winston the Pug
This might be a weird "closet" item and I promise I do not keep my pug in the closet. He is not R. Kelly, I can promise you that (sorry, lame joke). But while I was weighing the emotions of my closet full of shoes and my drawer full of nail polishes I just kept thinking that I really can live without these things, but to live without the cuddles from my pug? It just can't be done. There's nothing I miss more when I'm on vacation than lounging with my cuddle pug, taking him on walks, and throwing his toy for him to chase and growl at. He comforts me on my worst days and is definitely there on my best days. Who could live without that?



Tool // KitchenAid Mixer
The obvious answer here was my computer since it is where I sit and blog and design from everyday, but it was too obvious. I love to bake. Cooking is definitely a relaxing hobby for me and on those days when my neck hurts and my eyes feel like they're going to pop I love to stand over the mixer and methodically mix the ingredients to make a delicious batter for cupcakes. My husband's birthday is next week (he's turning 30 guys!) so I made him marble cupcakes from scratch. That KitchenAid mixer is one of my most beloved wedding gifts. Not only did my now passed grandmother give it to me, but it is the one thing every woman covets. And rightfully so I think.

blog // twitter // facebook

Home // Closet // Tool: CASSIE MARIE DIAS

Cassandra Marie is the owner of the beautiful online shop, Oh Leander, and can also be found over at her personal blog, Moon Face. Hailing from sunny Southern California, she enjoys spending her free time traveling to and exploring new places, eating, taking photos, and visiting with friends. This Home // Closet // Tool post gives us a little peek into her world!



Home // Dining Room
This little area in our apartment is a favorite of mine. It gets the best natural light, and I love to spend lazy mornings eating breakfast and mentally preparing for my day here.



Closet // Flea Market Dress
This little number is one of my favorite second hand finds! It was displayed on a mannequin at the Fairfax Flea Market, and I had to have it! I snagged it for just $10 (score!).



Tool // Crochet Hook & Yarn
A couple items I couldn't live without. Not only are they essential tools for creating some of the products in my shop, but they also allow me to the pass time doing something I find greatly relaxing and enjoyable...crocheting.


personal blog // shop

Home // Closet // Tool: ELIZABETH STEVENS MORRIS

Elizabeth Stevens Morris is an author the blog Eighteenth Century Agrarian Business with her friend, Jessica Lord. She's studied architecture, urban design, and historic preservation, and she works in architecture. Elizabeth lives with her husband in a little house in Kirkwood, Atlanta, where she bakes, eats, and frequently redecorates said house.



Home // Petticoat Bar
This is going to frame me as a lush, but I love the bar in our house. My grandpa knew I loved this petticoat table, and he gave it to me only about a year before he died. The table came from my grandmother's family in Mississippi. She loved old furniture, and my grandpa always cheerfully griped that he spent half his life repairing old furniture for her. I love antiques, too, and I'm grateful my grandmother had her furniture fetish.

I also love the bar because we and our guests enjoy it so much. I make tonic syrup for G&T's, which has ruined me and my friends on store-bought tonic forever. So friends come over here and expect a good drink.



Closet // Bike Pannier
I made this pannier to fit my old MacBook and hang on the rear rack of my bike. I'm not an amazing seamstress, and it might have made more sense to just buy a saddlebag, but it's nice to have a custom-made utility piece like this. It looks good on my bike, and I use it as a shoulder bag, too.



Tool // Cast Iron Cookware
I cook and bake a lot. My favorite tools are heavy copper and cast-iron pots and pans. A few of the cast-iron pieces, like the giant Dutch oven and the 12" skillet, were given to me by grandparents on either side of my family. They're great pans, they're beautiful to look at, and someday maybe I'll pass them down, too.

Check out more from Elizabeth on her blog!

Home // Closet // Tool: ALLIE BASHUK

Allie Bashuk is the Atlanta Community Manager at Scoutmob, where she puts together rad events, helps sponsor & promote noteworthy happenings in the city, and strongholds Scoutmob's Twitter & Facebook. Allie also helps produce Young, Foxy & Free - a free quarterly art magazine in Atlanta, Athens and Savannah, GA. Everything she puts her energy into is central to community engagement and creativity. She is one of the coolest people I have ever met - seriously.



Home // Banana Futon and Stuffed Friends
Most everything in my house is colorful, funny, weird, and has a good backstory. I passed by that banana "futon" (who am I kidding, it's really just an oversized pillow) hanging in the window of a futon store when I was at school in Athens, GA every day for two years. It was summer 2009 and I was having a shitty day, and LO AND BEHOLD there was a "Mega Sale!" sign outside the store. I convinced myself it was a sign. If I wasn't going to buy it, I at least had to know how much that thing cost. I haggled with the salesman with the argument that "I have loved this banana from afar for two years, we're in the thick of a recession and I assure you this will go to a very loving home." Now it proudly serves as a daybed for my trusty stuffed companions.



Closet // Charm Necklace
I only take this necklace off if I'm showering or exercising.. It's my single most meaningful possession: my great grandmother's locket, an Evereman cube, an "A" that was given to me by Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, and other trinkets given to me from very special people and places... all hanging on a string near my heart.



Tool // Daily Journals
I've catalogued almost every day of my adult life. My very first journal dates back to 5 years old, but I stopped doing it during adolescence and picked it back up when I went off to college. Each journal is filled with mundane nothingness and emotional tangents, but it's a really amazing way to time hop and remember the routines and people of different chapters of my life. Since I am so digital all the time, this is the one thing I don't have to rely on the internet to store for me.



personal site // twitter

photos by me

Home // Closet // Tool: JENNIFER YOUNG

I am proud to introduce you to Jennifer Young, a lifestyle photographer and blogger over at I ART U. Jennifer lives on the beautiful central coast of California in a tiny town called San Luis Obispo. She enjoys the outdoors, traveling, eating beautiful food, being in the presence of creatives, and photographing all of the previously mentioned. She is way cool.



Home//
Home to me is the morning light that shines in from the kitchen window. I'm obsessed with natural light and the way it falls on whatever is gracing my counters--whether it be the plants while they're being watered or the fresh fruit waiting to be devoured.



Closet//
This bag is my favorite and is slung over my shoulder the most out of everything I own, so i'm considering it a closet piece. It holds my camera and photography gear, which have been my life as of late!

Tool//
Is this too cliché of a "tool"? :) In all honesty, where would I be without this gem?! It houses many things that inspire me to create.

blog // photo blog // facebook // twitter


top photo by shannon leith, all other photos by jennifer