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The Uncommon Life

Contest: Pin Your Dream Bedroom

February 27, 2012

Ok, be honest. Are you as obsessed with Pinterest as we are?

I certainly hope so, because here’s our first big Pinterest contest! Pin this image to a new board, fill it out following the guidelines below, and you’ll be entered to win a gift certificate to redecorate your bedroom!

Leave the link to your bedroom inspirations (or pin-spiration! Too much? It’s hard to resist) in the comments below and/or on the original pin in our Dream Home board and you’ll be entered to win.

We’ll announce the winner on March 9. How much that person wins is up to you. For every 50 entries we see, we’ll add $50 to the grand prize, up to a total of $250. So after you share your board with us, be sure to tell your friends and family to enter too!

Follow us on Pinterest for more updates, and leave a link to your profile in the comments. We follow back!

Good luck and happy pinning. We can’t wait to see your brilliant boards!

Design

How To Make It: RSVP NOW

February 23, 2012

Ever wonder how to quit your day job?

RSVP now: our first How To Make It design event is coming up on March 6, at the Rabbithole Studio in DUMBO!

Get business advice from our great guest speakers: Tina Roth Eisenberg (Swissmiss, Tattly), Jeff Davis (Vinylux), Nickey Skarstad (Etsy), and Anna Rabinowicz (RabLabs). We’re going to have a great talk about how to make money, while making what you love.

Now we know space is limited and not all of you live in Brooklyn, so we’re making our very first event as open as we can. If you’ve got a question for one of our panelists, leave it here in the comments or tweet @uncommongoods with the hashtag #howtomakeitUG. We’ll be live-tweeting throughout the event and be posting video. Even if you can’t be with us in person, we hope you’ll join us online!

But for those of you who can make it, we can’t wait to see you! We look forward to hearing more about your creative design goals, getting together for a beer and baked goods, and having a great discussion about how we all can be more successful at making what we love.

Gift Guides

Gift Lab: Moss Terrarium

February 16, 2012

Hypothesis: I’ve killed every houseplant I’ve ever owned. But the moss terrarium is so green and cute, so I want to give my green thumb one more try. Can I keep this fellow alive and maybe even flourishing?

Experiment:

First off, I need to create my terrarium. I grabbed a mixing bowl, a spoon and a squeeze bottle from my kitchen and got to work. Most everything I needed was included in the kit– dirt, moss, bottle & stand. But it did take a little bit of dexterity to get my terrarium up and running. Some assembly is required!

I activated the moss with in a quick warm water bath.

Gave the dirt a quick mix. Doesn’t this look like the beginning of a cake recipe? I know, I know… you just got totally grossed out. But Martha Stewart’s got a pretty impressive dirt cake recipe…

Then I used my mixing spoon to spread out the dirt along the bottom of the wine bottle, and layered the moss on top with the included pair of chopsticks.

Here’s my finished terrarium, hanging out next to the last lonely tendril of parsley.

Results: Since the time this picture was taken, my parsley has since died. But my beautiful moss terrarium has stayed green, and I only need to spritz it with a spray bottle a few times a week. I did move my terrarium away from the window. I missed those instructions to keep it out of direct sunlight, and now that it’s hanging out with my favorite Beatles action figures, my terrarium just might make it through the winter.

Conclusion: If you’re worse at gardening than I am, don’t despair. The moss terrarium kit is a chance to redeem yourself and bring a bit of nature indoors.

The Moss Terrarium Bottle is $38, and you can dress yours up with handmade terrarium creatures, $34.

Maker Stories

How the Pancake Plate Can Get You a Valentine’s Date

January 25, 2012

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I asked Pancake Plate designer Jon Wye a few questions about his new dishware, which conveniently come packaged as a set of 2.

Jon posing with his mom

Me: What’s your favorite kind of pancake?

Jon: Uhhh, that’s like asking who is your favorite child. It’s hard to imagine you have a favorite, but you know you do. Mine is Banana pancakes, followed by banana chocolate chips pancakes, followed by banana chocolate chip blueberry pancakes. Little tip, don’t mix the banana slices in with the batter. Place them on the pancakes on the grill once the batter has been slightly set, so when you flip the pancakes it pan fries the bananas and they caramelize. It’s makes the pan really messy but it’s well worth it.

Me: Grade A or Grade B maple syrup?

Jon: Grade B syrup hands down. It’s actually got a stronger flavor and is a thicker syrup. Grade A is good, but it’s usually thinner and I think tends to soggy the pancake more quickly. And I definitely stay away from the cheap stuff, which is usually just flavored corn syrup.

Me: Could you recommend pancake etiquette for a date?

Jon: I think you mean pancake etiquette for the morning after! [Editor’s note: He’s single, ladies!] But simple answer, make the pancakes from scratch. That little extra bit of labor shows you care.

Me: And caring is the reason for the season.

Alright readers, can you help suggest a great pancake date for Valentine’s Day?

Gift Guides

Nerd Pride Gift Guide

January 19, 2012

Some of you got in touch after our email went out yesterday, pointing out that we could’ve been more inclusive in our definition of nerd. We definitely appreciate the feedback.

Thing is, we have a bit of a confession to make. Many of us have been looking forward to this email for weeks– men and women alike. See the thing is we are all pretty nerdy, and were pretty excited to share our extreme enthusiasm with you.

So here’s a gift guide for all the geeks, know-it-alls, and nerdy ladies and gents in your life.

The Art Nerd

One of our photographers, Adam, made an interesting revelation recently. He and his wife are part of a folk band that celebrates the lives of fine artists. Here they are, commiserating the fate of Camille Claudel to the tune of Man of Constant Sorrow.

For Adam, we recommend the Make Your Own Recorder Kit— which combines his love of art and music into one.

The Science Fiction Fan

Christine, our fabulous HR recruiter, loves to surprise people when she tells them she loves science fiction. “I’m from Brooklyn! People never expect me to like Star Trek or the Twilight Zone, but I do!”

For Christine, and others, who love the final frontier, we recommend our collection of space-themed home decor:

The Moon Clock
Silver Flying Saucer Bowl
And a Ray Gun Pen for the office

That futuristic ’60s chrome style just never gets old.

The Book Worm

And me? I just checked my Goodreads account and was startled to realize I’d read 50 books totaling 17,654 pages last year. And let’s not go into how many volumes I picked up from my neighborhood bookstores. I might have to admit that I have a book problem.

Luckily I know just what will support my habit.

Leaning Ladies Bookends
Biblioteca Bookshelf
Literary iPhone4 cases
(My favorite book in that group: The Great Gatsby)

iPhones of course bring us to the other nerd– the Geek.

We had a big debate here at UncommonGoods HQ about the difference between a geek and a nerd. Luckily, Cassie our community moderator (how appropriate!), settled things with this infographic:

Full image available at GeeksAreSexy.

Jess, our graphic designer, won the geek honors, saying that she and her partner own a collective of:

(2) iPhone 4
(2) iMac
MacBook Pro
iPad
Mac mini
AirPort Extreme
(2) Magic Mouse
Magic Trackpad
Wireless Keyboard

With all that technology, she said she’d appreciate the simplicity of a Wood iPhone Camera Case.

But let’s not end things here. Gaby, our Community Assistant, and Brian, our Marketing Director, are history buffs (Classical Greek & Civil War respectively). Cassie loves Marvel superheroes. Nerds come in all colors. What’s your nerd pride?

Maker Stories

The Best Music of 2011 According to Jeff Davis

December 26, 2011

Want great music recommendations? Ask the man who’s literally in the music business. Jeff Davis, the artist behind the popular record bowls, clocks, coasters, and bookends, knows his albums.

Right now, it seems like everyone‘s weighing in on their favorite songs, albums and music videos of the year. NPR seems to have had a year-long love affair with Adele, promoting her album during every seasonal pledge drive. My favorite music blog, KEXP out of Seattle, turned over the picks to their DJs and ended up with something closer to a top 500. There’s no shortage of great music reviews at this time of the year. I decided to check in with Jeff to get a more timeless perspective.

Q: What are the top 10 albums you love too much to use in your homewares?

A: 1. “Them” – featuring Van Morrison
2. “Unicorn” – Tyrannosaurus Rex
3. “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” – Traffic
4. “Babylon By Bus” – Bob Marley and the Wailers
5. “Blues for Allah” – The Grateful Dead
6. “A Monastic Trio” – Alice Coltrane
7. “The Blues” – Nina Simone
8. “On the Beach” – Neil Young
9. “5” – J.J. Cale
10. “What’s Going On” – Marvin Gaye

Q: What was your first record?
A: “Saturday Night Fever” – soundtrack

Q: Wow! Well… What’s the best new album of 2011?
A: “The King is Dead” – Decemberists

Isn’t it amazing how our tastes all grow and change? I’m not ready to publicly admit the first album I ever bought.

But I agree with Jeff that the Decemberists put out a great album this year. David Foster Williams fans may see some familiar references in their single, “Calamity Song.”

Q: Last question. Will people ever nostalgize tapes or CDs as much as they do records?

A: Not likely. Records have been popular from the 1950s till the present. No other recorded music medium has as much iconic meaning or connection as records.

That, and I’d challenge anyone to figure out how to turn a flimsy CD into bookends!

Thanks to Jeff for sharing some great music with us. What were your favorite songs and albums from 2011?

I’m putting together my New Year’s playlist, so please share links below!

Design

The Search Is Over

December 1, 2011

In November we put out the call for hand-printed holiday cards, and of the dozens that entered, we picked 14 beautifully letterpressed and silk-screened cards we thought would be perfect for holiday shoppers. By Cyber Monday, these 14 finalists had received almost 4,000 votes and it was time for the judges to pick a winner from the top five.

The moment guest judge Melinda Morris picked up Dolce Press’ Word Search Holiday Cards, she knew the search was over.

Senior Graphic Designer Rebecca Paull Marshall agreed.

Melinda, co-owner of Lion in the Sun, a custom card and paper shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, loved the Word Search cards for their broad appeal. Who doesn’t love puzzles?

And voters agreed, saying these cards would be perfect for all ages and all holiday celebrations. One voter said, “WOW these cards are awesome! It’s always really hard for me and my wife to find cards that work for Hanukkah and Christmas, these ones definitely do the trick.”

Rebecca, who studied letterpress at the San Francisco Center for the Book, was impressed by their technique. She liked how you could feel the grooves of the letterpress in each card, because it’s a great reminder of the skill and art that goes into making them. “The letterpress added a level of sophistication to the simplicity of the game,” Rebecca added.

Alex of Dolce Press told us, “We like to keep things simple.” And it’s true! We love the clean and modern look of the Word Search cards.

But don’t let that fool you. Each card is hand printed on a Vandercook Cylinder Proof Press and each color is printed one at a time using hand-mixed inks, that allow Alex and her colleagues to achieve colors that don’t exist in the Pantone spectrum. Plus the cards come in an cleverly hand-printed box.

If you can’t wait to share these cards with friends and family, they are now available! Don’t worry, each set comes with an answer key, so your friends and family won’t be stumped for too long!

Gift Guides

How to find a gift for your best friend

November 23, 2011

When Twitter Giveaway Winner Jodie Evans received her $500 gift certificate, she knew just what to get her best friend. And that’s how best friends are. When you know someone so closely, it’s easy to find that perfect gift.

So rather than let me tell you what you should get your best friend, let me call out 8 of our favorite gifts that symbolize what a great friendship is all about.

face Mug— for the friend you can talk to anytime

birth month flower necklaces— for the friend who doesn’t need Facebook to remember your birthday

7 deadly sins glasses— for the friend who forgives you all your flaws and shortcomings

attitude vase– and the friend who doesn’t let you get away

corkcicle– for the friend who’s always ready to celebrate

level necklace– for the friend who keeps you level headed

fortune keeper chain– for the friend who shares your dreams

sari scarf– for the friend who lets your true colors fly

What makes your best friend the greatest?

P.S. I know you’re probably crushed you missed our Twitter Giveaway, but you can still tweet at us or leave a comment below for personal shopping recommendations. We’re happy to help!