RUSTIC CHIC: BEST MADE COMPANY COMES TO TRIBECA

Best Made, the last word in cool functional objects is opening a store in Tribeca, their first NYC retail setting.  Rejoice, urban weekend warriors! Their signature metal and wood axe, designed with impeccable style and verve in 2009, introduced legions of loyalists to their clean designs that pair aesthetics with a nostalgic bent. They have  a cult following for their solid, well-made heritage products with an old-school vibe. I cannot wait to take a field trip down to 36 White Street, where they are offering classes in things like Ax Restoration and Field Medicine.  I am already channelling my rustic side to hit this shop for summer.

The well-stocked interior of the new Tribeca Made Goods HQ

The Axe, surrounded by other design basics stuff

The Fulton Street-made Annin American Flag

Designer printmaker Nick Zdon's Everything Here is Wonderful printed on a silk-screened US Map inspires road trips.

The Camp Chair fold flat for an insta-seat in the great outdoors

An enamel plate with a cheeky compass detail

Get games going in red, white and blue style with the best made darts I have ever seen. So sleek and chic.

I've shown their famous red wool blanket before, and love the old-school vibe of the Lumberland Camp Blanket with stripes and a solid ground.  Made from wool with a bit of cotton by Pendleton, it comes with a handy leather carrying sling for easy transport for everything from star watching to baseball games.

MY DAILY MANTRA

Photo courtesy of Best Made

In order to start the day off right, I drink my coffee, fall down the rabbit hole of my daily web reads, create my daily list, and start charging though as much of it as I can. Some days I need a little extra inspiration, a mantra if you will. So here's the perfect way to start every day, asking, "What good shall I do this day?' Benjamin Franklin's wise words ring true all these years later, as they call out from this simply adorned enamel sign from Best Made. It gets me thinking I need to do more to help charities I really believe in, do things like respond to my inbox with velocity, and reach out to connect with those that seek advice.

How does this simply phrase inspire you?

NEED A SECURITY BLANKET?

Photo courtesy of Best Made Company
It has been getting chilly here in NYC, so I got to thinking about classic winter must-haves that stand the test of time. A great canvas tote, sturdy parka, LL Bean Boots, that sort of thing. Perhaps this is more of a country-camp fave, but camp blankets are back in a big way, and many have pushed aside their classic duvets for their woolen warmth. Best Made Company, in their quest for the perfect red wool blanket, has teamed up with Pendelton Woolen Mills, one of the oldest wool purveyors/blanket makers in America. They have created a fire engine red wool blanky with a tonal striped border and the words Famous on the corner. Perhaps just sleeping under it will do the trick, and you will wake up more famous than the day before. Hey, you never know. This makes a great gift, by the way.

SOME ADVICE FOR OSCAR NOMINEES

Photo courtesy of Best Made Company
Whatever the outcome, it is so essential to Be Optimistic! The letterpress card from Best Made Company makes me smile because it so simple, yet so powerful. It is sold in a set of nine cards in dreamy fonts, with two other hopeful message cards in the pack.