Inspiration

Thoughts on Creativity – Erin Dollar on the Elise Gets Crafty Podcast

July 29, 2015

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Elise Blaha Cripe about burnout and creativity for an episode of her podcast, Elise Gets Crafty. I love sharing my experience with nurturing creativity in my business, so this conversation was one a particularly engaging conversation.

I still have lots to learn about how to avoid burnout (if you listen to the podcast, you’ll hear how I work to survive the holiday season craziness every year…), but it was fun to hear Elise’s perspective on this subject. The photo above is Elise’s favorite quote from the episode.

You can listen to the show by downloading via iTunes, or visit the show notes on Elise’s website. If you enjoyed the episode, let me know over on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Super Modern Decor – Anthology Magazine

July 27, 2015

So excited to have spotted Cotton & Flax tea towels in the Design Matters issue of Anthology Magazine! This was in an article on the beautiful home of Richard Kim and Kristine Arellano of Presshaus LA – you might recognize her home as the location where I shot my Fall/Winter lookbook with Laure Joliet!

I can’t get enough of their home. They designed their gorgeous modern home from the ground up, and as any lover of minimalist modern decor knows, it’s tough to achieve this level of cohesive beauty!

You can check out more photos from Jessica Comingore’s shoot for Anthology Magazine over on her blog.

Pet Approved Home Decor

June 26, 2015

I’m always delighted when customers share photos of their Cotton & Flax pieces on Instagram, but I get a little extra thrill out of seeing your pets enjoy our pillows. My friend recently mentioned that her pup has commandeered one of her Cotton & Flax pillows — definitely not the first time I’ve heard of a pet enjoying our products as much as their human family members do. Above, you can see Whitney’s canine companion Stanlee, cuddled up with his favorite pillows.

Kristine’s dog, Bagel, naps with her favorite Cotton & Flax patchwork pillow (on the sofa from our F/W collection photoshoot).

Sonja’s pup, Apollo, relaxing in style with one of our plus pillows on her cool modern sofa.

Can’t forget Hazel! She tried to steal the show during my last photoshoot with Laure Joliet.

Laura’s pup, Morgan, and Satsuki’s sweet dog, Skippy, even got excited about our notebooks!

Peggy and Louis stick close to their respective pillows (but you can just tell that Louis really wants to go cuddle with Peggy, eh?)

Keep sharing your pictures of pets enjoying Cotton & Flax pillows — tag me on Instagram at @cottonandflax, I’ll be the first person to comment with a heart-eyes emoji!

Discussing Creative Inspiration and Success on the She Percolates Podcast

April 28, 2015

I feel so honored to have been interviewed for the She Percolates podcast! My episode just debuted, and you can listen to it on the She Percolates website, or by heading to iTunes and downloading the episode.

We discussed a lot of nuanced topics, including finding inspiration, avoiding comparisons with others, and what success can look/feel like for creative business owners (hint: it’s not what you might expect). Go listen to the episode, and let me know what you think over on Facebook or Twitter!

New Tea Towels in the Shop!

March 17, 2015

Just added some new pieces for Spring: fresh designs of our popular tea towels! You’ll recognize the zig zag pattern from our oblong pillows, but there’s one brand new pattern that debuts today. The name is pretty straightforward; I’m calling it: “Grid.”

The Grid pattern evolved from various sketches I’ve done over the past year, and is inspired by California Modernism. I had the Eames Case Study House #8 in mind, as well as artists working in Geometric Abstract or Hard-edge painting styles, like Karl Benjamin and Helen Lundeberg. Sol Lewitt‘s wall drawings were also an influence for the new Grid design.

I wanted to add these two geometric designs to round out the tea towel collection, which has been missing a hard-edge element since I retired the diamond print tea towel. Hoping you love these new additions! I’m excited to see how you use them in your beautifully modern kitchens.

A big thank you to Jessica Comingore for shooting these beautiful photos of the tea towels – check out more of her work here. We photographed the tea towels on beautiful brass hooks made by our friends at Scout Regalia, another wonderful LA-based design duo.

A Delicious Holiday Gift Basket

December 10, 2014

I have been collaborating this month with Sara from Matchbox Kitchen to create some holiday treats! Today she shared a delicious gift basket on her blog, which is a perfect gift for a host/hostess, or anyone who appreciates a tasty treat.

Sara combined her homemade fig and nut loaf (a new take on fruitcake – but this one is actually delicious!), her favorite coffee beans, and some felt coasters and a linen tea towel from Cotton & Flax to create a great gift set. I could also see putting delicious jams, teas, or even candies in a basket like this. You can use the tea towel to line the bottom of the basket, creating the perfect little nest for your favorite treats.

LA friends, take note: Matchbox Kitchen will be hosting a pop-up bakery event in Eagle Rock this weekend! She’ll be offering cake by the slice, doughnuts, and cookies (including my all time favorite PB&J cookies!) Find all the details here.