Cheers To New Years!

Posted by Blueprint

Well folks, that's all she wrote in 2007 here at Bluelines -- we're taking a little break next week to enjoy some holiday cheer. We'll be celebrating in typical Blueprint fashion: devouring cookies and draining cocktails, wrapping gifts in paper we designed, and crafting some last minute gifts. (Check out the new video of Katie making her fabulous card cases on The Martha Stewart Show.)


We're all very excited to see what 2008 will bring. Cheers!

P.S. Don't forget to send us feedback on the future of your Blueprint here.

Audio Visual Squad

Posted by Kerstin, Online Editor

  If, like me, you're still short on gifts for those picky men (and women) in your life, don't panic and resort to infomercial-acquired gadgets. Instead, check out these new-ish releases for the music- and DVD-lovers in your life -- all available online or at your local Best Buy.

For the Guy's Guy

While he may not have been alive when the Johnny Cash Show aired, he can relive every rare and wonderful performance with this DVD, The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971. Only here can you find early performances by Johnny, plus guests like Neil Young, Derek and the Dominoes (that's Eric Clapton to us), Lorretta Lynn, Louis Armstrong, CCR, and Bob Dylan, among others.

 

For the Dad or Uncle

Give your guys a refresher course in cool with one of these comprehensive DVDs filled with rare footage: Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding, a fitting tribute to the great singer, or, if he's more of a soul man try Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Definitive Performances 1963-1987.

 

 

For the Nephew (or Niece) Obsessed with High School Musical

U2's Joshua Tree was a landmark album for the Irish megaband and it captured a special moment in their history: right after they stopped looking like punk kids from the Dublin streets and just before they embarked on their massive do-gooding missions. To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the album's release, they've compiled The Joshua Tree [Deluxe Edition], featuring remastered and expanded material, a bonus DVD, and a hardback book with rare Anton Corbijn photos, Bono's handwritten lyrics, and an essay by the Edge.

Talk To Us

   Posted by Sarah, Editor In Chief

Everyone from the top down has been reading your posts since it was announced that Blueprint's bimonthly print magazine will cease after the January/February 2008 issue. One message that's loud and clear? You don't like the idea of folding Blueprint into Weddings. We hear you.

So now we want you to tell us what you do want -- how we can give you your Blueprint fix on our blog, on our website, and in special issues. What would you like us to cover in special issues? Decorating? Entertaining? Do you want a place on the website to ask questions? Post your own projects? What would you like to see on the blog? Would you be interested in a daily newsletter with fresh Blueprint content?

We're listening, and we're open to any and all ideas. Post your comments here, and we promise to read and consider every single one. And thanks to you, our loyal readers and users, for your love and support. Right back atcha.

*UPDATE: For those of you who have not read any more recent posts, we have published information on the future of your subscriptions. Read the latest news here.

A Tale of 12 Kitchens

Posted by Erin, Staff Writer

Beard on Books, is a wonderful series of lunch time talks (free for students, donations recommended for working stiffs) with James Beard-endorsed authors and two weeks ago I slipped out of the office to attend. The speaker I went to see was Jake Tilson, an artist, culinary explorer, and -- since October 2006 -- cookbook author. His book A Tale of 12 Kitchens (available through Amazon) is more of a gastronimical and visual exploration than a cooking directive. As an artist and graphic designer, Tilson photographed and designed the book himself and it has the look of a personal diary. While there are recipes, the book is a photographic celebration of food and family -- as Tilson said at the talk, "The graphic landscape of food has always fascinated me." Here are a few ideas from the book that I particularly loved.

Since Tilson was young, he has been making food diaries with his family that include pictures of meals (what's on the plate and who's gathered at the table), food wrappers and packaging, cards from restaurants, and recipes. It's an inventive approach to a travel diary (and also includes the normal things like ticket stubs, fliers, etc), and I'm planning on making one for the next trip I take.

A collage from a trip to New York

Tilson and I share a lust for food packaging. I have bottles of balsamic vinegars, spices, and canned goods that I'll never use because I was interested in the packaging rather than the product. Tilson has pages of his favorite food packaging in the book (we share many in common) and he takes it a step further by filling suitcases full of food when he travels. (This has become more problematic since the new flight restrictions were put in place.)

Musings on the beauty of food packaging

In addition to taking all the photos in the book, and laying it out himself, Tilson specially created some of his own fonts -- how very Blueprint! For a chapter on Tuscany he created a font from the script on a can of tomatoes, and for a chapter about Scotland he took pictures of street signs and created an alphabet from them.

A collage from a trip to Scotland

Personally, I'm not big on travel gifts for everyone I know but I loved Tilson's gift to friends after his annual summer visit to Tuscany. He trims herbs -- bay, rosemary, thyme -- wraps them nicely in a sheet of La Repubblica and mails them as soon as he returns home. I'd prefer fresh herbs over a postcard any day!

Guest Appearances

Posted by Elizabeth, Beauty, Health & Fitness Editor

Before I blog on, I want to thank all the loyal Blueprint and Bluelines readers. The outpouring of support here and elsewhere is amazing.

Times are changing: the dollar may be tanking, Britney isn't "well," and, well, enough of that end of the year speculation -- let's talk about partying instead! After all, 'tis the season of revelry, and that means parties, which means hostess gifts -- hopefully good ones. Here are some hostess gifts that I've given, and a few that I've been very happy to receive.

Fresh Petit soap

Fresh's Petit soaps always make a nice hostess gift. They're beautiful on their own, but Fresh also makes great ceramic accessories. A soap presented on one of their dishes (and simply wrapped with a ribbon) feels special and costs no more than a decent bottle of wine. Another idea: A friend of mine, an avid antique collector, once gave me a vintage hand-held mirror with two linen hand towels. It was really thoughtful, and she said she "always just keeps things like that on hand for this reason."€ I wish I had half her planning skills.

Origins Organics organic cotton tote

And then there are hostess gifts that are fun to assemble and give. As Sarah Humphreys recently mentioned on the MARTHA show, I once gave her a hostess "day after" kit. I used a basic white canvas bag (inexpensive and ubitquitous these days), but check out this new one from Origins Organics: On one side it reads, "I'm Re-User Friendly" while the other reads, "I don't get wasted" (a nice paradox for the hostess of a cocktail party). I filled the bag with fresh bagels, good spreads, orange juice, and some sweets -- all the elements of a good breakfast -- as well as a few hangover cures. The trick is to keep the refrigerated offerings small, so they fit neatly in a party food-filled fridge. Offer to place those items in the fridge yourself -- the hostess will already have her hands full.

All that remains of my caviar

The last gift is something that was given to me, and not holiday specific, but it stays in my mind after several years. When I moved into my own apartment in NYC, my godmother and a friend came over bearing a tin of caviar, blinis, crème fraiche, and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. It was such an over-the-top treat for a not-so-over-the-top setting: My new place was cute (postage-stamp tiny) and charming (nice moldings coated in 75 years of paint). But we had the best time eating and drinking while surrounded by unpacked boxes. We talked about all the grand possibilities of the place. And let's face it, drinking pricey champagne has a funny way of making you believe anything is possible. Today, I still have the caviar tin, which I now store earrings in.

Do you have a good hostess gift idea that you've given or received?

Tony Mendoza's Flowers

Posted by Scott, Contributing Style Editor

How do I love Tony Mendoza's photography book Flowers? Let me count the ways.

1. The photography is so simple but breathtaking. It's as though the photographer is an ant looking up through the grass.

2. The unusually beautiful perspective puts a fresh twist on traditional still lifes.

3. Flowers is great as a personal splurge, or as a gift for the holidays. (hint, hint)

4. The book's size (approximately 12" x 16") is as unique as the photos within -- a large book with a large presence. It would look beautiful left open on a coffee table or credenza.

5. It's available through Nazraeli Press, a Portland-based publisher with an amazing repertoire of art books.

Riff Wrap

Posted by Blueprint

If you're a working stiff like us, you missed Sarah, our editor in chief, yesterday on The Today Show. She demonstrated our simple-yet-stunning holiday gift-wrapping ideas and flaunted some Blueprint-designed wrapping paper. Thanks to a little thing called the Internet, we can all watch the segment from the comfort of our desks (or offices, if we're lucky). Watch the clip here and don't forget to print out our wrapping paper.

We're So Gifted: Part III

 

   Posted by Sarah, Associate Fashion Editor

Here are some ideas for the little ones on your list:

Taro Gomi Activity books, $18.95, at Kid O

I bought these for my nieces last year, and they're still a big hit. Besides being visually appealing, they challenge kids to be imaginative and creative.

Kico Kids sweaters, $104 (left) $115 (right), check website for stores

Something a little nicer than a traditional knit, these sweaters are great for children because of the soft 'cashfeel' (feels like cashmere) wash. The diagonal striped sweater is a nice twist on the typical preppy look and the girls’ sweater has crochet buttons, flexible gummy beads, and a floral print ribbon on the back. So cute!

We're So Gifted: Part II

 

   Posted by Johannah, Associate Fashion Editor

I have a small -- okay huge -- obsession with Bob Dylan. Something about the harmonica in his songs really appeals to me, so much so that I am now teaching myself how to play: I bought a beginners' book and harmonica a few months ago and am working my way through it.

Dylan and his mouth harp

I’ve enjoyed it so much that I plan on giving my brother, who is an enormous music fan, the same thing in his stocking. It’s a small, unexpected, fun gift, and it’s never too late to learn something new.

We're So Gifted: Part I*

 

   Posted by Johannah, Associate Fashion Editor

Who knew that my father, the forester, was so fashionable? I used to give him a hard time for wearing plaid shirts, and now they're fashion's pattern du jour. After flipping through TARTAN: Romancing the Plaid, by Jeffrey Banks and Doria de La Chapelle, I realized that Dad was not only way ahead of the style curve, but was also expressing himself with one of the oldest and most interesting of fabrics. This lovely tome details the intriguing history of the tartan with amazing photographs. It covers every type of plaid (there are many!) and tracks its history through the ages via those who have worn it -- from queens (the royal kind) to rock stars. The fashion and home sections feature some classic runway and editorial pictures that just might inspire your winter wardrobe or spark some decorating ideas for the holidays. There's even a final unexpected treat for the serious tartan fan: a detailed shopping guide to help track down the perfect plaid.

By now my father surely has the perfect plaid shirt, but my parents' coffee table needs a little dressing up -- and this book is just the thing.

*We were so brimming with ideas for our holiday gift guide that we decided to share some of the surplus gifts with you over the next few days.

Look Who's In The Look Book!

   Posted by Sarah, Editor In Chief

They're too shy to say it, but Valerie and Erin, our senior editor and staff writer, were dubbed cool enough to be featured in New York magazine's Look Book last week! Check out their get-ups -- and pithy quotes -- here.

Not-So-Tough Cookies

   Posted by Sarah, Editor In Chief

My friend Gigi was visiting from Boston the other weekend and the only thing she wanted to do while in NYC was make the holiday cookies in our November/December issue. OK, I exaggerate. That’s the only thing either of us wanted to do. It was a two-part plan: First we hit up the fabulous New York Cake Supplies store in Chelsea, where we each left with $150 worth of sanding sugar, cookie spritzes, silpat silicone mats, and tiny offset spatulas. Then we headed to my apartment and set up shop.

No, you do not need all of these supplies to make the cookies -- we just went crazy.

Four hours and lots of dough-rolling later, we had dozens of bite-size confections. While not as impeccable as those made by Jodi Levine, the very talented Martha Stewart Living editor who cooked up the ideas for our issue, they were pretty cute. All thanks to Gigi, who is the epitome of Diligence and Determination. (I myself sunk into the role of sous chef.)

Yum!

The sugar-cookie recipe was spot-on and the techniques are truly doable -- especially if you heed the advice of two weekend bakers who had to make a few mistakes before we got them right.

1. Read the cookie-spritz package carefully. We mistakenly bought $30 battery-operated models, and they didn’t work. At all. Old-fashioned manual is the way to go.
2. To prevent the stained-glass cookies from bleeding (you’ll see a few bloody first attempts above), place pebble-size chunks of Jolly Ranchers in the center of the cookie opening. After 90 seconds -- no more! -- they’ll melt and pool outward. (Smaller bits of candy burn too quickly.)

3. Silpat is a lifesaver, because the dough doesn’t stick to it, but the silpat sticks to the countertop. I will never again roll out dough without it.
4. Gel food coloring is intense. You need only one drop to tint a small ball of dough. Otherwise you’ll end up with Play-Doh dough (see above). My fault!