Dude, Sweet Chocolate

A fan of well made chocolate and great design, I'm under the spell of Dallas, Texas shop, Dude, Sweet Chocolate. Chocolatier, Katherine Clapner has the sweet job of conjuring up new flavors and concepts for her award winning concoctions, which have become wildly popular in her Oak Cliff neighborhood and beyond...

Having studied at the Culinary Institute of America in NYC, Katherine worked for 20 years as a pastry chef before venturing out on her own to sell her handmade chocolates- first at Farmer's Markets, then soon thereafter at her very own shop. She categorizes her chocolates in opposing taste profiles of 'dudes' and 'sweets.' 

This mouth watering creation is made of 65% Peruvian chocolate with pecans that are soaked in handcrafted Texan Stingray rum, blackstrap molasses and vanilla bean. 

Chubby Nuts are a highly addictive snack made with whole hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia and soy which are tossed in egg whites, powdered sugar, sea salt and candied in the oven. Then...rolled in white chocolate and finished with 72% South American dark chocolate and powdered sugar. I think I need Chubby Nuts in my life. 

Her packaging is amazing. Katherine, "All our products are housed in kraft and/or apothecary bottles with brown stickers. No ribbons and no bows." That's my kind of packaging. I really love her gift sets, which any lover of chocolate would be thrilled to receive. Her bottled inventions include Tequila Chocolate Sauce, Bourbon Chocolate Sauce, Vodka & Coffee Chocolate Sauce....yum. See all her gift options here.

Katherine's incredible flavor combinations and skilled hand have made her a chocolatier to be reckoned with. As Katherine shares, "I believe I have just begun to scratch the surface of what the possibilities are and look forward to the journey it takes me on. I believe I never will finish and am happy about that." Us too...

Photos: Manny Rodriguez    Content: Sweet Peach

Folk Fibers

After much delay, I finally purchased a new sofa via k2 Studio in Asheville. And now that I have this nice, cozy sofa, I realize how bad I could use a good blanket. A talented artist in Austin, Texas seems to know all about good blankets. In fact, I'd say her blankets aren't just good...they're exceptional. 
 

Maura Grace Ambrose of Folk Fibers is the thoughtful, creative artist behind these beautifully made quilts. Each and every stitch is done by hand...

Maura has a true love for the craft. As she shares, "The art of hand quilting does take more time, but the results are greater and more valuable than a manufactured quilt. " If she has a large order, she relies on other quilters or sewers in the Austin community to lend a skilled hand. 

Another aspect to truly love about Maura's process is that she organically grows, forages and harvests all her natural dyes in and around Austin. This includes indigo, cochineal, walnut hulls and onion skins. As she shares, "I patchwork my dyed fabric with other fabrics, both vintage and new. I am faithful to using 100% natural fibers; they feel better and live longer." 

Maura creates lovely pillows as well that are hand dyed with natural dyes and include a feather/down insert. 

It's nice to see Americana quilts handmade with so much care and attention. These truly are heirlooms that can be passed down, generation to generation. Learn more about Maura and Folk Fibers, here. 

Photos: Folk Fibers      Content: Sweet Peach

Thoughts & Prayers for Moore, Oklahoma...

Tiny Fawn

Reading Darrah Gooden's bio, I learned that she "was born in the Mississippi Delta to a farmer and an artist and raised in the Piney Woods of East Texas." It's no wonder her work is an artistic, colorful perspective of the natural world.

Darrah now resides in Dallas where she creates paper collages with colored tissue paper. Taking on the look of watercolor paintings, her art pieces are delicate, sweet and deceptively simple. Yet a closer look reveals depth and texture- creatures that come alive and have a story to tell. 

Collage is an artform I don't see very much but when I do, it makes me want to get out some paper and scissors and start crafting. I like Darrah's idea of framing a few together - the prints have a bright, modern feel that can work just as beautifully in a living room or a kid's room. Check out the entirety of Darrah's shop, which she calls Tiny Fawn, here. 

Photos: Tiny Fawn      Content: Sweet Peach

Knit Ties & Wooden Ties...

With summer approaching, it's a good idea for the manly man to switch up his look for Southern soirees and shindigs. One way to do this is with a knit tie...

The knit tie, made in silk or linen, is a nice summer option. Billy Reid makes the above- all of which would look amazing with a white button down.   

Sid Mashburn and Ledbury have some incredible color options as well that beautifully complement the bright days of summer. 

For those who like to mix things up a bit, a wooden bow tie offers a nice change of pace. Created by Adam Teague and Tim Pasley of Tulsa, Oklahoma, these ties are unique conversation pieces that add a modern flair to a man's attire.   

Adam and Tim craft the ties themselves from various hardwoods such as walnut, bocote, canary and zebrawood. 

With over two dozen to choose from, there's pretty much a bow tie for any outfit- or customize your own here. 

Photos: Billy Reid, Ledbury, Sid Mashburn, Two Guys Bow Ties, Sweet Peach     Content: Sweet Peach

Squirrel Census

My friend John Rich of Oakleaf & Acorn recently sent me a link to check out. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the url - www.squirrelcensus.com, I had a feeling this was gonna be good.  

In spring of 2012, a gathering of unpaid staff which included 2 writers, 2 designers, 1 web programmer/artist, 1 postdoctoral research associate, 1 Ph.D. candidate, 1 wildlife fighter and some volunteers, decided to perform a statistical count of the Eastern gray squirrel for the Inman Park neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Jamie Allen spearheaded the Squirrel Census- as well as this amazing video that won the team some recognition on Kickstarter. (click on it, it's worth watching) 

They decided on a non invasive approach to their census. With a map of Inman Park, (.59 square miles) the team divided up the land into quadrants using alphabetic and numeric coding. The Census takers then counted the number of squirrels they would see in their quadrant, one hectare at a time. 

They spent 20-30 minutes in each quadrant during peak squirrel time- which in case you're not as squirrel savvy means mid morning, late afternoon and early evening. In the end, two counts were performed per quadrant over the course of several weeks.

After collecting all their data, Graphic Designer, Nat Slaughter created three prints to detail the team's findings. As they state on their site, this map "notes every squirrel sighting during the Census; breaks the sightings down into squirrel 'constellations'; and offers a total 'squirrel abundance' number." 

Of course, numbers would not be reported with 100% accuracy but they were using a well known density estimation equation that dates back to the 50's. That's good enough for me. In fact, them just hanging out at Inman Park with clipboards conducting a squirrel census is good enough for me. 

I think my favorite part of their Census, to which there are many, is the comments section. They've created an audio clip of some of the comment highlights which is genius...just scroll down to 'squirrel audio.' 

What's a Squirrel Census without squirrel swag? Click here to find the t-shirts and the prints, which would be great framed in just about any room. A conversation starter to be sure...nice work team.

Photos: Squirrel Census     Content: Sweet Peach

New Obsession: The Peacock Headboard

Traveling through international airports, one of my favorite things to do is head to the magazine stand. This time I had no luck finding my favorite, Real Living, but I did find about a dozen other Australian based mags to drool over. One fun discovery were these colorful peacock headboards. I want one. 

Inspired by a trip to Bali, Australian furniture designer, Katie Graham fell in love with vintage rattan furniture. Soon thereafter, she decided to design rattan headboards herself and open up her own business, The Family Love Tree. It is here, on her site or inside her lovely shop, that you'll find dozens of these lovely accent pieces in all colors of the rainbow.  

Here in the South, your best bet is to search Craigslist, Ebay, estate and yard sales for vintage options, then bring your special find home to update with a coat of fresh paint. With a little patience, you may find exactly what you're looking for...

Katie's headboards (or bed heads) are made of 100% rattan and manufactured in West Java by skilled craftsmen. Rattan is an excellent material choice, not only for its cool, bohemian style but the use of the palm plant treads lightly on the environment, as its hundreds of palm species grow year round in Africa, Asia and Australasia. 

Photos: Derek Swalell; The Family Love Tree; designscript.net; smallshopstudio.com; Oh Joy;      Content: Sweet Peach

Worley's Lighting

Ever since I stumbled upon Worley's Lighting shop based in Charlotte, NC, I've been a fan. Artist, Shelli Worley creates some creative and illuminating table lamps that I have a feeling you'll want for your own bedroom or office. 

Shelli is a fan of the edison bulb and many of her creations are built around this well designed light source. She offers the pedestal lamp in dark walnut, oak and gray. 

I love her glass hurricane lamps (pendant or table option), which in most design shops would cost in the hundreds. Shelli sells them for under $70. 

I like her small modern desk lamps which come in four colors, including a bright cherry red. These would look great in just about any room and as Shelli shares, "they make a great night light." Add a dimmer here. 

What would a Southern blog be like if I didn't mention mason jars at least once a week? Shelli offers these mason lights in both the pendant and desk lamp option and with either a vintage clear glass or blue glass.   

Every time I check Shelli's site, she has something new and fun on there, like this chalkboard lamp or these tree branch candle holders. The candles are great for a rustic setting or your everyday porch party as they have a warm tone to them. Once lit, they will make your space super cozy and inviting. See tall and small options here. 

Photos: Worley's Lighting   Content: Sweet Peach

Weckery

Today is a happy Tuesday as I arrived back in the States about one day ago from my trip overseas. Being away for almost two months takes a toll...but I'm happy to reunite with family and friends and return to life in the South. I've been passing out my gifts, some of them handcrafted - which reminds me of how handmade pottery, no matter where you find it, is a one of a kind gift idea that is as decorative as it is functional. Keeping this in mind, Weckery, a shop based in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is certainly worth checking out...

Married couple, Emily and Brad Weckesser combine their talents to create these pretty pieces. Brad brings woodworking and potter skills to the table while Emily adds her talent in painting, color and design. 

They've chosen a speckled white color scheme for this collection, which I really love, but Emily and Brad are more than happy to customize the glaze, or even add personalized words or phrases of your choice. 

At the Weckery shop, you'll find beautifully hand thrown, hand glazed and handcrafted mugs, vases, pitchers and serving sets that complement many home styles. So next time you're searching for that perfect gift idea, it's a good shop to have in your back pocket...

Photos: Weckery     Content: Sweet Peach

Beardition

During my time overseas working on a tv gig, many of the crew guys grew beards or mustaches- just because it's fun and mixes things up a bit. It's just too bad they didn't have any product, as some of them could of used it.  

Beardition, a small company based in Nashville, would of been the perfect crew gift. The company founder, Mark Williams took a month to hike the Appalachian Trail last year and soon realized the need for a quality facial hair product as his growing scruff took on a life of its own. Back home in Tennessee, he teamed up with his designer friend, Kristin Schleihs to co-found the company and help make Beardition a reality. 

They've done a great job designing and marketing Beardition. It's for manly men who still care about good grooming. 

Beardition products are made from 100% natural products including organic aloe leaf extract, vitamin E, coconut oil, green tea ...with essences of cucumber and mint or bamboo. You can also use the Beard Shampoo and Conditioner atop your head too- so it's practical. I know most men like the sound of that...

Find the complete set of Beardition products here. And happy grooming...

Photos: Beardition      Content: Sweet Peach