amy merrick by amym 22

living in: empire records

Empire Records is better known for nostalgic adoration than cinematic appreciation, but we’re okay with that. Face it, we love to love the nineties and enough time has past to make Doc Martens seem like a good idea again. Who didn’t develop a massive girl crush on Liv Tyler and suddenly find themselves unable to listen to anything but The Gin Blossoms? Succumb to the power of Rex Manning and finally revisit your favorite record shop. -Amy Merrick

Image above: 1. Bennett Pendant, $550; 2. Urbanears headphones, $60; 3. Staedtler drawing pencils, $11; 4. Whitney album, $9; 5. Pill box, $8; 6. Mary McDonald leopard sofa; 7. Doc Martens, $127; 8. Opening Ceremony skirt, $104; 9. Badge lanyard, $3; 10. 3 speaker boombox, $499.

More Living In: Empire Records after the jump!

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biz ladies by Stephanie 5

biz ladies: Social Media Secrets for Sold-Out Events

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from previous contributor Katrina Padron. Katrina is an award-winning director of marketing and a social media consultant and is co-creator of the Create + Connect Project, where creative entrepreneurs turn passion into profit. Today she shares some of her deep knowledge on the subject of promoting events via social media. From before the event to the recap, Katrina walks us through the process. Thanks, Katrina, for this wonderful post! — Stephanie

Read the full post after the jump . . .

city by Stephanie 24

Gainesville, FL city guide

Today’s Gainesville, FL City Guide comes from Melanie Ling, a digital branding and social media manager who can’t resist prints, colors, patterns and good design. While Melanie is originally from Miami, Florida, Gainesville has been her home since 2003, and she is currently working on a photography book of Victorian architecture in Trinidad and Tobago. Today she gives us a tour of this eclectic Florida city. Thank you for this wonderful guide, Melanie! — Stephanie

Read the full guide after the jump . . .

products by Grace Bonney 5

fig. 2 design studio

It can be slightly embarrassing to realize that your design obsessions are known outside of your own home. I got an email from Claudia at Fig. 2 Design mentioning my addiction to dip dye, and I could only shake my head and say, “She knows me well.” Claudia is debuting this colorful new line of cards at NSS this year, and they feature two of my favorite details: gold foil and dip dye. I’m always looking for colorful ways to send thank yous and “just because” notes, so these are definitely going in my collection. If you’re visiting the stationery show, you can see these in person at booth 1671 or click here to shop her existing collection. (Amy and I will be attending the show, so stay tuned next week for new stationery posts!) xo, grace

furniture by Grace Bonney 7

knotty

When Kate sent me this email she said, “Yep, big knots. I love it!” And that about sums it up for me. Kate and I have a major weakness for knotted designs, and this sweet plaited floor cushion is no exception. Inspired by traditional weaving and basket-making techniques, Knotty (designed by Kumeko in Prague) is made from soft jersey tubes stuffed with foam. The inner lining of the cushion is filled with polystyrene balls so the seat can constantly adjust and mold to your body shape. Comfy and cute? Sign me up. Click here for more info and to see more images online. xo, grace

products by Grace Bonney 7

dahlhaus

Heather Braun-Dahl creates beautiful ceramics. I coveted some of her work at Anthropologie this year and was excited to see her newest work. I love the geometric detailing and the cute video Heather launched with the collection. It’s always nice to see the process and the person behind the work. Click here to check out Heather’s new work, here for her video and here to shop online. xo, grace

Design Sponge