chronicle books

If you're looking for a great way to learn more about wine, consider investing in a wine journal. My sister gave me this lovely leather-bound journal ($30) by Chronicle Books for Christmas. Part resource and part journal, this book is organized by varietal. There's a section for recording reds, whites, and other wines. With places to note the color, clarity, aroma, and flavor, it's incredibly easy to fill in and follow. There's also space to remember fabulous food and wine pairings, wines worth saving, and trips to wineries. The pages are filled with grape definitions, pronunciations, and helpful hints on how to taste. When making note of each wine, there is a spot to write where and when you taste a specific wine.

It will be fun to look back in a year or two and think about these memorable experiences. Does anyone else keep a wine journal?

In a rare place where eclectic is the norm, where the title "interior designer" is alien, and flea markets and thrift stores replace big box and e-commerce retailers, To Each His Home ($45) by Bilyana Dimitrova would be the go-to design book. But, in a climate where design trends rule many of us, where finding one-of-a-kind, well-loved artifacts takes more effort than swooping up the hottest decorative accessory, Dimitrova's book isn't a design guide but simply a refreshing reminder that
our houses speak for ourselves, for better or worse. To see the rest of my review, read more

Growing up, I remember visiting many homes whose walls were stenciled with cabbage roses and ivy. These shabby chic delights were never my preference, even as a kid, but I did admire the technique of stenciling. Years later, stenciling became an integral part of graffiti culture, and Shepherd Fairey's Obey stencil, which he created nearly 20 years ago, launched an army of Obey stencils graffitied across the country.

Now, graphic designer Ed Roth is bringing stencils back to the home front. Roth, who founded Stencil1 in ­Brooklyn in 2005, makes reusable stencils that look perfectly at home on a kitchen wall or a pillowcase. His designs have been covered by ReadyMade, The New York Times, and featured on The Martha Stewart Show.

To hear about Roth's new book, read more

On Project Runway, co-host Tim Gunn's most dismissive comment on a garment was that it looked home sewn. Given this unfavorable recent pop culture reference, it's refreshing to see a beautiful book proudly bearing a title of the same name.

Kaari Meng, owner of the adorable Hollywood crafts and notion store French General, has extended her expertise to the book world with French General: Home Sewn ($24.95). The book takes readers through through 30 projects for the home, from scalloped tablecloths to luxurious toile shower curtains, and makes adding traditional French style to your home pattern-book easy.

To find out about Kaari Meng's book and Hollywood store, as well as to see more photos, read more

Signed, sealed, and delivered from the ladies of Hello!Lucky letterpress, the new how-to book Handmade Hellos ($19.95) gives rebirth to a long-lost craft: card making. It's one thing to hand write a note in today's world of email, SMS, MMS, IM, BBM, etc. — a good thing. But to forgo Papyrus and make a card by hand shows nonpareil thoughtfulness. Thanks to this delightful book, which is a compilation of over 25 projects from today's most talented card makers, you can choose your own level of thoughtfulness: basic (30 minutes or less), moderate (two hours or less), or advanced (an afternoon). For a handsome catch you're trying to impress, this volume will show you how to silk-screen a wooden card reading, "Wood You Be My Valentine?" For a quick but humorous birthday card, you can make a cocktail hour card using vintage photographs and a wry one-liner. Straightforward instructions make even the advanced projects unintimidating, and ready-to-use patterns cut out the creativity requirement for those of you who aren't artistes. But perhaps most notably, after page after page of adorable illustrations and cheerful designs, you won't want to say goodbye to Handmade Hellos.