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Sale Alert: Chronicle Books Friends and Family Summer Sale
You've got friends in high places. Now through Aug. 5, Chronicle Books is treating its pals (you) to some sweet discounts on Summer reading.
Happy Hour: Start a Wine Journal
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.
Home Library: To Each His Home
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
Home Library: Stencil101
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.
Home Library: French General: Home Sewn
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).
Home Library: Handmade Hellos
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.
Foodie Fight = Fantastic Fun
Last Friday night, my sister surprised me with a new trivia game by publishing house Chronicle Books. Created for serious food lovers, the game is addictive and informative. The Foodie Fight ($18.95) is like Trivial Pursuit but with questions related to food history, celebrity chefs, cultural cuisines, cooking techniques, and more.
The Card Shop: The Perfect Note
Inspired by the work of calligrapher Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls (a past collaborator) and their sheer delight in receiving her handwritten notes, the folks at Chronicle Books set out to design The Perfect Note ($24.95). And so they did. The desktop kit is "a stationery-lover's dream," which includes 24 cards and envelopes, an ink pad and stamps, a variety of stickers and labels as well as a 48-page booklet chock-full of tips and templates — all of which are blessed with Imasa-Stukuls's calligraphy skills and Chronicle's unrelenting devotion to good design.
Home Library: Mexicasa
If Cinco de Mayo has you yearning for more tropical climes, then scratch that itch with a look through Mexicasa, a coffee-table book that features dreamy retreats of Mexico. Photographer Melba Levick takes stunning pictures of vibrant patios, sparkling pools, and restful bedrooms, while author Gina Hyams tells the story of each inn and hacienda. For instance, the pictures featured below are from El Tamarindo, a resort located on a 2,000-acre nature reserve, and which was designed to blend in with its natural surroundings, with the builders going so far as to bury every electrical wire and water pipe.
Sale Alert: Chronicle Offering 30 Percent Off!
Chronicle Books is presently discounting all titles by 30 percent on their Web site, and providing free ground shipping through Nov. 28. To receive this discount, simply enter FRIENDS at checkout.
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