happy hour: size matters.

Ok, so I know it's not quite 5pm here in L.A., but I just couldn't WAIT to post DFM's very first Happy Hour EVER. I've been researching and researching all week, and I'm just so happy to share all of my finds with you all!

So, without further do, may I introduce the debut Happy Hour: Size Matters. And until Monday, have a fabulous weekend!

Download PDF here.

erin condren.

I LOOOVE this gal. I LOOOOVE her work. And I LOOOOVE that her shop is so super close to my house.

Erin Condren designs stationary. And you KNOW my fetish with stationary (along with chairs). Can one really have enough address labels, envelopes, calling cards?

Never!

And when they look THIS good, it's even easier to justify. Click here to visit Erin's site, and send her lots of love from DFM!

refabulous.

One of my fave stops when I hit Long Beach is the Refab Clinic, a retro-modern plethora of cool finds that are [gasp!] actually reasonably priced.

Here are my faves from their latest goods; click here to see more awesomeness!

flickr friday: fire hydrants.

Wow. Say that three times fast. So for today's Flickr Friday, I thought I'd enlist the help of my two favorite [read: only] dogs: Bernard and George. Naturally, they suggested I enlist the help of their favorites, too: fire hydrants.

So here goes: my five fave fire hydrants. Wow, another tongue twister!

Enjoy...


[sarahbrowndowntown]


[sohpheeah]


[idotpdot]


[yanivg]


[dietpoison]

who's who: allegra hicks

A fashion goddess, homeware designer and interior decorator. Gracious, could Allegra Hicks be any more fantastic?

Check out her interior design portfolio here, but get a tissue first. There will be LOTS of drooling.

special thanks.

Wow. It's been a whirlwind few weeks. I'm so grateful to all of you fellow bloggers and members of the design community who have made DFM's debut an exciting one!

Special thanks to the following DFM fans:

Desire to Inspire
Kim contacted me re: my bedroom post and was gracious enough to feature my work among the bold and beautiful posts that exist over at Desire to Inspire. I'm astounded and STILL blushing to be featured next to Derek Swalwell and Pia Bijkerk.
[Thanks, Kim and Jo!]

Life In A Venti Cup
I love this gal. And I love her eye for design. And I love that she's one of the warmest bloggers out there. Franki gave DFM the sweetest shout out ever. I was so honored I almost peed my pants.
[Thanks, Franki!]

Orange Beautiful: The Scoop
Again, a pants-peer. [As in 'the cause of pee', not someone in your age group]. Holy crap, this was just the sweetest feature I've ever received. I feel like Emily [and Laura] have just swept me under their wing of fabulousness. And I'm so excited, I don't even care that 'fabulousness' isn't a word.
[Thanks, Emily and Laura!]

Reuben Miller
Aww, my first fan. At least, I like to pretend that. Reuben posted a link from a site that I write for [Curbly, check it out] and it was love at first read. Reuben has a FANTASTIC love for design that just drips with inspiration and I loooove seeing just what he's up to next!
[Thanks, Reuben!]

Black White Bliss
Gracious... I am so so honored to be an official member of the Black and White Pro club, straight from the Prez herself! Many thanks to a gal with such great taste.
[Thanks, JHayne!]

Overall, thank you to all of those who have made me feel warm, welcome, and fuzzy inside. From the bottom of ole DFM's heart!

who's who: miles redd.

I just discovered Miles Redd, a fantastic interior decorator, in the most recent issue of Domino Mag. And it just so happens, he has a LOT to say about tomorrow's happy hour feature [which I won't disclose quite yet...].

What I WILL disclose, however, are these fabulous spaces that Miles is linked to. WOW. Miles: we LOVE you!

Click here to see more of his work, and tune in to happy hour tomorrow to see what he has to say about tight quarters!

updates and housekeeping.

I can't thank everyone enough for your kind words and gracious comments this week. It's been a long haul getting this blog off the ground, and I'm so happy to share it with such a welcoming design community!

DFM has had a ton of new readers this week, and I'd like to share a few thoughts with those who are visiting DFM for the first few times.

1. I want this site to represent a variety of different designs and vignettes for those with ridiculously eccentric taste [read: me]. If you see something you love, chances are I'll love it, too. Send it on over to designformankind@gmail.com. I'd love your collaboration.

2. You'll run into some key terminology I use to categorize my thoughts. Here are a few you can expect:

WHO'S WHO: These are my fave designers, photograpers, etc who don't normally get a lot of credit. I like to add them to my hypothetical list of "Who's Who in Erin's Love List."

OUT OF THE BOX: Gosh, I hate this word. It's so... corporate. But I use it, b/c I'm an ex-corporate and it makes me feel complete. Anyway, OUT OF THE BOX posts are dedicated to individuals or companies that are breaking out of the ordinary. Limits that are being pressed, boundaries that are being broken. I think this is the key to design, and I LOVE to recognize those who are willing to be extraordinary.

HAT TIP: I give 'hat tips' to those I love, for a variety of reasons. I love to see others follow their dreams and work to accomplish their goals, and if I see that happen, you can bet there will be a 'hat tip' waiting at the end of the day.

FLICKR FRIDAY: Self explanatory, yes, but Flickr is a gem that I cannot help but to unturn. Every Friday, look for my fave photographs. Feel free to send yours to be added to the list!

HAPPY HOUR: When the clock hits 5pm, I hit the door. No weekend blogging for this gal, but I HATE to leave you hanging. That's why I'll post a weekend guide every Fri. night that will keep you busy through the weekend, until you can get your fix again on Monday AM. Look for tips, tools and resources on anything I find design-worthy. And again, if there's something specific you'd like to learn about for 'Happy Hour', send it on over! I'd be glad to research your questions and provide a complete guide to making your lives easier.

3. I love you all for reading this. Especially the ones that actually made it through my ridiculously-anal descriptions.

Boy, are you in for a ride.

plan 59.

Plan 59 has one of the most fabulous vintage photography collections to date. And I can't help it, I've been loving antique signage recently. After spotting these detergent packages on their site, I knew I just had to share them.

Click here to view more photographs at Plan 59.

etsy chair prints.

So. I think y'all know by now [sorry for the y'all, I'm from Indiana originally] that I have a ridiculous chair fetish. I love chairs, songs about chairs, pics of chairs, and pillows FOR chairs. It's bad, I know. I need counseling.

But for now, I ease my addiction by browsing through Etsy to find my fave chair prints EVER. Behold, the top five [my VERY fave is #2, b/c well, it's awesome]:


[dimadesign]

[mariajanosko]

[annechovie]

[annechovie]

[rainyprints]

twinkle, twinkle little star.

One of my go-to sites for quality textiles is Twinkle Living, so it's only fair that I share that love with my readers.

Following are my faves from Twinkle (LOOOVE the Milan Pug rug). Enjoy!

View the entire collection here.

white + warren.

New looks available now from White + Warren. A bit too pricey for my tastes, but definitely some stylish inspiration to look forward to!

View the entire collection here.

art donor giveaway.

I posted some t-shirts from The Art Donor a few days ago, and the shop was so thrilled by your response, they've graciously offered a free gift with any and every order.

WOO HOO! I loooove free stuff. So shop without guilt, b/c you've got a surprise at the end of the rainbow.

Simply type in "Design for Mankind" in the comments section of your order to redeem your PRIZE!

Happy shopping, and thanks to The Art Donor for, well, donating the goods.

kiku-co.

A faithful DFM reader just sent over a link to Kiku-Co, an adorable handmade shop specializing in fused glassware to create jewelry and accessories.

Here are my top pics from Kiku-Co; I just love these belt buckles! Check out the rest of the goods here: