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After a long long long hiatus, my favorite segment of the blog- Five Whats is back! It is a little Q&A with creative and talented people that I admire, some are friends, and some are strangers that I've become friends with. Today's guest is Michelle Peglau of Hortensia Handmade. I am obsessed with Hortensia ever since I first saw their neck warmer (picture below), everything is hand made by artisans in Peru. Michelle is based in New York and she runs the business with her mother who lives in Peru. I am fascinated that she's from Peru, which is well known for its alpaca wool and handicrafts. I was so happy to meet Michelle in person yesterday at the Divine Studio Holiday Sale, and I bought the beanie hat that she's wearing in the pic! She is such a nice and friendly lady that I know I will keep in touch with for a long long time! Without further ado, here are the five whats:
1. What did you have for breakfast?
Can’t start the day without a cappuccino that I make. I use my Bodum French press and a portable foam maker by Primo Latte. I get my coffee beans at Sweet Leaf in LIC. They sell organic coffee from all over the world by Stumptown Coffee, for me the best. I love eggs, any style, with either baguette or tortillas (a tradition I picked up from my husband) or I have some fruit with some good old Greek yogurt I get in Astoria.
2. What inspire you the most?
Colors…no doubt. That’s what gets me started. Then textures. I am obsessed with that now. I’m planning a lot of it for the new fall collection. Mixing colors, creating patterns and relieves. I have always been very drawn to ancient textiles. Ancient Peruvians made amazing textiles. That’s my most inspiring source right now.
3. What are your favorite things to do in Peru? Any "secret" places that we should know about?
I was born and bred in Peru and fortunately I get to go back a lot. I’m from Lima, the capital of Peru that is by the Pacific Ocean.
My old hood is called Miraflores and I love it because it’s near everything. From my mom’s apartment you can see the sea. I also recommend Barranco, a bohemian neighborhood by the sea cliff. There are many parks, old houses that have been restored and are now art galleries, designer studios, cafes, restaurants, bars.
Lima’s center is also great. Colonial architecture is all around. Some buildings are better kept than others but overall the whole center is coming alive. My favorites are the Museo de Arte de Lima, The Hotel Bolivar and The Plaza de Armas de Lima.
And you can’t leave Lima without having a ceviche and pisco sour. My favorites places to go are La Mar and Costanera 700. This last one is owned by a Japanese chef and blends both Peruvian and Japanese flavors.
4. What is it like in a day of Hortensia?
Every day is so different. We all do bit of everything. Right now I am getting ready for the Holiday season, at the same time planning Fall 2010 and doing everyday office work. What I usually do is plan my days and dedicate my creative time to at least a full day. I don’t read my email or get near a computer!
Since I’m in New York and my mom in Peru (same time zone though) we communicate via email, talk almost every day by skype and discuss our ideas or plans for the next collection. And surprisingly we are always in tune.
Hortensia is collaboration, a constant work in progress. I am very lucky to work with my mom and the ladies that are part of Hortensia’s team. We are all learning from each other, we all trust and respect our roles.5. What are you doing this holiday season?
I will be working very hard through Christmas!. But after that my husband & me will spend our first Christmas in our new place in Long Island City (In Queens, New York). We are spending New Year’s Eve in Lima with my mom & brothers. We are probably going to stay up all night, watch the sunrise and have an “aguadito” in a little restaurant near the beach.- Thanks to Michelle who took some time from her busy schedule to answer these questions and sending me some pictures of Peru!
- photo of Costanera 700 ceviche: http://www.thousandflavors.com/
Hi, it's Chad here, Christine asked me to write a little intro to this Five Whats with Strath. I met him about eight years ago through our friend Lily of sunshine and shadow. Being both record and design nerds we instantly became great friends. Strath is an amazing person, from owning a cult Hip-Hop record label in Seattle and touring with Mo' Wax greats, to stints at Martha and Visionaire, he has some amazing stories, and along the way has gained an incredible eye for design. In one effortless breath he can talk to you about Christain Louboutin or Rei Kawabuko, then move to the psych band July or the breaks on a Johnny Lewis record, and end with something about Antonioni's Blow-Up or any similar great movie meets great design and great soundtrack combo you can name. Obviously, we have had a few of these conversations, and on top of that he has a great since of humor, so on that note, here are his Five Whats:
What did you have for breakfast?
I had some egg whites with salt and Old Bay seasoning, and an English muffin. I have one of these Bay's English Muffins just about every day, they're really good toasted with nothing on them. And four cups of Cafe Bustelo coffee with half-and-half.
What do you like and dislike about freelancing?
I like it that I can set my own schedule, but that's also what I dislike about it, because I end up working 'round the clock a lot of the time. So it has its ups and downs. I've been really lucky to get some amazing projects though, so the work itself is generally really good.
What are your inspirations?
Ah jeez, there are so many, that's a tough question. Every designer has a laundry list of references (Brodovitch, Lubalin, Graphis annuals, old records...) and I do too, but it's really about the state of mind of just always observing things, always taking things in and looking for patterns, colors, typography, etc. I have these black books that I've been taping things into forever, just as a way to collect all that stuff as much as possible. Here are some of the pages: 
Aside from all that general inspiration, I'd say a couple other things that are constants:
PHOTOGRAPHY. That's really broad but as a designer I think it's a requirement, in that taking snapshots just hones the way you think about spacial relationships, balance, and what to include or not include. I find it to be sort of an exercise in minimalism—of trying to figure out the minimum you can include to convey what you're trying to capture. I also just love the history of photography and seeing what new current greats are doing (Sims, Sorrenti, et al). When I worked for Visionaire, we used to take little five minute breaks and all the designers would go on abebooks.com and look for cool photo books. We'd always be checking out new photographers and sharing them with each other—it was a really good exchange of information. 
MY WIFE EMILY. She is an amazing writer and thinker and definitely the most inspiring force in my life. She's a lawyer but could just as easily be a fashion designer or graphic designer or gallerist or genius librarian. She has good ideas at all times. This is one of my favorite pictures of her, at the Cube Houses in Rotterdam.
Can you suggest what we should do to enjoy staycationing?
I recommend spending a day in Red Hook—go to the ball fields for the best Mexican food in New York, or to Hope & Anchor for brunch; hang out on the docks, get some key lime pie from Steve's, get a beer at Bait & Tackle, and then end up at Sunny's (pictured). Also, it's fun to make a day of taking the train to Cold Spring—it's about an hour up the Hudson, and the whole town is in walking distance of the train station, right on the river. There are good junk stores, an antique toy store, and a respectable dive bar. On the way back, you can stop at the Oyster Bar saloon in Grand Central for drinks and snacks. Belmont is also really fun.
What are your plans for the rest of 2008?
Well, tons of stuff is still up in the air, but suffice it to say that the plan involves Emily and I taking the second most significant roadtrip of our lives this September—the first being our move from Seattle to NYC almost ten years ago. No matter what, it's going to be an adventure.
photos: Strath, thanks for your super-organized files!
Miki is my dearest friend that I met through my husband 7 years ago and I am the biggest fan of her jewelries (visit her website and you can find her most complete collections at Opening Ceremony in L.A. and NYC). In May, she and her husband, Bob, left New York City, her home for the last 10 years, for Shandaken, in Upstate New York, and I am so impressed by how this city dweller is adapting the country lifestyle and has almost completed 2 jewelry collections at her new studio.
What did you have for breakfast?
Granola with fresh fruits from a farm stand, yogurt and honey from a neighbor's bee hive. BEST coffee from Stumptown, Oregon. The farm stand is close, and they are open for 24 hours. Sometimes there is nobody there, so we put money in the honor box.
What is a typical day like living Upstate with your husband?
My day starts off by a loud coffee grinder. The aggressive sound and fresh coffee smell totally wake me up. Have breakfast with my husband. Check emails and look out the window towards back yard, where lots of birds and wild animals walk across. This morning, I saw the groundhog again! Then I go to my studio/work .....
COOK lunch! Have lunch with husband on the porch, watch humming birds flying to our feeder. Go check the mail box, this became my favorite thing in the day. I have to walk down the drive way and open this rusted mail box, which i never had one till i moved up here.
Go back to the studio room.. more work.... Sometimes in late afternoon, my husband takes me for a ride on his motorcycle. We like to go on the small roads, which we've never seen before. Unlike driving a car, we can feel the fresh air and smell of flowers or fresh cut grass around us, and it is very refreshing. .... water my herb garden.
COOK dinner! Typical dinner would involve charcoal barbeque outside. Sometimes half chicken, fish, burgers. My husband's mountain skill comes handy to make a perfect fire. .... Cooking became big part of living up here. The house's got the greatest kitchen, which inspires us to cook. Have dinner with husband.
Video chat with my parents in japan. Go outside look up the starry sky. Watch the fireflies in the meadow. And go to bed!
What are your inspirations?
My latest inspirations are from functional old designs (they are often so fundamental and durable), antient metal work (as always), antiques, simple country life style, starry sky, and early morning light. The house we live in is very inspiring as well. It is a boarding house from the 1800's renovated by BDDW when they were starting out. The details and the materials on the house are very unique. I know the guys put a lot of heart into it and it shows.
What are the pros and cons of living in the country?
Pros: fresh air and clean cold well water, more living space, at dawn the sound of the birds is overwhelming, remembering some forgotten basic pleasures, wildflower hunting, no cell reception (it was a con first, but now it is a pro!).
Cons: isolation, driving to grocery shopping, no walking, lots of mosquitos.
What do you miss about New York City?
Time with friends, amazing restaurants, morning carrot zuccini muffin and cappuccino from market table, the walk to work, running riverside park, shopping, the MET, vibrant streets, street music, hearing different languages, our old apartment.... wow, I really miss the city.
(bonus what) Can you show us what your latest collection looks like?
I can show you a few pieces from men's new collection, they are made of hand carved ebony and sterling silver. They are going to be out in the world very soon!
For women's .. you have to wait!
photos: Miki and Bob Shultz, thank you!
Good morning and Five Whats is back at last! I am so happy to introduce today's guest whose blog is really one of my favorites- it's Irene Hoofs of Bloesem. I'm so fascinated by her life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and her frequent getaways to the neighboring countries like Singapore and Thailand. I would love to meet her in person because I admire her impeccable taste in art and design, plus she is super nice, which is sort of a requirement for being my Five Whats guest!
What did you have for breakfast?
This is clearly not a regular breakfast for me...but my dear friend Jenny is moving to Singapore this week, so I gave her a little farewell breakfast (top picture), including my favorites: scrambles eggs with coriander, spring-onions and some salmon and a croissant with some raspberry jam...but normally it's just some freshly squeezed orange juice, a homemade cafe latte and some bread together with my son on our balcony... this is where we have our dining table (pic above).
What is an average day like living in Kuala Lumpur?
I guess the same as in any other place, taking my child to school, do some work, sometimes have lunch with a friend, do some more work...and then.. this makes the big difference from all the other cities i have lived in...the evening is always fun, because there are many nice restaurants everywhere, people love to go out also during weekdays, like having a drink at the hotel Trader's rooftop bar, overlooking the Twin Towers ... the climate and ambiance here makes you feel like being on a long vacation.
What are the things that inspire you the most?
Books, magazines and vintage items, I'm not a reader, but I love looking at beautiful pictures in books about art, architecture, mid-century designers, illustrators and Japanese books about crafting, they are simply the best. ... I'm not so much into books about interior design or decorating, I rather look at single object, just the design from something can really inspire me...and vintage items especially from the 50-60-70...like these dutch magazines I once bought at a flea market or this incredible book: How They Work.
http://bloesem.blogs.com/bloesem/2008/06/how-they-work.html
What are your all-time Bloesem favorite finds?
I really don't have favorites, sorry, I only write about something when I really like it, of course not everything would be a fit for my own home...but in my posts are only items that somehow got my attention, because of the way it was made, the colors, the pattern or the design itself. Of course it's very rewarding for a blogger if you can show a truly unique, new and fresh design...so I always try to search for those, and hopefully people recognize this at Bloesem. But to give you sort of favorite post I must say it was a weekend read I wrote about Vintage Ceramics, because I love ceramics and especially tableware.
http://bloesem.blogs.com/wr_vintageceramics/
What sort of work do you do other than blogging on Bloesem?
I used to free-lance in web- and graphic design, but nowadays I work full-time for my two blogs, Bloesem and BloesemKids...and once in a while I also write for magazines, like the last couple of months for a Dutch magazine called Hide&Chic, of course writing about interior design, the section is called Back Home.
http://www.hidechic.com/hidechic14/683_Wonen
(bonus what) What are your plans for the summer?
We will celebrate our summer at home...Malaysia is the perfect place to be, we have a swimming pool in our condo, there are so many great restaurants here in KL and the city just has so much to offer, but we have just spent some vacation time in the Netherlands with our families.
photos: Irene (thank you so much for taking us for a tour of your home and your life!)
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Eleanor is one of my favorite illustrators so today I'm really thrilled about today's Five Whats with her. You'll find that she's as funny and adorable as her work and what a great personality!!! Check out her wonderful prints on her website.
Without further ado, here are the Five Whats:
What do you always carry in your tote bag?
In default mode, I carry my wallet (duh!), at least two kinds of lip balm, Oldspice pure sport, and a very organized change purse. In sleepover mode there's at least a mouthguard (I grind my teeth) and my glasses, but there might also be a clean pair of undies!
What is a typical day like at the Pushmepullyou design studio?
Wake up anywhere from 8-10 with a grumbling tummy, eat bear naked granola and yogurt, let Kit (my cat) outside for a bit, look forward to lunch while I check e-mail, take care of mailing prints every third day or so, get into work mode while I semi-watch a flick (we get Netflix, and I supplement with Library selections), text message my friends to see if we can meet up for a treat, eat/drink a treat, go to the gym/trapeze class to work off the treat, have a shower, watch a flick with my boyfriend, Petey, while we eat dinner, get lured by the charm of sleepo (the clown of sleep - something like the sandman), crawl into bed and dream... 
What are your inspirations?
I find that anything can turn into an inspiration. You just have to stay open to being surprised. For example, once I noticed that the way two airline magazines were lining up in their little pocket they made a really great owl face.
What is your favorite print that you've ever done?
It usually happens to be the most recent print that I've done. I just made a tiger last night that I really love!I get really proud of each one for a little while and then doubt creeps in and I remember that I may never create anything decent again. It's a horrible cycle in a way, but it does keep me on my toes.
What are your plans for the summer?
I'm planning on swimming a lot, and this year I'm going to my 10 year high-school reunion. I can't wait! It's going to be really weird and probably really nice to get reacquainted with people who also had weird hair last time I saw them.
bonus what What are your hobbies?
Alphabetizing, biking, cuddling, dancing, eating, fiddling, guessing, hand-holding, ice-creaming, jumping, kissing, LOST, making out, nuzzling, ogling, p**ping, questioning, re-questioning, snuggling, trapeze-ing, umbrella-carrying, vexing, wearing, x-rated-joking, yawning, zzzz-ing.
images: Eleanor Grosch, thank you!!!
Hi ya'll, Chad here (wonting's hubby), I'm introducing this weeks Five Whats. I have known Mike Davis for quite a while now, oddly enough, never in our shared hometown of Nashville. Under his moniker, Mike 2600, he is a super talented dj and graphic designer/artist with his crew Burlesque in Minneapolis. He is also a major record head (one of our continuing friendship builders), a great photographer, and one of the best amateur comedians I know.
Please to enjoy...
What items do you always carry in your bag?
It changes on a regular basis, so let me check for the five most interesting things in there right now...
Laptop computer + cables + emergency startup disk which I've had to use too many times
Digital camera
Map / brochure from the Milwaukee Art Museum
Spa menu from the Standard Hotel in Miami
Terrible rap lyrics I found written on a sheet of paper at a club where I was DJing last weekend
What is your favorite thing that you have ever designed?
Either the "Got to Get it Right" 12" for DJ Day or the Alphabet poster I designed for my niece Hailey.
What are your inspirations?
Toys, cartoons, album and magazine artwork, posters, food and product packaging and other commercial graphics from the 1960s-1970s, travel, weird stuff from Japan, good music, art museums.
What were your favorite TV shows growing up?
Thundarr the Barbarian, Spiderman (the 1967 cartoon version (I actually left my own 5 year old birthday party to walk downstairs and watch it)), Saturday Night's Main Event (WWF special that would come on every now and then), Yo! MTV Raps, Rap City, and Out of Control.
I know that you DJ quite a lot at clubs across the country, what kind of music do you spin? What are you listening to these days?
I started off spinning hip hop and then got really interested in the music where hip hop came from - funk, disco, funky rock, soul, etc. Since then I've been expanding off of that idea as well as getting into some of more action-packed electronic and club music coming out lately. Here are some recent things and artists I've listened to...
SebastiAn "Motor" EP, Lil' Wayne & Juelz Santana, DJ Blaqstarr, DJ Guilty Pleasures, Top Billin', White Girl Lust, James Brown, Eddie Kendricks, P.O.S
bonus What: What are you working on right now?
Just finished the label design for a new EP on Melting Pot Music for a group called Circle Research and I'll be doing the 12" jacket artwork probably tomorrow. Today I'm gonna finish wrapping up the cover of issue 51 of Mass Appeal magazine and then continuing to work to promote the giant dance party our crew (Burlesque of North America) is promoting called Do it To it!
images: Mike Davis, thanks!
I'm so lucky to have lfop for this week's Five Whats. Melissa and James are a husband and wife team that has a lot of fun making their super cool and witty screen prints together, and they are just as cool and witty as their work! I really enjoyed reading their answers and I hope you will too:
What did you have for breakfast?
James had a hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, and I had a ham & cheese omelette with wheat toast. We went to the Harmacy, which is our affectionate name for the pharmacy down the street from us. It is maybe the only pharmacy that we've been to where you are allowed to smoke, hence "Harmacy." We only eat there once a week because we can't stand the smoke.
What is an average day like in the house of Little Friends'?
We usually wake up in the late morning, take some calls and at least try to respond to all of our emails. After breakfast we sit down to work and pretty much continue that way until evening. If we're doing any screen printing, we do it at night. I don't know why. It just seems to work better that way. Otherwise, we watch rubbish TV while we eat candy from a bowl. We usually have music playing almost all the time. We like to listen to WFMU, which is our favorite radio station. We bought a professional-quality FM transmitter so that we could listen from anywhere in the house. It's a bit of overkill because it transmits in one hundred yards in all directions, so if you want to hear what we're listening to just park your car one hundred yards or less from our house and tune into 105.5 FM. We have two cats that require a fair amount of cuddling. We almost never leave the house, except for our late-night candy runs. We usually end the day in bed, like everyone else, around 3 or 4 in the morning. 
What are your inspirations?
We get a lot of inspiration from watching too much TV. Candy wrappers. Our cats and other cute animals that we see. Living in a dilapidated weird old city like Milwaukee. Traveling. Things you half-remember from childhood - those are good because the more you don't get it right, the more better it are.
What are the advantages of working with your spouse?
No one ever tells us that we need to quit this and get a real job or go to bed at a reasonable hour. It's a motivating factor that we are a rock-solid team and we want to really make it work out for each other. It's like the Jackson 5 - you really have to go out there and rock it. You can't just blow it off and be like "oh, I'm going to quit this and go join the Osmonds" or something. We are a family, dammit!
Do you guys go to a lot of concerts that you made posters for? What are you listening to these days?
We don't get to do this much anymore because most of the posters we're hired to do are for events outside our area. When we have the opportunity, it's something we really like to do. Although, there's no big payoff - it's not like people are like "oh my god, it's those guys I don't know who made the poster, I might maybe buy, maybe!" And then the crazed groupies chase us down the hallway, tearing at our clothes while security is like "MOVE MOVE MOVE." These are things that will never happen.
Listening to WFMU helps us find weird new and old stuff to listen to. We listen to a lot of Italo 12"s, which are kind of awesome because they are so stupid but also amazing. We're digging back into shoegaze music right now - there is a sort of weird musical cross-over between Italo and shoegaze, although I don't think the people making either of those kinds of music would recognize it. It makes us want to start a shoegaze band that covers "Diamond in the Night" and things like that, even though that is the exact kind of band that we hate.
bonus What: What is your favorite print/project that you guys have ever done?
The next one is always our favorite - full of promise and unspoiled by work we've done to it & future mistakes.
images: lfop, thanks Melissa for the wonderful pictures of your home and studio!
Mary is Chad's friend from high school in Nashville, she moved to New York for college and worked as a photo stylist. Now Mary is happily married to Chris and live in East Nashville. Their baby- Maryink, is one of the most popular shops on Etsy! Here are the Five Whats:
What is your all-time favorite product in your shop and why?
It's a tie- I love the Arcadia votive set (above), it's dreamy and cool. The French ad copy t-shirt (below) is a fave, too, which is something that Chris made.
What is your dream job (project)?
I'd love to do something for John Derian. I want everything in his store, and I love the decoupage he does.
What are your inspirations?
I have a lot, and current ones are: fairy tales, Spring, 50-60's kitchen items, Georgian and Victorian gloominess.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to take bike rides in the big park by my apartment. The path meanders by the river, and sometimes it seems like I am in the middle of nowhere. I also like to garden, and I'm excited to start my tomato container garden once it warms up.
What kind of music do you listen to? Favorite bands?
Right now, I listen to the Knife, Dungen, Stereo Total, old David Bowie, and Vive la Fete the most.images: maryink.etsy.com, thanks Mary!
After a long long long hiatus, my favorite segment of the blog- Five Whats is back! It is a little Q&A with creative and talented people that I admire, some are friends, and some are strangers that I've become friends with. Today's guest is Michelle Peglau of Hortensia Handmade. I am obsessed with Hortensia ever since I first saw their neck warmer (picture below), everything is hand made by artisans in Peru. Michelle is based in New York and she runs the business with her mother who lives in Peru. I am fascinated that she's from Peru, which is well known for its alpaca wool and handicrafts. I was so happy to meet Michelle in person yesterday at the Divine Studio Holiday Sale, and I bought the beanie hat that she's wearing in the pic! She is such a nice and friendly lady that I know I will keep in touch with for a long long time! Without further ado, here are the five whats:
1. What did you have for breakfast?
And you can’t leave Lima without having a ceviche and pisco sour. My favorites places to go are La Mar and Costanera 700. This last one is owned by a Japanese chef and blends both Peruvian and Japanese flavors.
