If you have been living under a rock, prepare yourself. I'm about to blow your mind. Salt Lake City now has a West Elm! It is kind of cool seeing Salt Lake City starting to act like a real city. It is sort of like being proud of your kid sister when she finally makes it into high school and doesn't act like a total dork. 

West Elm is not dorky at all, in fact it is pretty amazing. I had the chance to hang out with the kind folks from West Elm over the last couple of days and talk to them about what they are doing different, and I have to say I'm quite impressed. The number one thing is their focus on local. Something arguably hard for a nation wide chain to do. In SLC they have teamed up with Craft Lake City who has curated a group of four local Etsy shops that will have their products featured in the City Creek West Elm store. They have a solid lineup to start things off and will be featuring the following…

Stacey Foster (Fletcher & Fox)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FletcherandFox

Lisa Steadman Photography

http://www.etsy.com/shop/diemdesign

Say hello Shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sayhelloshop

Sycamore Press

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sycamorestreetpress

Here are a few shots I took from their open house party they had last night…

Smilebooth was amazing… 

The amazing Elizabeth of Fleur de Sel fame.

Looking for full sized photos? Check my Flickr page.

Ever since I posted about the vintage cage lights a while ago, I have been interested in making my own modern pendant light.  A lot of the parts are pretty standard, but it seemed to me that the cloth lamp cord was the chance to really make it into something amazing. I felt pretty lucky to have found out about Sundial, but a lot of their good cloth lamp cords were either sold out, or I was seeing bigger companies like Best Made use them. After a lot of searching around I was able to find a source for some fresh looking colorful cloth cord. I whipped up a few test pendants and shot some pictures of the results.

What does everyone think?

More available for sale (custom lengths etc) on my Modern Union Etsy shop.

Plus you can see some of the other colors I have on this listing here.

Etsy is always a great place to look for good affordable modern pillows, and Bird Mafia doesn't disappoint. Her pillows feature designs inspired by her cut paper dioramas (which are fantastic by the way). My favorite of them is the Sun Kissed Clouds pillow. Organic cotton, hand printed, and all for just $28.

Sun Kissed Clouds pillow $28

Valentines is just around the corner and you know you can do better than flowers or chocolates. Nothing says love like a scandinavian inspired pillow by Jane Foster.

Love Heart pillow $33.

Paula Lopez-Otero is having a closeout sell on her gorgeous jumbo sized ceramic cups. Price is $20 each and she currently has Buttercup, Beige, Pistachio, and Coral. Better scoop one up before they are all gone.

Jumbo sized ceramic cups $20

I always like a good clock, and the minimalist in me really really likes a good white clock. The Modern Numbers Clock by uncommon is a simple recipe for success.  Take a plain white face, laser engrave some neutraface numbers into it, add a chunky set of aluminum hands and prosper. Also available in poppy red, chartreuse, and ash grey.

Modern Numbers Clock $57

It's been a year now since we first mentioned the amazing collage work of Kareem Rizk. I'm happy to say though that we are still as much in love with his work as we were then. I'm even happier to that he has some new work for me to drool over. If you like his work, make sure you head over to his Etsy shop to pick up a very reasonably priced piece.

Kareem Rizk

Etsy shop

I wish I had the skills to reupholster mid-century inspired furniture, but I don't. Luckily there are people like Lynne and Julia from L + J Industries that have the gift. These twin sisters based out of Houston rework vintage furniture and create one of a kind new furniture as well. Check out their Etsy shop to see some of the great pieces they currently have for sale.

Available from L + J Industries Etsy shop.

I am really loving these playful ceramic pieces by Circa Ceramics. Based in Chicago, Circa Ceramics is a collaborative effort between the brilliant duo Nancy Pizarro and Andy Witt. Together, they create fun and functional dishware, cylinders, bowls, and magnets - or as they say, 'porcelain goodies for the adventurous entertainer'. These pieces are sure to add some excitement to your dinner table or that perfect pop of color you've been looking for. More about Circa Ceramics:

Circa Ceramics is a two-person (Andy Witt & Nancy Pizarro) studio that came to be in the fall of 1999, when we began designing a line of tableware with an emphasis on functionality, color, and fun. Our specialties lie in the shape design and the decoration - consistent, usable shapes with the liberty to mix and match the ware with regards to design elements and color. We hope you find our ware exciting to look at, as well as useful! We continue to create pieces in our north-side Chicago studio, and our work is available to the masses primarily through Etsy,art festivals and the occasional open studio weekend.

One of a kind, handmade ceramics from Circa Ceramics from $8 - $350.

Here is a great little retro boomerang table from Etsy. Made of Beechwood veneered plywood, the table top is 1 1/2" thick and has a black polyethylene molding around the edges. It is also available in white with classic hairpin legs. Each table is made in a small shop in Austin Texas, flat packed and shipped to your door. Assembly is simple, and the price is very affordable. Tables start at $75, which is a smoking deal for something hand made. Dimensions are apx 30" long, 24" wide and 17" tall.

Available from Shereemc's Etsy shop starting at $75.

If you haven't heard of the Black Apple yet, you are missing out. These wonderful prints created by the talented Emily Martin are quickly becoming one of my favorite Etsy finds. With well over 6,000 sales on Etsy, the Black Apple is not exactly new. But even if you have know about the Black Apple for a long time, you can still find new things there as Emily is always updating the inventory. Besides original prints, you can sometimes find dolls and other soft goods, photographs, pins etc. To top it all off, the prices are very reasonable. The 6.5" x 7.5" prints shown above go for $13.

Available from the Black Apple Etsy shop.

Check out Emily's Blog too.

I'm not exactly sure what the "Q" stands for, but I do know that this Q tote is a great looking and environmentally friendly little bag at a great price. This bag comes from thecraftpantry's etsy shop and is part of her Mod Naturals Collection. The bag is made of 100% recycled organic cotton and is fair trade/fair market. The print is an original design by Cammie who has her BA in art education. She uses ultra high quality transfer paper to get the images onto the totes. What you use the tote for is up to you... Available at thecraftpantry's etsy shop for $8.

Here is another great Etsy find. From the windy city comes these wonderful wool pillows. Each pillow is made by felting old wool sweaters, cutting them up, and sewing them back together in these wonderful geometric patterns. Pillow covers have a zipper closure and have a quality down pillow insert inside. 12" x 18" pillows go for $40 and 18" x 18" are priced at $55. This is a great deal for a hand made one of a kind down pillow. There are currently only 3 for sale so get going if you want one!

Available from Plytextiles Etsy page for $40 - $55.