The Things, 02/23

On antiques, lip balm, useful brushes.

Image: Gloves, 1824, via The Met [open access, duh].

Here’s what I’m thinking about too much these days:

• The Smudge, a gone-too-soon monthly art newspaper. It’s weird, it’s reliably cool, it’s pretty. I wish it had been my idea. Back issues and other neat things are on sale — snap them up before it’s too late.

• Overpriced vintage from high-end shops with minimal websites. Of course I want this apple basket, this painting, this crockery shelf, this wooden bowl, etc. etc. etc.

• Which clear weathertight tote is right for me?

• Purchasing and consuming an alarming amount of packaged zhoug sauce and jalapeño sauce from Trader Joe’s.

• This is my favorite lip balm at the moment.

• The Weaving Mill (a weaving studio in Chicago) always, but especially after they started their Reverse Drafting Club. They send me two small pieces of woven fabric a month and I’m instructed to take them apart and figure out how they were woven in the first place. Sold out for now, but watch that space — they do neat projects all the time.

• I purchased this cool, somewhat fragile planner to keep track of my creative projects. So far, so good.

• German-made über-specific cleaning brushes — for radiators, flower pots, venetian blinds.

• Why can I only find this surprisingly chic painting smock from UK vendors? Obviously this is all I want to wear this spring.

• Speaking of spring fashion, meet my muse.

Thanks for reading! Anything speak to you? Got recommendations? Hit reply; I want to hear from you.