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| Robert Indiana, The X-5, 1963. |
Also known as "the heavy hitters," "the tried and true," "the pros," these are the blogs I turn to on a daily basis to inform, entertain and inspire me. The bloggers have been in the field for some time, are often cited, and most have published books. If any are unfamiliar to you, give them a peek. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.
The Bright Lights, Big City Gal
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| Empire State Building, New York, N.Y. |
Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic covers all the highbrow action of "the" big city -- New York -- as well as places she visits, such as L.A., Miami and Morocco. An interior designer who has been blogging since 2007, she has been quoted or interviewed by a wide selection of shelter magazines, including Elle Decor and Canadian House & Home. With her trademarked name and a soon to be launched book, Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work, she is hard at work building a brand. Her blog covers not only the world of interior design, but also touches on art, fashion, photography and events.
Your Mother's Daughter
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| Body + Soul, October 2009 |
She may be her mother's daughter, but she is clearly her own person. That's what I like so much about her. Alexis Stewart is a passionate cook, and her blog offers a peak into her life with a focus on meal preparation. With cursory notes on how well the dish was received, links to recipe sites, and photos of the finished product, it's a great source for healthy, meatless dishes. Posted randomly throughout the month, the blog includes occasional glimpses into her home life as a mum raising two children under the age of two. The clean, modern and streamline presentation is refreshing and a visual palate cleanser from the advertising clutter seen on many popular blogs.
The Urbanite
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| Vintage travel fashion, early 1950s |
A highly respected photographer based out of New York, Scott Schuman, who began with simply posting images of street fashion, has grown a world-recognised brand, which includes his blog, The Sartorialist, a anthology by the same name, and a soon-to-be-released limited-edition tome entitled, The Sartorialist: Closer (Limited Edition). Along with girlfriend and fellow blogger, Garance Dore, he has won this year's CFDA Media Award. Schuman focuses his lens on fashion from N.Y.C. to Tokyo, and all urban centres in between. His site includes "On the Street" -- what I call fashion in action -- where he highlights highly diverse styles and the individuality randomly spotted on the street; "Style Profiles," which include substantial interviews of creative, expressive dressers; and, my favourite, "Vintage Photos," where viewers are encouraged to submit vintage photographs (often of loved ones) and include the back story. In addition, he covers all the major fashion shows.
The Artist
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| Moon box |
The 21st Century Romantic
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| On the shelf, in the library |
Contemporary artist + age-old medium; Anglophile + Angelenos; seasoned traveller + "domestic explorer" (her words); Old World wordsmith + motorcycle-cool collector = Lisa Borgnes Giramonti. If you find these juxtapositions intriguing, check out the deliciously appealing, A Bloomsbury Life.
The Plus One
So plus one does add up to six, but this is a brand-new appreciation for an old read. Since I first discovered this site several years ago, it has been updated and is now much more engaging. Suzanne and Lauren McGrath are a mother-daughter interior design team and a blogging duo. They recently published a book, Good Bones, Great Pieces: The Seven Essential Pieces to Carry You Through a Lifetime, and their blog -- Good Bones, Great Pieces -- covers different categories, like "Out and About," "Product Spotlight," and "Shopping," which often highlights their excursions to secure affordable, vintage pieces. Most appealing is their philosophy of longevity in design and real-life livability.
New York, box and books by D. Sleziak
