The Melting Pot and much more ...

quilt hand batiked and sewn by The Melting Pot


Nancy hard at work ...


some of the cute teeshirts ready to go at the shop ...

brooklyn bridge pillows and clouds and a giraffe pillow

racks just full of great cotton clothes for you and yours

Chloe and the "Lobster Trap" by Alexander Calder, MoMa

How can I stop with just one post about a most exciting extended weekend? I have to show you
a few of the gems ...
Great stops and shops in Brooklyn ...
Park Slope ...

My guide Grace Bonney (thanks again Grace for taking the time!)and Rena Tom at her shop Rare Device

Amy at Greenjeans next door (we carry a lot of the same work in our galleries! their shop is so lovely ... notice the beautiful Davis Studio Pottery next to Amy!)
Great coffee and sweets at Naidres on 7th too!

Go get your hair cut (if you dare or are 12 yrs old...) at Julies for $15!

Walk down to Bococoa (where we were staying) and see:

hasker at 333 Smith Street. (this WAS the best photo Hassan and Kerry... sorry!)
We fell in love with the table in the background, so when we pop back for a visit in September we will be picking that baby up. Not sure yet of the white chairs, but man we loved that table. Hassan and Kerry are absolutely lovely shop owners and have some of the finest design pieces and housewares around. Porcelain from Anna Black knocked me out as well as some slick glasses and pitchers from Sweden.

For those who have tweens or teens or even for yourself check out AliCat nyc 222 Court St. A nice collection of clothing for young girls and some things for young women too!
Back over on Smith was another clothing store for women which was my personal favorite, ... Flirt at 252 Smith. What a boutique. Great looks and special order made for you skirts to create! Also on Smith (can you tell we loved this area?) was a tiny tiny enamel red shop called Frida's Closet. Daughter Grace and I went wild in there. T-shirts and custom made dresses (made by hand in NYC) which were inspired by Frida. How can you lose? Back in our neck of the woods on Atlantic in Boerum Hill is the lighting store of my choice - RICO. Their lighting work is fantastic as well as their furniture and well, the biggest question is how to choose?

Dear friends and our more than gracious hostsesses Tammy and Nancy own The Melting Pot on Atlantic between Nevins and Third. This 34 year old business has been a mainstay for the Boerum Hill area and Nancy has been a great advocate for the area for years. While the Batik by Nancy line has been sold all over the world (sort of like Nancy's travels!) you can get it right on Atlantic too. The bold designs and the colors of these made by hand batiks in clothing for children (my girls grew up in them ... check them out in the photo album inside the store) and for adults with a funky retro flair. OK Tammy doesnt wear them often, (or at all?) but right now as I sit and type, a cloud tanktop is my look of the moment). There is nothing cuter for your newborn than a quilt as shown above which they make there, or sweet little union suits made from the butter soft interlock cotton grown, stitched, and batiked in the USA. Tammy and Nancy are two of my favorite people in the world and now Tammy's husband Eric joins the circle. What a hoot he is. Thank you all for yet another memorable, comfortable looooong weekend at your magnificent home in Brooklyn!

The word for the day is ... friends ... as in what would you do without them, someone you can tell your silliest 5th grade jokes to, and the people you feel at home with.