Flowers – The Goods

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Laura Rounds

September 27, 2015

Laura Rounds, UncommonGoods Photo Retoucher, Creative

My hometown…
A small town in New Hampshire.

I’m inspired by…
Everything, including countless hours of Pinterest.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
A field filled with wildflowers in Yosemite.

My relationship with Mother Nature is…
Always having fresh flowers on my desk.

A piece of music I love so much that I played it until I was sick of it…
Any song by The Kooks.

If I could meet anyone, living or not, I would choose…
Pablo Picasso. I’m a huge art history lover and Picasso was involved in a lot of art movements. Just imagine the stories he would tell!

My favorite place to go in New York City is…
Governors Island. It’s a little escape from the city. Especially during the Jazz Age Lawn Party, when everyone dresses up like it’s the 1920s; it feels like you went back in time!

An uncommon fact about me is…
I used to do competitive roller skating. It’s just like ice skating but less cold.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Kimberly Hadlock

September 7, 2015

Our makers never fail to motivate us, encourage our creativity, and fill us with inspiration. So, when a new design enters our assortment, we’re always excited to learn more about the people behind the product.

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Kimberly Hadlock, maker of the Coffee Lover and Edible Flower Lollipop Sets.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I always kind of have been. When I was little I would design jewelry on rubber bands, going around door to door. I studied music from an early age along with dance. Later came photography. I have always had something going that requires design & creativity.

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional artist?
Seeing my ideas reach thousands of people. Having a simple idea of a flavor profile enter my mind, calibrating till I think I have it just right. Then releasing it to the world. Knowing that my hard work is paying off and people are enjoying what I do.

What does your typical day in the kitchen look like?
Up at 6am and packing up the car with my supplies for the day. Heading off to whatever share kitchen I am using for that day. I work solid for 5-6 hours making orders, then play with flavors for about 30 min. Package everything up and head back to my office where I will set and design custom labels for our wedding / corporate orders for 3-4 hours. The last 6 hours I will either tweet the website, or photography. Head off to bed then in 6 hours do it all over again.

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?
Huh. Never really thought about it. Does coffee count? It can be inspirational and keeps me going.

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartner for the first time. What do you think they would say?
give me give me give me

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?
Wisdom begins in wonder – Socrates : If you had said to me 5 years ago that I would be making lollipops for a living I would have laughed. One Christmas holiday I wondered how to make lollipops for a Christmas gift. I played around a bit to figure some things out. My friends loved them, suggested I start a shop. I have never looked back.

What are your most essential tools?
My mind. All the recipes are up there. I have never written any of them down.

The Uncommon Life

This Just In-spiration: Meet Kimberly Hall

August 3, 2015

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Kimberly Hall, the artist behind the There Are Always Flowers Print.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
It took me a long time to think of myself as an artist. I have had a very varied career with lots of different titles, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized that having a kind of crazy career was really because I had the point of view of an artist.

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional artist?
This year I think it will be showing my print and pattern work in Paris this fall! I love how I never quite know where this path will lead…I love the surprises, the wonderful ones and even the losses are still so exciting.

What does your typical day in the studio look like?

They always seem to be a little different. I have two daughters and I usually drop them off at school in the morning which is the only real consistent part of my day. After that it could be anything from research & collecting inspiration for a job, or working on the continually growing collection of patterns I show twice a year at Premiere Vision Designs in New York, or prepping to teach a class in either fashion or illustration. I love to meet other freelance and artist friends for a coffee during the day and hear what people are up to. Philly has a great sense of community that I love.

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?
I have a lot of trinkets and talismans! I love to draw them… right now I’m starting a series on my blog where I post many of the interesting postcards I have collected over the years. It’s something I always pick up wherever I go. Check them out here>>

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartner for the first time. What do you think they would say?
I have a kindergartner and she ALWAYS has an opinion when she sees my work!! Her favorite is one of my postcards that says “Join Our Club”, she likes to hand it out to friends and get people in the Nottene club!

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?
I always think of the Voltaire quote “I have decided to be happy because it’s good for my health.” I illustrated it for Design Milk last year & you can see it on my site. It reminds me that being happy is a state of mind I can put myself in… and it’s good for me to do that!

What are your most essential tools?
Hands, mind, and heart. Everything else is cake!

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Liz Rodriguez

June 22, 2015

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Liz Rodriguez, the maker behind our new handmade floral kitchen trio.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
Since I can remember.

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional artist?
Being immersed in a world of creativity where just about anything is possible. Not many professional artists have the word “can’t” in their vocabulary. We all figure out how to make things happen whether it be within the work itself or building a death-defying display system.

What does your typical day in the studio look like?
I usually arrive at 8 am, turn on the teakettle, clean the studio and finish projects from the night before, take Nacho (my sweet and adorable Pit Bull mix) out for a good walk or play date, come back and take a look at the to-do list which could range from making work, packing and shipping to a gallery or customer, mixing glazes, administrative duties or tending to customer needs. I’m usually loading Nacho back in the car for our commute home between 6:30 and 7 pm, sometimes later depending on the deadline.

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?
I’m not terribly religious, but my dearest friend Cathy (a mixed media assemblage artist) colorfully painted this small BVM bust for me shortly after my mom died last year and I keep it by my pottery wheel. It brings me a little comfort when I get too caught up in sad thoughts. Cathy is a colorful and very funny person herself, so it also makes me think of her which inevitably leads to a smile.

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartener for the first time. What do you think he/she would say?
I meet young children at shows and have many kids in that age group in my family. They are always first drawn to the bright colors, then they remark on the roses and how much they like them, and finally there’s an atypical silence that washes over as they feel all the textures. I love watching kids experience the work, which frightens a lot of parents because of the fragility of pottery, but I welcome and encourage it. It makes me so happy.

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?
“Sometimes the only available transportation is a leap of faith.” – Margaret Shepard