Our first line of 100% Soy Wax Candles is debuting at the NYIGF today! Should you be out there: go and visit the CRASH Candles Booth 4121 at the Javits Center to see them. Featuring classic BINTH designs we also developed the scents for each of the 8 candles. All made by hand here in the US and available in cool stores across the country and of course here as of September 15th. Enjoy!  

( Here two snap shots that Becky just sent from the show...)

My mother has become the beholder of all family treasures and the keeper of all secrets. Today, on our last day until we come back in October she pulled out the old family bibles and told Jarek and I where our creative spirit was born. Her grandfather, Karl Grawe, a humble hardworking farmer from Pomerania by day, was a delicate painter and calligrapher by candlelight. She told us that nobody understood how he did this-because his hands were as big and as rough as bricks. Here some of his sketches done in 1883, his writings and the beautiful record keeping of those times...Yes, this too is were we are coming from. We just never knew.

The George Hotel in Hamburg. British themed and German operated....think of this Hotel as a Club House that works. ( Barcelona chairs and a big deep sofa in the fireplace room just of the lobby-perfect to cuddle up in for those long distance calls home) Pleasant colors, (dark greys, rich browns) smart designs, solid wooden floors and modern art that brings a touch of whimsy-but never too much of "theme." Jellyfish sconces. Phillip Starck "Lounge Gun Floor Lamps" (Enlight-don't fight.) Eames rockers in white, fluffed up with British flag pillows. Looks just like home. Well, almost. But it shares the same design principles: form with function, seriousness with a wink. Located in the St.George neighborhood, a block away from the Alster-I like this place.

The port is of Hamburg was founded on May 7, 1189 for its strategic location. It has been Central Europe's main port for centuries. It is majestic. And busy-with cargo ships coming in and out, cranes awaiting to lift containers like lego bricks (the square ones) off boats the size of cityblocks. Tourists are buzzing around. Locals are gathering on the shores to watch the sunset. Waving at the incoming. Behind the docks is the "Captains Walk"-an ally of the smallest, humblest, yet most precious houses overlooking the harbor. This is were the captains retire after a long life at sea. The perfect balance of life and work. Nature, industry and humanity. Beautiful.

The Alster is Hamburg's soul. Created by damming part of the River Elbe in the 13th century, the lake and its little canals that take you through the residential backyards of Hamburg is now an integral part of the cityscape. (Hamburg has more bridges than Venice, Italy by the way...) The "Alster" covers an area of 160 hectares and is almost entirely surrounded by parks and trees. We met our friend Det, a photographer from Hamburg. I went to school with him many years ago and after catching up on 18 years of gossip we took a paddleboat ride; floating through the "white city." Then stopped for ice cream and sodas. A perfect day.

Hamburg. This is where I am this week. An amazing town...And before I share stories about the stores and designs that struck me and the people I met I wanted to share this...the plain and simple tourist take on Hamburg the second-largest city in Germany (second to Berlin) and the seventh-largest city in the European Union. The city is home to around 1.8 million people. The port of Hamburg is the third-largest port in Europe (third to Port of Antwerp and Rotterdam), and the eighth largest in the world. Hamburg's official name is the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Hamburg is also a city-state meaning it is one of the sixteen States of Germany. Now you know.

When taking the train from Hauptbahnhof Hagen to Hamburg today-I thought these "sculptures" were very, well, helpful.

Finally we meet her: the newest member of the BINTH family: Pia Victoria 

Born on April 20th to my brother Hendrik and his wife Andrea. Here she is in all her baby cheek beauty, trying to nap in my mother's house, cozied up in the family crib being ungraciously interrupted by her aunt and cousin from Amerika...

Altena in Westfalen. This is where I grew up-in the woods, the valleys and the clearings of the “Sauerland.”

San Pellegrino expresses impeccable taste by collaborating with Italian House of Style Missoni and decorating the bottle labels with the signature Missoni pattern. This is supposedly the first of a series of limited edition collaborations between San Pellegrino and classic Italian brands. Tastefully done I think. ( We emptied two of these bottles last night for dinner.)

How is this for a first day in Germany? We started our afternoon in a church and ended it in a castle. We are in Heusenstamm, a small town in the outskirts of Frankfurt.  Home to my sister Julia and her soon be be husband Wolfgang. Today it was all about their upcoming wedding day. A long weekend in October that will bring us together again...

The Gustav-Adold Kirche in the center of Heusenstamm. Build in 1922 this lutheran church is one of the newer buildings in town. Here my little sister will make the promise of "forever" on October 2nd.

Jarek and I are on our way to Germany...visiting our family & friends. My sister in Frankfurt, my mother and my brother in my hometown Altena, then friends in Hamburg and Berlin. Soooo exciting. Stay tuned for updates. Tschüss!

There is no denying that my son Jarek, my collaborator, my “baby” is growing up.
Here my “Sunday Morning” stillife -objects from around his desk, his room, our kitchen, the studio…these are the things he carries with him; the things he creates every day on his journey of becoming who he will be. Today, he seems to be very RED. ( Check out the cards we created together, when he was a little younger. We called that line “Offspring”. Last week I found a drawing on his desk. It is titled “Offspring. Part 2. The Evolution.” Can’t wait to see what he is thinking.)

Pictured here are...

I got a beautiful email from a customer today:

I am so glad I had the presence of mind to bring the baby book with us to the hospital. It was the only thing I cared about making sure I had with me. My son is named Raleigh Wyatt and his birth date was February 21, 2008. His little sister is due on September 24, so the chocolate book should arrive in plenty of time to come with us to the hospital.”

Attached were these photos of the  "Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toe” pages from her Binth Baby Book. How precious. How amazing. I am soo touched. (Kim lives in Colorado and if you noticed, Raleigh's name and the date are not filled in yet. Any suggestion for her on what pen to use?)

Please all of you out there-share photographs of your Binth Baby Book with me, I am curious to see and post them. Kim, thank you for being the first.

When Laura Robinson called from London and asked if we could be hired to design her wedding invitation we said yes. Yes we do. Laura and her groom Adrian had fallen in love with BINTH over our Joker Print collection and the matching playing cards. So much in love that they decided to go with the playing card theme for the entire wedding weekend in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. And today is the big day. Congratulations !