Yes, we do have a tree. And yes, it is a real tree. And it is adorned (not with real wax candles as we do it where I come from) but a large assortment of well, ornaments.

Jarek and I keep these in a box. Actually two boxes. And every year I am amazed by what we have collected over the last decade...Now, I am supposed to be a modern and design driven individual with a sense of beauty and style...but honestly, this is what goes up onto the tree over here at our house:

Look, my mother sent us her Christmas Cookie recipes from Germany, as always neatly typed up, since she is convinced that her handwriting will only lead to misunderstandings..."Spritzgebaeck", "Berliner Brot" and my favorite "Vanillekipfel."

In the spirit of sharing and domesticity and because our new kitchen is beautiful and perfect for crowds, we decided to throw a little "BINTH Cookie Bake Off" at the studio and invited some of our favorite girls over: Bonnie, Sarah Stedman from Scrappy Nation, Rachel Webber who came with Celeste, Abby our Information Architect, Adrienne our dear designer friend, Kristen, Julia, Kristine, Gigi from DFCB...a good and classy crowd going after the perfect Almond "Vannille Kipfel." ( Note that anybody wearing black in the images is from DFCB. Of course.)

I tested the recipe the day before. I mean look at me, my mom would be proud.

I even borrowed Brad's KitchenAid, the "workhorse" he inherited from his grandmother...

Today it would have been Bonnie's mother's birthday. I want to remember her by sharing this raw and romantic photograph of her and her husband Clinton, taken many moons ago. I find this image unbelievably haunting and gorgeous.

Sally Ruth Hane Tawse November 6, 1936 - September 29, 2009 ...mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, nurse, artist & rebel spirit.

Nick Wiesner, our talented graphic designer friend and a trustworthy source when it comes to anything cool, classy and relevant suggested I make a trip all the way up to Two River Wisconsin. To visit the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum. So I did.

Operated by volunteers of the Two Rivers Historical Society, this is the only museum dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type. According to their website they house 1.5 million pieces of wood type and more than 1,000 styles and sizes of patterns…Housed in the old factory, you don’t expect much when you pull up.Then you enter. And you see. And if you are a sucker for typography, for alphabets, for colors and paper, for big, bright, right on fun or profound signage mixed with the smell of industrial history; you know you have arrived.

Clearly fall is here…Linnea came over today with the most amazingly wrapped pods of the perennial sweet peas that grow in front of BINTH studio on Justine. She wanted me to plant those in my new garden here in Oak Park, or the OP as we call it…I couldn’t. That little package looked too beautiful to part with and is now adorning my bookshelf.

Here is what I will miss next summer…a field full of bright pinks and the freshest greens. And deesn’t Monkey (our studio cat) look pretty damn good as well right there? Not to be overly “sweet” here but these sweet peas came from Linnea’s husband’s grandmother’s garden. Her name was June.

But alright, let’s welcome Fall and then the long Chicago Winter… I admit it makes me feel more bitter than sweet…but then again, we will always have June. Right?