an evening with houzz.com, vancouver

What: Connecting, Communicating, Collaborating—an evening with Houzz.com
When: Tuesday, December 4 from 6:00 - 8:00pm
Where: CB2 Robson, Vancouver

We invite you to join us and houzz.com Vice President Liza Hausman for the results of a new Houzz study on building, remodeling and decorating from the homeowner’s perspective.

Libations and hors d’oeuvres will be served—
to attend, RSVP here.

redefined: the wreath

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons Laurel wreaths date back to Greek mythology— when Daphne, the object of Apollo’s affections, was turned into a laurel tree, he wove its leaves into a headpiece to console himself.

Being a skilled gamesman, tournament winners were awarded crowns of laurel to show their worthiness by bequeathing Apollo’s adornment upon them.

Soon, wreaths of laurel or olive branches became a symbol of honor—awarded to Olympic athletes, battle warriors, eventually as
a standard, stately emblem—and in Roman times, noblemen wore them in a similar vein, or vanity.

Eventually the wreath was closed to form a complete circle—symbolizing eternity—and was used on a greater variety of occasions. Today, not only are wreaths used as year-round decorations, each has a personality all its own—below are just four examples which started with a basic wire wreath form.

Note: due to stronger than anticipated sales, unfortunately the wire wreath from is sold out. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope these projects inspire alternative decorating ideas for the Holidays.

giving thanks, 2012

All of us at CB2 are sincerely grateful for the extra efforts made to tweet, click and post—every one of them contributed!—during our 500,000 Meal Drive.

Because of your generosity of time and spirit, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign can continue its mission of feeding the hungry.

We reached our goal days in advance of Thanksgiving so it is with warm hearts that We Thank You from the bottom of our hearts and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

limited edition: dragon cups

Comparable to zodiac signs, the Chinese calendar includes 12 animals—however each is matched to a lunisolar calendar year which approximately equals a Gregorian calendar year instead of 4 weeks plus/minus a few days.

Each animal has a unique personality and traits which are believed to influence events—and those born—within the year they represent. Generally, dragons are a symbol of good fortune, and are considered powerful—possessing great strength and capabilities—the greatest of the 12 animals.

Depictions of them often incorporate characteristics of other animals—such as claws like the eagle or scales of fish—but its the only one of the 12 that never existed. Ancient stories include details about the dragon’s 9 sons—each of them having a specific personality and duty.

As part of the dragon tea cup set and from left to right, the yellow dragon represents San Mi, Suan Ni or Suanni—depending on who you ask. He’s fond of fire and smoke and is often found on incense burners, especially in temples. He’s also the guardian of homes perched at doorways. The red dragon with fish fins represents Gong Fu. He’s believed to reside in pools of water, since he’ll fight against water disasters, and he’s often found in balustrades of the Emperor’s palace.

The other red dragon represents Ya Zi or Yazi—with the strong, powerful and brave fight of a tiger, his image is often carved on weapons to make them more powerful. Representing Bi Xi or Baxia is the green dragon. His tortoise shell symbolizes longevity and he’s also incredibly strong so he’s often found supporting building elements.

Lastly, the red symbol on the backside of each cup means dragon and is comparable to a traditional Chinese cinnabar wax stamp signature.

how it's made: peace posters

Created in collaboration with Kennedy Prints!,
a one-man letterpress printery in Gordo, Alabama, each unique peace poster comes to life using handset wood type and oil-based inks on eco-friendly chipboard made from lumber industry salvage.

Each poster is to be appreciated for its spontaneous colors mixed by sight and variations in layout and font—Kennedy Prints! guarantees no two prints will be the same.