So much good stuff this week! Explore the NOTCOT.org inspiration - click the squares to find out more!

Yes - here’s yet ANOTHER one of our Nashville + Project House Instagram filled updates, but less house this time, as we’re in a little bit of a holding pattern and needed a bit of a break as we wait for flooring to arrive, and we focused on sorting out surveying, prepping for a planning commission meeting, hiring a gardener and more. The in betweens house work however, have been filled with more natural inspiration (the colors here are SO different from LA!), more attempts to find new shops and spots that inspire, and diving into the history of Nashville through vintage maps!!! Ready to take a peek? To the next page!

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August! Already! Can’t believe fall is just around the corner. Here’s another dose of inspiration a la NOTCOT.org. Click the squares to find out more!

It’s been a truly eye opening adventure the last few MONTHS (?!?!?!) here in Nashville. Unfortunately we’ve been taking the time to tackle a less visually inspiring process for the recent leg of the NOTCOT Nashville Project House - so the posts have been extra sparse as we slog through it to lay the foundation for SO MUCH CREATIVE POTENTIAL! I’m pretty giddy about the possibilities brewing, but first things first. Got to get the house cleaned up and the basics covered… including diving into adventures with the metro government, planning commissions, and the bureaucratic world we’re catching up fast on (sink or swim, right?) Also, the more time spent in a city of this scale, the longer we’re here, the faster we blast through the exciting new inspiration to share, and currently my real world inspiration seems to be lots of details in nature and street art (as you can see via @NOTlabs Instagram) While some might see this hands-on-creative-inspiration drought as a travesty, i’ve been surprised and delighted that it has sparked even MORE ideas, MORE drive, and MORE clarity regarding what we’re itching to design and create - SOON! So don’t worry, more crazy fun and back to normal after this summer vacation house adventure!

It’s also been a weird few weeks in the real world. Pokemon. RNC. DNC. Prisma. And so many heartbreaking attacks around the world. Weird times for sure. So if you’re ready - dive in on the next page to see what’s been keeping me busy and inspired IRL.

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This one’s a bit long overdue - but things have been a bit crazy on the life front (and a bit slow on the creative inspiration front) so it’s been a bit of a mini vacation here on NOTCOT.com as life catches up. But NOTCOT.org has still been serving up all that inspires us daily!!! So here’s a roundup of some of my recent favorites! As usual click the squares to find out more.

Wow! It’s been quite a summer “vacation” - aka a break from the norm (not that our normal day to day lives have ever been THAT normal) But this year it’s meant a month or two out in Nashville, learning all about everything from buying/fixing up a house to lessons in botany as we figure out what is and isn’t an invasive superweed to metro council adventures and diving into the world of city planning, overlays, developers, surveyors, and a sub-contractor and dumpster shortage… to learning to drive a bobcat and more. So i fully admit, my “vacation” might prove that i’m a total workaholic when i have the energy! Or there’s clarity and focus to be found in the exhaustion and chaos. But the best part? Getting to learn new things and get creative in a whole new way… ideas are brewing, as much for NOTCOT as this property we’re having fun shaping. While larger and slower than most of our projects, i can’t wait to get you a proper update as this shapes up! But until then, here’s a peek at what i’ve been finding and loving over at NOTCOT.org! Click those squares to find out more!

Yes, believe it or not, we’re STILL in Nashville - and still happy, exhausted, and working our butts off on the NOTCOT Nashville Project House! It’s been such a fun adventure - like construction summer camp? Or like a contractor apprenticeship? It’s been a such a fun way to get out of our heads, escape our stresses, and just dive in head first on a new project that is so physically and mentally challenging… all while exploring and distracting myself with all the newness to discover and get inspired by in a new city. Even though Shawn grew up here - this city is changing SO fast, there’s lots i’m dragging him around to discover too! So between the posts i’ve shared so far, here’s a look at some of the smaller inspirations and discoveries since the last @NOTlabs Instagram Nashville Inspiration post… see the adventures on the next page!

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Field Trip! We’ve been trying to mix up construction worker schedules and manual labor exhaustion from the Nashville Project House with mini adventures to keep the random inspiration flowing… today i convinced Shawn to swing by the brand new Nashville Craft Distillery! The architecture and signage were enough to draw our attention alone… but once you step inside, the mid-century inspired design continues, a stunning copper still will mesmerize, and then there’s their first spirit - a truly unique Naked Biscuit!!! Unlike anything i’ve tasted - it’s a 45 proof spirit made from 100% pure sorghum syrup. I got caught up on sorghum - “Sweet sorghum cane has been grown in Tennessee for generations. Unlike sugar cane, it is well adapted to our state’s climate, making it an ideal ingredient to ferment and distill into a delicious, locally sourced specialty spirit. Our inaugural batches were produced using 100 percent pure sorghum syrup from Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, in the Tennessee hills midway between Nashville and Knoxville. For decades, the Guenther family business has kept up with the growing demand for sorghum syrup.” Apparently a lot of people use sorghum syrup on pancakes and biscuits - totally trying that soon! As for their Naked Biscuit Spirit, it falls into the rum/tequila family, but you have to taste it to understand the subtleties of the flavors! And this is only the first release of this nascent distillery.

Wandering in midday, we has the chance to chat, taste, and tour the facilities with founder, Bruce Boeko. His story is pretty fascinating - from forensic scientist, musician, homebrewer - to a distiller with a passion for design and doing things right! He’s taking no shortcuts as he and the team learn and craft their spirits from scratch while supporting local farms (and designers) whenever possible! The results promise to be something distinctly Tennessee thru and thru. In a world where things are getting more and more accessible and similar globally, it’s always inspiring to find things that are truly a product of their unique environment. I can’t wait to taste their whiskey in a few years (must be patient as it ages!) - but for now - take a peek into the beautiful Nashville Craft Distillery and check out their Naked Biscuit Spirit on the next page.

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Just in from London - I woke up to these adorable, amazing photos from Justine! The baby foxes are back at Mudchute Park & Farm in London! It’s our favorite getaway in the city - Mudchute is a community charity run by local people and open to the public free of charge all year, with 32 acres of countryside just a short walk from the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. Here’s what she shared with us about the foxes…

“I spotted this family of Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) playing among the sheep and llamas at Mudchute Park & Farm several times over the weekend. Foxes are fairly common sight here in the city, but it’s always a treat to see an entire family relaxing and playing. In fact, these cubs are actually the second vulpine family I spotted this morning! There is plenty of controversy over urban foxes, but they are undeniably beautiful. These cubs are already starting to look more like adults with reddish coats (no more baby-grey). I would guess that they are 3-4 months old, as most cubs are born around March in this area. The fox family were quite relaxed in the fields and they have clearly grown up around the sheep and llamas. Likewise, the farm animals seem completely relaxed around the foxes! The cubs were busy practicing their pouncing and wrestling skills, which they’ll rely on as adults. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they play like puppies, even playing tug-of-war with sticks! Mom keeps a watchful eye on the cubs (you’ll see her watching me much of the time), but mostly leaves the cubs to play. The family will probably stay together for several more months before some of the cubs begin to set off on their own.”

Check out all the pictures of them frolicking and running around happily on the next page!

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On ridiculous things - these custom Lay’s Bucky BBQ Potato Chips just arrived! I had forgotten that 6+ weeks ago i got curious about an instagram ad, and ordered a free bag of customized Lay’s! Love the fun packaging (nice box print details) and print quality of Bucky droooooooooling on the bag looks pretty good. (Don’t mind the caption, they only let you pick from prewritten messages.) Fun example of social media digital campaigns to physical manifestations. You can see what everyone else has been putting on their Lay’s too! (Surprise - LOTS of dogs and cats!) Details on the next page…

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Coffee packaging just keeps escalating to more and more beautiful, fun designs! Look at these! How could we resist picking up one (and almost the whole collection) of the letterpressed boxes of coffee beans from Barista Parlor x Isle of Printing?!?!? It’s stunning! And even more amazing, there’s a beautiful secret sealed up inside! Each and every box really is a work of art that is “engineered from the ground up and letterpressed at our shop on the trusty automated Kluge (circa 1940’s)” says Isle of Printing’s Instagram. From the graphics, to the cap, to the sticker seal, to the bag within… the details are fantastic.

Check out all the details on the next page - and see what i found when i cut open the box so that you don’t have to.

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Nicoletto’s Pasta Co. is my latest Nashville discovery/obsession/craving. Another reason to add to the list of reasons we love East Nashville and started the NOTCOT Project House! I’m not even sure where to start - the fact that I kept being drawn to the black and white adorableness on our multitude of Home Depot trips… the fresh pasta… the fun packaging… or the MACARONS!

OMG. The macarons. Let’s start there - it is the most delicious/amazing dessert mashup i’ve tried in some time. They are like the jelly donuts of macarons. And the flavors change every few weeks! And Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen is the only spot you can find them! Yes, it’s a pasta company, and yes the pasta is quite delicious, BUT it’s totally worth going by just to get a macaron. The one we had (and then went back the next day for another, but more on that later) - was filled with white chocolate ginger cream around an apricot jam center… and the shells are painted beautifully. Head to the next page for all the macaron/pasta adventures and details.

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Ooooh so much good stuff this week! The more I mix the digital work and searching for inspiration with manual labor and crazy design challenges with the Nashville house - the more i’m realizing that true luxury is being able to constantly evolve, explore, and experience new things! Anything and everything can get old and boring - it’s all about constantly expanding your horizons as far as you can go! Whether that’s heading to the ends of the earth - or just grabbing a sledge hammer and learning to demo a wall!

As usual - click the squares to find out more about all the inspiration over at NOTCOT.org!

This post is long overdue! But WOW. (As you can see on @NOTlabs Instagram…) Real life got a bit crazy the last two weeks - Bucky, Shawn and I hopped in the car and drove from LA to Nashville… for a whole new adventure!!! Since we’ve arrived, we’ve been getting our hands dirty on the new NOTCOT Nashvillle Project House! An cute little post WWII bungalow on a half acre of overgrown jungle in adorable East Nashville - with some of our favorite spots minutes away, and the huge park and river SO close! And of course, we’re also exploring and finding new inspiration all over the city - as often as we come back, there’s always more to discover and so much that has changed (even since December!) For those who keep asking - are we moving to Nashville? Probably not. Will we be back and forth between LA and Nashville more? Possibly…

Anyhow - if you’re ready to see the fun, madness, and laborious adventures - to the next page!

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Mmmmmmm… good scotch and dark chocolate are a favorite pairing of mine. Bourbon and caramel is another delicious one. Now mix up a delicious soft bourbon caramel in a divine dark chocolate shell… shape it with facets and colorful splashes and gold? WOW. Especially good when it isn’t just any bourbon but - Belle Meade Sherry Cask Bourbon, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Weller Antique 107 Proof, and Bulleit Rye Whiskey. Seersucker Candy Co. and Olive & Sinclair have outdone themselves. Their new limited edition Bourbon Lover’s Collection is a terrible thing, simply because they are only making 100 factory exclusive boxes that you can’t order online! I wish i could send you all a box! It’s THAT good.

When i first noticed it on their instagram, it was so pretty and sounded so good i shared it on NOTCOT.org immediately. Then as we kept working on the Nashville house, being only a few blocks away from the Olive & Sinclair factory/store, I convinced Shawn to take a break with me to go get some! We joke that we picked the new house project in part because of its proximity to delicious chocolates and our favorite breakfast sandwich, but having tasted these new chocolate caramels, maybe it’s not really a joke? Take a peek at more details on the next page - and if you’re in Nashville, go get some!

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