Mal Blum has been writing songs since the age of fourteen, and she’s here on After the Jump to share her music. Grace Bonney invites Mal into the studio to shift the show’s focus away from visual arts and design. Tune into this episode to hear Mal and Grace talk about their inspirations, and what it is like to be a woman in a male-dominated music industry. Find out why Mal has no problem bearing her soul, but why she struggles to stay organized as an artist. Find out about Mal’s affinity for Kic...
Jun 13, 2013•33 min•Ep. 41
Join Grace Bonney on another episode of After the Jump as she chats with acclaimed artist and illustrator Chris Silas Neal. Chris’s work has been commisioned by a variety of magazines, book publishers and television. His first picture book, Over and Under the Snow, with author Kate Messner was praised for it’s “stunning retro-style illustrations” (New York Times), was a 2011 New York Times’s Editor’s Choice and won an E.B. White Honor Award in 2012. Neal recently directed short animated videos f...
May 23, 2013•32 min•Ep. 40
How does a blog make money? What tools should a blogger know about? On this episode of After the Jump, host Grace Bonney and Amy Azzarito tackle the top questions they regularly come across at Design*Sponge. Hear what an average day at Design*Sponge is like- including team meetings, scheduling some “you” time, and surviving the flood of emails. Building Design*Sponge also means extensive outreach; this how they find homes across the world- from France to the United States! Hear what motivates th...
May 16, 2013•33 min•Ep. 39
Solo show! Grace Bonney talks about recent obstacles and difficulties she’s faced personally and professionally and how she overcame them. Things don’t have to be hectic! And Grace will show you how. Take a breath, and listen to the words of wisdom of this pro blogger, entrepreneur, and go-getter! Thanks to our sponsor, BluePrint . “Don’t be afraid to cast a wide net.” [18:45] “Having a plan B doesn’t mean you’re setting yourself up to fail, it means you’re a practical business owner.” [19:30] “...
May 01, 2013•33 min•Ep. 38
The worlds of food and design collide on this week’s installment of After the Jump! Grace Bonney is joined in the studio by Kristina Gill, photographer and food editor for Design*Sponge. Hear how Kristina made her way to Italy from Nashville, Tennessee. Find out how Kristina’s work often touches on social justice issues such as world hunger and food assistance. Learn how Kristina’s column on Design*Sponge came about, and some of the trickier recipes to prepare and photograph. What are Kristina’s...
Apr 18, 2013•31 min•Ep. 37
Learn the secrets of quality event design with David Stark! This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney invited David into the studio to talk about his history with painting, flower arrangements, and throwing spectacular parties. Learn why David was called to New York City, and why he left the life of a painter to find a life that centered around building community. What parallels does David see between painting and flower arranging? Learn how David’s work combines the worlds of interior design, d...
Apr 11, 2013•31 min•Ep. 36
Frances Palmer crafts pottery that is informed by her love for art history and the tactile. This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney sits down with Frances to talk about her upbringing and the art of the gathering. Find out how Frances’ time in Washington, D.C. and her schooling inspired her to make ceramics. Hear why Frances makes items that are intended to be used, and why dahlias are so present in her work. How do ceramics and gardening interact in her craft? Listen in to hear what artists i...
Apr 04, 2013•32 min•Ep. 35
Hear from Grace Bonney’s mentor and friend, Rena Tom, on this week’s installment of After the Jump. Rena is a California native who has been involved in everything from consulting, to jewelry design, to founding the collaboration-minded Makeshift Society. Tune into this episode to hear Rena talk about her upbringing, and how her family pushed her to start her own business. Learn about Rena’s time in Park Slope, and her experiences owning the jewelry design store, Rare Device. How do small busine...
Mar 28, 2013•31 min•Ep. 34
Learn how to turn your lifestyle or design idea into a book with Lia Ronnen, Executive Editor and Associate Publisher at Artisan Books. Tune in to hear Grace Bonney talk with Lia about her background in the art world, and how that led to work in packaging, publishing, and editing. Learn about Artisan’s unique take fashion, lifestyle, and design books, and why they have worked with category killers like Domino and Lucky . How have blogs and magazines influenced the world of books and publishing? ...
Mar 21, 2013•34 min•Ep. 33
Friend of the show and Design*Sponge managing editor Amy Azzarito is this week’s guest on After the Jump to discuss her brand new book, Past & Present: 24 Favorite Moments in Decorative Arts History and 24 Modern DIY Projects Inspired by Them. In Past & Present, Amy presents 24 pairs of essays and craft projects that explore the connection between decorative arts history and present-day design trends. Tune in as Amy shares her professional journey – from growing up in a design-oriented f...
Mar 07, 2013•34 min•Ep. 32
Learn how to “be present” and successfully run your business without stress on this week’s episode of After the Jump! Host Grace Bonney talks about the anxieties that have crept into her professional life, and the best way to stay calm in the world of small business. Learn why it’s important to stay focused, while at the same time not worrying about the future of your endeavor. Hear Grace talk about some of her favorite applications and programs that help her manage the workload at Design*Sponge...
Feb 28, 2013•28 min•Ep. 31
Alex Eben Meyer is a street hockey player, donut enthusiast, and professional illustrator! This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined in the studio by Alex to talk about his initial interest in drawing. How did Alex transition from drawing superheroes and military tanks to creating work for The New York Times and college textbooks? Learn more about the field of illustration, and why it encapsulates more than just the Sunday comics. Tune in to hear Alex and Grace talk about the illustrat...
Feb 21, 2013•33 min•Ep. 30
Karen Mordechai is a photographer, stylist, cooking enthusiast, and founder of Sunday Suppers. This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney chats it up with Karen about the arts, cooking at home, and the art of entertaining. Tune in to find out what attracted Karen to the visual arts, and why she often focuses her lens on families and food. Learn more about the Sunday Suppers dinner series; how did it evolve from a casual gathering into a full-blown dinner party? Karen shares her philosophy on cook...
Feb 14, 2013•25 min•Ep. 29
Julia Rothman illustrates and designs patterns in her own unique, hand-made style! Julia joins Grace Bonney in the studio for the first episode of After the Jump in 2013! Tune in to hear Julia talk about growing up in small-town New York City- City Island. How did that atmosphere motivate her in terms of her artistic career? Find out how Julia eventually grew into her illustration style, and hear how she began making patterns. Why does Julia prefer hand-drawing as opposed to working inside of th...
Feb 07, 2013•29 min•Ep. 28
Amy Azzarito rejoins host Grace Bonney for the season finale of After the Jump! Tune into this episode to hear Grace and Amy talk about their top ten favorite design trends of 2012, and how they will evolve in the upcoming year! Hear about the resurgence of brick-and-mortar stores, and the myriad of pop-up shops in New York City. Tune in to hear discussions about some of the trends from this year that Grace and Amy hope to see fall out of favor. Later, Grace and Amy talk about the blog world in ...
Dec 03, 2012•33 min•Ep. 27
On today’s episode of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined by Jen Bekman: gallerist, web entrepreneur, and art collector. Jen opened her gallery in the Lower East Side in 2003, and has been heavily involved in the art world. Jen is also responsible for many other initiatives under the name Jen Bekman Projects , including the affordable art print outlet 20×200 . Tune in to this episode to hear Jen and Grace talk about the process of selling art. Why do so few people have art in their homes, and...
Nov 26, 2012•32 min•Ep. 26
Take a tea break on this week’s episode of After the Jump as host Grace Bonney is joined by the team behind Bellocq, a unique and evocative line of hand-crafted blends, the finest pure teas and a charming selection of tea accessories. Hear from Michael Shannon, Heidi Johannsen Steward and Scott Stewart who tell listeners the inspiration behind their brand. Hear their vision of opening the artisanal tea experience up to everybody and find out how they developed their immersive brand experience ov...
Nov 19, 2012•34 min•Ep. 25
This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined in the studio by interior designer, Thom Filicia. Thom is perhaps best known for his roles in hit television programs like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Tacky House , but more recently, he authored the book American Beauty published by Clarkson Potter. Tune into this episode to hear why Thom decided to restore and fix up a home from the early 1900s in the Finger Lakes, and why he fell in love with the structure. Listen in to learn about Th...
Nov 12, 2012•29 min•Ep. 24
This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney calls into the studio in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy to talk about her top ten business lessons. Tune in to hear about some of the mistakes that Grace made with her businesses, and how they served as valuable learning experiences. Learn about the importance of following your bliss, trusting your gut, and not compromising! Grace talks about some of her personal experiences, and how she realized she needed to spend more time working on her life outsid...
Nov 05, 2012•32 min•Ep. 23
Dylan Thuras joins Grace Bonney in the studio for this week’s installment of After the Jump! Dylan is the co-founder of Atlas Obscura , a website dedicated to all things esoteric and unique in travel. Tune into this episode to hear Dylan and Grace talk about the idea of discovery in the age of the Internet, and what is really left to be discovered. Dylan talks about some of his concerns about publicizing some of these hidden gems, and how he has confronted this issue. How has Atlas Obscura affec...
Oct 22, 2012•32 min•Ep. 22
Grace Bonney sits down with photographer, artist, and author Todd Selby on this week’s episode of After the Jump. Todd has made a name for himself by documenting people and their personalities in their own homes. Todd is also notable for his websites, TheSelby.com and EdibleSelby.com , and his recent book, also called Edible Selby . Tune into this episode to hear Grace and Todd discuss the role of film and video in the realm of photography, how to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera...
Oct 15, 2012•31 min•Ep. 21
On today’s episode of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is once again joined by Design*Sponge’s managing editor Amy Azzarito to discuss becoming your own brand. Tune in to hear Grace and Amy list some of the the “dos & don’ts” of branding yourself. Learn about the different steps to take in order to personalize and get visibility for your business. Create a mission statement and work on your elevator pitch! Hear about the importance of focus and expertise to make your creative work stand out! Lea...
Oct 08, 2012•33 min•Ep. 20
This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined in the studio by blogger, homesteader, and author Ashley English. Ashley lives on eleven acres just outside of Asheville, North Carolina where she keeps bees, raises chickens, and tends to her garden. Hear how Ashley started homesteading, and her opinions regarding the “hipsterfication” of the DIY movement. Why has there been such a resurgence in interest in old-fashioned tactile skills? Tune in to hear how Ashley has made time to write The Hom...
Oct 01, 2012•30 min•Ep. 19
Welcome to another episode of After the Jump! This week, Grace Bonney is joined by Sarah Brysk Cohen. Sarah is the florist and founder of Blossom and Branch, and online columnist for The Equals Record and Design*Sponge. Hear why Sarah left the field of social work to start her own flower shop, and the steps she had to take to start an independent business. Learn about the importance of self-examination when running a business, and how collaboration can help rejuvenate your creativity. How does S...
Sep 24, 2012•33 min•Ep. 18
On this week’s episode of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined in the studio by set designer Lydia Marks of Marks and Frantz. You may know Lydia’s work from films such as The Devil Wears Prada , Sex & the City I and II , and Synecdoche, New York . Tune in to hear how documentary photography was instrumental in training Lydia’s design eye. Hear Grace and Lydia discuss how movie set design transcends the realm of setting, but also influences character development. How did Lydia develop Sex &...
Sep 17, 2012•32 min•Ep. 17
On this installment of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is joined by Amy Azzarito, the managing editor at Design*Sponge. Grace and Amy are discussing how to get your voice out in the creative community, specifically in an online format. Hear about the importance of defining a personal niche in terms of content and personality. Grace and Amy also give some helpful tips for attracting an audience and self-promotion. How do Grace and Amy stay inspired? Learn about pulling inspiration from different res...
Sep 10, 2012•31 min•Ep. 16
Design criticism is the topic on today’s episode of After the Jump. Today, Grace Bonney is joined by Alexandra Lange, an architecture and design critic. Specifically, Grace and Alexandra are talking about the recent trend of “cuteness” in craft. Tune in to hear Grace and Alexandra analyze the slew of craft and design shows on television, such as Project Runway and Craft Wars. Why are these programs unable to communicate the essence of the design world? Later, Grace and Alexandra discuss the role...
Aug 27, 2012•34 min•Ep. 15
This week on After the Jump, Grace Bonney is in the studio with Lorena Siminovich: graphic designer, illustrator, and founder of Petit Collage. Lorena began taking graphic design classes at her high school in Buenos Aires, and has constantly developed her style ever since. Hear about how moving to New York City changed her approach to graphics and illustrations, and what she has done to fuel her entrepreneurial spirit. From stamps to laser-cut mobiles, Lorena has designed it all! Tune in to hear...
Aug 20, 2012•31 min•Ep. 14
On this episode of After the Jump, host Grace Bonney is talking about the importance of balancing work and managing stress. Today, Grace pulls from her personal experiences in order to offer some sound advice about having an efficient and happy work life. Tune in to learn about how being honest with yourself can help to realize your professional goals, and how prioritizing can lead to effective productivity. Hear about how Grace made changes in her life, and how you can avoid the burn-out that i...
Aug 13, 2012•31 min•Ep. 13
On this week’s episode of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is discussing the importance of real-life connections among the online community with two special guests. Morgan Evans is the community strategist for Etsy, and she’s in the studio talking about some of Etsy’s initiatives to get craft-makers together in their neighborhoods, collaborating, and building businesses. Joining Grace and Morgan over the phone is Rena Tom of Makeshift Society, an upstart company that aims to bring together creative ...
Jul 30, 2012•31 min•Ep. 12
