March 2013
3 posts
1 tag
eco sleeve
genius solution to an environmentally friendly alternative to that seemingly wasteful - but necessary! - cardboard sleeve around your hot cup of joe-to-go…
(image via the city sage)
1 tag
how cute is this little guy?
and he’s on sale!
sofa v sectional
you guys, i have something difficult to admit. here it goes… gulp.
i kind of hate my couch.
i know, i know - hate is a strong word. especially when directed at an innocent piece of furniture, one i so excitedly picked out only two years ago, my first big, self financed, grown up purchase. i mean, the amount of research (or lack thereof) i did about shopping for a couch is now, in...
February 2013
9 posts
1 tag
feeling for...
… navy booties for spring!
some leather ones from rag and bone:
an interpretation in suede from madewell:
and my personal faves, these canvas beauties from kurt geiger:
1 tag
packing purchase...
with a china work trip on the horizon, i have been mentally obsessing over my packing strategy for the last couple of days. in previous gigs, when trips like this were practically a once a month occurrence, i not only had my passport number memorized - i could also pack for a two week trip in five minutes! (seriously. i did that one time. and i DEFINITELY don’t recommend it.) anyway,...
1 tag
sunday supper
it’s been a whirlwind last two weeks - hence the blogging absence - with stops in LA, vegas, and boston along the way. back home yesterday, though exhausted, i vowed to pull together a home-cooked dinner for the first time in, like, 10 days. i managed to quickly whip up this filling, easy, delish soup - with some modifications (i added more chicken, used plain crushed tomatos and threw in...
1 tag
totes amaze
so i am kind of obsessed this am with these stunning, gender-neutral, made in the USA (CT!), oversized, leather tote bags. new-to-me brand, lotuff leathers, embodies the timeless, simple but well designed style (no non-functioning hardware! no logos! only veg tanned leathers!) that always gets my heart racing. from one member of the lotuff team:
“what i like about the new england...
1 tag
another day, another quinoa recipe
even though my office “biggest loser” competition wraps on friday, i am kind of inclined to continue on with this whole eating healthy and exercising regularly thing. it kind of feels good… imagine that? i might steer clear of hardboiled egg whites for a while (my filling but low cal snack secret) but i am definitely keeping the quinoa component in my meal rotation. my latest...
time after time...
how cute are these clocks! and what coincidental timing coming across them - now that my cable box is hidden in the “fauxdenza” - i am in desperate need of a visible, chic timepiece for the living room…
just grand
NPR had some great stories last week relating to the 100th anniversary of the opening of grand central station (did you know the famed oyster bar has been in existence since the beginning as well?). grand central has played an important role in my life as a new yorker - especially when my folks still lived in CT. it was my portal to fresh air, free laundry, home cooked meals, a pool! and every...
mood boarding
in anticipation of just-round-the-corner ny fashion week, nymag has run a feature asking designers to submit a single image from which their fall 2013 line drew the most inspiration. below are a curated handful of my favorites - they each strike such a chord with me that i can practically envision the coordinating collections before a single model hits the runway…
whit...
1 tag
sweet treat
you guys, i have been SO GOOD. i mean, like, forcing-myself-to-go-for-a-run-in-20-degree-weather, quinoa-and-spinach-for-lunch, passing-on-the-bread-basket (even the fresh from the oven, sourdough slices!!!) kind of good. i walk by a dunkin donuts every day on the way to the subway and i haven’t caved to my cruller craving ONCE. (hairbob!) however… after coming across this recipe...
January 2013
17 posts
1 tag
sneak peek...
check out the chinese translation of my first prototype request! ha! what do you think of those buckle selections? not bad, right?!
2 tags
moonish
discovered via sfgirlbybay, these hand painted, magnetic, wood tiles from brooklyn based company (natch), moonish, have me totally smitten this morning - shall we say, over the moon? har har. no but seriously, the various geometric pattern layout potential, the wash of color allowing the natural grain of the wood to shine through, the INGENIOUS installation process - my brain is brimming with...
2 tags
summer lovin'
oh hey - look at this!
feels (kinda) like spring in nyc today (well, compared to our arctic blast we endured last week…). it is making me look forward to wearing these (genuine suede!) fringy beauties sometime in the not too distant future…
1 tag
ping pong backyard
my next home will definitely have a back yard… i wouldn’t mind it having a ping pong table too. maybe it might look something like this:
1 tag
kitchen color story musings
hmmm, so this wall color, below, is more of what i think i was aiming for in that little kitchen of mine. definitely a more faded, subtle, watery blue-green-gray than what i have currently got going on - and definitely more sophisticated. oops. ah well - the kitchen projects have taken a back burner to some other stuff on my plate these days - so i’m learning to live with my hurricane...
1 tag
thai chicken curry
i’ve totally shirked my ambitious to-do list so far this weekend in favor of getting completely absorbed into the latest book i am reading… though i am going to tear myself away long enough this afternoon to whip up another batch of this for lunches this week (you guys, it is SO GOOD, TRUST ME) and give this new one a whirl as well. one pot cooking means easy clean up - i’ll be...
1 tag
paint it black (flooring edition)
so, as i have previously mentioned, the wood floors in my apartment are in kind of crummy condition. not to mention the fact that the floors in the two bedrooms are cherry colored, cheapy wood laminate planks while the living and dining space are blonde hardwood (oak? eek, i should probably know). and let’s not even discuss the various paint splatters, permanent scuffs, and mismatched...
1 tag
lentil quinoa salad
sadly i have no enticing picture to accompany this amazing new recipe find - but TRUST ME on this one. it’s perfect for keeping that january resolution to eat healthier/lose weight/spend less money/blah blah blah - and it works well as a hearty side dish to perhaps a dinner of roasted salmon, or as a filling main along with a simple arugula salad. my added tip: be extra generous with the...
1 tag
packing preparedness
as my quick jaunt down to florida over new year’s reminded me, i am terrible at packing for climates that do not directly align with new york’s four season weather patterns. after wearing wooly sweaters and opaque black tights with every outfit for the previous two months, my fashion brain just totally blanked on what i like to wear when it is 80 plus degrees out. pulling out...
1 tag
tea towel trend!
so my tea-towel-as-art-loving friend sent this picture of a recent acquisition along to me and i am SO excited to post it as further validation of this trend! (ok, calling it a trend might be a stretch - but you never know. i mean, ahem, EOTH is pretty influential, you know, in certain crowds… :P). anyway. i adore the organic shape of the the textile against the kraft-like paper...
2 tags
dream weaver...
love love love this so much. i love the rusted arrow “frame” - and the chunky abstract woven design would make a such a lovely compliment to the sampler made by my grandmother that i already have hanging in the dining room. it almost makes me want to recover my table loom i’ve inherited from her (that is currently collecting dust in my parents’ basement) and get to work....
1 tag
cabin fever
wow, you guys - best designsponge sneak peak in a LONG time. a little bit of a departure from the standard eclectic, brooklyn-meets-scandinavian chic interiors that are oft featured - this cozy, lovingly layered home reflects so much personal history and charming (but not overly precious) DIY style. it’s a perfect wooded refuge where i’d love to just curl up with a book and forget...
1 tag
tea towels
i have a friend who has been known to frame tea towels and hang them on the wall as art. which actually makes perfect sense when there are such exquisite ones out there such as these from new-to-me etsy shop, giardino. i think stocking up on a couple of these to have on hand as hostess gifts or last minute birthday presents might be the best idea i have had all weekend.
1 tag
transitional tucker
for anyone who does NOT have her credit card in post holiday lock down, i strongly encourage you to consider adding these magical trousers, this stunning blouse, and this dress of pure perfection (on sale!) to your closet. STAT. while i’d hardly consider january in nyc a transitional season (though a high of 51 degrees today might dispute that), these pieces will easily bridge your...
1 tag
my morning chair
another great little seating nook tucked into a sweet little kitchen… can you tell i am obsessing over this concept these days? i’d love to incorporate some sort of “morning chair” right next to the windows in my dining room in which i could enjoy my first cup of coffee along with the quiet beauty of the western sky as it transforms in the early dawn light…
...
1 tag
kitchen space
i love how there is hangout/lounge space (hello, another daybed!) incorporated into this dreamy open kitchen/dining room.
(image via nytimes)
December 2012
13 posts
2 tags
kitchen colors, part deux
ok, i’ll admit it. i made a misstep in my kitchen paint color selection. although - in my defense - the images in the earlier post make it look far more green than it really is. in person, it’s a really lovely sea glass-ish, blue-green of mild saturation that might be better suited for, say, a small bathroom or something. so it wasn’t, like, an absurdly off-base choice…...
2 tags
bird
great article about my favorite neighborhood boutique, bird. call me a brooklyn cliche, but ms. mankins has really nailed the stylish but functional - and often aspirational (price points tend to be, ah, lofty…) - full lifestyle aesthetic with which i’d love to fill my closet. her retail approach is also a good example of my own shift in my shopping mindset - as much as i still love...
2 tags
blocked
just discovered via unruly things, these hand block printed scarves over on the block shop are just gorgeous-o. read the lovely story behind this new favorite textile brand here.
meanwhile i am just going to drool over these incredibly inspiring images from their online gallery…
1 tag
metallic party dress
a little late in the holiday season to be bookmarking cute, party looks but i just stumbled across this one and i couldn’t help myself. love this pretty bronze metallic number paired with the dark tights and shoes… maybe i’ll have to throw a january “beat the holiday blues” soiree as an excuse to don something similar!
image via les composantes
1 tag
daybed dreamin'
so, as of last week, the LAST box from my move (yes, that move… you know, back in june…) was ceremoniously unpacked. sadly, however, that milestone just meant that the stuff that was formerly IN said box is now in a cluttered heap on the floor in the guest bedroom/office. SO first item on the apartment project list in 2013 will be getting this little room all ship-shaped up. over...
1 tag
inspired...
neat little use of space above the radiator with the cubby shelf/bedside table. and the clean wall of closet storage is pretty dead chic also.
from desire to inspire
3 tags
just bead it
while i am eagerly anticipating a fun, chaotic, family filled (and hopefully snowy!) NH christmas celebration next week, i am also SO looking forward to my warm weather getaway for new year’s. on my packing list? these t-strap beauties! the pop color, waxed cotton tack stitching, the organically shaped, inset silver beaded detail, the comfort friendly, padded footbed - not to mention the...
1 tag
feeling for...
… brass! there is a vague 80’s connotation i associate with brass furnishings and hardware - a nostalgic connection i am kind of embracing these days. for instance, i LOVE the way the bright brass task lamp works against the deep, moody blue of my bedroom walls. and don’t get me STARTED on those brushed antique brass nail heads on the upholstered headboard. J’ADORE.
...
2 tags
credenza styling
i think i have zeroed in on a lamp for the “fauxdenza” - which will be a much appreciated additional light source for the slightly shadowy living room. i’m psyched - but i am waiting until post holiday to pull the trigger - i think i have done MORE than enough shopping for 2012… so in the meantime, i have been collecting images for different styling ideas for this wall -...
1 tag
and while we are on the topic...
… of asymmetry, how awesome are these earrings?
2 tags
off center
in addition to my (somewhat in vain) efforts to employ a cleaner and leaner decorating aesthetic in the new(ish) place, i am also trying to let go of my impulse to always want things centered and balanced. so take the (unfortunately very dark) view of my dining room below. (and yes, i realize my photography skills are apparently getting worse. i’m surprised i haven’t been kicked off...
pinning
so don’t get too excited that i’m posting again so soon after yesterday’s MEATY submission (!) - i am still in a wishy washy place about this blogging stuff these days. but i thought i’d let you know that you can always check in here too if you want a quick fix of what is catching my eye of late. i’m relatively new to the pinterest craze (as i have mentioned before,...
1 tag
wall cabinets
so remember when things looked like this around here?! (eek - i am SO thankful to have that time of my life behind me…!)
and remember when i was brainstorming for ideas on how to best utilize that wall on the right hand side?
well, so this happened this past week.
looks pretty chic, right??? it’s an ikea hack i have seen executed a variety of ways on a couple of my favorite...
November 2012
1 post
2 tags
oh hi....
i know, i know. i’ve been a lazy, neglectful blogger lady of late. i thought i’d try to make it up to you all by doing a quick post to show the latest home improvement around here. marooned in brooklyn last week post-sandy (though WITH power for which i felt EXTREMELY fortunate), i finally found the time to paint the kitchen. it’s a valspar paint, the color name is alluding...
October 2012
5 posts
1 tag
countryside cravings...
i’ve got great light in the new place, so no complaints there - but there is something so enticing about a big, bright expanse of windows that look out onto your own lush and verdant landscape - a relaxing respite that that the big city will never be able to offer… (i do, however, have a “partial” view of the freedom tower if you crane your neck a certain way looking out of...
1 tag
mayle bag
omg, i don’t know how i missed out on the news that jane mayle was doing a capsule collection for club monaco - but man, it is so good! i SOOOO wish i had this bag for my quick jaunt to the pacific northweast… would be perfect for my various carry-on needs…
September 2012
20 posts
2 tags
promising pumpkin recipe
so i made the absolute worst pumpkin muffins yesterday - i mean, they were so bad i actually threw them away which is saying a lot, considering how much i love pumpkin flavored ANYTHING. i just came across this ina garten pumpkin cupcake recipe over on house beautiful that i just might have to make if only to erase the memory of those soggy disappointments from yesterday.
2 tags
forgive the cheesy "thought of the day" premise...
… but something about this kind of hit home…
(via my paradissi)
