elephants on the horizon

eco sleeve

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:25:00 -0400

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)

how cute is this little guy?

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:31:07 -0500

and he’s on sale!

sofa v sectional

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:31:00 -0500

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 retrospect, a little preposterous - so you can’t really place all the blame on the poor couch. i had my sights set on this one long before i pulled the trigger - comp shopping (foolishly) seemed like a waste of time… and don’t get me wrong, it served my initial purposes well - fitting perfectly into my old apartment’s smaller living room space, looking totally chic in the midst of some other mid century and assorted hand-me-down pieces. and i do still love my upholstery selection.

BUT. (and this is a big but.) it’s. just. not. that. comfy. like not at all. kind of a key let down, don’t you think? the bizarrely firm seat actually rejects you as you try to settle in - and the two cushioned layout means you are always sort of unintentionally sliding towards the middle (especially awkward when you are sharing the supposedly three-seater sofa with two other people). and now, in the larger space of my new apartment, the somewhat diminutive size looks a little out of proportion (see below). and though my signature impulse trial and error design tactic is still sometimes hard to reign in, i’m really trying to be better at fully thinking things through before blindly diving in. seriously.

so. with that said, here is what i am contemplating anew these days…

this is the current set up of my living room in its (unintentionally long-term) temporary staging:

that corner bookshelf is a super crummy oldie - a relic from hold everything (remember that store?!) that i used in my college apartment way back when. so yeah, that thing is DEFINITELY a placeholder. for what? 9 months later, i still haven’t figured that out yet. and speaking of placeholders, that dining chair and vintage needle point footstool combo in the foreground have been long time stand-ins for what i had previously envisioned to be small leather club chair and ottoman (small being the operative word - not as easy to track down as you might think!). and don’t get me started on the lighting situation, the dark wood oval coffee table, and that gallery wall which i just can’t seem to figure out. it all just seems like so much STUFF. it was starting to give me a bit of an anxiety attack…

and then! it hit me. what about scrapping the original “vision” and consider… a sectional?! whoa! consolidating w/out losing seating space?! a more comfy perch to take a load off? it might very well be the answer to all of my conundrums! i could reposition the two chairs against the wall to the the opposite side of the seating configuration, move the design books in the corner to the bookshelf in the dining room, and perhaps move the gallery wall to the perpendicular wall…?! coffee table/lighting issues - still to be worked out - but that is not dampening my excitement over this new development. (but don’t worry, i promise to do my due research this time.) some inspiring ideas:

west elm:

cb2:

dwell studio (of course it’s my favorite and double the price of the other two. natch.):

feeling for...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:11:10 -0500

… 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:

packing purchase...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:34:05 -0500

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, while i am trying to work with what is already in my (very messy and disorganized in its in-between seasons’ state) closet, i did convince myself that i “needed” a new alternative to my ubiquitous cardigan or ancient jean jacket. i think this guy is going to be PERFECT.

sunday supper

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:26:00 -0500

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 some red pepper flakes, doubled the lime juice recommendation) - a recipe i’ve had pinned on my new recipe board for a while (i am a total sucker for cilantro, in case you can’t tell…). anyway, i’ve got leftovers for lunch and i am already counting down the minutes till noon!

totes amaze

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:01:00 -0500

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 aesthetic is that it’s comfortable. the minute you try too hard it becomes a ‘style.’ then you lose the stoic nature of new england.”

the stoic new england aesthetic - now that’s a concept i can get behind!

another day, another quinoa recipe

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:19:41 -0500

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 discovery? these DEEElish black bean quinoa tacos. you are welcome.

time after time...

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:53:23 -0500

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

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 07:37:00 -0500

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 time i find myself within the grim confines of penn station (shudder) - staring up at that giant track board along with a zillion other zombies, impatiently waiting for our train info to be posted - i am ever more appreciative of how glorious and civil the scene is just a couple of blocks a way. i have some vague memories of grand central in its pre-1998-renovation state - which makes the modern incarnation that much more special. i think this poster, designed to commemorate the centennial and highlight one of the station’s most majestic features, is so lovely - and a great reminder for the next time i am hurrying for my train to spare a few seconds and look up.

(discovered via design crush)

mood boarding

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:39:00 -0500

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 “romanticism”

suno “folkloric tapestry”

tocca “secret”

steven alan “subversive classics”

duckie brown “heavy under light”

lyn devon “upstate”

rachel comey “covert”

(all photos via nymag)

sweet treat

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:16:00 -0500

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 this morning (darn you, pinterest), i’m feeling really tempted to go off the wagon for THIS. i’ve had relative success with a flourless chocolate cake before - i think i’m ready to give it another try. and come on, almond whipped cream? NEXT LEVS. (ok ok, first i’m going for a jog.)

sneak peek...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:40:48 -0500

check out the chinese translation of my first prototype request! ha! what do you think of those buckle selections? not bad, right?!

moonish

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:40:00 -0500

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 ideas on how to utilize these. stay tuned!

summer lovin'

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:19:00 -0500

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…

ping pong backyard

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:07:25 -0500

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:

kitchen color story musings

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:27:00 -0500

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 sandy choice for the time being. (meanwhile, i also totally love the below wall color against the dark brown and olive as well - not necessarily for literal interior inspiration - but maybe i can try it as a wardrobe color pairing?)

thai chicken curry

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 10:15:40 -0500

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 back to my read in no time!

love this.

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:23:21 -0500

love this.

paint it black (flooring edition)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:31:00 -0500

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 patches that pepper both expanses, ‘kay? i’ve mostly learned to live with it - for both logistical and financial reasons, redoing the floors is out of the question for the near to long term… and luckily i have figured out some good rug solutions to help mask the situation. plus imperfection = charm, right?!

however… an intriguing seed of a home improvement idea was planted the other day. a friend had stopped by and, in conversation, casually mentioned how he had always wished for an apartment with floors in such a sorry state so he could validate his dream of painting them… BLACK. i mean, what? my heart started racing at the thought… SO CHIC, right?! how awesome would that look paired with my pale greige walls and crisp white trim! o. m. g. so of course the DIY-project-starting-enthusiast in me got totally jazzed by this concept and immediately started doing some exhaustive research. yay! woo hoo! fun project time! and then… le sigh. the realist-about-my-DIY-project-success-rate quickly weighed in as well and quickly determined this massive undertaking is not only very far outside of my own range of home improvement skills - but the aesthetic outcome might also possibly not be the best solution for my space. i mean, my bedroom, with it’s lovely dark blue/gray walls would look ridiculous with the black floors (right?) - and it would be so weird for the living/dining rooms to have black floors and the bedrooms remain the cheapy cherry (right?). alas. i still haven’t completely abandoned this concept - i still look at the below images with a small degree of hope that i will find a way to, as they say… make it work… so stay tuned… maybe?

(1, 2, 3,)