Grey Matters

Digging through more of my material and photos from the NY Gift Show (there was so much to sort!) I thought you all might like these photos from the Eigen Arts booth.

Do you know Eigen Arts? If you own gorgeous pottery from stores like Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma you certainly do! Barbara Eigen's pieces can be found in all of these stores and around the world. For more than 30 years she's been creating beautiful pottery that are a definite favorite of magazine editors and prop stylists alike.

I LOVED this collection of pieces in grey. They are so romantic with their ruffled edges. Grey seems to be the IT color of the moment when it comes to home and fashion accessories and these, in their gorgeous glaze are perfect representatives of the trend!

Here's another photo from the booth...a modern mix of polka dots and free-form rings....

Gorgeous.

It's Friday, I'm in Love

Three ideas I'm loving today from around the blogs and one great pillow!

1. Elements of Style's fall fashion forecast.

2. This is Glamorous' "My Favorite Things" guest post on Decor 8. I especially the photo of champagne and cupcakes, my favorite vices :)

3. Crafty Nests' completed outdoor bistro table and cafe chairs project.

4. Oh, and that super-fun pillow up top? It's the Heart Pillow from Alexander Girad for Urban Outfitters, which is now on my wish-list.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Inspired by Julia & Julie

This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the movie Julie & Julia with some very important ladies :) We had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed the movie! If you're in need of a little life inspiration, go see this film.

In case you haven't heard, this film is based on a book, that was based on a blog (are you following!) written by a would-be writer (Julie Powell) living in NYC who was inspired to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook and blog about it for a year. Whew.

A cool idea, but watching her story on-screen (Julie was played by Amy Adams) was just not as inspiring as watching Julia Child blossom into the icon she is today.

Meryl Streep shined as Julia, she was just perfect! As was Stanley Tucci, who played her husband Paul. Their chemistry was fantastic...just as it was in the Devil Wears Prada.

Add to that the amazing scenes of her shopping in the Paris markets, her beautiful home and of course, seeing the re-creation of her now-famous kitchen that lives in The Smithsonian Institute. Amazing.

Photo via Country Living.

I got all teary as I watched the scene when her husband was outlining her pots so she always knew where to hang them on her now-famous pegboard. That is true love, my friends!

Photo via The Smithsonian.

Julia Child had such passion for life, food and Paris and she used that passion as the driving force behind her success. I walked away feeling anything truly is possible in life.

Here's to you Julia! Bon Appétit!

DIY: Paper Butterfly Napkin Rings

I recently found a pretty bohemian-inspired butterfly-patterned paper at the craft store and decided to transform it into napkin rings. How can you beat spending 40 cents on a sheet of paper that will yield about 8-10 napkin rings?

Aren't these super-cute? It might be hard to tell but the butterfly on top is a pop-up, it looks like it's floating. So fun! Want to learn how to make them? Here's a simple step-by-step guide for you:Here's what you'll need:

• One 12 x 12 sheet of patterned scrapbook paper. (Mine is Winsome 12 x 12 Ambrosia by Basic Grey)
• pinking shears
• small paper scissors
• mini glue dots
• scraps of white cardstock

Step 1:Use pinking shears follow the paper's pattern and cut several 12"L strips of paper. To figure out the width, follow the width of your pattern, mine was about 1"W.Step 2: Each strip can be cut in half, to about 6", that should be long enough to wrap around any rolled napkin. Set them aside.Step 3: Reserve a strip for your "floating butterflies" and use the small paper scissors to cut a bunch out.Step 4: Measure and cut a strip of white cardstock about 3/8"W x 1 3/4"L. Fold the paper accordian style (see below).

Step 5: Add a mini-glue dot to the back of your cut-out butterfly shape and place it on top of one end of the folded paper.Step 6: Use another mini-glue dot to attach the other end of your accordian-folded paper to the center of your napkin ring strip.Step 7: Roll the napkin ring around a rolled napkin and use another mini-glue dot to seal the ends.That's it! Simple, right? Have fun and send me a photo if you make them!

NY Gift Show Re-Cap: Lighting Round-Up

Lighting was big, both as a trend and well, the lighting itself. Over-the-top designs were everywhere and I loved every second of it!

This first set is from Notre Monde. Their designs can only be described as romantic and Parisian.

This next lamp from a to-the-trade design company is over the top gorgeous. A shimmery chandelier, encased in a sheer, luxe shade placed on a curvy stand. I loved it, I'm not sure this photo gives it justice but trust me!

This next collection of hanging lamps was from the same company. It was so dramatic, I loved the look! This look would work great in a large entranceway.

NY Gift Show Re-Cap: I Heart Jonathan Adler

When I first made my way up to the design floor at the gift show, this fabulous, fantastic booth greeted me with a jolt of energy...

Who else but Jonathan Adler could fill a space with color, humor and more color? I had such fun exploring his booth. Everything from his pottery to pillows was on display. I especially loved the new vase designs and tabletop selections...simply irresistible. A groovy mix of chic design and color, just what we all could use more of!

If I could, I would buy every single one of those tall vases. Look how happy they make those yellow flowers look!

NY Gift Show Re-Cap: Butterflies

Whew! It's been a long couple of days! My trip to the NY Gift Show was a whirlwind! I walked away from the show with a big smile. Everyone I met, all of the business owners, store reps and artisans were all so friendly and so positive, it was so refreshing. Plus there were TONS of eye candy and great inspiration.

To give you a glimpse of the amazing information I picked up, I took this photo of a pile of my press kits. I have so much to get through so bear with me as I work my way through it! There's lots to report on this week.

On to business! One of the biggest trends I spotted was the beautiful butterfly. Butterflies were everywhere! Big prints, small prints and everything in between. The design world has really embraced nature for fall and the butterfly has quickly become the mascot.

Here's a peak, but you should note, these items are for the most part inspirational since they are all from wholesale companies, BUT that means they may soon be popping up in your favorite stores this fall!

Butterfly prints at Two's Company...

Design Legacy's Cabriole leg chair upholstered in a hand-screened natural linen with a butterfly (and bugs!) print. The chair runs about $439.

A gorgeous "Mariposa" transferwear cloche at Fringe for Isadora & Mizrahi (sorry, they don't have a web site and sell to trade only). The colors really popped. I loved this!

I love the freedom and re-birth butterflies represent, don't you?! Tune in tomorrow for more trend-spotting!!

NY Gift Show Preview!

I am so excited to be attending the NY International Gift Fair on Sunday! Held twice a year at the Javits Center in NYC, this show is THE place to be for trend-spotting in everything from home, design, accessories, general gifts, tabletop and so much more!

I'll be posting all about it next week, so be sure to check back here Monday! Until then here is a glimpse of my favorite booths that I'll be visiting! Have a great weekend!

Kim Seybert Tabletop: Her placemats, napkin rings and other accessories are like little jewels for your next dinner party. So on-trend, so fabulous!

Roost. Amazing home accesssories. Walking through their booth is like walking through the coolest, hippest, prop house...everything has a rustic spin - it is one of my favorites.

Company C Rugs. I'm really excited to see the new colorful, amazing designs they'll have to offer. Their rugs are high-quality, handcrafted and gorgeous.

Two's Company. Think of the coolest, most on-trend goods from your favorite shops, boutiques and online stores and it is probably manufactured by Two's Company. Their booth is an amazing journey to walk through and it's always packed. I can't wait to see this little guy in person! This photo is from their "Le Soilel" look. Love.

All photos via nyigf.com

DIY: From Junk to Gems

A bit of shameless self promotion here, but I'm excited that my latest column for LI Pulse Magazine is out! For August, it was all about cool DIY projects made from, well junk!

Photo via lipulse.com

One of the talented staffers at the magazine, scoured junk yards and other surprising sources for cool stuff that she re-invented into functional home accessories. Check out the bookends she made, above, using old license plates! To find out how to make them and other projects, click here.

Speaking of junk, it is flea market/yard sale/antique show season! End-of-summer and fall are perfect times to get out there for the best tag sale goodies. Sometimes, it's great to just find a cool antique that just needs a little cleaning but when you're on the hunt this year...keep your eye out for less-than-perfect objects or "misfits" no one else seems to be buying. Put your thinking caps...you may be able to re-purpose it into a fab new project!

To help you locate a tag or yard sale where you live, check out this cool new site called yardsaletreasuremap.com. I read about over at Daily Candy today. Just plug in your address and it will give you the locations of yard sales in your area! Brilliant!

Happy Junking!

A Country Shop Grows in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, N.Y. has never really been considered a hotspot for shopping. Well, maybe for Italian pastries. However, in the last decade or so, it’s really upped its “cool” quotient with lots of hip, new design shops opening up, especially in Williamsburg.

Brook Farm General Store is one of the latest. I just read about it over at Daily Candy this morning and I’m hooked. Located just under the Williamsburg bridge, this adorable shop offers city-dwellers a little bit of country goodness for the home. I haven’t been able to visit it yet, but you can check out amazing images from inside the store over at the Apartment 132 blog. Blogger (and Brooklynite) Cristina Ramirez did a fantastic job taking lovely photos and describing her trip.

Good news for the rest of us, they also offer online shopping! As I was checking out their offerings, my wishlist became so long, I decided I must take a trip to the store in-person. Here are a few of the fabulous goodies they’re selling:

Eggs Cups and Spoons. This set of four porcelain chicken-design egg cups and spoons are a must-have for any country kitchen.

Antique silverware. The presentation alone had me drooling over this set of vintage silverware for six (circa the 1930s). Awesome.

Set of six Morrocan tea glasses. Ok, a little bit more “bazaar-style” than country, but I am obsessed with these glasses. Don’t you just love the colorful sleeves?

Sidewalk Chalk. This would make a perfect present for my two little twin cousins who currently enjoy spending afternoons covering themselves in chalk as they play outside :)

All photos via brookfarmgeneralstore.com

Has anyone checked out this store yet? Let me know!

Love it or Leave it? House Beautiful's Sept. Cover

Just read this article in the NY Times Media section. The September cover of House Beautiful will have a "pull-out" paint color chart sponsored by Glidden (a Glidden ad will be on the back).

Photo via nytimes.com

Not sure how I feel about it. I've always loved the idea of pull-outs and little extras for readers within the pages of magazines...but right there on the cover? I know mags are hurting (hence my freelance career) but I'm not sure how I feel about it? I'll have to check it out when the issue comes out.

What do you think? Love it? Leave it?

Oh and P.S.....the photo above, which is from nytimes.com, was taken by a fabulous photographer over at Hearst...Phillip Friedman :)

Fresh Centerpieces

After drooling over the photos at Bedell Cellars earlier...I couldn't stop staring at this fresh, summery centerpiece.

Photo via bedellcellars.com

I love the white (stephanotis?) flowers but I could see this done with bright purple orchids too or even mint leaves cut from the garden. It's a great example of how easy it is to create a simple (and affordable) chic centerpiece anytime.

Here are two other examples of using found or unexpected objects:

Simple Summer. This is the current centerpiece adorning my table. I pulled together starfish and shells leftover from an old photo shoot, glassware, a candle and set them all on a braided placemat from Ikea.

Tray Chic. This photo is from a story I did for a client last year. I set a bunch of different containers including an old Ball jar and an antique Morrocan tea pot, on top of a wooden serving tray. Then I just added different flowers cut from a garden based on the heights of the objects.

Photo via sprig.com

A Day of Wine & Design: Bedell Cellars Tasting Room

My husband and I recently toured the Bedell Cellars Tasting Room. Located right on Route 25, way out east in the heart of LI wine country, Bedell Cellars is truly an experience. From the outside it looks like a cozy, seaside winery...

...but when you step inside...oh, just wait.

I was happily surprised by the modern touches. Its bones celebrate that casual country feel of the North Fork of Long Island but with its mix of amazing photography, artwork and other accessories, this was a true design experience.

As it should be. The tasting room, a 1919 potato barn, was renovated and styled by interior designer Vicente Wolf! Amazing, amazing. Plus, the owner, Michael Lynne, is not only a successful Hollywood producer (Lord of the Rings, Hairspray) but also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. All of the gorgeous vases and artwork is from his private collection.

Oh, and the wine was fantastic. Our tasting was $12 for 6 or 7 tastes and all of the wines really were delicious. Our favorites were the 2007 Chardonnay and the 2006 Musee, a delish red.

The vineyard and the grounds are gorgeous too. I can only imagine how beautiful their events are. Sigh, don't you just wish you could spend the rest of the summer sitting here sipping wine and soaking up the sun?

Photo via bedellcellars.com

Inspired.

I usually spend the first few moments of my "workday" mornings browsing my favorite blogs, web sites and other sources of inspiration. I have to thank Holly over at Decor8 for her post about UK stylist Lucyina Moodie. After reading the post, I quickly jumped on over to Lucyina's web site and was blown away by her portfolio. I fell in love with each and every photo.

Lucyina spent nine years as a contributing stylist for the BBC and its magazine, BBC Good Homes, where she no doubt honed her styling skills. The photos are exquisite, her talent is evident. My favorite are her detail shots. I have posted a few here. I can only imagine the hours spent creating each shot.

What I think I miss most from my days as a full-time magazine editor are the photo shoots. At Q&S we had our own digital studio where we would spend days locked in there, creating beautiful photographs for the magazine and sometimes just for ourselves. We had our own little slice of creative freedom in that NYC studio and I miss it and my lovely coworkers.

Don't get me wrong, a photo shoot takes a ton of work and talent to pull together, but it is worth it when you're left with beautiful shots such as these!

I am truly inspired today to do a little styling of my own this week. I've been writing so much lately that I have not been crafting or styling much professionally, I'm ready to start that up again! A good balance is always needed in life.

If you need a little inspiration today or any day, I highly recommend heading on over to check out Lucyina's portfolio. You'll be happy you did!

Must-Have: Country Meets Modern

The recycled aluminum desk chair from Pottery Barn is my dream chair. If and when I finally finish my home office/craft space this chair is going in!

I absolutely love how PB updated a classic country design using a modern material that's recycled to boot! And don't you love the styling of this photo. Of course they topped the chair of with a cozy cushion and placed it in a laid-back country space. The perfect balance of modern meets country. Love it, love it, love it!

Thank you, Pottery Barn...you're my hero.