Just Hangin' Around....

I was over at the 7 W New York building today, the new(ish) home to several fabulous design and giftware company showrooms. Two's Company & Tozai Home are located in the lobby and Tozai's current display made me stop and smile...

How fun are all of the white animal heads with the colorful ties hanging around them? Brilliant. Design can certainly have a sense of humor sometimes :)

Hotel Hopping in NYC

Last week I spent a day checking out hotels in NYC for an event I am helping to plan. Nothing beats visiting some of NYC's trendiest lofts and penthouse suites on a gorgeous sunny day.

First up was the Hotel Giraffe. The rooftop terrace is amazing....can't you just picture a chic cocktail party out here:

The room itself was used for Mr. Big's apartment in the first SATC movie. I nearly passed out from excitement!

Here is the before...

Here it is as Mr. Big's place back in the movie!

After that visit it was off to a delicious outdoor lunch at the Bryant Park Grill. A cool class of iced tea beautifully presented with a sprig of mint and lemon paired nicely with my lobster burger. Delish.

After resting our feet on the lawn back at Bryant Park...it was such a beautiful day...

....we headed over to The Royalton. It took my breathe away. I stayed here about 10 years or so ago when it first opened and let me tell you, the renovation they did three years ago made it even more amazingly cool.

Just look at that fab light fixture in the lobby (which is super dark, like you're entering the coolest secret club house ever)...

The rooms were amazing too...this tub in the penthouse loft (um, $3000 a night!!) was enough to make me drool with envy over anyone that can afford to actually stay there.

The smaller penthouse suites however, were just perfect...this terrace was just so pretty.

How about you...what are some of your favorite hotels in NYC...or around the globe?!

Spotted: Wine Bottle Light Fixtures

On Saturday night I went to Onda in NYC, a delicious Latin restaurant down near the South Street Seaport. Delicious food, amazing red sangria (nutmeg & cinnamon gave it a nice kick) and a cozy atmosphere.

Of course, my eye wandered up to the colorful wine bottle light fixtures grouped on the ceiling. I loved them and had to do a little research to show you what I was talking about since I didn't take a photo.

These wine bottle tea lights are so close to what they had hanging in the restaurant. The restaurant was dimly lit, so you can see how the colored bottles really popped. I could see these hanging from a porch or patio for a summertime bash...



Then, above the bar they had these clever wine glass light fixtures, loved those too. I found a similar idea at Pottery Barn. If I owned a restaurant, I'd pick up a few of these babies for sure.

In my search I also came across the Chandelini.

How funky is this fixture made from champagne glasses...awesome. A little research led me to Touch Design Studio, who originally created this idea for the 2004 holiday windows at DKNY in New York.So creative.

Love the idea of repurposing wine bottles and glasses in unique, fun ways. I already save my wine bottle corks in hopes of creating something fabulous with them one day and now, I just might start saving a few bottles too.

Tinsel Trading and Wendy Addison

It's a sunny Friday afternoon, a long weekend is just around the corner and I'm in the mood for some serious crafting. When I was working in NYC, on days like this I would sneak away and take a stroll down to Tinsel Trading.

This amazing shop is bursting with inspiration from its always creative window displays to its shelves packed with vintage trims such as ribbons, glass glitter, faux flowers, ephemera and so much more. This shop is the go-to for serious crafters and stylists looking for unique embellishments (Martha Stewart is a HUGE fan!).

I decided to pop on over to their web site today and was so glad I did! It is totally revamped and packed with great eye candy. I was most pleasantly surprised to see their gallery of window displays. Now anytime I'm longing for a trip to the store and can't make it in person, I'll head online for a peek at what's new.

Another surprise was the new Wendy Addison line, exclusive to Tinsel Trading. Wendy is an amazing artist that I've admired for years. (You may have seen her items in home accessory boutiques around the country and HomeGoods too).

Her vintage-inspired paper and glass glitter crafts are magical and beautiful. I especially love her Halloween shapes...

...and Christmas stars...

Plus, they've also announced, Wendy will be making a special appearance for a Halloween celebration on October 12 from 12-5. Sounds like a great reason to make a trip to Tinsel Trading in person!

Happy Friday everyone!

All photos from tinseltrading.com.