Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Wedding Wednesdays.....A Must Have.

For this week's Wedding Wednesday, I would like to share two short sentiments.

That this bar is absolutely FABULOUS.


And absolutely necessary.

That is all.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A Pot O' Gold.....



I remember looking at my mother's jewelry box around age eight and thinking
that she was seriously deranged for thinking that "gold" was still in style.

It was the nineties, and I had a big silver charm bracelet from James Avery and I thought I was really with it.

Oh, how times change.

I don't think I could be MORE obsessed with gold right now.

It feels like the stage in my late teens where I wanted to buy everything that had chipped paint.
Except this time is far worse.


I love touches of gold in interiors.




Subtle touches are the best---Like the inside of lamp shades and the detail on a coffee table
in this room designed by Jan Showers.

Or these pillows.
Gold also mixes famously with my other current obsession...PINK.

It's great for wedding shoes.

And home accents.
I'm especially loving gold bar carts right now.

And I'm convinced that gold paint can work just about any kind of magic.



Favorite gold manifestations include:

Stacks of gold bracelets

Unexpected gold sequins woven into a care free outfit.

Gold Hermes bracelets.

This gold piggy bank


Gold leaf soleil mirrors.

Wheat sheaf tables.
I have a small one in my living room that really added a shot of glam into the space.



And of course, the more unabashed the use of gold, 
the better.

Do you love gold?

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Icon Fabric


Have you ever purchased a pair of really fancy, really expensivo shoes?
And then worn them with a dress from Forever 21 or Target?

And then someone asks " Is that dress from Saks?"

It's guilt by association people.
And it applies to interiors too.

Which is where "icon" fabrics come in.

There are alot of icon fabrics on the market right now.
Fun, fresh prints that can jazz up just about any room.

Since most of them are carried by "trade-only" fabric houses, they tend to be a bit more expensive, but if used in small doses, they can have high impact for a lower cost.

My favorite thing to do is jazz up an inexpensive sofa or chair with "Designer" pillows, made from a fun Schumacher or Kravet print.

A few examples if you will.

Kelly Wearstler's Bengal Bazaar for Lee Jofa makes this window treatment sing.

I adore this room, designed by Alexandra Berlin of Things That Sparkle.
You heard it here first, folks. She's one to watch!


This Quadrille fabric makes a simple headboard pop!

Again---Bengal Bazaar on the windows adds an element of interest to this nursery.
I love Tobi Fairley's use of print in general and I notice that she often uses icon fabrics.
The green wingbacks in this room are covered in a Barclay Butera print and the club chair is in a Schumacher chinoiserie.

Traditional French chairs are brought back to life by Kelly Weartsler's Imperial Trellis in Citrine for Schumacher.

If you want to "get the look" for less---Try a pillow in your fave fabric instead of using tons of fabric for window treatments or upholstery.

There are tons of great sellers on Etsy.

And, FYI, one of my favorite pillow makers, Woody Liana on Etsy is having her "Spring Sale" right now!

What's your favorite "icon" fabric?

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Engagement Ring--- A little tutorial.




I feel like engagement rings are one of those things you're not 
"supposed to know about until you get engaged".
Which makes zero sense to me.

Especially since it's the one thing you wear that you will never get rid of, should never go out of style and that you are literally stuck with for eternity.

Yet, I am surprised how few of my twenty-something, engagement prime aged friends know their ring styles and shapes or even know what they want.

So we're going to have a little ring tutorial today, here on Wedding Wednesdays.
And hey, maybe this is a review for you.
But that doesn't mean you can't "casually" leave it out for your boyfriend to stumble across.



I think this chart makes things a heck of alot easier.
The only two I'm not really mentioning here are marquise and heart shaped diamonds,
because I think we all know they are rare for a reason.


This first shape is probably the most common and classic.
The round cut. Also often referred to as the "Tiffany" cut.
It's simple and elegant.



The next is the Emerald cut.
It's much more expensive than a round cut in most cases. It's beautiful with a variety of different bands.
It also looks great with a halo.

The Cushion Cut shape is getting more and more popular---with people still going after the rounded shape but wanting to be less traditional. It looks great with a split spoke band (as shown here) or with a halo of micro pave diamonds around it!

Princess cut is another very common shape. It is elegant on a simple platinum band, but also looks great with embellishments like side stones or an ornate band.

The Pear shape can be gorgeous. However, I would recommend throwing out this option if you're budget conscious. This is one of those rings that looks way more stunning when it's sizable.
I'm sorry, but it's true.


The Asscher cut is my personal favorite. Very similar to the Emerald cut, except, it's in a square shape and I just love how you can see all the facets inside the diamond.


Oval cut is the anti-tradional, and it's super gorgeous!


Radiant cuts are very similar to round and cushion cuts.
This is Khloe Kardashian's ring and man, is it beautiful.


This is another example of a round cut.
I just adore it, so I included it in the mix.

Martha Stewart weddings always has great options and ideas about engagement rings!

There are also embellishments that people are now adding on to their ring.


The most common now is the halo. A halo is a border of diamonds that contour to the shape of the ring.
It's a very popular look and makes the stone appear to be lots bigger that it actually is.
There are also side stones, which can be baguettes (above, on either side of the diamond.)
I am also loving three stone engagement rings. This is a three stone round cut.





Popularized by Kate Middleton's engagement rings, lots of people are now having sapphires made into engagement rings. It's a lovely and unexpected departure from the traditional diamond.

I also adore the yellow diamond engagement rings.
They're very glamorous!

What kind of ring tickles your fancy?



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Down to Business---The Desk Hunt.


Ok, Let's get real--- I need a new desk.
DESPERATELY.

This is my current situation.
I did FINALLY get a new mirror, which is in the process of being hung.
And the x-benches have migrated to the guest room---situated at the end of the bed.
I now have a pink bamboo chair as my desk chair.

But my desk, which was a vintage find in college is tired.

So first, let's talk about what I want.
 Let'

Which is some lacquered fabulousness.



Or something Frenchy.

Or something plain ridiculous and amazing like this.
I think these gold seahorses would be very content at my house.

I'm not in love with this desk, but I do adore this office.


I like this fretwork piece---Also something I'd be super into.

I love that this ivory lacquered, glass top desk is something fun and different.

And let's fantasize.
Curse you, Jonathan Adler, for making me want thing like this Bond Desk, that I can't afford.
You are too fabulous for words.



And let's talk about how Pieces has an ivory lacquer version.
Because, It's pretty darn amaze.

And, now we'll jolt back to the reality of my small budget.


The question begs---Do I get a Parson's?
Are they over-done? Or classic?

I love this mirrored version.

This Lucite version from CB2 is a good, affordable option and it gives the look of more expensive mid-century pieces.

And this World Market version of a Parson's style isn't too shabby either.

The other option is to find something vintage and re-paint/re-finish it.

Thoughts?