» My Favorite Things

My Favorite Things: The Jean Jacket

laura — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:12:10 +0000

I think the heat is getting to me, I need to digress today. I haven’t done a post that falls into “my favorite things” in a while so when I had an ah-ha moment this morning I knew it was meant to be. I was buying a NY Times to get my Thursday Home Section fix and there was a girl standing near me in a long black flowy dress and a jean jacket. I felt compelled to tell her that I was so happy to see her in a jean jacket. She looked terrific and we kind of laughed. She said to me “bring it back”, little did she know she had inspired a post. If you have an appreciation of the 80’s like I do listen along while you think about bringing it back. The Safety Dance

Are you with me?

My Favorite Things: Good Supplies

laura — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:45:06 +0000

I really love good looking office supplies, there are better options these days than the plain old yellow post-its. Lynda Reeves has developed this line called Style Notes for Post-it. I am going to make a trip to Staples as soon as they come out.

Short post today, I am off to hear Bunny Williams speak at the Mint Museum Symposium this morning.

Recap here soon.

Photo Credits: via House to Home, Bunny Williams

end of the week

laura — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:09:44 +0000

A few things that help me end the week on the right note are the right amount of sunlight coming through,

flowers making all the difference

a swing arm lamp next to the bed

a hint of red in just the right spot

and an old birdcage anywhere.

Enjoy the weekend.

via pink wallpaper, Thibaut paper, via Ticklish from a Distance, Bunny Williams, via vtInteriors Library

My Favorite Things: Round Barns

laura — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:00:52 +0000

My love of round barns started when I was in college. I had a very serious photography hobby and would take long drives in upstate NY looking for old barns to photograph.

It was in the days before digital cameras, so I now have big binders with pages filled of slides of countryside and barns.

Round barns are hard to find as they were not built that frequently after the 1920’s. The one that have been restored to their original state are amazing.

My favorite one….This round former cattle barn in Illinois was built in 1918 and restored in the 1990’s . Owner Bill Nolan restored the central silo, cedar shingled roof and four dormers.

Can you imagine what a beautiful and interesting house this could be?

Photography Credits: Hoosier Round Barns, Eddy Lund, Shelburne Mueseum, VT, Tony Soluri published in Architectural Digest, June 2006

My Favorite Things: Avedon

laura — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:26 +0000

“All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth”.

-Richard Avedon

Audrey Hepburn at Maxim’s in Paris, 1959

Carmen – Coat by Pierre Cardin 1957

Dorian Leigh – evening dress by Piguet, St.-Louis, Paris, August 1949

Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris, France, 1955

Richard Avedon (1923-2004) is considered to be one of the world’s most masterful fashion photographers. He spent most of his career at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. An exhibit of more than 200 of his works will run at the ICP in New York City through September 20, 2009. For more on that exhibit click here. His photographs are captivating, imaginative and always allow me to escape.

Which one is your favorite?

Photo Credits: Richard Avedon from the Richard Avedon Foundation

My Favorite Things: Red Doors

laura — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:48:32 +0000

My eye is often drawn to the unexpected, to things that are a little different and not the obvious choice. Red doors fall into just that category, and I think they look great. I love the architecture on the house below, do you believe that it is in Nashville? That makes me like it even more because of the unexpected setting. Hugh Newell Jacobson is the brilliant architect behind this project. I think that the red door completes the facade.

He must like red doors too as he put one on the interior of the door at a home he designed in Massachusetts.

All over the world red doors seem to be a choice. In Portugal…

in New Mexico

At the Chinese Summer Palace.

or in New England.

Even on the interior this is so smart looking.

or for sliding closet doors.

Now if I can just find one in Charlotte…are you a fan?

Photo Credits: Hugh Newell Jacobsen (1,2) Panoramio (3) KimAshley (4) China Summer Palace (5), Flickr (6),Tim Clinch (7), Apartment Therapy (8)

somewhere in the Catskills…

laura — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:41:23 +0000

is this little gem. I spent my summers growing up in the Catskill Mountains of upstate NY, and I will be up there in July. According to Country Living, this adorable 900 sq ft. cottage is somewhere up there so I might go on a bit of a hunt and knock on the door.

Wouldn’t you? Originally it was an 1840’s Federal Style schoolhouse.

I love the yellow door and green railing. Click for interiors.

My Favorite Things: ORGANICA DELUXE

laura — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:43:47 +0000

ORGANICA DELUXE, the eco-friendly gifts business, is at the top of my list for MOTHER’S DAY (May 10th). Organica Deluxe supports organic and sustainable products and community artisans around the world. I am supportive of Organica Deluxe’s philosophy and dedication to green gifting, which can be luxurious and organic at the same time.

Pre-order for Mother’s Day and request timely delivery in the special instructions box.

15% off for first time orders by LCI Blog Readers. Enter MOMSDAY at checkout.

With prices at every point here are a few good suggestions….

For the Traditional Mom: “Purple Cezanne Russian Cut Roses” ($45) include a dozen Veriflora-certified elegant beauties. Cut later in the growing cycle, these roses arrives with a gorgeous bloom, fantastic vase-life and meet America’s most comprehensive sustainability standard.

For the Mom Who Loves Chocolate: “Chocolate Lovers For Her” ($40) includes four large cookies loaded with organic semi-sweet chocolate, six Intemperantia 100% organic truffles and hand-dipped salt caramels. YUM!

For the New Mom: “Double Bubble” ($55) includes a Bath Foam Bliss and a bottle of bubbly. The new mom can sip and plunge with this sheer foaming liquid and the Guy Chaumont Cremant de Bourgogne Brut, an excellent gourmet sparkler which rivals the finest non-organic Champagne.

For Grandmother: “Aqua/Orange Petit Room Reeds” ($60) includes two fragrance bottles: Aqua which brings the delicate sea breeze indoors with a blend of Sweet Musk and the cool blue sea notes of marine algae and Orange Blossom which emotes floral notes that are light and sophisticated.

For the Mom with a Green Thumb: “Garden & Gloves” ($68) is perfect for the mom who loves to be outside and includes a pair of eco-friendly work gloves and a beautiful coffee table book on organic gardening. Each pair of gloves, which include recycled yarns/spandex mesh, removes one 8 oz. water bottle from a landfill.

OR the Butterfly Garden at $28.

Here it is before

and after

For the Artistic Mom: “Handmade Leather Album” ($175) is a 13″x17″ silk screened and hand-stitched leather journal. The 100 pages of acid-free quality recycled paper are stitched to the leather using natural beeswax and linen bookbinding thread.

For The Hip Mom: “Recycled Glass Vases” ($59) These colorful gems will sit pretty almost anywhere they land. We think they look great lined up all in a row. Try a set ofthree or six together and fill with liquids or spring and summer flowers.

Click to see more gifts:

Pre-order for Mother’s Day and request timely delivery in the special instructions box.

15% off for first time orders by LCI Blog Readers. Enter MOMSDAY at checkout.

So many wonderful gifts for moms, others or a treat for yourself! By giving a gift from Organica Deluxe you are giving and receiving. You have a choice when giving a gift so why not give yourself the gift of making a positive and responsible choice at the same time.

My favorite things- Pink & Orange

laura — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:23:29 +0000

Instead of Pink and Red, how about Pink and Orange? This is one of my favorite color combinations. Happy Valentine’s Day!

photo credits: Wallpaper from the 70’s, Jay Jeffers chair via Alkemie,flowers from Sweet Pea Designs, cake photographed by Jason Angelini Photography, APT, Southern Accents- Elizabeth Reynolds Design, F.Schumacher, Domino, Art That Fits

my next read…

laura — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:17:36 +0000

Moving into top place on my reading list is The Women by T.C. Boyle. It is the complete story of Frank Lloyd Wright’s stormy love life. Penelope Rowlands at the Wall St. Journal calls it “riveting”. She writes “Despite dozens of writers’ attempts to capture Wright’s story, it seems safe to say that none has rendered it with more crackling life than Mr. Boyle.”

Click here to read the complete review.

If you haven’t read Nancy Horan’s Loving Frank yet, I highly recommend it.