Weekly Devotional: 9.29.14

The universe sensed that I had everything ready to paint Henry's shades and generally experiment with fabric medium, so of course I got slammed.  No Friday post, and I spent my dance-class free Saturday and Sunday in the office.  C'est la vie.  So here's some stuff I was going to share last week--it was a good week on the internet if not in my office.

This house tour.  Sooooo good (and its a 700 sq ft apartment).  I'm thinking about stealing that coffee table (its from Arteriors).

If you aren't following Richard Simmons on Facebook you should be.  Not as amazing as Motivational Biden, but a source of inspiration all the same.

The Guardian had two interesting features on photography books that will be coming out.  First, a book on playgrounds around the world.

by James Mollison

Second, about China's Dwarf Empire.

Sanne de Wilde

It has really made me think of the photo book-as-art medium.  When I have bought photography books they have tended to be more collections of stand alone works.  These are like still documentaries....

Hopefully the .gif below is workings....I present the Melting Rainbow Cake from Hungry Happenings.  

But more important than the ganache technique is the shape.  I'm all about this loaf shape.  A little different, and so easy and stylish to serve.

When serving said cake, I can hand out one of these fabulous napkins.  Even though I never actually have anyone over, I like the idea of having monogrammed napkins around.  This company has some of the best options I've seen.

If you need a pep talk, try this guy.  Ahhh, to be 18 and on top of the world.  Also in the world of online video, check out Tales of Endearment at 2:30pm Tuesday the 30th to see the Valentino show live.  You can tell me about it.  

Finally, I'm disappointed in my Facebook and pinterest feeds--after swimming in Maya Angelou and Robin Williams quotes, there was almost no mention of the passing of the Duchess of Devonshire last week.    

Bruce Weber, via Tumblr

Apparently my people are on Tumblr.  Not only is Deborah Cavendish the subject of this amazing Bruce Weber portrait that I've saved for years, she is super interesting and the last of the Mitford sisters.  Her autobiography Wait for Me is supposed to be fascinating (it's on my never ending and never shortening list of to-read).  In his official statement, the Prince of Wales mentioned her excellent turn of phrase--I can think of nothing better to be remembered for.

Weekly Devotional: 9.19.14

via

You're welcome.  I won't try and explain what I was doing that led to this gem in my Google image  search results, but I hope these muscle-y mice bring you as much joy as they brought me.  

It's been a while since I did a house tour--here is an interesting place from Garden & Gun (photo gallery here)  I no longer subscribe to G&G since I have such trouble throwing mags away, but its was a great one.  When I fully embrace the e-reader I will resubscribe (and if you are in the South, it is a must read).

Let's counter that Bayou cottage with some clean lined goodness via Desire to Inspire (and if you are ever lonely for a house tour, always check desire to inspire).

Cup of Jo did a series on careers this week.  I liked the collection of career advice here.  And somehow through clicking around I saw that you can have your own Lean In Circle.  Like a book club.  There is a kit and stuff.  No idea how I missed this....

I don't think I mentioned Design Mom's trip to Sweden back in August.  No kids, I might add.  If you are thinking of going, or just have a general wanderlust, some nice info and pics.

Incase you are not up on decorative arts terminology, you can see Domaine Home's mirror vocab.

So, as some of you know, I love all things quantitative.  Probably because there is nothing quantitative in my job.  So while I was bummed to find out I should have been reading OKCupid's blog for the last five years, I am happy there is now a book:

This article introduced me to the world of Christian Rudder's analysis on human interactions, but the New Yorker also covered his new book (among others).  And yes, dudes of all ages find women who are 20 most attractive.

These shoes came up in my Pinterest feed, and I was like "those are awesome--click", but the link took me to hickies.com.  They are replacements for laces and I am pretty excited.  Because that is how lazy I am...excited to cross "tie shoes" off the to do list forever.  They are actually functional--you can arrange them to be tight (for doing athletic things in your athletic shoes) or loose (for street wear).  And they are way better than those curly telephone cord looking things (you remember those, right?).

And finally to videos...not much to share this week, but if you aren't subscribing to John Oliver (or watching him on HBO, rich bitch) you should be.  I liked this one on the wealth gap (its one for Chrome at 14 min) but through my inter web wanderings I found this video (4 min).

It is a sappy "its so hard to be a mom/moms are awesome" type video, done in the emotional Dove-ad way...BUT ITS IN JAPANESE!!!!  I don't know why I am so excited about that, but I am.  I think its just nice to see that pandering to emotions as the new corporate advertising (this is by Pampers Japan) and this soft, gray video style are not just American phenomenons.  It gave me a very "the world is flat" moment.  

Weekly Devotional: 9.11.14

Original Image from here

First, if you don't have the September Elle Decor and AD, get thee to a newstand.  I've been meaning to say that for weeks now--------soooooo good. Below are projects by Steven Gambrel (in Elle Decor) and Michael Smith (in AD)...and reasonable minds could differ on whether they were the high points or one of the other amazeballs features should be here.  

The only pic of the Steven Gambrel dining room I found online is below, but the print mag shows the cabinets as clearly pink.  The pink woodwork with the lacquer tomato table is making me totally rethink everything.  Or at least my kitchen reno.  And Natalie Massenet's kitchen is my new favorite kitchen.  But since its never going to happen at the current address, I found the other rooms more useful (Smith is really good, even if its not exactly my style).

I keep forgetting to mention Bright Lab, Jordan Ferney's new company.  The product is delightful, and the pics are styled well.  

The color combos can be totally customized.  

Of course, the biggest story on the interwebs about home/DIY blogging is Young House Love's sabbatical.  I did not see it coming, although it is true that they are only an occasional click for me these days.  Their DIY skills so surpass mine now, it doesn't make sense with limited hours in the day.  I'll never move my own wall...I was still wrapping my mind around  tiling my own backsplash.  (Also, if you read a lot of blogs you should read Get Off My Internets--it is like TMZ, but about the blogosphere.  I always forget it exists and then spend hours going back through it).  

Target.  Target has A LOT happening right now.  Another phase of Nate Berkus and the much anticipated launch of Tilton Fenwick for Target (online).  

Nate; Tilton Fenwick

I LUUUURRRRVE Tilton Fenwick.  But none of the prints are working in my house (they all seem super traditional but still not "safe", which is weird to me...) and I can't spend $600 on a Target settee (Editor's Note:  $50 bucks off right now).  

via Lucky Mag

Obviously, I'm excited about Altuzarra for Target coming Sept 14 even though I will likely be disappointed by (a) what makes it to my store (although Net-a-porter.com will be carrying it) and (b) the fit of anything made by Target's factories.  Oh, and the slit kinda kills the work apropriateness of all of it.  (Also, incase you missed it, Target does weddings now too.  No comment).  

New products I think everyone should buy:  This bed from CB2 (so shiny) and this couch from Jonathan Adler (trapunto stitch!).   If someone doesn't buy this highly affordable and oh so shiny bed, I will feel like a failure as a missionary of awesome.  

JA's fabric choices are really limited, but if I had it to do over I might just design around something he offered.  The couches are tres affordable for a quality piece.  

Guess what is cool again?  For those who can't afford or don't want the new Apple watch, kick it old school.  

It's been a while since I have directed you to a Wiki Wormhole.  The Cola Page article was excellent, and the Discontinued Merit Badges is truly informative.  And you'll wake up from your conference call smarter and more refreshed.  Great job, internet!  Also, someone named Newt makes happy meals for grown-ups.

Are your tastes more mainstream when it comes to looking for a time suck?  T&C's top 50 bachelors is worth a read (I actually learned objectively good information, such as Obama's speech writer and a new venture called Artsy.com)

photo via I Believe I Can Fry

I think I'm going to try Chia Pudding this weekend.  I'll be using this highly flexible recipe from I Believe I Can Fry, a food blog I found via HuffPost that happens to be written by someone from my high school dorm.  It's such a small internet!  Chia is supposed to be super food, so hopefully I can get over the whole frog egg appearance.  

Also, we'll be making our own stamps as part of some Cinco de Molly craft trials.  Less than 3 months to go............

We are inspired by this Etsy listing

Weekly Devotional: 8.29.14

Purchase this here.

Did you have a good Labor Day Weekend.  I checked out a new thrift store, and made 20 freezer/crockpot dinner packs from this lady (using Costco List Plan #4).  I'll let you know how it works but I will say this:  her 2 hour estimate will not cover the clean-up, nor will it cover running to the store because you run out of something.  If you are on the internet, you see the above quote a lot this time of year--but you can buy it at this  Etsy shop.  They sell lots of quotes all typed on a vintage typewriter.  I love how specific their offerings are--and that they tell you about the vintage typewriter that they used.

Ottoman inspired textiles?  Don't mind if I do.  I originally found Aleta through Style Court (an excellent read, based in ATL).  Apparently I signed up for emails, because I got one indicating a sale is happening.  

And on the topic of buying things...Furbish has some great stuff right now.  Their constellation prints are on sale (what remains), and I'm eyeing this tortoiseshell tray.

And will someone buy this iPhone charger?  Its amazing, and I'm on the fence because I don't actually have nightstands right now.  But I think this would work on any nightstand, right?

Churchmember Tara left a link to this company in the comments (Back to School).  It is new-to-me, and pretty darn good.

And did I mention monogrammable?  Always a plus.

(back view)

This mansion was in disrepair and no one wanted it.  In 2012, it listed at $600,000.  But someone bought it and covered the first floor in granite and is trying to sell it to someone with more money than taste. For $5.5M.  The reno is not cute inside...take a peek and feel superior.  At 17,000 sq ft it probably requires quite a staff...and if you can afford a large staff why the hell are you living in Indianapolis?   But I won't shed too many tears because I can grab this Cotswald charmer:

Its a large but not too large 4000 sq ft, and is priced for the total renovation it requires ($300K).  Excellent daydreaming material.  Its a good thing I wasn't employed much before the recession hit--I would have taken those questionable lending practices out for a spin (and sobbed as the sheriff pulled me from my deGournay papered home).

If you spend too much time today cruising real estate listings, try this article on the BBC on how to pull an all nighter.  U Chicago's 24hr reading room gets a shout out :)

New York Magazine has some nice Slim Aarons photos of Lilly Pulitzer.  It was a little sparse, but I always enjoy Slim, and if you are a Lilly fan its worth a quick look.  But aren't we supposed to be talking about Fall?

If you or someone you know is gestating this fall, this store is hilarious.  I especially enjoy their "Say No to Condoms" t-shirt.

My kids are really into Phineas and Ferb, and they recently discovered a web-only series starring the show's nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz...that is actually pretty good.  They are short editorials on popular culture, such as the Kardashians and What Does the Fox Say.  This gem is on last year's hit Call Me Maybe.

I debated posting this, but for some reason I still found it funny after watching it for the 5th time. So sorry if that was just me.  My husband has moved to a flexible work environment and he seems to have a lot fewer video recommendations so I had to resort to Charlotte and Molly.  Also, if you don't have a ChromeCast, grab one.  For $35, everything you watch on your phone can be watched on your TV (it plugs into the HDMI input and is about the size of a flash drive).

Oh, and I dare one of you to rip this off:

I secretly love conceptual art, and I not so secretly want to copy it.

Weekly Devotional: 5.23.14

The popular vote on nursery accessories went to the giant stuffed animal.  These people are doing it well; the whole slideshow of "inspiring children's rooms" on AD.com is good stuff.  

I haven't picked up AD this month, but this home makes me think I need a hard copy.  That's right folks:  quilts done well.  Tricky tricky.

Incase some of you didn't see Tara's comment on the last devotional--check out these paper flowers:

And speaking of crafts, does anybody want to crochet these for me?  The pattern is free.....

Molly and I like to snuggle up in bed and watch Youtube videos on my phone.  Modern quality time.  I subscribe to the PostModern Jukebox channel, and I am currently enjoying their Saturday Morning Slowjams.  Duck Tails anyone?  

I should note that Molly doesn't have the nostalgia for these that I do, and recommends their arrangement of Burn.

We are going back in time....I just haven't been trolling the interwebs like normal yet, but I have been perusing pictures of beautiful things.  How?  Books!  Thanks to my birthday a few weeks ago, I stocked up on picture books.

Charles James: Beyond Fashion: ...well you know I'm obsessed and worried I'll miss the Met exhibit.  This is the companion book to said exhibit.  A dense read, but tons of eye candy.  

I bought George Stacey and the Creation of American Chic immediately upon reading Mrs. Blanding's review of it.  I haven't started this one yet, but the pictures look like it will be a worthwhile investment.  

One Man's Folly is good stuff.  Anyone named Furlow Gatewood is going to be choice, and so far the text is interesting.  This sums it up (from another Mrs. Blandings review, coincidentally):  "Mr. Gatewood lives as I aspire to live: sure of his taste, comfortable in his skin and with a steady flow of creativity."  Not a ton of "oohh, I'm gonna copy this" ideas, but if you like home books its a good one.  Furlow was John Rosselli's partner (NY antique's dealer), and has built house after house using architectural salvage he purchased at auction.  On his property...fully decorated...and uninhabited.  I love how crazy that is.  

Spruce's upholstery book has some choice eye candy.  The instructions are step-by-step, which makes something like a wing chair look COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING.  I think I'd take another class that covered tying springs rather than just rely on a book, but helpful tips all the same (like how to sew a box cushion).  Plus, its cheap.  

On the subject of coffee table books, Charlotte got this one for Christmas. From me.

Win-win.  I’ve now read it cover to cover (she's looked at the pictures...).  Besides an interesting primer in modern British History (it starts with Queen Adelaide), the most fascinating points were (1) how convertable all the jewelry was (e.g., tiaras that turned into necklaces, which have pieces that could break off into pins or earrings) and (2) how they all recycled their jewelry all the time…a few tiaras that didn’t make it will make you cry.  

Alright folks, tell me what I missed on the internet this week.  Besides the cat that rescued the kid from the dog attack.  

Weekly devotional: 5.8.14

First off, I need some help with my ebay watchlist--are these awesome or meh?
Cuban political poster on Nixon:

Johnson political poster re: withdrawing from presidential race

I see the Nixon poster in more of a bachelor pad, but I'm willing to hoard it until my brothers let me decorate.  And while a huge fan of the Great Society, I love that how cryptic the second one is with all that negative space and a tiny little Johnson driving a bug....Anyhoo--discuss.

I have a serious case of grass is always greener syndrome (a condition common is glass half empty people).  When I was expecting girls, I kept seeing cute boy stuff.  Now, I keep seeing cute girl stuff, specifically birth anouncements:

via Oh So Beautiful Paper

Strawberries = adorable vintage.

via Green Wedding Shoes

Green Wedding Shoes gave us a taste of J. Mendel's 2015 bridal collection.  I looooooove J. Mendel's evening dresses--its definitely a label on my "when I'm thin and rich" list.  The wedding dresses are chic and modern.  If you aren't familiar with the brand, check out Vogue's coverage of the RTW shows.  And I can not forget the designer, Gilles Mendel's, NYC apartment in Elle Decor.  Much like Reed Krakoff (formerly of Coach) upholstering his Jansen dining chairs in actual crocodile hides, design is different when you have significant industry connections to fur providers.

via Elle Decor

For those who favor less fur and lucite (or simply don't have time to properly train the cleaning staff to handle such materials), check out this charming beach house.

via Desire to Inspire

Blogs are great, because no one has the ability to read EVERY shelter magazine...I know I would have missed this amazeballs Tilton Fenwick project featured in New York Cottages and Garden.  Yeah, that is a real magazine.

via House of Turquoise

via Design-Crisis

And of course this was the end of the 6 week challenge.  Erin's bathroom (above) turned out pretty awesome.  And Bijou and Boehme is worth a look, especially those who also liked KWID's marble floors at the Viceroy Miami I blogged about.  Best piece of intel--you need to pay to have them laser cut to actually split 12x12 tiles into triangles (and apparently there were still some issues).  And the English Room gets a nod for reminding me how much I love this Lulu DK fabric.

(it has nursery potential, am I right?)

Some enterprising child put together a year of the Duchess of Cambridge's hats.  Tumblr makes me feel really old....

via

And start planning your pilgrimage to NYC--Monday's Costume Institute Gala marked the opening of the Charles James retrospective.  I became obsessed with James after seeing some of his dresses at an exhibit at the Chicago Historical Society and have purchased a few books.

Cecil Beaton photo...available on the Conde Nast print shop

(More) Red carpet fashion recaps here, here and here.  But seriously, check out the guns on Anna Wintour:

Whoa, there.