Author Archive

October 3rd, 2012 No Comments

cranberry red celebrations

Whether you are hosting a shower, birthday party or just friends for a fall afternoon, a cranberry theme can be perfect this time of year. An easy decorating idea is to fill your votives (or vases) with cranberries. Yesterday I posted the classic “Cape Cod” cocktail. But if you are looking for a warm cranberry drink, visit tasteofhome.com for several creative recipes. Iomoi has unique custom designs for invitations, personal stationery and even gifts- take a look at their site!  Use beautiful wrapping paper as a table runner to decorate your buffet, coffee table or dining table. Read more

October 2nd, 2012 No Comments

the classic cape cod (& a black widow for halloween)

The classic “Cape Cod” cocktail is 2 oz. vodka over ice with 3 oz of cranberry juice as a mixer and garnish with lime. I made a slightly smaller Cape Cod in my Japanese etched 3 oz stem glass (that you can find at my store along with other larger glasses) and garnished with sugared cranberries on a pick. This is a perfect little cocktail for the holiday season. A twist for Halloween would be to use black vodka and cranberry juice to make a “Black Widow” and don’t stir- you will get a layered appearance in your glass. … Read more

October 1st, 2012 No Comments

color palette: shades of cranberry

It’s that time of year when the cranberry bogs will be harvested before the first frost. Nantucket, a favorite place of mine, has many cranberry bogs. In fact they are having their 10th Annual Cranberry Festival this coming Saturday, October 6th. Most people only think of going to Nantucket in the summer, but the fall and the holidays are beautiful on the island. A few of my favorite places to stay are the Union Street Inn, right in town and The Wauwinet, which is a bit out of town but worth the drive.

September 28th, 2012 No Comments

quick picks for dark greens & yellows

Clockwise from left: Chloe Vented Skirt, $825, from Barneys, Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater, Forest Green, $119, by C by Bloomingdales, Enameled Belt in Golden Sunflower, $45, from J. Crew, Yves Saint Laurent Gel Eyeliner, in Jade Black, $25, available from Bergdorf Goodman, No. 2 Pencil Skirt, $98, from J.Crew. (if you missed monday’s post, we showed a great yellow clutch and green dress- take a look!)            

September 27th, 2012 No Comments

quick change: seasonal pillows & throws

A quick change to your living space can be just switching out your throw pillows and throws seasonally. By changing fabrics and colors from lightweight cottons & linens to brushed wools and velvets in deep jewel tones, your space can turn from summer to fall in a snap. You don’t always have to invest in the entire pillow, just the pillow covers. I use this time to have my pillow covers cleaned and I carefully store them away until the next season. Designer Victoria Hagan always pulls a room together so elegantly. Pictured above is a living room she designed … Read more

September 26th, 2012 No Comments

floral inspiration: carolyne roehm’s books

When looking for floral inspriation for your wedding, an anniversary party, birthday party, holiday celebration- or even by season, Carolyne Roehm’s books are sure to inspire you. She’s coming out with a brand new book on November 6th- entitled “Flowers”. You can pre-order this book or any of her collection of books on Amazon.com. These beautiful arrangements with mums are from her book “A Passion for Flowers”. She uses baskets a lot as vases. What I would do is simply put your floral arrangement in a vase or jar that is just slightly shorter than your basket height … Read more

September 25th, 2012 No Comments

Vanilla apple crush cocktail (by donna hay)

This is a perfect drink for September, created by my favorite recipe expert, Donna Hay and it fits right in our color palette this week. I have a lot of different glasses at my store that would be perfect for this cocktail. Let me suggest a few for you. From left to right:  Basic Glass Tumbler Small, $6.50 each, Idra Tumblers, $295 for set of 6, each glass has a different design so everyone knows what glass is theirs, Glass Family Tumblers, $8 each (for any of the three sizes shown). Enjoy FREE SHIPPING on my site … Read more

September 24th, 2012 No Comments

color palette: deep greens and yellow for fall

I’ve been inspired lately by the deep deep forest greens with a pop of yellow for fall. I’m loving bright yellow for accessories and skirts combined with dark green basics. Tory Burch has a lot of deep green in her collection for fall. I like the Cecily Dress, $395, from toryburch.com, it’s a great basic. Also pictured is an iPad clutch- but I just love it as a basic clutch- the Valextra Isis IPad Clutch, $1,310, from Barneys. (I’m going to try to start wearing a deep color like this green for fall instead of resorting to black all the … Read more

September 22nd, 2012 No Comments

breakfast at tiffanys

If you don’t want to paint your walls tiffany blue and are thinking of renovating your kitchen- check out the French Company La Cornue. They have the most exquisite line of cabinets that come in deep greens, grays, blacks… and even a blue like tiffany blue.

September 21st, 2012 No Comments

shopping at Tiffanys

Here are some classic picks from Tiffany & Co.- either to treat yourself or as a gift. The Holly Clutch, $595, Smart Zip Wallet, $295, a classic Tiffany Blue Purse Pen, $110, blue Address Book, $50, (I don’t know about you but I still keep an address book with all my contacts written in- as there have been a couple times my contacts have been lost on a computer and/or phone!)  and the porcelain Tiffany Blue Box, $75.