You know I’m a big fan of my friend, Peter Callahan’s food and no better time of the year to either give his book “Bite by Bite” as a gift or to make the recipes yourself for any holiday gathering. He’s known for is miniature creations of small bite sized foods. This deviled quail egg above is a perfect hors d’oeuvre for holiday parties. But his book is packed full of creative ideas and recipes. Hands down it’s one of my favorite books to both have and to give.
One of the best things about working in the design industry is meeting such creative people, like Nevena Christi of Rocketbuster Boots. Nevena and I worked at Nicole Miller together for a short time and Nevena certainly made an impression on me. I remember one of my first days on the job, Nevena had decorated Nicole’s office for her birthday with about 100 potato chip bags hanging from the ceiling and the design team would just reach up and grab a bag as they worked into the wee hours on a new collection. Margaritas sent in from Virgil’s and … Read more
I still can’t get over how amazing these felt animals are, handmade by Johana Molina, a 25 year old artist living in Chile. Her shop FeltingDreams on etsy.com has small collectable felt animals that range from about $40-$100. For the holidays these would make sweet additions to the tops of wrapped presents, or make your own magical holiday town display complete with traveling mice. But just on their own I love them. She started sewing at the age of 7 and in 2010 she discovered fiber art and started creating wire skeletons that she could cover in wool felt. … Read more
This week’s color palette of reds and neutrals is beautiful for a wedding. There are so many red flowers to choose from and foliage and berries to weave into bouquets and centerpieces. We pulled inspiration for you to get you started. And don’t forget wedding magazines and books are sometimes the best place to start to get ideas for your fall parties or holiday celebration decor. We love the books by Tara Guerard, Michael George, Matthew Robbins and Martha Stewart. Bouquet Image above via Taylored Events. Take cues from this floral combination for a gorgeous holiday centerpiece. These flowers in … Read more
If you have lived in New York City I’m sure you have your own story about times in the hotel- once a place where artists, writers and musicians took up apartments. But now it’s being renovated into luxury apartments. It’s not as well known for it’s design or interiors but for who lived there, the parties that happened, the conversations and yes, some deaths. Vanity Fair takes a look at some residents and their apartments. I thought it was worth sharing the link today. See the slideshow and interesting commentary here. For more stories about the hotel there is … Read more
Concord Grape Smash anyone? You’ll find the recipe below and on Food52.com. We are loving this site that has contests 52 weeks out of the year for winning recipes from “inventive home cooks” throughout the country. They also compiled the winning recipes into books. Currently there are two volumes available on Amazon.com. Wouldn’t these books make great gifts for the cook on your holiday list this year? We think so!
I’m in love with the mood this photograph has created. It reminds me of an old oil painting with the dark background and the saturated colors of the flowers popping out. Painting a room dark has it’s dramatic appeal but it doesn’t necessarily mean to you have to go that route if you like this palette. This living room below is light and has incorporated the pops of color in book jackets, flowers and then grounded the room with dark woods and black shades. Above are Benjamin Moore paint colors I have selected from our inspiration photo to help guide … Read more
Favors at weddings don’t have to be so expensive. A simple little token for guests to take away with them is always a gracious gesture, but don’t stress; If you can’t find a gift that you want to give you don’t have to give a favor. If you can’t think of a personalized favor, a favor of a local treat is always a great idea- local candy or fudge, honey, maple syrup etc.. Also, you don’t have to be hosting a wedding to give your guests a favor; You can give your guests a favor whether the gathering is small or … Read more
Since we started off the week yesterday with an image from one of my favorite floral books (Bringing Nature Home) I thought I’d continue the week with my favorite books for inspiration. I’ve always been a fan of Carolyne Roehm and I often go to her book “At Home with Carolyne Roehm” for seasonal table setting and decorating inspiration. Although my tables are usually a bit more minimal I love her over the top parties and gorgeous setting of her home. It reminds me a lot of the Ralph Lauren aesthetic. What is so nice about this book is … Read more
One of my favorite floral inspiration books is called Bringing Nature Home. Photographed by the amazing Ngoc Minh Ngo, whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with several times on projects, and floral arrangements by Nicolette Owen. Broken up into the four seasons it not only has breathtaking florals with sometimes unexpected pairings but it has beautiful calming interior shots. This is an amazing book to give as a gift or just to treat yourself. – Lynn Butler Beling As we do every Monday we have selected Benjamin Moore paint colors which are listed on the color … Read more
