Two Words: Gold Flatware. I’ve been wanting to spring for the West Elm set but found this today at One Kings Lane for half the price. A little less bold than the West Elm design, I like its classic and modern detail. A simple and elegant setting with a little bit of luxe thrown in to bump up your dinner party. I went for it. A deal at $14 a place-setting. One Kings Lane Gold Flatware This sale ends in 2 days. *This post is totally un-sponsored. I just really like this. Related posts:The Cinephile’s BackyardThe Analogue Guide: 5 Spots in[…]

  

Sometimes you just want to stare at a big black inky splotch on your wall. Or at least I do. Is that weird? Eva Black is an LA-based designer whose work I have oft admired. She sells her prints via Society 6 and they are unbelievably affordable. I love her style. Check out her exquisite site as well. She brands, she letters (that watercolor script is so fabulous), she designs, she’s a little bit famous amongst the blogosphere (she designed Bri Emery’s Blogshop site) and she is one cool lady. Reading the names of her prints aloud sounds like the[…]

  

There are some people in the world who just go around doing lots of good. And there are others that go around doing lots of said good with a creative hand. My friend Heather Lipson Bell is one of those people. Not only a talented dancer/choreographer/artistic director in her own right whose creative inspiration seems to constantly runneth over, she has also headed up Performing Arts for All, a program dedicated to teaching dance to special needs performers, since 1996. Heather has created a curriculum that teaches movement, dance and drama to children and adults with disabilities including Down Syndrome,[…]

  

My gorgeous grandmother just celebrated her 89th birthday. Above, Joseph and Frances Thomson shortly after they were married. They are such a handsome couple, aren’t they? He left us too early but she has led an amazingly healthy and interested life. Interested, yes, that’s what I mean. My grandmother is one of the most interested people I know, the primary reason I believe that she has and continues to live a healthy and vibrant. Her curiosity and interests, and attention to detail have always inspired me. Frances Thomson, born Frances Chapman of Haskell, Texas, is a Texan through and through[…]

  

Outside of Anthropologie and a handful of talented designers on etsy, it’s hard to find affordable statement pieces. I was so happy to discover Loren Hope’s work and not feel like I was once again ogling baubles that were out of my reach. The color palate for these latest pieces are inspired by the Hubble telescope photos of the Carina Nebula. So… that makes them pretty and metaphysical (sort of), I like it. 1. Alex Necklace in Aurora: bad ass meets vintage detail. 2. Carina Necklace: my favorite. 3. Gwyneth Necklace: this Deco style looks like you scored it at an elusive vintage flea, but[…]

  

Happy Weekend dear readers. How great is this Minimalist Spook dining room. My good friend Kristen decorated this year at her 5 year-old son’s request. She lives in a beautiful Scandinavian-like home in Connecticut and did this just right, I think. I love her style. What are you all up to this weekend? We’re going to the Circus! I cannot wait. This will be the bebes’ first time under the big top and we have ringside seats. I’m so curious as to what they will think of it all. They’re still pretty young so there’s no telling how long they’ll[…]

  

For some reason, most don’t think of the kitchen as a place for art but I think it’s a great place for a little visual inspiration. The kitchen is such a sensory place (smells, textures, smoke, flames- the list goes on), why not add another element to the mix. I am not the proud owner of any of these darling prints, but I do have this handy print from Nashville’s Hatch Show Print hanging in my kitchen. Sidebar: If you love woodblock printing, letterpress and great design and find yourself in Nashville anytime soon, you must visit Hatch Show Print.[…]

  

Club Soda you ask? Si. Club Soda. We’re cookin’ it up old school Tuscan style. Those centrally located Italians know how to fry up a vegetable. This two ingredient batter (club soda + flour) is sort of like the Italian version of tempura, just a wee bit thicker. I don’t pretend to have learned this on my own, though I wish I could say I spent years in the Tuscan countryside apprenticing the best (one day), I picked this one up from Master Sommelier Richard Betts, who apparently can cook too. There’s a great article on Betts in this month’s[…]

  

’cause a pumpkin patch party don’t stop ya’ll… My friend Lora’s daughter Lola is turning one this month and she is throwing her a super cute Pumpkin Patch Birthday Party. I love the idea, I only wished I lived closer so that I could see it in person. She asked me to put together some ideas for Lola’s big day, so here are a few things that caught my eye. There are some fun ideas here for an adult autumn-themed party as well. DECORATE Stack them, group them, write on them, fashion them into flowerpots, and make a pretty wreath[…]

  

This one comes from my sister in law, mixologist extraordinaire, Lauren Crandall. She served this up last weekend at a family gathering to much fanfare. Simple and easy, I thought it was delicious too- so seasonal and share-worthy. The Cinnamon Pumpkinhead- pumpkin ale with a cinnamon sugar rim. That’s it, easy peasy. Made with Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, the beer itself is the perfect balance of spice and sweet and rimmed with cinnamon sugar, it’s a festive, fun and a hit with a crowd. This would be fun to serve to the parents at your Halloween party, not hard-hitting enough to[…]