colorful flatware

There are so many options for beautiful flatware but I think my favorites are the ones with some color. I tend to love plain white plates - they're simple and modern and goes with any sort of table setting - but I love the idea of using bright flatware to add a little fun. Here are three options that I love:

1. Sabre Frosted Acrylic Flatware

Aren't these gorgeous? The colors are so beautiful and I love their shape. The style of them remind me of the ghost chair - a simplified and modern version of something ornate (and you know how much I love ghost chairs!). The only downside is that you can't get a full set of flatware - no knives available :(

2. Pandora Design Deluxe Plastic Flatware

These come with knives, so you can set a full table with them. They come in a variety of translucent colors - I really like the purple but I also love the clear (I know, not a color but aren't they nice?). They would be great for a fancy picnic...but at $120 for a set of four, they definitely are NOT disposable.

3. Ladies and Gentlemen Superior Servers

I love these. I first saw them in either Martha Stewart Living or the Oprah magazine (yes, I read those and am not ashamed) and my first reaction was "I can make these!". And I still think I can, but haven't been able to find the right flatware to paint. I've searched vintage stores, thrift stores and thought I hit the jackpot at Fishs Eddy where they had a whole table of 99 cent spoons, forks and knives. But none were exactly right - what I like about the Ladies and Gentlemen flatware is how thin and flat the handles are and they have just the right amount of frilliness. So my search continues. I was also thinking I could spray paint the handles, but does spray paint come in fun colors like that?

daily candy deal

All week this week, Daily Candy is highlighting businesses along Passyunk Ave and up first is 1600 Below Vintage. In case you forgot, it's my favorite vintage store in Philly! And I'm so excited it's getting some recognition. I can't go in without finding something I want, whether its clothing, a purse, jewelry or something for my house. And the deal Daily Candy is running this week is awesome - get $100 worth of merchandise at 1600 Below for $50! Pretty sweet, huh? They're also having a prosecco party on April 9th at 6pm - hope to see you guys there! Check out the Daily Candy deal here.

photo: daily candy

heaven...

...also known as ABC Carpet and Home. Eric's band played a show in NYC this Friday so we decided to make a weekend out of it. And ABC Carpet was at the top of my list of places to check out (besides Momofuku for the fried chicken dinner, but we'll talk about that another time). You can easily spend a couple hours at ABC Carpet - its HUGE. It actually takes up 2 buildings, but one was just rugs which we didn't go into. The building that we did visit had six stories of home accessories, furniture, lighting, rugs, etc. There's something for everyone - whether your style is contemporary, traditional or vintage. It really is a one stop shop for all things home...as long as you can afford the prices. Although I did notice that some of the glassware and tableware on the first floor was pretty reasonably priced. I think it was my favorite floor - everything was beautifully displayed and it felt so pretty and romantic. Here are a few of my favorite vignettes:











I loved these pieces. The legs look like carved wood, but they are made completely of metal. They're gorgeous.



How cute is this lamp? Although I feel like I could make something similar out of some vintage materials...

shop for a cause

I used to be a DEVOTED Forever 21 shopper, but haven't purchased anything from them in a while...but today might be the day to change that. If you've been meaning to donate money towards the relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan - Forever 21 will take every dollar you spend on their website today and put it towards that cause. Pretty awesome right? Go here to start shopping!

and the winner is...

Thanks to everyone that participated in the giveaway - and thanks to CSN Stores for making it possible! I decided that the easiest way to pick a winner was to put everyone's name in box, shake it up, and the first name chosen would be the lucky one:









Drumroll please........



Yay Stephanie! Congrats! BTW - Stephanie has a great blog called Love&Lace that I've been following for a while now - be sure to check it out. Enjoy the beautiful tray!!

i dream of paris...

image via {this is glamorous}

One of my New Year's resolutions is to take a trip to Paris. About 10 years ago was my first (and only) trip to the City of Light and I've been in love ever since. I love the buildings, the food, the culture, the shopping, the food. Did I mention the food? I think I could easily live like a Parisian - I love escargot, foie gras, marcarons, wine (at any hour of the day), fashion, walking...isn't that the typical Parisian lifestyle? Karen and I have been talking about taking a girls trip there for as long as I can remember and we're hoping that this will be the year! To get us excited for our upcoming travel plans, we each decided to do posts on our dream Paris vacations....so here goes...



1. Vintage inspired luggage - what better way to get your holiday started than by packing your valuables in beautiful luggage!

2. Chic and most importantly COMFORTABLE flats - The best way to get to know a city is by walking. But that doesn't mean you need to wear sneakers - these shoes are perfect for wandering aimlessly through the streets of Paris and you'll look cute doing it.

3. This bag is fabulous because you can use it day OR night. It's large enough to fit a camera, map, bottle of water and anything else you need to carry while you're doing tourist-y things during the day but pretty enough to bring with you for a night out on the town!

4. An outfit isn't complete without a great pair of sunglasses.

5. This dress looks so airy and comfortable - perfect for touring the city in. But can also be dressed up with some heels and jewelry for an evening out - multifunctional:)

6. I get cold very easily and am always freezing on planes! Wouldn't it be luxurious to have your own (gorgeous) throw to snuggle up in rather than using the plain, thin ones airlines provide?

7. I LOVE this dress. Very understated but so stylish. And you can't go wrong with stripes.

8. I think these shoes speak for themselves. So sparkly!



There are a million things I want to do in Paris but I need to prioritize if I only have a week. Here are my top 5:

1. The Louvre: This is a given. Even if you aren't interested in viewing any of the exhibits, it's an experience just to see the glass pyramid. I remember feeling such awe walking up to it. Find more info about the musuem here.

2. What's better than sitting outside at a cafe, sipping a glass of wine and people watching? Not much. I plan to do this at least once a day while I'm in Paris.

3. Macarons: The first macaron I've ever had was from Laduree in London - which might also be the best macarons in the world. I've wanted to go to the Laduree shops in Paris ever since - to see where it all started. Macarons are all over the place in Paris - wouldn't it be fun to go on a little tasting tour?

4. Musee d'Orsay: Another beautiful museum in Paris - I definitely want to plan a visit since I didn't get a chance to go during my last trip. Find more info here.

5. Flea Markets: Paris is full of flea markets and Les Puces de Saint-Ouen is the most famous one of them all. It's located just outside of Paris in Porte de Clignancourt and is the largest antiques market in the world.

I'm not sure when this trip will actually happen, but I hope I can show you photos of me doing all these things, going to all these places before the year is over!

You can find Karen's version of her dream Paris vacation here.

giveaway!

When CSN Stores contacted me the other week to do a giveaway, I was so excited! I mean, I get to do a giveaway - how fun is that?! Oh, and also CSN Stores is pretty cool - they have over 200 online stores where you can pretty much find everything for the home, from furniture to modern bedding to cookware and even shoes and supplies for your pets.

They have a huge range of products in a wide range of price points - from affordable to high end (at a discount of course!). After doing some quick browsing, I already have a pretty long wish list including this beautiful throw:




And these wine glasses - I think it might be time to trade up my Ikea glasses for something a bit nicer. And I love the shape of these - they're very classic but unique at the same time.



Oh, and this tray:



Isn't it pretty? It's by Thomas Paul, a NYC designer who launched his line of home accessories in 2001. I really love his prints and the one on this tray is one of my favorites. And guess what? CSN has offered to send one of my readers this lovely tray! All you have to do is check out CSN Stores and leave a comment with one item that you found that you loved - and don't forget to leave your email address! I'll do a random drawing on Monday, January 11th.

Good luck! And thanks CSN Stores!

last minute gift idea...

If anyone out there wants to get me a (really nice) Christmas gift, I have a suggestion for you:




Aren't they gorgeous? I first noticed them on {this is glamorous}. They're from Chloe's 2011 Spring collection. Every year, there is a pair of shoes that I completely obsess over - last year were the cat print Miu Miu maryjanes (which I was able to find knock-offs of), the year before were the YSL cage heels (and I'm still kicking myself for not getting them when they went on sale). I think these Chloe pumps might be my shoe obsession for 2011. When I think of acrylic heels, the first thing that comes to mind are stripper shoes. But there's nothing cheap or stripper-y about these. They're very clean and modern, very Chloe. I love them because they're so versatile - they're funky enough to wear for an evening out and sophisticated enough to wear to work. They're perfect. Has anyone seen these for sale anywhere?

Hope everyone gets everything they wish for tomorrow! Merry Christmas!

presents

I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday and started on my wrapping. Wrapping gifts might be one of my favorite things to do and I tend to go overboard when it comes to buying wrapping supplies...except for this year:( Being on a budget is NOT fun. Luckily, I have plenty of leftover ribbon, paper and other goodies to dress up my gifts. Here are a few I finished last night:



I love kraft paper - it comes in handy for so many things and great for wrapping. Add a pretty ribbon and you have a great looking gift, but I thought I'd try something a little different. I took a sharpie and wrote a note on the kraft paper (replaces the need for a card) - although it got a bit tricky because the box was fairly big and I started blabbing about random things. On the second box, I just wrote lyrics to Christmas songs (which also proved to be difficult since I'm terrible with remembering song lyrics).

I also opened my first Christmas gift of the holiday! And it was a good one from Jonathan Adler...







A vase! Isn't it so cute? Can't wait to use it. BTW - how nice is Jonathan Adler's packaging?! Thanks Eric:)

spoonflower

(fabrics via Spoonflower: geometry octagon, green and blue flowers, orange chevron)

I have to say that the hardest thing for me to select when working on an interior renovation is fabric - especially when you have a budget. I always have an idea of what I want in my head but can never seem to find it when I'm looking! Well I found the solution (via Martha Stewart!): Spoonflower. Spoonflower is an online fabric store that has hundreds of already designed fabrics, but if you still can't find what you're looking for, you can design something and have it made! How cool is that? There are no minimums and at $18 - $32/yard (depending on the type of fabric you want the pattern printed on) - its very affordable. Very excited to give them a try!

anthropologie

I've been trying to stay away from Anthropologie so that I won't be tempted to buy anything...but I had to make a stop there yesterday to pick up a Christmas gift. They always have such cool window displays and I loved what they did for the holidays:







This one is my favorite. Made to look like the art museum:

the color of the season

At least for me, it's gold. Or silver. But gold looks so much better against my skintone and there are so many pretty gold pieces out there...

1. Vince Sequined Tee
2. Tom's Gold Glitters
3. Anthropologie Sequin Beanie
4. JCrew Sequin Mesh Bell Skirt
5. TopShop Grecian Metallic Dress
6. JCrew Glitterati Party Clutch

net-a-porter sale wish list

Net-A-Porter is currently having their annual end of season sale and there are SOOO many things that I want but I've narrowed it down to my top 10. They are all sale items but unfortunately still out of my price range...but a girl can dream right?

1. Moschino Cheap and Chic Ostrich-trim Cardigan

2. Miu Miu Patent Leather Ballet Flats

3. Tom Binns 24-Karat Gold Plated Studded Cuff

4. Willow Draped Sequin and Mesh Jacket

5. Rick Owens Lilies Wool Jersey Turtleneck Dress

6. Brian Atwood Balleto Platform Sandals

7. Isabel Marant Katel Fringe Leather Mini Skirt

8. Judith Leiber Crystal Embellished Belt

9. Alice By Temperley Claudia Embellished Skirt

10. Richard Nicoll Oversized Layered Tulle Dress

who's groovy, happy, chic and coming to philly?

image via

JONATHAN ADLER!! Well, maybe not the real Jonathan Adler...although I do hope he'll stop by at least once...a Jonathan Adler store will be opening soon and according to Brownstoner, it's taking over Foster's old space in Old City. Philly is seriously lacking in the GOOD contemporary furniture store department (notice emphasis on good). I'm not saying we don't have any, but we definitely don't have many. And it really hurt to see DWR go:( That was a sad day for me.

It's hard not to like Jonathan Adler - his pieces are so fun and funky but they also have really great lines. I've completely fallen for this sofa:



It's very simple and almost minimalist until you get to the tufting. The tufting gives it a more classic look and makes it feel grown up.

Jonathan Adler started out as a potter and his pottery pieces are pretty fantastic. This horse head is probably my favorite:



It would fit in well with my horse collection...especially since I already own one of his other horse pieces:

It's so adorable - actually pretty smalI at about 4" tall. I got it at his store in Miami - it was the first Jonathan Adler store I had ever visited and I loved it so much that I needed to buy something! Does that ever happen to you? I find that it happens to me a fair amount... And I also purchased this cute little tray.

I love the color and it's a handy little holder for my mail and keys.

I'm not sure when the it's set to open, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a grand opening party with a meet and greet with Jonathan Adler himself!

lanvin preview...

Photos of the Lanvin for H&M line came out yesterday and I'm getting pretty excited! The line arrives in stores in North America on the 20th and on the 23rd for the rest of the world. Most of the clothes are more appropriate for party wear rather than everyday wear, but that's perfect for this time of year! The clothes are a bit expensive - especially for your typical H&M customer - dresses range from $149 to $249, coats could be as much as $349 and the shoes are all $99. But when else would most of us be able to afford Lanvin? Here are my favorite looks from the lookbook:

I'm in LOVE with this dress...


This dress is so cute! Who doesn't love ruffles? Reminds me of the Stella McCartney dresses from this past spring/summer...


I really like the print of this dress and how its paired with the heavy jewelery...


The most casual of the 4 looks - it's adorable! Love the sheer little jacket and those shoes!!

If you haven't yet seen the full collection, you can check it out here.

"where was the fur?"

After hearing that question from a number of people in response to my post on my top 5 winter coats, I've decided to devote an entire post on fur pieces that I want! Here are my top 5:

1. I have a faux fur vest that I love and wear pretty often in the winter. The only problem is that it's not a solid color fur, so it doesn't go with everything. That means I need a white fur vest of course! I love this mongolian lamb fur vest from J.Crew :

I love the curly texture of the fur and the color is perfect. Apparently a lot of other people think its pretty perfect too - its now sold out - even with its $640 pricetag

I did find a more affordable option on Ebay. Its a bit different - the fur is only around the collar of the back of the vest. I prefer the J.Crew version, but I prefer the price tag on this - $279:

2. I've been wanting a vintage fur capelet for a while now but still haven't gotten one. And I'm not really sure why. They're not that difficult to find - you can usually find one at a good vintage store, there are a ton of them on Ebay and they're typically pretty affordable. The one below is an Ebay find and doesn't it look adorable with the dress? I think it would also look great with just a pair of jeans and a long sleeved tee:

3. As soon as I saw this purse in the J.Crew catalog, I knew I had to have it...until I saw the pricetag of course (why does it seem that everything I want from J.Crew is too expensive?!!). But isn't it so pretty? Sigh.

No worries though! I've come up with an option that even I can afford! All you need to do is go into your closet and get that fur muff that's been collecting dust and - what? You don't have a fur muff in your closet? Hmm...I have a couple of them - doesn't everybody? Well if you don't, you can buy one off of Ebay or at a vintage store. The one below is from Ebay and so far the bid is only at $10.95. To turn it into a purse, take it to a tailor and have them sew one end closed and put a zipper along the other. Easy right? And they usually come with a cord wristlet, but if you want to be able to wear it on your shoulder, just sew on some chains (like the J.Crew one) or a leather strap.

4. I love hats but I usually don't look very good in them. I still have yet to find a winter hat that will keep my ears warm and look good on me. My solution: ear muffs! When I was in elementary school I had a pink faux fur coat with a matching muff and earmuffs (yes, the obsession with fur started early). That was the last time I wore fur earmuffs, but I'm ready to give it a try again. These are from Top Shop and are only $24:

5. I love this jacket and what makes it stand out among the other million black coats out there is the fur collar. And the best part (besides it being vintage) is that its only $24.99...but there are still a couple days left so the price will surely go up. You can place your bid here.