in flagrante

a visit to the country

2012-02-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

would love to chat..but the granthams and i are here at downton..and we've all gotten so busy with games of whist, the hunt, sweeping scandals under aubussons etcetera..that i haven't had a moment!

i promise to be back on it tomorrow. ta ta.

panorama gift show booth spring 2012

2012-02-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

welcome to our trade show booth! come on in and take a look around!

i can't wait to hear your feedback..

candy stripes

2012-02-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

everyone who knows me knows that if i had my druthers my closet would look like this..

endless striped t shirts..one for every day and then a few more for good measure!

so i had stripes on the brain this am., and i began to design some new stripey rugs..we will see how that goes..

but in the mean time..

here are some stripes of different stripes to entertain your brains.

madonna

2012-02-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

i watched the superbowl on sunday along with over 100 million other viewers..and i loved it all. so there.

my dad has been watching the giants..at yankee stadum, the yale bowl, and the meadowlands for over 50 years. he is a HUGE fan. when the giants are ahead..they are never ahead by enough. ahh. but now i am a new england gal. and my boston family lovedores the PATS! so as i see it. i won either way. and i got to see brady. AND madge! who is my idol. didn't you know? yup. since the 80's. so what if she stumbled and hunched. she rocked a real show. and who didn't she have up there? and she was not only egytpoidal themed..she threw in a rome theme too..why not? she's madonna.

on golden pond

2012-02-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

one of my fave places on earth is squam lake. aside from the fact that it is rustically magnif in that quintessentially new england-y way..it is the only place i can go to by car for a 24 hour period and feel that i have truly been AWAY..in a good way.

so..for years now i wanted to share the movie "On Golden Pond" with my children, not only because it was filmed on squam which is beloved and known by them..but it really is a great movie! well, we finally watched it together on saturday night, and it did not disappoint.

i laughed and i cried..now that's shmentertainment!

nice treat

2012-02-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

just arrived back from our week in ny for the show and i was doing some desktop clean up..you know how it is..and i found these lovely images sent to me by my friends at lotus bleu in san fran who had chairs upholstered in our cute hampton links fabric..now i am jealous..i want it on all my chairs!

wah.

olive and cocoa stopped by..

2012-02-01T03:59:00.000-08:00

who doesn't just ladore a modern flower arrangement in a box? yesterday who should stop by the booth but the hot new floral company olive and cocoa.

my mom had just received one of their floral arrangements as a gift last week, and had been saying how gorge it was..and then believe it or not..the peeps from the company itself appeared in our booth..

saying that our vases might be a great match for their flowers..well my my!

living {it up} at the NYIGF

2012-01-31T03:50:00.000-08:00

i am so sorry to have been so out of touch with y'all, but we have been working it at the new york gift show for the past few days..showing our wares. it is totally consuming , exhausting, and wonderful to thrive and survive the event..but somehow i always love showing off all of our new work! (more later on that)..so until the end of the week it is perhaps, adios amigos.

jet-sett-in'

2012-01-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

today is a whirlwind of making it happen at our studio because on friday we drive to NYC to set up the show..meanwhile back at the ranch..we dream of gianni agnelli on his yacht..inspiring us as we work.

helllloo NYIGF!

2012-01-23T15:12:00.001-08:00

looks like we're ready!

missoni inspiration

2012-01-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

ever since we did these pink bargello style mugs that are a fixture in the studio..

i have been asked to work on a missoni inspired print.

i had a look at their spring runway as well as some other 2012 looks..and we spent today working out the kinks for our spring collection. when the pieces come out of the kiln..i will share with all of you!

Big Thank You!

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

etsy shopper rachel wrote me today saying how much she loves her new chevron rug that we designed for surya..and was kind enough to send this pic of it from her adorable home.

and if that wasn't enough, this week is a one kings lane sales event with our rugs and they had this ce-ute pic of the new hex rug with hunter boots..love.

surya has also introduced some great new styles for our collection that echo some of our punchy prints we use in our pottery line..

i cannot wait to see these babies in person..they look so cool..

particularly the gate.

wondering what you think.

fabulosity

2012-01-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

last week style guru erin gates and photographer sarah winchester set up a very fun photo shoot at the studio.

we had been discussing the looks for months, and finally it was time to pull the trigger..and take the pix.

taking on a project like this is exciting, but it requires a ton of work, inspiration, and a complete vision.

i have to say..i was so impressed with everything these two put together.

doesn't the pottery look beyond delish? positively glowing.

merci beaucoup ladies..and a special mention to Oliver who stole the show..right?

the globes part deux {meh}

2012-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

not to be completely awful, but i keep thinking isn't there one pretty dress in this whole world that these girls (who can have ANY dress they desire) could put on? ok..so here goes. my fave of the evening was kate beckinsale who looked flawless (in my eyes)..and to prove it seth rogen said he was sporting wood just standing next to her..but then again..

in addition sofia vergara rocked that bod of hers in this azure miracle of folds..loved this look. and i guess that's it. the rest were..uhh. meh.

starting right here with her royal M-ness in an amazing dress that was waay too small for her. which is saying a lot because she is so small and wiry. (not to mention sooo weird with that accent and her oh so bizarre face lifts)

i love natalie..but i fear for her. she seems on the verge of becoming the next queen of hollywood (after angelina abdicates her throne) and it's gonna be downhill from there. the weird side bustle on this otherwise pretty dress is the first clue.

here is dianna from glee in a red dress that can't make up it's mind..am i an industrial design project or a prairie skirt?

michelle is so lovely and sweet..but whazzup with the navy velvet burnout leopard..huh? i didn't get it.

ok..then my new favrit stahr emma stone looking all grecian/star warsish/shee-ra..power eagle belt buckle. too concept-y. come on emma..can't you have some fun without being a droid?

oh..and charlize..come on lady. i mean who is more perfect than you? so whazzup with the mullet dress..woopsy.

and then there's clare..whose dress was so gorge in the back..but hon..who saw that? the front put you on the star wars bus with emma..at least the 2 of you will have fun..(poor angelina..think she has ANY friends but brad?)

oh well. that's it. i am sure i missed the best best dress..but for the most part i was sort of bummed about the clothes..even though i didn't miss a minute. to be honest i am looking forward to oscars real soon!

the globes gallop in with a bump-it!

2012-01-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

ok..it's baaa-ack. awards season! let the fun commence! today i am sharing my bloopers. i may not know a thing about fashion..but i can't help weighing in with an opinion..everyone else is doing it!

at our house we noticed a lot of tall hair dos. we thought their might have been a special on Bumpits! at the stop and shop.

or the stylists had a memo out...i mean is this a good trend?

and seriously..the hair on sarah michelle on top of the tie dye was ridunk.

and then came zooey channelling marlo thomas's That Girl at a halloween party..love her..but whatevs.

and then more bizarreness from tilda..which is to be expected i guess..

cutie pie reese stopped us in our tracks with her mae west flick saloon girl #4 get up..what is up with that? didn't anyone tell her?

ugg. angelina..you feeling ok? being the queen of hollywood looks like it's got you down girl! what happened?..you look like a sad vampire..not a bite in months.
ouch.

i do get that salma is fab..but why is she wearing a metal breast plate..does it make a short girl feel powerful?

and here comes jessica biel with 3..wha?

once again lea michelle desperate to look old..wins the liza minelli FLAIR! award.

and sorry..but as gorge as kate is..she does not know how to pick a good stylist..dump-y.

ditto nicole. but she has the added bonus of looking like she died.

ok..need i say more..i mean elle mcpherson looking beyond absurd in this caraazy gown with the mini wings by the boobs..i mean who is whispering in the ears of these girls..it's the emperors new clothes every time!

see you tomorrow with my favorites.

boy heaven

2012-01-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

guess where i went today? skyzone, that's where! my son is 9 today, and his wish was to literally bounce off the walls in hyde park. i had never been, but i assure you this place is worth every penny you pay. the kids play and jump for an hour or so, burn off steam, and make you a god for providing them with such bliss. ah..2012..i love you. now just tell those people at that place to add some nice starbucks-ish deal to make the mommies happy..helloo-o!

LV spring 2012 revelation

2012-01-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

i guess marc jacobs is to blame for the rockin show from louis vuitton this spring.

the whole collection stopped me dead in my tracks..

and i have been using the applique floral as a major influence for my own spring looks for 2012..i love the color and the styling and the whole young/old lady vibe of all the pieces.

i must admit i nearly lost it today, while designing a new pattern..but i think we may just have it finally..and all will be revealed shortly!

studio photoshoot with {erin gates and sarah winchester!}

2012-01-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

today was a huge day at the studio. not only are we madly pulling together the spring/summer collection, but erin was styling a photoshoot for our lookbook, and sarah (8.5 mnths pregnant) was shooting it!

needless to say, it looked gorgeous, impeccable, genius!

i loved the golden flatware she found, and the amazing flowers for the vases.

these are the quick shots i took while rushing through the space as they were prepping and working on getting all the right images just so.

i cannot wait to see the final pix when sarah reveals what she saw through her lens lens.

loving {glassybaby}

2012-01-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

upon entering judith's house last week in seattle, she had set her table with a yummy assortment of cheeses and h'ors d'oevres bites, as well as a "bouquet" of the most fabby tealights made locally by glassybaby..seattle's chic purveyor of just this. handmade tealights in endless color combos. how ridiculously simple and therefore genius.

today i could not resist checking out their wonderful website..
which is equally simple and genius!

they only sell this one item..le tea light..but that is what makes it so brilliant.

the buyer gets to fall in love with the pure colors, and create their own very personal assortments that can be made with all of their fab color offerings. the website offers a very fun tool that echos a store experience of creating your own assortment of 6 favorites by grabbing each one individually and putting it into a line up..check it out!

glassybaby - made by hand from glassybaby on Vimeo.

seeing as this is one of my favorite pastimes at my own studio..just putting new combinations together of all of our great colors..i can see where the marketing savvy & magic come in at glassybaby. pare it down and serve up some super simplicity like beautiful glowing color add fire..and let the crowd go wild.

kickstarter jazz album project [monica behan]

2012-01-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

my darling friend chris let me know this am that his sister monica behan was finally working on another album!
i had loved her behan johnson CD that she made a bunch of years ago, and played it endlessly here at the studio. the kicker! is that she is doing the new album as a kickstarter project, and needs to raise $20K in order to record at avatar studios in NYC with her partner jazz musician loston harris. seeing as she has already raised over 11 grand, has written the songs and has a grammy award winning producer (check out the vid) i couldn't resist helping out..i mean what a cool way to get a project off the ground..see what you think! i think she has the most fabby voice.

{Beginners} a film by Mike Mills

2012-01-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

last week we saw a movie by graphic designer mike mills that is about a designer (ewan mcgregor!) whose father (christopher plummer)dies soon after comming out to his son..but not before he has had quite a good time exploring gay culture and life.

the film is lingering on my mind, and so i thought i would mention it here. one of my fave things were "Oliver's" sketches, and the perceptive comments of his jack russell terrier depicted on the screen as hilarious subtitles.

i would give this movie my wholehearted rec, but i need to mention it includes one of my pet peeves, which is that oliver's love interest is a mysterious and beautiful french girl (Melanie Laurent),whose dialog is mostly drowned out by soundtrack (ooo deep), and whose hair is perpetually ratty and unbrushed(sexy)..don't they have hairbrushes in france?

oh just see for yourself!

zzzzzumba!

2011-12-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

last christmas my sister introduced me to her zumba class CD's, and we proceeded to spend our vaca afternoons rotating (or rather trying to rotate) our hips to the drum beats of latin america and the commands of the zumba god BETO.

well, today my friend judith and i were back at it..ZUMBA! seattle style. and while i realize i am no latina, i had a lot of fun..and meh..i burned some calories...2 thumbs up!

my affair with my boyfriend {jeans}

2011-12-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

sometimes everything changes, and other times nothing does. as a kid, i believed there was nothing more important than owning and wearing levis. though my mother didn't really get it. she regularly came home with "jeans" of multilayered panels of contrasting denim without realizing these were any different than the levis i longed for, and insisting these were JEANS dammit!

recently, i was treated to the NEW levis at the boutique near my home. upon darkening their doorway, a sales rep approached me with tapemeasure in hand, and within moments was handing over only 2 pairs of bluejeans.

well. allow me to just say that since then i almost never remove these 2 pairs from my body, and they have become my daily uniform..particularly the narrow cropped selvage boyfriend jean. j'dore! thank you levis. you really do not disappoint.

shreeeedding

2011-12-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

back in the day, you were the absolute bomb if you could vadel down a field of moguls. these days the skiing looks a bit diffferent, and the lingo has shifted..but it still stands that if you can shred your way down a maze these babies..you're killing it. today..i showed that i AM worthy. yay me.

L-u-x-u-r-y

2011-12-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

seriously..what is this place..champagne wishes and caviar dreams friends..we are ensconsed at the lovely st regis hotel in deer valley utah..and all i can say is tissues a plenty right by the lift!

nice package

2011-12-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

my friend pica visited the studio the other day looking for gifts for her family members in mexico. we were able to find some really fun pieces that she went one better with by adding the candied pecans, the cello wrap and the bold JR stickers.
when i saw them this evening..i thought hey pica..nice package!

fantasy cords

2011-12-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

thank you AG! i have always wanted a pair of these gorgeous corduroys..and finally you are mine! soft and scrumptious with tons of stretch. these i believe are so good..they make me look blonde.

you're nobody

2011-12-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

if you don't have this de rigeur leather wrap lariat from Hermes. This is it for the holidays for your sweetie..OK? you heard it here!

mon mono mania

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

i have been doing a bang up business lately in monogrammed items..who knew that would be "the next big thing"..so retro in a way..but these things have a way of circling back in a fresh way..so what am i ..arguing? certainment non! so let us review..goyard i believe was the original of this quasi nautical/clubby look with the striping.

then LV and Monsieur marc knew a good thing and jumped on the band wagon..

not to be out done by uber brands here comes Iomoi with a great version..

and erin {gates} was totin' around this lil' tote from Oughton which i think is super..and i think it is a great look (minus the monogram)at a great price well under $200.

last but not least lil ol' me with a version on our classic mug in a great color combo. i think it's a keeper!

it's not easy bein green

2011-12-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

i am proud to say that i spend time in dumpsters! how glamorous! i often go downstairs to our loading dock to collect boxes and extra cardboard for shipping out to our stores. i hate seeing perfectly good materials go to waste, and it makes me feel sweetly green to recycle an old box to protect the precious!

if you don't A.S.K then you will never G.E.T

2011-12-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

j hill and i went to tory johnson's "spark & hustle" conference for women today in boston's convention cewnter, and i loved when Lena West said this line..if you don't A-S-K you are never going to G-E-T!! you can say that again sister!!

tis better to give..fo sho!

2011-12-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

receiving is not one of my better guises. my family in fact has made a fine art of being particularly abhorent when receiving gifts. one family member ( i have an enormous family, and i am not going to name names) is notorious for saying "do you want this?" right back to the person who gave him/her the present..so let's just say it is bred in the bone. i am a terrible person to give anything to. i kind of hate everything. so picky! and trust me..gift giving is no easier..finding the right gift is way too hard. i agonize when choosing gifts for family and friends. having just celebrated a birthday i am particularly aware that it is gift giving season, and i am sending you loads of good luck, good wishes, and good vibes, in the hopes that you will give and receive all that your little heart desires.

o yoga

2011-12-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

i am the least yoga-ish person you would ever want to meet. the image above is pretty much the antithesis of jill-esque behavior. i was always more of an aerobics type of girl..my jangly energy matched back better to that style of excercise. nevertheless, i do yoga 5 days a week. i wake up at 5:30 am just so i can fit it in. i know..what a showoff..but to be honest i only do it for @ 20 minutes, and i do it in front of the tv. (o tackiness)..but i figure..that's good enough. this weekend i went to a real class at a real studio (back bay yoga) with one of my favorite friends (hello judy!) who was here from out of town and insisted that we just do it. o yoga. how i do struggle with ye. not only are you hard to do, but one of your most basic lessons ( to stay cool and non reactive when life comes at you at 100 mph) remains well out of my reach. oh well.

red

2011-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

the other day a client wrote to me asking for a bit of decorating advice. she had bought our red tubers rug for her dining room and it was standing out a bit too boldly in the space, and she wanted to know what to do to make it "blend". what i learned was quite interesting.

as this is not my speciality, i was a bit taken aback..but i went to my handy dandy intra web, and here is what i learned from the experts. your conclusions may differ.

my thinking is that with a bold rug in a bold color you will want to use more of the color throughout the room. so try to incorporate more of the color in your pillow/drapery/ seat cushion accents, or perhaps in your furniture accessories..such as with some books..or pottery that also makes a red statement. i like the more is more school of decorating.

the other thing that i think works well is the use of other bold prints that will complement the one in the rug.

finally, i think that in styling the room you will want to choose artwork that also is eye catching so that it is not just the rug any longer that is grabbing your eye. the eye should be moving around the space with many focal points.

you, of course, might draw completely different conclusions after taking a peek at these pix. c'est la guerre.

you gotta have a gimmick

2011-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

last week a friend wrote to ask if i had a motto. i shocked myself when i immediately responded..yes i do! my motto is.."you gotta have a gimmick" and it was truly inspired by the movie musical "gypsy" which i am not embarrassed to admit is one of the cornerstones of my existence. if you got a gimmick gypsy girl..you can be a star!
oh. just look and see for yourself.

gabriella de la vega jewelry

2011-11-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

this past weekend i was in NYC and so i decided to visit the eponymous brooklyn shop owned by my cousin the enormously talented jewelry designer gabriella de la vega.

she mentioned she had opened a place around the corner from where she used to live, but nothing prepared me for how tots fab the whole place was. loove.

she has a gorgeous assortment of fashion, clothing, and the amazing line of her own hand made jewelry that adorns the bods of celebs like the gossip girls. oh how i long for one of her originals..maybe someday.

happy thanksgiving everyone!

2011-11-24T05:01:00.000-08:00

i know that this is a holiday that many find "challenging"..but i believe next to passover, it is my fave. i am thankful for all the blessings i have, and i know they are many. mostly i am thankful for my wonderful, and large loving family!

BUT! let us not forget the little things that i am mighty thankful for..like stuffing..

and gravy. what are you thankful for?

Traditional Home Gift Guide

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

this fresh piece of press just walked in the door off the pages of Traditional Home's holiday gift guide, and i for one..

..am pretty excited!

Joss & Main Sale!

2011-11-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

this week i spent time in studio mate sarah winchester's amazing studio photographing some of our pieces for a Joss and Main Sale!

it is going on the very first week of december, and so of course it is super rush rush.

mostly they will feature all of our rugs pillows and poufs, but they are adding some of the pottery to give it a truly JR vibe.

sarah's space is magical for taking photographs, and she was so kind to share the magic with me.

i like the way that some of these "vintage" pieces look here!

Michelle Willey +Matouk Towels = Perfect

2011-11-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

i really love stepping out of a hot bath and wrapping myself in a perfectly cozy white towel.

sadly, most towels are a huge disappointment. well..if you like me have been searching for the perfect fluffy towel..i found it in the south end at michelle willey's wonderfully clean and crisp shop at 8 union park.

she sells the matouk line of milagro towels, and i love them. as we have washed them they have become softer and more and more absorbent. yay to simple pleasures.

Rreeer!

2011-11-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

done.

oh i love me some cann-ee

2011-11-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

admit it..when your kid is not looking..who has her hand in his halloween candy bag?..you do that's who! well..i do.

oh leopard print! ya got me.

2011-11-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

do you know how when you just hate something forever..

and then it just starts showing up everywhere?

..and while you cannot get away from it, everyone is telling you how truly chic it is?

and then before you know it..you are starting to see it too..how totally right it is?

yup. that's me and leopard. stay tuned people. i think i got some leopard in me.

loving this!

2011-11-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

sometimes you just gotta crow.

this thing is the bomb.

holiday message

2011-11-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

lizzie just created this super glamorous holiday message to remind all of our wonderful customers that if they want to order something for the holidays they need to do it right away. i love what she was able to create using her amazing graphic design skills in combination with our martha'ed photos..well you know what they say.."it takes a village to make a pretty page on a website!"

mmmm..brownies

2011-11-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

you know how they ask.."if you had to pick one favorite.." fill in the blank. well, i have the hardest time answering all favorites queries, but when it comes to fave sweet..hands down i say..BROWNIES!

as a kid, this recipe was always on the back of the bakers unsweetened chocolate box, and it is a winner. try sprinkling a bit of sugar on the baking pan after buttering it for an added caramelized treat on all the edges..you are going to thank me.

fallon poufs are here!

2011-11-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

new today on the one kings lane site

my fallon poufs from surya (here known as the arbor pouf)..they come in some really great colors like the chocolate brown and sky blue..and best of all they are on super sale! don't you just love them?

holiday photography

2011-11-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

it was snowing like crazy inside the studio today..

so i whipped up some chocolate dipping sauce, baked some cookies, lit the fire..

and curled up on my bearskin rug to read a bit of my favorite book..shavings..and munch on some delicious holiday snacks.

el dia de los muertos

2011-11-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

our friend pilar is the best! we celebrated the day of the dead with her yesterday, and it was so fun. nothing i like more than a good ritual! we built an altar with sugar skulls, figures, candles, photos of lost loved ones, paper flowers, and much more. her alter was amazing! she taught us all about the symbols of the celebration, she danced a little ranchero jig, and we all drank agua de jamaica which is a delicious tea brewed with hibiscus flowers..don't ask pilar why it is named for jamaica..no one knows. i took some great photos with my phone..but i cannot get them onto the blog..oy tech-mology!

Contest Winner!

2011-11-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

we picked a winner for the monogram mug contest!

we numbered all the contestants at random..

..put them in a bag..

and then..

..pulled a paper from the bag..

and the winner is..

lucky 6 maria sulmonte!! congratulations maria. we hope that you will love your new monogram mug!! many thanks to you and all the other contestants for sending in these wonderful pix. and any of you who still want to send in images..we will continue to post them all!

i heart halloween

2011-10-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

o how i love thee great pumpkin! happy halloween everyone. enjoy your trick or treating, and don't be like me and get sick scarfing your kid's candy.

candy stripes

2011-10-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

i have been spending a lot of time lately staring longingly at candy stripes. you could say that i am a stripe maniac..never met a stripe i didn't like. i am wont to frolic in boat neck stripe T's.. and for years i made wonderful striped genie bottles. but then (even) i had to give them a rest. BUT! i am thinking they might be coming ba-aaack!

swackets

2011-10-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

last week inspired by j crew's cute hacking jacket with the edging in a contrast color..

my daughter and i (in search of the perfect speech competition look) found a great sweater jacket at banana republic that my mother instantly smitten dubbed "the swacket"

i must to say, that i do love a structured chanel-ish jacket. but the rub is that a wool jacket is stiff and not very comfy.

one is constantly tempted to push up the sleeves, but to no avail. the thick fabric is quite unforgiving.

so i say, why not opt for this smart alternative. now to find one in a fabby color!

where is my: {sugardaddy}?

2011-10-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

they say it's love. all you need is love. love lifts us up where we belong. i say
"CAN buy me love"

honestly, i don't even know what to say..because lately the arrangement seems to make a whole lot of sense to me as long as everybody understands his or her role. and a solid pre nup is in place.

he buys a pretty young thing. he owns her. she gets to have fine things..he gets to have her (one assumes also a fine thing)

no judgement here..good for them. if you like being owned by an ogre.

morning light

2011-10-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

i walked in here early today, and this is what i saw.

the light here streaming in through our windows was so magnifico..i had to share.

these bowls are in the early stage of production which many people find they just love to see. what i love is their soft contours in the light.

single pillows

2011-10-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

more pix of the pillows..

this time i had to float them so that you can see just one!

what is your favesies?

funny story friday

2011-10-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

so the other day my kids and i headed to the men's j crew store (love) in copley to buy some cute new shirts for dad's bday.

(ok this was a while back) but it was at the height of bruins mania during the lead up to the historic stanley cup win for our local boys, and..

all the sales guys had huge beards at the shop. so dopey me asks.."hey are you guys all growing your beards as a y'know..bruins good luck charm?" (fyi. local fans (women too?) will grow their beards all during the playoff season in solidarity with the team who also put the kibosh on shaving for good luck)

wouldn't you know..they had nooooo idea what i was talking about. the beards were simply their fashion statement..(de riguer at je crew). i believe they might not have even realized that the bruins were in the finals..or what the stanley cup might in fact be, and what beards really have to do with it in the first place.

you just gotta love that jill r knows more about local SPORTS than the dudes over at j crew!

hampton links {fabric}

2011-10-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

today i spent time photographing our new linen pillows.

my thought is that it is quite hard to style out a design in a new category.

pillows are not pottery!

i was delighted to have the pleasure of borrowing erin's wonderful ghost chair.

i felt the architecture of phillipe starck in contrast with the soft goods was a success..

but i struggled with the styling..i mean how much stuff is just the right amount of stuff?

tomorrow i get to take more!

obsessed with {loafers}

2011-10-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

all the cute girls at our studio go "clickety, clickety click" in their heels.

to be honest with you i am simply jealous. they look cute. and tall. ahh tallness..you who have always eluded me..and my willowy real self!

oh but i do digress. pardon me. my mom always called heels,"limousine shoes" meaning of course that one wore these shoes from the limo to the table where one would sit down and have a cobb salad and a chablis at le cirque.

me..i like walking. and so i am obsessed with colorful tod's. oh how cute are you?

you will be mine.

oy vey anthro-polo-jay

2011-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

my girlfriend the artist judith bigham gleefully used to say {ironically} "why go to an art museum? the best art is seen while shopping!"

i dropped by the new anthro store relocated to newbury street here in boston, and as usual was wowed by the amazing window displays..(promise to take some pix later on this week)

i mean they really know how to rock the most mundane of materials, and merchandise the crap out of their spaces!

hats off to you anthropologie!

halloween is for sluts

2011-10-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

my kids and i went halloween shopping this week, and i have to say it is fun/depressing going into i party right now.

and i think the reason is that as much as i adore halloween..i mean what is cuter than kids getting candy from a bunch of strangers all night?

the costume assortment sends a transparently loud message to girls vs. boys..and women vs. men.

i mean..it doesn't take a sociology major to figure out where our culture is at in the battle of the sexes. the men are allowed to have a choice in how they want to express who they are..and women are made for one thing baby!

etsy love

2011-10-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

daily memorandumis another great place to look..

me thinks their style is yum. i am always browsing etsy..such an unbelievable site. doesn't the internet continue to amaze?

old fashioned house party

2011-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

last weekend in celebration of my dear friend chris' bday, we were treated to a wonderful weekend trip to islesboro in maine.

the hostess mallory marshall is a famed interior designer whose amazing style was storied in many shelter mags over the years..but i had never seen her house in dark harbor which in my mind has always been infamous due to it's association with the great sister parish.

let's just say mallory's house was way beyond fabulous(sorry sister). i wish i had more pix to share..because mallory has such classic effortless style..the kind that makes hanging out in a house with friends a total pleasure. and we all had a ball!

ms. marshall is a great proponent of the "little note" (in fact she has even written a book on the subject!) so i understand if i do write to her soon..i just may be able to go back..here's hoping!

mission: photo shoot {complete}

2011-10-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

so today i took all my various props to the studio to shoot my halloween-y pics.

i do love the way the spoooky spiders turned out..but once i started i began to feel like i wished i had more props..

and i began to understand why rachel zoe says you cannot have too many things when you finally get to take the pix.

{halloween} photo shoot

2011-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

yesterday, i went hunting for halloween themed things for a spooooky photo shoot!

i picked up a spider garland from paper source, which was more cute than scary.

and then i went to the candy store to buy some dark chocolate kisses,
candy corn, sugar daddies and, mary janes. i thought they looked graphic, and that they would complement my chevron pieces.

next i headed over to the market where they are selling mini pumpkins..so cute!

today for inspiration i am looking at martha stewart's amazing photos of halloween decorations.

she really is the queen of photo styling..and i can't wait to get my camera in hand to see what we come up with! see you after we work it.

donna gorman [see design]

2011-09-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

i love getting packages..and today we received one from our friend and fellow designer donna gorman.

she sent us 2 blouses from her fun and colorful collection that she shows at the gift show (right down the row from our booth)

from the looks of these pix from her website, it looks like donna does a bit of decorating with her things at her vacation home in puerto rico. you can see the influence of her former employer marimekko in all that she does..and i love the playful spirit of her designs.

i can't live without her stuff.
in fact the big bag pictured above with the hunter boots belongs to me!

thank you donna..see you in january!

color crush on {persimmon + aqua}

2011-09-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

in the spring studio mate erin blogged about her current obsession with red/coral/persimmon jeans which made me think about how delish this color was...maybe i needed a pair of those jeans..

and then came the emmys with piles of amazing red dresses looking so on the money, particularly right now.

next was my sighting of elle decor's october issue with the persimmon trend alert and photos of this seasons many home accents now available in this hot color.

my thought is that when shown with a turquoise/aqua accent this color really vibrates and comes into it's full power. (nota bene the aqua shoe detail on the model above)

we have been showing the chevron with this deep ocean blue we call Loch for quite a while..and we feel it has a very french/sailor vibe..non?
but shown as it is here in the new chevron monogram tray..i believe the color really packs a wallop..hello!

emmy shmemmy part deux

2011-09-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

it has been pointed out to me that i am particularly harsh when it comes to my fashion wrap ups, but i figure..these gals have soooo much help figuring out what to wear, with the best of everything to choose from and an army of stylists and pr people and who knows how many minions whose sole job it is to make these girls shine..i figure it is fair game to make a constructive comment here. so there. and therefore.. without further adoo..on with the results. first up whoa!! from the babe from mad men..christina va va va voom hendricks. all i can say is huh? don't get it. was she trying to look naked?
another glee 20something dianna agron trying to look middle aged..in the scary shiny satin that makes everyone look huge and frumpy. woopsy.

katie was going for fun n' cas with this sporty look, and the "o i just threw my hair up on top of my head after working out" up do. she has good arms, but i'm not buying tom.

oh padma..you are so lovely, but seriously..the gold thing? it's just sad looking.

and then came gwynnie. oh i see. you are thin. congratulations. the pucci lace is magnificent..but as my daddy told me in 7th grade.."no midriffs!"

olivia munn i do not know thee, but it looks like you slept in that thing.

and here is a gal who wants to look like a doll baby.

and zooey (who i love-dore) looking like a country western star in pepto bismal pink

and the winner is..nina dobrev(who?) in this amazing red architecture. it is a bit much..but she is smokin' in it. right?

emmy shmemmy

2011-09-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

as usual i am so late on my emmy fashion wrap up it might be a "who really cares" moment..but things looked so bad to my prying eyes this year, i figured i couldn't pass up a fine opportunity to give my hearty opinion..so..here goes
oh heidi..por favor! that dress is scary, and considering you are the prettiest girl in the whole entire world, i feel fine asking..what on earth were you thinking? ugh. auf vederzain
this on one of the funniest gals evah..kristen..j'adore you ..but this plunging number makes you look droopy woopy, and way too gloria swanson..oh my. sorry.

next up clare danes in a sonia delaunay for the body? yeesh. the pattern is so distracting and just plain ugly. no.

amy..hello. what were you thinking. this thing looks like a wetsuit. and it makes you look thick and extra short. and i know from short.

lea i am convinced wants to look 50. or she is channeling joan collins..Again!

kate winslet looks pretty good. i love the red..and her bod is killer. fine. B+

this is sofia vergara from the show modern family, and you can't really say anything bad..she is a knockout in the red..right..but i might like to get rid of the crepey wrapping paper.

julian margulies is on a g-d roll..right? she looks.."younger than springtime" . she wins. A.

maybe i will add more next week.

yesteryear

2011-09-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

after my post yesterday about the sleeker herb ritts-y side of the 80's..i thought i would share an earlier (ouch) version of myself in a giant shoulder padded ensemble..oh how i adored that hot pink jacket from ann taylor..i thought it was massively slimming..as well as tall-i-fying..maybe not.

ah well..now you can see why i have a hard time looking back on the styles of that long ago era.

kate hines {design star}

2011-09-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

last night our boston design salon (a local group i founded that gathers monthly to hear from luminaries in design) got together in cambridge to listen to jewelry designer kate hines share her story of a career in design. to say the least she was amazing, but she mentioned that on her website there is atimeline section that goes way back to the 80's.

naturally i hit it first thing this am..and lookee lookee, there are amazing images from an earlier time.

they really bring you back..right?

best of all these images made me feel less embarassed than i have in a long time about the 80's..and it's style..i mean these pix are so cool!

usually, i cringe when i think about the "get-ups" i wore in those days..but looking at these images i imagine that perhaps it might have been as fabulous as we thought it was then.

possible.

holiday 2011

2011-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

lizzie of the graphic brilliance has instructed us to get our holiday designing hat on and what should blow our minds..but on the same day the new jcrew catalog arrived to give us the dose that we needed to jump start our color engines. i love this combination..does it say holiday to you?

Big Thank Yous!

2011-09-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

this going out to all of you who came to visit us this time at the gift show..many thanks!

[presenting] hampton links pillows

2011-09-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

they are 100% belgian linen and hand blocked right here in good ol' massachusetts!

and they come in 5 lovely shades, navy, chocolate, slate, chartreuse, and sand.

home {makeover}

2011-09-16T06:27:00.001-07:00

meanwhile..back at the ranch..we are working toward a whole new look at our pad..with the new pillows (imperial trellis)..and the jonathan adler parker cahir in turquoise(!)..a work in progress no doubt.

Sticker {makeover}

2011-09-15T11:41:00.001-07:00

lizzie made these for our boxes..yay!

they really make me feel like i have ARRIVED! aren't they cute?

Hudson's new shop!

2011-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

our friend jill goldberg, just opened up her new Hudson store over at 12 Union Park St in the soutn end..and the verdict is in! it is so fab-u-lon!
she put hand painted english wall paper on the wall behind the front counter and made it look so modern and fresh..

Annnnddd..she brought in this new collection of "H" signature vases that we made just for her opening. (thank you elements of style for taking such nice photographs!)

we {heart} kelly market

2011-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

je t'aime kelly! merci beaucoup for this amazing piece of press!!

Plimpton Flame {Fame}

2011-09-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

knight moves blogger kyle pictured our new plimpton flame oval lamp this week on her blog as a color inspiration. personally, i cannot get enough of the taupe + tangerine combo..and for fall 2011 i put it on a host of objets. big gracias kyle..so glad to see you concur.

new fall faves 2011

2011-08-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

once again..Lizzie! posted some gorge-y new pix from opur new collection on the website.
i love this back to school vibe she created here..with yellow #2 pencils!

a jill giveaway

2011-08-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

recently, the fab lizzie created a gallery on our website of people with their jill pottery in their spaces..or on their heads! anyone who sends in a photo will be entered into a drawing for a monogram chevron mug. among the photos we have received is one of my dear friend jewelry designer susan monosson..and it is my personal fave. the drawing is not until the end of october..so.. keep those pictures coming!

ruschmeyers

2011-08-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

my sister and i (along with our familys) are just loving it here in montauk so much! we are staying at the surf lodge which is a king and grove property (sounds like they are planning a new boutique hotel in brooklyn right now) and we have made the trek nearby twice now to have supper at their brother hotel ruschmeyers.
either these people who came up with these hotels have read my mind..or they have my number..because i cannot tell you how happy i am to be here.
each day we wake to a gorgeous morning and water views out the sliding glass doors of our petite chic room. stumble over to the main building for a relaxed patio breakfast of berries yogurt granola coffee..in the shade of fishing baskets overlooking a lake. and while soft breezes caress us we hold our wee summer school for our 5 kids.
by noon we are packed off to the beach which is a couple of miles away in town, but it is a snap to park ..(huh?) and we enjoy the wild surf (irene is a'brewin'). then it's back here for a brief cocktail while we get changed for din din.
last stop was ruschmeyers tonight which happens to be a magical mini hotel (or is it a camp?). the management is content to have kids roam free in the yard that sits smack in the center of the hotel grounds, and boasts multiple picnic tables, a bocce court, a stage, teepee, rope swing and ping pong! so fun. sounds like they play games every night with stuff like bingo with dance offs to decide the winners and much more.
we are already planning our return visit next year.

a day at the shore

2011-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

after a day at montauk beach where we enjoyed sand and surf with the fam..
we headed over to gosman's dock for a truly gorgeous sunset overlooking the water. honestly i think i could stay here forever..if only..
after supper we headed back here to the surf lodge..which apparently has a hopping scenester scene..and we found out how true it was when who should we run into in the loungey bar but ms. housewife of NYC herself ms. bethany frankel sans jason AND sans bebe. she was dying to hang out but we politely declined (sorry bethany!!) as we were so exhausted and needed to get our beauty rest..so we can do it all over again tomorrow!
ciao for now.

the surf lodge

2011-08-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

post gift show and my sisters and i are kicking it beachside in montauk.
we are psyched to have found ourselves at the uber groovy surf lodge..where the living is easy, and the marketing is genius..just check out their website.

NYIGF! here we come

2011-08-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

new englandish

2011-08-05T16:43:00.001-07:00

as i was setting up the shelves this morning for our booth in new york this is what came out of the kiln
and this too! groovy lamp bases. bloody brilliant!

show prep

2011-08-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

getting ready for the gift show can be oh so stressful.. which inevitably makes me think about all the things my closet is screaming for, and so if i have a second before a show..i go shopping.
sunday had me at kate spade trying on all things prim and lovely..particularly these two above. the top has all my fall colors..believe it or not!
after dresses i was drawn to her amazing big neck pieces.
they are the accessory du jour if you ask me.
unfortunately i saw this in red at H&M for $12.95
yeesh.

presenting [the compton ikat]

2011-08-02T16:33:00.001-07:00

and that's all she wrote

Tory Burch + Ikats

2011-08-01T15:23:00.001-07:00

back in 2009 tory came up with a resort collection that blew my socks off. i loved these fabrics and their modern boho vibe.
i loved the color and the energy, and i knew that at some point this would inspire my own version of the classic ikat prints.
this season, i think, after many attempts we have done it..i will show you tomorrow the results of all our efforts.

demi & patrick

2011-07-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

thank you very much sarah winchester..you really are the best!

pillow frenzy

2011-07-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

tonight's episode is called..pillow tawk cannot stop checking out pillows for the new L.R. first choice has always been the kelly trellis..a big pair as anchors..right?
and then some thomas paul thrown in to go with my turquoise parker chair that will arrive someday.
and then i want texture and romance of foreign lands..
for a taste of the exotic.
so i search the suzani/ikat world, and end up back at trina turk. inevitable cycle.
my awful problem is that i want everything..i am the worst at editing when it comes to decorating! wah..

narrow entryway problem

2011-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

so i am now quite obsessed with all the redecorating needs my house is crying out for. don't you know that feeling when your going along feeling like.."yeah my house has a few chinks in the china, but i'm not complaining.."
and then whammo you just can't stand it anymore..
andd the more you think about it the more stuff you see that needs fixing?
well currently i am posessed by the need for an entryway statement..but our front door opens up onto a wall..so the space is reeeaaaaalllly thin. i would love to do one of these concepts shown in the pix..but we only really have 6" to play with here..not really enough for a big table...but this huge mirror with the spot to rest looks nice..
it all looks so effortless when it's done well..right?

amy winehouse.

2011-07-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

what can you say?

obsessed with {hallway paint colors}

2011-07-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

i cannot stop thinking about it.. in fact i spent most of sunday worrying over/studying it! currently our hallway is a dark marine/romper room blue. too heinous to photograph. a few years back we got lost in a sea of hermes oranges that looked sickly in the space, so in a fit of haste, my sweet law "fixed" our problem by going out alone to pick a color i ultimately cannot bear.
that being said, i really still cannot choose.
our hallway is very narrow with high ceilings and no light..the obvious thing would be to paint it white..and shut the front door about the whole thing already.
but i am toying with this very aqua shade called palladian blue(second from the top), or elephant's breath a beautiful (it seems) shade of taupe lavender.(top pic)by farrow and ball.
the other distraction is all the different greys that i love..is the cliffside grey (4th from top)
or this is pretty. mary macdonalds office..love this aqua..don't know the paint...help me!

peter fasano's studio

2011-07-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

last week at peter fasano's amazing space i made a few documentary vids..and i thought i would share one more.
i just loved the whole vibe he has..only good things could come of all of this..right?

old navy

2011-07-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

i have always known ( ever since i saw bill blass's) that the chicest thing would be to have a navy blue living room.. but the trick is to have a bunch of wooden trim everywhere to balance all the dark..
with tons of bright white woodwork.
luckily my living room desperately needs a makeover..and it has the necessary wooden trim surrounding three very large windows in the front..and our molding at the ceiling and on the floor are very large..soooo

should i go for it?

union jack on fire

2011-07-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

i saw a beautiful version of this pillow at Hudson (in the south end) the other day..this one is by henry road and thought..well this might just be the ticket for bringing my whole living room space todgether. but then..dude! i started seeing that the jacks were absolutely everywhere.
which made me think..hmm..maybe it is time i tried my hand at this iconic pattern..i mean..
it would look unbelievable as a brick lamp in our collection..no?
i love how they are showing up in so many fun shades too.
but my fave has to be the dark blue with red.

must be my british ancestry wafting into the room!

navajo woah!

2011-07-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

i love a trend just as much as the next gal. in fact i was right there in high school thinking that the LLBean boot/shoe wasn't such a bad idea after all..or maybe the overscaled giant straw sun hat with ribbon band trailing down my back actually worked! (8th grade) so when i put my ear to the ground and heard it whisper back "navajo" i got a bit worried. i mean you can't argue with this really pretty rug/textile elegantly simple, but the chairs with the kilim vibe brings the late 90's rushing back in, and i am not so sure..
and then they start with this garbage here, and i'm thinking woah there poppy! not so much fer this squaw.
cuz right away i go here..and here to me is not a good thing...you hear me?

hampton links {fabric}

2011-07-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

yesterday we went to visit peter fasano he has a studio in great barrington where he prints amazing fabrics and wallpaper. he has agreed to print our hampton links pattern on an amazing linen we found in belgium. we had such fun checking out how these beautiful things are made..and working out the kinks on our new collection. i made a couple of quick vids to give you the idea..enjoy..

{courreges} inspiration

2011-07-12T12:15:00.001-07:00

oh how i adore thee courreges even as a kid this look thrilled.
i am pretty sure these space age styles are ready for another close up.
i am not sure how this will make it's way into the fall collection, but let's say i am feeling it.
the black stripe here is killing.