a feast for the eyes

lavender lemonade from sunday suppers

To kick off the weekend, I'd like to give a nice plug for one of the most visually stunning blogs out there, Sunday Suppers.  Every time I visit their website, I am always in awe of this team's talent.  Every last detail from the photos, to design, to recipes is perfection.  The photos are particularly wonderful because they make me want to stop what I am doing and cook.  They're a definite feast for the eyes.

I thought a little lavender lemonade would be a perfectly refreshing drink for this weekend.  Here's the Sunday Suppers recipe:

Lavender Lemonade
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish
* 2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)
* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.

Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

image via sunday suppers

calling cards

As I'm out and about chatting it up with people around town, the subject of my blog comes up in conversation from time to time.  I was thinking last weekend how nice it would be to have calling cards with my URL printed on them to give out.  

I immediately went to avie designs's etsy shop to look around and lo and behold, I think I've found them. This is a photo of how the calling card will look with the site URL.  I love the David Hicks hexagon-like pattern and figured it would be the perfect calling card for a design blog.  

The avie design shop is awesome.  I actually have personal calling cards I use all the time that were ordered from avie.  They're stylish, functional, and inexpensive.  What more can you ask for?  Avie is quick to respond to any message you send her and will pretty much customize and combine any style and design you ask for.  She's been awesome to work with both times!  

One last thing for fun.   Here's a picture from the Feb/Mar issue of Lonny which featured the Cole and Sons Hicks Hexagon wallpapered powder room:

lonny magazine

I can't wait for my calling cards to arrive so I can start handing them out!

images via avie etsy shop and lonny

chevron herringbone

Some day, I would love to have a home with chevron herringbone wood floors.  They catch my eye every time I come across a photo (fashion or home related) and I immediately save the photo in my inspiration folder. I thought I'd share my favorites today.  Enjoy!

celine resort 2011

todd romano

miles redd

miles redd

miles redd

m. design interiors

this is glamorous

images via unknown (email me if you know the source!) | style.com | habitually chic | m.design interiors | this is glamorous

behind the scenes at net-a-porter

Net-a-Porter.com's Fashion Fix blog has posted a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion etail giant.  A great mid-day, lunchtime fix!

d'oh! how could i forget?

miles redd

I feel like such a scatterbrain right now.  I forgot to post the most exciting piece of online design news  this summer.   domino magazine lives on!  That's right, Brides.com has acquired the rights to re-print the domino archives online.  

You might want to bookmark this link and check back from time to time as they add content regularly. Be sure to check out Tori Mellott's 450 sq. foot Manhattan pad (one of my all-time favorite features) and Miles Redd's 10 ideas for high-impact decorating.  

If you never had the opportunity to subscribe to domino, their Book of Decorating is a wonderful resource that features many of the photos and advice from the magazine.  I highly recommend adding it to your library.  Here's the link to buy it on Amazon:  

Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy

images via brides.com (originally published in domino magazine) and amazon.com

tutu desk

black & spiro

Anna Spiro from absolutely beautiful things has posted amazing pictures of the new location of her much-blogged about store, Black & Spiro in Brisbane, Australia.  

I think the most absolutely beautiful thing from her pics is the awesomely creative tutu desk pictured here.  Any girly-girl (young or old) would be lucky to have one of these babies.  I bet it wouldn't be that hard to DIY....

image via absolutely beautiful things

checkmate

I haven't yet moved in to the new condo, but I'm already plotting a kitchen remodel.  I'm drawn to the black and white checkerboard patterns I've been seeing lately.  But, instead of laying the pattern in a horizontal line, I much prefer the pattern laid on a diagonal.

kate and andy spade's nyc kitchen

houzz blog

windsor smith

images via mrs. blandings | houzz | windsor smith

how easy is that?

As I was browsing Amazon this morning, I happened to see Ina Garten's new cookbook, How Easy Is That? listed for pre-sale.  Of course I immediately added it to my cart and am counting down the days until its October 26 release date.  Fingers crossed she comes to the Sur La Table in Arlington to sign books like she has for her past two releases!  

Here's the link to pre-order your very own copy: Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips

image via amazon.com

high/low finds: kwid edition

I thought it would be fun to start a regular feature on the blog showing budget versions of stylish, but high-priced pieces for the home.  Today's edition focuses on the killer brass kaleidoscopes from Kelly Wearstler's line at Bergdorf Goodman.

First up, the high find.  By now, you know I love me some Kelly Wearstler designs, and I have long been coveting the brass kaleidoscope she designed for her boutique at Bergdorf Goodman (pictured below in a stunning vignette from her website).  But, at $1,375-$2,195 (depending on size), it's way out of my price range.

kwid

Imagine my surprise this morning when I stumbled on this awesome low find from Jayson Home and Garden.  The 'Wall Flower Art' comes in three sizes priced at $45-$85.  Much easier on my wallet.  I think I'm going to have to put an order in for the medium size for my new pad!

Jayson Home and Garden

images from kelly wearstler, inc. and jayson home and garden

a buried lede and a sneak peek

Kelly Wearstler Design

Hey readers! I'm finally digging myself out of work piles and personal to-do lists to bring back my regular blog posts.  I know it's been a while since my last posting and I had no idea so many people were regular readers.  I have to admit, it's nice to hear people say they miss my blog posts!

Ok, enough about all that.  I've buried the lede on my most exciting piece of news in a long time... I'm on my way to being a homeowner!  Long story short, I found an amazing little apartment in DC's Kalorama neighborhood on California Street (how perfect is that since I'm originally from NorCal?!).  I move in early next month and start decorating and renovating like a mad woman.

Of course, I plan to document everything here on urban tastemakers.  I've included a sneak peek above.  I've had this photo of a Kelly Wearstler-designed room in my inspiration files for years and I'm finally going to get the opportunity to copy it on a budget!

So to recap: 1. I'm back to regular blogging (yeah!) 2. I'm buying an apartment (yeah!) and 3. I'm documenting the design and renovation process right here, so check back early and often!

image via kelly wearstler, inc.