dream baggage

Just a quick post for your Thursday evening.  I just saw that Heather over at Habitually Chic posted a collection of jaw-dropping Celine handbags she's considering as potential birthday gifts for herself.  Head on over to her blog to check them out.

P.S.  If I were her, I'd be deciding between these two beauties...

...or maybe this one to wear with little white dresses and white jeans!

courtney cox's cougar den

Every Wednesday night, my TV is tuned to ABC's must-see comedies, Modern Family and Cougar Town.  I absolutely love that sitcoms are making a comeback with ABC leading the way.  I mainly watch Modern Family for the side-splitting humor (I literally laugh so hard I cry at least twice per episode).  But I tune in to Cougar Town every week to drool over the set design and Courtney Cox's wardrobe (laughing at the quirky cast is an added bonus).

Courtney Cox's character, Jules has such a fresh, welcoming and comfy home.  It screams, "Florida!" to me with the abundance of sea shells, cheerful color scheme and playful fabric patterns. I also envy her clean,white kitchen - the main hangout for the hilarious neighborhood "coffee circle."

The two pieces in her home that catch my eye during every episode are the floral chair in the living room and the stylish and classic bookcase (that I just can't seem to get a good screen shot of....).  Trust me, the show is worth watching for the laughs and the interiors!

I found a few "Jules-inspired" products and images for you all below (including designs by one of my all-time favorites, Celerie Kemble).  

(anthropologie's antwerp chair in bloom)

(thomas paul fabric via duralee)

(celerie kemble fabrics for shumacher)

(kemble interiors)

cougar town images via casa sugar

ikat is (still) everywhere

(ikat bowls | anthropologie)

Last week, I was reading an article on CNN.com about the staying power of the cupcake trend.  The article said something to the effect of, "Cupcakes are here to stay.  Get used to them."  Then, yesterday, as I was perusing my favorite websites and saved images in iPhoto for blog post ideas, I noticed that I have saved a ton of ikat print photos.  It got me thinking that, like cupcakes, ikat prints have staying power, so we better get used to them.   


Ikat emerged as a serious design trend a few years ago after features in trendsetting magazines like Vogue and Elle Decor. The trend has since exploded and trickled down from high-end textile designers like Madeline Weinrib to mass retailers like Target, Urban Outfitters, Antropologie and the like.  (Good news for those of us on a budget!) 


I personally love the different ikat patterns out there, and think they can really make a room (or outfit) look pretty chic.  I have the orange Anthropologie ikat bowl in my own home and am considering re-covering chairs for my dining room in the light blue/aqua ikat print used for the headboard in Julianne Moore's room in Tom Ford's A Single Man.


I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I have.   No matter what your taste or budget, I also hope you're inspired to incorporate a little ikat into your home or wardrobe!

(Madeline Weinrib pillows)

(Madeline Weinrib pillows in designer Sara Gilbane's NYC living room | Feb/Mar issue of Lonny | photograph by Patrick Cline)

(Madeline Weinrib pillow | Design by Betsy Burnham | Feb/Mar issue of Lonny | photograph by Patrick Cline)

(Madeline Weinrib pillows | Antonia Thompson's NYC apartment | Feb/Mar issue of Lonny | photograph by Patrick Cline)

(blue ikat pillow | amazon.com)

(anthropologie ikat bowl | nate berkus's chicago kitchen | elle decor)

(dkny dress | net-a-porter)

(diane von furstenberg)

(diane von furstenberg)

(grey ikat drapes via pink wallpaper)

(ikat slipper chair | urban outfitters)

(ikat rug | anthropologie)

(Tilbury Lapis by Laura Ashley fabric | A Single Man | via Habitually Chic)

sjp on the may cover of vogue

Looks like Sarah Jessica Parker is gracing the May cover of Vogue! It's nicely timed with the release of Sex and the City 2 on May 27th.  The last time SJP appeared in Vogue was to promote the first SATC movie two years ago.  Links to the lovely Mario Testino photo spread and excerpt of the article can be found here.     


photographed by Mario Testino for Vogue

lifestyle tastemaker: vera wang

Move over Ina Garten, when I die I want to come back as Vera Wang.  

I've decided that Vera Wang is living one of the most fabulous lives imaginable.  Not only is she a wildly successful businesswoman, but she's celebrating milestone birthdays in style.  

Vera wrote a small piece for the April issue of Vogue about her recent trip to France.   She and a group of close friends celebrated her 60th birthday with a trip to Paris and the South of France for a "moveable feast." Their tour of the Cote d' Azur brought them to the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes.  I have to say, the hotel is stunningly beautiful and the setting is straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.  I've made a mental note to visit the next time I'm in the region. (How GOOPy of me!)  

The hotel has a long history of catering to the rich and famous, and even lists celebrity guests alphabetically on their website. (A garish move for a five-star hotel if you ask me, but I digress....)

Vera says packing was a cinch: boyish t-shirts, shorts, and Eres swimsuits were all that were needed.  She spent her days, "relaxing and reading, eating, sleeping, and meandering the grounds." Sounds pretty amazing to me!

She describes eight straight days of:

Breakfast on the terrace...

Lunch by the pool overlooking the yachts...

Swimming...

...and apertifs before going out to dinner.

In other Vera news, Gilt Groupe featured her Vera Wang Collection line as one of their sales yesterday.  These were my favorite pieces from the sale.  

P.S. How perfect is that sapphire blue dress for sipping apertifs at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc?

hotel images can be found here 
vera wang collection images via Gilt Groupe

tastemaker must read: april/may issue of lonny

If you aren't already a Lonny magazine reader, you're missing out on the best design magazine online!  Although the April/May issue is dedicated to eco-chic designs and products, I must say my favorite part of this issue is the number of gorgeous and inspiring homes they featured.


Among my favorites are Lonny Editor in Chief and former domino magazine staffer, Michelle Adams.  Michelle is the founder of Rubie Green, an eco-friendly textile company.  She has an admitted "passion" for sustainable design, so it should come as no surprise that when she settled in to a new apartment in NYC, she designed the decor with the environment in mind.   


I'm in love with the tortoise-shell lamp and ostrich wallpaper she used.

Other Lonny highlights include the Houston homes of graphic designer, Ashley Putnam and Houston's PaperCity features editor and Domestic Art: Curated Interiors co-author, Laurann Claridge.

I must say, Laurann's five house rules really struck a chord with me, especially the first one.  Over the past year, I've been trying to follow this exact rule when buying pieces for my home and wardrobe.  I've re-printed them below, and hope you find them as helpful as I did.

Laurann's Five House Rules

1. Buy only what you love!  Really, truly, madly, deeply love!  Don't settle for "like."  Acquire what feels so very right deep down inside - be it fashion or home design.  Stick to this credo and you won't have any regretful purchases.

2. Play!  Move things around and have fun with your environment.  Why keep accessories and furniture stagnant?  Change and rotate them with others you've stashed away for a while.  I acquire pieces with the idea that if I tire of them in one room, I can move them into another fairly easily.

3. Don't forget to update.  While I aspire to live with a timeless sense of style, I don't want to get stuck in a rut, either.  Technology and the world around us are constantly changing, bringing to the fore new things that can enhance your life in countless ways.  Embrace change and update your surroundings and your wardrobe often.

4. Don't underestimate the power of stylish accessories, for fashion or home.  I've designed a collection of uncomplicated clothing intended to be multitasked in a myriad of ways.  I love nothing better than seeing someone take a Claridge+King piece and make it completely their own statement-worthy with accessories and their favorite wardrobe staples.  

5.  Great style is all about the mix.  It's more interesting to mix a designer splurge with Gap jeans or a set of funky bracelets or a necklace from Forever 21 or Target.  At home, I love playing with scale and age.  Filling a room in neutral tones with contemporary art and furniture, blended with a balance of vintage and precious antiques, feels at once both invigorating to the eye and harmonious.

all photos by Patrick Cline for Lonny magazine

all photos styled by Michelle Adams for Lonny magazine