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Looks like I'm not the only one who loves Thomas O'Brien's Vintage Modern Towels from Target. Check out the personal list of favorite home products from House Beautiful Editor In Chief Stephen Drucker. I'm a big fan of his favorite kitchen gadget too.
Glad to know I'm keeping such good company...
Image credit: House Beautiful
This weekend, I happened to be in New York City for some family events (including helping to pack up the house that my stepmom, little brothers and Dad lived in for nearly two decades). Luckily, on the way down to the city I had been perusing the June issue of Martha Stewart Living and came across a mention of Les Toiles du Soleil -- a French company that has produced bright, sophisticated striped cotton canvas for more than 150 years -- which had opened its first U.S. boutique last winter. I've had a fascination with this fabric ever since I gave my bridesmaids a tote and cosmetic bag made from it from the now defunct Martha Stewart catalog (oh, how I miss that!), so I was determined to find a slice of time to get there.
Saturday afternoon, with a window of just 90 minutes, my aunts and I hightailed it on the A train down to Chelsea, and Les Toiles du Soleil did not disappoint. Combine the cheery surroundings with the equally cheery and hip store owner Sandrine, and I was instantly smitten. The store was a visual feast -- bolts of fabric hanging on racks and piled up on top of each other, blackboards displaying prices, neat stacks of tables linens, cosmetic bags and fabric-covered notebooks, and galvanized tubs filled with pillows -- I felt instantly transported to a little shop in France (not that I've ever been there, but I have a good imagination, and Sandrine's charming accent helped). But what really struck me was how, well, affordable everything seemed. For $58, you can score a yard of the many classic 72" striped canvas choices, and just $20 more buys you a yard of the water-resistant Sunbrella ones. They also have an in-store seamstress who can make nearly anything you imagine(curtains, table cloths, deck chairs, roller shades, totes, you name it). The thing I've been stuck on since I've left though is the shop's incredible oilcloth (this is not your grandmother's red and white check picnic table covering). For just under $100, I'm going to transform an old IKEA table into an easy-to-clean candy-striped art space. Yum.
Les Toiles Du Soleil, 261 West 19th Street, New York. Purchases can be made over the phone or by visiting the shop...don't miss it if you find yourself in New York!
I can't remember when I first fell in love with Dash & Albert rugs, but I know the infatuation has been going on for several years and I've just been waiting for the right moment to act on it. Finally, this weekend, I had my moment. Using this new fabulous blog as an excuse, I bought one of the woven striped cotton rugs in a blue/neutral palette. A 2x3 foot area rug starts at $28, and most of the more than 75 color combos are available in all sizes, going all the way up to 9x12. In my wildest fantasy, I would love to have a whole private stock of these beauties, changing with every season...hmmmm...some day...
{Truth be told, I really love all things Annie Selke, the brilliant and creative head of the Annie Selke companies -- Dash & Albert, Pine Cone Hill and Potluck Studios -- so be prepared for more Annie Selke love in future posts.}
Image credit: Dash & Albert
Although decorating is primarily an exercise in changing the visual of a room, I believe the rest of the senses play an equally important role. The sounds, smells, and tactile experiences of a space can drastically enhance or detract from the way a space, and your activity in it, feels. Case in point:
For a long stretch a few months ago, I was finding that our family’s evening rush (leave work-pick up kids-make dinner-get to bed-mayhem) was really getting me down. I was stressed, the kids were acting out on that stress, there was crying (from all parties involved), and it was ugly. Then one night, when I just had it with my hungry and tired kids fighting in the playroom, and my hungry and tired self trying to cook up a healthy dinner in three minutes, our Bose SoundDock caught my eye. I popped in my iPod, cranked up the volume, and starting rocking out to Fleetwood Mac. Before I knew it, my little guys were in the kitchen with me, setting up a “drum set” using chairs and their tambourines. The vibe of the evening changed instantly and we laughed through dinner, singing, dancing and being totally goofy.
These days when I get home, I head straight for the music before even putting on water to boil. Sometimes it’s Zanes and sometimes it’s Zeppelin, but either way, it makes everyone feel better at the end of a long day.
Some of my recommendations for amazing sound and a small profile include the Bose SoundDock (for iPods) and the Tivoli Model One Radio (Radio only).
Image credit: Bose
I yearn to be good gardener, and there's no earthly reason why I shouldn't be really. My mother has a prolific garden (there's such a thing as a gardening gene, right?) and my husband spent every summer in high school and college running a completely legit landscaping business (not just a guy with a mower). But excelling at gardening is something that has eluded me. I think it's because of poor planning.
About this time every year, I find myself facing racks and racks of plants outside our local grocery store. I pull pots down, trying out combinations for imaginary planters on my front steps or non-existent beds in my backyard. Hydrangeas in the front? Veggies in the back? Plants are chosen, purchased, and home when it hits me...I have no idea how sunny or shady our property is. I plant anyway, and a few weeks later everything is dead, or leggy, or something it wouldn't be if it was planted in the right spot.
Chalk it up to being away from the house too much or just not paying attention, but it turns out I'm not the only one who doesn't know what's going on in her yard during the day. As I was perusing the June issue of Better Homes & Gardens this weekend, I came across the SunCal -- a little device that measures the amount of sunlight hitting a particular area during 12 hours of exposure. Seems I might have a better chance with those planters this year after all.
Find stores listed here for the SunCalc Sunlight Calculator, $30
Image credit: SunCalc