Current Obsession

This room, that chandelier:

Is  that even a chandelier? It kind of looks like the hood for a stove. Either way, I am all about it and also, of course, love the tall windows and the high ceilings and the moody walls and the round table and the whole trad+modern aesthetic. 

Via My Favorite and My Best, who continues to find the best interiors. She's been doing it for years and every time she posts a big bunch of rooms, it's full of stuff I love and that I've never seen anyplace else.

3 Things I Have Enjoyed This Morning

1. Eames + Shag
This Curbed article about a Charles and Ray Eames-themed exhibit at the Nucleus gallery in LA. How could I not love it, when it includes this Shag drawing? I love Shag - and hadn't seen any of his work in a while. This is just a perfect match of subject and artist.

Image source.

Also, this is how I like to think Cooper and I look when we're just hanging out around our house. (Note: this is not actually how we look at all.)

2. Party Girls
This video and this article about the greatest "It Party Girls" of all time. Zelda! To be fair, the list doesn't really cover all of time. More like the past hundred years. And even then, it leaves some room for debate. Lots of room.

But still, I love a party girl.

3. Light City's Success 
This article about Light City's massive success. We went last night and it was even better than I expected.

The installations were cool and even though we only saw a little of the entertainment, it was engaging and fun. The crowd was friendly and spirits were super high, all around. It just felt good.

The pictures I took completely didn't do the installations justice - especially not this photo. But what I love about this picture is that Dixon is totally smiling OF HIS OWN ACCORD. That never happens and it especially doesn't happen after I've made him pose a bunch of times, like I had last night.

Mandated photos are not his favorite, to put it mildly, but Light City was cool enough that he was more than willing to let me snap away.

We didn't even get a chance to see the whole thing - I know we missed some good stuff. I'm already looking forward to next year, when I will definitely plan better, so we get there more than once.

Marimekko @ Target

There is only one way for this to end. With me, disappointed and tired. Maybe I'll have spent money on something I'll never wear, or maybe I won't even have found anything at all to buy. Either way, a Target collab this high profile will almost surely not meet my expectations.

And yet...on Sunday the 17th of April, I'm sure I'll find myself lined up outside the Target doors, all excited about what's inside. I so love Marimekko. Danish Scandinavian + colorful is my kryptonite.

I mean...look at that table. How could I possibly resist it? How can I resist anything that pairs so well with a summery cocktail?

See the whole collection here.

Wear This, Eat That

Fall is upon us, which means it's time to think about...spring clothes. New York Fashion Week just ended, London is underway, and I can't stop looking at clothes I will never buy.

As I was flipping through Vogue runway slideshows yesterday, I also started getting oddly hungry. I've written before (almost a decade ago!) about the intersection between fashion and food, and what one has to do with the other. But yesterday, my thinking was more literal. Sometimes, clothes just look like food, and vice versa.

Here are a few of my favorite examples of that, from this season's shows so far:

First up: it's all about the texture. I love it in my food and I love it on my clothes.

Wear Carolina Herrara, eat coconut cake:

 coconut layer cake (via Martha Stewart)

I love this dress, which you can see, if you look closely, is covered in fabric flowers that pop off the surface.
It's so fun and summery. 

So...wear Michael Kors, drink blueberry margaritas:

blueberry margarita (via Food and Wine)

Dixon loves - loves - black and white cookies. A couple years ago, he confessed to our friend Audrey that he thinks of them as "rich people" cookies, which obviously cracked me up. 

So if you're feeling flush...wear Zac Posen, eat black and white cookies. 

(Really, if was feeling flush, I really would wear Zac Posen. I love his clothes so much.)

 black and white cookie (via Epicurious)

Look at that cape! It's as regal and serious and awesomely sophisticated as the darkest chocolate mousse, right? 

Wear Sophie Theallet, eat chocolate mousse.

gianduja mousse (via Food and Wine)

How fun are seahorses? Very fun. You know what else is fun? Parties that serve shrimp that you don't have to peel yourself. 

Wear Holly Fulton, eat shrimp cocktail.

 shrimp cocktail (via Martha Stewart)

Kate Spade is kind of my spirit animal. I struggle to not buy all the things, all the time, and by the time next spring rolls around, I will probably have lost the battle vs. my willpower when it comes to the brand's new rockstud knockoffs (even though I work in my kitchen). You know what else I love and indulge in too frequently? Pasta. 

Wear Kate Spade, eat cacio e pepe - with lemon, because it's brighter that way.

 cacio e pepe with meyer lemon (via Martha Stewart)

And finally. Sometimes Tory Burch's clothes skew slightly too bohemian for me. That is not the case with her spring 2016 line, though. I love it all, including this shimmery dress, which has "elegant June poolside cocktail party" written all over it. And what do you drink at that party? Champers, bien sur.

Wear Tory Burch, drink champagne with a twist of lemon.

champagne with a twist (via Food and Wine)

(All runway images from Vogue.)

Stop It With This Kitchen

Jenny from My Favorite and My Best finds the best rooms. I mean:

Even though I have some concerns about temperature/humidity control and all that wine...this kitchen makes me melt. I want it.

Rose Season

I had my first glass of the pink stuff last night. I'm ready. And here's where I want to drink it:

Proving that even when your yard includes a messy wall, it can be pretty. (Source)

Yes, it's a restaurant. But...that green would work anywhere, right? (Source)

Those chairs seem impractical as hell...but I love them. Also, the blue and white curtains. (Source)

Teensy colorful patio surrounded by greenery and a pond? Very rose-friendly. (Source)

Besides the obvious downside (bugs dropping in your wine), I so love the idea of a ceiling of plants. (Source)

This little urban space is completely do-able, really. If you can just find some friends to help you drape all that fabric. (Source)

Cheers to rose! And spring!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It really is the most wonderful time of the year, with parties and out of town visitors and (around here, at least) tons of birthdays. It's festive and fun and definitely hectic.

This year, starting a bit before Thanksgiving, Cooper's parents' added another exciting activity into the mix - they bought a new house and sold the house they'd lived in for over 35 years. Just this week, they had to make the final push, clearing out the last few things they'd left in the hold house. And in 35 years, it's possible to accumulate...a lot.

Some of that stuff was destined for the dumpster. But other things made their way to our house - including the cool old Chanel bottle in the picture above. It's gigantic - that's a regular-sized candy cane - and filled with colored liquid, not actual perfume.

The bottle was part of a display from Hutzler's; my mother-in-law, Patsy, nabbed it back when she worked there in the seventies. (Another cool story from those days: she met Diane von Furstenburg, who gifted all the ladies working in her department with a wrap dress...in the very early days of those dresses).

Earlier this week, Patsy was ready to toss the bottle but Cooper saved it for me, knowing I'd love it. I don't wear a lot of perfume and when I do, it's Chanel. It's what my mom and grandmother wear for special occasions...so to me, it smells like grown-ups going out for something fun (and babysitters for the kids). Is there anything better? More glamorous?

Even the bottle, with its classic lines and font, is gorgeous. This one might be a little worn down...but that's just the years of experience, right?

Chesapeake Reads

I always get a little thrill when I read something about the Chesapeake Bay - or someplace Bay-adjacent - in the national press. This month has been a good one for that.

First, in the November issue of Food and Wine, there's a solid article about Bay oysters and the Croxton family's work, through their family business, Rappahannock Oyster Company, to revitalize the local oyster industry. The article's not online yet, which is a shame - it's good, though I had a couple quibbles.

The article does makes it sound like the Croxtons are solely responsible for the resurgence; while they are important figures, that gives short shrift to other players. Also, there's no mention of Maryland in the article - ah, clearly an oversight? We have oysters, too! And, finally, there's a rockfish recipe included but no notes indicating that Bay rockfish are stripers in other parts of the country. That gets confusing for some people.

******

A couple articles in the most recent Garden and Gun also caught my attention. I loved reading about the Leakes, a father and son team in South Carolina, who build custom cellarets, which are like little wooden bar boxes on legs.

The cellarets are gorgeous - and have Chesapeake roots themselves. The designs the Leakes recreate were originally popular during the 18th century, especially on the coast, from Maryland down through the Carolinas.

Right now, we divide our booze between an antique sugar chest (upstairs) and the wine cellar (downstairs). Oh, and the freezers (upstairs and downstairs). But I would happily make room for a cellaret, as well. It's about history, after all.

*****

The same issue of G and G spotlights Jim Banagan, a St. Mary's County native who's spent his life collecting oyster cans. He's in his eighties now and his collection is upwards of three thousand cans - and he continues to buy and sell (he's also branched out in clam cans).

I love old oyster cans partly because they look cool - Harris Crab House does a great job decorating with them - and partly because they're a prop that illustrates a big chunk of the history of Maryland. The article does a nice job summarizing the way oysters and canning intersected here - it's succinct and informative.

And Jim Banagan? He just seems like a good guy. With a great collection.

Things I Loved Writing

This article, in the Taste section of The Sun today, about an upcoming talk by Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist. Every single person I interviewed was interesting and fun and passionate about the subject. It was a blast to write - and I'm sure the talk will be fantastic.

Also, this article about TVs in restaurants. TV placement - and restaurant design in general - is something I think about often. It's a tricky subject, full of biases and cultural norms and etiquette questions. I love it.

Get In My House

 A Jeffrey Bilhuber-designed (updated) game room in a Tuxedo Park home? Umbrellas inside? A massive floral sofa?

Yes. Please.

When I think about the parties I could have in this space, it nearly makes me cry.

[Photo from Elle Decor.]

Sunny Spaces

It's gray here and I'm busy this week.

 

I've got a lot to write about our Super Bowl party - all of which is Mardi Gras-appropriate -

but it's going to have to wait because I also have about a thousand deadlines.

 

So instead...sunny dining rooms to combat the gray:

 

[Photos 1, 3 and 5 from House Beautiful. Photos 2 and 4 from Coastal Living.
Photo 3, by the way, is where Jackie Kennedy summered as a child.]

Cool Shopping

My old friend Amy and a new friend of hers, Ellen, are starting something so cool I felt compelled to write about it.

The two of them are both longtime fans of fashion - Ellen worked in fashion merchandising for years and Amy studied fashion photography. Now they're living the suburban-ish life in Arnold, but they still love fashion. So they're starting a pop-up shop!

It's called "Here." and will occupy otherwise empty storefronts around the area for short stints. First up: March 1st through 10th at 47 Spa Road in Annapolis.

Every installment of the shop will have a different theme - the first theme is "flirting with spring."

The shops will feature clothes, accessories and home goods. Ellen and Amy are hoping to feature local designers as much as possible, too.

As soon as Amy mentioned this to me, I was in love with the idea. She's so creative and this is a fantastic outlet - it's such a great, low-risk way to start a retail business.

So if you're near Annapolis in early March, check them out! (Hours and other information are on their website.)

Want: Saucy Wallpaper

I just saw this on Kiel James Patrick's Tumblr:

 

And now I want to build a small powder room on our main floor,

just so I can hang it there.

 

(You can buy it here.)

Tube Evolution

My sister just sent me a link that is so up my alley. It's a short article about the London Tube turning 150 - and the evolution of its iconic map from a more traditionally-drawn diagram to the angular, modern schematic we're familiar with today.

The basis for the current map was actually drawn back in 1931 by Harry Beck (that picture at the top is the 1933 version). It's amazing how totally fresh it still looks today.

If you're at all interested in old maps and changing graphics, check out the link. You won't regret it.

I Love Miles Redd (and Parties)

Especially this quote, from the Magic Makers awards feature in the November-December issue of Veranda:

Frivolity gets a bad rap, but I will defend it till my dying day.

Redd's interiors are so glamorous and I actually don't think of them as frivolous, but maybe that's because I've internalized the word's "bad rap."

I think of Reed's rooms as super-glamorous and a perfect frame for a super-fun life.

Speaking of super-fun, I wrote an article on party details - mixing high-end and lowbrow - for the Scene section of the Sun (I had some help from Richard Gorelick on it, as well). It was so much fun and chatting with a bunch of great Baltimore party planners SO got me in the mood to have a party.

And speaking of parties, last Saturday was the first Mason Dixon Social Club dance. Despite a few hiccups with the music, it was a really good time. Next up for the MDSC: a brief holiday break, followed by some sort of event - like a happy hour - in January. Details to follow!

Wanted In My House

This bar:

It currently resides in a house full of modern art, which was decorated by Mica Ertegun and is featured in the November 2012 House Beautiful. The crazy faux-bois was painted by artist Richard Woods.

I am in love with every last Dr. Seussy inch of it.

The Dining Lounge

The May issue of House Beautiful includes a very pretty 1930s apartment in New York, decorated by Christina Murphy. The rooms are filled with color and pattern - sometimes more than I'd actually want to live with, but I love looking at the pictures.

I especially like the dining room, with its delicate wallpaper and chairs of silver and shocking green:

You know what else I love about the dining room? The small seating area under the window. The decorator says, "It's such a large room and to devote the whole thing to just dining felt like a waste of space. It's a bit more of an intimate space to sit in than the living room. I've done this now in three different dining rooms in New York."

Later in the article, she expands the thought, "Less formal, more realistic. I don't think anybody feels that there's anything inferor about having dinner in a room that's not entirely devoted to dining." She says the space should be able to adapt to big parties, but that these cozy corners are perfect for real, day-to-day life, when a couple friends drop by.

Which is much more common than big parties.

Day-to-day life is exactly what we were thinking of when we swapped our dining room and living room. The dining room was actually a nook in the kitchen - when we worked with our architect to design our addition,

we asked for a dining room/kitchen combo.

I was more shocked than anybody to find that not only did we not use that open dining room, I kind of hated it. Invariably, one of two things happened: either we had friends over casually and there weren't enough good places to sit, or we had a fancy dinner that ended with everybody staring at the dishes in the sink, since it was fully visible from the dining table.

So two summers ago, we decided to go for the swap (at the same time, we bought an amazing round dining table). While it's a little odd that when you walk in our front door, you're standing in the dining room, it's worth it. We eat in the dining room every night now and when friends are over for dinner, we can sit around the table talking, without the pressure of dirty dishes looming over the party.

Plus, now we have this, the lounge: 

That's in the kitchen (and it's an old photo - these days the flat surfaces are a little more

dressed up and we have a cool Danish chair in the corner).

We call it the lounge and we use it constantly, to read, to hang out, to chat with friends. 

It's perfect.

So, sofas in the dining room? Yep, I'm on board. 

Trendy: Coral

It's so summery and dangerously close to Tangerine Tango (aka the Pantone color of 2012).

So it's no wonder that coral - the color and the shape - is everywhere right now.

On dresses:

[Caitlyn long dress by Devin Baer]

On my toes, as we speak:

[California Coral by Essie]

On the wall:

[Virginia Johnson print from Stampa]

In necklace form:

[Coral Collector by Elva Fields]

[Orange branch coral necklace by KEP Designs]

On Jenna Lyons' lips (presumably):

[Poppy King for J. Crew lipstick]

In Kate Spade-Meets-Chanel form:

[Gold Coast - Meadow shoulder bag by Kate Spade]

On the table with navy and gold - and seriously,

this combination is just winning my heart, all around:

[Table by JL Designs]

Fashion Week Invites: So Inspiring

Back in my younger days, I used to devour every issue of Wallpaper - it made me feel oh so sophisticated. These days, I barely glance at the email newsletter before I delete it. I gave this week's more of a look, though, and I'm glad I did, since it included a link to this slideshow of interesting Fashion Week invitations.

If there's one thing I love, it's creative stationery.

Overall, I was surprised by how traditional most of the invitations were (though they were all very pretty).
Some of my favorites:

Louis Vuitton's luggage tag (useful!) and pretty script:

Prada printed their invitation on the inside of the envelope - cool.

And I love that purple:

Roger Viver's invitation fanned out to show cut-outs of various Paris landmarks,

plus a Roger Vivier shoe:

The front of Acne's invitation is clean, and I love the yellow:

But it's the comparison of the modern front and traditional back that really get me.

Plus, gorgeous blue-green:

If only we all sent pretty, interesting invitations more often. The world would be a happier place, don't you think?

Want: Champagne Label Invitations

Crane & Co. just posted a Facebook link to this gorgeousness:

The invitation was designed by St. Gertrude Design & Letterpress, out of Brisbane, Australia, for a client's 30th birthday party (and the red script says "thirty is the new twenty" en francais). The whole story, plus more pictures, are at Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Oh so beautiful is right. Champagne labels are so fabulous - I can't think of anything else that fills me more with anticipation. Anticipation of what? Oh, the kind of elegant night out that I never really have. But that's not the point now, is it?