to market we will go ...
I'll be off the blogging map the next few days to cover the New York Tabletop market (It's Fashion Week for tables, as my friend describes it). It's four days full of gorgeous china and stemware and flatware, oh my! I'll be posting some of the highlights from the market next week. So until then, have a great weekend!
xxx
red hot shop
Tord Boontje's holiday tabletop collection at
Target is so pretty and, as to be expected, really affordable! A few of the pieces are already available online, but the rest of the products (including the chic wine glasses and striking serving platter) will be rolling out in the next few weeks.
xxx
puddle jumper
These cute Mary Jane rain boots from
Uncommon Goods just make me smile! They're the perfect gift for the little girl on your list who loves her shiny party shoes, and refuses to wear anything else. They're available with pink or white "tights" for $30.
xxx
clean as new
Today, I attended a wonderful lunch event to celebrate the release of chef Charlie Palmer's new cookbook
Charlie Palmer's Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen. As to be expected, the book is filled with really easy, delicious recipes (definitely try the shrimp tempura and tuna tartare!) and beautiful food photography--but the truly cool part is that the entire cookbook is completely waterproof. It's made from a material known as DuraBook, which feels just like regular paper but it's stainproof; it can be wiped clean if you turn a page with, say, chocolate or chorizo on your fingers. And at this lunch, we all reverted back into toddler finger painters as we dropped dollops of ketchup, avacado relish and lemon tarte all over the pages and smeared them around. And after a quick swipe of the napkin across the pages, the mess was gone and our cookbooks returned to new. I also tried ripping and tearing the paper (obviously had a lot of pent up frustration to get out) but it wouldn't give. Charlie said that the cookbooks could even be put through the dishwasher and they would come out just fine. Now if I could only get myself a dishwasher ...
xxx
french revival
I seem to be in a Paris state of mind lately (maybe it's all the Marie Antoinette mania going around). So once again let's take a culinary walk down French memory lane. In addition to my heavenly stop at
Fauchon while visiting Paris a few years ago, my best friend and I also took a delicious afternoon break at the must-visit teahouse
Ladurée. Favorite of favorites, Ladurée's macaroons are what makes them so very famous: crisp discs of ground almonds with a soft middle, sandwiched together with flavored cream. They're served festooned with raspberries, pistachio cream and other good things. I developed an obsession for their bitter chocolate macaroons and, of course, the ambiance and decadent decor. The years have passed and Ladurée and those macaroons still take up valuable space in my memory!
Well, it seems only right that while planning for the film "Marie Antoinette," Sofia Coppola asked Ladurée to be the movie's exclusive pastry consultants, where their beautiful creations feature prominently in many scenes. Ladurée fits in perfectly with the themes of decadence, excess and pleasure which so characterize Marie Antoinette's legacy.
xxx
all swept up
Karim Rashid must love a clean floor—first it was the Dirt Devil
Kone hand-vac, and now he's designed this fun
Onda broom and dustpan set that looks more like a work of art than the grungy stick you stash behind the door. Love it!
And while on the topic of Karim Rashid, I still covet his
bookshelves with convex curves. What a great way to make as much of statement with your shelving as with the items you're displaying.
xxx
soft landing
I first saw these pretty felt-weave wool pillows from
Mogwaii Design at the New York Gift Show earlier this year, and immediately loved their simple yet elegant tactile style. Recently, Mogwaii designer Sarah Campbell launched a fashion collection called
Tickle that translates and incorporates the style of her home collection into scarves, cushions, throws, tablewear and bags. I especially love her chic take on polkadot throws.
xxx
bosom buddies
These wool
Buddy Throws designed by La Tete Au Cube make me laugh! They're so simple and yet brilliantly cheeky. Le sigh.
xxx
let there be light
This past Saturday, Hindus around the world celebrated the holiday of
Diwali, known as The Festival of Lights. During Diwali, the Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) is believed to visit all homes that are well lit, so families light hundreds of candles and place them in windows to guide her to them. People also decorate the ground entrance to their homes with elaborate, intricate geometrical patterns called
Rangoli as a sign of warmth and hospitality for the many guests that will be stopping by with homemade sweets and new year greetings. The beautiful rangoli designs are created using all edible items like rice flour, pulse and leaves, with a powder dye used to fill in the design. Most of the designs are circular symbolizing a sense of endlessness of time. Happy Diwali, everyone!
xxx
under foot
Oscar de la Renta's new rug designs are really beautiful. The rugs are available in many colors, or in a custom color your dream up. The Dhurrie collection starts at $30 per square foot, and the Tibetans start at $80 per square foot, and are sold through
elson & company.
xxx
sweet treat
Mmm ... how cute are these
Krispy Kreme doughnuts all decked out for Halloween? They're the classic yeast-raised doughnuts that Krispy Kreme is known for, but are cut into pumpkin shapes, coated with creamy orange icing and stamped with a jack-o-lantern face. Adorable, and no doubt delicious!
xxx
