So long, 2008!

Here's wishing you a shiny, sparkling, colorful, festive and, of course, safe New Year's Eve! 

Personally, I wish I was going to a place tonight that allowed me to wear something as utterly ebullient as these dresses from Christian Lacroix's 2009 RTW collection....

And for 2009, one of my (minor) resolutions will be to wear gorgeous evening sandals with an ankle-load of sparkly baubles....

Green and Blue

I mentioned Sharon Montrose and her beautiful animal portraits a couple weeks ago. Recently I came across a tour of her house here and was immediately smitten. Shades of green and blue are my favorite for the house, and she makes use of these colors liberally. The bathroom, with its glossy tiles and playful wallpaper, and the kitchen, with the delicious carrera marble, are both to die for.

On my mind...

I've got coffee tables on the mind. Kevin and I are still searching for a new one for our living room, but hopefully we will find something we like this weekend. We are going to check out this great antiques shop near Atlantic City on Saturday... I'm crossing my fingers that they will have something we like. Now we are looking for round, but if rectangular worked for us (and if we could afford it!) I would totally want this Jonathan Adler "Montmartre" table. The arrows are so cool and I love the mirrored surface. Fantastic.

Image via Jonathan Adler (and p.s., they have some great new goodies in the sale section)

Can't Wait...

...to hang the new Etsy prints that Kevin and I received for Christmas! His family generously gifted me with the goat photographs, and I gave Kevin the supernatural animal prints...

And my super-talented fella also made me these fantastic prints that he created from some of our favorite photos. I think they are so cool and will be perfect hanging in our house.  I'm a lucky girl to have such a creative guy!

I Heart Fifi

Fifi Lapin is my favorite fashionable bunny. I've always wanted one of her pictures but haven't been lucky enough yet. Maybe when she gets back from vacation I will get myself a little gift. She would be a perfect addition to the wall in my dressing room...

From top: Fifi in Tory Burch, Sonia Rykiel, Moschino, Catherine Malandino and Marni

All images via Fifi Lapin

Luxe Organic

Another of my favorite Philly boutiques is the lovely Bruges Home, located in my old stomping ground of Old City. They carry a spectacularly well-curated array of furniture and decorative home accessories, all with an organic element about them. I love drooling over the pressed butterflies suspended under glass cloches, the perfect coffee table books, and as always the large selection of John Derian goods. If you are ever in Philadelphia, it is a shopping must. And for those of you outside the area, they have a comprehensive e-commerce site. Here are some more tantalizing images from their store...

All images via Bruges Home

Get this book...

Love this book! By far the best style "instruction manual" I have ever come across, "How to Have Style" features brilliant advice from one of our great American fashion designers, Isaac Mizrahi. Beautiful photography and bright, clean layouts, with tips for a wide range of ages and body types. Get it at Amazon for a mere $19 - it will be well worth the inspiration. I haven't been able to stop looking at it...

Cocktail Rings

My big jewelry obsession right now is cocktail rings. They are so glam, and it's fun to pile them on for extra impact. I've been wearing three at once - a raw amethyst, a sapphire and turquoise cabachon cluster in a honeycomb setting by Pade Vavra, and an antique dark blue topaz in a branch setting. Added to this grouping is another gorgeous piece by Pade Vavra - the peridot cluster ring in the foreground - given to me by my wonderful boyfriend for Xmas. 

There are so many fabulous options out there at every price point. If I could wear a ring on each finger I would. Here are some of my current favorites...

Rings from top: topaz cluster, Anthropologie; enamel "Arty Dots" ring, Yves Saint Laurent; Noir crystal elephant, Anthropologie; amethyst dome, Anthropologie; sapphire stalactite, Pade Vavra; "Angel Aura" crystal ring, Mali Sabatasso; peridot and sapphire peacock, Pade Vavra; faceted amethyst, Lera de Marini

Oh, and p.s., the gold swan dish was found for $1 at the thrift store and the beaded ikat clutch is by Moyna

Home Sweet Home

I hope you all had a very merry holiday last week!!  I missed posting while I was gone, but it was so lovely to relax and spend time with my family down in Alabama.

Now that I am back, my fella and I are focusing on all things house-related. There is a significant list it seems - new shelving for the bathroom, finding a new coffee table for the living room, and possibly adding a tile backsplash in the kitchen. Yesterday we managed to find a home for our marlin friend in the master bedroom (I love that he is a bit weathered on the tail but still has a shiny and colorful fin!) One item checked off the list...

Happy Holidays!

I'm heading south to Birmingham tomorrow to spend the week with my family. My posting will be limited until December 29, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry holiday! I hope for all of you that the remainder of the year is filled with friends, family, food and fun...

Image: David Stark for O at Home

Sweet Animals

I know they are not new, but I can't get over these lovely handmade animals and objects by Tamar Morgendorf. Just looking at them makes me happy, particularly that darling little greyhound. While pricey, they are like little works of art. Inspiring as well...they make me want to round up all my vintage scraps and start sewing.

FYI, the artist created some delightful little bird cage ornaments this year (the smallest version seen above) and they are oh-so-reasonably priced at $32! They would look lovely on a Christmas tree or even hanging in a window all year long. Available at Petulia's Folly (my fave Philly boutique!)

Images via Tamar Morgendorf

Bright Blazers

If I were finished with my holiday shopping, I would pick up one of these adorable, eye-popping jackets from the sale section at J.Crew.  What great prices! This Astrid boucle jacket is the perfect lady-like topper for a pair of jeans or khakis.  It comes in green too....

This metallic number has also been catching my eye. So chic! Maybe Santa is still listening...

And finally, this one is sold out currently, but items have a tendency to reappear in their sale section.  So the stalking continues...

Minko the Bear

Intergalactic animal space travelers, via The Cellophanes on Etsy. A good gift for a boy, don't you think?

Striped Awnings

I am crazy about black and white stripes, and the idea of doing them on house awnings is something I love even more.  I wish we had the right house for the look, but alas we do not.

Anna Spiro over at Absolutely Beautiful Things has the perfect house for it though, as seen here.  If you haven't already checked out her total home renovation featured the other day, you really should do so.  It's pretty fantastic...

Stripes as seen from the inside...

Images via Absolutely Beautiful Things

Coveting...

...these beauties from Melissa Joy Manning.  And by the way, this one is total perfection...

Pretty Prints...{Made by Michelle Brusegaard}

A newly designed 2009 calendar plus some other pretty items from Michelle Brusegaard... 

Mirror, mirror...

People often ask me where the mirror over my entry table came from.  I don't mind saying that it was discovered (via my friend Lisa) for a very reasonable price on Wal-Mart.com.  The gold is currently out-of-stock, but the darker finish can be had as we speak...  

Announcement Preview

I've been working with my fabulous designer Cheyenne (of LoveLeigh) on a set of announcement cards for my recently-launched event planning business.  Above is the finished design...cute don't you think?!  They are not being sent out until the new year, but I couldn't help but give a preview.  The cards are 7 x 5 on a glossy stock and I have some pretty cool ideas for packaging and mailing.  More to come on that.  Meanwhile, here's the back of the card which lists the various services I provide...