michelle obama rocks {alexander mcqueen}

props to michelle,not only is she a brilliant first lady, but she sure knows how to wear a dress..i think she looks stunning here at the recent state dinner..do not listen to the haters..you are the bomb.

the 11th hour

this always happens when we get ready for the gift show..an amazing idea is presented (this time it came from the incomparable erin gates) and we scramble to get 'er done. erin introduced us to donna at fabricadabra thinking that it would be "amazeballs!" to pair one of lawrence's simple white lamp forms with an ikat shade. i love love the idea..and i am getting more than excited about it. donna has promised to get us a couple of pieces of fabric by friday, and we will see if we can jerryrig a shade in time. we will keep you updated..

pieces coming out of the kiln

more things are emerging from the kiln that are going to the show, and so i thought i would share them with you. the bowl above is a new style from hubs lawrence mcrae, and it is shown here in a gorgeous ocean color.
..finally..our casbah chain vases (after much a do) finito, and wonderful.
and finally these hampton links vases..the turquois e one in the back is a new color and a new larger size..and the taupe is another new sleek color. i am loving the lavender tones in this color.

getting ready

my life this week has been a lot of little slippery pieces of stuff being twisted around with my fingers while lying on my back on the floor of our studio..and for any of you who have put up shelving from ikea..you know that this can be a b*&%!! but oh the satisfaction when it all starts coming together!
so now that the time is really dwindling away i thought i would share some process pics with you. and give you a sneak preview of what we will be showing in nyc..above the finished casbah vases..and below our gabor print..so so sunny!!
below a new turquoise color way for our popular suzani pattern
and 2 new colorways for our sleek monogram trays
the movie below will give you a real lfe version of how it looks right now..and later i will share the finished looks..stay tuned..

pablo and rana rochat

my old friend rana is a painter with a huge following, and you can see why..her encaustic work is very beautiful, and i believe if you want one of her paintings you might have to get on line. i had heard that her son pablo had gone off to RISD to pursue an art career..so i thought i would go online and check out his work..and i was delighted with what i found.
..not only did he design an i phone app for MoMA but he made this fun and refreshing art video..enjoy!

pencil & paper from Pablo Rochat on Vimeo.

more fashion from the globes..

i couldn't resist continuing with my analysis of the globes fashion, just because it's all so delicious.. and i would love to hear your feedback! so here is clare danes in a pink-y number from calvin that i loved on her..i thought that she looked clean and modern and sleek..not to mention her fantastic performance as the amazing temple grandin..hoorah!
jennifer love hewitt..hmmm..i don't get her and i don't get this dress at all..waaaay to origami pour moi.
woah! nic!? what up? this dress is so so scary uptight and sad..oh how i wish my satine from moulin rouge would show up one of these days..now she was something!
natalie..i know you're pregnant and the new it girl that hollywood cannot get enough of..but what is this thing? ohhh well..who cares? she's perfect, so it doesn't matter.
eva longoria..blech..i do not get her at all. i see she is popular, and a babe..but it's lost on me!
helena..you're killing me with the one green shoe, and the one red shoe..and the super kooky dress..you cannot help but think she is having herself a big fat laugh! i say let your freak flag fly girl..you go!
julianne..somehow you look super shlumpy with your necklace holding op this whole shmeggeggy outfit..and why did she look like she had just put on new contactys all night..hmmm..at least the thing is pink!
oy with leah michele..isn't she twelve? why is she wearing this thing for old ladies..i don't think she has a clue!
my thea thought michelle williams looked embarrassing in this daisy dress...but i liked it..cute..fun!
and this white thing on j lo with the poncho cape-y top was really the worst..all i can say is WHY?

golden globes wrap up!

ok..so i don't mind admitting that i just love awards season..for the whole pomp and circumstance, and ritual worshipping of hollywood glitteratti..but most of all..yes..i am shallow! for the fashion. but..once again i admit that though i don't understand fashion, i don't mind havinga big opinion about it all. so to begin here's anne looking odd if you ask me, with leg'o mutton sleeves..those again? no i don't get it and i do not think it is very flattering..but i do love her!
here's leighton (help! who is she?) wearing more leg'o mutton (obviously a new! trend) in a fabric that looks vaguely like cheap ultra suede..like the stuff they sell at jennifer convertibles..i'm thinking renaissance fair..
ok..scarlett..sparkly with bell sleeves..i'm thinking petticoat junction..sorry!
my glamorous and beautiful cousin kyra sitting pretty in tangerine.
i thought that this oscar de la renta was amazing on piper..balanced and elegant.
here's christina in a very western bordello look..super mae west-ish..perhaps this is her goal..hmm
this is emma stone (no idea) looking chic..in a simple peach thing by calvin..peach and no jewelry really..2 trends..i thought she looked interesting and clean.
this is very cool on jennifer lawrence..a louis vuitton frock in black with lots of texture..but i am thinking she might look good working the same saloon with all the other gals..perhaps western bordello style is in!
here is amy adams (love her) looking plain silly if you ask me! too much big business going on.
and halle..sorry she is too too gorgeous for this world..looking cheesy in this mullett style gown.
and finally angelina..in green leg'o mutton..send her to the renaissance fair with leighton..woopsy..more tomorrow!

new shoes!

i am sure, as you can imagine, that if i were to go in for the classic "little black dress" then it wouldn't be long until i would own a" little black pump "to go along with it! so..dear friends, that's exactly what i did this afternoon. i marched over to my "go to" shoe store Cuoio on newbury street, where my old friend Pat is happy to help me with any odd demand i might have. normally, i would assume that my new dresses would ultimately be paired with one of my many pairs of boots (from cuoio)..but style mistress mimi is demanding, "heels, heels, heels!" i suppose it is finally time to look like a lady! so here it is..the final choice.. a luscious pair of patent pumps by anyi lu..very cute..right?

loving: {edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros}

i find this music and the band amazingly refreshing, and i adore their sound! talk about magnetic..this guy's got it!



..and apparently the world loves them too..i mean this cover kills me!

the little black dress

last night, law and i went over to saks for a shopping playdate which we have never done. we got him some cute ( walker dark wash from j brand) jeans for the show (finally) and he picked this dress out for me. i am really not one for the little black dress, much preferring pattern and color..fearful that i will somehow not appear chic at all, but rather somehow look like an old greek widow. ah well..such is life. it is hard to argue with this fabulous little wrap from lady miss diane (von furstenburg)..i think it will work for the trade show..but now..what shoes?

update on:{skinny vases}

last week i posted about the derivation of our new concept for spring: the skinny vase. it all started with this drawing..now it was time to make the drawing into a real live piece!
the result was very "meh" to say the least..wah! often this happens..when i do a drawing i think..oh genius! let's go! but by the same token..just as often the genius concept turns out to be a bust, as in this case..and so in a way it was back to the drawing board. our next thought was to fit the long shape with an adapted key that we could merchandise with our other key forms from last season..the result [below] is not that bad, but notgreat either...hmm..what to do?

i never say no to a morroccan tile, and we thought that this would suit the shape, but something said keep going.
so in the next case we fattened up the shapes and changed the proportions for a very pleasing result..
but5 when we placed it on the thinner longer form the proportions looked funny..so at this point we are still searching for the perfect fit..oh the trials!!
stay tuned for a final result in the coming week!

chuck taylors {for you by you}

christmas morning my neices busted open boxes of brand new personalized converse sneakers that they had "designed" themselves online! i mean..have you ever? last night, thea, after announcing that she "needed" these pants/shoes, took us to the converse website where you can "design" your own sneakers.
they give you a zillion blank canvases to choose from because sneaker people are very passionate and picky!
then you move on to the really fun part where you have a bout 14 different choices to make..like what color/pattern canvas you might like your tongue/body to be, the stitching color,the rubber,..even your lace eyelets..wow! i was very blown away, and my kids had a blast picking, choosing, rejecting, and choosing again..to make a truly original final result. the piece de resistance is that you can have your name printed by the achilles heel..way cool dude!
unfortunately for me, i prefer the white old fashioned original style jack purcells which as anyone can see are way more chic!

cupcake hell

i am not positive how it started..but i am pretty sure we have carrie and the sex and the city girls to blame for the continuing craze of the dreaded cupcake! oh these babies are everywhere. i will swear that i have at least 5 cupcake shops in my neighborhood, and not a bakery in sight. jeez! can a girl buy a decent loaf of bread?
don't get me started! je cannot stand them! too dry! too much icing! and hey! what was wrong with cake in the first place! cake i like! cake is a commitment i can stick to!
oh i get it. they're small, they're pretty, and for a control freak..perfection. "this is MY cupcake! all mine! all my way! get away from MY cupcake"..oh.. i get it.
but stop. cupcakes are too cute pour moi. too popular. my darling friend chris made wonderful red velvet ones with thea for new years and i crushed him when i went on and on whining about the stupid cupcakes. too dry. too much icing. (too much red dye)
oh..let me eat cake!