in situ photo shoot

we are working with elements of style blogger erin gates on a photo shoot this spring/summer. the plan is to have it fun, glam, colorful, and kate spade-y. this is a new tray that we will feature in the shoot. we have never had a project like this one and i am really excited about the whole process.

plate wall

every season as we design new patterns we try them out on a plate..it is the easiest weay we have discovered to figure out whether or not the pattern is going to make it into a collection.
it is for this reason that we have an enormous collection of plates both big and small..and today i took a pic of the plates lying on the floor..because i thought i would try to create a decorative wall of them in the studio.

decorating agony:{somebody help me!}

lately i have been all hot and bothered about dealing with the sadness that is my apartment decor..again. this is a perennial problem..and again it has reared it's ugly head! so now, i am worrying about our hallway..and i don't think it's that healthy to worry over one's hallway this much..but what can i say..i obsess.a year or so ago i decided that the milk colored paint had to go..and i would die if i didn't get an hermes orange glossy hallway! after dosing the walls with many hideous shades of orange..my loving spouse took it upon himself to just throw some dark blue paint up there..a kind friend said it was very yves saint laurent..but my guru chris declared it heinous! heinous?! oh no! now my instinct..as the space has almost no natural light is to go with this (above) sort of look from sixx design (nota bene..we already have all the family photos up) just add white paint and stir..but then that would be too easy..right?
i also thought about pale blue/aqua which is pretty..but is it babyish?
chris says it's time to put some great graphic wallpaper up..put a mirror right as you walk in..and surround the mirror with the photos.
i love his idea..and to wit..i just got a mirror on spec to try but i am tempted by other options..love me some stripes..but this is very 80's right?
and this orla stair is super cute..but too cute for a city apartment.

and here is a david hicks paper in a hall..but i worry it might make me feel sick. chris is also suggesting a fun mettalic grass cloth and a graphic runner..maybe one of mine? somebody help me!

preppy girls

a few summers ago i spent a few days at a yacht club trunk show in an uber prep town on the cape, and i literally thought i had landed in brigadoon..i mean i was a true fish out of water.
i kept wondering why i felt something vaguely stepford was going on until it hit me smack over the head..it was those darn jacks!
absolutely every woman was wearing them..and now i can see why..jackie gave them her stamp of approval in the 60's and ever since they are de riguer for the prepster gals all the world over...who knew?

preppy boys

i went to prep school..but it really wasn't really very prep-py..aesthetically speaking. it was at hamilton college..my alma mater that i got the full on dose of pure frat boy prepsterdom. and on some level i gloried in the whole thing..not really being truly a part of the whole thing..i would say i had a crush on it all. the other night we watched "dead poets society" and the vibe came back to me.
i gotta say i love this look on the boys. they look uber cute. tommy hilfiger clearly cannot get enough either...i mean look at him..he is scaring me!
is there something vaguely porn about this?

Sharon Stone's Ginger style in [Casino]

hello sharon!! last night casino was on IFC..
and this is one nasty lifestyle depicted here in this flick..ok? i mean sharon is one coked up drunken s*&t storm..a mom who ties her daughter to the bed just cause she wants to step out for a bit is not ok..
but the outfits killed. and the only person here to give her a run for her money was monsieur deniro looking crazy great in all his color coordinated smooth guy looks..hooray for the costume peeps..holla!

the big flower thing is {killing me}

in the beginning there was this..and then this happened..
which natch-ur-al-mente led to this..i mean inevitable!
and finalment we have senor adler's wall flower? really? come on!

eddie izzard's hilarious death star canteen

my friend david sent this to me..it is really really good..and i have never seen it!

R Rated

this afternoon my daughter and her friend eshani ( who are both 12)wanted to hang out in our "city" neighborhoodof boston's back bay, by themselves!

i told them that when i was 12 i used to hang out "downtown" with my friends in nyc, and go to bloomies..which at the time was the BOMB!!

i also remembered that when i was 12, i went to see the movie Shampoo starring warren beatty and julie christie and goldie hawn..(who is that mom?..uhhhhm kate hudson's mom!! hahahaaha!!) but the part that made it beyond excitement was that it was R Rated, and we thought we were so smart getting IN to the show by telling the ticket seller that "my mom" is meeting us here. i mean..come on! so cool! all i remember about the movie was how gorgeous warren was in those days..and that this was a super RACY movie..which meant YES for us!

the work of Lawrence McRae :brilliant designer {my husband}

it turns out i am married to a great designer..who is also very cute..and who quit smoking today! whaaaaat?

he designs and makes perfectly magnigicent pieces here in the studio with his own two hands.

people wonder how he makes his pieces look so perfect. easy. the guy is a virgo. nuff said.

all of lawrence's work starts out as a either a cast or handthrown clay piece.

after the pieces come out of the molds, or have been removed from the potter's wheel..they sp[end a bit of time resting..

after which they are individually carved with these magical patterns.


these things take years to finish..not really..but you know what i mean..we never see the guy. he is always carving. ahhhh what we do for our art!

new monogram tray color combo {turq+tang}

it was so g-d gloomy today, i thought i would bring you this super happy monogram tray in a fun and peppy color combination of turquoise and tangerine.
formula: this tray + glee on pandora = smiley face

having fun with blogs

today i had the funnest thing happen thanks to the blogosphere. my website is coming along swimmingly..though it is not quite all there yet..it def has possibilities. one of the cooler things about managing it is that when i sign in i get to see how much traffic has come my way and why..you know..who sent them over. this am i had the pleasure of learning about the very adorable marita of Kipling House who wrote one of THE most lovely stories of finding our work through friends. let us just say through much flattery i was mega-charmed. and then after a couple of emails..we had a long long blab via the telephone! that old faithful of 20th century technologies..and we had a very fun chat..helllooo marita.

and during our chat..marita introduced me to jenny of my favorite and my best who bravely drops the f bomb with with glorious abandon not to mention all the other fab and furious honest lingo she lets fly without holding back..wow the internetto! i love you. enjoy this story about jenny working on her bod using some new dvd's..i am tempted to give it a whirl having started a rigorous workout program (not that rigorous jill )of my own for the last few months..her butt looks cute..but then again i never saw the before shots!

Seious Artist [Bob Tannen]

i love nothing more than a real honest to goodness kook..these are my favorite people on this green earth...just ask my dad. well, my froiend erica's daddy is one great example. here he presents his washing away machine representing the disasters in both japan and new orleans. enjoy him.

chevron rugs at highpoint

here are a couple more pix from the highpoint show..the chevron looks so boss..no?

movie star {crush} on russell brand

the last movie star crush was a long time ago on jason schwartzman who was decidedly delicious as in rushmore. i am having those feelings all over again, and i know i have good taste..watch and enjoy!

Lookbooks

lizzie (studio/design/web assistant par excellence) has been trying to teach me the art of the lookbook for the new website..here is my first go at a buckley chevron lookbook.

4 weeks of dinner {recipes+shopping lists = genius}

how often do you think to yourself..oy! time to make dinner? what..again? aren't you just so sick of making dinner? ok so you're a saint! you looove making dinner for your family..but not me! no way Giuseppe!

so..back in september i noticed that real simple magazine had printed a 4 week dinner menu plan with recipes..photos..and shopping lists! oh i love you so much i think i wanna marry you!

so ok it took me until now ( 5 months..not bad)to start it..but it is so great. i take the list to the market..and i don't have to think, or be creative! yay! and then i come home on monday with everything i will need for 5 nights of dinners. and not only are the different than anything i would have ever dreamed up on my own..my family loves me for giving them something yummy and NEW! the big thing is that i have given you a link to the recipes, photos etc on the real simple website..but if you can get a reprint from the mag i highly recommend it..as it is so much prettier!

Jill Rugs {debut} at highpoint

hellloooooo gorgeous!

yesterday, i woke up to these great shots taken by interior designer james light in the surya showroom down in highpoint north carolina. oh glory hallelujah!

literally, we have been waiting years for this moment..and i am truly giddy.

i was promised more shots later this week..but i thought these were fun for the moment!

sooo..stay tuned for the next installment..and let me know what you think of these!