So I didn’t quite manage the holiday decorating photos that I mentioned I’d be working on over the weekend. It rained yesterday and Saturday turned into an explosion of errand running. I did however find another alternative Christmas tree to add to our collection - it’s this very cute bonsai tree from Martha Stewart’s Living. I think it’s really magical and beautiful. Also love the gorgeous wallpaper behind it.
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So I was reading this clever website called Ariadne at Home the other night – well since it’s in Dutch, Google was loosely translating for me so I was mostly just looking at the pictures – when I came across this image of this clever “tree”. I love the way it fits in with the elegant furniture and light palette of the room so I grabbed it and saved it on my desktop.
Then I was looking through some of the chairs that West Elm has on their site and came across the two clever trees below – one looks like it’s painted on the wall, but it could be a decal, with some Styrofoam ornaments strung on yarn between the branches. The other is a real Blue Spruce branch cleverly fixed to the wall (I’m guessing you might be able to do this with a flag holder mounted upside down). This branch makes me a little sad – the other morning I woke up and a Black Pine Tree that I’d planted a few years back (that was doing so well) had snapped clean in two in an overnight storm. Really broke my heart…sob, sob. It really did.
So I also came across the BuroTree (below) on Apartment Therapy – this was popular a few years ago but went out of production for one reason or another. Now it’s back and is still just as super cool. The company is based in Australia but I believe these may be available in the US. They come in a range of sizes from gigantic, to tabletop. Makes me think of the cool decorations I remember hanging around the house that my folks had – they’d been designed in the ’50’s and ’60’s and always had such a hip, Sammy Davis Junior, Frank Sinatra air about them.
And last, but deliciously not least is this really clever tree that All the Luck in the World (from the Netherlands – do you detect a subtle theme here?) made by hanging interesting objects she’d collected over the years on a wall. So so so cool makes me want to try this too – even though I’ve already put up my tree. Just love this.
So this coming weekend I fully intend to go around and photograph some of the Christmas decorations around New England. For some reason it seems like people have really gone all out this year – tons of lights (although I probably won’t be able to capture those) and also pineapples, wreaths, garlands, bows, other fruits. I want to also video my horses playing in the snow – which may be difficult since we don’t have any on tap for the a few days. They were out playing the other day in it and they looked so amazing that I simply have to share it.
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I’ve been loving this book Weekend Retreats by Susanna Salk
Weekend Retreats features inspiring and well designed rooms ranging in style from modern country to rustic woodland – each seemingly more inspirational than the next. Below are a few pages to give you a feel for the warm and eclectic styling.
The launch of the book was celebrated with a fab party at one of my all time favorite florists, Floral Art in Los Angeles recently – below is a look at the event. I absolutely love the pressed orchid chairs and the shaded chandeliers.
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I thought it was pretty fitting that we got our first snow over the weekend while I was putting up Christmas decorations (photos to follow). Nice and light but really pretty when the sun first hit it on Sunday morning. I just love the texture of these shots.
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This is a brilliant flavor combo – salty ridged potato chips gently dipped in milk chocolate. It’s a little crunchy and wildly addictive. I first tasted these a few weeks ago when I was in a local candy store picking out some goodies. They were selling for about $10.50 a package which had about 12 chips each ~ a little pricey I thought.
So I figured it couldn’t be too difficult to just make these at home – at first melting the chocolate the old fashioned way over a double boiler was what I envisioned – but then I spotted the Baker’s Dipping Chocolate about $4.99 – microwavable and perfect for the task. So one bag of Ruffles married with the Baker’s goodness yielded enough chocolate chip wonderfulness for a good amount of snacking and gifting to neighbors and friends.
Simply microwave the chocolate till it’s soft and liquid and dip away, one chip at a time. Resist the temptation to thickly coat each chip ~ just one reasonable dip for 1 or 2 seconds will get the right flavor combo. Also, the chocolate really wants to adhere to anything it’s come into contact with as it dries so be sure to let these set up on waxed paper or they will break when you remove them.
Of course purists will want to make their potato chips from scratch – the ridged style is really what makes this recipe work – that, and a very light cooking oil so as not to interfere with the chocolate flavor.
Wrap a dozen or so up in a pretty bag and give with a holiday card to your friends for a little holiday pick me up – they’ll love you.
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Have you checked out The Selby lately? I think it’s interesting how one photographer, much like The Sartorialist has done for fashion, is single-handedly changing the way interiors are photographed. There’s a gorgeous photo spread of model / muse Ines de la Fressange in her super chic (and pink) apartment that is just fabulous – here are a few pics but be sure to see the whole collection on The Selby.
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Love this video about Tsunami Glassworks. It was made awhile back when the company was first getting started but I adore designers Eva Milinkovic and Kriston Gene’s dedication to their art.
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I love this look – it reminds me of a pair of favorite blue jeans that I’ve had for years – I’ve embroidered, embellished and worn them in until they really are amazing. It seems as though that sort of “blue jean creative” comfort level can be a challenge to create in a room. Here I’ve collected a few of the newer offerings from Tsunami Glassworks, Anthropologie, and Thomas Paul that I just love! Have any rooms that have this look? Please add your links or images below!
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