barely there

one of the most loved gifts i've ever received was this necklace from my sister and brother-in-law. i love it because it's so perfectly delicate and barely there, but has a little glimmer and falls just perfectly. because i love it so, so much, my husband bought me the matching bracelet as a sweet surprise for channukah. normally, i'm not one for matchy matchy or things in sets, but because these pieces are so subtle and quietly lovely, i love wearing them both. and i do...every single day.

 

i've been loving initial jewelry lately, and last week on a business trip, i admired this lovely initial necklace that had that barely there quality. i particularly love the way the certain letters (like the H and the N) which are suspended on a bias and looked just perfect. 

you can also get them with more than one letter (perfect for one's own initials or those of children), and also with numbers. and of course, the bracelets are as dainty as the necklaces.

while i totally love huge, flashy jewelry (i'll gladly admit that), my love for that kind of bling is rivaled only for my love of this kind of delicate perfection...like whispered bling. love it.

flex your wrist

have you seen flex watches? i love them! they don't ship until feb 1st but what a nice spot of brightness in the cold winter to look forward to! they're fun and playful, sporty and sleek. and they support good causes - eleven of them! 

the watches (only $30 each) come in eleven colors and each supports a different cause - gray is for imerman angels,  red is for mariners outreach, blue, which is my favorite, is for nika water. oooh and i love the black too. i love all of them, really. especially this light blue one. i guess i'd be a good candidate for the ten pack. the ten pack would be a great way to save $5 per for next year's holiday gifts or bridesmaids gifts. or for oneself. there's always that too...

they also sell just the bands for $15, so you could opt for the white or gray watch (silver face) and then get a few different color bands that would work with those faces. the possibilities are pretty much endless.

salty and sweet

are you being hosted this weekend? hostess gifts can be both easy to shop for and hard...on one hand, there are several quick, easy wins. a bottle of wine, a bunch of beautiful flowers, or a nicely presented plant can't go wrong and i'm a big fan of all those options. but then there are the times you want to go a little different. for times like that, i love the idea i saw on my baking addiction of giving homemade vanilla sea salt. 

first, i think it's beyond lovely to give something you made, and what's different about this is that it's not a batch of brownies or a cake that's eaten and then over that day, one and done. this is more of a slow burn - something that can be kept in the pantry of the recipient and used many different ways over many weeks and months, and each time they taste it and discover a new use for the salty and sweet treat, they'll think of you and the lovely hosts they were on the night they got it from you. i love that! 

 

if you're not fancy with a crafting tool that makes perfect labels, which is like a different language to me, i think a plain paper tag (even one neatly cut from a grocery bag) with a hand-scrawled "vanilla sea salt" is kind of more charming. and this way, there's no mistaking who made it...from your kitchen to theirs.

layers of love

the isla layered necklace from sarah chloe is, i think, my very favorite incarnation of the initials-on-a-pendant look i've seen. i have to admit it's partially because you don't have to choose what metal tone to go with (white, yellow, rose) and can instead use any combination of them you'd like. i think a rose and yellow combo would be pretty if you only needed two charms, and then who knows, maybe you'd have a white one to add later on!

of course, these more typical versions are very lovely too. and then there are these diamond little boy and girl charms.  and i love love love the concept of this trio necklace because it looks collected over time and not too perfectly planned because of the way they overlap and touch.

do you love? i feel like sarah chloe is pretty much one-stop-shopping for all monogrammed and personalized jewelry. there's pretty much nothing in that realm that i've wanted (initial pendants, monogram pendants, even old-school nameplates in all different typefaces!) that they don't kill it on.

caffeine and inspiration

i found starbucks to be full of inspiration this morning...maybe i'm lightheaded from lack of nutrition, or maybe it just was that inspiring...first, isn't the color story of the christmas blend packaging beautiful?

and don't you know people who get such joy from the red holiday cups? i know i do. get the joy, i mean, though i also know other people who do. it's a sure sign that the holidays are here, and so i love the idea of getting someone an ornament of that very cup! it's as perennial reminder of the holidays for some as the idea of a christmas tree, so why not go for synergy? they come in a set that includes the plain old white cups, or individually as the red ones. paired with a starbucks gift card, this makes the perfect stocking stuffer or thank you gift.

 

i also love the new selection of mugs, including the classic line which are clean and graphic with the starbucks sizes emblazoned on them (clearly the venti would be my choice) and even include a teeny, tiny, totally adorable tasting cup at 3 ounces, known as a demi in barista land. this one is so cute for when you just want a sip...or to serve at the end of an evening with mini biscotti and chocolate covered spoons. or if you want to feel like alice in wonderland. 

i also love the ones with the sort of freestyle mug designs inspired by their italian roast. aren't they pretty? i like that they're so unbranded, so they'd look fine in anyone's home.

and how about this starbucks reserve mug that seems to be made just for me...at first, i was thinking "why would you buy this unless your last name starts with an R?" and then i realized, it doesn't matter, because mine DOES START WITH AN R!

p.s. did you know you could buy the starbucks flavored syrups? who knew?

TGIF

try to get cuter than this mug with a ribbed knit cozy. just try. this would make a great holiday gift (get started early with honey gift files!), maybe paired with a special package of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and a milk frother would elevate it to another level.

i hope you have a cozy weekend ahead...mine will consist of some clearing and purging at home, some cooking, and some DVR catch-up. you?

in the spirit

i had a fortuitous run-in last night with a friend at dinner here. (ps, the cauliflower "alla siciliana"on the antipasto tray was ridiculous). fortuitous because it was a pleasure to see familiar faces in the sea of fellow diners in a noisy place, but also because said friend had just purchased a spirit hood, which quickly became my new favorite thing. apparently i'm a little late to the table on this one. first of all, they're entirely adorable. second of all, buying them can help save an animal thanks to pro blue, their non-profit organization. 

my favorites are the brown bear (above), the polar bear and the grey wolf:

i particularly enjoy the ones with unexpected linings like the navajo above. how cozy! and each animal is said to embody certain traits that the wearer of the hood can emulate...the brown bear is brave, curious and gentle while the red wolf is a loyal, social spirit, taking on the role of teacher. got that?

if going full hood feels like a lot, i love the half hoods too, like this snow leopard one. and how perfect is this guy's face in that hood? i love these as a special, luxurious holiday gift - for you or someone you know who embodies a special animal spirit. or who likes furry things. either way.

tricks are for kids

okay, watches are for kids in this case. just needed something catchy. look at this fun watch from the gap. who says it's only for kids? not me!

and how about this kit from toy watch? as far as i'm concerned, they should be making this in several different colorways and styles. genius.

home sweet home

 

wouldn't this tray be the perfect housewarming, wedding or hostess gift? i love its earnestness...it's simple, but not too simple; retro, but but not overly so, and it's something that brings a smile to any surface in any home.

i really love sentiments -  like "home sweet home" -  which are so universally known and so frequently said. what i love most about them is that moment in your own life where you, unknowingly, stumble upon that very feeling...in this case, walking into the comforts of your home at the end of a long day, a trip, a special event, and that feeling, that sigh...home sweet home. and i love in those moments realizing how that universal phrase and sentiment came to be so universal.

do you love glass trays like this? read the high/low here.

game night

games are always fun to play with a group, aren't they? some of our favorites are taboo, mad gab and good old scattergories, but this one looks like fun of a different kind...perfect for a film buff who's hosting you for the weekend ... reminds me of playing scene it with mitchell and our friends and mitchell knew every answer before the question was even completed and the rest of us sat there drooling and feeling dumb. okay, so maybe this game wouldn't be good in MY house, but it would probably be great in someone else's and would make an awfully fun addition to a beach weekend, don't you think? 

i say wrap this up and give it with a tin of gourmet popcorn, a theater popcorn popper, or a big popcorn bowl like this one.

for a different snacky idea, how great is this martha thought of packing peanuts...literally! what a fun way to give ... really anything, especially something food or game themed. do it this weekend and let the games begin!

free as a bird...or a fish

and i could not be happier...one of the main things i want to try and do this weekend is sit outside, quietly on my balcony and birdwatch. i haven't done enough of that this summer, and i'm missing it. my birds aren't lucky enough to have this bird cafe, but i think they're okay with the very basic pedestal style one...at least until they get a load of this cafe. i understand why dictators keep their subjects uneducated.

and how about this fish hotel? i don't know, the animal kingdom is seeming pretty good right now...cafes, hotels...the second i see a squirrel on a yacht, i'm done.

have a good weekend.

case in (needle)point

 

loving these retro, homey needlepoint accents. 

 

 

 

the pillows are from jonathan adler and the printed wall art in true needlepoint style are from urban outfitters.

 

a few thoughts for a monday

 

how cute is the image of a dog licking an ice pop?!? i die.

this method of bracelet storage might need to happen in my life.

thanks to apartment therapy's sneak peek at the ikea fall catalog (and to kelly for sending that link to me), we are introduced to the fab idea of hanging pendants together to create a one-of-a-kind chandelier. LOVE.THIS.IDEA. i might not have chosen those exact three to hang in that exact way, but there's no denying it's a killer idea.

it kind of reminds me of this idea, but less expected.

workshop cage lights...bestill my heart.

this handkerchief is cute.

half artist's palette, half egg plate...all gorgeous.

what are you thinking about this monday morn?

his and hers

how sweet are these glasses? like all things kate spade, i love how they blend whimsy with classic. and i seriously wish everything in the world was in this pretty script typeface, don't you? and i adore the idea of using lovely glasses like these for your very own cocktail hour like this one. what drinks are you mixing up? in summer, everywhere i look there are ideas for fab drinks. need some ideas? try this one and this one. and if it's hot and sticky and the days are so long you can't be bothered with glasses (these sweet ones or any others) then look no further than this bubbly in a can. surprisingly classy!

even if you have enough barware, the shorter ones especially would be great for pens, toothbrushes, really anything. and what a great gift for a couple in love that are first cohabitating, getting married or just starting their own happy hour tradition like our friends kelly and cory. they would also be impossibly sweet at a dinner party, maybe alternating from one setting to another...his, hers, his, hers....so many ideas. and that typeface - swoooooon....