seeing red

sometimes i feel bored by red, but i'm kind of loving the idea of a bunch of these red chairs from pier 1 surrounding a big wooden table like this one.

or even a more modern one like this.

the chairs' ladderback, shaker style reads like a neutral to me now, where a few years ago i would have thought they looked dated and stuffy. perhaps it's the idea of mixing them with a different colored wood that i like, and i love this pottery barn version too, and you could even mix and match colors. a really inexpensive option would be to buy a set of these simple chairs from ikea and paint them yourself with whatever color you want. high-gloss would be fab!

to make the look a collected, relaxed one, i like the idea of throwing in a couple of different pieces too. i would probably go for 4 or 6 of the red chairs, and then add in one of these stools ...

and one or two slipcovered parsons chairs, depending on the size of your table.

or you could keep the look a little more uniform but still not matchy by swapping out two of the pier 1 red chairs for two of these which are a slightly different red and have arms.

do you like the idea of a deconstructed dining room set? this image was what originally got my wheels turning on it, and i've loved it ever since.

that's entertainment

are you entertaining this holiday season? so much of our celebrating involves family traditions we revisit year after year, which is such a comfort. for my family, rum-spiked hot cider is it on thanksgiving, and perfectly fried potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream on channukah. but it never hurts to infuse some innovation and fresh ideas into the festivities either. here are some ideas that have caught my attention this year.

first of all, anyone having any kind of party at any point in the future, you MUST bookmark this article in which cocktail experts greg and shelley lingren school us on the well-stocked bar. they offer useful tips like which liquors to splurge on (scotch, since people drink it straight), which to go cheaper on (vodka since it's rarely consumed straight and bourbon since it's made according to strict regulations and has to be of a certain quality to even make it to shelves), and they even single out brands in all price ranges. seriously, this is an amazing resource.
i'm always a huge fan of crate and barrel's multicolor napkin sets, but these cotton napkins on a roll are worth a mention too. and given my whole tartan thing at ikea this year, it can't be a surprise that i'm drawn to their paper plaid napkins, or crate and barrel's cotton red and green holiday plaid ones either.

when it comes to sips and bites, there's just something so charming and festive about things in miniature, isn't there? we've all probably been treated to catered parties which use mini spoons and dishes for special treats, but there's no reason we can't do it at home too.

especially with the help of pier 1's tasting party collection, which includes mini tasting spoons, ramekins, martini glasses, cordial glasses, trifle bowls and more. even just looking at the spreads they've put together is inspiring, but with the individual pieces and the twelve-piece sets being so well-priced, it's a done deal, making whatever you put out look so impressive. put a little dip in the base of a mini-trifle bowl and stick some celery and carrot sticks in there, and people have their own portable dip situation. a few swedish meatbals in a ramekin with your sweet or savory sauce heaped on top, and it's balls to the wall...and the couch and the piano, and anywhere else your guests want to hang out.

and as much as people love mini, they love big too; towering, especially. so for thanksgiving, i used root vegetables and nuts and fresh cranberries to create this tower which, all in, cost under $30 (including the tiered stand which was $20 at homegoods).

even the simplest food and drink is elevated to a higher level when you take care in the way it's presented, and the mood is festive and light.

if you're at a loss for what to serve, go with some tried and true favorites like nuts, mixed olives and fresh vegetables (go for all veggies in the same color for the sharpest presentation) and then pepper your selection with some special treats like these.

i always remember one of my favorite barefoot contessa episodes where she recommends buying three apps and making three for a cocktail party. she buys marcona almonds (well-priced at trader joe's, by the way), mixed olives and hothouse cucumber rounds topped with salami rounds. and then she makes ham and cheese in puff pastry, roasted shrimp cocktail with amped up cocktail sauce and blue cheese and walnut shortbread crackers. as ina always says, your friends don't have more fun if you slave in the kitchen to make everything.

check out more honey living posts on entertaining, and of course the honey gift files for everyone on your holiday lists.

wrap it up

happy monday!

here's my general wrapping scheme for the holidays...what's yours? clearly i need to find my double sided tape, if you look closely enough at the top.

ikea has proven to be amazing source of gift wrap this season. i got a few rolls of the craft colored paper which actually has a tiny sheen to it - a nice upgrade on the craft idea. plus i got a big roll of the punchy red, blue and white tartan and the blue paper with white five-point stars. for under $6, i got enough to last me through the year i think!

add to that the 12-pack gift tags for 99 cents, and i practically had to be pulled out of the store by my tartan.

and if you haven't tried the scotch pop-up tape dispenser, you must. it's really very close to a perfect invention and makes gift wrapping so much faster and easier.
what are your ideas for wrapping this season?

honey gift files...child's play

few things are as special to kids as something with their very own name on it. i can tell you, as a kid whose name wasn't often found on magnets sold at various rest stops and souvenir stands, it's a nice feeling to have something personalized just for you.

i love olliegraphic because they take it even a step further and allow you to create a picture that looks like your special little recipient. the innocence of children (at least the really young ones) makes it so they don't understand how very easy it is to order things personalized, so it feels somehow fortuitous and amazing that they should end up with a plate chart with their name and likeness.


they make melamine plates and bowls, growth charts, magnets, pocket mirrors, art prints and more that would be such adorable additions to the life of a cute little kid.

SPECIAL NOTE: the ordering deadline for the plates and bowls was november 30th for christmas delivery, but the other products are still available even if you order them now. and bookmark the page for birthdays or late breaking holiday gifts!

i also love kidlandia's personalized puzzles which use a child's name and specific text with people, places and things from their life to create a whole world. they also make fine art prints, growth charts, placemats and more.
if you find yourself at ikea, first of all i hope you're okay...it can be a bit crazed this time of year...and second of all, you MUST, and i repeat MUST get yourself a produkt milk frother. thank me later.

but also be sure to go through to the kids' section for these adorable finds and many more you'll see and fall in love with - first cause they're cute, and then cause they're cheap. i love the leka building blocks which, at $4.99 for the set of four could be a tiny treasure in itself. i love how they're soft, colorful and cute - a perfect trifecta for kids' gifts.

and the fabler bed canopy is whimsical and retro-circusy in a fairy tale kind of way. which is to say i deeply love it. i have wonderful visions of a child reading a cozy story underneath this canopy. or of me reading a cozy story underneath this canopy. whichev.

along similar lines but with even more "privacy," we also have the home sweet play home from land of nod in several color choices and with the option of a coordinating floor cushion. well excuuuuuse me.


my favorite toy store options for kids are color me a song, the name of which says it all, but here's a little more: "the faster you scribble, the faster the song."

and the aquadoodle, which has been around for a couple years but is fabulously unmessy but still fostering of creativity.

NOTE: most boxed editions of this come with only one pen, which for multiple-child households could be problematic. luckily, they sell additional pens and brushes separately.

for most kids, you can't beat the thrill of driving. i can remember go-carts being my favorite activity at day camp and the thrill of going to safety town on a third grade class trip because WE COULD DRIVE!! more recently, i walked by safety town and i'll say this - "town" is a strong word - it was a miniature sidewalk with 2 foot tall stop signs through which we drove manual carts, but who cared? WE COULD DRIVE!

so with that in mind, i'm a little obsessed with the radio flyer classic bumper car, because it's just that - classic. i love that it doesn't look like the cars of today because it's a visual throwback to the innocence of children and a simpler time...and cheaper gas prices. and at $49, it doesn't break the bank so you can actually pay for all that gas you need to drive around and do your shopping.

and sometimes you just want a gift for its general cuteness factor, like these monkey and lion mittens. totally adorbs.

and pillow pets are undeniably cute as well, don't you think? i have two anecdotes about them that make me smile...first, one of rosie o'donnell's little boys (or her partner's, can't remember), proudly said "you know how they say on the commerical that over a million pillow pets have been sold? well now every time you hear that, remember that it's a million and one because i have one now." and then there was the thirty year old woman on the bus the other day saying how they're impossibly soft and how she'd love to have one...she quickly remembered to add on "if i were a little kid" but i was on to her, and i don't blame her.

whatever the kids on your list get to open, i really think it's the holiday traditions and the lessons about generosity, hope and love that mean the most...whether they realize it yet or not.

fabler crib image, all other images from linked sites

remember the rituals

starbucks always has good one-liners...i love that when they serve you your coffee they say "let me know if your drink's not perfect." it's not even just posted on a sign somewhere - they say it!

so i wasn't at all surprised to see a sign on the door recently that said "take comfort in rituals." AMEN. isn't a good ritual something we can all take such comfort it? whether it's the way you make the bed in the morning, the few minutes you sit quietly and sip a hot tea, even where you place your keys, your umbrella, your wallet when you get home at the end of a long day.

often, the first things to go when we're stressed out or overtired are the rituals and routines that keep us grounded and sane. i know when i'm rushing around in the morning, running late, my inclination is to skip the 2 minutes to make the bed - that's 2 minutes i could use somewhere else. but it's the wrong choice, i've learned, in so many ways. first, the simple act of taking that 2 minutes is calming - it makes me feel more in control, and reminds me to put one foot in front of the other and take it easy on myself a little. it also makes me feel less frenzied when i'm turning off the light and leaving the room, knowing i'm leaving a neat, calm bed behind me.

and when i return home after the long day i rushed to, it's a terrible feeling to walk into a bedroom in disarray. it's far better to be welcomed by a pretty, relaxing space - a small but crucial reward for a day of doing and going. other than in some filmic sliding doors situation, that 2 minutes doesn't slow me down very much and certainly doesn't affect monumental change, but skipping it could change everything.

another ritual i have been loving recently is my ikea milk frother which you might remember me talking about as a tiny treasure last year. it makes the milk frothy but not hot, and gives a whole new level of luxury to the morning cup. in all seriousness, you need to get one. and they're $1.99.

for more on rituals and keeping our heads on straight during the holiday rush, read on.

neat seats

i wish we had a little breakfast nook in our kitchen - that would be the perfect space for this table and chairs from ikea which mitchell and i both love. LOVE. the second we have a place for it, it's ours. perhaps when i'm done organizing our guest room/office/den, this could be the reward.

along the same design lines, i love these chairs from crate and barrel. maybe when we get our dining room table worked out, we could make these the chairs. hmm....




photos from linked sites