red hot...or white hot

since we're going to be apartment shopping in the next couple months, i'm fairly constantly thinking about what our new space might look like. i'm hoping for a sleek modern kitchen since i've never had one, but if it's not, and instead it's a little older and a little more..."charming..." then maybe i'd try and do somethings snazzy to the cabinets, like a high gloss red paint. this paint color is kind of amazing, don't you think? i think it's a lot like essie's long stem roses and you KNOW how i feel about that (on my fingers and toes as i type these thoughts). although it might be too similar to our pinky red kitchen now. 

in some ways, looking at the old pictures of our current kitchen all in white that i felt was so drab, maybe i'd kind of prefer that to trying to doll it up if it's not a really nice kitchen, and i know mitchell would since it would mean less painting for him. wins all around.

if i had my absolute druthers, i'd want a gorgeous white kitchen that perfectly mixes old and new, light and dark and warm and cool. like these.

especially this one...

how did we get from bright red glazed cabinets to all white kitchens? in a way, that's exactly why new homes are so exciting...a fresh start where you can begin on one path of design or look and feel and end up in an entirely different place.

top image, all other images original and from house beautiful

keeping our heads on straight...good ideas

well, today seems like as good a day as any to talk about getting and staying organized. this morning, i left half my breakfast on my vanity, my blackberry in the bathroom, my glasses on the counter of the coffee shop, the ring guard that keeps my rings on securely somewhere in the house...and that was all before 7:30. needless to say, my day is a little off kilter.

so it's ironic, and quite useful, that i have these tips to share with you - don't worry, they're not from me (clearly), they're from the contributors to this month's better homes and gardens feature on getting organized for the new year, which i strangely can't find a link to on their website. anyway, it's part of their highly useful series of 25 ways you can do ___, or 25 ideas for ___...and the magazine is so cheap that it's a great one to pick up sometimes.

the best tips i picked up, and they are REALLY good ones, were these which i'm paraphrasing:

• clean out your bag each night , making you ready to start each day fresh. it's so simple, but so good. sometimes i do this on the train, even in the morning, and it serves the same purpose. there's something just so good about knowing you're not carrying around any extra garbage, and everything is in its place.
• limit your to-do list to a few items you can get accomplished TODAY. this one, to me is genius. i have a running to-do list, some of which is from the summer. clearly, many of those items aren't time sensitive, they just need to be done at some point. but it's true that when i flip to that section of my filo (yes, i'm still all about paper in this regard), i see an endless list and i'm sort of desensitized to it. i've taken this piece of advice to heart and implemented a post-it strategy. each morning (also on the train), i extract three items from the longesttodolistever and write them on the post-it - those are my goals for TODAY. so rather than a TO DO list, it's a TODAY list. i have already found i get more done that way, and enjoy a feeling of accomplishment and control which, really, is the whole point of a to do list in the first place. as i complete each day's tasks, i mark them as done on the bigger list, and choose the next three for tomorrow.
  

then, a segment on my new favorite the nate berkus show also comes to mind...he had a woman on who is a procrastinator and is, naturally, totally overwhelmed by the monumental tasks before her like going through her mail, checking her voicemail and decorating her daughter's bedroom. although those are sort of pedestrian tasks, it's easy to understand how they could become very daunting when left undone and how you could develop a lot of anxiety about having to do them.

the main suggestion of nate's expert was to break down each task into smaller tasks so they'd be more achievable and less overwhelming. this sounds so obvious, and it is in a way, but it's really quite perfect. rather than stressing about decoratingherdaughtersroom, today's task would be to go to a paint store and pick up some swatches and decide on a color. then tomorrow, look at furniture options online. suddenly, it's not only manageable, but could actually be pleasant! this dovetails nicely with the to do list suggestion from BHG and really has the potential to turn into a way of life.

i love getting good advice, and i love passing it on.

image

visual cheer

i love this idea for an easy sprucing of a christmas stocking - just adding a vintagey brooch to the corner. and the idea of using ornaments on a tiered or otherwise lovely tray to show off their spherical sparkle.

here are some other christmastime images i love.















for more visual christmas cheer, see here and here.

images from pottery barn, martha stewart, country living and better homes and gardens

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.

hello yellow

i'm having such a moment with yellow recently. okay, a lot of moments. there are so many great shades of it, and it takes on different personalities used in different ways.

i love it in fashion and accessories because it's such an expected color but can look funky or classic at any given moment.

and i love it in home design, where it often provides a pop of color, even in subtle tones, unmatched by any other shade. (see this great house beautiful guide for the best shades of yellow - i love number 7 especially).

yellow, anything but mellow.

photo 1 from harry winston, photo 2 from daily mail, photos 3 and 10-13 from anthropologie, photo 4 from photos posh, photo 5 from oxygen, photo 6 from old navy, photo 7 from outfit identifier, photo 8 from runway daily, photo 9 from rebecca monkoff, 14-17 from bloomingdales, photo 18 from west elm, photos 19, 20 and 24 from crate and barrel, photo 21 from house beautiful, photos 22 and 23 from habitually chic, photo 25 from apartment therapy