for the birds

there's something utterly charming about birds, isn't there? a few weeks ago, the arrival of the sounds of birds - with their curious chirping and foraging - was a real pick-me-up. i'm starting to form my birdfeeding plan (remember my last attempt?)...definitely included is an abundant supply of birdseed in my standing feeder, or maybe this one which i still think about.

oh, and a hummingbird feeder. i had the pleasure of seeing real hummingbirds for the first time last summer at my parents' house and they are truly amazing looking, aren't they? my mom put red food coloring in the water which seemed to attract them like crazy, moreso than just the red tip of the feeder.


i love all these bird figures for little spots inside and outside the home, don't you? of course as easter approaches we see everything adorned with birds and their nests - cake plates, pillows, serving bowls - but to me, the ones that are most appealing are like those pictured here, made of natural, organic looking materials, because it's in these cases that they actually look like real, live birds. i don't need bird salt and pepper shakers or candle holders, birds pretending to be something else. to me, that erodes at their natural charm. they're perfect, and enough, just as they are - simply as flying, walking, chirping little creatures.

i love their still, quiet serenity here and the sense of privilege i feel looking at these...it's a frozen close-up look at the likeness of birds which never stay still long enough to admire.




i'm also obsessing about the idea of framed bird print like this one or these to lean on a nightable like this one or this one, perhaps on a low stack of books.

yet another reason to be happy spring is on the horizon.

top image, image 2, images 3,4, images 5,6, image 7, images 8,9, image 10, image 11

measure up

wouldn't these be fun to have in your bag? i love when something so utilitarian takes the effort to be a little glam too. most of all, it makes me smile that there are enough people in the world (like me) that would get a thrill from owning a gold faux-leather measuring tape. so many, it seems, that they're sold out! but pier 1 has these crystal and animal print ones to fill in.

dotted (and) lines

aren't these gold tumblers festive, especially the ones with the dots? they're from pier 1 and i really love them. i'd love to be served a drink in one of these, wouldn't you?

they remind me of the buoyant feeling of a lot of kate spade's dishes and glasses, especially the ticker tape line which is just gorgeous. i even love the idea of mixing the two, like a set of these ticker tape tidbit plates and a set of the tumblers from pier 1 to wash said tidbits down. part of the appeal would be the slight variation between the two - the dots on the glasses are closer together and perfectly round, while on the plates they're more irregular shaped and placed.

that's one of the fun things about motifs like dots and stripes too - by playing with scale and space, you can curate a whole collection of items you buy at different places and times because the differences within the samesness is what unites them.

make sense?

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.

tiny treasures...a tall glass of water

raise your hand if you don't drink as much water as you should. okay, don't raise your hand, you'll end up looking weird. but let's just say we're all on the same page. so here's what i'm thinking...if we pour it, it will come. feel me? for this week's tiny treasure, let's all treat ourselves (for $5 or less, like the selections pictured here) to a really lovely glass or cup or water bottle to keep at our desks, on our counters or in our cars -- wherever we spend the most time. my theory is if it's there, and it looks pretty, we will use it. yes? worth a try, right?




all images

honey gift files...no shipping required

okay, so we're down to the wire here kids. most people i know need a few last minute items, so here's my rendition of the best of what's around, no shipping required. they're all at stores you might pass on your way home or over the river and through the woods...you know the rest.

pier 1 is always a font of fun gifts. i linked to some earlier in the season like the fabulously festive festive stripe glasses, which i've quickly become obsessed with.

i'm also totally smitten with the party bottle stoppers and covers. this dolls up a bottle of wine like nothing else and elevates the old "giving a bottle of wine" thing to a new place. plus they can enjoy the festive sparkle long after they kill the bottle.
now this one's really specific, but well worth mentioning. if you happen to have a chess lover who you still need to buy for your budget happens to be over $100 for said gift, look no further than this deluxe chess set, which acts as a carrying case for the pieces in addition to a board.
the keep calm and carry on motif is so lovely, and for a slight edge, i love the keep calm and have a cocktail variation. my mental list just quickly populated with people who would love this.
for travelers (or people who just have exotic taste), i love the sarafi neck wraps and eye masks, as well as other stocking stuffer picks.

they also have tons of fun rings which look way nicer than their price tag, sort of like these which are on clearance for 36 cents. and before moving on to the next parking lot, check out this fun array of stocking stuffers, priced from under $1! why do i want these gemmed ducks? i really don't know, and yet i do.
if you're passing a best buy, you might seriously consider the protoast which imprints your whole grain or flax slices with the logo of your favorite team. kind of cool, isn't it? here are all the available teams.

radio shack carries a DJ mixer for ipods. i really wouldn't know what to do with this, but i know several people who would.
if you're passing a sephora, pick up a perfect ten brush set or an exclusive-to-sephora tokidoki compact mirror.


at the gap, you know how i feel about the sequin and puffer totes, but be sure to check out the cozy plaid scarves too.

and also from the gap? hello pom pom slippers. throw in this fabulous sweater wrap and the recipient might never leave home.

and if you're looking for an incredible piece of jewelry, look no further than ippolita, my newest jewelry obsession.



of course there are always magazine subscriptions (buy the current issue and include a card telling your loved one what's to come) and you can do the same in a card for the wine/cheese/beer of the month clubs. you can get gift cards to everywhere at pretty much every supermarket, and there are plenty of other last minute ideas in this post including really nice gift baskets that you can construct at the grocery store while picking up cat food or garbage bags.

images from linked sites

honey gift files: early possibilities

i think it’s never too early to keep on the lookout for potential holiday gifts. like anything, the second something is marketed as a holiday gift, the price tag goes up a little, so i always like the idea of picking things up throughout the year as you see things on sale or for good prices.

though it often makes sense to wait on more personal gifts until you get closer so you know what they need or want, the more generic gifts for hostesses, hair stylists, work colleagues, etc can be great to pick up along the way.

some of my perennial favorites are from pier 1 - i love their little jeweled boxes which are three in a pack (three gifts!) for about $13 and they can each be wrapped in pretty tissue paper or cellophane for a perfect little token - for a little over $4 each! these are also great little gifts for when people get engaged - they're perfect for rings. also along the glittery lines, i love the jeweled pens (above) for $9 each.

for even less, i looooove their nylon reusable totes and i find that people really use them, including me, as i have five of them and they're stashed everywhere. so pretty, so useful, so green. and so $3 each. to be really green, don't even wrap them (they're sort of wrapped themselves) and just clip a gift tag on with a little note.

these faux python lipstick cases are $2.50 each and are a perfect token for someone who loves pretty things. i love the idea of the yellow or purple ones since both colors are so big right now, and i don't think you could ever go wrong with pink.

for a really cute little combo gift, i love the glitter leaf pen ($3.50) and the boho purse notepad ($4.95). of course you could also pair the jeweled pen with the boho purse notepad. this is one of those gifts where i inevitably get a little gift for myself too.

have you had any good holiday finds yet?

all images from pier 1

not so scary decor

i've never really been into a lot of halloween decorating, unless of course there is a halloween party for said decorating. but i've actually seen a couple things so far this year that are pretty cute.


first, how awesome are these furniture leg covers from pier 1? i love the idea of a normally decorated room with these covers on the chairs or tables. they would be such a funny visual to come upon unexpectedly and i love a sense of humor in any room.

i also love their glitter candelabra - i think it would be so pretty on any winter table, halloween aside, especially in a candlelit room where it would glitter and shine in the fickering light. i think i just talked myself into this one.

then on my last homegoods visit, i found these luxe looking pillows which, in the right space, could also stick around after halloween. though i'm not much of a skull-and-crossbones girl, the sparkle and shine of the beading on this pillow and its price of $16.99 gave me pause.

i also loved the purple and black wreaths they had, and it gave me all kinds of ideas for a deep, jewely purple christmas color scheme. i can imagine it with accents of gold and a bright teal, but definitely using a few shades of dark purple as the base. they'll probably even be on heavy sale at homegoods after halloween, because they're only thinking of it for halloween. had to go and be jewish, didn't i?

do you decorate for halloween?