woven light

there's something really lovely about light coming through woven materials. i love the burlap/linen types as well as the wider, woodier thatched styles and i've been contemplating their use a lot recently. i think they're a really earthy alternative to a chandelier, but the earthiness itself can be a certain kind of elegance.

 

i especially enjoy when the woven material is juxtaposed with a luxe one, like this high-shine silver base or this mercury glass one. similarly, i'd love to see a woven piece like this in an otherwise modern space...it would ground it and soften the edges, don't you think?

this one is my favorite one of all, though. wouldn't a nicely-spaced row of them look amazing in so many settings?

images from here, here, here, and linked sites

rose colored glasses...and blue and purple and white and green....

i'm a little taken with colored glass bottles right now...they're so pretty, especially in lovely pastel shades like these.



i love how this collection is all in shades of blue...so collected and grown-over-time looking, isn't it?

tag sales and flea markets are great places to find glass like this, but it can be challenging to amass a sizable collection upon deciding you want to have one so i like the idea of being on the lookout for good finds at places like that while also picking up a few here and there in retail settings like these and these from west elm. all together they look a little too mass-produced, but mixed in with vintage and mismatching pieces, they totally work.





pier 1 also sells glass bottles, seen below, and in small doses, they can contribute nicely to a collection. these feel more kitcheny feel, right?


and possibly some of the nicest are from pottery barn, like these:






love!

a neutral position

recently, i've found myself drawn to a different kind of neutral. don't get me wrong - i still adore the browns and tans and taupes of my design youth, but i'm feeling a gravitational pull to color stories that blend those brown hues with gray tones as well. i think it's the mix of warm and cool that makes it so alluring.

doesn't the gray add an extra something? it changes the whole feel of warm neutrals to a moody, unexpected cool. love that.



top photo from west elm, serving pieces from crate and barrel, bag from old navy

capiz me

if you're like me, you don't soon forget when you see something you love...that's how i feel about the gorgeous long hanging capiz pendant lamp i've long-coveted at west elm. it's not cheap, at $259, so i've been keeping my eyes open for other options and thought i'd share.

of course, i should add that in addition to the long hanging option, west elm also has a rectangular version, in the same two colors as the long hanging one, and for the same price.

on the much cheaper side, i love these smaller natural capiz pendants which they sell individually (on sale for $79), or in double ($179) and triple ($269) packs. they look like they came straight from the sea, don't they?

although these pieces lack the cascade and size of the others, for about the same price, you could get a set of three, and in certain spaces, multiples would work even better in terms of overall space and impact.

also much less expensive, pottery barn teen (yes, teen) has a pretty version in three different colorways - i think the pink/orange and blue choices would be great at a beach house or in a punchy space, but overall i think i like the white best -- it looks the least like it came from pb teen. at only $129, it measures 22 inches long, and i think achieves a really nice impact.

i think these are all such pretty choices for an easy living kind of space - a bedroom, a covered porch, particularly a white-on-white bathroom. ooooh, i love that idea!

blue pb teen pendant picture from house of turquoise, all other images from linked sites

bottoms up!

for summer entertaining, i think we all love the idea of serving really festive drinks, and its an added bonus if the drink accoutrements are festive too. even if you're not doing your own entertaining, fun summer barware makes a welcome hostess gift, especially in conjunction with a bottle of something good! just in time for the 4th of july...

i think it's best to start at the source - with the drink dispenser. one idea, and the simplest of all, is to just use simple glass bottles (as shown in country living, below) or carafes like the vinny from crate and barrel.


it's amazing what a wow factor a pretty summer drink in a large, clear cooler can have - your guests will immediately ooh and aah, and be dying to taste your special mix. slice in some fruit for added visual appeal.

for simple, clean lines in glass, i love the glass drink dispensers from pottery barn and the cold beverage jar and stand from crate and barrel.


i also like the agua fresca jug and the mason jar drink dispenser from pottery barn for their playful twist on the standard glass option.


if you're concerned about breakage, there are some great acrylic options out there, specifically from pottery barn in two sizes and bed, bath and beyond's 3 gallon beverage dispenser with cooling cylinder for ice to keep your drink cold! (i've seen this one in action and it's a keeper).


and if you're a fan of options (and why not), check out the del sol double beverage jugs, a terrific value ($30 at bed bath and beyond).

okay so now that we have that part straightened out, on to the glasses. if something jazzy feels right to you, i have some great options to share.

from crate and barrel, how about the zazz and frida collections? love all the colors on both.



if you like the frida above, then i think you'll like pier 1's spring confetti and regular old confetti collections below. i totally love how, in all cases, it looks like paint was poured in and allowed to dry in whatever shapes it fell.

and their kaleidoscope stemless goblets and stemless margarita glasses are extremely pretty too, aren't they?



if you want to go in a totally different direction, check out the very subdued and elegant bennett collection from pottery barn, hand-blown and available in green, blue and clear.

a simple and pretty acrylic option (great for kids and drinking grown-ups alike) is west elm's hammered acrylic set, available in green or clear.

and for some reason, i can't stop eyeing the recycled glass options below. i love them. like, a lot.

i love the heft and chunkiness of the miguel barware from crate and barrel, made from rustic, mexican recycled glass, and the warpy-looking waves of west elm's recycled glass option.


so now the only thing left is what to drink. you might remember my fizzy peach and sangria recipes from last summer, but take a look if not. they're both easy to make and great for a crowd.

i also came across these wonderful looking variations on the southern living website - a site filled with so much decorating, entertaining and lifestyle eye candy, it's hard to contain one's excitement.


cava sangria (cava is spanish sparkling wine)


raspberry beer cocktail


watermelon mint margaritas


cool lavender lemonade (non-alcoholic)


berry splash (non-alcoholic)

bottoms up!

all images from linked sites