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....

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

happy weekend

oh my sweets...have you had the kind of week i have? i am just beyond ready for the weekend. i have felt all week like every minute i have is spoken for, and then some. you know that feeling? when you never feel okay doing nothing because you just have SO.MANY.THINGS. to do? alright, i'm done complaining and i'm ready to stream consciousness.

have you been to whole foods lately? i've been thrilled with two products i got there last week and have been using daily in salads...very large pitted kalamata olives and crumbled gorgonzola cheese and they're right next to each other at the store! why are they both so good? i don't know, but i can tell you i feel good about most things i buy there, especially because i've been watching food, inc and am deeply disturbed.

another great salad addition i'm loving is called the healthy 8 from trader joe's. it's a container of chopped radishes, carrots, red cabbage, green cabbage, broccoli, jicama, green pepper and celery. it's so perfect for just tossing a scoop into pretty much anything you're eating...salad, sandwich, tuna salad, chicken salad, wrap, etc. and a great buy at $2.99 - think about how many veggies you DON'T have to buy and chop.

mitchell and i have started to look in brooklyn for a neighborhood since we've decided a life there will be a better fit for where we are right now and less of a commute would be divine. we're going tomorrow to boerum hill, cobble hill, carroll gardens, park slope, south slope, windsor terrace and fort greene. i'd love any thoughts on those areas if you have any!

new york women are so stylish, especially in the summer. this website provides a fun look at so many perfectly imperfect ensembles and the women who put them together. i especially love summer fridays seeing everyone in hybrid outfits - work/beach, maybe because they're headed out early to the beach and maybe because it's a summer friday and they're just cool looking.

i got some stupidly cheap shoes this week. i got three pairs and together they came to $25. done and done. i got these in "orange" which is really more pink and these in black and turquoise. love when that happens. and i want these if i can find them in turquoise. 

i'm thinking they might heal my jack rogers wound a little bit. maybe not. but maybe!

how totally adorable are these bibs? they'd be perfect for a little man or little lady at a fancy party! and also perfect for the two baby gifts i need to buy! hmm....

 and what's a shopping discussion without bracelets - see amazing textural bangles here.

and i feel like this caftan is one of those items where owning it would make one's life better -- happier, more colorful, more relaxed. couldn't we all use a bit of that?

have a great weekend and i'll see you back here next week.

top image, all others from linked sites

myhabit is getting serious

and i mean seriously amazing. check out these ridonc chloe sunglasses. they're sold out at their crazy $130 price (down from $325) and it's no wonder. look at the gorg colors they come in. so jealous of everyone that snagged them, especially in that pink.

why am i torturing us like this?

well these amazeballs dolce vita teri loafers are still available for $55 (down from $115).

myhabit is becoming a habit. use your amazon login to check it out.

throw me a bone

how do you feel about objects for the home with bone inlay? i loooooove them. i think they contribute perfectly to exactly the type of design that's speaking to me right now...eclectic, culturally influenced and not too perfectly matched.

i love it in every incarnation here...polished and glam, international, relaxed, tribal, elegant and everything in between.

probably my most favorite is the room above with the bone inlay dresser...i don't think it's any coincidence that the room also hold some of my other favorites...an x bench and a suzani pillow included.

images from here and here

shutter at the thought

isn't this a lovely idea? what i love most about it is that it requires zero skill in crafting, which makes it a great project for me. painting an old shutter in one solid color is something i could (probably) handle and that's all it takes to make this pretty tableau. you could even leave it with whatever state of worn-ness and color it comes to you. i love it for pictures and postcards as it's shown above, but it would also have a pretty functionality if you used it for messages (even at work!) or mail.

this has been a light writing week for me as i'm adjusting to a very busy new job and juggling many other things, but i promise to be back next week with more. let me know if you have any specific wishes for posts.

have a wonderful weekend.

image

shove me some chevron

bracelets + chevron print + sparkle = heaven on earth.

admire them here.

a summer classic

i'm all of a sudden pining for a pair of jack rogers navajo sandals. i'm ruefully recalling a day before i loved them...a day when i encountered an enormous rack of them, all in gold, all for $10. i could die. do you have a purchase that got away?

but what was NOT on that $10 rack -- because it wasn't yet born -- was the jack rogers navajo jellies! kind of obsessed with this new beach and pool-ready incarnation and at $68, these might be the way to go.

if the jellies weren't by the original designer and were instead a copy, they might be cheesy, but instead, they're a playful, summery nod to what is already an american summer classic. you want to argue with jackie o?

what's on your wish list right now?

images from here and here

the scented letter

i spent a lot of time this weekend cleaning out closets and drawers with so much more to add to my seemingly endless clothing donations. i sorted sunglasses and found a new, larger home for all my beloved bracelets, since the collection has grown like it has. 

as i went through drawers and cleared out garbage and things i'd been clinging to just because, my spirits were lifted by the lovely scent of my lavender drawer sachets, which is all the more reason i know i'd love a beautifully scented sachet with my initial on it like this one. in the category of little extras, who wouldn't want one or a few? would also be a lovely hostess gift for a beach visit to come or a darling token for a bride-to-be with the initial of her new last name.

need more ideas for hostess gifts or bridal shower gifts?

fun for the fourth

 are you entertaining this holiday weekend? or maybe just looking for a fun idea for you and your nearest and dearest while lounging outside...i'm obsessed with the notion of sangria pops...how fun! check out this website for a recipe for sangria pops and also bailey's pudding pops and mango lassi pops. 

i think using these examples, you could actually figure out how to make any number of cocktails in pop form. just remember what you're licking and don't get in the car! 

and can you believe this cake? unbelievable! glory from glorious treats does an incredible tutorial here that actually makes me think i could do this. i don't actually think i could do it, but you get the idea...

i'm also loving the idea of a lobster or clam-bake themed dinner. there's something so comforting about the idea of a down home summer party like that...everything can blend together in various states of match and mismatch and it all just signals a good time. i love martha's instructions for lobster place cards and these sweet boat bowls from wisteria would be perfect for the trappings of a fabulous summer meal.

ps...i also love one of these bowls on a key table for change or in a bathroom for summery soaps.

i'm not sure what could be more fun thank eating your delectables off these ikat melamine plates, also from wisteria, and i love the way they'd unexpectedly mix with the nautical theme, especially for a coastal evening. in either colorway, the look could be roughed up with these seagrass tumblers, perfect for wicking away condensation...the cardinal sin of an otherwise good time.

for drink ideas, how about a cucumber and lime gin fizz...how fun and summery does that sound? i gag at the thought of gin and even i think it sounds good. 

then again, i like any drink that involves the word fizz...do you remember my peach fizz from a couple summers ago? here are some other fun drink ideas. and more still, with a roundup of great glasses to boot.

 and for a hearty summer meal (or even a light one), no paper napkins will do. i love cloth ones and i usually find the cheaper the better. my personal favorite is the tekla dish towel from ikea that can be washed and washed and washed again, but i also love these options from crate and barrel and anthropologie.

and if you don't feel like bothering with dishes or glasses at all, the best option is a rustic, delicious display like this lovely image from frolic today and some bubbly in a can.

perfect.