Dark bedroom walls

Luxe. Sexy. Grown-up. These are the words that spring to mind when I think of painting my bedroom walls a dark color. Although I know my hubby won't go for it, a girl can still dream.

Hot date with Milton Glaser

In my efforts to take advantage of all the awesomeness New York has to offer (a resolution I make every year), I'm attending a Creative Mornings talk with Milton Glaser. Creative Mornings is a monthly speaker series of creative-ish people created by  Swissmiss, a design blog and studio run by Tina Roth Eisenberg. I'm so excited to hear what Mr. I HEART NY himself has to say. His impact on modern design and illustration is one of the most commendable in the design world. So excited to be attending!

What am I going to bake first?

Thanks to my good friend, Jose, I now have to decide what recipe to take a stab at first from my new book, Baked Explorations. Will it be the whoopie pies or the pear tart? Your taste buds will have to wait and see!

Happy New Year!

It's FLOR Friday

So, although I'm not a fan of floor coverings in general--I think co-op living and the 80% carpet rule has traumatized me--I must say that FLOR has a pretty amazing product. Using a modular design, you can buy carpet tiles and arrange them however you want. I think the flexibility of the tiles is what draws me but the colors and patterns are also very fresh and give a great modern alternative to the old shag.

My personal favorite and what's going in my living room.

All I want for Christmas...

...are these little appetizer spoons from West Elm! Take note, people, this is the perfect gift for that awesome hostess with the mostest in your life (like moi). These perfect bite-size portion appetizer spoons make me want to whip up tiny servings of shrimp ceviche, although I have an inkling that they'd turn Doritos, or even the eucharist, into fun gastronomy!

Tis the season for sweets!

Needed something to cheer me up today...

And this happy little stove from KMLdesign helped.

My Blue Attic

My hubby keeps asking for mood boards for each room so here's the first one. I love the serenity that comes along with light blue.

Wooden bench love

I want to find a wooden bench for my foyer!! Here are some great examples courtesy of Brabourne Farm.

Richard Powers-Photographer

His photography, stunning. His subjects, beautiful. I wonder, can I get him to come and photograph my house when it's done?

All pictures from Richard Powers site.

Weekend Highlights

My Saturday started out as it usually does; putting in a new door or window and then aimlessly admiring it for a couple of hours.

New door + siding

And then my little suburban Saturday took a turn for the interesting when I got the happy invitation to the Priscilla of Boston fashion show in Chelsea from my good friend Michelle who was moonlighting for Brides Nior. The show was fantastic and although I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb among the fashion world bourgeois, I very much enjoyed the true "New York moment" of being front row at a fashion show.

After the bride-xtravaganza, we met up with Jose, future editor-in-chief of something important, and went on a pilgrimage for French food. 40 minutes, 20 blocks and a painful-non-inebriated fall later, we found ourselves at Tartine on W 4th and 11th where we shared lots of laughs, communal dining, delicious wine and buttery-French goodness. All in all it was a successful Saturday night. 

Outside Tartine. Well worth the 30 minute wait.

Delicious Malbec.

Mussels in white wine & steak au poivre

Jose & Michelle

Lovin' on beautiful kitchens

I don't know if it's because I love to eat (understatement) or if it's because I love to bake (another understatement) but I'm obsessed with kitchens. Especially when they evoke a feeling of comfort and homeyness, as does this lovely kitchen from Southern Living. Anyone who's had the pleasure of listening to me rant about my new kitchen (due to make it's debut in December 2010) knows I adore contrasting upper and lower cabinets as well as vintage and country touches mixed in with very contemporary lines. I can't believe the cabinets are from IKEA and they look this gorgeous.

It's Hump Day!

Happy Dance!

Lovin' House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year

Jeff Lewis of Bravo's Flippin' Out designs 2010 House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year and it's absolutely lovely!

Contemporary with lots of airiness and light. 

Love the hardwood throughout; definitely a must in our new kitchen.

Feeling the open cabinets.

A stylish, futuristic chandelier serves as great focal point in this sleek and monochromatic kitchen.

To see more, go to House Beautiful

Happy Friday!

Hope you're weekend is full of spontaneous adventures and exciting epiphanies!

Fiyah-place

I've been in search of a "look" for my fireplace area (catty-cornered in the first floor living room). I really like this look with the stone on the inside rim and the rest of the mantel and its color  going up the wall. I think that I will do something similar but not in a dark stained wood. Maybe a light tan neutral?

Courtesy of Cococozy

It's coming along...

It's been a year since we closed on our happy, blue colonial. This is it last July.

And this is it now.

Okay, I know it looks worse and truthfully we haven't made a huge dent in this past year but by Christmas I hope to be sharing with you our new home, completely finished.

For more pics: My Gallery

Master Bath Moderno

Totally going against what I imagined my master bath would look like and giving into a little modern indulgence (Vinny will be thrilled since I know this look is right up his alley).

Luxe Dom Ceramiche Canvas tile

Modern lines and fixtures for the vanity

The old switcheroo!

I found this gorgeous glass lantern chandelier on overstock.com and have decided to throw two of them over our dining room table! But I won't soon forget about the zgallerie crystal chandelier that I fell in love with a year ago. I've decided to switch it up and put that over my island in the kitchen!

At $167 each, this glass lantern chandelier is a steal compared to a very similar one at Pottery Barn. I'm going to place two of them over the dining room table like so:

(I like this table more and more each time I see it, by the way!)

This one will now go over the island! 

How great graphic design can set the tone...

Thank you Hostess with the Mostess for posting your Festival du Bebe. The graphic design is gorgeous and a prime example how great typography + color combinations can really set the tone for an entire event.