November 30th, 2009

Merry Hissmiss

Walking down 5th avenue in Manhattan last week on Thanksgiving eve, I couldn’t help but notice that there was some tension in the air. I think that there may be a catfight brewing between the cool ice princesses at Lord & Taylor….

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…and the red hot haughties at Saks….

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Meow!

November 20th, 2009

Exploring New Terrain

I’ll be winging my way east tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving week with my family in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. My first shopping stop in the Philadelphia area HAS to be Anthropologie’s Terrain garden shop in Glen Mills, PA. How could I not…….????

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Selected items above from their Shop, just in case your interested too……and you can find more gorgeous photos of this place at Laura Novak’s Photography blog

November 17th, 2009

Laviva Trunk Show

Looking for eye candy? Color inspiration? A special something to lovingly run your hands over? A unique, handcrafted Christmas present with international intrique? Check out  l’aviva home – a series of curated online trunk shows.

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Currently on show: textile and objectShown here: handpainted Michoacan platters and Kantha pillows from India

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In textile , each hand-selected piece tells a story and evokes a sense of place. Show here: Kuba cloth from the Congo (my fav!) and hadenga cushions, made by Zimbabwean refugees.

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Items in object  balance traditional techniques with a modern sensibility. Shown here: Bolivian aguayos and Turkish filligree pendant lamps

“The collections reflect the belief that the things we surround ourselves with should possess a soul, a history, and a purpose beyond mere decoration: they should help us connect to the world.” I’m feeling very connected right now…..

November 15th, 2009

Inspired by: Elsa Mora

I’ve just spent many magical minutes traveling through the amazing art, mind and world of Elsa Mora.

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“Elsita” is a Cuban-born artist, mother, and “hollywood wife” who is amazingly talented in a seemingly endless array of mediums. She has multiple blogs on her general art and her intricate papercutting projects, as well as a store.  Just a few delightful things by Elsita….

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Papercutting….

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…jewelry…

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…blossom buddies…

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…doll houses…

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…beautiful dresses…

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….artwork….

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…and illustrations. Absolutely NOT to be missed is her blog on personal style, which she seems to have in spades, as well as a generous heart and a nurturing spirit.