Holiday Wrapping

My Christmas wrapping is feeling very Anthropologie-esque this year with kraft paper, wooden buttons, and cozy apple green fleece serving as the ribbon.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing,

Eight Maids a Milking,

Seven Swans a Swimming,

Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Christian Lacroix has created a line of paper products for Kate's Paperie featuring his whimsical fashion illustrations.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Eight Maids a Milking,

Seven Swans a Swimming,

Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Nothing beats warm cookies and milk in this winter weather that is sweeping the Northern Hemisphere.
For those in Los Angeles, sending a fresh Christmas dozen from Deluscious makes a wonderful surprise gift.
For those in New York City, the Milk and Cookies bakery will fulfill your sweet tooth fix.
In London, after a late night at the pub you can have warm milk and cookies delivered to your door via Midnite Cookies

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Seven Swans a Swimming,

Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
I have been a fan of Elizabeth Soule's photography for a long time and I really love how she photographs vintage objects and toys. This swan print is perfect for the affordable art collector.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
I have long been a fan of Kari Heher's work and this print makes the perfect gift for day six.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Here are five places to find that perfect Golden Ring!

1) A vintage cameo ring from Erie Basin
2) Stacking diamond rings from Maya Brenner
3) Kathryn Bentley creates golden pieces of art for your fingers
4) Love me Knot ring from Anthropologie
5) Affordable luxury from Tiffany & Co.

Inspiration Board

Here is a look into the inspiration for our Master Suite on our Nautilus project!
The highlight in my opinion is the gorgeous Arctic Pear Chandelier

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
The perfect gift for today is the Four Calling Birds collection from Rosanna. I can't get enough of the different patterns that Rosanna carries and their china with metallic designs are perfect for a sparkling table at the holidays.

Outdoor Hard Scape

The outdoor hard scape is starting to go into the yard on our Nautilus project and I am in love with these fountains! I can't wait to see the green vines that are going to surround them.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
For cooking your three French Hens, nothing beats a Le Creuset cast iron French oven for the kitchen. Their range of colors is bigger than ever with matte black, turquoise and cassis added to the line this year.

Farmhouse Chic

The barn doors have gone into the living room of a project, and they completely makeover the space. It will look amazing once these are stained and all of the construction is cleaned up!

On the Second Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
or a pair of Jonathan Adler bird salt and pepper shakers that bring the 2 turtle doves to your table.

A Work in Progress...

This is a shot from my latest project. We are installing the furniture in 2 weeks and the entire house will be completely transformed over the next couple of weeks. This project feels like Extreme Home Makeover with the kitchen and roof all going in this week. It always looks much worse before it looks better though.

On the First Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

A great deal on a set of porcelain pear vases on overstock.com today!

Not to forget the partridge today,
A quill pen from Jayson Home and Garden will give a historical feel to a modern cubicle

Coast Magazine Article

One of my recent projects was highlighted in the November issue of Coast Magazine!

Drinks + Dessert

I hosted a holiday cocktail and dessert party on Saturday night and it was a festive way to get into the holiday spirit!

On the Drinks Menu... Winter Pimm's, Hot Cocoa, and of course Champagne. I also made up a Poinsettia cocktail that is a mix of cranberry juice and cointreau with a splash of champagne to top it off.

As for the dessert menu... Fresh Cherry Pie, Gingerbread, Chocolate Tart, Chocolate Mousse, Assorted Chocolates, Giant Meringues from Comptoir Gourmand, and Ginger Dodgers from Bee's Bakery! 

The Ginger Dodgers from Bee's Bakery!

My greenery for the winter are these mini conifers in silver porcelain pots from McQueens.

Holiday Baking

Baking away this weekend for a holiday dessert party. I have a cherry pie ready to pop in the oven, just one more dessert left to make for tonight. More photos to follow on Monday after the party...

A Gothic Winter

I am in love with the Starn Bros. edition that was released today on 20x200! I wasn't a fan of their snowflake series at the beginning, but this black and white is gorgeous!

Christmas Wednesdays

Every Wednesday in December is a special day on Columbia Road in E2. All of the shops will be open from 5-9 at night. This is great for all of those working girls who want to pick up unique gifts to take home for the holidays.

Snowy Day

With the snow falling in London today, I decided to post a very British accessory and something that I have fallen in love with during the recent cold snap. The hot water bottle is an antiquated form of heat, but one that is eco-friendly and an inexpensive form of heat. They are a very popular item in the UK and I can see the trend creeping over to the U.S. with Restoration Hardware selling these cashmere cable knit  bottles for the holiday season this year.

London Christmas Market

I spent Saturday night at the Christmas Market under the London Eye! In the 30 degree temperatures tt was a festive way to get over Thanksgiving. My sister picked up a neon green trapper hat to help keep her warm and we all took the opportunity to jump in the life-size snow globe for a holiday photo opp. You can also pick up fresh made crepes and roasted chestnuts to satisfy that winter hunger.

Happy Black Friday

Black Friday is definitely a colorful holiday full of crowds and chaos in the U.S. In honor of today here is a shot of John Lewis with their streaming Christmas display in the center of the store. I am in love with  these ornaments, but not so in love with their Christmas shop. The shop is a bit small in comparison to the grand scale of the store.

Thanksgiving 2010!

My Thanksgiving table this year is a cornucopia of golden squash, pomegranates, and  glittering pumpkins mixed with walnuts and hazelnuts. All of this is laid across a burlap sack that takes the place of the table runner. As for the food on our Thanksgiving table? Thank you to Whole Foods for cooking 90% of it, and Ina Garten for the recipes to make the other 10% of the food.

A Fantastic Fox

I spotted this watercolor fox print in Lonny magazine and immediately thought of London. A little known fact about the city is that on any given night you will see a random fox or two wandering the streets of this bustling city. The artist has several prints available for purchase on etsy.

Ribbons for the Holidays

This year for my holiday wrapping I am thinking of going with simple kraft paper and using some unique ribbons to spice up the package. Forget the bag of pre-made bows this year and think outside of the box with new materials for ribbon.

100% Cotton Ribbons from Angela Ligouri
Japanese tape ribbons are holding onto their fifteen minutes of popularity this year with these fresh designs from Happy Tape
Tinsel tape from Paper-Source screams for a prominent spot under the tree!
Turn your package into a unique piece of ephemera with vintage thread from Paper Trail.

See Through Staircase

I have been meaning to post this image for awhile now. This is a staircase in the National Museum in Copenhagen. I love the design, of course this would never be allowed in America!

Over Indulgences

Since today is Friday and the weekends are for over indulging I have chosen to bring you carbs and calories courtesy of Jonathan Adler! What a fun holiday gift, the containers could contain fruit cake and still be a great gift simply for the container itself!

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

A few days ago, I found happiness at Liberty of London. I was only familiar with their line of prints for Target, so I tended to ignore the Tudor castle in Oxford Circus when I walked by. The store reminds me of a blend of Fred Segal and Barneys but bigger! The can't miss spaces are the fabric salon, Christmas shop, and Beauty Shop. The Manolo Blahnik special designs for Liberty are a can't miss. Even if you can't afford the shoes, you can pick up a candle or one of his fabulous shoe design prints. Wandering the wood halls made me dizzy with design and fashion ideas!

British Made

Yesterday was a day full of British announcements, from the Beatles being released on iTunes to the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In honor of the Brits, here are a few fun items to bring out the Anglophile in everyone.

1. Fabulous Union Jack Heart Pillow from Barbara Coupe
2. Download the Kelly Hoppen app here
3. A limited edition print of the Queen from Ann Carrington
4. Stow your essentials in a black cab courtesy of Lulu Guinness

Christmas Chaos

The British start their Christmas much earlier than Americans due to their lack of Thanksgiving holiday. Here is a glimpse of the shopping madness outside Harrod's on a Saturday night.

My Modern Rococo

A combination of a really modern dining table and chairs and Rococo accessories.

Singing in the Rain

With all of the rain that we have been getting lately, it might be time to invest in a custom umbrella. James Smith & Sons in London is the mecca for custom umbrellas. The have been around since 1830 and know their sticks. Pick up a custom snake skin handle to hold your giant parasol or a fashionable Lulu Guinness pocket size umbrella. My personal favorites are the clear plastic umbrellas that scream Scarlett Johansson in Lost In Translation!

Creativity out of Canada

I recently discovered a watercolor artist out of Toronto called Dinosaurs Died of Boredom. He creates unique portraits of celebrities with everyone ranging from Marie Antoinette to Conan O'Brien. The drippy colors would make a statement on any wall in the home!

Animal Magnetism

I have long loved Sharon Montrose's animal prints available on etsy and they have been such a success for her that she now has her own online shop with an even better selection of prints! Click here for The Animal Shop!

Best way to spend a Sunday morning in London...

The Columbia Road Flower Market is a brilliant way to spend a crisp Fall Sunday morning in London. The flower market is the best place to get your tabletop flowers for the week, pick up a fresh cup of coffee, and cupcakes for dessert at Treacle.  20 roses for £5 is a hard deal to pass!

Spades in London

One more day left to enjoy the Kate Spade pop-up shop in London! Kate Spade turned a plain office building near Covent Garden into a jewel box apartment. Sadly the apartment is being turned back into boring offices with grey carpet on Wednesday.