Fancy and Folly

Paws for a Cause

2011-11-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Harry Barker, the great purveyor of all accessories canine, has a new line designed to benefit Canines for Veterans.

CFV is a non-profit that matches shelter dogs with wounded veterans. Military prisoners train the dogs to service veterans with mobility-related injuries, PTSD, or traumatic brain injuries. The dogs learn a variety of tasks, from object retrieval to wheelchair pushing, and are then matched with a veteran companion.

Harry Barker's Canines for Veterans products range from leashes and leads to personalized buckets chock full of toys and treats. A substantial portion of all sales proceeds go to CFV.

The best treat of all, of course, is helping and honoring American service-people through CFV.

Wag on!

Bag Lady

2011-10-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

When personality types were divvied up at birth I planted myself firmly in the A+ line. (Please, please, don't act surprised). This creates all sorts of fun in our household, including at the grocery store. Not only do I insist upon lining up the groceries neatly on the belt - items with hard edges first, and mind the bananas - I also care deeply about the bags I bring with me.

(The Husband has one of those "Feed" bags from Whole Paycheck. I support the cause; hate the bag.)

Trish Banner of Cottage by Design seems to have just the thing for the "My groceries should look as good as my hair" crowd. If, in fact, we can be deemed a crowd.

Banner's French Market tote, available for a mere 40 clams on Etsy, comes in a host of colors, and it's vinyl handles will be sturdy enough for all of your pinot - blanc or noir.

Find the tote here.

High Society

2011-08-18T09:30:00.001-07:00

Society Social has launched their collection of furniture and hostess attire. High style, bright colors, low price points - who could ask for anything more?

The Darlington Chair (below) comes in pairs and in twelve luscious colors. You can even mix and match!

Another Darlington next to one of Society Social's bar carts - also available in a variety of colors.

The Dinner Party table (below) is ideal for small spaces. Folded it's an accent piece - unfurled, it seats 6 for your society soiree.

I, for one, am casting a critical eye around the house for a corner that needs a pop of Society Social's colors. Martini, anyone??

Raise a Glass

2011-08-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

We had this drink in Copenhagen and I do not exaggerate by calling it the best drink of all time. Handmade with love in England (hence the $8/pop price tag).

Available at Terrain.

xoxo

Baggage

2011-07-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

We all have it. Much of it comes in ex-boyfriend or girlfriend form. But what about the overhead compartment kind? My summer travels (by air or by land) have once more made me long for the perfect carry-on. Not t0o big (to spare the shoulders and guarantee compartment space) and not too small (a girl needs her laptop and her Louboutins, after all).

Has the partnership between Heritage Leather Co and Hickoree's Hard Goods solved this dilemma? Could we deploy these two stalwart companies (one headquartered right here in sunny CA) to clean up Libya and get Congress to raise the debt ceiling, while they're at it?

With interior pockets, nickel plated feet, a sturdy leather handle and an even sturdier leather bottom, this baby might be the answer to my travel prayers. (Let's leave comments about sturdy leather bottoms for another post, shall we?)

Innards

2011-05-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

British style guru Ben Pentreath has these French anatomy posters for sale. I am obsessed with getting one for The Husband. It is probably too large for him to take into the O.R., but the hope is that he has the human body memorized by now...

For more information and more lovely goodies, visit Pentreath's site.

Spring Escape

2011-04-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

There are times when a girl needs to hunker down at home and get things done - roll up the sleeves and apply a little elbow grease in a good ole' spring cleaning ritual. Last weekend was not one of those times.

There are also times when a girl needs to attend a medical meeting with her husband - listening to endless conversations about the difficult airway while feigning interest in yet another rubbery chicken breast served Marriot-hotel style. Last weekend was not one of those times, either.

But there are also are those times when a girl needs to drive over a bridge and disappear into some hiking trails for a few hours, only to emerge in time for a massage, a hot soak, and a glass of Gamay at a one-star Michelin resto. Last weekend was indeed one of those times.

Enter Cavallo Point.

Cavallo Point draws nature, dog, food, wine, and spa lovers. While there for a - too brief - twenty-eight hours, I hiked, lounged in the meditation pool, treated myself to both a massage and a facial, ran, sampled an excellent free yoga class, read a book (and a half), and ate Rancho Gordo popcorn with chives and parmesan cheese. In short, it was heaven on earth. The Point's acclaimed chef (originally from the much-lauded Meadowood restaurant) keeps things local and varies the menu depending upon availability; the lodge also offers cooking classes and demonstrations throughout the year.

My room, located on the far South of the old parade grounds, was "hike in, hike out" to the Marin headlands. Below is an iPhone shot of a post-modern house on the Ridge Trail.

Theoretically one could see the City from my room. In actuality, after 3 p.m. one could see the fog from my room - and a whole lot of it.

I selected one of the (cheaper) heritage rooms in the old officer's quarters. I had my own gas fireplace and an enormous bathroom with double sinks and a soaking tub with a view of the City/fog bank. The newer rooms, up the hill from the lodge's common spaces, have a slightly more upscale finish level but lack the charm of the old military quarters. Check out my lounge area!

There was a wedding in the lodge's chapel. Had I brought some silkies I would have crashed.

Cavallo Point was a perfect setting for a get-away and ideal for solo travelers. I struck up all sorts of conversations with fellow travelers and hotel staff (I know, I know, I could talk to a brick wall and come out with a phone number) and I didn't feel at all conspicuous for being alone - save when a helpful busboy (busman?) offered to sit hunker down next to me at dinner to stave off loneliness. CP offers locals' specials and all sorts of deals - I was on a "Spa Package," which allowed for endless pampering at a reasonable price.

Now it's onto retaining that post-weekend glow...

Almost There

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

The construction elves have been hard at work, and we're almost ready for the New and Improved Mancave/Family Room reveal! Please note that we're now an ash-free zone on the first floor, and that if we have a second hidden chimney in the house it will stay hidden - for now. Teasers below:

Long shot of the South wall built-ins. I bought the corbels on eBay. (Without a wide-angle it was impossible to shoot around the enormous Expedit bookshelves occupying the center of the room). This wall is about 25 feet and used to be a technological black hole - now it will be an ever-evolving decorating project.

Close-up of the far right section of the South wall. I love the arches on the bookshelves. The TV will be built-into this bookshelves to the left of your view below.

The North wall - the wainscot was there when we bought the house - it covers the concrete "kick" of the foundation, but with a coat or two of Benjamin Moore's Simply White, it looks like a well-crafted decorative element. (If I do say so myself...)

And finally, a preview of some new furniture for the space. Photo credit to my "game for anything" mom, who woke up at 5:00 am to join me at the Alameda Flea April 4th.

More to come!

Radio Silence

2011-03-24T10:19:00.001-07:00

Apologies, my few remaining readers, for the paucity of posts. You see, The Husband and I have found ourselves in the midst of this:

Please note the soot, which was from a (surprise!) chimney that someone way back in the history of 1059 had walled-in in lieu of spending a few pennies on removal. Please also note the bricks, which were our allegorical canary down the well, alerting us to the existence of said chimney by falling down, unheralded, on our contractor's head. (Surprise! Oh, how I love surprises of the dangerous and expensive sort!) In case you were wondering, and even if you weren't, the chimney weighed in around 5000 lbs. (Surprise again!)

All of these trials and tribulations pave the way for our new and improved Mancave, which I am now told must be called a Family Room after our shocking investment of time and resources. The FR will feature the barn door shown below, rescued from Heritage Salvage in Petaluma, and all sorts of other goodies, all to be revealed shortly.

xoxo

Introducing...

2011-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Farrow and Ball's new colors/colours. Tomato, tomahto, anyone?

Like all Farrow and Ball paints, the new line uses more pigments and resins than most paint manufacturers, and all of their paints contain organic elements such as linseed oil, chalk, and China clay. The resulting coverage is provides a visual depth while retaining a smooth texture. (I don't actually work for Farrow and Ball, despite my lovely contractor referring to them as "my" paints.)

Below are the nine new additions to Farrow and Ball's palette (all photos courtesy of Farrow and Ball.)

The wall below the chair rail is painted Mizzle, a color meant to evoke the misty drizzle common to both England and, sadly for me, San Francisco.

The walls here are coated in Oxford Stone, the ceiling in Blue Ground, the door in the foreground is Cooking Apple Green, and the door in the background is perennial favorite Folly Green.

Walls below in Charlotte's Locks. Unlike many Farrow and Ball colors, which derive from traditional 18th and 19th century schemes, Charlotte hearkens from the modernist 1950s. She's a bit too bold for my walls, but what a color for the brave among us!

Locals can find Farrow and Ball at Fregosi Paints in San Francisco. Both the Estate Emulsion (matte) and Modern Emulsion (slightly sheeny - more appropriate for high-traffic rooms) are available with about one week lead time.

Happy slathering!

xo mp

Magnificent Majorelle

2011-02-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

The time has long passed to share with you images from our Moroccan adventure back in October. While our 10 days in North Africa were filled with adventures, from camel rides in the desert to camel heads at the market, one of the visual highlights of the trip was Marrakesh's Majorelle Gardens.

Originally built by painter Jaques Marjorelle in 1919, the gardens first opened to the public in 1947. Marjorelle filled the gardens with plants from five continents, including yucca, cactus, and water lilies, and painted many of the garden's structures his signature cobalt blue. After Marjorelle's death Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge acquired the property and restored it, using it a lavish vacation escape.

Marjorelle's cobalt blue has attained iconic status; those in the know (now including you!) refer to the shade as bleu marjorelle. Mais oui.

The day we visited the weather was misty and overcast, but the vibrant colors still popped.

By the way, I wasn't joking about the camel heads.

xo
mp

Fun With Glue

2011-01-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

San Francisco artist Denise Fiedler and her cut-and-collage designs are all the rage. Not only was Fiedler featured in Sunset magazine's December gift guide, but Bay Area taste and style emporium Gumps has a whole wall devoted to Fiedler's creations.

All of Fiedler's work, available for sale on her site, is hand-made using vintage papers. Fiedler, a former Crate and Barrel bigwig, takes her inspiration from the quotidian, elevating everyday objects to a whimsical art form.

I love this bee for Sherlock Holmes - or for a kid's bedroom

An egg for your resident foodie - or chicken.

Champers for the party girl.

A saltbox for the Yankee.

Gallic stripes for the fashionista!

For more info, visit Denise's site, pastesf, here.
xo
mp

Giveaway!

2011-01-20T16:49:00.001-08:00

Jewelry designer and blogger Julie LoRusso is giving away one of her necklaces. I know it is hard for East Coast readers to envision weather pleasant enough to expose one's neckline, but this California girl promises that sunshine is just around the corner. (Can you tell by the cheerful way my fingers hit the keys that it was 62 degrees and sunny in SF today?)

Julie creates designs from new materials and also repurposes vintage brooches and earrings as accents. The Bamboo Necklace, directly below, is simply coconuts and is surprisingly reasonable. Visit Julie's blog to enter!

(All images courtesy of Julie LoRusso.)

Happy winning!

Marvelous

2011-01-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

Dearest readers, apologies for the eternal silence. May I make it up to you by offering these images, with a promise of a forthcoming post discussing all my travels?

(images of Yves Saint Laurent's Marjorelle Gardens, taken by The Husband in Marrakesh, Morocco)

Old Balls

2010-11-29T15:54:00.001-08:00

The incredibly talented Jay Mercado is having another open house at his studio on December 10th from 11-6.

Works on display (and for sale) will include several recent still life paintings on square canvases and the "Old Balls," of this blog title. (And shame on those of you who thought said venerable spheres referred to anything outre...)

For more information, visit Jay's site and blog.

Hope to see you at Jay's!
xo
mp

Play with Clay

2010-11-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

I know I promised a post about Spain and Morocco - one is in the works - but I had to take a moment to share my love of all things Whitney Smith.

Oakland artist Smith creates charming vessels, plates, and objects out of clay, adorned with birds and flowers and other delicacies.

You can find Smith's work on Etsy and on her site - or visit her at the Renegrade Craft Fair in SF on December 18, 2010.

xo
mp

Dreaming of Dunes

2010-11-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

Did I mention the Husband, A and B and I were recently on camelback at sunrise in the Sahara?

I thought not.

Extensive post about travels to follow.
xo
mp

But the Corpse is Barely Cold!

2010-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sure, Halloween still lingers at our house - the stuffed rats grace the dining room table, pumpkins still have a glow, and there is enough leftover candy to satisfy a regiment of seven-year-olds. But there are only 55 days until Christmas!

Thank goodness Wisteria understands my holiday decorating needs. Amidst the ballot and gubernatorial solicitations in my mailbox came their new holiday catalog. Huzzah!

I think someone in my life needs these Burl Ives memorial reindeer. Stat.

xo
mp

Basket Case

2010-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Husband will attest to my obsession with purchasing objects whose sole purpose is to transport or store other objects. I have probably never met a tray I didn't like, or at least flirt with for a few minutes. (Those of you who knew me in college, now would be a good time to keep your lips firmly sealed.) And baskets? Don't get me started on baskets.

I really need Moose River Handcrafts' Car Basket, though. There is all sorts of car detritus flopping around in my trunk (again with the sealed lips, those of you who have seen me in a bikini) and Lord knows the dog might fit in there in a pinch.

Duane Hanson and Sally Kwan handmake all of Moose River's products in rural Maine. They even ask that you order the old-fashioned way - by snail mail. At $50 for the Diane basket (lower photo - designed to carry a casserole dish) and $40 for the car basket (not designed to carry a car, even a Smart one) you can get a lovingly handmade piece of the Pine Tree State for a moderate amount of green.

xo
mp

Monkey Business

2010-10-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Far be it for me to suggest that the gorgeousness that is Leontine Linens is beyond the ken of the hoi polloi. (Image below courtesy of Leontine Linens.)

But what is a humble mortal to do when she longs to slap her initials over every available entertaining surface and also yearns to have lucre left over for the Thanksgiving turkey and a Christmas chestnut or two? It's Monkey Beetle to the rescue!

Sure, Monkey Beetle's linen napkins (pictured below) are machine-made by Sharon in Scottsdale, rather than lovingly hand-sewn by genteel matrons in Kentucky. But at $20 for four napkins, who cares?

With prices like Monkey Beetle's, you can even swing the gravy!
xo
mp

Show Your Spots

2010-09-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

Perhaps it is some sort of heat madness, a temporary insanity triggered by today's balmy 75 degree weather. But I confess to loving this velvet number. Despite the fact it is from (cue sigh) Talbots.

What do you think, dear reader? Is it sufficiently Jackie O, or should I hang up my fashion stripes and resign myself to a lifetime of elastic waistbands? (Food for thought below).

xo
mp

Heath for Health

2010-08-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

I shall refrain from commenting (er - complaining) about the San Francisco summers, or lack thereof, in yet another post.

But is it any wonder that I find myself attracted to Heath Ceramics' newest seasonal offerings, born and fired across the Bay in lovely (yet foggy) Sausalito?

A girl's gotta find her blue where she can, folks.

xo
mp

Spotted in the NYT

2010-08-11T13:57:00.001-07:00

From today's New York Times, featured in the "What you get for $500,000" feature:

The bedroom of a one-bedroom, one-bath, $500,000 condo in Seattle, in which, according to the paper of record, "most of the vertical services are covered in glass or mirrors, from the walls to the kitchen cabinets [!@$#]." (Horrified emphasis added).

Do you think the round bedroll is included in the purchase price?

xo
mp

We Need Your Vote!

2010-08-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a give-away to make Americans froth at the mouth. Room and Board is having a living-room furniture give-away - $10,000 in Room and Board products to refresh one lucky modernist's digs. The 20 finalists' needy rooms are posted here.

For me, there is one clear winner. With credit where it is due (all images and interview text courtesy of Room and Board), I offer you "Gaudy Goodness."

Why does your living room need a modern makeover?

I think there are way too many colors, curves and frilly things.

What one item or element in your living room drives you most up the wall?

These creepy lamps.

Close-up of the "creepy lamps."

If you had $10,000 worth of Room & Board furnishings, what would your dream living room look like?

It would look fresh, hip and modern... just like me. (Picture of the homeowner below).

How would a living room makeover improve your life?

A Room & Board / Dwell.com makeover could help me forget my ex-wife (who bought this furniture over 25 years ago).

Please, dear readers, vote early, and vote often.

Vicariously Yours

2010-08-03T16:30:00.001-07:00

I know this has been posted about by others, but perhaps some of you F&F readers are too busy watching Mad Men to keep abreast of the funny taking place at Catalog Living:

CL features "Gary and Elaine," who live lives only the photo stylists at Pottery Barn and West Elm could imagine. To wit (all content is poached directly from Catalog Living):

"Gary has no idea what exactly Elaine does in the shower every day, but he certainly knows better than to touch her wooden shower spoon or shower branch."

"Gary hung the chandelier for me as a surprise. Why heavens no, I’ve never raised my head enough to see what it’s hanging from. Let’s just enjoy our limes under glass."

"Gary, next time I ask you to "hang the lanterns,' would you please just do it like a normal person?"

"Gary got the idea from a parking lot in New York. Sure the kids get rope burns climbing into bed, but their upper-body strength is amazing."

Post are updated daily, and you can sign up for a Twitter feed to get the latest Gary and Elaine updates. Happy laughing!
xo
mp

Emerson Again

2010-07-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

The geniuses at EmersonMade (aka Emerson and Ryan) have moved beyond blossoms into a small but mighty line of clothing.

This shift dress + me (or you) = a good idea.

I think Madrid and Barcelona would benefit greatly from seeing me in this top:

Clothing available now for pre-order from EmersonMade. All images courtesy of the same.

xo
mp

P is for Preppy

2010-07-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

There is something about high summer that brings out my inner prepster. (For those of you who have seen my closet, you'll know it's not that inner.)

Perhaps it is due to the warm nights (that those of you not living in San Francisco experience), the thriving gardens (that those of you not living in San Francisco experience), the kiss of the warm sun on your shoulders (that those of you not living in San Francisco experience.). Or perhaps it's just due to all of that red, white and blue.

Most of the year, I am the first to champion white - and only white - sheets. But there's something about summer's siren song that makes me obsessed with LL Bean's cotton percale whale bedding:

Madras and a headband, anyone?

xo
mp

Gone Rogue

2010-06-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Prepare your big bad crafty self for July 31, 2010 at 11:00 am at Fort Mason.

Renegades like Rae Dunn will be on hand. So will I. Want to join?

xo
mp

Party Time

2010-06-25T10:40:00.001-07:00

Last night, there was a party to honor Natasha Hoehn, a supremely qualified candidate for San Francisco's Board of Education. (To learn more about Natasha, click here.) For some absurd reason, it was at my house.

All went well for a mid-week party, thanks to the fine folks at the Bi-Rite Market, Natasha's wonderful volunteers, my lovely parents, who donned aprons and acted as (unpaid) staff, and my superlative husband, also known as Clean-Up Man.

All went well, that is, until I went to label the foods to alert the finicky, the allergy prone, and the merely Californian, and realized that I only had four placecard holders. For most normal human beings, this would be unremarkable. For me, this was a crisis. If only I had discovered the Ercuis collection at Gracious Style before this morning. My table could have been graced by snails:

Or a school of fish. (Get it? Natasha is running for School Board? School of fish? Get it?)

Or these darling frogs with their scrawny froggy arms.

As every hostess knows, there's nothing like scrawny froggy arms to get your party off on the right leg. (Get it? Frog legs? Get it?)
xo
mp

This Little Wine of Mine

2010-06-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

I am hosting about a million parties this month. (By a million, I mean three.) My guests need not bring consumables, but if they do, how lovely if they were to bring wine, and how superlatively lovely if they were to bring it in one of these jute bags from Wisteria:

A mere $19 for a set of four.
xo
mp

BeTrayed

2010-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

The area next to my bed looks like a nocturnal war zone. Books galore, bookmarks, unguents and creams, hair ties, handkerchiefs, black and white photographs, a stray Ambien or two, and a bottle of wine called, "Bitch," given to me, as you may have guessed, by a very good friend.

Wouldn't one of these lucite trays from iomoi serve as a handy repository for all of those goodies?

I am partial to many of their patterns, mostly ones with shocking pink details or animalia:

You can add your custom monogram, moniker, or address.
How handy for you, Birthday Fairy...

xo
mp

Amazing Grace

2010-05-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

There are many reasons to love The Husband. But I doubt you want to read about his humor, his intelligence, his patients or his patience, or his ability to wear the same shirt every day for a whole week. His feminine side, however, makes for big news.

Yes, dear reader, I married a man who can spot a Birkin bag hanging off a well-heeled arm, who has a definitive opinion about bath gel, and who enjoys fashion. And no, I don't just mean the models.

So it should have come as no surprise that, during a recent Netflix eve, the Husband watched a preview for last year's film The September Issue and immediately added it to our queue. (He also berated me for not taking him to see it in the theater, despite my assurances that he was knee-deep football fanhood at the time.) On second viewing, the work of Vogue's Creative Director Grace Coddington looks even more breathtaking than the first time around.

Working with photographer Steve Meisel in the 1920s inspired Paris, Je T'aime shoot Coddington shows that fashion photography - and fashion itself - is indeed art.

The Husband and I both agreed that Coddington's sense of mise en scene is impeccable and unparalleled.

All images courtesy of Vogue magazine. Inspiration courtesy the Amazing Grace and the Amazing Husband.
xo
mp

Once More iPad the Breach

2010-05-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

An even better choice for kitchen/living room mounting of my (heretofore imaginary) iPad.

A mere 14 clams at Wisteria.

xo

mp

Ask Jeeves

2010-05-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

One of my friends is in the enviable position of gutting her 50 year-old house. I say "enviable" because I neither need live through the construction nor fund it. Instead, I play the role of unfettered imagination partner, which mostly consists of me emailing her drool-evoking images that are met with responses like, "Do you think I'm Bill Gates?" or "Apparently the word 'recession' is meaningless to you."

I am trying to convince her that she needs a butler's pantry. This is primarily because I want a butler's pantry even more than I want financial reform in Washington or aquamarine earrings (hello, Husband, are you reading this?)

The blog world has been frothing for months over Gina (aka Willow Decor's) unbelievable butler's pantry. Apologies if you've seen it, but this room is a stunner. Enough to make me don a tux and spend my days polishing silver ewers. And to think she started with this raw material:

And turned it into this:

Coffee or tea?

xo

mp

Well Mounted

2010-04-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Some people snoop in other's medicine cabinets or freezer drawers. I am an inveterate bookshelf peeper (and a judgmental one besides - fair warning to all of you with Sarah Palin's Going Rogue on your shelves). I am thrilled to uncover another Brideshead or Bleak House fan - and where better to snoop without fear of discovery than the portfolio of New York artist and entrepreneur Jane Mount?

Mount paints, among many other subjects, other people's books. What I wouldn't give to have my best literary friends memorialized on...well...paper...

Send Mount a photo of your favorite volumes (10 to 20 in number) along with $150 smackers and welcome your 9x12 gouache three weeks or so later. Larger sizes are available upon request - visit Mount's Etsy store for more information.
Happy peeping!
xo
mp

Brideshead Revisited, Revisited

2010-04-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hear ye, hear ye:

The cast and production crew of the nearly-perfect BBC adaptation of Brideshead Revisited revisit the experience 30 years later.

Listen here.
xo
mp

Winsome Windsors

2010-04-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

My mythical country house surely needs one of these:

Handmade by Rick McClendon, McClendon's daughter and son-in-law, and a two master carvers, these Windsor-style chairs, benches, and rockers hail from Ashlen Windsor Chair Company in Northport, Alabama. Each piece is constructed without modern embellishment or tool and is available in a variety of stains and finishes. Ashlen sells English and American style Windsors, all made in the traditional three-wood style.

Now for a pint of ale, a loyal spaniel, and a roaring fire.
xo
mp

Stand Up

2010-04-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

The perfect accessory for your kitchen-bound iPad:

Now I can read my Epicurious recipes and sing along with the cast of Glee without putting my keyboard in mortal danger. Oops - did I say I? I meant you, dear reader. Really, I meant you.

Brass book stand available from Great Findz

xo
mp

Literary Top Ten

2010-04-11T21:53:00.001-07:00

I beg your indulgence as I take a detour away from design into the world of the page. (Although I do believe a well-loved collection of books is a key element in warming and personalizing space, this post has absolutely nothing to do with that belief.) A few weeks ago, blogger Tyler Cowan of Marginal Revolution posted a list of the ten books that have influenced him most in his lifetime. Better late than never, I join the fray.

Please note that these are not necessarily my favorite books (although I have re-read most of them over and over), and one of them is not really a book (plays count, right?), and I make no representation about these books' status or stature in anyone else's literary canon. But these are the books I turn to when only an old friend will do. The inevitable question follows - what are your top ten most influential books? Will you share?

Loud, uncouth, controversial, bombastic, hyperbolic, omnivorous - this shambling wreck of a genius is the reason I read. Sound your barbaric yawp.

College - I am a California fish in a frozen pond. Wallace brings me back home to Northern California and opens up the literature of the American west. Joe Allston only ripens with age - read it again.

I remember having a near-screaming, um, discussion with one of my thesis writers about The Things They Carried. Sorry Prof. Sweeney, but I'm still positive that it doesn't matter that O'Brien passes fiction off as memoir. All memoir is fiction, and all fiction is memoir. Countless library and research hours spent studying the literature of the Vietnam War all because of this slender grenade of a book.

Hand this book to any precocious young adult reader and you're giving them a gift. A world in which smart is admirable and dogs are named after Shakespearean figures. Perfection.

Call it trite, but has anyone really written a better phrase than, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"? I still have the high school copy that I liberated from Mrs. Bradshaw's room. Nick Carraway - the perfect outside insider (or, as the Good Gray Poet would say, both in and out of the game, and watching and wondering at it.) American literature in the fullest sense of the term and a necessary primer for any Californian heading East.

Small and piercing American stories. No need for grand multi-generational epics or preposterous twists of fate and plot. Bumping into the work of New Yorker editor Maxwell in my late twenties was like finding a whole new way to read.

Lord Jeff bookstore, 1991 - December. This oddball volume looks comfortable in my hands and I have no choice but to buy it. Lyrical and profoundly odd - a little like me, in 1991 at least.

I mentioned I was an oddball, right? I discovered this book at sixteen and have thumbed it around with me ever since. Crass, tight, and perfectly tuned - what I wouldn't give to write dialogue like this. Spent quite a few years trying - thanks, Dave.

Daughters and fathers and monsters and sprites and shipwrecks and power and fear and genius and hate and love and cruelty and kindness and regret. Oh, the regret. Any English major can teach Twelfth Night - but The Tempest, well, that's my white whale.

I taught myself to read with this book - memorizing it and then sounding out the words. Then I tried to teach Leah Jack, too. Mom, this one's for you.

So, readers, I can't wait to read your lists...

xo
mp

Who You Callin' a Dingbat?

2010-04-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

My family members are not patient people, particularly when engaging in any form of transport, and certainly not when other homo sapiens are within a five mile radius. Back when Dad censored his language, he called slow, inconsistent (read: California) drivers "dingbats."

So how happy was I to stumble upon Dingbat Press? Lest you think Dingbat Press is some written homage to the Prius-driving masses, those intrepid souls who drive 50 miles per hour in the fast lane on Highway 101 whilst their white knuckles clutch the steering wheel as if it is a lifejacket and they are a slightly less gamine version Kate Winslet, I share with you some of my favorite Dingbat offerings:

Let us all acknowledge that letterpress rules, and that any recipe written on a card emblazoned with a crown or two must certainly taste delicious.

Any disagreement clearly makes one a DINGBAT.

xo
mp

My Scandy Dream

2010-04-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

We at 1059 are planners. For me, it's a simple matter of genetics. For the Husband, it's a less simple matter of an insane work schedule that requires vacations booked some 12-18 months in advance.

All this is to excuse and explain a Christmas travel post - coming to you right before Easter.

Once more, Christmas will be spent overseas - but this time we're gunning for a Copenhagen/London combo pack. And looky looky what Tablet Hotels found:

Copenhagen's Nimb hotel, which occupies a site previously known as "the Bazaar." The Nimb is actually within the famed Tivoli Gardens, and has been touted by Travel and Leisure and Trip Advisor as Copenhagen's finest hotel. With only 14 guest rooms, the Nimb focuses on service and pampering - and its amenities include milk and butter straight from the Nimb's own dairy. And did I mention the in-house gourmet sausage stand? Pig in a bun and a clawfoot tub - who could ask for anything more?

Now it's onto finding hats and gloves warm enough to brave a Scandinavian winter!

xo
mp

Spring Recipe

2010-03-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

A great book, a cold mojito, and thou:

Handmade deck chair available from Vancouver's Gallant and Jones, and for sale on Etsy.

xoxo
mp

Ayuda in Barcelona!

2010-03-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hola! The Husband and I, along with dear friends A & B, are in the throes of planning a grand adventure, starting in Spain and ending in...wait for it...Morocco. Huzzah!

Future posts will discuss the markets of Marrakesh, the souks of Fez, and the tapas of Madrid. But for today, we turn our lens to Barcelona, home of Gaudi, the Ramblas, and two hotels between which a choice must be made...by Monday.

The first contender is the Hotel Pulitzer, pictured below.

Our second option is the Grand Hotel Central - much more modern and slightly larger. We have a guarantee of an enormous room at a great rate at the GHC - but is it too sterile for our "more is more" aesthetic?

Thoughts? Experiences? Advice?
xoxox
mp

Not that Mad After All

2010-03-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

Coming in July to a retailer near you, Mad Men Barbie dolls.

(image courtesy of The New York Times)

The dolls come complete with period-appropriate outfits and padded underwear, but Mattel has drawn the licensing line at ashtrays and martini shakers. It's a bring-your-own vodka world in Barbie town.

xo
mp

Outfitting your Inner Hemingway

2010-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Feeling a little like the old man and the sea? Hearing that bell tolling for you?

One King's Lane is featuring designs from Starbay, a twenty-year old concern that designs based upon old luxury cruise liner furniture.

Current offerings include folding campaign desks, steamer trunks outfitted as traveling bars, and rosewood and canvas folding chairs roomy enough for you and your Sherpa, too.

Now all you need is the snow leopard.

xo

mp

Hoppy Easter

2010-03-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I am usually not the fuzzy animal type, unless it is the fuzzy animal who lives with us here at 1059 and demands daily walks, pets, and the occasional foray onto the forbidden territory that is our bed. But who could resist this hand-crafted (and vaguely Dickensian) mouse, clad it its warm shawl, peeking out of an Easter basket?

Mouse toy made by Natasha Fadeeva, available via ebay (this should link you right to her site.)

xo
mp

Aw, Shucks

2010-02-22T07:40:00.001-08:00

Huzzah!

(image courtesy of House Beautiful)

The lovely blog Holly Goes Lightly, which features all things tasteful and fabulous (not to mention all things Vermont and North Carolina) and to which I turn for all manner of sage advice ("help me pick a bed! help me pick a lamp!) has given Fancy and Folly a Sunshine Award.

(image courtesy of Holly Goes Lightly)

I am honored to be in such vaulted company and to have such a bright spot in the blogging world turn some sunshine my way. I will be spreading some sunshine myself shortly, but for now wish to say a humble thanks!
xo
mp

George. Period.

2010-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend, after a Saturday afternoon movie and in preparation for Sunday's half-marathon (not to mention the Saints' victory), I dragged The Husband to Clement Street for a shopping outing.

Needless to say, he was thrilled.

The air of resigned acceptance waned somewhat once we entered the magical kingdom that is Period George. With apologies to Lerner and Loewe, I could have shopped all night.

Period George is replete with beautiful housewares and treasures for the table - almost all antique, and all selected with an eye toward beauty and functionality.

Transferware soup tureens? Check. Wedgwood pitchers? Check. Crystal goblets worthy of the finest English country estate? Check. Etched glasses, chinoiserie bowls, the occasional stuffed pheasant? Check, check, and check.

Every surface abounds with unexpected surprises. Owner Donald Gibson's prices are also a surprise (very fair, based upon my flea/antique/scrounging experience.)

Mr. Gibson's sister, who is also responsible for the one-of-a-kind cards stocked in Period George, spent a half an hour helping us find the perfect treasure - an English biscuit tin, circa the 1880s, that I had intended hold compost (the horrors!) but now have decided must sit next to my bed simply to be cradled and gazed upon with loving eyes.

The tragically poor iPhone photos above simply do not do Period George justice. My advice? Stop by Number 7 Clement Street and see it all for yourself.
xo
mp

A Little Light on the Subject

2010-02-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Which one of these babies, both from Anthropologie, do you prefer next to my Favorite Flea Find in my office?

(The Coal Flower Lamp - 10 inch diameter shade - $88)

(Rigid Pleats Lamp, 7 inch diameter shade - $68.00)

Flea find - sans small concrete block table on which said lamp will rest. All cast votes will be heard - hanging chads and all.

xo
mp

Head on a Bed?

2010-01-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Husband and I have spent three years in our current bedroom, sleeping on a brilliant mattress sans any headboard. This is not, in any way, shape, or form, a crisis.

It is, however, a recipe for greasy head stains on the wall and any number of pillows slipping into the ever-expanding space between the mattress and the baseboard.

The time has come, dear readers, for a headboard. Imagine any of the three beds below just with headboard assembly, as it's called (no foot posts - no room). Imagine them ebonized to match the black/white/gray/pink theme going on in the room. And then vote. Which do you like best?

(Beds pictured are, in order, the Dionis, the Polpis, and the Shimmo, all hand-crafted by the artisans at The Federalist. Please also do not confuse this furniture making Federalist with the political group of the same name, which is a horse of an altogether different stripe.)

xo
mp

Headboard Inspiration

2010-01-19T20:46:00.001-08:00

There has got to be a way to get an image like the one on this panel, brought to us via two girls in avignon:

Onto a plain-Jane headboard such as this, brought to us (and to the rest of the world) via Pottery Barn.

Please discuss. If you must throw in a French bulldog, c'est la vie.

xo
mp

Worth 1000 Words

2010-01-19T16:04:00.001-08:00

...and most of them are things like "tacky," "nightmare," and "did she pay actual money for that?"

I hate to be the Queen of Snark. But Hollywood begs for it during awards season, right? If you're not sure, just look below.

Drew "It's not a Tumor" Barrymore. I thought that thing on her hip might be a handbag. But, given the clutch in her left hand, I'm now thinking goiter?

Oh, Mariah. It's the Golden Globes - not the Bring Your Own Golden Globes...

The shame. Many, many polies and esters lost their lives for Chloe Sevigny's ruffles.

It can't be that hard to find a lovely gown, particularly when Harry Winston comes to your house to drop off baubles and designers loan you their newest hot off the sewing machine. For proof, check out the dress below - to be worn by a dear friend at her summer nuptials. Rachel Zoe, eat your heart out:

(dress by Marchesa - friend cropped to preserve innocence and mystery.)
xo
mp

Great Walls of Fire

2010-01-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

Huzzah!

The dining room is now sporting this above the wainscot:

(The Ringwold papers, available through Farrow and Ball)

Whilst the mud room and powder room ceilings are decked out in this:

(Amaze wallpaper, available through hygge and west)

Installation photos and details to follow once the Swine has departed...

xo

mp

This Little Swine of Mine

2010-01-04T14:10:00.001-08:00

It just goes to show that vigilant hand washing, a ban on touching public transportation surfaces, and random acts of sanitization can only get you so far. I will return, dear reading public, when I am doing less of this:

And more of this:

xo

mp

By Any Other Name

2009-12-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

Were it not the holidays, I would be offering you apologies for the scarcity of my posts. I would also be proffering a mea culpa for this long-awaited post, which is both fashion-related (what am I, Martha Stewart Living, telling you where to buy jeans with an elastic waistband?) and poached (from the great blog Sanity Fair).

But because it is the holidays, consider my plagiarism and deviation from my blog mission as a gift. From me. To, well, me.

The truth of it is, if Santa doesn't bring me one of these fiery red roses from Emersonmade on December 25th, I just might have to track one down on my own.

It can come on a clutch (see above) or on its lonesome (see below.)

It could also come with a duck.

Why does the girl below look so happy? Because she has an Emersonmade flower on her lapel, you silly thing, you!

May your holidays bring you everlasting flowers.

And ducks.
xo
mp

(All images courtesy of Emersonmade.)

Lonny Redux

2009-12-10T10:39:00.001-08:00

Visit Lonny mag here. Sure, you can't hold it in your hands or cut images from it for your Someday House (you know, the one you will be sharing with Daniel Craig), but you can surf it while riding Muni!

xo
mp

Head's Up

2009-12-06T17:30:00.001-08:00

Wouldn't one of these bad boys be perfect for the slightly madcap venison lover on your Christmas list?

For more information, visit rubyslounge at esty. For my PETA readers, no real animals were killed in the creation of this post.

xo
mp

Giving Thanks

2009-11-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

A reader (hi, Amy J!) wrote in and asked for host/hostess gift recommendations for the upcoming holiday season. My ancestors abhorred crossing a stranger's threshold empty-handed, so I have plenty of ideas. While I have read that bringing wine puts your host in an uncomfortable position (serve your wine or theirs? will your cab franc ruin the flavor their stinky cheese? should they save your generously-gifted bottle of Screaming Eagle for their "real" friends?), I am a firm believer in alcohol opening all sorts of doors. That said, there are plenty of alternatives that won't cripple your wallet.

I spill. On myself and less animate objects. Ergo, I will never say no to a new tea or dish towel. I am loving the recycled hemp tea towels from Williams Sonoma. (Pictured below: $18. Note, oh happy husband, that these also make excellent stocking stuffers.)

If your friends are sponsoring your weekend in the Hamptons or serving you fois gras, try giving them the Laguiole serving set, pictured below ($49 at Williams Sonoma). And then give them my phone number.

Some people (me) love scented candles - others prefer their own natural musk. The latter typically do not have housepets. For the candle lover, Aunt Sadie's Housewarming flavored candle is a must. With its citrus and grass notes, it's nice and fresh - the perfect weapon in the "please don't notice my dog's breath" arsenal. ($16 at Aunt Sadie's website.)

If booze is your thing but you want to stand out from the Pinot crowd, bring a bottle of Lillet. Like revenge, Lillet is best served cold. Unlike revenge, upon which garnishes look silly, Lillet is also best served with a tiny slice of citrus.

Say "yes" to kicking it old school, and encourage your host to write love letters by giving them a packet of Linda & Harriet's Zig Zag cards ($14 for a set of 6). Check out how much these notes resemble the (much-beloved) Rubie Green Bryn fabric!

For the Top Chef in your life, how about one of these recipe boxes from Jack and Lulu? I personally like the blue (pictured below - $50), but I haven't invited you over, now, have I?

And finally, a word about flowers. I love giving and receiving flowers - but I understand that some hosts may be perplexed about how to balance shaking the martinis, searing the tuna, and stripping the tulips all at once. Why not have a few - cheap - clear vases on hand to dress up those grocery bouquets? The 4-inch model below, from Save on Crafts, costs a mere $2.99 - and will make you look like Martha Stewart's hot little sister. On second thought, yuck.

xoxoxo
mp

Atlanta Bartlett Helps Me Waste More Time

2009-11-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

I happened to find myself visiting Atlanta Bartlett's online store, Pale and Interesting, this afternoon.

And I just left.

Here's why:

Bartlett (who lives in England) has had an impressive career as a designer, author, photographer, and all-around style guru. Now she and her husband, the equally talented Dave Coote, have opened their online boutique, Pale and Interesting. Lucky Britons may select from Bartlett and Coote's books, jewelery, furniture and accessories - all beautiful, all unique.

I appreciate how Pale and Interesting's products are utilitarian rather than simply decorative, replete with fascinating textures and contrasts - the masculine and the feminine, the delicate and the rough and tumble. They specialize in vintage and one-of-a-kind wares.

While the site claims they can ship internationally, I hate to begin to calculate the shipping costs - so think of today's post as inspiration and aspiration - for free!

xo
mp

Flea Update

2009-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

I interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for an Alameda Flea Market update. This morning, troubled by rumors and conflicting announcements about the Flea's purported closure, I took matters into my own hands, and did what any self respecting lawyer would do.

I made a phone call.

After pressing just a few numbers in that mysterious 510 area code, I reached a real live Flea employee, who not only assured me that the Flea will be happening this Sunday, but that it will be happening going forward. She attributed the flurry of misinformation to a "rogue" shareholder who decided to announce the Flea's closure without discussing such action with the majority ownership. Oops. So rest assured, dear readers, that the treasure hunt will continue.

In case you've forgotten our last Flea episode, below are some of the "chair girls'" finds.
Can't wait to see what we uncover this time!

xo

mp

How the Good Times Rolled Pt. 1

2009-10-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

The prodigals have returned from the Crescent City (called such due to the shape of the Mississippi River, not the shape of beignets, which are more "somewhat roundish" and have created what can only be described as "somewhat roundish" deposits upon my backside.) But I digress.

New Orleans is a wonderful town, with more tales to tell than I can do justice. We were lucky enough to eat at some of the city's finest establishments, see some of its finest sights, and, if I may say so myself, purchase some of its finest wares. I'll tackle the food first (in honor of importance, of course) and cover the other two in later posts. Below are two images of the beignets and chicory coffee served at the French Quarter's legendary Cafe du Monde. There are two pictures as we had to eat there twice - hence the suspicious fatty deposits upon my posterior. The beignets arrive with what appears to be an entire box of powdered sugar on each fluffy nugget. Be warned and avoid wearing black pants.

Beignets in utero. Or in oil, whichever image distresses you less.

Below is the miraculous molasses spoon bread (with honey butter, natch) served at Dante's Kitchen. I have to say that this was my favorite meal in NOLA - intimate atmosphere, outrageously great food, and wonderful company (our friends Dan and Elvira came down from Boston to visit Dan's mother and give us a "howdy y'all.") Aside from the four of us doing battle over the remains of this spoon bread - and let me tell you - all of that butter makes a spoon pretty slippery - it was a perfectly orchestrated dinner.

During the day, I would tour around the city while the Husband dutifully attended to doctorly conference duties. We typically reconnoitered around 4 p.m. - at which point both of us were ready for a snack or two. Our favorite mid-afternoon pick-me-up spot was Sucre, on Magazine Street. Below is a picture of Sucre's red velvet cake (with raspberry coulis, for good measure.)

Other great eats included John Besh's miraculous August (which I state, here and for posterity, gives Gary Danko a run for his money), steak with hollandaise at neighborhood favorite Clancy's, blackened redfish at Susan Spicer's Bayona, the chicken salad at Lilette and the bacon, tomato, and shrimp salad at newcomer Green Goddess. The ribs at Cochon, Donald Link's homage to all things pig, cannot be missed, nor, according to my waistline, can they be forgotten.

Susan Spicer's duck and cashew butter sandwich with apple slaw. I'll have two or three to go, please. (image courtesy of Halogenlife.)

Pig at Cochon. Yummy, crunchy, delicious pig. (image courtesy of Food and Wine)

Bread pudding souffle at Commander's Palace. Go ahead - be fooled into thinking that this bread pudding is better for you because it comes in souffle form. Just try to ignore the bourbon cream sauce. (Image courtesy of Fabulous Foods.)

On our last NOLA evening, we enrolled in a cooking class through New Orleans Cooking Experience. Lucky for us, our instructor was Frank Brigsten, a fifth-generation NOLA chef and owner of Brigsten's restaurant. Frank constructed shrimp fritters, roumelade sauce, baked oysters, pork in apple cider, and pecan pie while we watched in lustful admiration. Frank, who trained with Paul Prudhomme at the famed K Paul's restaurant, is adept at bringing out the flavor in traditional Creole cuisine. He is also adept at using butter. Lots and lots of butter. Frank is pictured below, smiling at a woman who is probably also describing her life-long affair with saturated fats.

Feel free to email or comment below if you would like me to share any of the recipes from our travels (we even have Dante's spoon bread recipe) or if you would like more NOLA food recommendations. Prepare your taste buds and elastic waistlines!

xo

mp

Preparing for NOLA

2009-10-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Husband and I are off later this week for a New Orleans boondoggle, during which he will be refining his pediatric anesthesia skills, whilst I will be refining the speed at which I can down beignets.

If only I had known about this beauty weeks ago, when I was in research mode (please note the certain je ne sais quoi about the dog's pose, as if she is saying, "Yes, I hunt down small creatures for sport - but I also fertilize your hyrdrangeas!")

(image courtesy of Heartless Doll, and dedicated to Brant Thompson.)

No matter how many valuable inside tips a subscription to Garden and Gun may have provided, we will muddle along by eating some of this:

(Crawfish Etouffee image courtesy of Southern Living)

And some of this:

(Gumbo image courtesy of my recipes.com)

After visiting a few of these:

(image courtesy of flickr - yes, we are doing an evening cemetery tour!)

Before buying - if the stars and stocks align - one of these!

(Amanda Stone Talley's work - image courtesy of All the Best, by Rhonda Carmen.)

Fingers crossed that we don't encounter one of these in the swamps:

Stories to follow...
xo
mp

Beg, Borrow, or Ask Nicely

2009-10-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

One of the privileges of White House occupation, including the use of Air Force One, a dedicated 24-hour chef who will make you anything your heart desires - ("crepes at 2 a.m.? No problem, Mr. President!") - and, apparently, a short-cut towards a Nobel Prize, is the offer to raid American museums for shiny things to fill those blank oval walls.

Along with decorator Michael S. Smith, the Obamas selected 45 pieces from the Smithsonian, the National Gallery, and the Hirshhorn. Their pieces run toward the modern, with a piece by Rothko, a Degas sculpture, and a Louise Nevelson painting. While the Obamas are free to select as many pieces as they like, they are asked not to pick anything currently on display in the respective museums.

Which of course leads me to wonder - who keeps a Rothko or a Diebenkorn in their basement?

Below are some of the Obamas' picks. Not too shabby!

Berkeley, No. 52, Richard Diebenkorn

I think I'll..., Ed Ruscha

Black Like Me, Glenn Ligon, 1992

Skylight, Alma Thomas, 1973

xox

mp

The Return of Etiquette for Every Event

2009-10-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Do you ever fumble for words? Struggle for the appropriate verbiage? Trip over your tongue in an effort to say just the right thing? Well, look no further.

Originally published in 1965. Scheduled re-release in November, 2009:

Illustrations by none other than the unsinkable Edward Gorey, along with text by the mysterious Hyacinthe Phyppo, aka Mel Juffe. Images courtesy of the estate of Edward Gorey.
Available for preorder on Amazon.

xo
mp

Today's Etsy Pick

2009-09-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Look what I found on etsy, brought to you courtesy of Alyssa at BROOKLYNrehab:

Why number your napkin rings, you ask? To allow you to re-use your cloth napkins night after night without fear of smearing your loved ones' germs all over your face, I answer.

I suggest moving quickly on the hand-painted whale, as its $16 price tag is burning a hole in my pocket.

What are you waiting for? Set sail to etsy, mateys! Bon voyage.

xo

mp

Tis' the Season

2009-09-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

...for apples, hayrides, pumpkin carving, and frolicking in piles of crispy leaves.

If you live somewhere that is not the San Francisco Bay Area, that is. Today it is 75 degrees at my house. I am not complaining, as I reserve complaints for the days when the fog wreaks havoc with my coiffure and I have not seen a ray of sunshine for at least a week. I am merely pointing out that the fall in New England, or even the Midwest, can be pretty spectacular. So what's a girl in the throes of Indian Summer to do to get a taste of autumnal goodness?

How about a trip to The Apple Farm in Philo?

Originally purchased by the Schmitt/Bates family in 1984, the Apple Farm is one of a growing number of attractions drawing visitors to the Anderson Valley. Sally and Don Schmitt moved to the property from Yountville after selling a little restaurant called the French Laundry to some upstart whippersnapper. At the time, the property boasted an uninhabitable farmhouse and was overgrown with heritage apple trees. Sally and Don enlisted their multi-talented family to help develop the land. Undeterred by the fact they knew nothing about apples, Sally's daughter, Karen Bates, and her husband, Tim, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

The Bates/Schmitts cleared the property and renovated the farmhouse; on the side, they created an impressive kitchen garden, constructed a rammed-earth house for the Bates clan, and built three small cottages amongst the apple groves. The cottages, along with the "room with the view" in the main house, are available for overnight guests as well as for guests participating in the farm's weekend cooking school.

Each cabin, be it the Red, Blue, or Green Door, is singular in design and decoration, but all are comfortable beyond belief. The Blue Door cabin has a claw-foot tub and an outdoor shower - heavenly.

The Apple Farm produces its own jam (raspberry and strawberry are house favorites), chutney, apple cider and juice, and apple vinegar. Tim has become quite the apple expert, and the farm has several varieties previously thought to be lost in the United States. The Apple Farm sells its apples to Napa and San Francisco restaurants (yes, even to the French Laundry) and at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market. Above is the cider-making operation.

I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the day the Apple Farm begins to produce wine. Until that operation gets up and running, feel free to stop by one of the many local wineries - Esterlina Vineyards, Breggo, and Goldeneye are among our favorites.

If you like to work for your supper, try the Apple Farm's cooking weekends. (We have gone three years running and are about to schedule our fourth.) The menus for Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday brunch vary depending upon the season and Karen's whims; all ingredients are locally sourced - some as local as right out the kitchen's back door!

Above is yours truly gathering basil for basil mayonnaise with fresh tomatoes (pictured below.)

My parents, who have joined us for our past two visits to the Apple Farm, measuring ingredients for a savory clafoutis.

Duck breasts. Honestly, what needs to be said except, "duck breasts."

Duck liver. Wrapped in bacon. Served for breakfast with the aforementioned savory clafoutis. Cholesterol? Who worries about cholesterol?

Lunch and brunch are typically served outside under the grape arbor.

For more information about the Apple Farm, click here.

Happy cruching!

xo
mp

New Acquisition

2009-09-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Reader, I bought it.

Stay tuned for more information about Jay Mercado's evocative donut art.

xo

mp

The House of Windsor

2009-09-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

I need not wax rhapsodic about Windsor Smith's Los Angeles home (featured in the September issue of House Beautiful.) In our 24 hour media age, Smith's house is old news - plus that road has been trod by bloggers far more august than yours truly (yes, you, tartanscot!) I can, however, gush about Smith's furniture line (while gnashing my teeth over the state of my savings account, of course.)

The Elegant Chair is available upholstered in crushed velvet (shown) or linen. Had my parents named me "Elegant" would I look this good?

The Edie chair is available as shown or painted in any one of Farrow and Ball's custom colors. A combination the likes of which we have not seen since peanut butter met chocolate. Pure kismet.

Smith's mirrors can be custom aged. Not something I want to duplicate on my own personage, but tempting all the same.

The slipcovered wingback chair makes a wonderful accent piece at the head/foot of a dining room table. (Amy, I'm talking to you!) Below is an image from Smith's own kitchen - the walls and cabinets are Benjamin Moore's Polo Blue.

(Image courtesy of House Beautiful)

Perfect - down to the beloved pink peonies on the counter. (Smith's favorite flower - we're practically twins!)

xo

mp

2009-09-05T15:47:00.001-07:00

Be honest.

It's a bit over the top, right?

Lily certainly thinks so.

But perhaps she just doesn't think red is her color.

For more decorative pieces based upon the art of Belgian born (and dog loving) Thierry Poncelet, visit designer cushions (also on etsy - username designercushions).

xo

mp

Farewell, Friend

2009-08-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

2009, I must confess, is not my favorite year. Perhaps it is my own advancing age, but it seems that two-aught aught nine has seen more than its fair share of passing heroes. On Sunday, we said goodbye to the creative force that was Sheila Lukins, co-author of four Silver Palate Cookbooks and the co-owner of the Upper West Side's Silver Palate store.

(Lukins, left, pictured with her business partner Julie Rosso, in an image familiar from the Silver Palate Cookbook.)

When Lukins and Rosso opened their 156-square foot shop in the 1970s, female-owned and operated businesses were far from the norm, and the American food revolution had only just begun. The pair sold lovingly-made prepared foods, concentrating upon fresh and local ingredients. Their first cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook, was written almost as an afterthought - and it changed the way generations of Americans cooked and entertained. Welcome to arugula, and radicchio, and capers. Welcome to balsamic vinegar and whole grain mustard. Thanks to the Silver Palate girls.

Not that I am a Julie Powell sycophant, but I do believe that Sheila and Julie (Rosso) taught me to cook - and changed my life for the better. After a devasting break-up with my live-in (and culinarily gifted) boyfriend, I faced Valentine's Day of 2001 armed with two grim realities: I didn't have a date, and, worse, I had no idea how to cook. My only gift that year came from my mother - a large box from Amazon, with a Cuisinart processor and a copy of the Silver Palate inside. "Get cooking," read the gift note. "You can do it."

I started the way I always do: by reading. The whole cookbook, cover to cover. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of reading the Silver Palate, here is one humble page:

Please note the absence of intimidatingly perfect photographs of food styled with Elmer's glue and spraypaint. Instead, you see charming black and white sketches, informative and slightly silly sidebars, and chatty little hints about how to rescue a fallen souffle or what wine to serve at what temperature. After closing the cover and seeing those two smiling faces on the back, I was pretty sure that Sheila and Julie were on my side, and that they would get me through any charred/raw/burned disaster I could envision. I was right. I've gone from a near fatal case of kitchen ineptitude to throwing parties with for thirty with dishes that look like this:

(Handmade caramel apples. Hand-tied raffia. If that Martha is ever looking for a replacement...)

So thanks, Sheila, for your gumption, for your humor, and for your wonderful recipes. You will be missed.

xo

mp

Ladybug with a Jellyfish Chaser

2009-08-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

Twice a year, The Husband and I open a bottle of champagne at twilight and release ladybugs into our garden. He likes to do this because ladybugs bring all manner of beneficial insects and social interactions to our meager supply of greenery. I like to do this because it seems simultaneously reckless and elegant. Barefoot, we drink champagne from crystal flutes and cast our ladybugs into the air - sort of like F. Scott and Zelda in the early years.

Speaking of reckless and elegant, check out this ladybug print from Hugo Guinness, available at the hallowed (and holy) halls of John Derian. Wouldn't this print please The Husband to no end?

Guinness works in linocut, which is essentially what you think it is - a design carved into linoleum, similar to a woodcut. After carving the design in relief onto the linoleum, the artist rolls the material in ink and places the paper atop the ink-laden design. The printing can be done by hand or by a press. Linocut was introduced in Germany around 1905, and was popularized later in the 20th century by Picasso and Matisse. Not shabby company to keep.

(image courtesy of John Derian)

If Hugo Guinness's work seems a bit steep in this, our New Economy, please check out Stacey Bradley's work on Etsy (shop name: PerlaAnne). We have two of Stacey's prints in the bedroom at 1059 and I love looking at them every morning - once the glasses are on, that is.

This jellyfish is my newest PerlaAnne obsession. For around $15, this signed print can be yours - or, perhaps, if the stars align and I am online after midnight, mine!

xo

mp

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

2009-08-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Barbara Barry for Wedgwood sale at One Kings Lane right now. This moment. Pronto. The cost savings versus retail is pretty amazing.

Feel free to use my email address as your "friend referral" if you are not yet a One Kings Lane member.

xo

mp

A Roll of the Dice

2009-08-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

The phrase "Vacation Rentals by Owner" may conjure up images of sagging mattresses and kitchens equipped with two ill-matched knives and a promotional plastic cup from the gas station down the road. But the odor of mildew has never put me off from a wallet friendly get-away. This weekend, the Husband and I, along with intrepid friends A and B, decided to brave the unknown wilds of Fox Lodge in Point Reyes Station, California. Suffice to say that we are glad we did.

Fox Lodge is decorated in high Adirondack style. This twig bench and wreath greet you at the front door.

The side door, where your vintage croquet set awaits near one of the house's two stone fireplaces.

The clawfoot tub in the master bath, flanked by windows that show off the property's surrounding meadowland. The master bath also boasts a walk-in stone shower.

Reclaimed wood mirror in the master bath.

Vintage fishing creels mounted as decorative storage in the master bath. You can find these creels all over Fox Lodge - I was thrilled to open one in the master bath and discover a hairdryer. You can take the girl out of the city...

A peek into the dining area downstairs. Please note the Wolf range and the cabinets, hand painted with a light-red milk paint. Behind those cabinet doors lurk all manner of kitchen accessories fit for Mr. Chuck Williams himself. Apparently there was no need for me to bring my own toilet paper.

The double sink in the second bathroom. Charming, much?

Fox Lodge abounds with reading nooks - and piles of wool and cashmere blankets.

The exterior of Fox Lodge - could you guess the comforts within?

While in Point Reyes don a pair of these...

...and take a walk along one of the National Seashore's many trails to see this...

...before rewarding yourself at The Marshall Store for the bbq version of these...

(image courtesy of The Marshall Store)

Visit VRBO or email me for more information about renting the four bedroom, two bath paradise that is Fox Lodge. Happy Trails!

xo
mp

Allow Myself to Introduce Myself

2009-08-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Husband and I are in the midst of a raging debate here at 1059. No, our argument is not about Obama's health care plan. It is not about whether or not Kim Jong-il's jumpsuit does indeed broaden his posterior. It is, instead, about these:

(image courtesy of Leontine Linens)

More accurately, the argument is about these:

(image courtesy of my crappy Canon camera - apologies)

These monogrammed babies are from the Company Store - not quite Leontine - but they're a nice thick cotton and lend a welcome jolt of pink to the Carrera marble/black accents of the master bath. The Husband hates them. "Monogramming," he says, "is self-centered."

?

I have monogrammed towels and linens that belonged to my grandmother (pictured in their deco glory below) and I adore them. I also have my great-grandmother's Gorham silver, also monogrammed, also adored.

As Mark Badgley and James Mischka's bedroom in their Kentucky home shows, monograms need not be stuffy:

(image courtesy of Elle Decor)

And monograms need not be found in traditional places:

(image courtesy of Style Court)

Beautifully monogrammed pieces can be passed down from generation to generation:

(three images above courtesy of Leontine Linens)

Notwithstanding the porn above, I do see how slathering one's initials all over every available surface can strike the casual observer as a bit...well...solipsistic... So what do you think? Is monogramming timeless, or did it go out with Sherman's march to the sea? Do you have anything in your house with your emblazoned initials? What about family heirlooms (and no, those old Jockey shorts from summer camp don't count...)

xo

mp

Our Food Network Challenge

2009-08-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for a little bit of this:

Friday night, the Husband and I had a reservation at San Francisco's Salt House Restaurant. To prepare, we decided to watch the Food Network's show, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." (Disclaimer: we watch these shows upon occasion. We also cook in our very own kitchen using ingredients that do not hail from boxes or cans. We have read the recent Michael Pollan piece in the Times about the rise of cooking shows coinciding with the diminution of actual cooking. We are anxious to invite Mr. Pollan to our house for a locally-sourced, home-cooked meal.)

On the show, one chef mentioned her favorite morning pick-me-up: Pasta Mama, which is basically pasta with farm-fresh eggs, parmesan, fresh garlic, some herbs, and a touch of love. Pasta Mama sounded good. Better, in fact, than schlepping to Salt House and having to change out of my yoga pants. As luck would have it, we had procured fresh eggs at the Ferry Building, and have a tidy crop of oregano and parsley growing in our back 40. Have I mentioned the freshly-made pasta that Greg buys every Thursday at the farmers' market? We were in business.

Our crop of parsely, pictured above. After about 10 minutes, we were in egg and carb heaven (although next time bacon will make an appearance, too). Pasta Mama was a hit - and at about $3/serving, it's recession proof, too!

For a recipe for Pasta Mama, courtesy of Hugo's Restaurant, click here.

xo

mp

Flea Finds

2009-08-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Call us the Chair Girls.

This Sunday, my fun-loving and perhaps slightly insane friend Jessica and I got up long before 6 am to attend the monthly bargain-fest that is the Alameda Flea Market. Armed with lattes, comfortable footwear, and padded checkbooks, we hit the Flea early and managed to purchase nearly every chair there. The chairs pictured above, only half of our score, were so popular among other Flea attendees that we had dozens of offers to take them off our hands - at prices much more generous than what we paid at 6:17 in the morning. But capitalism be dammed! Let materialism rule!

This beauty is my new office chair. Isn't she cheeky? Sophie Perez of Belle Maison, who reupholsters one-of-a-kind chairs in natural Belgian linen, sells the majority of her inventory to local dealers - who typically treble the price offered at the Flea. Sophie sells out much of her inventory before 9 am. (Hence the lattes and pre-dawn alarm setting.)

A close up. She's photogenic, n'est pas?

Not nearly as photogenic. Yours truly in the runner-up chair, which prompted an emergency call to the husband with the battle cry, "Measure the office from stem to stern!"

While I have now been forbidden by said husband from bringing another chair into our household, I welcome invitations to next month's Flea. Email me if you would like an early-morning buddy. (I even bring snacks and hand sanitizer.)

xo

mp

The 107 Year-Old Baby

2009-07-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Do you have any friends whose taste is so flawless that they make you feel inadequate every time you find them on your (slightly dirty and less than perfectly maintained) doorstep? I do. For the purposes of this post, we shall call them Josh and Katy. This is convenient as these are actually their names.

Josh and Katy have acquired several properties in the City and are making magic out of them. I profiled their house at 173 Downey when it was in utero. Well folks, she's here, and she's a beauty.

You may remember from this post that the 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home is a green rebuild - almost all materials are reclaimed or reused (many from the house itself), zero VOC paints, LED lighting, solar panels, that funky recycled blue jean insulation. But really, once you see this venerable lady, all you'll remember is how gorgeous she looks.

The dining room, with its original pocket doors and its lovingly restored wainscot is my favorite room in the house. I think.

One of the "kids" rooms.

Guest bath.

The family room right off of the kitchen. Wired for sound and action.

Hello, charming kitchen dining nook.

Amen to this master bath.

This kitchen speaks for itself.

"Kids" bath, with the original clawfoot tub.

I have to say that this snapshot doesn't do the master bedroom justice. Ocean and bridge views from the newly-built deck. Walk-in closet. Sigh.

I don't believe that the wine is up for sale - but everything has a price! For more information, please visit www.173downey.com And prepare for a visit from the green (eyed) building monster.

xo

mp

If Life Gives You Lemons

2009-07-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

Preserve them.

Wondering what to do with all of those lemons that ripen at once? Part of our vacation involved a (third) trip to the Apple Farm in the Anderson Valley for cooking school with the talented Karen Bates. We used these preserved lemons as part of the base for a roasted cauliflower souffle with brown butter, but they will spruce up risotto, pasta, or a simple vinaigrette. Remember that they are salty, so omit salt from any recipe you add them to until you taste.

Preserved Lemons - Moroccan Style
*wash and dry 4 lemons, and cut them into quarters or slice very thinly

*toss with as much coarse salt as can stick to the lemons (do not use plain old table salt - spring for some Kosher or sea salt)

*pack the slices or quarters tightly into a glass jar. try to find a jar and lid with no metal. metal+lemons = corrosion

*pour as much lemon juice over the packed lemons as will fit, and press lemons into the juice.

*cover and let stand at room temperature for a week or until the salt appears dissolved. then top off with a little olive oil and store in the fridge.

*rinse and dice before using pith, or sliver rind for a salty treat.

Next up: an overdue feature of 173 Downey Street, Katy and Josh Mogal's unbelievable property - all done and ready for a lucky reader's moving van...
xo

mp

Not Your Momma's Stool

2009-07-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Or maybe it will be. If she visits 1st Dibs ASAP.

Click here for more details. Mom, this one is for you.

xo

mp

It's Here

2009-07-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

While we all wait with bated breath for G. to upload our pictures from our vacation, take a gander at this:

It's House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year, brought to you by the B.C. (as she's known in our house) and designed by the incomparable Robert Stilin. For more porn (oops!) enviable kitchen goodness, visit here.

ps - Caesarstone countertops; Viking range; Kraftmaid cabinetry. In case you're in the market.)

xo

mp

The Best Laid Plans...

2009-07-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

Suffice to say that instead of glamping, we stayed here (for a third, wonderful, visit):

Excuses, explanations, and a surprise recipe to follow.

xo

mp

Glamping

2009-07-09T10:13:00.001-07:00

Far gone are the days when I would head off into the wilderness for three weeks with little save two pair of skivvies, a sleeping bag, and a worn copy of Anna Karenina.

(image courtesy of Sunset)

Instead, Greg and I will be roughing it at El Capitan Canyon outside of Santa Barbara in a safari tent replete with a comfy bed, electric lights, and a portable heater. Did I mention the nightly delivery of s'mores fixings?

Maybe it's finally time to invest in one of these Cath Kidston beauties. I'm sure it's rated to 40 degrees below zero.

Who says I've gone soft in my old age?

xo

mp

If You're In Town...

2009-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

...please stop in and visit the Jack Fischer Gallery, which is currently displaying work by Illinois artist Lora Fosberg.

Now What

New Lies

The Big Nothing, E-Mail

Its A New Dawn Its A #1D030B

Focus on Growth (image courtesy of Linda Warren Gallery)

A 9560

Fosberg, who has been featured in solo shows throughout the country, uses bursts of text and iconographic images to express universal sentiments. Her work is highly contemporary in its commentary and demands intense concentration - and a sense of humor. (Note on the lower right-hand corner of the piece, New Lies, where she writes, "I'm too big to fail...")

Fosberg describes her process as, "...an attempt to utilize metaphor, memory, iconography, and narrative, my work expresses conscious life in its most banal forms. My attempt is to transform objects and events of everyday life into symbols of the universal, thus enabling me to participate within a large complex audience. My process is that of the historian: experiencing, assembling, and finally, recording into history vague and seemingly impenetrable information. The intent is to utilize a vocabulary of routine images or vignettes that suggest the familiar while maintaining ambiguity."

Halfsies

Greg and I have been lucky enough to purchase several pieces from Jack's gallery over the past few years. With his focus on self-taught, outsider art, Jack uncovers provocative and timely pieces from artists working with a variety of media. Stop by and visit Jack in his new (and much improved) space at 49 Geary Street, Suite 418.

Lora Fosberg's work is on view through August 1, 2009.

xo
mp

Burn Baby Burn

2009-07-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that make San Francisco's June gloom, astronomical property prices, and lack of good lobster rolls worth bearing. One of these things is the Creme Brulee Cart.*

Manned by a brilliant individual deemed Creme Brulee Man, the cart toddles through the Mission Thursday and Saturday nights, its master dolling out delicious creamy blow-torched goodness for a mere $4 a pop. CBM seldom stays in one place for long as he tends to run out of brulee in about an hour - plus he has to evade that pesky health department.

Tonight, after receiving a cryptic Tweet directing us to head to the Mission "near the storage container," G and I made the trek to San Jose street between 24th and 23rd Streets. Our choices were vanilla bean, chocolate, orange honey, and White Russian. Because we both kick it old style (oh, the very phrase dates me), we selected vanilla and chocolate.

The verdict? Scrumptious. Sign up for Twitter (grim, but you must), follow @cremedelacart, and you too shall receive updates as to the Creme Brulee Cart's location. Prepare your waistbands and your running shoes.

xo
mp * I know that creme brulee has several accents when written correctly, but how to find those marks on Blogger is way beyond my humble skills!

The Red Door

2009-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Arden is famous for theirs. So why not 1059 Noe?

(image courtesy of countryplans.)

Suzanne Tucker used Fine Paints of Europe's Tulip Red in a high gloss for this door. (image courtesy of House Beautiful.)

Benjamin Moore's Moroccan Red, a favorite for exterior accents, is pictured above.

(image courtesy of Blue Stem Photography.)

As some of you know, 1059 is getting new windows (when I say,
"getting," what I mean is "we are liquidating our bank accounts to provide new windows to replace the not-so-old but mysteriously rotten existing windows.) The old reddish brown trim will be replaced by Benjamin Moore's Dove White - and I'm considering painting the door a bright, high-gloss red for extra sex - oops - street appeal. What do you think?

The current front-running color - Benjamin Moore's Heritage Red. Do you have a favorite red accent color? Could you share it, pretty please?

xo
mp

Albion Dreams

2009-06-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I blame the limey paint.

Spend enough time browsing the Farrow and Ball website and slapping $7 tester jars of colors (sorry - colours) like Skylight and Parma Gray on your office walls, and you too will begin to picture yourself living here:

(image, courtesy of the New York Times, is of Stokesay Court, the English estate used in the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, Atonement.)

Once the office paint job is completed, I shall recline on a chair like this:

And re-read, for the umpteenth time, this:

Because from Stokesay Court, it's a hop, skip, and a jump to buying yourself a teddy bear, christening it Aloysius, and heading to Oxbridge for your first term of exotic egg eating and scarcely veiled homoeroticism. Ah, the reckless yet compelling Flytes.

Then, in search of some spiritual counseling, I will re-read this:

For a jolt of imaginative mumbo-jumbo, I will then tackle this:

...before settling down, once and for all, with a tale as old as time. Girl meets boy. Dislikes boy on sight. Boy meets girl. Dislikes girl on sight. Boy and girl end up joining forces to fight the zombies that menace their predictable English upper crust lifestyles. Fade to black...

Happy summer reading!

xo
mp

An Homage to Andrew Lloyd Weber

2009-06-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Don't cry for me, Argentina.

Yes, Please

2009-06-23T09:42:00.001-07:00

It's not just the cheeky accent that tells you he's English. It's something in the turn of the (six!) elegant legs; a certain je ne sais quoi in the down and feather cushions that signals comfort without sacrificing form. And his swinging colors? So Mary Quant, darling. So Twiggy.

The George Sherlock two-seater and extended two-seater sofas, available stateside through Sag Harbor's Ruby Beets.

xo
mp

Calgon, take me away

2009-06-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

This, as some of you know, is princess week. During princess week, I am excused from emptying the dishwasher, enjoy periodic respites from dishes, and am exempt from disapproval for inadvertent rudeness. I also get flowers and presents. What is not typically included in the princess week festivities is the dispensation of a full Brazilian - to the dog.

You may call it the scoot, the castaway, the cling-on. But whatever the nomenclature, after Lily's first walk this morning, one brief sniff, followed by a perfunctory check of her nether-regions, was all it took to send me running for the rubber gloves. And the doggie wipes. And, horror of horrors, the battery-operated razor. Suffice to say that it is now "bare of hair down there." And, as I suspected, the dog is a rude spa customer and an even worse tipper.

You will indulge and understand why, just for a moment this morning, I had to pretend that I was here:

All four photos above are of the JK Capri, sister hotel to the JK Place, about which I blogged back in April. But after a time Capri felt, too, well, Paris Hilton. Perhaps I would be better off kicking it down-home style at the Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, MA? The Gedney's original barn has been converted to sumptuous guest rooms, each with a fireplace or a soaking tub (and some - gasp -with both.) Its sister property, the Old Inn on the Green, boasts one of the best restaurants in New England, where you eat bathed exclusively in candlelight. (Well, almost exclusively. It was so dark in there that I did spill hollandaise on my lap.)

Or perhaps an urban pulse would better erase the day's trauma? If so, there's no place better than the Hotel 717 in Amsterdam, which Travel and Leisure described as like, "bunking with a madcap rich uncle...simultaneously luxurious and laid-back." The pictures do not do the rooms at the 717 justice, or do they do justice to the fabulously attractive staff. If you like handsome, strapping, men who can iron and point you to a Michelin starred restaurant, that is.

Just in case you forgot why I had to take those mental voyages this morning, I bring you a visual reminder. Remember that it always looks cutest before the storm:

xo mp

Baubles with a Heart

2009-06-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

The blog world hinders my work productivity. I hasten to blame any individuals (Tartanscot, say, or Velvet and Linen) but suffice to say that it is the fault of these bloggers that the occasional dinner goes uncooked, the dog's bladder stays full, or the intermittent client question still begs for an answer. This morning, while reading High Heeled Foot in the Door, I came upon the work of Chicago jewelry designer Jessica Lynn Constable (aka Jess LC). Conference call. What conference call?

Jess has been making jewelry professionally since high school - which makes her a prodigy. But it's the fact that one of her lines, So Chic, pictured above and below, is designed for and benefits charity, that makes her superlative.

The Match Made in Heaven necklace from Jess's So Chic line, pictured below. If you buy the pieces directly from Jess LC, 10% of the proceeds go to the beneficiary. If you buy them from the charity itself, the organization keeps 40% of the proceeds. Either way, everyone wins!

The raindrop So Chic necklace, pictured below. The profits from this necklace go to Team in Training for Leukemia research.

Jess's other lines are equally well-crafted and reasonably priced. Oh, birthday fairy, I am making this so easy for you...(gold tones...I like the gold tones...)

xo mp

A Thousand Words

2009-06-09T09:42:00.001-07:00

Can't you see a painting of this photograph (taken by my lovely husband at the Bates and Schmidt Apple Farm in Philo, CA) hanging in the dining room of 1059 Noe?

Perhaps painted by my dear, talented friend Jerry Peters? (Image below, entitled Patriotic White, courtesy of Jerry Peters)

Hint, hint, birthday fairy.

xo

mp

Don't Be Crewel

2009-06-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Let us not belabor this lovely Thursday with talk of my Etsy problem. I surf, I admire, I buy. This sometimes happens at odd or inappropriate hours or when I'm "working very hard and how dare you disturb me dog/husband/telephone." Confessional closed.

Let us talk instead of embroidery - of crewel work, in particular.

Crewel is an ancient (over 1,000 year old) form of embroidery. A crewel artist uses thick fiber, usually wool, to create designs on fabric. The ground fabric is typically made of sterner stuff, such as cotton or linen, although modern crewel is also done on velvet, silk, and organza. One of my favorite Etsy sellers, TuttieLou, has several crewel pillows up for auction (by auction I mean sale, but I prefer thinking of my Etsy scores as as winnings rather than purchases.) The pillows feature mid-century crewel work on the front, linen dating from the 1890s on the reverse, and are stuffed with fragrant lavender. They run between $35-$45; the blue toned pillow, shown directly below, would make a fabulous birthday gift, were you to know anyone with a June birthday. Cough, cough, hint, hint.

I need not say that pillows are a great way to pop some color into a room without a bank-account crippling investment. But say it I shall.

xo

mp

Always Underfoot

2009-05-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

I cannot get over how attractive all-weather rugs are nowadays. (All-weather really means dog-chew-toy-dog-slobber-dog-paw proof.)

My love for Dash and Albert aside, budget-friendly online retailer Grandin Road has these on display (prices range from $99 for a 2' x 8' runner to $499 for an 8' x 10').

Take that, Madeline Weinrib.

xo
mp

I Knew Him, Horatio

2009-05-22T13:36:00.001-07:00

Today sounds the death knell for another beloved bricks and mortar - Mrs. John L. Strong. (I would provide a live link, but the site is already down and Barneys has already removed all Strong products from its shelves.)

Founded during the Great Depression by Flora Strong, Mrs. John L. Strong boasted a roster of the well-heeled and well-bred as clientele, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, America's First Lady Oprah Winfrey, and America's black sheep Prince, Tom Cruise.

The company shuttered all operations, including its retail and online shops, as of today.

So why should we care? Sure, it's the quintessence of hypocrisy for me to harangue my (too few) readers about the lost art of putting pen to paper from out here in blogland - but I'll do it anyway.

I still write letters - a fair number of them. I believe in written thank-you notes. I cherish hand-sent and hand-addressed cards - I have drawers full of them - from our wedding, from past birthdays and from long gone holiday seasons. Call me old-fashioned, but there is nothing nicer than seeing my name on a brightly-colored envelope - because it means that someone cared enough to take five minutes out of their lives to acknowledge mine.

When my grandmother died, friends of hers sent me copies of letters that she had sent them during her final illness. Some of these letters spoke of her pain and frustration, but most of them told anecdotes and sent love to friends and family. In one of them, Grandma Charlotte told a friend who had just become a grandmother that becoming a grandmother was, for her, the best day of her life.

Charlotte's letters were funny and warm - not to mention nearly illegible because of her rot-awful handwriting. I opened them then to hear her voice and hold a piece of her in my hands. I do the same with those letters now.

So go to your desks this weekend and write someone a letter on a letterpressed card or a cheerful piece of paper. Sign it, stamp it, and put a piece of yourself in the mail.

xo

mp

Great and Green

2009-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I've spent a lot of time on conference calls recently. Sometimes these calls are productive and energizing. Sometimes they are like watching paint dry or reading through the Fargo, North Dakota telephone book. When boredom strikes and the mute button calls, I turn to Etsy for relief. And look what the the ennui cat dragged in?

Reiter8 (as she is known on Etsy) fashions pillows, totes, wallets and luggage tags from recycled sails.

Her creations are unique, water resistant, and may save your life in the event you pull a Tom Hanks and find yourself afloat with little save a volleyball and a very skimpy loincloth. They're also cheerful and not too spendy.

Land, ho!

xo
mp

Please Eat Here

2009-05-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

I have heard from a few of you about the paucity of posts lately. Mea culpa! The work life is interfering with the design fantasy life. That said, we did manage to take a break last night to eat (with my folks) at Coco 500. This is my third trip to the SOMA spot, and I say this without hesitation:

Eat there.

Go forth and eat those tempura battered green beans (you call them fried; I call them heaven), that truffled squash blossom flatbread (like pizza, but crispier, and with more truffle oil), and those chocolate covered bananas (from the small-bite dessert section labeled, "Non-committal" - so clever!)

Go forth and eat, and ye shall be full, and ye shall thank me.

(Thus spoketh Melissa, somewhat more large of rear but happy of tummy.)

xo
mp

The 3/50 Project

2009-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Mrs. Blandings featured the 3/50 project on her blog a few days ago. For those of you not yet hooked on Mrs. B, I thought I would do the same. The 3/50 project is a grass-roots effort to support and highlight local businesses. The brain trust behind 3/50 asks each of us to pick 3 local (brick and mortar) businesses to support. (My current pics? Perch, Emily Joubert, and 24th Street Cheese Company. Cowgirl Creamery doesn't seem to need my help.)

We would generate over $42.6 billion dollars in revenue if half of America's currently-employed population spent $50 a month at locally owned merchants.

Approximately $68 of every $100 dollars spent locally are funneled back into the local community, compared with only $43 of every $100 dollars spent at a national retailer (or, if you speak fluent San Franciscan, a "formula retail establishment.")

I love being greeted by name and personally-selected non-fat latte/full-fat Brillat-Savarin/Diptyque Baises candle when I step into my local coffee shop/cheese store/tzochke house. Our small businesses, lovingly run and stocked, are what give our neighborhoods character and soul. Our small business owners, toiling away on Quickbooks and navigating the morass of local legislation (particularly here in the City by the Bay), need our support. As more and more storefronts empty (I counted four in a two-block strip of 24th Street this morning), those of us with give in our budgets should try to give back - starting at a local level.

Tonight my Dad and I are heading to a benefit for the Women's Initiative, a non-profit that helps educate and support women from underprivileged backgrounds who are starting their own business ventures. Let's make sure we have an environment in which these brave entrepreneurs can thrive. Let's all 3/50!

xo

mp

Busted

2009-05-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

I guess she's not worried about hiding the evidence.

Image courtesy of our wonderful dog walker, Marie of Kite Hill Canines, to whom we owe endless amounts of gratitude. And I think we owe her some paper towels, too.
xo

mp