History Lesson

Recognize this great classic of American design? You should! 

Source: blog.wanken.com

So maybe not all of you are design junkies, but you may be surprised to find how much you recognize when you take this quiz on the great American designers at Apartment Therapy! I had a lot of fun matching up the designer and product, and it was good to see some women on the list. Go play. :)

PS: they also have one on European design if you're feeling knowledgeable. 

My Favorite Things: Bridesmaid Kimonos

Source: Sunset to Sunrise

OK, if you're like me, you've lately noticed that in literally ALL the wedding albums in your Facebook feed, there are hordes of bridesmaids wearing kimono robes. Where is this coming from?! I had never before seen these robes, and all of a sudden they appear to be part of a global trend. Is there one wedding planning company shilling kimonos to all our Facebook pals?

Source: Sunset to Sunrise

In any case, these are quite pretty, and I like the idea of having something girly to give to your bridesmaids. I just hope we don't have to wait long for the groomsman's equivalent. ;)

Here are some of the popular online retail options I found (bulk are on Etsy):

Sunset to Sunrise
Modern Kimono Robes
Silk and More
Pretty Plum Sugar

My Favorite Things: Cork Planters

Source: The Lovely Succubent ($10.50 for set of 5)

I occasionally spot items that send me head over heels, and have decided that I'm going to spotlight them here, even if I don't have anything substantive to add about them. These cork planters, for instance, just fill me with joy - so twee! so clever! so unexpected! - but that's really all I have to say about them. Other than that you should be rushing to The Lovely Succubent's Etsy store, asap, to snag these for your fridge. I can't think of anything that would make someone smile more. :) 

The Shining

A few years ago, I went to a friend's home and was taken aback when, following dinner, she put out a beautiful old set of antique silver dessert forks. It was probably the first time I had ever used real silver, and it made an apple crumble seem somehow elegant and old-worldly. Since then, I began acquiring odd pieces of silverware, and trotting them out for special occasions.

Real silver is quite beautiful, once you shine it up. Compared to my basic stainless steel set (see above for side-by-side), real silver shows its age but also its character. Sure, we can buy highly decorated cutlery from high end stores, but the real deal, with all its age and tarnishing, still takes the prize for most charming

Source: venturegalleries.com

That said, if you don't regularly use and polish your silver, it will start to show its age, both dulling over time and getting a weird, oily gold sheen across its surface (above). Recently, I found that this was the state of my small silver collection, and decided it was time for a good shining. It's incredibly easy to do at home, and you probably already have all the items you need:

• Shallow dish
• Aluminum foil
• Baking Soda
• Something to heat up water - kettle, pan, etc. 
• Tongs

The process itself is equally short and sweet. Here are the key steps:

1. Heat a full kettle of water
2. Line your dish with the foil, making sure that the shiny side is facing up
3. Scatter about 1 tablespoon of baking soda across the foil
4. When the water is boiling, pour it all over the foil
5. Drop each piece of silver into the dish, and let sit for 10-20 seconds. You'll see the tarnish fade almost instantly
6. Use the tongs to flip each piece to make sure each side gets coverage
7. Remove the pieces with tongs and wash with mild soap and water. Then dry

Here's a shot of steps 5 and 6

And here's one of the just-cleaned silver, getting ready to be washed.

It's pretty neat to see the before (left) and after (right):

Some people detract this process because they feel that it overdoes the 're-silvering' and sort of white-washes the silver so that you can't notice any fine detailing. But I've found that, in fact, that doesn't necessarily happen. Below is the "after" shot of a fork, and as you can see, the sweet flower pattern is still highly discernible and has a nice contrast of polish and age.

Et voila! All shined up and ready to grace the table.

Flower Express

Source: Danisa Flowers

I love fresh flowers. LOVE. They make me incredibly happy, and they also make spaces incredibly happy, because like plants they bring energy into every room. The downside is that fresh flowers are expensive, but I'm totally in favor of getting a $7 bouquet from Trader Joe's and divvying up the flowers into smaller jars to dot around the apartment.

One of the joys of flowers is also the processing of giving and receiving them. I know they're not gifts that last, but maybe precisely because of that fact, they seem more precious and sentimental. Yeah, it would be great to gift everyone iPads or vintage china, but unless your pockets are deep, flowers are a fantastic alternative.

Source: Gardenista

Which brings me to a cool startup in San Francisco called Bloom That. The basic premise is that you can have handcrafted bouquets of locally-grown flowers delivered within the same day (within 90 minutes of ordering!). The flower selection is based on what's in season, and they typically only have ~7 options, but the prices are pretty great for what you get:

 Source: Bloom That

Plus! Delivery is built into that cost! So it's just the price + tax, versus that typical $15 delivery charge that most services pack onto your order. And in typical SF style, they have an app for mobile ordering; use bike messengers vs. vans; and wrap the bouquets in fair trade-produced coffee sack burlap. So you know your bouquet was made with a conscience. :)

Finally, one of my favorite things is that they also have a plant option--typically a set of succulents in a small rock garden. Plants are as good company at a dinner party as flowers.

Source: Bloom That

My only nitpick is that their product names are suuuuuuper yuppie: (The) Clarence, Beaumont, Finley, Corwin. People, these are the names of bespoke clothing lines and/or my high school classmates from Greenwich, CT. :) Happily, I've gotten over that hiccup and plan to start sending myself surprise bouquets more often. 

Rifle Paper Co.

Source: Rifle Paper Co.

I recently had lunch with a friend in Hayes Valley, and took the opportunity to revisit all the terrific little design boutiques along Hayes Street. There are a few neighborhoods in San Francisco that have clusters of design stores, but this is easily the most visually charming. Tree-lined streets, bakeries at every corner, and innumerable design stores? Bliss!

As I was browsing each store's selection, I noticed a recurring theme: a rack of stationary, cards, and small decorative objects by Rifle Paper Co. You've probably seen their beautiful work sold in bookstores, home design stores, or even on Etsy. Even though each piece is unique, there is a real consistency to the 'feeling' behind them. They are all full of whimsy and delight, and for me at least, emanate joie de vivre. 

Source: Rifle Paper Co.

What I love is that there's artistry behind these, such that you're not only committing words to paper but also sending a miniature work of art to someone else. I can't imagine receiving one of their cards and not feeling a surge of pleasure. 

Some of the floral patterns really reminded me of William Morris' illustrations. Morris' images are certainly much more densely populated by flora, and have that medieval tapestry look to them, whereas the Rifle Paper Co.'s are have a lighthearted, modern flair. 

Sources (clockwise from top left): Paper Source, Apparel Textiles, selvageblog, Telegram

Happily, Rifle have expanded their offerings beyond paper into kitchen coasters, phone cases, and more. I'm totally enamored of their iPhone cases! Any of these would make the most delightful hostess and/or friend gifts, no?

Source: Rifle Paper Co.

Source: Rifle Paper Co.

Hacienda Lost in Time

Source: lovelypackage.com

A few weeks ago, when Jon was visiting from the East Coast, we drove up to Sonoma for the weekend and visited one of my favorite wineries: Scribe. This is a really small (~6500 cases/year) wine-maker, that has quite a fun history. In the mid-19th century, some German brothers came over to California, smuggling vine cuttings with them. They started a winery on what is now Scribe, and enjoyed success until the Prohibition law of 1920 came into effect and wiped out their business. In the succeeding years, the land was used as a turkey farm until the 2000s, when another set of brothers (Americans, this time) decided to buy the land and found an artisanal winery.

Source: Green and Glass

On this visit, however, I was less focused on the vineyard than another building on the property--one that has always held an air of enchantment around it: the Hacienda. According to the historical records found by Scribe, this Mission Revival-style edifice was built in 1915, after the German brothers' home burned down in a fire. There is a marvelous Grand Passage entry road, lined with palm trees, that takes you up to a beautiful wraparound porch, also flanked by palms.

With the permission of the staff, Jon and I left the tasting area and prowled around the Hacienda before lunch. It's still vacant and some could say decrepit, but we were enchanted by the labyrinth-like layout of rooms, and the way that the light, color, and space made everything beautiful and inviting. Sunlight bathes this house, flooding through openings, doorjambs, and window panes.  Instead of feeling ghostly, though, the atmosphere was soft and mysterious.

Below are some of my glimpses into this lovely building.

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Source: Green and Glass

Vintage Love

Source: tvtropes.org

Yes, that Love Story. The one in which a rebellious WASP jock falls hard for a fast-talking Catholic intellectual at Radcliffe. Both the screenplay and the book it was based on were written by Harvard-educated classicist Erich Segal. Maudlin it may have been, but it was also a huge blockbuster that made Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal the definitive heartthrobs of their day.

So why bring it up now? I know it's a tearjerker that by today's standards is the epitome of schmaltz, but on a whim I recently watched it on Netflix, and found myself paying attention to aspects of the film other than its love-struck leads: its fantastic period clothing, style, and snowbound landscapes.

Sources: onlinefilmhome.dk, Lovely's Vintage Emporium

Part of what makes the courtship that much more intense is its juxtaposition against the New England winter. Maybe it's because I'm now on the West Coast but I found myself mesmerized by that beautiful 'dead of winter' and shots of a snow-laden Harvard Yard and Central Park. The palette of dulled browns and whites really takes you back to scenes captured in our parents' yellowing polaroids. It lends a note of freshness and authenticity to the film, especially when contrasted with the bulk of our glossy, plasticized dramas today.

It's also a great background against which to feast on period clothing. :) Since so much of the plot takes place in the winter, we're treated to an abundance of wool and tweed. There are thick Aran sweaters alongside modest turtlenecks, as well as an entire wardrobe of plaid skirts and tweed blazers. Throw in some sporting crimson, and there you have a star-crossed couple.

Sources (clockwise from top left): grafea.com, pinterest, ebay, nuji.com, cottonandcloud.com. Movie stills from fabsugar.com

Sources (clockwise from top left): Burberry Prorsum, Aran Sweater Market, Orvis, Norse Projects Chinos, RubyLane, Accent Clothing, Oscar de la Renta. Movie stills from dvdizzy.com

Following their marriage, Ali Macgraw's character matures into sleeker wools and furs. The cuts are still somewhat 'mod' but the lines are more tailored and elegant.

Sources: Burberry Linmouth Camel Coat, Jigsaw skirt, e4hats.com, 

A brief summer interlude takes the New England vibe to a higher level. Now we're talking vintage Cape Cod and Nantucket, with summer whites contrasting against deep tans. Where wool and silk took center stage in winter, the summer fabric is bare skin, and lots of it.  

Source (clockwise from top left): Nantucketbrand, French Dressing Olivia Slim Jeans, Macys, Old Navy, fashionandhappify.info, egotailor.com