Happy Earth Day!

T's been in the kitchen whipping up some freshly baked bread on this Earth Day. I love the idea of creating something healthy and delicious that's as easy on the environment (no pesticides) as it is on the old pocketbook (water, salt, yeast, and flour is all it takes). It's super simple to make, too. Very positive and life-affirming all around! 

The Morning After

The other night T and I hosted a small, impromptu dinner party with good friends (those are always the best evenings). When I awoke the following morning, this lineup greeted me. Not a bad night's work, if I do say so myself.

P.S. The wines were delectable, too. From left to right: Santa Margherita, Italy Pinot Grigio (2010); Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc (2010); Melville, Santa Barbara, Syrah (2009); Erath, Oregon, Pinot Noir (2009)

Book Nook

Cozy book nook*, anyone? I've covered ideal nook and crannies for reading before here and here (I'm a wee bit book obsessed).

*I think The Book Nook would be a fabulous name for a bookstore. I've always dreamed of owning my own some day and I still entertain fantasies of doing just that, perhaps at some future time when the book climate isn't so volatile as it is now. Will brick and mortar bookshops ever make a comeback? I certainly hope so! It depresses me too much to think of a life without a place to buy actual, physical books. The kind you can smell the pages and marvel at the front cover.

{Photo via Apartment Therapy}

Cozy Simplicity

If there was ever an example of somebody's home reflecting one's own sense of personal style, I'd say Kerri Russell's exemplifies this concept beautifully. As seen in the June issue of Elle Decor, Russell's Brooklyn brownstone is as understated and elegant as she is. Cozy, yet totally chic, and absolutely a place this blogger would be happy to spend some time.

Don't you just want to dive into that bed? The sheets are from Matteo (my dream bedding). And I can quite happily while away an afternoon in her closet. The color palette is so soothing.

A vase brimming with vivid flowers packs the right punch in spare, neutral kitchen. For more images, click here.

{Photos from Elle Decor, via The City Sage}

Multipurpose items: A vanity at a glance

Confession: the tabletop on which these items are pictured is not, technically, a vanity. It’s actually a writing desk that I’ve sort of reshaped into a general nesting area for jewelry, perfume, and small photos and things of that nature. As you can see, I've grouped similar items together. For instance, earrings delicately hang from the top of a silver jewelry tree (see top photo), while rings sit in the tray below; a mirror becomes an excellent hanger for larger, more dangly earrings(see below).

Watches and a gold-linked bracelet lay atop a Jonathan Adler soap dish (re-imagining different uses for items increases their functionality, so I've learned).

Long necklaces are laid out flat so as to prevent entanglement (unsnarling a knot of necklaces is not how I like to spend my free time...been there, done that).

Perfume bottles huddle together in solidarity (see first photo). Below, sample perfume vials--it's an obsession--are stored inside the packaging of an old perfume and is separated into two scent categories: spring/summer and fall/winter.

Making a home with books

To say I'm a bibliophile is something of an understatement. My devotion to books is no secret--I've extolled the virtues of reading many a time here on this blog--so it’s no surprise that I look to books to help make my living space more cozy and homey.

When it comes to organizing a bookshelf, it’s important to keep in mind its purpose. For a more stylized look, you can try organizing books by color (spines of pink, red, orange, for example) or flipping the books around so that the pages face the room,

which creates a more uniform effect. If you’re a serious reader like I am and are constantly reaching for books, a more functional approach would be to simply organize by author or topic. Personally, I like to group my books into genres (or by publisher if it’s a niche house) for easy retrieval and reference. For example, I've grouped my Jane Austens together, and then further organized by publisher (I might, ahem, have more than one copy of Pride and Prejudice...don’t judge me).

Books by UK publisher Persephone (which reprints forgotten classics by 20th century women writers) are tidily stacked in front of a row of books by or about author Virginia Woolf. It's also important to keep some space on the shelves for future acquisitions (something I grapple with, but am getting better at doing). Purging shelves of books you don't see yourself re-reading or that no longer speak to you removes the clutter, both physical and mental.

Incorporating beloved knickknacks—especially if they are of a bookish nature—adds a bit of personal flair (see first picture above). No other creature is so synonymous with books and learning quite like the owl. In this photo, a bespectacled owl perches comfortably with a book.

Extending beyond the bookshelf, these postcards by Penguin feature vintage 20th century book covers, and when framed, make a charming visual display.

These night-themed book covers below are particularly appropriate for a bedroom and certainly play a part in conjuring a restful night's sleep.

Rue Magazine

Flipping through the latest Rue has left me feeling inspired. Such gorgeous composition and light and fun design ideas can be found within its pages. Here are a few images that get my creative juices flowing (plus, you really can't go wrong with an owl on the front cover, now can you?):

{Images via Rue}

Coco at home

I couldn't help but smile when I saw this snapshot of model Coca Rocha playing dress up in her own closet. Could she possibly be any cuter? Vogue recently caught up with the model to get an inside look at her glamourous Manhattan digs (and enviable closet).

I especially love the charming mix of teapots, books, sea-colored vases, and other beautiful knickknacks against a backdrop of robin's egg blue. So pretty!

{Images via Vogue}

Reading Nook

Meet the perfect reading chair.

Would I like to own this very chair, as well as the sun-drenched corner/ideal reading nook along with it? Yes, yes I would.

And I'll take the wise old owl lamp, too.

{Images via West Elm}

I want a dog

I want a dog. And the adorable accompanying snapshots from this week's Design*Sponge are doing nothing to abate this yearning. These cool pups elevate the homes' chicness to a whole new level, don't you think?

{Photos via Design*Sponge}

Jonathan Adler Loot

I scored these fetching Jonathan Adler dishes at a sidewalk sale about a week ago and I am just as smitten with them now as I was when I got them (for less than the normal sale price, to boot!). I think they're the perfect blend of elegance with a dash of whimsy throw in. I'm actually tempted to go back and get a few more pieces to add to my collection. I do live within a stone's throw away from the shop after all [cue evil laugh].

[Image via Jonathan Adler]

It's five o'clock somewhere

I need to somehow work a cocktail bar into my apartment. If there is one thing missing in my abode--and there are, alas, a handful of things missing--it would be a proper cocktail bar. I could saunter over to it after a particularly long work day and wear something fabulous (think Grace Kelly in Rear Window) while mixing T his whiskey & ginger ale and a vodka & water with a side of lemons for moi. I think the one featured above would do the trick quite nicely.


(Image via Apartment Therapy)

Inspiration Living Space

Who knew a simple seascape could look so fetching hanging over a fireplace? I could live in this space quite happily and not change a thing about it.

{Image via Abbey Goes Design Scouting}

Postcards from Penguin

How cute would these Penguin postcards look hanging in a little cluster on a wall? Sadly they're not available stateside until October, but who's to stop me from popping over to the Amazon UK website and buying a box of my own? That's right, nobody.

{Via Apartment Therapy}

It's Complicated (otherwise known as lifestyle porn)

I dragged the boyfriend to see It's Complicated the other night and for two full hours sat in my seat, completely agog at the gorgeous set design. Writer/director/producer Nancy Meyers is known for the stunning and plush homes she showcases in her films (they're referred to as 'lifestyle porn' for a reason) and in her most recent film, she did not disappoint. As much as I love watching the antics of Meryl Streep, John Krasinksi, and Steve Martin play out on the big screen, I have to admit that for me, the sprawling Santa Barbara home that's featured in It's Complicated takes center stage. It's my favorite character.

{Photos via Remodelista and Traditional Home}

{Painting as featured in the living room in Photo #3 by Mitchell Johnson}

Color Inspiration

I'm in love with this Venice Beach, California bungalow. I applaud the owner's use of rich, saturated color. I've been obsessively perusing paint colors online (especially loving the names they come up with and the images they evoke) and dreaming of painting my own apartment. A dreamy color palette such as this would make my place even that more cozy.

{Photo via Apartment Therapy}

Lights, Camera, Action!

The boyfriend wrote a script with his best friend recently and shooting has commenced at my apartment of all places. This could potentially be a trying, albeit exciting, experience for me, the apartment dweller, but I tend to make myself scarce while they're shooting because it's just easier that way (although I couldn't resist watching a few takes). And when I get home everything is miraculously put back in its place, as if no filming had been done at all. Can you believe that it's just the two of them doing this all on their own? Impressive, right? T is co-writer, actor, director, cinematographer, camera operator, and film editor (whew). Yeah, I think he's wildly talented, too.

T doing his thing while his friend Marco mentally prepares himself for the scene ahead.

Happy Pillows

While searching for pillows for my new apartment, I knew I wanted something that would pop against the deep chocolate brown color of the sofa. So when I found these happy Hable Construction pillows at Weego Home in Santa Monica, I pounced. They're bright and cheerful, and whenever I plop down on my sofa, I snuggle up against them and breathe a sigh of contentment. Happy, happy pillows.

Lazy Sunday

The title of this post is slightly misleading, as I wasn't wholly lazy today. I got my butt out of bed at 9am to go to the gym, followed by an hour and a half workout session with my trainer (go me!). And I got a couple necessary errands done afterward, so I was no slouch in the afternoon, either. But after all THAT, I will happily say that I was very lazy indeed. I sat on my sofa, amidst fluffy pillows and stared up with adoration at my new ivy plant hanging above me. Hello, Ms. Ivy!

I watched the golden afternoon light play across the floor.

And I watched with amusement as T played his current video-game-of-choice (the name of which escapes me), choosing to ignore his protestation that the two men were not, in fact, merely engaging in a hugging war.

Antica Farmacista: Old World Charm

I think it's important to surround yourself with beautiful things, and a lovely, cozy scent for the home, one that envelops you like a warm embrace as soon as you walk into the door, beckoning you into the quiet, peaceful refuge that is home, is no exception.

Inspired by the sea breeze of the Mediterranean and the lush gardens of Tuscany, Antica Farmacista creates gorgeously-designed scents ranging from super romantic florals to sharp green notes to warm, woodsy spices. I love Santorini (think crisp and green, with a spicy masculine edge) and Magnolia, Orchid & Mimosa (sweet and delicate white florals). In celebration of my new apartment, I went out on a limb and chose a scent I hadn't used before: the marine-and-citrus-infused Aria, which I find to be the perfect fresh scent to wake up to every morning. I imagine it's what sleeping next to an open bedroom window looking out onto the sparkling Mediterranean--otherwise, heaven--would be like. What I also like about this line, apart from the myriad havenly smells to choose from, is that the fragrances come in the form of reed diffusers, which I'm becoming increasingly more attached to, rather than, say, candles. With the former, you don't have to A. worry about your house burning down and B. can enjoy the lingering scent of your choice for several months at a time.

Antica Farmacista is also available on the Nordstrom website.