BOOK IT: booked

for the love of books...and iBooks.

note it:

"better together" by jack johnson

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

STYLE IT: horsin' around

if you follow my blog then you know that i'm obsessed with all things anthropologie. have been for many years...seriously addicted.

anyway, this image taken from the september catalog made me smile...as many images do in every catalog i save.

i immediately thought of sloane crosley's pony collection from "i was told there'd be cake." (might i add, a hilarious collection of essays about the misadventures of a 20-something gal in nyc) and the equestrian décor post i wrote a year ago. reminds me of my house in "horse country" (well, the closest thing to it anyway). and, this $28 horse knocker i recently found. i think it would be fun on any door - bedroom, bath, porch, wherever.

then, i noticed the cute pink + white scottie dogs' sweater (which i tried on in-store, by the way). in lieu of a sweater purchase (although i may buy it yet), id love to make these patchwork scottie pillows from denyse schmidt. if only i could sew....the pattern is free!

last, i want to say that i'm glad brass is back!

i feel nostalgic....

note it:

"brass monkey" by the beastie boys

DAILY DOSE: domino

i am a big fan of jennifer rubell (her cookbook, real life entertaining, is one of my favorites).

pondering what to buy at this week's farmer's market, i think i want try her late summer menu. who doesn't love a lusty puttanesca (raw, at that) + crusty bread? sounds simply divine:

~ spaghetti with raw puttanesca sauce

~ rustic italian bread with infused olive oil

~ marinated olives

~ marcona almonds

~ italian wine

~ seasonal fruit

yep, i'm ready for alfresco + lots of vino.

in tuscany.

would make for a spicy night....

(photo credit: domino, september 2005)

BOOK IT: macarons swoon

i like macarons.

i LOVE this book cover.

why not pick up a copy + whip up a batch of these lovelies for a hostess gift?

or how about piling platters of them at your wedding or holiday party?

surprise + delight!

people swoon for macarons.

note it:

"i melt with you" by nouvelle vague

(photo credit: amazon.com)

BOOK IT: pink plaid

wouldn't this be fun wrapping paper?

i scanned it from the inside cover of "houses in my heart" by carleton varney who is the protege of famed decorator dorothy draper.

i purchased my autographed copy at the greenbrier, before it sold (one of these days, i'll post some snaps of my trip).

after WWII, draper was commissioned to redecorate the interiors of this storied hotel in white sulphur springs, west virginia. in her colorful, whimsical decorating style, her transformation was sheer genius - and very progressive for its time (still is!). she was the coco chanel of interior design.

fun fact: this project was the single largest hotel renovation ever achieved, requiring 45,000 yards of fabric and 15,000 rolls of wallpaper.

varney was her right hand man - and an amazing designer in his own right. not only did he carry on draper's legacy with on-going restoration of the greenbrier, he also crafted glorious interiors himself as chronicled in this gorgeous book.

(i personally think varney should create a line of stationery + paper goods to showcase his lovely pattern + color combinations including those of ms. draper...).

why not wrap this coffee table tome up with a shiny satin bow and give it to one of your decorista friends this christmas? it's a fab gift even without the pink plaid....

BOOK IT: blue french toast?

lucky for me, margaret s. fox is a friend of mine who happens to be the former owner/chef of famed café beaujolais in mendocino, california. not only is she a fantastic cook, but a lovely lady too.

her book, morning food, is one of my fave books. i love its title. i savor its food.

for our thanksgiving feast this year, i baked a batch of her yummy cornbread from organic blue popcorn meal that i had left over from covered bridge gardens, my former CSA in jefferson, ohio.

today, i doctored it up by whipping up my own creation: "blue french toast," out of brown eggs, whole milk, brown sugar, penzey's cinnamon + mace (a fab alternative to nutmeg!).

after frying a bunch up in a buttered pan, i slathered some slices with clover blossom honey and others with pumpkin butter.

can i just say that my son, charlie, gobbled the gourmet up!

(at three, he definitely has good taste...)

thanks, margaret, for making our thanksgiving weekend the most yummy.

(photo credit: bn.com)

BOOK IT: eye candy

like the movie, total eye candy. 

in our time of austerity, i heart this book to fantasize about more opulent days. i can't stop flipping through the pages....and dreaming of my next trip to france.

(photo credit: amazon)

BOOK IT: art school girl

everyone needs a date book. 

why not this super cute, old-fashioned calendar from chicago's art school girl?

produced with a limited run of 300, each dark brown soy-based ink on recycled paper (50% bamboo) calendar is hand-colored in school bus yellow.

artist amy rowan's charming one liners accent modernly vintage vignettes. see some of my faves below....

eco-friendly, handmade, functional wall art. 

oooh - me like.

get yours here.

(photo credit: art school girl)

BOOK IT: the wright stuff

i've always admired russel wright. his "american modern" dinnerware was first introduced in 1939 and is fab! i kick myself for not collecting vintage pieces while here in ohio. 

since i'm always on the hunt for fun decorating + entertaining ideas, his 1950 "guide to easier living" (reissued in paperback) is on my list!

i also would love to visit the russel wright design center in manitoga, new york. (how cool that they held summer camps for kids!)

ever so hip then and now, so wright.

p.s. if you happen to be heading to san francisco, check out the traveling "russel wright at home: modern lifestyle design exhibit" in the united terminal at SFO. on display through november, i can't wait to see it!

(photo credits: russel wright design center)

bedside reading

my days blur into nights....i yearn to curl up in bed for a good read. recommendations?

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

BOOK IT: a novel idea

these "save-the-date" bookmarks are lovely, not to mention reusable. 

handmade by antique letterpress on card stock from berkeley's carrot & stick press - one of my favorite stationers - what a charming way to set the tone for an upcoming wedding. to further personalize your big day, they take custom orders too.

how smart!

DIY:

what a great idea for a party invitation too! make them yourself to announce an upcoming book club meeting or birthday party.

by the way, i think throwing a "book party" for a child's birthday (or your own) is a novel idea.... 

(photo credit: carrot & stick press)

COOK IT: herbs

from chew on this, this illustrated handy dandy herb wheel features 40 herbs + gives tips on uses, preservation, storage, recipes and flavors for each.

buy local. it's the spice of life.

p.s. a great hostess gift for a culinary friend - or an aspiring julie. :-)

(photo credit: chewonthis.org)

cover story: "life by design"

i am honored to be featured as the cover story in this month's newspaper magazine, Spry. 

distributed in millions of newspapers - big cities and small towns alike - across the county, its mission is celebrate the vitality in all of us by "sharing the joy, the power and the rewards of healthy living" + by offering inspirational advice to make it happen.

even better is that this lovely article will raise awareness for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (ocrf.org), the philanthropy i support with a portion of the proceeds from my little line of cute + cuddly 100% cotton baby togs, Fuss Frocks (fuss-frocks.com).

via my blog, you will also see i champion Trees For Life on behalf of my Spruce [décor] clients.

why these organizations? 

in memory of my muse, my mom, who succumbed to ovarian cancer at the age of 57 and who inspires - what i call - my "passion with purpose" and has given me even more reasons to give back. (learn more about my story and hers here.)

thank you, Spry, for giving me this opportunity to share. mom would be proud.

BOOK IT: WOODSTOCK

pardon my absence. over the last few weeks, i've been emotionally up, down and all around town.

when my 3 year old chose this newly published children's book from the library today, i thought his taste was prescient and precious.

these days, i'm all about peace, love and happiness.

happy (belated) 40th woodstock!

p.s. "kids" of all ages will dig this book's hopeful story and groovy illustrations.

(image credit: bn.com)

BOOK IT: Stationery Trends

recently i penned an article, "branding your blog - ideas and movements cross media with fabulous effect," for stationery trends.

published by great american publishing, this fun pub is a must-read for anyone involved with or interested in the stationery, greeting card or gift industry. not only is it design savvy and modeled similarly to a lifestyle pub, but also it is chock full of great content. quite an enjoyable read on multi levels.

kudos to the founding editor, sarah schwartz, for creating such a top-notch trade magazine....and thanks for asking me to be a part of it.

(photo credit: great american publishing)

BOOK IT: a monkey after my own heart

a great read for kids of all ages - and that means you!

(photo credit: barnes and noble)

COOK IT: "sour wine"

according to the vinegar institute, may marks national vinegar month (who knew?).

as a tribute to this "sour wine," one of my absolute favorite vinaigrettes is taken from jennifer rubell's cookbook "real life entertaining." her secret ingredient: prune juice! 

super easy and delicious: try arugula with vinaigrette comprised of dijon, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil + prune juice. 

sometimes i'll add grape tomatoes, chopped salami, fresh mozzarella + homemade croutons to make it a meal. 

click here for the jennifer's tasty recipe.

who knew vinegar could be so sweet? 

midwest must:

make sure to hit the north union farmers market at shaker square this saturday for fresh greens from ohio's own oasis acres. hydroponically grown (e.g., less land and water used to grow than with conventional farming yet supplies hundreds of households with greens), you'll find vibrant bouquets of peppery arugula, hearty romaine + fragrant basil...and more. 

(photo credit: real life entertaining/photographer chris terry)

biscotti + brew in bed

while i can't provide the bed or make the breakfast for you, i can offer some tips this mother's day that will make every mama's day:

1) don't wake mom.

2) brew some coffee (preferably a special roast, but even instant folgers will do. it's the thought that counts).

3) make biscotti (how 'bout whipping up this recipe from smitten kitchen for fig and walnut?). in a pinch, run out + buy some.

4) go outside + clip some flowers - even dandelions will do - or a few little twigs (mom will love the effort extended....).

5) place your clippings in a small bud vase or juice cup (any cute vessel will do....).

6) arrange all on a pretty tray. 

7) after mom awakens, bring her biscotti + brew in bed.

happy mother's day to moms near + far. we all share the same secret...

lissa 

p.s. this image is from taschen's "the hotel book: great escapes north america." taken at loft 523, a boutique hotel that's two blocks from the french quarter in new orleans, it's now on my "sleep for décor + more" wish list.

BOOK IT: colorful life

i picked up "life in color", by jesse garza + joe lupo (a.k.a.,color consultants for the oprah winfrey show), from the library. after thumbing through, it dawned on me that it's a modern day version of the late 1980s mega hit "color me beautiful." (a walk down memory lane as i fondly remember my mom and i trying to determine if we were a winter, spring, summer or autumn....).

your type

in this new "visual therapy" guide, you assess your eye color, hair color and skin color, along with color preferences, to find the perfect palette for a fashionable, beautiful you. 

are you a sun, moon, earth or star? the gist is that the colortype palette that looks best on you allows your skin to glow, your hair to shine, your personality to sparkle. your signature color(s) is the frosting on your cake, as the authors like to speak. they also help define your styletype: classic, chic, whimsical, bohemian, avant-garde + use celebrities (i.e., designers, writers, actors, models) to illustrate their points.

your décor

most interesting to me, they touched on the home front. i was happily surprised to see a cameo included of an interior designer i admire, the colorful jamie drake. he applied the book's theories on colortype and styletype to the home. like jamie, his examples are wonderfully articulated and make a lot of sense.

(an aside, i had the pleasure of hearing jamie speak at the ohio design centre this past fall where he was revealing his decorating philosophies from his book, "new american glamour." incredibly engaging, i bet he'd be great fun at a dinner party!)

so, book it! after all, color evokes powerful + positive memories in all of us. our preferred hues make us feel good in our homes, not to mention make our homes look good too. 

and, hey, even you could use a little lift.

(photo credit: amazon/book jacket)

BOOK IT: unexpected earth day read

unexpectedly, i read the most wonderful book today with my son, "joseph had a little overcoat." not only is it a caldecott award-winning story about upcycling + repurposing, it is also artful. 

illustrated by its author, simms taback, who used the mediums of watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink + collage to create an exceptionally art directed children's book.

(might i also add that joseph has a downright homey house!)

most importantly, it's never too early to start teaching our children to institute "best practices" to help conserve our natural resources + limit refuse: reduce water consumption; turn lights out; keep heat down; recycle; reuse; walk or bike + buy local.

so, book it! get your copy today. it's morally fulfilling. 

happy earth day!

(image credit: bn/book jacket)