CRAFT IT: platypus designer duct tape

these lovely gifts would make anyone's day brighter.

in addition to leading the marketing and creative direction for the brand, i styled these presents for the "remake christmas: make it with tape" holiday shoot for platypus designer duct tape.

you can create your own handmade packages too. here's how:

~ find modern + colorful gift wrap. these are from paper source in palo alto / san francisco (you can also order it online)

~ select a fun gift topper. these gorgeous handmade lollipops are from the candy store in san francisco.

~ make various styles of bows + then wrap with wide ribbon, crafted out of assorted platypus designer duct tape, of course!

my choices included:

~ pink polka dot

~ denim

~ leopard

~ wool stocking

~ houndstooth

i also gussied up the packages even further with some pretty french ribbon generously donated by rob's mom, louise jordan. she is one of the "platypus people" + was the "production assistant" on our holiday film shoot - pretty much the best PA ever!

now see, who can resist?

(not me. i basically pulled an all-nighter at the fortis design warehouse in raleigh, nc to make sure the film set and all of the styling was very "martha." oh, the things a girl will do in the name of platypus designer duct tape....It's not just for repair anymore.)

note it:

"she's crafty" by the beastie boys

SATURDAY'S SPOONFUL - a small dose of sugar, spice + everything nice

whoo! the breville pie maker hit the shelf last week at williams-sonoma.

oh, sweet surrender....

note it:

"sweet surrender" by bread

p.s my pie prediction from sept 2009, along with a mix+match pies and pie plates, compliments of martha.

STYLE IT: floor boards

love your floor.

pick great shoes.

you'll keep looking down!!!

p.s. these are from j. crew's bridal boutique in manhattan....wouldn't they look cute with a chocolate tweed suit? i think, yes. i think, i want them. i think, i need to hit the big apple to check out these new, swoon-y digs, in person....yes, i think so.

note it:

"suit" from napoleon dynamite soundtrack

(photo credit: new york times)

SATURDAY'S SPOONFUL - a small dose of sugar, spice + everything nice

i feel like a donut today.

(cute dessert table idea for parties of all kinds. just modify the color scheme and/or lose the ribbon.)

prettty sweet.

note it:

"the sweet escape (featuring akon)" by gwen stefani

(photo credit: martha stewart)

HUE: sunny yellow

what a cute house!

crisp white, black trim, sunny door, graphic house numerals, inviting "green" porch. would be easy to spruce-it-yourself (the door, porch, numbers and plants, anyway...).

here are some yellow paints to peruse:

~ buttercup - maine cottage

~ ale - maine cottage

~ bee pollen - glidden

~ lemon drop - true value paint

~ sun kissed yellow - benjamin moore

get those fantastic "neutra" house numbers here at dwr - on sale too for $40 each!

(man, i swoon for richard neutra, an unbelievable architect. the kaufmann house in palm springs is simply stunning. one of my most favorite houses ever...i'm all about the glass.)

find gardening tips from margaret roach's blog "away to garden." after all, she used to work for martha. and this house is from martha's former magazine, blueprint.

what 'cha waiting for? perk up.

note it:

"ring my bell" by disco diva one-hit-wonder anita ward

(photo credits: sadly, the now defunct blueprint/house + thisnext.com/neutra numbers)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - sew seersucker

seersucker napkins..and rosé - what a refreshing combination for summertime entertaining!

thank you, martha, for the DIY project. i really wish i could sew....

note it:

"sideways" by the chaos in order on the album "let's go sailing"

(photo credit: martha stewart living, june 2010)

MAKEOVER MONDAY - redressed

then:

this dresser started out pear green. paired with citrine + cream accents against a backdrop of "white sand" (benjamin moore) walls, it resided in our home in ohio. scroll down...

now:

it is glossed in "nimbus cloud" low odor, low VOC high-gloss paint from the martha stewart paint collection for home depot. lacquer-esque, i love it!

placed against a came-on-the-walls pale peach in our rental in california, i completed this revamp by choosing glass knobs from anthropologie so the color shines through. accessories include a turquoise glass table lamp that i had previously purchased from crate + barrel, handmade art by my son (then 2) + the cutest succulent in a little vintage tea cup.

how:

it took a weekend to sand, prime (see the drawer to see the previous green color) + paint. redone, it softens our new bedroom.a little elbow grease never hurts - and can make you proud of a job well done!

note it:
"paint it black" by U2 (covering the stones)

STYLE IT: more in mendocino

april 24, 2004

our locavore "destination wedding" in mendocino, california was definitely sweet. yep, full of love + tasty treats.

the dessert table:

~ vosges haut-chocolat "truffle bar" amid moiré ribbon. (vosges had just started to become known on the foodie scene. absolutely amazing truffles - with many wannabes that soon were copycats to katrina markoff's genius. my fave flavors: naga + red fire + sale del mare.

~ fondant hearts with custom initials in the font to match our stationery suite were handcrafted by wendy kromer confections (she is the wedding cake genius for martha stewart.)

~ champagne chiffon + carrot cupcakes finished with fondant hearts and piped daisies placed on my own ruffled potluck studios cake stands.

simply scrumptious....

previous posts of our mendo nuptials: here (shoes); here (kick off a navarro vineyards); here (candlelight); here (the dress).

note it:

"sweetest thing" by U2

(photo credits: j. perlman photography)

HUE: lovely by the sea

i've been thinking a lot about soft pink these days....so much so that this palette is one that my client and i are considering for her seaside cottage in mendocino.

these remind me of the weathered hues of a home tucked away in the hills of the south of france.

i imagine this hideaway filled with well-loved furnishings and "found" objets d'art, treasures of the every day.

where the inspired hues of "chinchilla," "cumulus cloud," "sparkling brook," "opal," "sea glass," "spring melt," "sugared pansy pink" and "wrought iron" come to rest.*

it would be a place that shows its age and yet its timelessness too.

its soul revealed as layers of plaster chip away.

i wish it were mine...and in my mind's eye, it is.

note it:

"sea of love" by the honeydrippers

(photo credits: pottery+sofa images/essentially french, tidepool/unknown; sea glass/waterside living. hues cited are from the martha stewart living paint collection at home depot)

STYLE IT: egg-cellent news!

i am one happy chick today....

martha stewart (@MarthaStewart) is now following me on twitter.

now that's something to chirp about!

thank you, martha. i am thrilled!

p.s. from april's MSL, these "cracked eggshells" made from the jagged edges of strips of electrical tape along with this stenciled "chirping chick" are so clever....and so darned cute!

note it:

"happy" by never shout never

(photo credit: martha stewart living, april 2010)

COOK IT: kiddie cupcakes

yesterday was charlie's 4th birthday (!!) + we delivered 24 cupcakes to his preschool.

from a box, we made the cupcakes (i know, i know, so unmartha...) in fun polka dotted liners (a little bit martha...).

out of "more from magnolia," we whipped up the vanilla buttercream (almost as yummy as bleecker street...).

once the frosting was tinted blue, we sprinkled each treat with "A, B, C, 1, 2, 3" sprinkles, bought awhile back at williams-sonoma.

charlie handmade the little schoolchildren stick figures from popsicle sticks + foam that i found at jo-ann fabrics. meticulously, he assembled each.

he was so proud of his baked goodies + his classmates loved them too!

time flies...savor every moment.

note it:

"teach your children" by crosby, stills, nash & young

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

GROW IT: practical planting

i love the idea of an edible landscape.

why not incorporate vegetables and lettuces into your front yard or backyard design plan and let the design organically unfold?

looks + tastes good to me....

note it:

"i build this garden for us" by lenny kravitz

(photo credit: martha stewart)

HUE: grey matters redux

recently, i posted lovely images showing grey with pops of sexy red.

since grey is "au courant," i thought i'd now show some tasty applications of it accented with yellow. even a small dose can add pep to many a room.

(i particularly like seeing this combo with the large doses of white.)

sophisticated and super zesty. really brightens my day.

note it:

"colours" by donovan

(photo credits: bath/martha stewart; kitchen/house beautiful; bedroom/house beautiful; living room/blueprint; dining room/domino)

STYLE IT: inspired...

two things i want to do today:

1) stay in bed

2) drink hot coffee + eat donuts

suffice it to say, i enjoyed #2.

happy valentine's day!

lissa

note it:

"this is heaven to me" by madeleine peyroux

(photo credits: living in provence by taschen + martha stewart weddings)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - clearly pale pink

with valentine's day around the corner, i heart the idea of getting favorite single friends + couples together to celebrate cupid (who knows who will get struck by an arrow...)

this tabletop of glass candlesticks with pale pink tapers is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s + i feel so "now."

the whole ensemble is really easy to create for a dinner party, holiday or wedding:

~ glass cups for water and/or wine. glass dinner plates. pale pink cotton or linen napkins. white tablecloth. silverware.

~ a mix of curvy, sculptural glass candleholders like lumi + lumiere mini from cb2 and pixie from crate and barrel.

~ unscented 10" + 12" tapers at candles 4 less.

let's bring back the sexy taper...

i like it.

note it:

"sweetest taboo" by sade

(photo credit: marthastewart.com)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - house plants

what a pretty tablescape...simple linens, earthenware, and glassware alongside a handmade pot by master potter guy wolff.

i love how the shape of the plant leaves echo that of the goblet + the lines of the pot are like those of the tall glass.

the plant itself - rhizomatous begonias - has vibrant lime green leaves with deep burgundy specks. really interesting in contrast. move it from the table to, say, the hallway or porch or bathroom. it's a breath of fresh air while winter still looms large.

the whole shebang is current and smart.

(and yet this table decoration is from 2006!)

thank you, martha.

note it:

"amor de loca juventud" by buena vista social club

(photo credit: martha stewart living, march 2006)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - paper trail

planning a new year's soiree?

i love the idea of using layers of white to kick off twenty ten. seems renewing + uplifting to me.

to create this look yourself:

~ glossy white ceramic plates can be found at value, home + department stores as can white dinner napkins, simple wine glasses and silverware. you can even hit your local thrift shop. nothing spendy or fancy needed....the beauty of this tabletop is in its simplicity.

~ use carnations en masse as an affordably chic way to go. simple white ceramic vases are usually easy to find. glass would be a suitable alternative.

~ smart + pretty, roll handmade, wrapping or brown kraft paper paper down the center of the table as a runner. paper source has some fab options - or perhaps put extra holiday paper to use. you can find supplies to make your own tablecards there too.

~ tiny votives complete the look.

now that's a paper trail....

note it:

"wish i" by jem

(photo credit: martha stewart weddings)