Petal pusher

Last week I came across a tarnished little ice bucket in the back of a cabinet and envisioned it on the bookcase in our entry hall filled with flowers.


It adds sparkle among the books and would otherwise live tarnishing and unseen in our cupboards.

I remembered when I was young being enchanted by charming little arrangements called tussie-mussies that were meant to stay on display after they dried out.


But whithered rosebuds are a tad too Victorian for me, and my flowers' deaths are never that graceful anyway.

While I have been dreaming of  Lilly's faux foliage, and fantasizing about commissioning a bouquet of Eloise's exquisite paper flowers, I did not want to wait.

I was inspired.

So I decided to make my own.

I went to my craft boxes and found the remnants of felt from my banner project that inspired this blog so many moons ago.

I heated up my glue gun and began snipping away- mixing and matching colors while manipulating the felt to make blossoms in varying shapes and sizes, using kabob skewers for the stems.

An overhead shot of the bouquet.

Pierce loved playing with the colorful bits of felt.  This will be a fun project to do together when he is older.  I know he would like seeing his creations on display, he already takes great pride in his artwork:

(A sampling from our gallery)

Further inspiration from other felt florists online::

Coco's remarkable dahlias made me swoon...

How-to here.

 These potted flowers would make a great centerpiece for a luncheon or shower that the guest of honor could keep.

(Though I would add leaves for a touch of green)

I love this threesome:

A single bud would be cute for a little girl's barrette and/or top of a gift in lieu of a bow.

I foresee more felt flowers in my future- a nice reminder of springtime to ward off the winter blues.


And you know this girl likes any excuse to whip out her glue gun.

Xox,

Jenny

Card shark

The most wonderful time has finally arrived!

Please forgive my spotty posting.  

We received our first Christmas cards and I have taped them to a wall in our entry hall. I love displaying cards like this.  My parents did this in our house growing up and it makes me happy every time I walk by, especially since our walls are still bare after moving in.

It is also easier for people to view, which guests like myself appreciate, as I will shamelessly sit and shuffle through any basket of smiling strangers faces.

And lastly, it is a fun way for children to get to know their parents' friends.  I remember one tow-headed little boy who always sat on the same sofa in a coat and tie- from infancy to adulthood.


He lives in New York City and our parents met on their respective honeymoons.

I would know him if I saw him, but I don't even know his name.

Last year I used a stronger tape, but when I went to move a card, I took a chunk out of the wall.

Word to the wise, stick with Scotch... learn from my mistake.

(One of my mother's favorite New Yorker cartoons)

Perhaps poster tape would work well?

Whatever you try, don't be discouraged; a few stubborn cards are forever falling to the floor.

So we have four, four cards and counting.

I had grand plans to get our Christmas cards out over Thanksgiving weekend but we don't even have a photo yet.  This weekend, people, this weekend.  Especially as ours are doubling as our change-of-address.  

All of those misdirected cards!

The horror.

So, I will post again if/when we have made more progress.  Such an improvement on the white walls of recent.  And our first holiday decorations, if you could call them that.

As for other ways to share the seasonal snail mail love- some friends of the family dangle their cards among the books in their paneled library.  It is the perfect place to take a breather during their holiday party.  A quiet moment among the books, and the happy faces looking back at you.

I would love to hear any clever display suggestions.  

Please do share.

Xox,

Jenny

Well red

Guy Bourdin

I wear red nail polish throughout the year but like it especially during the holidays.


Like my beloved tartan, there is something very festive about red nails, though I hardly limit myself to special occasions.

While I have been getting manicures since I left college and entered the working world, I don't particularly like getting them.  I hate waiting for them to dry and not being able to use my hands. 



(One upside?  Catching up on my celebrity gossip.)

Somewhere over the years I ventured from one coat of sheer polish to red.  Not too long or too squared off, and never any sparkle.  Just red, in whatever shade appeals to me when I walk into the salon.



No guts, no glory:
Ms. Vreeland had no fear of red, as seen in her Billy Baldwin designed living room.

Red nails seemed to be the norm half a century ago, though in so many photos they are concealed with gloves!



Mark Shaw photograph, 1955



This desperate housewife never skimps on style.



Marilyn, of course



A young Joan Collins in her pink bedroom with her matching pink poodle.



And of course, the Hitchcock heroine.


While there are so many aspects of our appearence that we cannot control, this one we can.  


Right?


Right.

Xox,

Jenny

Plaid men: take II

There are no words.


It is that time of year when I bring out my "party pants", winter's answer to my summer stand-by.

I rarely wear pants, but this is one seasonal exception, and between now and late February, I will don these timeless tartan trousers:

A sampling.

For the month of December, I will often pair with one of my pairs of plaid pumps.  


The only thing better than tartan is layered tartan, no?

I have been a devoted fan of this festive fabric forever and was so excited when this book came out:

My copy was lost in the move and will hopefully resurface soon.

I remember my parents' holiday parties as a sea of plaid, each as likely to be my father, or mother, as the next.  I finally bought my own pair from J. Crew years ago, for a Scottish-highland-themed party.  They continued to come out with plaid pants every holiday season, but then changed the styling and I stopped buying them.  I added to my collection a few years later when J. McLaughlin came out with their own version.  What is it about us J's and our tartan pants?


And what other article of clothing can I realistically see myself wearing well into my 80's and 90's?


A solid investment, if you ask me.

Which is why I roped Jack into the game with his own pair from Brooks Brothers, and I have my eye on this black watch pattern from Orvis:

Dare I get carried away on this site...

While I prefer my plaid more preppy than hipster- I may have to invest these skinny pants for Pierce, from Gwen Stefani's line at Target when it debuts... in four days.

Anyway, you can imagine my delight last week when I stumbled upon this pair:

While they are "factory", and not 100% wool, they are quite soft and cut just the way I like.  No bells or whistles.

And how conveeenient that my mom just found this cute pair for Pierce- his very first party pants!

You know we never pass up an opportunity to coordinate.

No need to ask: we planned it.

Xox,

Jenny

Class act

On Wednesday I went back to the Public hotel for a party in honor of Derek Blasberg's new book, Very Classy.

My mother and I have quite the collection of style-guide books.  We can't resist their promise of effortless glamour and improved overall existence. 

(A sampling of our combined collection)


We are forever trying to be more French.  Wait, no, Parisian.

I had vetted out Derek, the editor-at-large of Harpers Bazaar, with a former colleague of his, and mine, and she assured me that he was both "amazing" and "hilarious".  Clearly young Derek, who is not yet 30, is doing something right. 


He is also native of St. Louis, and we bonded over East coasters misconceptions about the Midwest...

(Thanks Annie!)

The book looks hilarious and is chock full of tips and advice in a readable format, including charts, how-to's, Q&As, diagrams and quite a few photos of the author himself, with his many well heeled friends.  

My mom's birthday is this week so I asked Derek to sign a copy for her.  He wished her a happy birthday and and then sweetly complimented her on yours truly.

Flattery will get you everywhere.


Xox,
Jenny

Sunny days

Last weekend at the park I was talking to another mother about my issues with TV.

Mostly, that Pierce has no interest in it, whatsoever.  Now don't get me wrong, Pierce loves his books, and I would not want him glued to an episode of Cops for 30 minutes, but perhaps five, even two minutes in front of Dora could not do any harm?  Right?

Pierce turns off the TV as soon as I turn it on.

This woman shared her secret, that, it appears, millions of parents have known for a while.

Sesame Street. 

Duh.

Specifically, the Sesame Street videos her child watches on YouTube, like this charming remix by Feist:

(This makes me want bangs)

Pierce and I watched this at least three times last night, and while he spent much of the time trying to type on the keypad, he sat still for quite a bit of it.

Progress!


I also came across this video.  I remember this song so well from my childhood.

I will always love Madeline Khan.  Not only for her remarkable voice but also for her memorable portrayal of Mrs. White in the movie version of the board game Clue.





I also have a special place in my heart for Grover, the Elmo of the 80's.

Not only for his endearing, inquisitive nature, but also for this timeless classic.

We grew up on Sesame Street.  My mom even made my these charming Sesame Street curtains when she was expecting my older sister, before she knew much about the show:





That would be my brother, in the corner.  So bright and cheery, the curtains were passed down from Annie to me to David.


I have liked the idea of making my own curtains since I saw this post on LGN.  Sheets as curtains- brilliant!

I like the vintage feel of these sheets by Pottery Barn.


Though not much of a DIY'er myself, I imagine a seamstress could retrofit these puppies as curtains for a fraction of the cost of custom.


Okay, time to get to work.  But just one more song with Judy Collins to take you back...

Xox,
Jenny

Paper source

Image via Pinterest


When I was young I would go to work with my dad about once a year.  This was a big event.   I would take off school and get dressed up and we would take the train downtown and go out to lunch and maybe the zoo in the afternoon.


We still have photocopies from those office visits, similar to the one above. 


They are, to me, some of the most touching images and I always get a little choked up whenever I come across them now.  


I remember my dad punching in his copy code, required at his big law office.


I remember making copies of whatever lucky stuffed animal I chose to bring with me.  


Of our hands, the side of my face, the side of my dad's face.  Our glasses.


Most of all, I remember what a fun adventure it was, never knowing what a complete hassle it must have been for him having me there.  A joy too, of course.  But still.


I am going to start doing this with Pierce, today, and wanted to share with you a great product my mom introduced to me a few years ago:

Yes, printer paper.

No, they are not all the same.

It is soft to the touch but not shiney and makes great copies.  Perfect for printing out dozens of tearsheets and nice enough to use for more official documents.


Not sure how our handprints will come out- my small Epson printer might not work as well as a larger one used in an office.


But I will try.  And if it doesn't work out, perhaps a trip to Kinkos is in the cards.

Xox,

Jenny

Pumpkin spice

Halloween, c. 1986

(That's me, in the middle, with my siblings.)

Last year, I had quite ambitious plans for Halloween.  Pierce was eight months old and this was my first opportunity to dress him up in costume.  I wanted him to be a little Greek in a toga (read: pillow case).

Not only was I a Classics minor in college (though it sounds so...um, minor, when I put it that way), but I loved the idea of making my own costume- original, inexpensive, and easy.

And yet, I was having difficulty finding infant gladiator sandals in late October and worried that the toga might get cold.  It was standing in the fake plant aisle at Michael's, holding up the jagged plastic ivy I was considering for his headpiece, that I decided to take a trip up the elevator to check out the costumes available at Marshall's. 

 The selection was very picked-over as it was only a day or two before Halloween, but I did spot this cute pumpkin costume for about $15.  Sold!

(2010)

It was size 2T which was way to big for Pierce but was that much cuter being so over-sized, especially as he was not very mobile at this time anyway.

Lucky for us, I still love the costume and it fits him perfectly this year.  I opted for leggings instead of tights as they are warmer.

(2011)

Jack is going to wear his black tie dress pants with an orange shirt and green sweater.  

Don't hate me because I coordinate.

Pierce reminds me of Luigi running round in his leggings and onesie.

He is napping now, but we are going to hit the neighborhood when he wakes up.  My mom bought him a pumpkin bucket for candy, which will look cute next to himself, the larger pumpkin, and will be helpful for gathering sweets to bring home for yours truly.  I doubt Pierce really knows what is going on, but he always loves a party and seems to enjoy being in costume.

That's my boy.

Happy Halloween!

Xox,

Jenny

Wall to wall

Yesterday I was at one of my favorite local carpet and rug sources, Home Carpet One, a retail store with a trade program.  I find a lot of overlap here with the stores at the Mart, plus their prices are competitive.  I also love that they will do everything, including take up and install.

I instantly fell for this medallion pattern that somehow avoids being too sweet even though it is basically made up of pink hearts.  'Clovers' By Concepts International...

These color combinations are great, too.

With carpet on my mind, I am compelled to share a few ordering tips:

Request a sample or borrow a few 

Carpet manufacturers will usually send this directly to you, but if that is not an option, take a few home.  Always best to see them in the space.

Schedule a site measure 

For wall to wall carpet, request that the installer measure the space as soon as possible so the estimate is accurate.  (Some companies won't do this until you have placed your order.)  This is especially helpful when you are laying carpet on concrete or tiled floors.  Often, the installer will have to "skim" the floor to smooth it out so the carpet will lay properly.  A necessary step that will cost extra and should be planned for in andvance so it does not hold up the job.

Then, once you have placed your order...

Request a strike-off

(This is sample of the actual goods they are going to install)  

Dye lots vary, especially for natural materials like wool, and you want to be sure you get what you want.  The carpet will usually work even if the color it is slightly different.

Request a seaming diagram

(This is a floor plan of the room showing where the seams in the carpet will land)  

If the room is wider than the carpet (standard is around 12'), there will have to be seams.   Ask them to  run the carpet in the most cost-effective way. However, sometimes that will mean a seam running through a noticeable, high traffic location, OR will change the direction of the pattern (say, a stripe) and it may be worth spending a little more for a more discreet seam or desired pattern.  

Request a seaming sample

(This is a sample of the carpet sewn together) 

If the goods are narrow or the room is very large and you may have a lot of seams.  Seams should be discreet and often will disappear.  If the product does not seam well, you may consider re-selecting.

Paint, Install Carpet, Touch up Paint

It is much easier paint a space, especially baseboards, before the carpet is installed.  If this is a high traffic area, ask the installer or your contractor to protect the installed carpet with paper, and bring the painter back for touch up work as needed.

Stick around and supervise

If you don't have a decorator who can oversee the work for you, try and resist the temptation to have work done in your home while you are away.  Things always go wrong, even with the best planning, and it is much easier to correct any problem or miscommunication before the carpet is installed.

Most importantly, always ask if something looks off and don't worry about being high-maintenance (though always be gracious).  You are the one who is going to live with the carpet and you will get better service if they know you are paying attention.  

Xox,

Jenny