Crammed-in Birthdays

End-of-December and early-January birthdays often get short shrift amidst all the holiday fanfare. For a grown-up, I think a really simple cake embellished with a few seasonal camellias would be appealing. The cake shown at the top is covered with garden roses, but you get the idea. I love how the light dusting of sugar gives it a snowy effect that doesn't feel particularly Christmas-y.

Since the silver is probably already out and polished, why not bring in more fresh blooms for a quiet-yet-romantic birthday supper? As we're always discussing here, more and more grocery stores are carrying lush garden roses and sometimes a New Year's luxury -- peonies.

[From the top, photographs one, three -- a cropped detail -- and four are by Art Streiber from Shabby Chic, Harper Collins, 1996; photo two is by Mark Starnes.]

Speaking of silver, architect William T. Baker will discuss 18th-century silver on Friday, January 22, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. as part of the learning lecture series offered during the Cathedral Antiques Show. Tickets for the talk cost $25. This year's beneficiary is Cool Girls. Related reading: Romantic Readiness and A Bowl for Camellias.

Looking Ahead

Hang on to those book store gift certificates. Lots of great titles are scheduled to be released in the new year.

Actually, the new edition of artist-educator Josef Albers' seminal Interaction of Color, the book we discussed last month, is now available.

Weddings by Tara Guérard with photographs by Liz Banfield is expected to be out next month.

Spring 2010 releases include Susanna Salk's Room for Children, shown at top, Annie Kelly's latest edition to the Rooms to Inspire series, Rooms to Inspire in the City, and Adam Lewis' The Great Lady Decorators.

With illustrations by the acclaimed interiors painter, Jeremiah Goodman, Lewis' book looks at 20th-century design icons encompassing Elsie de Wolfe, Rose Cumming, Nancy Lancaster, Ruby Ross Wood, Frances Elkins, Eleanor Brown, Sister Parish, Syrie Maugham, Madeleine Castaing, and others.

The Day After

I've always liked the tradition of keeping the tree up for New Year's Eve. Waking up the day after Christmas and seeing a tree that someone has already plunked on the curb is kind of deflating.

It's nicer, whenever possible, to let the spirit linger a bit; munch on leftovers, pour over the pretty cards, and get lost for a while in a book or a movie.

Still, the thought of those thank-you notes creeps up in the back of my mind. Instead of thinking of them as a chore, sometimes I try to approach them as a creative project. For example I might summon the energy to send New Year's cards that incorporate a few brief-but-genuine lines of gratitude. Unfortunately I've not stumbled upon any stamps that are as cool as the Andrew Foster Chevron design issued in Britain in 1982 as part of a British Textiles commemorative series, but there are fun cards out there.


[The card shown here is by Kate Spade for Crane.]

You don't need me to tell you about all the great sales going on at paper and gift shops, art supply stores and book shops with terrific stationery sections. Also, don't forget to save scraps of holiday wrap to recycle as festive DIY envelope liners.

[Ribbed foil is from Kate's Paperie. Crinkle foil is from Paper Mojo.]

Visit ArtDaily for details about the London 2010 Festival of Stamps.

Tidings of Joy

I've got a Christmas Eve treasure hunt to organize so I'm going to attempt to stay away from blogging for at least a few hours. In the meantime, I want to send sincere tidings of joy to everyone who stopped by this year.

If you're playing Santa tomorrow night, don't forget the date idea. (On a very vaguely related note, the winning project for the Bright Star love letter contest, a hand-stitched letter, has been posted here.) Eleventh hour wrapping sessions?


Ideas for using household remnants can be found here.

Mr. Boddington's Studio's card shown at top was purchased here. Image of the fabric wrapped package is via Selvedge, and the Greek key trim, originally used on Coleen & Company store gift wrap, has been recycled several years in a row.

Maybe Next Year

I watched Oprah's special, caught as much as I could of HGTV's coverage, and perused Alabama Chanin online. But detailed images of the hand-stenciled and stitched Christmas tree skirt that Alabama Chanin made for the White House Blue Room eluded me. The best shot I've seen so far is here.

I still love trees in pots, although the idea of a snowy Alabama Chanin tree skirt is appealing. (Since I don't have to work around the historic Blue Room, I'd select one sans bold border.) Apparently a lot of others feel the same way because Kathy Kemp reports that Chanin is already taking orders for custom skirts for Christmas 2010. For those inclined to sew their own, Chanin's online store offers stencils, fabric and myriad other supplies. Also available are stocking kits.

I love the grosgrain elastic. All images shown here © Alabama Chanin. The White House holiday special is scheduled to air again on HGTV, December 24 at 8 p.m. and at 8 a.m. on Christmas morning.

Update: 2:36 p.m.

More visuals just uploaded to official White House site.

Really Last Minute Ideas

Some people don't spring in to action until a few days before Christmas, but when they do they dive in full force with the urge to get really creative. There are a few classic ideas that don't involve calories or too much working time:

Ellen offers a helpful soap-making tutorial here. She says that once you've gathered the supplies, this project can be completed in one afternoon (and much of that is simply drying time).


Over the weekend I received a mixed CD with customized cover art. The attention to detail made me feel like the creator had gone the extra mile in terms of personalization.

As mentioned a few months ago, office supply shops including Staples sell label-making kits for around $20. If you plan to burn a bunch of CDs (with music mixes or photographs), the expense of the kit is worth it. I played around with art and textiles, but you could certainly create fun labels from family photos.

What about homemade body scrub? Click here for Amanda's suggestion from the archives.

The wrapping paper shown at the top is from my personal archives. It was this striking abstract branch and holly berry design, and I believe it came from Kate's Paperie. (I also think it popped up in a pretty domino feature one year.) The painterly quality, and the soft use of color, was very sophisticated but the somewhat wild nature reminds me of Fifi Laughlin's tip from last year's wrapping series. She talked about drawing on kraft paper. Kids could have fun coloring or painting an abstract scene on sheets of recycled kraft paper. It's amazing how the right ribbon can pull together chaotic looking paper.


All soap images via The Long Thread. The art used on CD one is by Amanda Talley; "Indian Flower" from the Jasper Collection is seen on CD two. Neither will be distributed commercially. Seashell World carries the donkey ears and the jars are available at Walmart. Visit Crayola for washable paints.


Not exactly a wild abstract, but shown above is a terrific image that Little Augury found in a vintage House & Garden. Click to enlarge. It perfectly captures the spirit. Crayon sets are from Dick Blick.



Update: 12.22.09

The US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program is short on donations this year. Please click here to read about the situation in Georgia.

Reminders: Lure of the Lowcountry

[Auberge #6, Archival pigment print on board with oil and wax medium, 64" X 80", © John Folsom.]

[Palmetto Canopy #4 , Archival pigment print on board with oil and wax medium, 48" X 48", © John Folsom.]

If you're starting to look at your 2010 calendar and plan to visit Charleston, South Carolina in the new year, don't forget Lure of the Lowcountry, an exhibition of works from contemporary artist John Folsom scheduled to open at the Gibbes Museum of Art on January 22 and continue through April 18.

Inspired in part by 19th-century landscape painting, as well as work by early-20th-century photographers who experimented with soft-focus, painterly images, Kentucky native Folsom manipulates his own photographs with mixed media including wax and oil paint. The Gibbes show will highlight alluring pieces that represent Palmetto Bluff and Edisto Island (South Carolina locations) along with Cumberland Island, Georgia.

Here is John in his studio courtesy Atlanta's own Architecture Tourist. Thanks Terry!

Everything Old Is New Again (More Decade in Review)

[Miles Redd-designed room photographed by Simon Upton and published in Elle Decor, February 2009.]

Yesterday Stefan left a great comment on one of my blog posts. Basically he noted that it's really only design professionals and self-described decor junkies who notice when certain elements, for example Foo dogs, go through a spell of being very hot.

Stefan says, "You pick and chose which trends fit your tastes and then carry them with you your entire life. I don't believe in interiors as 'fashion' per say -- they should reflect your growth, through time, with items from different periods and interests of your life."

For me, the thing that's remarkable about the Redd dining room shown above is that while it's done up with pieces design enthusiasts may fondly associate with the past few years (Foo dogs, suzanis, faux-bamboo chairs with leopard-print velvet seat cushions, de Gournay handpainted chinoiserie silk wallcovering, Greek key trim on bottle green curtains), it is completely timeless. All of those elements have been around for centuries. They experienced a bit of a resurgence during the last decade but they're here to stay. And Redd has the skills to weave everything together so that the room doesn't become a period piece.

In the Elle Decor story, Mitchell Owens quotes the designer: "Life in the 21st century means taking the best of history and making it work for you."

It's not in my nature to do rankings, but if I did, the room might just be on my "best of the 2000's" list. Much more importantly, the magazine's editor in chief, Margaret Russell, included it in her new book, Style and Substance, The Best of Elle Decor.

Snow Day

Just some icy images from around the globe. (Click the mix above to see the details.) Clockwise from the top left: Graceland in the snow, photographer temporarily unknown; a Japanese scene from Taschen's Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo; an image from Selvedge, issue 31, part of a story about the history of Swarovski with blossoming branch by Tord Boontje; Photographer William Waldron's sons as seen in Elle Decor, December 2007; Pom-pom snow balls via Anthropologie; David Brenneman, Director of Collections and Exhibitions and Curator of European Art at the High, talks about Camille Pissarro's wet Snowscapes with Cows at Montfoucault painted in 1874. Click here to watch.

Barboursville photographed by Janet Blyberg.

When I asked some friends to share their favorite holiday songs, Elvis' Blue Christmas was mentioned three times. So I was looking through my blog archives, trying to identify the photographer who captured Graceland in the snow. No luck yet, but I did stumble upon a few lines about the house, and the concept of home, that writer Pamela Keogh shared with me a while back. Interesting thoughts to ponder, especially at this time of year:

"At Graceland, there is no chintz, no fringe tassels, no Staffordshire dogs or sisal rugs, no tiresome Colefax and Fowler-esque testament to good taste. No. Graceland is a midnight house. The ultimate bachelor pad. Even Bruce Springsteen once vaulted over the wall and tried to race up the driveway to introduce himself to Elvis. With over 600,000 visitors a year -- second only to the White House -- Graceland is an amazing place to visit... a 70's style phenomenon caught forever in sepia, and a testament to one man's dream.

As a poor boy born in a shotgun shack in Tupelo, MS, Graceland was Presley's dream -- the sign that he had truly 'made it.' Elvis took great pride in his home, decorated it largely on his own (because really, what other straight man would have the courage, or the vision, to conceive of the Jungle Room?), strictly forbid any wives or girlfriends (of which there were many) from touching the place, and hightailed it from the road, or L.A., or wherever he was on tour or making movies, to come back to Memphis. 'Graceland is the one place where I really feel at home,' he said."

Keogh is the author of these biographies...

as well as the bestselling, What Would Audrey Do?

Image above courtesy Keogh and Charlotte Moss.

Update: 9:26 P.M.
This post was put together before news broke about the seriousness of the snow storms currently hitting the mid-atlantic states. My thoughts are with everyone who may be stranded or without power.

Thinking About a Decade

Whenever I hear the Cardigans sing Lovefool, I'm instantly transported back to the 1990s. Likewise, I think in the future when I see certain design elements I will remember the last ten years. I never jumped on the antler bandwagon, bought an oh-so-popular poster, or flipped for skulls, but I did have some dalliances with beautiful "it" fabrics and trims.

They weren't "it" fabrics when I selected them, and most of the patterns were rooted in centuries-old designs, but nonetheless they spread like wildfire spawning numerous copies. The designers behind the striking prints deserve credit for producing something that resonated so powerfully with legions of design junkies.

I suppose the silver lining to working with a relatively modest budget is that one is more likely to do small projects, like a footstool or side chair, rather than envelope an entire room with a particular fabric. There's a certain flexibility to that.

Personally I enjoy pieces that can move around easily and I prefer a room that slowly evolves, as opposed to an interior that screams 2006. Just because a fabric receives intense exposure for a few years, that doesn't mean it won't endure and transition to classic status. (Being an "it" isn't a negative thing, it's simply a phenomenon.)

I'm not sure if I'm going to end the year with a big official decade-in-review post, but I'm having fun looking at the fabrics that generated the most email. My passion hasn't really waned for any of the prints, although some have gone on to live with somebody else. ( Fig Leaf is definitely still with me.)

Speaking of reviews, one of the more enjoyable things I was asked to do in 2009 was contribute to a slideshow of timeless elements for Canadian House & Home. The designers and tastemakers included in that round-up definitely have a grasp on enduring style. FYI: The magazine's publisher, Lynda Reeves, recently launched new 12-to15-minute online television shows airing here.

For last minute holiday decorating ideas, watch the Christmas House Tour. I love the boxwood in an urn.

Afterthought:
When I'm out and about wearing my 21st-century Frye boots, women often come up to me and say, "Those were the 'it' boots of the 1970s and now they are icons." So one decade an "it," three decades more perhaps an "icon."

All photos shown before the screen grab are mine. Steve Pomberg shot the second image. Fabrics shown from top include Emerald Cut and Imperial Trellis, both by Kelly Wearstler for Schumacher. A sliver of Rubie Green's East Village shows up in picture three, followed by Dzhambul from Brunschwig. The pillow in the center of the loveseat is covered in Lulu DK's Chant. Last is a bench covered with Fig Leaf. Boot image via Frye.

To Give or To Keep: Under $18

Nancy has been busy decoupaging pots and furniture, and Claudia and Mark have made yards and yards of delicate paper chains. There are winter branches coated with glittering turquoise, tiny sparkling ornaments, live evergreens and inspiring vignettes around each corner. So if you find yourself in Atlanta during the next few days, stop by Providence Antiques on North Highland Avenue and soak in some holiday spirit. I was happy to see the return of Claudia's bulbs in pots. She always finds pots that are just a little more quirky and rustic, and this year she's offering paper white bulbs with moss in the teeniest ones ($8) along with larger containers that hold several bulbs ($16).

Last Minute Art for the Bibliophile

[Above, Ideal Bookshelf 6, GW by Jane Mount.]

Jen Bekman has put together a gift guide featuring affordable, original art for bibliophiles. Shown here is work from blogosphere favorite, Jane Mount, and from Valerie Roybal who is known for her layered surfaces composed of found bits and pieces, discarded books and magazines, handwritten letters, recipes and other ephemera.

Both the second and third works shown in this post are from Roybal's Secret Language series. Another 20 x 200 artist included in the gift guide is Lauren DiCioccio.

Click here for a related past post about DiCioccio's color-coded piece titled: Vogue JUL08.pg132 (what exactly are we breathing), here for the list of works still available, and here for those tunes to wrap by.

[Second and third images © Valerie Roybal; fourth ©Lauren DiCioccio]

FYI: December 17th is Jen Bekman's 20 x 200 deadline for guaranteed holiday shipping.

I Think I'm Done

What's the name of that Food Network show? The Best Thing I Ever Ate? That's an impossible question to answer, but if pressed I might say the bourbon balls from Old Louisville Candy Company -- no offense Momo. (First learned about them here.) As of a few days ago, the small company was still taking holiday orders so I was able to purchase the last gift on my list. And as soon as I removed the mailing box the faint smell of bourbon filled the air.


If you are in the Atlanta area and looking for a reasonably priced treat, don't forget McEntyre's cheese straws. This bakery is out in Smyrna, Julia Roberts old stomping ground, but worth the trip. The cheese straws rank up there with the bourbon balls and cost $5.76 for a package of three dozen. For an option intown, visit Rhodes Bakery.


[Cheese straw image via McEntyre's. I receive no compensation for mentioning these products; I just love them.]

More Masters

[18th-century painting by Johannes Christianus Roedig© 2002-2009 Bonhams.]

Enfilade started the day with a post about the current interest in works by the Old Masters. I love how Johannes Christianus Roedig's 1779 painting of peaches, grapes, pumpkins, and other fruit and flowers in a wicker basket, with a classical urn in the background, ties in with Emerson Merrick's photographs of 21st-century flower arrangements from Saipua.

Isn't it interesting to see how different styles of flower arrangements go in and out of fashion? At the end of the 20th century, smaller tight groupings composed of one type of flower sans leaves were de rigueur, but in the last decade we've seen a real return of looser, often mixed bouquets favored by Lily Lodge, Saipua, Matthew Robbins, and Ariella Chezar.

[Image courtesy Social Primer; flowers by Lily Lodge.]

[Design by Lily Lodge; photo by Deborah Jaffe, Domino, April 2006. Sometimes Whole Foods offers affordable-yet-luxurious-looking peonies right around New Year's Eve.]

[Design by Matthew Robbins as seen in Martha Stewart Weddings, fall 2009.]

Above, floral designer Ariella Chezar uses only amaryllis, but her approach is very romantic and organic. Nothing is pulled into a structured geometric form. Similarly, as mentioned the other day, the flowers and branches seen throughout Elle Decor's January-February issue tend to be composed of one color but they are incredibly tall and lush. Sort of contemporary takes on arrangements seen in old European paintings.

[Detail view of Tom McWilliam's photography for Garden Design, November 2007.]


[Atlantan Ellen Baker's flowers via The Long Thread.]

[In 2005, Schuyler Samperton and Anna Hackathorn did a vignette photographed by Lisa Romerein for In Style Home . On a dressing table they used a sill life by Jules Pages. ]



[Olivier Guigni's lavish arrangement for Georgette Farkas's home in the September 2008 issue of Elle Decor; photo by William Waldron.]


Visit the Bloom library for all sorts of inspiration.

[Last image via Bloom.]

Wrapping Things Up

I think my readers are a super-creative, highly energetic bunch with plenty of talents to offer, so I want to share a quick reminder about CHRIS Kids' wish list and volunteer opportunities. CHRIS Kids is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that serves teens and children entrenched in Georgia’s child welfare system. Some of the kids live in one of eight group homes, but the organization also provides intensive support to families struggling to stay together.

While December 15th is the deadline for donating specific holiday presents, there is a wish list of items that are desired throughout the year. For example, removable wall decals that allow kids of all ages to personalize their rooms without damaging the walls, twin sheet sets, art supplies, DVDs, and gift cards. Click here for more. To learn about the annual holiday wrapping parties, and other volunteer opportunities, click here.

Still running around trying to find a creative present for a close friend? I've grouped all of the gift pairings together here, and there are some terrific garden-related books listed here.

The gift wrap review is here.

[Screen grab in last photo montage is © Bright Star, Apparition 2009. Ribbon is from M & J. Follow links for complete photo credits.]

Inspired by the Masters II

[Shown above, detail view of a Tim Street-Porter photograph from Diane Dorrans Saeks' book, Hollywood Style published by Rizzoli New York, 2004. Interior design by Stamps and Stamps.]

I've always liked the way California-based designer Kate Stamps uses a Soumac flat-weave rug in lieu of a conventional tablecloth.

Very reminiscent of a Vermeer still life.

[Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1662, Marquand Collection, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1889, Metropolitan Museum.]

If you have a beautiful old rug (and have time to make sure it's clean), it might be a great change of pace for your holiday table. Gleaming silver looks so striking juxtaposed against a well-worn rug.

And take a look at the loose and natural gathering of flowers below. Talk about bringing the garden inside.

[Simon Upton photographed Courtnay Daniels Haden's house for Elle Decor, January-February 2010. Styling by Anita Sarsidi.]

The flowers would be too tall for a seated dinner, but a mass of camellias like this could be amazing on a winter table set with a holiday buffet or placed in an entryway. Remember the puffy flower controversy? The year a reader wrote to Elle Decor and compared all those pretty peonies scattered throughout the magazine to "old lady hairdos?" Personally, I never saw a connection to anything remotely frumpy. And it looks like the magazine continues to embrace large arrangements; Anita Sarsidi styled San Francisco-based designer Courtnay Daniels Haden's house with an abundance of big, but very organic feeling, branches and flowers. In fact, be on the lookout for tall flora throughout the latest issue.

By the way, I think art lovers will especially enjoy seeing how Haden lives with her collection, which includes a Kara Walker. I'll be curious to know if anyone but me thinks there is a slight connection between Walker's silhouette and the decoration on a Regency mirror placed nearby. (Afraid of being a spoiler, I'm not posting more images yet since the issue is new.)

Related past post: Barley Twist and Shout.

New Masters

Carlos Mota's use of berries shown in the previous post put me in the mood to look for more inspired takes on small edible fruit. That led me back to Emerson Merrick's incredibly beautiful photographs of flower arrangements from Saipua. The one above, with dark berries and flowers spilling over onto a patterned rug, is so reminiscent of a Dutch Old Master still life. But the incorporation of the textile also reminds me of Renaissance artist Carlo Crivelli and the decorative carpets that appear in his work. Click here for a reminder about the new exhibition at Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera that studies connections between real rugs and Crivelli's paintings.

Above, an antique rug characterized by a "Crivelli star," a type of ornament named for the painter. Image via Hali.

[Image at top ©Emerson Merrick]

Simple Beauty

In December 2006, Elle Decor featured Provincetown painter John Dowd's 19th-century Cape Cod cottage. William Waldron photographed it and Carlos Mota did the styling. Take a closer look.

There are quiet nods to the holiday season.

A fragile branch with berries is juxtaposed with a heavy gilt frame. No ribbons needed here.

And the asymmetry continues with a random mix of mismatched candlesticks, compotes, and one lone red amaryllis that stands out against the dark tones in an 1837 portrait by Joseph Greenleaf Cole.

Vaguely related past post: Cafiero on Art.

The Wee Hours

Across the U.S. Anthropologie has been hosting crafting and reading hours for children. In many cities the events have already taken place, but click here for the schedule. The series continues through December and something might still be planned where you live.

Since I'm a textile person, I gravitate to cloth ornaments (and beaded snowflakes too). They survive for decades and are usually kid-friendly. During the holidays Anthropologie is such a fun place for the little ones because they can touch most of the ornaments and of course the windows are always fanciful.

I did ask Keith Johnson, Anthro's buyer at large and star of the Sundance Channel series Man Shops Globe, if he goes all out when it comes to wrapping presents. No, he admires those who do get creative but personally he keeps things simple. The felt garland that his store is using on this year's packages is prettier in person and holds up well in transit.

So, as you can see from the images at top, in the end I wasn't disciplined enough to do an understated tree decked only with birch ornaments from Jayson Home and strings of cranberries.


Instead I'm enjoying a menagerie of random animals that remind me of the person who gave them to me. Like what happened at Laura's house, a lot of these ornaments ended up clustered at a five-year-old's eye level, but they make me smile each time I look at the tree.

Below, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's naive blue-green rendering of the White House Christmas tree, in the Blue Room, early 1960s. Click here to see Oprah's slideshow of White House trees.

The cloth reindeer, embroidered fish, and images four and five are from Anthropologie. Birch snowflakes are from Jayson Home but currently sold out. The cranberry image is via Martha Stewart. All others are my own.

If you need a break from holiday fare, check out the sneak peek at John Robshaw's spring catalog shoot here and flip through the latest issue of Lonny to see Miguel Flores-Vianna's photographs of textile designer Lisa Fine's Parisian guest apartment.

Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna from Lonny, issue two.

Loosely seasonal, Selvedge deals with the history of sequins in issue 31.

Melanie Acevedo's photograph of a perfectly slouchy loveseat is in the December 2009 issue of Real Simple.

And back to the holidays, above, the Robshaw company's greeting card.

Please Stay Tuned...

During December twelve years ago I ripped this page out of Elle Decor. Everyone I know seems to have a visceral reaction to it -- they either love the quirky arrangement of framed family photos or are unnerved by the irregularity. Last night I was able to catch up with the magazine's editor in chief, Margaret Russell, and chat about it. She told me that the picture of free-spirited Lorraine Kirke's study with those adorable kids standing on the slouchy red sofa was a close contender for the recently released Style and Substance, The Best of Elle Decor, but in the end the team opted to include Kirke's bold red kitchen instead.

Soon I'll be back to share what she said about the Kirke apartment as well as other homes that are featured in the book. (By the way, in case you don't know, it's a huge hit. Already in its third printing.)

Photography at the top by Fernando Bengoechea, Elle Decor, December/January 1997

Fit to be Tied

Long before I started blogging I was one of textile collector Rebecca Vizard's loyal customers (albeit an extremely small-scale customer) and on occasion I've been lucky enough to receive a holiday present from her. Her choice of gift wrap here really proves, again this year, that the simplest things are often the chicest. I haven't had a chance to ask Becky if her lush bow (actually not a bow but a more minimal tie) was made from super-wide ribbon or a piece of taffeta that she hemmed. If you're stressed out about wrapping paper, just remember all you need is a plain box and something striking tied without fuss.

In Atlanta, look for a wide array of old fashioned gift boxes at Richard's Variety Store. There are two locations: 2347 Peachtree Road in the Peachtree Battle shopping center or 931 Monroe Drive in Midtown. Sam Flax also has great boxes.

JCB's Book Week

It's Book Week over at JCB. I think it's safe to say many of us will learn about a few new titles (or rather, old books that are new to us) and of course the classics will be highlighted. Undoubtedly some of this year's most talked about books include Coralie Bickford-Smith's clothbound series of literary classics for Penguin and John Carrera's re-appreciation of the Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities. Maybe I've been under a rock, but until visiting JCB, I was unaware of the highly detailed video that documents his bookmaking process. It's a must see.

Image one is a screen grab from John Carrera's project video; image two via Chronicle Books.

A Brass Planter, a Song, Some Ikat, and a Naive Painting

This year I put my fresh cut tree in an old brass planter. (When I say "I" that means my dad did it.) The tree trunk is supported by rocks and is more elevated than it would be in a traditional stand, so I've got the ceiling-grazing look of a taller tree without the extra girth. The biggest drawback to this approach, in my experience at least, is dealing with the water.

In the past when I used ceramic containers, I always added a second water-tight plastic bucket as a liner. This brass container seemed water-tight but simply lining it with plastic bags proved to be insufficient. Apparently all those rocks put pressure on the metal seams and a steady leak started. Dad had to remove the tree as well as the heavy rocks, then do the installation a second time. Obviously on the next go-round we used a thick plastic container along with double layers of sturdy garbage bags to line the planter.

Later I'll add moss to conceal a smidge of plastic that shows. If you've never had a relatively dense fresh Fraser Fir in a planter, just know that watering the tree can be a hassle because it's hard to see what you're doing, not to mention difficult to gauge how much water is left in the container. (No need to email me about the vent in the background of picture one -- heat doesn't come out of that one.)

Now for the song. For all of us who love listening to Joni Mitchell's River, another tune to add to the library: Brandi Carlile's The Heartache Can Wait from Winter Songs.

If you've been searching for an ikat-covered daybed, Chairloom has something fresh to offer. Molly just made over a Danish Modern piece. For details, contact her here.

High Street Market has a little vintage footstool reupholstered in Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa's "Bengal Bazaar" in magenta.

Lastly, this naive 1930s oil of the English countryside caught my eye today over at Nathan Turner.

Nearly invisible, extremely thin, nylon filament adds security to the Christmas tree in the back. Loosely related instructions can be found here, although my tree is full size and was not pruned extensively. We only removed branches at the bottom to accommodate the planter. Otherwise it is loose and natural.