Summer Song: One Small Treat

marrakech moroccan spoons in aubergine

If you're being cautious with your cash this summer but still want a little summer indulgence these acrylic spoons from LEIF could certainly set the right mood. Marrakech Moroccan Print Teaspoons not only look the part, they sound like a vacation you can hold in your hands. Whether you're trying your hand at exotic ice cream flavors or just getting down your morning yogurt, these ought to add a little spice to your days.

Single-Girl Style: Chill in Kuala Lumpur

kuala lumpur home of an van daele [source: ruemag.com]

A wonderful summer room! Cool floors, airy furnishings, bright windows, soothing color scheme. Eclectic, global, casual. I love the rice basket on top of the modern entertainment console. The two pillows are a must for such glossy, cool floors. The table has lots of surface area without being heavy or obtrusive. And the spare wall art is painted in soul-soothing shades that complement the few hits of color in the room. Wonderful mix of textures: shiny, smooth, plush, nubby, worn and rough. 

All good things.

Rooms on Film: Cracks 2009

rockstar teacher miss g's private room

Sometimes I can't do a simple Rooms on Film post, because there is so much more going on than set design. Cracks is such a production. Starring Eva Green (Dark Shadows, The Dreamers) as a captivating, modern instructor at a 1930s private girls school, Cracks is really one of those treats of costuming and design. Take a beautiful actress, build a gorgeous setting and clothe her in cutting-edge style. Then turn her loose to perform while the audience falls back, mesmerized by the dashing shapes and silhouettes all this amounts to as the story unfolds. SO, this will be the first of two posts: one centering on the sets, the second focusing on the wardrobe.

Viva Print Media: Seen at BEA

So, I saw these two goodies at BookExpo America this past week. I always make a point of swinging through the Chronicle Books booth, because they have such great craft books. Sadly, they know enough to never bring actual books because people would run off with them without a thought. Nope always styrofoam mockups...

Color Story: Sultry Romance

catharine malandrino gown, femina magazine [photo: armit sharma]

This is the feeling of the season as the days sort of tease back and forth between hot and cool. Rich, flowing silk in a deep mango shade wrapped in cool shades of lilac, rose, and fuschia with swipes of teal and black. Imagine the fabric is so fine that cool air can reach your skin all over. 

No need to worry about your crevices sweating furiously all evening. :sigh:

Birthday Bad Pt. 3: The Best Laid Plans

someday, we'll be together

Before my recent birthday, I was considering what to get myself. (Everyone does that, right?) As it happens, I have now acquired all of those items except the mirror. The shower curtain came last. For some reason, I couldn't quite pull the trigger on it. Just kept wishing I could see everything in person first, to be sure about color saturation, fabric scale and pattern. The shower curtain or the table runner? The Indoor Pattern or the Outdoor? 

And then it happened:

Summer Stripe: Lee Jofa's Bittersweet

unspeakably gorgeous upholstery fabric

If there's one thing I love it's a pretty stripe. Especially if it includes both pink and green. This upholstery fabric, Remo in Bittersweet, is pretty much all good things. It reminds me of some Roger La Borde cans I use to hold pens.  Sometimes I go into a mode of trying to acquire every pretty stripe that crosses my path. 

Retail Odyssey: Target's Global Shower Curtains

Saw some great shower curtains in Moroccan and Indian patterns recently. From paisley to key lattice to peacock and more modern prints, the range is pretty impressive. And the colors are largely cheerful and refreshing - something I prefer in a bathroom, no matter the size.

I took some photos of the store displays because the website photos are just too small to really appreciate:

Color Story: Mad Men's "The Other Woman"

the widest chasm in the world

I was arrested by this image when it hit the screen last Sunday night: the men in their dark suits on one side and on the other the lone woman in vivid color. We all know what ol' Joan was asked to do for the firm. And worse, we know that none of the partners truly tried to stop Pete Campbell from pressuring her. If any of them were truly her friend - or even a decent man - he would have called her into the meeting and had an open discussion that mostly consisted of confirming who said what and explicitly shutting down Pete's pimp game on the spot. And then they'd have made him look her in the eye and apologize. 

But they didn't.

Good Pitch: Sepia Dreams

this ad is like a waking daydream

Today is just one of those days that feels dipped in sepia. Hazy sunshine and cool humidity carried on strong soft winds. Walking home this evening, the air felt like cool silk on the skin and I was really longing for my customary scarf to wrap up in. On the train ride over the bridge, I was looking down on Pier17 and thinking of all the yuppies at the Happy Hour luau. Good weather, good music, good smells and the heady sense that something even better might come out of it. My ideal world is like a waking dream, functioning something like a breezy '80s song full of longing and anticipation for the possibilities always ahead of you, just within reach.

I wish the whole summer could be like today.