Retail Odyssey: Earthy & Exotic at Pier 1

the moroccan coffee table base with glass round top

Is Pier 1 killing it, a little, kinda? Some of their summer offerings are shall we say, righteous. Sexy in that understated, clean & natural sort of way. Items that feel rich and stately without being too showy or ornate. 

Mrrrowwwrrrr...

Pink and Orange Bedding

slip into spring with a little exotica

It's official: I have a weakness for bedding that may require some rehab. After the recent IKEA acquisition, I took a good look at the new Bar III line at Macy's. Like the Style & co. line before it, Bar III has some real lookers in it's catalog. And of course that led to a store visit to handle the goods in person. 

Dilemma: Birthday Self-Gifting

My birthday is looming and I need to decide on a gift. Traditionally, I allow myself one gift, specifically a splurge. Not that the belt's all that tight the rest of the year. Flights to Paris are really expensive nowadays, so I'm looking at objects on my covet list. Feel free to weigh in: 

image courtesy of greenyourdecor.com

Rooms on Film: Think Like A Man

based on steve harvey's #1 bestselling book

This movie hasn't even opened yet. I just saw the trailer in front of the sci-fi flick, Chronicle (which rocked out 100%!). A few cool sets were shown in the...2.5 minutes, a gorgeous global bedroom among them. So, of course, I had to find a few shots while it was still on the brain. Think I'll go see this one just to see the rest of this girl's home:

her clothes fit with her decor: ethnic prints and chic colors

Paper Goods: Jot This Down...

world market's spice route pad; awesome palampore lotus flower

Several years ago, I decided that anything I have to own might as well be pretty.  This was during the phase when I was thinking very seriously about decorating my apartment and doing Apartment Therapy 8-Week Cures. My ideas about style and color were finally coming together so that actual decisions could be made. Instead of admiring things and walking away, I began to buy them. Furniture, dishes, bedding... Even little things like notepads.

Retail Odyssey: And Another Thing...

I did take that swing by my local Target to check out this collection. Of course, there were a lot more pieces in store than are listed online. Lots of handsome modern pottery, metal trays with a Moroccan trim, and carved candles. 

A couple of pleasant surprises were this lamp base and throw rug:

deep, teal ceramic with a lantern pattern around the midsection

Earthy Neutrals: Vivaterra's Home Collection

If Vivaterra had a New York store front, my nose would be glued to the window right now. Their home goods are earthy, exotic and really sing out at a time like this, when cozy bedding is the order of the day. My small weakness for exotic mirrors would be well-sated by one of these:

moorish mirror: the perfect shape for my entry wall

Single-Girl Style: The "Sexy Afro Glam" Vibe

Not too long ago, while cruising around Flickr, an image of this room caught my eye. It was in Aphrochic's photostream and over on her blog she had announced the small-screen debut of her wallpaper, The Vibe, on HGTV's Secrets of a Stylist. Being a love-slave to hot pink and all, of course I was desperate to see the episode. Sadly, it has not yet aired. But the show's host/designer, Emily Henderson, recently posted a link to the episode online.  

The phoenix which Henderson dubbed "Sexy Afro Glam" rose from the ashes of this drab box apartment. And naturally, I screencapped the hell out of it for closer inspection:

Some things are so very worth the wait!

Exotic Beds: Global Designs for Fall

The time to snuggle is now. The days are short, evenings are chilly, the heat won't be on for a month. Already I'm slipping into winter tendencies having grilled cheese sandwiches and cocoa for dinner. After which I want to retreat to my cushy, soft bed with a good book and nestle under piles of colorful blankets. And the fact that it's fall and jewel tones are in season does not alter my desire for brightly colored, well-patterned bedding. Thank heaven for brands like Echo who bring it like it's already been brung.

My favorite new collection, Mayan Geo, features my favorite colors, hot pink and orange, on an excellent tribal pattern. This looks like it would mix and match well with any John Robshaw you've got laying around.

all good things: echo brand mayan geo

Gray Days: Summer's End

Today was a tough one: cold and overcast. It was 48 degrees outside this morning and my windows were still open. Actually, one window was open about five inches. That's enough to freeze my whole apartment. Living on street level, I refuse to open/close windows without being 'presentable' to passersby. (This one time, when I had just moved into my first place and didn't have curtains yet, I came out of the bathroom in a shower cap and towel. The bathroom door was next to big double windows that overlooked a highway entrance. I made eye contact with a lady in the passenger seat of a minivan. Then I got curtains.)  

So, it was a long day of trying to get properly warm. At the office and even hours after having closed the window tonight, I still feel vaguely chilled. Just a little bit shy of comfortable. A hot bath would certainly help with that. But my tub is so tiny, and the grout so old that I never, ever take baths at home. Instead, I'll settle for a good cup of tea and dream of a warm, relaxing, summer soak...

Source: Elle Decor     Photo Credit: William Waldron

Retail Odyssey: Pier 1

Over the past year or so, I have really fallen off visiting stores. It is so much easier to hold onto your cash when you avoid the temptation altogether. For several years my habit was to regularly visit places like Target, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Pier 1, and Anthropologie. Those places actually replaced my habit of visiting clothing and department stores. The habit developed from the feeling that I might miss something. A feeling that the retail industry fostered through  marketing and merchandising tactics, I'm sure. Get it before it's gone!

So, I'm actually proud of myself for having reigned it in. That said, I do occasionally still visit some of these places. The other day I went to Target to get a new curling iron. Yesterday, I went to Pier 1 because it was closed for a remodel all summer and I wanted to see the new look. Those stores have looked the same since I was a teenager. As a college student I used to be fond of their $6 tai chi slippers for wearing around the dorm. They were black on black. When Pier 1 stopped carrying clothes I was never able to find that color again. Not even in China Town NYC! Everyone carries black with white soles. Ugh. So, I swung by and had a look. The difference is not drastic. Departments have been switched around: dishes are now up front, rugs are at the very back. The red ceramic tile floor is now a very light color. They had both their longstanding assortment of candles/fragrances, plus a new higher end line. 

Overall, it was a freshened yet familiar experience. Here are some cool items I saw:

Far-Flung Fashion: Dressing for Distant Shores

It has been a few years since my last vacation and I'm starting to yearn from some place else again. (To be fair, Paris did hit the spot in a big way.) Sadly, circumstances leave me taking this week off from work and remaining quite local. Thank goodness New York City is one place where a 'staycation' can really count for something! My to-do list includes some of those 'roundtuit items that are so easy to put off, plus a few dashes of fun that life just seems too exhausting for in a normal week. Even sadder? Most of these activities will be attended in assorted denim-and-cotton ensembles.

Of course, glamming it up seems like the ultimate day off. But that's only for people who can afford lots of taxi rides to ease their stillettoed feet, and frankly, for people who don't venture outside the better-heeled parts of town where they're somewhat less likely to run into trouble. (Remember: Carrie Bradshaw's pink tutu was all good 'til the bus splashed mud on it. Reality, folks. Reality.)

So, while my jeans, sneakers and airy tank tops are doing their job keeping me on the go, I'll fantasize about high style in exotic ports of call.

sizzling hot pink against an earthy backdrop of orange and grey

All Summer in a Room

Now this is what I'm talkin' about. A cozy space to relax, enjoy music, get some Vitamin D and, perhaps manage to look "effortlessly chic" at the same time.

Source: Cosmopolitan  Photo: Diego Uchitel

Exotic Beds: Light, Bright & Darn-Near White

White bedding is not my friend. Historically, it has leeched color from colorfast blankets, the mattress and drawn the ink from uncapped pens with the gravitational pull of a black hole. But most annoyingly, my white bedding tends to get dingy. What in the world causes white cotton to take on a grayish cast? My incredibly handy mother suggests simply using something called "blueing" to put an end to this nonsense. 

Maybe when I'm 40 I will have finally matured enough to simply take Mom's advice without question. She is always right... Until then, here's to airy, exotic, white bedrooms...(with a pop of color).

embroidered paisley overhead, that gorgeous carved headboard and the cool, silky silver-gray quilt

Dream Palace: Rooms to Cool Down In

This heatwave is stunning. Like WTF? I left work at 6pm and could not fathom the temperature on the streets. Is there a massive a/c vent somewhere? A massive grill? After much walking and shopping and a cool ride on the local train to Brooklyn, I finally came home to a blissful 88 degree apartment. And it was a sweet relief... 88 degrees! 

So, I hunted around for some visual relief and found it in these rooms which embody all that I am feeling right now. Stay cool and stick to the shade. 

From stylist Christine Rudolph:

this Livingetc photo shoot inspired me to buy a similar console table from target, for my desk. and it has played no small part in my mix of textiles and colors: my place