Viva Print Media: This Probably Isn't Very Green

On occasion, I go too far. I'm one of those people with old magazines under the bed, on the bookshelf and just plain stacked along the edges of the living room. And sometimes I have been known to buy an entire magazine for one image. Over the past few years I have learned to cut back on that by looking for the image online first. But- sometimes they just aren't available. Such is the case with the latest issue of Glamour (which I no longer actually read). I was checking to see if they had done an interesting home profile in "How To Do Anything Better" when I saw these two lovely images:

source: glamour magazine   image credit: robert trachtenberg

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:

The Bandwagon: Restocked Missoni for Target

Swung by Target for a new curling iron and did spot some Missoni for Target items in stock. This would be the Brooklyn/Atlantic Center store:

one lonely little eye mask in luggage

Cozy Under Foot: An Awesome Flor Tile Carpet

The past few days have brought me quite a few surprises, not least a debilitating and unseasonable head cold. But the niftiest surprise thus far is in the pages of the sneak peak of Rue Magazine's new issue, due to post on October 4th. 

photo credit: emily johnston-anderson

I must confess to not being too interested in tv decorators' homes. That might just be complacency, but it seems like their general style comes across on-air. Also, I tend to think their homes must be neglected since they spend so much time traveling and working. Like when you read that some actor bought a house but its completely empty because they're always working. Anyway, thumbing through the rooms of Chez Soto I noticed two things: 1) a number of the accessories are from West Elm's past year or so of collections, and 2) her Flor tile rug has my name written ALL over it! 

The Bandwagon: Missoni for Target

purple zigzag pouf - the one item i am seriously considering.

some of the other things i liked: this print is delicious. but i don't need any of this stuff and i'm able to leave it alone. thankfully.

 
It is hard to know who to blame for my disappointment with today's launch. Certainly, some of the onus is on me. Waking up fully rested at 6am and deciding to web browse was my choice. Forgetting that today was the day, also my fault. And to be honest, I didn't really want anything, delicious though I find the brand. 

Rooms on Film: The Guitar

Back in 2008, I was perusing the New York Times and saw a review for a movie called, The Guitar. The movie sounded like a real downer: Last Holiday, without the life savings and whirlwind travel spree. The accompanying photo seemed to confirm this as the doomed protagonist appeared pale and emaciated. Her environment however - financed by a credit card spending spree - was…to die for:

image credit: jo jo whilden/cold fusion media

 

Some time later, I stumbled on the image in my extensive "style tray" folder and started searching for screencaps. The internet turned up very little, but some of the images really looked promising in terms of the overall set. Then, lo and behold, one evening the movie  - which was a Sundance Festival entrant - turned up on Sundance Channel. Finally, a chance to see this delicious apartment in all its glory! It did not disappoint. This apartment is, to borrow from Pat Conroy, “a feast for the human eye.” The way it is decorated and lived in defines bohemian living. Facing her end, Melody Wilder revels in every reasonable sort of sensory and sensual indulgence. And. I. Mean. Every. She literally takes the time to delight in being able to smell, taste, touch, hear, and see. 

If you've seen The Guitar, you know it does get a little steamy in the middle. And the musical score rocks. And it is a bit unbelievable. But...this sort of urban fairy tale of how it takes a terminal cancer diagnosis to help broken note, Melody Wilder, rediscover her harmony is really pretty fun and uplifting. The environment, moving from a dark, cramped basement apartment, to a sunny penthouse loft on the Hudson River, is as responsible for Melody's reawakening as anything else. 

Witness the transformation: