I got this tip from Megan at beachbungalow8, and almost DIED of jealous rage. I have been lusting after these lime zig zag Amagansett pillows for a year and now they are on sale almost half price, but only at ABC Carpet and Home in NYC! If anyone is planning to go, please drop me an e-mail!

I sometimes am totally grossed out by the stacks and stacks of magazines that live under various tables and in baskets around my house. I have a full blown addiction, and can only sleep at night knowing that I recycle them. But while perusing my favorite baby site yesterday, Fawn & Forest, I came across this recycled magazine mobile and thought, "When that time comes, how PERFECT for my stylish little offspring!" Although perhaps it would be a terrible way to get the little peanut hooked from infancy, staring up at clippings from Vogue and Domino. Eh, I digress, it's so cool and earth friendly!

(shown unpersonalized above)

This serves as a reminder: Mother's Day is fast approaching! For those of you who typically become frantic when you mosey past the Hallmark section of CVS and see that Mother's Day is that day- you can thank me later. :)
I saw this item a while back, but never had the right time to post it. Jack and Lulu, one of my favorite stationery companies, makes monogrammed lucite recipe boxes that are simply to die for! Now, your mom doesn't need to be all June Cleaver to appreciate this gift, I for one would love one and am certainly no chef/super homemaker. It's a great way to organize those inspirational recipe's you undoubtedly rip out of magazines (and never make) while adding a little "oomph" of style to your counter top. Plus, anything personalized shows that you went that little extra mile. Always good to get extra brownie points (ha) with mom!

(Notice that even the cards themselves are monogrammed!)

This tip about the company Pretty Green came from my friend Liza. I am loving these reusable grocery totes they make out of Amy Butler's fabulous fabrics! After watching Oprah last week about recycling and green efforts, I am determined to never use a plastic or paper bag again! These would help make it tres, tres chic to do so!

Perusing Etsy this weekend I found some cool items:

George Ryan's pillows look very Jonathan Adler in their bold, bright, graphic patterns.

I am loving this pillow by Paco and Lupe

Pillows and prints by Joom

Because someday I might actually land a six figure book deal. Ha.
(Thanks Marbury vs. Madison)

(these above are only $20!!)

My dear friend Caroline is a jewelry designer and owner of Spotted Dog Jewelry in NYC (after departing from Boston, boo!) She made incredible custom necklaces for my bridesmaids for my wedding and has since branched out to being carried in shops all over!
She just launched a new Vintage Metals collection (all under $50!) which consist of vintage metals chains adorned with various lucite and plastic beads as well as some bangle and cuff bracelets. So on trend, and such an affordable way to spice up your summer wardrobe!

If you have a bit more to spend, check out her semi-precious, freshwater pearl and vintage remix collections- plus, right now get 15% off the Spring/Summer Collection and 20% off all One-of-A-Kind pieces!!!

before, left. After, right.

Check out these before and after shots from a great article in the new Sunset (you need to subscribe). Taking cheap items found on Craigslist, they transformed them (with step by step instructions) into fantastic pieces!

To take this table ever further, but some antiquing solution and make the mirrors look old and less likely to show fingerprints!


Gotta love the KWID Imperial trellis used here!

My experience of camping consists of making my dad drag a tent into the woods right behind our house and sleep in it with my brother and I. We'd try to make a fire with a bit of trepidation that Smokey the Bear might find us a give us quite a scolding. Armed with snacks from Mom and a sense of adventure, we'd be happy in that little tent until we would realize that there wasn't a TV in there and that we were missing a new episode of Full House.

Needless to say, I'm not the queen of roughing it, but I do really love being outside, hiking and all things nature related (minus spiders and rabid possums). So if I were to go camping again, I think I'd much rather experience it at one of these places! Luxury camping sites are all the rage, as featured in this month's Sunset Magazine. Starting off with The Resort at Paws Up in Montana. Here your tent is decked out in designer furnishings and oil paintings, wine is served on arrival and you can order a s'mores kit to be delivered right to your tent flaps. There are spa tents in "Spa City" to ease sore muscles after a day of hiking, horseback riding and kayaking. Gourmet dining options are abound in the main buildings, as well as "dining adventures" where you are cooked delightful meals outside by a fire. Oh, and did I mention the private bath house next to your tent with heated slate floors and a steam shower? My mom has NO reason not to camp now! However, this "glamping" (their term for "glamour-camping") experience does not come cheap. Tents start at $595 a night, but do include three meals a day for two. A five star experience right under the stars!



Much cheaper, but still far more luxurious than a Coleman tent from Sears, is El Capitan Canyon outside Santa Barbara, CA. Tents start at $145 a night and are still quite a sight to see with four poster beds and down comforters to replace any moldy sleeping bags. You can order food to be delivered to your private fire pit and there are still bathhouses nearby to take the edge of the whole camping experience.

With all that has been going on in my life, I failed to recognize my one year anniversary last week of this blog! I can't believe it's been a year and that I managed to stay inspired and post 350 times! Thank you to everyone who reads this and has supported me and cheered me on to chase my dream. I've added so much happiness to my life from this little blog and found out some very important things about myself and my career as well.
Cheers!
Erin

The Jennifer Siegal Portable Home, above.

I found this site, The Value of Architecture, from a flyer I took while in L.A. about a prefab mobile (but not like a "double-wide-with-a- redwood- deck" kind of mobile) home designed by Jennifer Siegal. They actually call it a portable home, thankyouverymuch. It has tons of green features and looks quite luxurious. So you simply find a plot of land for a little vacation retreat and they deliver this already built modern home ($249,000) right to the site! It comes complete with Boffi kitchen and bath, european fixtures, an iPort sound system and translucent polycarbonate panels.

But while perusing this site I realized it was a total gold mine for real estate and architecture buffs with a penchant for mid-century style homes! You'll simply DIE over the array of styles (and prices) on here. I spent a good hour yesterday looking through every single page of every single city! Enjoy!

I got my Martha on yesterday and not only went to the farm and got a bunch of plants to plant in my garden (and then actually planted them), but I also spray painted my outdoor dining chairs glossy black. They look phenomenal! It was so easy and so cheap to do and I am quite excited about doing the table today to complete the set. I am still so enamored with this vintage set from my Grandma, even though I know I could sell it for a couple thousand (it was listed on Mecox Gardens site a while ago for $3,500!). It sentimental and simply fabulous, so there is no chance of it ever leaving my possession!
I plan on adding coral or apple green cushions to it and an umbrella...bring on the outdoor dinner parties!

So remember that post about wanting to have a petition to save Polaroid film? Well, as it turns out, my own BROTHER has started a whole site dedicated to finding a way to continue having the instant film produced. Go to Save Polaroid to learn more about ways to take action. And if you really love Polaroid, there is no better tribute than this awesome print Sean (again, my brother) has for sale on his site- along with many other vintage camera prints.

I was reading my Miss Porter's School alumnae magazine yesterday (my much adored all girls alma mater) and came across an article about another alum, Annie Selke. To my surprise, I found out she is the creator and owner of the incredibly successful Pine Cone Hill, Dash & Albert and Potluck Studios companies! I had no idea that such a home accessory force spent her high school years in Farmington! We all knew about Jackie O and Lilly Pulitzer going there, but there are so many interesting, important women that are overlooked! In fact, Annie said she first felt inspired by home design from the various floral wallpapers that are prominent in most of the rooms in the MPS dorms!

What a inspirational story she has! These three companies came from a desire to work for herself and so she sat down and taught herself to sew chair cushions for friends. She plodded on, paying people to sew in their homes and then eventually had a few employees in her garage. She says it all occurred organically, and now is doing over $20 million a year in sales. I am totally inspired by women who accomplish such great things with simply desire and drive.