Tag Archives: blogs

Bridal Shower

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Image of poster, courtesy of bb8.

Megan Samuels’s beachbungalow8 was one of three blogs that delighted me daily, and ultimately inspired me to “sign in” myself. Megan’s from Kansas City, and while I’m only a transplant, we have covered a lot of the same stomping grounds. And Megan, in case you didn’t already know, is getting hitched. Based on the the number of times she’s made me laugh, the number of products she’s made me want to buy, and the number of times she’s offered me stellar advice, I’d like to throw her a little bridal shower. On-line.

Her good friends from L.A. (and beyond) have already thrown her the girlie shower with the girlie food, so, I going to break things up a bit. First, we’re wearing jeans. Not fancy jeans, 501’s.

And we’re going to Bryant’s.

Kansas City is known for it’s barbecue (or bbq depending on how much sign allowance you have) and one of the oldest and best is Arthur Bryant’s. It might be an acquired taste. The meat of your choice (please don’t order turkey in ear-shot of Mr. Blandings, the eye-rolling is so dramatic and exaggerated, it’s a bit embarrassing) is piled high on Wonder white bread, of which you can have extra slices if you request them. The sauce is thin and spicy and the French fries are amazing. The beer is always cold. Please, don’t wear your stilettos as the floor is always a little slick. It is not gross, it’s unbelievable.

Bracelet, Janet Mavec.

And when we are so full that we might need to unbutton our top buttons, I’d give her this. For her love of pretty, shiny things, and birds, a little something to jingle on her wrist as she is sitting on the beach with Nick. Oh. Nick. Should I get him a little something, too? Well, he has Megan, which should surely be enough. Maybe I’ll just pick him up a little sauce on the way out.

Best wishes, darling Megan, enjoy every minute. Then tell us all about it when you get back.
StyleCourt , Cote de Texas and Pigtown Design have offered up some treats for Megan as well!
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Multi Media Musings

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I’m a bit of a crybaby when it comes to receiving my subscription magazines. I read a lot of magazines, so it only makes sense to subscribe, but I feel some cosmic injustice has been served upon me when I’m standing in the check-out line at the grocery store (I have to tell you, I loathe the grocery store, so I’m already a bit put-upon once I get to the check-out line) and I see the latest issue of one of my favorites. That I don’t have yet. Dozens of copies. Mocking me.

Topping the list of favorites is Elle Decor. I think it’s stylish and fresh. And, by the way, I loved this more relaxed photo of Margaret Russell in the last issue. Not that I don’t like her chic party clothes, I do, but this makes me think we could hang out and have coffee. I like that in a magazine editor. Just like I thought Dominique Browning and I would connect immediately because she has boys and I have boys.

But one of the things I have always adored about Elle Decor is their willingness to print really unflattering letters to the editor. I can relate to Elaine’s frustration, although not with this particular publication, as I fired off a similar e:mail to another shelter magazine. But longer. And more detailed. I was relating why I was not retaining my long-held subscriber status. Much to my chagrin, I have inherited a new subscription in lieu of my House and Garden. Sometimes the fates are cruel.

While reading an Easy and Elegant Life (and if you’re not, you’re missing out), I was introduced to “Q: Quintessential Style.” The interesting thing was, when I hit the link, the entire publication is on-line. You turn the page. Contents, pictures, advertisements. It’s all there. This is an intriguing development. The entire content of the magazine is available to me on-line. Free. But oddly, it only makes me want to subscribe. I enjoyed seeing the images on the screen, but I want to hold it in my hand. I want to lie in bed with it before I go to sleep, to linger over engaging layouts.

It’s an interesting puzzle for our publishers. With House and Garden and Blueprint recently expiring, some would say one was a tragic demise while the other a mercy killing, we need to ponder the future of design coverage. The Washington Post seems to be getting in a groove with the blogging world. Terri Sapienza new feature “Blog Watch” is of note. The bloggers are watching, and reporting, driving a little traffic to what could be a Jurassic rejeuvenation.

Image courtesy of the Washington Post.

The Post also has a weekly newsletter  on it’s Home and Garden page. This last week, a brief mention in Janet Bennett’s article doubled my numbers as she was kind enough to include the link.

And, in case you hadn’t noticed, 1st dibs has turned itself into an on-line magazine as well. The content here is some of the best in the business. In addition, previous features remain accessible so, if you have just discovered Maison Jansen, you can enjoy the feature from “past issues.”

Recently, when one of my blogging buddies was wondering if she would prefer working at a shelter magazine to her current profession of interior design, one of the commenters opined that she was, in fact, publishing already. I know that I am seeing some resources on blogs before I am seeing them in print. I doubt the answer will be one or the other, print or electronic. But I do think there is a bit of an evolution afoot. It will be interesting to watch how it develops and see who drives traffic where. Am I buying a magazine because I saw something intriguing on-line? Or am I on-line because I saw something in the magazine? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Steven Gambrel, his Hamptons home, Elle Decor.

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Chic Redux

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This post started as a bit of a valentine to Jennifer at The Peak of Chic. Last May, she posted about one of her top ten fabrics, and while I already admired her eye, with that post, I knew we’d be friends. You see, Le Lac, by Brunschwig and Fils, is one of my favorites, too. In fact, I have a large remnant as the repeat is 81″ and I had to have it for my living room curtains.

So, flipping through the much-mentioned vintage magazines, I ran across this:

Uh-uh, wait for it.

The main library of the Carcano estate, Estancia San Miguel, in Argentina. House and Garden, Jan. ’86.
The chintz, en suite, vaulted ceiling and a library to boot. Note the sisal rug with the antelope skin on top. I mean, stop. But then, and here’s the thing – you have to read the articles, don’t tell me you just look at the pictures, I can’t stand it- the article tells me the fabric is a design of Philippe de Lasalle (1723 – 1804.)

We didn’t cover Philippe de Lasalle in my broadcasting classes. So, to the web. Seems M. de Lasalle was a fabric designer and merchant.
Design for silk weaving, with Alter of Love. 18th c. gouache and watercolor, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
While little is known of his early life, although he was apparently an orphan, he apprenticed under several silk manufacturers and merchants. He was known for his painterly affect, a artist’s eye for space and balance. As was popular in his day, he used a lot of realistic flowers, birds and insects in his designs.


Les Perdrix (The Partridges) Silk, circa 1771, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
It is a special skill to translate the concept of a painting to a loom. de Lasalle was known for perfecting a technique called point rentre, basically, outlining the figures in black. While he did not develop this relief effect, it helped increase his celebrity.


Silk and linen, for the summer palace of Catherine II, Art Institute of Chicago.
And he was a bit of a celebrity. His friend, Voltaire, recommended his work to Catherine the Great; she commissioned several pieces for the Russian Palaces. One critic claims he was a combination of artist and businessman, catering to a very select high-end clientele.
Seems Jennifer and I are in good company.

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