Archive for March, 2012

Les Magazins du Marais

Friday, March 30th, 2012

April in Paris by Liudmila Kondakova

Ahhh, April in Paris – what’s not to love?  Ever since Jeanne from the blog I Dream Of mentioned her plans to visit the City of Lights, we’ve been dreaming of a Parisian shopping trip.  The last time we were there, we had an amazing day in the Marais so we thought we’d give Jeanne our short list of fabulous design stores just in case…

Blue Porcelain Plates by Studio Ditte

A visit to The Collection is a must for their wonderful collection of wallpaper and giant wall stickers – don’t know if they ship rolls back to the States so bring an extra trunk for packing!

Quirky Planters

Luka Luna is not much from the outside but once inside, it’s a treasure trove of fun and whimsical home accessories.

A Sweet Souvenir

While many think the concept store Merci is a must-see (and it is quite the store!), we loved Fleux which has two stores on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie.  The mix of beautifully designed furniture and stylish elements is sure to please and who wouldn’t want this key chain as a souvenir?

A Fashionable Room

With so much to see in the Marais, Jeanne might just want to skip a long lunch and pick up a jambon beurre at the oldest boulangerie in Paris – which happens to be in the Hotel du Petit Moulin, a boutique hotel decorated by none other than Christian Lacroix.

The Twins on the Roof

And with all the walking around, a dinner on the rooftop of Printemps at Deli-cieux to watch the sun set over the Seine and toits mansardés is a wonderful way to end the day.  Jeanne, if you’re reading this, we’d love to be your tour guides!

Photos via World Wide Art, The Collection, Blog de la Mechante, Fleux, Le Petit Moulin and yours truly

 

A Sage Choice

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Dining Delight

Earlier this week, Kathy Hodge from Sage Design stopped by to borrow some of our bouquets and orchids for a photo shoot at the recently renovated Delamar Hotel in Southport.  Prior to her arrival, we had “googled” Kathy’s firm to get a feel for her design aesthetic and fell immediately for her clean, sophisticated rooms that are as comfortable and livable as they are elegant.

Pleasing Patio

Browsing through her online portfolio, we also noticed that Kathy’s kitchens and baths are the epitome of function meets beauty.

Kitchen Love

Given that one of us is exploring a new kitchen in an antique home, we were glad to read that Kathy is as comfortable designing for a “spaced challenged pied-a-terre” as she is for a “spacious family friendly house.”

Beautiful Baths

Wonder if she’s open to working with a space challenged family friendly home instead?

Kitchen Love #2

After seeing pictures of the suite she designed at the Delamar, we know where to stay when construction begins!

Home Away From Home

Photos via Sage Design

 

Monday Mood

Monday, March 26th, 2012

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Artfully Styled

Intriguing

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/

Interesting and thought-provoking

P.S.  What’s catching your attention these days?

Photo via At Home in Arkansas

Spring Fashion… the Highs and Lows

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

Coveting This Closet!

It’s spring again and what better time to clean out those closets… a feat that always has its highs and lows (as in, that pair of color jeans bought last year are still in style (a high!) but you’ll have to lose that winter weight before you can zip them up again (a definite low!))  We always schedule a trip to the mall once we’re done and this year’s fabulous floral fashions are sure to make us smile (a high!) until we see the prices (a low!)  Thankfully, we’ve done our homework and uncovered some fashionable finds that won’t break the bank…

Blugirl Blossoms

You’ll have to join us on Women’s Voices for Change to read more! Happy Friday!

Photos via Freshome and Elle

 

Posy Palette: Grape Hyacinth

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
Purple Posy Palette

A Purple Posy Palette

Spring has sprung here in the Northeast (though winter never really arrived!) and before the bright yellows of forsythia and daffodils take over, we’re happy to see the pale purple blooms of grape hyacinth in our flower beds… and love the fact that we can include this pretty purple palette in our homes (and in our wardrobes!)

Purple Party Dress

Purple Petal Pumps

Purple Pillars

Purple Prints

Purple Pods

What pretty palettes are you working with this spring?

Photos via Pinterest, Pink Lemonade, J. Crew, Z Gallerie, John Robshaw and Pheremone

Monday Mood

Monday, March 19th, 2012

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Spring Has Sprung!

In The Pink

Pronunciation: /ɪn ðə pɪŋk/

Feeling great (and spring is on the way!)

Photo styled and photographed by our friends Stacy Kunstel and Michael Partenio via New England Home – Connecticut

Egg-centric Adventures

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Join The Hunt!

What do get when you mix giant eggs with leading artists, jewellers, architects and designers?  An egg-cellent reason to walk the streets of London!  When we read Meghan’s rave about The Faberge Big Egg Hunt on Wednesday, we knew we had to go egg-sploring…

The Great Eggscape - Alex Williams

With over 200 beautifully painted eggs hidden all over London, this event is sure to break a Guinness World Record for the most people participating in an egg hunt.  Best of all, the eggs will be sold at an egg-clusive auction by Sotheby’s and the proceeds donated to Elephant Family and Action for Children.

The Power of Plants - Susan Entwistle

And given the grand prize of The Diamond Jubilee Egg (an 18 carat gold and gem encrusted Faberge egg worth over £100,000), Londoners young and old are “scrambling” to find them all.  We thought we’d join the fun and highlight some of our springtime favorites!

Tree of Life - Isharya for Wolf & Badger

Spring - Rebecca Campbell

Time to Bloom - Natalie Guy

Are you painting eggs this Easter?

Photos via The Faberge Big Egg Hunt

Random Raves: London Edition

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

A Daily Read

Is it just us, or is London really in the spotlight these days?  We couldn’t let this week go by without getting in on the action so we asked the adorable London-based blogger, Meghan, from Wishful Thinking to share some of her favorite things.

“Since I’m South African, I wondered whether I should share some authentic African random raves with you, but given the Queen’s Jubilee this year and the upcoming Olympics, London is definitely the place to be!  There is so much to rave about that I had a hard time whittling it down to just 5!  So without further ado, and in no particular order, here is what I am raving about right now:

Boris Bikes

With spring nearly upon us and the rising cost of tube/train fares, everyone is talking about the mighty Boris Bike!  There are thousands of these (rather retro-looking) bikes scattered around the city, which you can hire for next to nothing!  It still amuses me to see city workers in full suit and tie or 9″ heels and pencil skirts biking to meetings or lunch dates!

Jamie Oliver Cooking Classes

A friend and I recently went to two Jamie Oliver Cooking Classes in Clapham – we did Thai Chicken Curry (delish) and Pasta Making (semi-soul destroying but fun.)  The class is really well organised and it’s a great night out with a friend.  If that doesn’t tempt you, there’s free wine, too!

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

OK, so this is nothing new to Londoners but it is rare to find a restaurant that gets it right every time!  I recently visited the city GBK and enjoyed an out-of-this-world avo and bacon burger with a massive milkshake, all under the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral (and all under £13!)

Free London Walks

I have lived here for 7 years and have only just discovered that you can download maps and  maps and guides for walking tours around London!  My fiancé and I recently did the Legal Walk which was fascinating and fun…  next up is the Jack the Ripper tour!

The Faberge Big Egg Hunt

This Easter, there are over 200 giant Easter eggs (each created by leading artists, designers, architects and jewellers) scattered all around London.  I have only managed to find about 20 so far but the quest continues (yes, this has brought out the big child in me!)

So if you’re in the city or planning to come to London, try these out!  Thanks so much for having me, Carolyn – it’s been fun sharing my little slice of London!”

Don’t you just love Meghan’s picks and that she went out and took all the pictures to create these great collages (making our ability to post soooo much easier?!)  Those giant eggs are amazing and we wonder if Jamie Oliver would consider cooking painting one…  Thank you, Meghan, for your terrific post and I can’t wait to come to London and enjoy a burger with you!

P.S.  Meghan should have included her own blog in her list of raves since it’s one of our favorites!  Click here to read more…

Photos via Wishful Thinking

Monday Mood

Monday, March 12th, 2012

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

The Queen's Jubilee

Jubilant

Pronunciation: /jb-lnt/

Exultingly joyful (it’s Commonwealth Day in the UK today and the Queen kicks off her Diamond Jubilee Tour!)

Photo via Mr. Rothschildt

 

Birthday Buzz

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Gideon Does Green

The Buzz turns three this month and who knew when we launched this blog that we would be so ahead of the trend by expressing our love for the color green in our very first post (despite our black thumbs!)

Cupcake Celebration

It seems that everywhere we turn, people are talking about this springtime color.  From House Beautiful‘s entire March issue, to the cover of Veranda‘s new book and all through Wisteria’s spring catalog, green is getting lots of love!  Sorry, Kermit, despite what you think,  it’s easy being green…

Green Mug (Shot)

Succulent Green

Framed Green Fern

Pump Up the Green

P.S.  Click here to read our first post: The Color Green

Photos via House Beautiful, The Hip Hostess, Peters of Kensington, Orange and Pear, Wisteria and Net-a-Porter